Discovering Lucy

by Laura Dunaway

  He stood up quickly and undid his belt buckle and fly, making his pants fall to the ground. He grabbed a condom from inside his wallet and ripped it open, putting it on in one quick second. He pulled me to the edge of the chair, stood between my legs, and plunged inside me.

  This time when I screamed, he didn’t cover my mouth. He was thrusting so hard I thought I might die. I started to close my eyes at the sensation when he gruffly said, “Eyes open, angel. Look at me as I move inside of you.”

  It was the hottest thing I’d ever seen.

  When he moved his hand between us, his thumb circling my sensitive nub with just the right amount of pressure, I came so fast I saw stars. The spasms rocked through me so intense, it brought tears to my eyes. Knox kept pumping in and out, then cried out at his own release.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off of him as he finished out his orgasm. I touched my hand to his cheek, finally feeling his stubble on my fingers. I loved this man so much.

  He pulled out and wrapped the condom in some tissue before he tossed it in the garbage, then pulled up his pants. He came over to me and picked up what was left of my ripped panties. “Uh, sorry about that.” He chuckled. “I got a little carried away. I’ll buy you some downstairs.”

  I smiled at him as he helped me up, smoothing my skirt back down to my knees. “That would be good since I don’t usually carry an extra set of panties with me.”

  He opened the door and held it for me as I walked past him. As we waited for the elevator, the conversation with Priscilla dawned on me, and I told him about it. He listened intently as I talked, a proud smile coming over his face. When I finished, we were exiting the elevator on my floor, and he took me into his arms, spinning me around.

  “That’s great, Lucy.” He kissed me on the side of my head. “Congratulations. I’m not surprised. Just like Priscilla, I knew you had something the first time I saw you.”

  I blushed as he walked me back to the counter. “Don’t say anything,” I told him quietly, seeing Kathy with a customer. “I don’t want anyone to know until I hear if I get it or not.”

  He lifted his hand to his mouth, pretending to zip it shut. “My lips are sealed.”

  As I walked behind the counter, I caught a glimpse of Mindy behind hers, and she looked away, her eyes showing a flash of sadness. I decided to ignore it; I didn’t want to worry about her right after what Knox and I had just shared.

  He leaned over and kissed me quick on the lips. “That was amazing. Is it bad that I want to do it again?” My eyes opened wide, and he chuckled. “I’m going to go get you that, ahem, item you need,” he told me as he started walking away. “I love you.” That was the first time he’d ever told me that at work, and I was thrilled.

  “I love you too,” I said, not caring who heard.

  I MISS YOU

  I was wrapped up in Knox’s arms when the text arrived, so it obviously wasn’t from him, and I didn’t recognize the phone number. I dropped my phone as if it had started on fire.

  Knox moved as he woke up. “Who’s texting you so early?” he asked, pulling me closer to him. When I didn’t answer, I felt him stiffen. “Angel?” I didn’t say anything, just handed him the phone so he could read it himself.

  “Shit.”

  I felt him shift in the bed, reaching for his own phone. “Maxwell, I need you to check where this phone number came from.” When he was finished his call, he gathered me into his arms.

  “I’m not going to lie, Lucy. I’m sure it was Drake.” He felt the shudder go through me, and turned my face to look at him. “Nothing is going to happen to you, I won’t let it. Maxwell and I will take care of this.”

  I looked up into his hazel eyes. “How, though? How can you stop him?”

  He pressed his forehead to mine. “Because I refuse to let anything happen to you. I just found you, Lucy, and nothing is going to take you away from me.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. “Okay.”

  He lifted me and pulled me on top of him. “You’re mine, angel. You’re the most important thing in my life, and if I have to hire twenty-four hour protection, or whisk you away to a hidden location, I’ll do it. I’m going to protect you.”

  Knox dropped me off at work a little while later. He kissed me hard and promised he’d keep me posted. “I’m going to come take you to lunch, so don’t eat anything. And let me know right away if Mindy gives you any trouble, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “I mean it, Lucy. I don’t want her messing with you anymore.”

  I assured him I’d let him know if she did anything, then he watched me walk into Armstrong’s before he drove away. I loved how protective he was, but I was convinced he had gotten through to Mindy, based on her reaction.

  The morning flew by. I was leaned over the counter, punching numbers into the company iPad, and updating our sales, when someone said my name. I looked up and saw Justin smiling at me across the counter.

  “Hey, Lucy.” He smiled. “How are you?”

  I set my pen down and stretched my arms. “Hey, I’m good. How are you?”

  He looked handsome in a light-blue, button-down shirt and black pants. His hair was slicked to the side and his eyes were shining. “I’m better now that I’ve seen you. I just went to get some of my pants tailored upstairs and thought I’d see if you were working. Have you had lunch yet?”

  “Uh, no, but Knox is coming any minute to take me.”

  His eyes darkened, but then he smiled. “Well, I’m not surprised. I thought I’d give it a shot, being that we’re friends and all.”

  “I appreciate that,” I told him. “Sorry it didn’t work out today.”

  He smiled, but this time it didn’t reach his eyes. “No worries, I understand. Hopefully some other time, huh?”

  I watched him walk over to the men’s shoes department. He seemed like a great guy, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had dodged a bullet by not going out with him. He looked over at me and gave a little wave when he saw me looking. I blushed and waved back, then got back to work.

  A few minutes later, Knox appeared. “Hey, angel,” he greeted me, leaning over the counter and giving me a kiss on the cheek. “Are you ready to eat?”

  I took off my work apron and set it underneath the counter. “Yes, I’m starving.”

  He took my hand and grazed his lips against it. He kept my hand as we walked by the cafe. I started to head toward the sandwich counter, but he held my hand tight, stopping me.

  “Not today.” He led me around the corner and through a door. When we got inside, I was stunned. It was a small conference room, the table was set with a white tablecloth, beautiful china, and flowers and candles.

  He leaned against the door, smiling at me. “Do you like it?” he asked quietly.

  I framed his face in my hands, and kissed him—hard. His arms reached behind me and lifted me off the ground, holding me tight against his chest. He kissed me back as he turned and pressed me against the door.

  When we finally pulled away, he set me on the ground, resting his forehead on mine. “I’ll take that as a yes?” he teased, running his knuckles down the side of my face.

  He took my hand and walked me over to the table, helping me into a chair and pushing me in. After placing a white linen napkin in my lap and pouring some water into my glass, he sat down next to me, scooting close.

  He lifted the silver lids, and I saw my favorite chicken strips and fries on one, and his bacon cheeseburger and fries on the other. It blew me away how much effort this man went to for me. He always continued to surprise me.

  Knox took a huge bite of his burger, but he must have taken a bit too much because he started to choke a little and grabbed his glass of water. I patted him on the back, trying my best to stop laughing.

  When he finally stopped, he sat back in his chair and gave me a look.

  “What?” I asked, swallowing a bite of chicken.

  “I was at death’s door, and you were laughing?”


  That made me laugh even harder. “You were not at death’s door.” He put a hand over his heart in mock horror.

  The rest of lunch was spent talking and teasing each other. We were totally in a routine, and I loved every minute. He had broken through my walls, and I thanked God every day for that.

  As we were walking back to my counter, his phone vibrated. When he looked at the caller ID, he held a finger up, signaling me to hold on. I could tell by his side of the conversation that it was Maxwell. He furrowed his brow as he ended the call.

  “Let me guess…the phone number is also associated with Clayton Tile.”

  He put his phone back in his pocket and took my hand as we continued walking. When we got to my counter, he turned to look at me.

  “Yeah, it is,” he finally answered. “We both know it has to do with Joey McManus, but Maxwell is having a hard time finding concrete evidence.”

  “I know Drake’s involved, Knox,” I said softly, raising my eyes to his.

  He took each of my hands in his, and ducked to look at me. “It’s the only logical answer, but until we know for sure, I don’t want it upsetting you so much, okay?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  He ran a finger down my cheek. “You have me now, Lucy.”

  I closed my eyes. “I know I do.”

  He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on my cheek, then told me he’d see me after work. As I watched him walk away, he turned around and mouthed, “I love you.” I mouthed it back to him as he disappeared out the door.

  When I felt my phone vibrate, I smiled, thinking it would be Knox, but when I read the text, I knew it wasn’t him.

  We’ll be together soon

  “Dude, you should see her face … No, she can’t see me, relax.”

  Justin stood in a dark corner in the store, observing Lucy reading her text as he spoke on the phone. “The asshole just left her, but I’m sure he’ll be back. Ever since this started, he rarely leaves her side. You’re scaring the shit out of both of them.”

  He listened, then nodded his head. “Are you sure you want me to do that this soon? … Okay, okay, chill. Yes, I can handle it. No man, she doesn’t suspect a thing. Seriously, relax.”

  He hung up, then put his phone back in his pocket as he watched Lucy.

  “Damn,” he said under his breath. “It really is too bad I wasn’t able to get a piece of that.” He started to walk out a side entrance, nodding his head at the chick in the perfume department as she shot him a cheesy smile.

  No thanks, bitch.

  He stepped outside and put his sunglasses on.

  Knox was in his car, finishing up another phone call with Maxwell when he saw Justin walk outside. A prickly feeling crawled up his spine.

  “Maxwell, something just came to my attention. Find out everything you can about a Justin Fox.”

  I WAS IN KNOX’S CAR, mindlessly looking out the window as we were driving to his place after work. I could see him glancing at me through my peripheral vision, so it was obvious he knew something was wrong. I was going to tell him about the latest text, but I wanted to wait until we were out of the car.

  When we finally entered his parking garage, he turned off the engine and looked straight at me. “Tell me.”

  I let out a breath, then clutched my hands together. When he put one of his over mine, it helped me relax. “I got another text after you left today.”

  His hand froze over mine. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  I set my head back on the headrest and closed my eyes. “You had just left, and I didn’t want to alarm you when we both had work to do.”

  He swore under his breath, making me look at him. “Angel, nothing is more important to me than you, nothing. Please, tell me right away when something happens, okay?”

  I nodded, knowing he was right. “I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to deal with it. I want it to stop.”

  He leaned over and pulled me in his arms, kissing the top of my head. “So do I. What did this one say?” I stiffened in his arms, and he tipped my chin up to look at him. “Lucy, what did it say?”

  I twisted my hands together. “It said we’ll be together soon.”

  “Dammit!” Knox ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, it’s okay. Let’s go upstairs.”

  He got out of the car and came over to help me out. We both stayed silent as we rode the elevator up to his floor. When we got inside his apartment, a light was blinking by his intercom, and he pressed a button.

  “Mr. Taylor, there’s a delivery for Ms. Simmons at my desk, sir.”

  Knox immediately looked at me, surprise on his face. “For Ms. Simmons? Do you know what it is, Russell?” he asked the doorman.

  “Yes, sir. A bouquet of yellow roses.”

  I slumped onto the couch, putting my head in my hands. He had found me at Knox’s, and he was sending me a message—he wasn’t going to give up anytime soon.

  “Thank you, Russell. Would you please bring them up?”

  “Right away, sir.”

  Knox sat down beside me. “We’re going to take care of this, Lucy,” he said as he stroked my back.

  I gave a hollow laugh. “He’s not going to go away, Knox. I was a fool to think he was out of my life just because he’s been quiet for a few months.”

  “No, you’re not a fool. He’s a sick man. You’re not at fault here.”

  Logically, I knew he was right, but I should have known that a protective order and me moving to New York wouldn’t stop him. He always told me he owned me, and that he’d find me if I left.

  He kept his word.

  A knock sounded at the door, and Knox got up to answer it. I heard him talking for a moment, then the sound of the door shutting.

  Knox walked back to me and sat down, handing me the roses. “There’s a card, do you want me to open it?”

  I nodded.

  He ripped it open, then cursed. He ran a hand through his hair as he read it to me.

  Your favorite flowers. I’ll never forget. We’ll be together soon. Enjoy your time with Knox while you can.

  I tossed the flowers onto the coffee table, then leaned back on the couch, and closed my eyes. When Knox stood up and walked to the kitchen, I didn’t move.

  He came back with a glass of wine for me.

  “Thanks.”

  He started pacing back and forth. “Listen, we need to discuss some things,” he said as he ran a hand down his face.

  I sat up, not knowing where this was going. “Uh, okay.”

  He sat on the coffee table and took my hands in his. “I want you to move in with me.”

  I felt as if I were hit by a ton of bricks. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t that. “What?”

  His eyes softened. “You heard me, baby. I want you to move in with me. I don’t want you away from me right now, I need to be able to protect you.”

  “The only reason you want me to move in with you is to protect me?”

  A lazy grin came over his face. “Well, no, of course not. I’ve been wanting you to move in with me since our first night together, but didn’t want to scare you by thinking it was too soon. I love you, and want to be with you, but yes, what’s going on right now has made me forget about moving too fast.”

  I was surprised that his question hadn’t sent me running for the hills. It actually sounded really good, but I didn’t want him to feel as if I was unable to take care of myself. I was doing really well on my own; was I ready to give that up?

  His hand reached out and cupped my cheek. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  I moved some of my hair behind my ear, and shifted on the couch to face him. “It sounds really good, it does, but I don’t want you to think I can’t take care of myself. I’ve been on my own for a few months now and have done really well.”

  “I know you have. In no way do I think you’re unable to take care of yourself, but we’re dealing with the unknown here and I’d feel so much better if you were with me.”

>   It did sound good. We were sleeping at each other’s places almost every night, and it did make me feel better knowing we’d be officially together. “I guess that means we’re really together.”

  He looked at me as if I were crazy. “Hell yes we’re together. Did you think we weren’t?”

  “No, not really, but we’ve never really talked about it, Knox.”

  “There’s no one else for me, Lucy.”

  I melted. “Good because there’s no one else for me either. I don’t want anyone else.”

  His mouth turned up in a sweet smile. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. So…about moving in together?” He smirked.

  I took a deep breath. “Okay.”

  He leaned over and kissed me, then lifted me into his arms, making me squeal. “Dinner can wait, this needs celebrating.”

  Later that evening as we were finally eating, Knox had a look of worry on his face.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  He took a bite of his spaghetti, shaking his head. “And you say I know you too well.” He set his fork down and took a sip of wine. “I want you to be careful around that Justin guy.”

  I tilted my head to the side. “Why? What happened?”

  “Nothing happened, it’s just a feeling I have. I saw him walk out of Armstrong’s today and got a bad feeling. I’m having Maxwell check into him.”

  Memories of that afternoon came back, and that odd feeling I’d gotten from Justin as well. “He came by today, and asked me to go to lunch.”

  He froze while putting his glass back down. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I hadn’t thought of him again until just now, when you brought him up.”

  His face relaxed. “What happened?”

  “He asked me to go to lunch and I told him you were already taking me. He said I couldn’t blame him for asking since we’re friends and all. The way he said it was weird and made me feel uneasy.”