Page 19 of Allured (Love and Burlesque #1)
CHAPTER NINETEEN
ALEK
What’s the tea?
E z can’t cook for shit. I learned that this morning after we had woken up in each other’s arms. There was a relaxed smile on his face when I blinked open my eyes from a long night of peaceful sleep. Handsome and awake as ever, Ezekiel was sprawled out looking like he always belonged in my bed. We took our time detangling from each other, passionate kisses and heavy touching made it almost impossible for us to leave the bed. It was only the combined noises from our growling stomachs that put a pause to the makeout session.
We spent the morning making pancakes and bacon side—by—side. Ez insisted on helping out in the kitchen. And my angel burned the fuck out of our bacon and set off the fire alarm. That’s how he ended up sitting on my shoulders, reaching for the alarm so we could turn the damn thing off. We took so long trying to turn off the alarm that my pancakes also burned.
By the end of our disastrous breakfast, we sat giggling with each other at my small dining table with our burned food still smoking between us as we tried to look for any edible pieces. Despite the chaos, it was still the best morning I’ve had in a long time, even with the nagging thoughts trying to invade my mind.
For the sake of having a good morning, I had internalized the anxiety that had been in the back of my mind since Ez told me he and Knight were cousins. I have to confront Knight later today and possibly ruin something with Ez before it even has the chance to begin. This morning might have been the last time I would get to see my angel like this and I was going to treasure our time.
“You’re interrupting my morning tea.” Knight sits back in one of the dark leather chairs in his study, a small cup of tea halfway lifted to his lips.
I texted Knight and sped over here right after saying goodbye to Ez. He had some work to take care of for the upcoming school week and I had errands to run before the show but we agreed to call later tonight. Kissing him goodbye felt especially bittersweet knowing I needed to have a tough encounter afterwards.
“Oh, I’m sorry , I didn’t know it was morning tea time. Did I just fucking miss the Queen of England?” I finish entering the room and cross my arms once I’m in front of him.
“You smell like you’ve eaten a pack of cigarettes.” Knight’s mustache shifts upward as he grimaces. He sets his cup of tea down on a coaster and turns to give me his full attention.
“Yeah, well you can thank your cousin for almost setting my house on fire this morning.”
Knight’s eyes narrow and his brow lowers in a look that screams equal parts protective and pensive. After a moment, he offers nothing more than a small “humph.”
“Humph, really? That’s all you’ve got to say?”
Letting out a long sigh, Knight leans back against his chair and steeples his hands in front of his torso. He looks at me the way a parent might look at a misbehaving child.
“I should have realized this would have been within the realm of possibility,” the man admits. “I assume you hit it off at the gala last weekend?” he asks, but I know he already knows the answer.
“Did you set us up?” I ask outright.
Suddenly, Knight stands up, buttons his suit, and hurries past me to walk over to his desk on the opposite side of the room. I don’t know why he’s even wearing a three—piece suit if he’s in his own damn house.
“No. I thought you two would annoy each other and I would get a good laugh out of it. However, other business kept me from visiting you two in the kitchen. It wasn’t my intention to play matchmaker. Although, it seems I should make it a business venture if Ezekiel’s already spending the night,” he smirks.
“Did you know he was going to that bachelorette party at Garden of Eden?”
“Anna’s party? Ezekiel was part of that?” he calls over his shoulder, confusion in his tone.
“Down to the pink boas,” I reply.
“Oh, I need to get a video of that,” he laughs but it sounds odd, like he’s hurrying to do something behind his desk.
Suspicious at his tone, I follow Knight over to the other side of the room and I see him quickly shuffle some papers into a file and slam it closed.
“You’re being weird and not weird about this.” Choosing to ignore whatever the Hell that was with the file, I instead bring up the elephant in the room. “Knight, you hired me as an escort ten years ago.”
“I was there, Alek.”
“You don’t think Ezekiel’s going to freak out over this?”
“Ezekiel doesn’t freak out . He is the most understanding person I know. While he is not aware of the specifics of that time of my life, he was there through it all.”
“You really don’t think he’s going to have a problem with it?” I ask with a worry in my voice. I’ve been stressing about keeping this from Ez.
“Will he have an issue with us having had a few lackluster dates with awkward intimacy before becoming business partners instead? No, I don’t believe so, and it was a decade ago, Alek.”
Flopping onto one of the chairs facing his desk, I let myself sink into the velvet cushions. I run a hand through my hair and push it out of my face before looking back at Knight as he leans against his desk.
“You are serious about him, aren’t you?” Knight asks with an eyebrow raised in my direction.
“Yeah, Knight, I am.”
“Then you need to speak to him. I’m sure both of you have things you need to disclose.”
It’s my turn to look at him with a questioning expression. Things we both need to disclose? What does that mean? Is he talking about Ezekiel’s childhood?
A sudden, loud notification goes off. Knight quickly picks up his cellphone and glances at his screen before tucking it into his breast pocket.
“I need to go, Alek,” he says cooly, though I see small beads of sweat gathering at his temple. He’s being really fucking weird.
“Yeah, sure.” I get up and rub at the back of my neck. I’m still worried about all of this. As much as I’m not ashamed of my past and think that Ezekiel is an understanding guy, it’s not information that’s easily said and shared.
“I wouldn’t be an elder sibling figure if I didn’t say this—” Knight walks right up to me, meeting me toe—to—toe. “Do not hurt Ezekiel, Aleksander.”
“I’d never hurt him,” I reply just as steely.
“Wonderful, make sure to say bye to the Queen on your way out!” Knight pats my chest a little too hard, turns me, and pushes me out of his study.