Page 31 of Be Our Ghost (The Duchess Hotel #2)

“Because we’re an old hotel. And because you and Charlie played up the grisly details of that murder-suicide.

But I don’t believe in ghosts. I never have.

” Preston sipped his Coke. “I just thought it would be a great way to draw interest in the Duchess. And it paid off, didn’t it?

I’ve gotta admit, it was a genius idea.”

A genius idea that had required a lot of work. “Yep. But do me a favor. Don’t tell anyone from the show that you’re a total skeptic. We don’t want to piss them off.”

“Don’t worry. I know how to keep a secret. After all, I’ve kept yours, haven’t I?” Preston held up his glass in a salute before heading back into the crowd.

While Knox didn’t appreciate the reminder, it no longer sent a chill down his spine.

Now that he’d told Charlie about his past, he’d started wondering if he still needed to keep it hidden.

Maybe it was time he shared his story with the rest of his coworkers.

Once he got through tomorrow night’s gala at the Grand Duke, he’d consider it.

After Preston left, Knox caught sight of a young woman sitting by herself at the far end of the bar, clad in a costume that must have been marketed as “sexy pirate,” with an off-the-shoulder blouse, tight black bodice, and red bandanna.

“Hey, there,” he said. “Can I get you anything?”

She looked up from her phone. “I’m not sure yet. Is that okay?”

“Sure. Just let me know when you’re ready.” He was about to turn away, but her expression gave him pause. Her dark eyes were glistening with tears. “Are you all right?”

She shook her head quickly. “Not really.”

In the past, he would have done little more than nod in acknowledgment. But he thought about the compassionate way Charlie listened to everyone. “I’ve got a few minutes if you need to talk about it. I’m Knox, by the way.”

“I’m Yvette. My friend was supposed to meet me here. She’s the one who suggested dressing like this. And now she’s not answering my texts, and I…um…feel so stupid wearing this costume.”

He offered her a warm smile. “Nothing wrong with dressing like a pirate. I’m supposed to be Captain Hook, but I had to ditch my jacket and hat because it’s so damn hot in here.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of warm.” She glanced at her phone again. “I’m not sure if I should bail or wait for her. She’s been flaking out a lot lately, so it’s hard to know what to expect.”

“Maybe she’s running late. I’d give her a few more minutes. If she doesn’t show, then you don’t have to stay. No shame in leaving the party early.”

She nodded. “Right. Thanks.”

A trio of women dressed as the witches from the film Hocus Pocus approached the bar. “I need to take care of this group,” he said to Yvette. “But let me know if you want anything.”

As he mixed three blood orange martinis, he glanced back at Yvette, who was staring at her phone in dismay.

Maybe he should ask Charlie to come over and chat with her.

But once he’d served the witches, a group of young guys dressed in colorful T-shirts displaying matching condiment labels—Ketchup, Mayo, and Mustard—clustered around Yvette.

At first, he was relieved, thinking they were friends of hers, but her anxious expression set off alarm bells.

He eased down to her end of the bar, side-eying the group as he cleaned up glasses.

Ketchup slung his arm around Yvette. “Hey, baby. What are you doing all by yourself?”

She tried to shrug him off. “I’m good, thanks.”

Mustard flanked her on the other side. “Looks to me like you need a little company.”

“Nope. Not interested.” She stood up, but Mayo put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“Don’t be in such a big hurry. Have a drink with us.”

That did it. Knox charged toward them and used his extra-growly voice. “Did you hear her? She said, ‘Not interested.’ That means you need to leave her alone.”

Ketchup flipped him the finger. “Fuck off.”

“Yeah, get screwed,” said Mayo.

While Knox had never gotten physical with anyone who caused trouble, he loved putting pushy assholes in their place.

If they got out of line, he usually threatened to call one of the hotel’s security officers.

But it rarely came to that. He leaned over the bar.

“I’ll give you one minute to get out of here before I alert our bouncer.

Trust me, you don’t want to mess with him. ”

“You can’t do that,” Ketchup said. “We’re paying customers.”

“I can do anything I want,” Knox replied. “It’s my bar. Now, get lost.”

“But the costume contest isn’t over yet,” Mustard whined.

“News flash, Mustard Boy. You’re not gonna win. Now, get out and find another bar.”

Ketchup glared at him. “Just for that, I’m leaving a one-star review of this dump on Yelp.” But he and his friends slunk away.

After they left, Yvette graced Knox with a bright smile. “You didn’t have to do that, but I appreciate it.”

“No problem.” He caught a glimpse of another young woman dressed in a pirate costume, who was hustling toward them. “Looks like your friend is here.”

The woman came up to Yvette and gave her a side-hug. “I’m so glad you didn’t leave yet. Parking was a shit show. It’s like everyone in the world is downtown right now.”

Knox nodded toward them. “I’ll give you a few minutes to figure out what you want, then come back.” He felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing that amid tonight’s chaos, he’d made someone’s night a little better.

As the costume contest played out, he barely paid attention.

Even with the guests crowded around Drew, waiting on the results, the drink orders still came pouring in.

A few times, he stopped to knock back a glass of water, but he kept going until last call.

When the lounge’s grandfather clock struck midnight, the servers ushered everyone out.

Knox surveyed the Gilded Lily with a critical eye. The place was a mess, awash in a sea of dirty glasses, crumpled-up napkins, and overturned bowls of candy corn and pretzels. No matter how hard the servers had tried to keep up, there had been too many guests to manage.

Rosie clapped her hands together. “Okay, everyone! Thanks for all your hard work. This is the best party we’ve ever hosted. Tomorrow morning, I’ve arranged for a few of our room attendants to take care of the mess, so you’re off the hook for cleanup.”

Perfect . All Knox had to do was tidy up the area around the bar, and he’d be good to go.

The others trickled out until only Charlie was left. She came around to his side, pressed him against the bar, and removed his cravat. Tossing it aside, she placed little kisses along the curve of his neck. “Thank you, Knox. That was a fabulous party.”

“Easy there, Tink. I’m really sweaty.”

“I don’t care. I’ve been watching you all night, and I can’t hold back any longer.

I’m so grateful you agreed to do this. I know it was way out of your comfort zone.

” She stretched on her toes, flung her arms around his neck, and gave him a long, slow kiss.

He kissed her back, threading his hands through her hair and groaning as she ground her body against his.

If this was how she intended to thank him, then he was glad he’d made the effort.

He kneaded her ass, his fingers digging into the soft flesh as he kissed her even harder.

At this point, he didn’t care that they were both sweaty and exhausted.

He wanted to bend her over the bar and make her cry out his name in ecstasy.

She pulled away and adjusted her costume. With a grin, she looked down at his tight black pirate pants, which barely hid his erection. “I wish we could keep going, but the Lily has too many security cameras. I’d rather not end the night getting fired.”

“Same. You coming back to my place? I need to shower, but after that, I’m all yours.”

“That’s what I was hoping for.” She grinned. “I want you to ravage me, Captain. Plunder my body like it’s a lost treasure. You up for that?”

Hell, yes. He didn’t care how tired he was; tonight, they were going to live out all her pirate fantasies.