Page 39 of Be Our Ghost (The Duchess Hotel #2)

Twenty-Nine

What the hell just happened? One minute, Charlie was yelling at him, and the next, she looked like she was about to pass out.

Knox rushed toward her, letting the door slam shut behind him. He sat beside her on the settee. “Charlie? Are you okay?”

With infinite slowness, she opened her eyes and rubbed her forehead. “Knox? I just…got so dizzy. What are you doing here?”

He took her hand, gripping it tightly, as if his touch could keep her from fading away. “I came here because I was worried about you. When I got in at three, I stopped by the front desk to see if the film crew had arrived. Preston said he’d sent you up here, so I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Charlie wiped the tears from her eyes. “Thanks for coming to check on me. I tried to wedge the door open, but it slammed shut. Then the ghost got to me. I was hit with a barrage of emotions—none of them good. I couldn’t control any of it.”

He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and inhaled the familiar scent of her lavender shampoo. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. Why’d you come here all by yourself?”

“It wasn’t by choice. Preston insisted on it because he let a VIP visit the room earlier. When I told him I was scared to go on my own, he dismissed me as if my fears didn’t matter.”

“That’s because he doesn’t believe the storage room is haunted.” At Charlie’s shocked look, he nodded. “He thinks it’s all bunk, but he’s going along with it to draw guests to the hotel. He’s such a tool.”

“No kidding. But the thing is…even if we forced him to face this room alone, he might not feel anything. When I called Celia yesterday to set up the time for her interview, we started talking about Maeve and the way her negativity only seems to affect women. When you and I were stuck here the first time, I’m the one who got frightened and angry.

Neither you nor Glen were affected when you went in here with Celia.

And all the staff who were written up for refusing to go into this room were women.

” She frowned in concentration. “Is the room affecting you at all? Any powerful feelings of misery or rage?”

“Nope. But I didn’t feel those things the other times, either.”

“But you believe me, right?”

“Absolutely.” For all his skepticism, he couldn’t discount the way this room had affected Charlie. Or the evidence she’d uncovered of women who’d reacted similarly. He stood up. “I should check the door. I meant to keep it open, but I was too worried about you.”

“Thanks, Knox.” Her affectionate smile made him glad he’d rushed in after her, even if it meant being locked in again.

When he turned the door handle, it didn’t budge.

Since Charlie’s key was already sticking out of the keyhole, he tucked his key in the pocket of his pants.

“Looks like we’re stuck, but we’ll be all right.

The crew will be here soon, and once they get the other key, they can unlock the door. ” He paused. “ Is there another key?”

She wrung her hands together. “I think so? Maybe Rosie has one. Or Joe from Facilities? I’m pretty sure there’s at least one more.” She scanned the room furtively. “Being trapped doesn’t scare me as much as losing control of my emotions. I don’t want to say something I’ll regret.”

He sat back down and took her hand again, stroking it softly. “Speaking of regret, I’m sorry I’ve been shutting you out.”

“It’s okay. When I yelled at you earlier—that wasn’t me.

Maeve got into my head. I know we’ve both been busy.

I could have texted you myself, but I wanted to give us some time to cool off after Saturday night.

And…I was kind of worried you might want to break up with me.

” She looked away, as if afraid to meet his eyes.

“I wouldn’t blame you, either, not after the way I botched everything at the gala. ”

Guilt swamped him. He’d been so fixated on finishing his tell-all he hadn’t taken the time to explain why he’d been so distant.

“I’m not mad about that. I was just trying to get my shit in order before I talked to you.

After I dropped you off on Saturday, I wasn’t sure what to do.

But on Sunday morning, Lila reached out to me, and we met up for a bit.

It was eye-opening, to say the least. She and Evan are getting a divorce. ”

“Oh.” Charlie blinked quickly, then wiped her eyes again. “Um…that’s great. If you want her back, I understand.”

Jesus, he was making a mess of this. “ No . I don’t want her back. I’m in love with you , Charlie.”

Not the way he’d intended to proclaim his love, but her sweet smile made his heart soar.

“Oh, Knox. Really?”

He gave her hand a quick squeeze. “One hundred percent. But let me finish. Lila wanted to apologize. Not just for the gala, but for all the shit that happened after she dumped me, like those interviews where she painted me as the bad guy. She only said those things because Evan insisted on it. When I told her I was thinking of writing a piece explaining the real reason I left The Hidden Forest , she agreed to back me up.”

“You’re going to do it? For real?”

“Yep. Feel free to say, ‘I told you so,’ if you want.”

She gave him a sassy grin. “Nah, it’s enough to hear you admit it. Then what happened?”

“After I talked to her, I contacted Logan. He got back to me on Monday night and said he’d reach out to a few places to see if any of them would be willing to run my story.

I also emailed Zack and Norah, who agreed to comment on Evan’s behavior.

Since then, I’ve spent every spare minute working on the article.

That’s why I’ve been so distant—it wasn’t easy delving into my past, and I knew if I let myself get derailed, I might not finish the piece.

With Logan’s help, it should come out next week.

Lila’s also going to release the news about her divorce around the same time. The internet will have a field day.”

“Yes!” Charlie pumped her fist. “A big one-two punch to Evan! I’m so proud of you.”

Though he was glad to be shaking off the chains of his past, he still had unfinished business to take care of.

Like apologizing to Charlie for hurting her.

“I’m sorry I was such a jerk on Saturday night.

I should have been grateful you were standing up for me, but I took out all my anger and frustration on you. I was way out of line.”

“I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean to be so pushy.

As it turns out, you’re not the only one who needed a little pressure to get their act together.

I decided it was time to leave the nest, so I arranged to move in with Laurel, starting December first. I also told my mom I wasn’t okay with her springing Randolph on us at Thanksgiving. ”

While Knox was pleased she’d stood up for herself, he didn’t want her to suffer financially. “This won’t be a hardship, will it? I know rent’s expensive.”

“I can handle it. I’m looking forward to sharing an apartment with Laurel. And I won’t miss having my mom scrutinize my every move. Especially if a certain someone sleeps over.”

“You can count on it.” Pulling her closer, he brushed his lips against hers.

Soft at first, and then with a little more pressure, his hand curling around the back of her neck.

She tasted sweet and delicious, with just a hint of peppermint.

Though only six days had passed since he’d last kissed her, it felt like months.

With a groan of pleasure, she nipped at his lower lip and then deepened the kiss, twining her tongue with his.

When they broke apart, she peeked at the door. “Darn. I was hoping our positive energy would be strong enough to break Maeve’s hold. I think that’s what happened last time.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“We were arguing, and you almost kissed me. Remember?”

“I remember.” At the time, he’d cursed himself for not sealing the deal and giving her a proper kiss. “Is that why you kissed me back just now?”

“No, silly. I did it because I’ve missed you. But I also figured good vibes couldn’t hurt.”

To think he might have lost this extraordinary woman to his own pigheadedness. A woman—as Lila had said—who felt passionately about him. “Good vibes, hmmm? I’m happy to keep kissing you. Or you could unzip that skirt and give me a little more access?”

“Tempting, but kind of risky.” She bit her lower lip, a gesture that made her look even sexier. “How about some music? That always livens up the mood. Like in Elf , when they start singing Christmas carols so Santa’s sleigh can get off the ground.”

Not going to happen. “I can’t sing worth a damn. That’s why I never do karaoke.”

She leapt up from the settee. “I’ve got it. There’s an old-timey phonograph in here. I wonder if it still works.”

“I’ll bet it does. You have to crank the handle first.”

The player sat atop the dresser, still collecting dust. He wound it up, and Charlie pulled a 78 record from a faded paper sleeve. “Try this one. It’s from the 1930s.”

When he put it on the turntable and set the needle down, it gave a satisfying crackle. A woman’s sultry voice filled the room, and he instantly recognized the tune from an old Steven Spielberg movie. “This is ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.’ I love this song.”

She gave him a bemused smile. “You love this song? You realize it’s very sappy, right?”

He didn’t care. Nor did he pause to consider his actions when he beckoned Charlie toward him. “Dance with me.”

She stepped closer and put her arms around his neck.

He grasped her waist, pulling her tight against him, and swayed with her.

The fragrant aroma of her lavender shampoo was like a balm to his senses.

He didn’t care how long they were stuck in this room.

He was just so fucking grateful to have her back.

“I was going to wait until next month to tell you,” she said. “But I can’t hold out that long. I’m head over heels in love with you.”

“Me, too, sweetheart. This time, I’m not letting you go.”