His gentle touch made her shiver. When he locked eyes with her, she wanted to inch closer and place a soft kiss on his lips. And from the intense way he was staring at her, she was certain he felt the same way. But they were out in public, with people all around them. Not the best place for a first kiss.

  What she wouldn’t give for a few more hours alone with him. This longing was stronger than the tiny spark they’d shared when he’d come into her bedroom. Or their almost-kiss in the storage room. This time, they both wanted more.

  Hopefully, they’d get the chance to act on it soon.

  For the rest of the day, Charlie couldn’t get Knox off her mind. If she’d had any doubts that he liked her, they were gone now. Even though they had yet to go on a real date, he’d let her into his world and shared his secrets. That counted for a lot.

  By the time she got home from work and settled into bed, it was half past midnight. One of the downsides of working the late shift was that it messed up her schedule. Not ideal, given that she needed to be at the Duchess at eight tomorrow for an early meeting.

  Unfortunately, needing to fall asleep and being able to do it were two different things. After a half hour of tossing and turning, she flicked on her bedside lamp and grabbed Love’s Passionate Conquest—yet another pirate romance. Since she’d read it before, she knew what to expect and had already memorized the locations of the steamiest chapters. She was halfway through one of them when her phone chimed with a text.

  She grabbed it off her nightstand, brightening when Knox’s name appeared on the screen.

  Knox: Are you awake? I have a question for you.

  Was Knox sexting her? Charlie regarded her phone with trepidation, but the urge to text him back was too hard to resist.

  Charlie: I haven’t been able to fall asleep so I’m reading for a bit. What’s up?

  Knox: How long until I get to the good stuff in this book? And by good stuff, I mean sexy times on a pirate ship.

  Oh, God. Knowing that Knox was reading the book she’d loaned him—which was packed full of racy scenes—made Charlie feel both embarrassed and aroused.

  Charlie: Patience. The author needs to immerse you in the story first.

  Knox: I’m already immersed, damn it.

  Charlie: Fine. Chapter 8 is where the magic starts. Chapter 14 is smoking hot. By chapter 20 you’ll need a fire extinguisher.

  Knox: I’m impressed you immediately knew which chapters.

  Charlie: I might have read that book a few times. Just saying.

  Knox: What are you reading tonight?

  Charlie: Another romance. Same series as yours but set on a different pirate ship. There are a lot of lusty pirate captains out there.

  Knox: Too bad I couldn’t work pirates into The Hidden Forest.

  Charlie: I wish! Even without pirates, some of the show was kind of steamy. Like that love scene between Elodie and Finn at the end of season 3.

  The number of times she’d watched that scene bordered on humiliating. What she’d loved most about it wasn’t that it was explicit, but that it showed so much tenderness between the two characters. Upon first viewing it, she couldn’t conceive of ever finding a lover who would treat her that way. But now she was wondering if it might be possible. Especially since Knox had been the one responsible for that episode.

  Charlie: You wrote that episode, didn’t you?

  Knox: Guilty as charged. Did you like it?

  Charlie: I loved it.

  Knox: Glad to hear it. Since you’re a romance aficionado, your opinion counts for a lot.

  Charlie gulped down a steadying breath. Talking to Knox like this—with a level of intimacy she wasn’t used to—had her heart thrumming wildly. In her mind’s eye, she could visualize him sitting up in bed and reading Love’s Enduring Bounty, maybe chuckling over the book’s flowery language. What would he think when he got to chapter eight? Or—Lord, have mercy—when he reached chapter twenty?

  But now she wanted to know what he was wearing. Pajamas? A T-shirt and boxers? Or did he sleep in the buff?

  She was tempted to ask him, but that seemed too much like actual sexting. Better to douse this fire now than let it get out of control.

  Charlie: I’d better get to sleep. I have to go in early tomorrow. Good night.

  Knox: Good night. Sweet dreams.

  Oh, they’d be sweet all right. Sweet and spicy.

  Fourteen

  Knox didn’t mind that it was Friday. Or that happy hour would be mobbed since the hotel was full of insurance agents in town for a convention. He didn’t even care that Preston had left another of his try-hard notes:

  Hey, Knox. Loving those fall cocktails! Your pumpkin spice white Russian is the bomb! I’m thinking we should start pivoting into spooky season soon. Halloween’s only 5 weeks away! Let’s make this the most spook-tacular October ever!

  For the record, the pumpkin spice drink was disgusting. Knox had only added it to the menu after multiple reminders.

  Still, he could get down with creating a few ghost-themed cocktails. Two days ago, Logan had told him Canada’s Most Haunted would be filming at the Duchess on Halloween night, which was a huge win. Upon hearing the news, Laurel and her marketing team started using it in their publicity. As a result, the hotel was sold out for the entire week of Halloween.

  But the show wasn’t the only thing causing Knox’s uncommonly good mood. Ever since his lunch with Charlie on Tuesday, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Texting her that night had been a risk, but she’d clearly been into it. Then, on Wednesday and Thursday, she’d stopped by the Lily and flirted with him so brazenly that he knew she wanted more than just friendship. He could hardly wait until their do-over date on Sunday.

  “Earth to Knox. Are you listening to me?” Selena stood on the other side of the bar, clipboard in hand. “I need to finish this order. Do you want me to get more of the Whistlestop cider or not? Last week, you told me hardly anyone orders it, and the rep was a pain to work with.”

  “Whatever you want.” He was still trying to decide where to take Charlie for dinner since he hadn’t been able to secure another reservation at Il Terrazzo.

  Selena smacked her clipboard on the bar top. “What’s going on? You’re never this agreeable.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe I’ve turned over a new leaf.”

  “Bullshit.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s Charlie, isn’t it? Don’t think I didn’t notice. When I came into the conference room this morning, she was singing. Like a goddamn Disney princess. You’re fucking, aren’t you?”

  That brought him back down to earth. “Jesus, Selena. There are customers here. Not to mention, Charlie and I haven’t even been on a real date yet.”

  “I just don’t want her to get hurt.” A glimpse of pain flickered in her eyes. “You know how trusting she is.”

  “And you’re not?”

  “Hell, no. I’ve been screwed over too many times.” She fussed with a lock of hair, tucking it back into her bun. “Just…don’t be one of those guys.”

  “I won’t. I promise.” Even if Selena was butting into his personal life, he appreciated her looking out for Charlie. “I also promise to give you my full attention.”

  She arched her eyebrows. “Really? You seem pretty far gone.”

  He was about to deny it, but Charlie chose that moment to sail into the Gilded Lily for her daily visit. The sight of her brought back his sappy grin. “Hey, Charlie.”

  “Hi, Knox.” She set a small Tupperware container on the bar top. “I saved you a treat from our Damsels’ meeting. Rosie brought caramel brownies, and they’re so decadent.”

  He leaned over and squeezed her hand. “Thanks. I’ll have it on my break.”

  “I had to fight Laurel for the last one, but I told her you needed it because you’re going to be slammed tonight.” Charlie flashed Selena an apologetic smile. “Sorry to interrupt. If you two are busy, I can come back later.”

  Selena rolled her eyes. “It’s fine. We’re not getting much done. Knox seems more…distracted than usual.”

  “Just leave the inventory sheet for me,” he said. “I’ll see if there are any suppliers we want to cross off the list, and I’ll get back to you.”

  “Check to see if we need to increase our orders, too.” She handed him the clipboard. “Now that we’re busy, we can’t afford to run short of anything.”

  “Will do.” Normally, he was on top of this shit, and he liked working with Selena, who managed the hotel’s beverage inventory. She had a knack for seeking out local breweries, wineries, and cider orchards to ensure the Lily provided visitors with an authentic taste of Vancouver Island.

  “All right, I’ll let you lovebirds flirt for a few minutes before Knox gets stuck dealing with all those thirsty insurance guys.” Selena glanced around the lounge. “Where’s Miles? You’re going to need backup tonight.”

  “He’ll be here in a bit. He’s had some scheduling issues.” Over the past few weeks, Knox had tried to rein in his frustration with Miles. While the guy was a decent bartender, he’d recently been struggling to balance his duties at the Lily with a temp job at an office downtown.

  “Let me know if that gets to be a problem,” Selena said. “You shouldn’t be stuck making dozens of pumpkin spice monstrosities on your own.”

  “You don’t like pumpkin spice?” Charlie placed her hand over her heart. “It’s the official flavor of fall.”

  “It’s basic as hell.” Selena turned to leave but stopped short as Alejandro, the assistant manager of the Grand Duke, walked into the Gilded Lily. “What’s that slimeball doing here?”

  Alejandro sauntered up to the bar. While the guy was way too smug for his own good, Knox couldn’t deny that he was a smooth fucker. Clad in a charcoal gray suit with a silvery blue tie, his dark, wavy hair in a perfect flow, he looked more polished and professional than anyone who worked at the Duchess.

  “Good afternoon, ghostbusters,” he said. “Who ya gonna call?”

  “Jealous, are you?” Selena demanded.

  “Of what—your so-called ‘haunted’ hotel?”

  Knox bristled with annoyance. “It is haunted. We’ve got substantial proof.”

  “Just because a place is old and run-down doesn’t mean it’s haunted.” Alejandro picked up a laminated card from the bar and grimaced. “A pumpkin spice white Russian? How nauseating.”

  “First of all, don’t insult Knox’s drinks,” Charlie snapped. “Second, I’ll have you know our hotel was the site of a tragic incident in 1924. Three people died in room 309, which was later turned into a storage room. A room that shows all the signs of being haunted. Over the years, a lot of our staff have been locked in there, presumably by a vengeful ghost.”

  Alejandro’s smug look vanished. “I don’t believe you. If a scandal like that had ever happened, everyone would know about it.”

  “The hotel covered it up,” Charlie said. “It wasn’t in the papers, but we found proof in the provincial archives. Plus, I discovered written accounts from staff members who had unsettling experiences in that room.”

  “But no one’s seen a ghost, have they?” he asked. “At the Grand Duke, guests have supposedly witnessed apparitions floating through the hallways.”

  “And yet you turned down the opportunity to host the show?” Selena crossed her arms. “Bad move on your part. Landing Canada’s Most Haunted has been great for business.”

  Upon seeing the sour look that passed over Alejandro’s features, Knox swelled with pride. “We’ve got a full house for the entire week of Halloween.”

  “Must be a nice change of pace,” Alejandro said. “But we’ve never had a problem attracting guests. And we don’t need a fake ghost to do it.”

  Selena chuffed out a furious breath. “Why are you here? I can’t imagine you came for a drink.”

  Alejandro turned to Knox. “I’m here for you, barkeep. I wanted to offer you a proposition.”

  If it was a job at the Grand Duke, Knox wasn’t interested. No way was he leaving the Duchess, not after he and Charlie were finally connecting. Even so, he was curious. “What is it?”

  “We have a huge gala taking place on October twenty-fourth—the Saturday before Halloween.” Alejandro gave Selena a condescending smile. “Remember, querida? I told you about it when we ran into each other at Pepe’s. Though maybe it slipped your mind, given that you were slightly inebriated?”

  “I remember,” she grumbled. “You’re hosting a party for that fantasy show.”

  Fantasy show? Knox’s shoulders tightened. “Do you mean The Hidden Forest?”

  Alejandro nodded. “That’s the one. The CEO of Royal Host—our management company—is good friends with an exec from the show. They go way back. Because of that, we’re hosting a gala celebrating their one hundredth episode. But our event manager dropped the ball. Too many of our regulars already requested off that night because it’s so close to Halloween. So, we need an extra bartender with plenty of experience. Despite the fact you work in this dump, I’ve heard good things about you.”

  Knox’s throat lurched with a hard swallow. If Alejandro had asked him a month ago, his answer would have been “no way in hell.” But ever since his conversation with Charlie three days ago, he’d been thinking about everyone on the show that he’d left behind. Remembering the good times as well as the bad. Could he risk attending such a high-profile event? He had no idea what Evan’s reaction would be. Would he want to mend fences, or would he have Knox kicked out on sight?

  “One more thing,” Alejandro added. “Costumes are mandatory for everyone, including the event staff. Something decent, not a cheap number from Party City.”

  Never in his life had Knox been so grateful for the chance to dress up. With the right disguise, he could observe everyone without attracting attention. If he was lucky, he might get to connect with a few of his former coworkers and tell them he hadn’t forgotten them. Maybe then, he could put old ghosts to rest.

  “I’ll do it,” he said. “Just send me the details.”

  Charlie spoke up quickly. “But you’ll probably need help at your station, right?” She turned to Alejandro with her sunniest smile. “Any chance I could assist Knox? I’m a huge fan of the show.”

  Without asking, Knox knew she was volunteering for his sake. To ensure he made it through the evening without melting down. While it wasn’t something he would have asked her to do, he was grateful she’d thought of it.

  “We could probably use you, but only if you promise to behave professionally,” Alejandro said. “No asking for autographs or selfies. Understand?”

  “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of doing anything that intrusive.” When he didn’t respond right away, she clasped her hands together. “Please, Alejandro.”

  He gave a dramatic sigh. “Fine. Decent costumes. Professional behavior. No photographs. Got it?” He turned to Selena. “What about you? Would you like to help? You could dress up as a sexy serving wench. Or a sexy pirate. I’d pay money to see that.”

  Her dark eyes flashed with anger. “Go to hell. And get out of our bar.”

  “As always, it’s been a pleasure, princesa.” He gave a little bow. “Knox, I’ll be in touch.”

  After he left, Selena gritted her teeth. “He’s such a prick. I hate those pet names he uses.”

  “He wasn’t that bad,” Charlie said. “You have to admit, he’s smoking-hot, and that suit looks like a million bucks on him.”

  “I’ll admit he’s…attractive. He looks even better without the suit.” When the two of them stared at her, a rosy flush crept across her cheeks. “Not that I’ve seen him naked. He works out at Northlife Fitness, same as me, and we’ve run into each other a few times.”

  Charlie grinned. “Uh-huh. Whatever you say.”

  “I’ve got to finish up so I can get out of here at a decent hour,” Selena said. “Have a good weekend.”

  “You, too.” Once Selena was gone, Charlie leaned across the bar. “Just so you know, I’m not into Alejandro. Not even a little. Sure, he wears a suit incredibly well, and I love his accent, but he’s not my type. I like teasing Selena because it gets her so riled up.”

  Knox loved it when Charlie showed her naughty side. “For someone who looks so innocent, you’re actually a wicked little pixie. You’ll be perfect as Tinker Bell.” He was already imagining how sexy she would look, wearing a short green dress and ankle boots.

  Rather than banter with him like she usually did, she reached over and took his hand again, giving it a tight squeeze. “Speaking of costumes, are you sure you want to work at that gala? It could be super stressful.”

  “Weren’t you the one encouraging me to get closure?”

  “I was, but this seems kind of risky. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “I don’t want that, either, but I’m not sure when I’ll get a chance like this again. I think if I can find a disguise that covers my face, I’ll be safe. If I don’t feel comfortable exposing myself, then I’ll keep it on all night.” With any luck, he’d get the chance to connect with a few of the people he’d cared about, without making himself too vulnerable.

  “I can help. Laurel has a friend who works for VOS Musical Theatre, and she’s borrowed costumes from them before. I’ll have her ask if they have anything we could rent for the gala.”

  “Sounds good. Are we still on for Sunday? I couldn’t get into Il Terrazzo. Anyplace else you’d like to go?”

  Her concerned expression vanished. In its place was the sunny smile he knew so well. “How about somewhere in Chinatown? I love Chinese food.”

 

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