Shaken, I threw on a robe and padded down to the kitchen to get something to drink. It was a little before six, so I didn’t expect to encounter anyone, but there was Knox, sitting at the kitchen table, eating cereal. The only light in the room was from the faint traces of dawn coming through the windows and the gleam of his phone screen.
“You scared me,” I gasped. My heart was still pounding from the nightmare, and coming across him unexpectedly didn’t help.
“Sorry.” He spoke so rarely that I still wasn’t completely familiar with his voice.
“What are you doing up so early?”
“I am most days.”
“Really? But you get home so late from the club.” I was usually sleeping when the guys got back, often between two and three in the morning.
Knox took another bite of cereal before answering. “Early morning’s the best time.”
“For what?”
He stared at me for a long moment, and I started to get self-conscious. My face was likely lined from being mashed against my pillow, and I had a serious case of bedhead. Finally, he said, “Come with me and I’ll show you.”
That was unexpected. And so was the ease with which I made my decision. “Okay.”
Twenty minutes later, I was dressed, semi-presentable, and riding in the front seat of Knox’s large SUV. Being with him was somehow different than being with the other guys. With the twins, and even Tonio, part of my mind was always aware that I was in the presence of an incredibly handsome man and I’d better not do or say anything stupid. With Knox, I didn’t feel that way, and I couldn’t quite understand why.
It wasn’t like he was any less handsome than the others. He was probably the strongest man I’d ever seen. His biceps were the size of a small nation-state. Several times since moving in, I’d caught myself admiring his strong thighs, his defined pecs and abs. Yet he didn’t make me nervous the way the others sometimes did.
Maybe it was just the fact that he was so quiet, but he seemed like someone who would never judge you. Not that the other guys were overly judgmental, but deep inside it felt like it was okay to be myself around Knox. I was trying to be myself around the other men, but with them it took some effort. With the bouncer, it just seemed to happen.
Being new in town, I didn’t recognize the route Knox drove, but gradually we saw fewer houses and more fields. The quiet drive along nearly empty roads lulled me into a trance, and I was almost asleep when Knox stopped the car. “We’re here.”
Blinking, I looked around. We were parked on the side of a small dirt road in the middle of the woods. Knox got out of the car, and a moment later the door to the back opened and I heard him digging around back there.
When I joined him, he had a bag slipped over his shoulder and was opening another, which revealed a very complex looking camera.
Surprised, I looked up at him. He seemed to be watching me intently for my reaction. “You’re a photographer?”
For some reason, my words made him smile. Had he been uncertain of my reaction to his hobby? Or maybe it was more than a hobby. His equipment looked professional. “Does your camera use film or is it digital?” My voice was quiet—it seemed appropriate out in the woods in the early morning.
“Digital. That way, I can tweak the photos on my computer after I take them.”
“Smart,” I said as he stepped back and pressed the button to close the door. “What do you take pictures of?”
“Everything,” he said simply. “This is a good spot for birds, deer, dew on spiderwebs—those kinds of things. Ready?”
It was a restful morning. The beauty of the woods was restorative even though I’d never been much of a hiker. But maybe after all the stuff with Clint and all the recent changes to my life, I needed to commune with nature a bit. Or maybe with Knox.
He led the way but moved slowly, either out of consideration for my shorter legs or just so that he could keep scanning things to take pictures of. Or maybe both.
Knox took pictures of everything. He explained at one point that, since it was a digital camera, he took as many photos as he wanted, and then later, back at home, selected the best few to work with on his computer.
We ended up by a little creek. It wasn’t until we arrived there that I realized I’d been hearing the sound of the water rushing over rocks for a few minutes. “This is a pretty spot.” I stepped out onto a large, flat rock and watched the water rush around me. Knox was crouched down, taking close-ups of the water, but one time, when I glanced over at him, he took a picture of me.