A Baby For Billionaire Knox

THEME: The Nice Boss

KNOX MARTINS BEACH HOUSE

“It is about to snow in -” Eretia turned off the weather forecast news as she rushed to her room ignoring the pain in her leg.

Knox Martins has been gone for about an hour now and he hasn’t returned home. He didn’t even pick up his calls which made Eretia really worried about him. She grabbed her jacket and moved out of the house.

“Where did he go? Where could he be? Did he drive down to his family’s house to make a report?” Erebus asked herself. But Eretia panicked again at the thought of Knox Martins getting buried in the snow.

“If he is around… no one is going to save him. Geez! This is killing me! Why aren’t there so much people living in this area?!” Eretia said loudly as she dialed his number again.

“Please pick up Mr Knox… I am so sorry for saying those words to you.” She paced the porch slowly.

“Oh my sea, please bring him back home safely.” She prayed.

“Wait.. maybe I should go and look for him. I can’t keep standing here… but what if I get caught in the snow again!” She thought deeply.

Eretia took a step only to realize that her legs were too weak.”Damn it!” She muttered.

Eretia doesn’t have any choice than to stay back. And then slowly she sat on the stairs to wait for her boss.

Minutes clicked by, Eretia checked her watch 10:15 pm. She looked up when she heard the sound of a car horn. Knox Martins was pulling into the driveway. Immediately Eretia stood up but she couldn’t walk to meet up with him. She noticed the small paper bag in his right hand.

Eretia saw the tension in his face, the way the lines at his mouth deepened when he came to her. She heaved a sigh of relief that at least he was fine.

Eretia met his gaze and she began to say. “I am.. I am sorry.. I shouldn’t have said anything about -”

“Forget it.” Knox silenced her.

“I am sorry.” Eretia whispered again.

Knox shook his head in acknowledgement. “Why are you outside?” He asked in a stern tone.

And Eretia looked up at him. “You.. left without saying.. anything.. and I became worried after I listened to the weather forecast that it is going to snow soon.” She answered.

“Can we go in now?” He asked.

“Of course.” Eretia replied.

He doesn’t hold grudges right? He won’t fire me right? Has he forgiven me? Eretia mused.

And when she thought he was going to leave her to find her way inside, Knox Martins leaned closely.

“You can lean on me.” Knox said as he placed his hand around her shoulder.

“Thank you.” Eretia said.

And they both walked back into the house. Knox motioned to her to sit on the couch and she did as instructed. He dropped a small soft pillow on the floor in front of Eretia and crouched down to sit on it. Knox Martins dropped the paper bag on the floor beside him.

“What are you trying to do?” Eretia asked when he brought out a bandage, an ointment and a painkiller.

“What does it look like to you? Eretia, you should know by now that you are an expert at asking questions.” Knox said.

Moisture gathered in her eyes when she realized Knox had probably drove down to the mini mart or elsewhere to buy these things Oliver prescribed to her.

Knox held her right ankle and twisted it gently. Eretia held back a sob.

“It won’t take long.” Knox mumbled.

Eretia nodded. He twisted it again and suddenly she heard a crack in her ankle causing her to wince in pain. Knox looked up at her and noticed the tears at the corner of her eyes. Knox flinched at the pain he saw there and he hated himself at that moment for causing her pain.

Knox Martins dropped her leg gently on another pillow. “You are so distracting.” He muttered without thinking but soon as the words came out he knew the truth in them.

Eretia has been distracting him from the beginning and she hasn’t stopped. Everything about her amazes him as if she has hexed him.

Knox stood up and went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. He gulped down the whole glass before going back to Eretia with another glass. She collected the glass and held it in her hands.

Eretia sniffed.”So you went to the mini mart?” She asked.

Knox settled back on the pillow. “Questions again.” He said.

“Yes.. I like asking questions. I always get to point and I am pretty curious to know about the things I see around me.” Eretia replied.

“So I bet when you were a kid, you distract people easily with your curiosity and questions.” Knox said as he massaged her ankle gently.

“I bet you were annoyingly tight – lipped when you were a kid.” Eretia countered without missing a beat.

Knox glanced up at her with a half smile on his lips. “No… I changed up for a reason.” He replied.

“This is about your father right?” Eretia asked.

His smile disappeared almost immediately and she noticed it.

“I am sorry I shouldn’t have mentioned it.” Eretia mumbled.

“Forget it.” Knox said.

Then he wrapped the bandage around her ankle. “I should be the one apologizing for hurting you.” He added after some seconds passed by in silence.

“No, it’s alright. Seriously boss, I’ll be fine.” Eretia said.

“You were right about everything you said earlier. I am mean and selfish to my workers but I wasn’t always like this.”

Eretia studied him closely. An image flashed through her mind. “Perhaps… have we met?” She blurted out.

“So you don’t remember seeing me anywhere?” He asked.

Eretia closed her eyes. “I think you need to see a doctor and get an x-ray done on it.” Knox said and her eyes flare open.

“No I don’t like the smell of hospitals.” Eretia countered.

“You have been there before?” Knox asked.

Eretia nodded. “Yes.. about two months ago.. then I ran out of the hospital.” She smiled.

Knox wondered if she was insane back then running out of the hospital with no shoes.

“And then I bumped into this weird guy.” She said.

Knox met Eretia’s gaze. “He insulted me and Oliver.” She swallowed the drugs he dropped into her palms.

Knox knew she was talking about him. So she leaned forward. “You look like that guy I saw that night.”

Knox nodded. “I am the same guy you met that night.”

Her eyes widened in shock. She reached out to him and roughened his hair with her hands. His hair fell over his eyes to the same hairstyle he had on that night.

“Oh! You are the same guy!” Eretia covered her mouth with her palms. “I.. I.. didn’t realize it..”

Knox stood up. “Are you hungry? Or will you like to have a cup of juice first?”

“Yes… and a cup of juice.” She answered.

“Ok.. I’ll be right back.” Knox said with an attempt to move to the kitchen but her words stopped him on track.

“Wait… can I come with you?’ Eretia blinked.

“Sure.” Knox answered and he went to her.

“What are you trying to do?” Eretia asked.

“What does it look like?” Knox lifted her up in his arms in bridal style.

“Thank you boss.” Eretia said.

Knox went to the kitchen and dropped her on the stool chair. He went to the refrigerator and returned with a bowl in his hands to the gas cooker. Eretia sat back on the stool just watching him. Knox found a pot and poured the stew in it. And in moments the stew was heating. He pushed a coffee mug to her before he crossed to the sink and ran water over his hands and then he dried them on a towel.

Eretia noticed the way her boss took several deep breaths, the way the action stretched the fabric of the body hug top, the way he dropped the towel on the counter and pressed both hands on the edge of the sink.

Knox Martins lowered his head a bit then with a harsh intake of air he straightened up. Eretia hardly knew her boss but yet she sensed his pain and felt concerned for him.

“Are you okay?’ She asked. And no response came from him.

“Are you tired? Or is there something bothering you?” Eretia demanded.

Knox sighed and turned to her with a passive look on his expression.

“My mom caused his death.” Knox said finally.

“No… you are mistaken.” Eretia shook her head slowly.

“No, she picked up a fight with him that day. She accused him of having an affair with his secretary. My dad tried to defend himself but she didn’t listen. He left…. and we heard of his death. And in the end, he was innocent. It was all her fault!” Knox gritted and clenched his fist.

Eretia knew that he was wrong but it didn’t stop her automatic sympathy at what he had lost.

“I am sorry.” She whispered.

“No apologies needed.” He interjected.

Eretia didn’t want to stop the whole conversation but it was needed to end it right there. “Boss, I can tell you that the stew’s going to burn if you don’t stir it.” She said looking past him at the stew and the steam rising from the pot.

Knox picked a spoon and stirred the stew. Slowly Eretia stood up to get the dishes. For a moment, the room seemed unsteady and her legs felt weak. She held onto the edge of the island while Knox looked at her for a long moment.

“Why do you still look so pale? Sit down, I’ll get things done.” Knox said.

Eretia was going to protest not when her legs felt like rubber. So she sank back down on the stool. Knox served their food and they ate in silence.

About ten minutes later, Eretia pushed away her dish. “I am full.” She said.

Knox was done too so she poured herself some apple drink. Eretia sipped the juice as she met his gaze over the rim of the heavy mug.

Knox cleared his throat.”I was going to ask you what you studied in college?” He asked.

“Uhmm…”

“Journalism? Are you a reporter? Or you do research writing because from the way you asked too many questions, I would say these are fitting field for you.” Knox said.

“I am not in any of those fields. Like I said earlier, I am just a curious individual and I like finding answers for things.” She answered.

To be honest, Eretia didn’t want to discuss things like this with him. She wasn’t in any field. Nobody must know about her deepest secret. How she only found herself in the human world according to her wish. It was shocking dream that she kept alive for years and it became a reality.

So Knox let it drop. He stood up, picked up the dishes and took them to the sink. He rinsed the dishes quickly.

Eretia made to stand and head to bed but the minute she tried, her legs gave out. Eretia let out a whimper as she reached for the table for support but Knox was already there catching her by her arm to steady her.

“Easy…” Knox let her get her balance. “Hey.. take it easy.”

Eretia couldn’t explain why she was feeling so weak. “Here..” He offered to help her.

Eretia knew she needed his support. Although she wished she could just move away from him but she couldn’t stand without him at that moment.

“My legs are weak.” Eretia mumbled. This is more than the pain in her ankle. The feeling was so different.

“Lean on me.” Knox murmured.

He had his arm around her, supporting her the way he had that night she fell in the snow.

All of a sudden wave of power shot within her making Eretia closed her eyes tightly. She desperately wanted to say that she could walk and he could let her go but that was a lie. Somehow Eretia wanted him close.

“Thank you, Mr Knox Martins.” Eretia whispered. She didn’t expect that he could be this nice.

“You.. know you can just call me.. Knox.” He said.

Eretia looked at him while he helped her back to her bedroom. “Climb in,” Knox helped her into bed.

“Thank you.” Eretia said laying back on the bed and sighed with relief. She closed her eyes waiting while the world fell away.

Eretia was so sleepy. The bracelet on her wrist tightened igniting more powers in her. She prayed for it not to glow underneath the bed covers. And soon she felt him touch her cheek and she slipped into the softness.

But before Eretia could let herself go to sleep, she felt a lips brush hers, the softness of the lips and kiss comforted her and then it was gone.

Was it a wish again? Was it a dream? Eretia couldn’t tell and in that moment between sleeping she didn’t care.

Knox Martins has never taken advantage of a woman. He has never loved any woman. He has never kissed any woman. He has never done anything that irrational. But with Eretia close to him, he was violating his well constructed rules when he kissed her. He didn’t know where the kiss had come from or the need to get closer to her but it was so bothersome.

The ache in his system, the solitude that has been his goals for years. He drew back to give himself distance. Knox Martins has been alone for too long and he was losing it his mind because of a woman now.

He walked out of the room and didn’t look back as he exited the room.