The Chase

Vivi froze.

His gaze pinned her in place, the intensity of it sharp enough to steal the breath from her lungs. Her skin flushed under the weight of his attention, heart slamming against her ribs.

Their eyes locked.

A few long, unbearable heartbeats.

Then Knox turned back to his conversation, as though nothing had happened.

Vivi’s entire body sagged with relief, and disappointment. She pressed a hand to her chest, willing the heat in her cheeks to fade. But before she could fully gather herself, a sharp, screeching voice cut through the hum of conversation.

“Fuck! What the fuck is he doing here?!”

Celeste clung to Wes’s sleeve, tugging so hard she creased his expensive jacket. Her voice rose to an almost hysterical pitch. “Wes! These aren’t the right panties! You can’t pull on this hair! This eyeliner doesn’t say, ‘fuck me like a madman and don’t check the room for cameras!’”

Vivi bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to taste blood.

Celeste gave a frustrated, muffled scream, stomping her heel hard enough to make Wes wince.

“How was I supposed to know he'd be here?” Wes hissed, yanking his sleeve free from her manicured grip. “Of course I'm using Zayne Wilder to get to him, but no one said Maddox would be here tonight!”

He ran a hand through his sandy blond hair, sniffed loudly, and gave his jacket an irritated tug at the lapels.

Vivi barely registered their frantic bickering.

Knox had stepped back from his group. His conversation ended as smoothly as if he had pressed a button, and now—oh God—he was walking toward her.

His eyes were sharp and focused, dark with the same quiet intensity that had burned through her back in that coffee shop. His long strides were measured, controlled. But there was nothing casual about the way he closed the distance between them.

Vivi’s pulse slammed into overdrive.

He remembers me.

Was he mad that she hadn’t returned his hoodie? Did he expect her to say something? Should she run?

Before Knox could get too close, Celeste sprang into action.

She stepped directly into his path, her hips swinging dramatically as she “accidentally” bumped into him, letting out a high-pitched, breathless gasp.

“Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry, I’m so clumsy—”

Her hand slid down his arm, lingering at the edge of his bicep as her lashes fluttered. She pressed her silicone chest against him, one manicured hand curling around the button of his jacket as if she were steadying herself.

Knox’s jaw tightened.

Vivi watched helplessly as Celeste’s hand slid lower.

Knox tried to step past her, his gaze flicking toward Vivi for half a second, his irritation clear. But Celeste’s grip on his jacket tightened.

“Oh no!” Celeste’s pout deepened, her voice dripping with honeyed innocence. “It’s stuck.”

Vivi took a step back, already looking for an exit.

Her eyes darted toward the hedge lining the side of the garden. A small opening, barely visible beneath the overgrowth, stood just a few feet away. A sign, half-hidden beneath the leaves, read:

Hedge Maze Entrance.

Knox was still trying to free himself from Celeste’s grip, his expression turning stormy as she “struggled” with the buttons on his jacket. Celeste’s hand lingered far too long on his chest, her smile overly practiced.

Knox’s scowl deepened.

And then, in one sharp movement, he unfastened his jacket, pulled it from his shoulders, and handed it to Celeste as if he were getting rid of a piece of trash.

He turned toward Vivi without a word.

Celeste gaped at the jacket in her hand, her lips parting in disbelief as Knox brushed past her without so much as a glance.

Vivienne’s breath hitched as his gaze sharpened on her once more.

Her hand curled around the edge of the hedge.

He was still coming.

Long strides. Powerful and controlled. The dark fabric of his black shirt fluttered slightly with the evening breeze, hinting at the hard muscle beneath.

Vivi slipped through the opening in the hedge, her foot catching briefly on the uneven stone path beneath her.

She stumbled, then turned and ran.

The sound of her heels striking the stone path echoed through the narrow corridor of the maze. Her breath rushed out in sharp bursts as the tall hedges closed in around her, twisting and turning with no clear path ahead.

Behind her, she heard footsteps.

Unhurried. Steady.

He was following her.

Vivi twisted left, then right, her hand brushing along the leafy walls as she ran. The satin hem of her dress swished around her ankles as her heart slammed against her chest.

What am I doing?

Why am I running?

Her pulse screamed in her ears.

She reached a dead end, spinning around as she realized she had trapped herself. The tall hedges pressed in close, the dim glow of the garden lights replaced by cold moonlight.

And then—

Knox stepped into the clearing.

Something indescribable in his eyes. 

Vivi’s heart pounded as he took a slow step forward. Then another.

Her back hit the hedge.

Knox’s dark eyes swept over her, taking in the flushed curve of her cheeks, the rise and fall of her chest beneath the satin dress.

His lips curved into the faintest smile.

“Found you, Angel.”