“That’s right, I did.” He turned to look at her and lowered his voice. “If it meant nothing, I would have played along with you in the hallway and walked away. It’s always meant something. I can’t explain it.”
“I need you to,” she said. “I’m sorry if I’m coming off clingy, but I can’t for the life of me figure out why you want to be with me unless it’s about sex. Unless it’s about the way I look on the outside.”
“Are you attractive and sexy? Fuck yeah. You can’t deny you feel the same about me or you would have shut me down at the bar and you didn’t. And it has nothing to do with knowing who I was and thinking I’d remember you.”
“You are pretty hot,” she said, grinning.
“I saw your looks, but more what I saw was confidence. You weren’t there looking to pick anyone up. You weren’t there flashing the body you work so hard to have. You were dressed nicely, your posture was straight, and you looked to be having fun alone. I took a chance and came over. You were receptive. And I don’t make a habit of doing that in any bar anymore, let alone where I’m known.”
“For fear of being shot down with witnesses?”
He tugged on a lock of her hair. “Maybe. But I still did it because there was a pull there. We talked. We enjoyed eachother’s company and I slipped and let my arrogant side out joking about my room. I thought for sure you were going to walk away, or even put me in my place. I’d have to start over again to convince you it was a joke.”
“But I jumped on it.”
“You did. But it also rubbed me raw that you were so nonchalant about it.”
“There is that ego,” she said, pointing the knife at him.
“I’ve got a big one. I’ll admit it.”
She’d gone back to the chicken while he was paying attention to his pans. The water was boiling and he dropped in the pasta, then added the broccoli to the peppers.
He opened the wine fridge, grabbed a bottle of white to make a sauce with, then poured them both a glass.
“I don’t have one at all. That night, it was me being someone I always wanted to be.”
“And then you had regrets?”
“Yes. I still regret my actions, but I’m getting better with it. Now I’m worried you think that is all it is with me. I have no way to show or prove to you otherwise. You don’t know anyone who knows me other than my father.”
“And I wouldn’t ask them. Just like you wouldn’t ask anyone about me.”
“I can’t.”
“So we are in the same boat. No one knows.”
“About that,” he said.
Her shoulders dropped. “Ethan. Who did you tell? Oh my God, I’m going to have to leave. No one can keep secrets. I’ve been there before.”
“Hey, hey, hey,” he said, pulling her close when her eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t tell anyone. A hotel staff member saw you sneaking out of the room the night in the casino. You must have looked suspicious. They were doing their job and lookedup whose room it was. Once they saw it was mine, they alerted Griffin when you left before the first ferry. They thought you might have been somewhere you shouldn’t be.”
“That’s it? They don’t know who I am though?”
“They do. There are cameras everywhere. They traced your steps, your face went back to your license and your room. Since I reported nothing to my brother, they just assumed I got lucky.”
“Because you do that often,” she said, raising her voice.
“Not in years. I promise. And that could be why Eli and Griffin were watching out. Last weekend when I was home with everyone, my mother brought up my new assistant and your father. Eli laughed and I knew right away, he had put it together.”
“Jones is a common name.”
“Eleanor on your license is close to Nora. He won’t say anything to anyone other than Egan. Only to bust my ass. They know you ghosted me. Now I hired you.”
“And they’ve got to assume there is more.”
“They might, which is why they will stay quiet. My parents won’t find out. Not unless we tell them.”
