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“Declan!” I hiss again. My eyes dart to Isaiah, and my mortification grows when I see his red face.
“It’s alright, Cat,” Isaiah tells me. His nostrils flare. “I apologize for monopolizing your time. I see a colleague I should say hello to. Excuse me.” He turns on his heel and disappears into the main gallery before I can say another word.
I watch him leave, hating the helpless feeling growing in my chest. When he’s out of sight, I whirl around to give Declan a piece of my mind, only to yelp in surprise when I find him standing less than six inches from me. I tilt my head back and meet his gaze as he stares down at me.
“You look gorgeous.
The compliment makes me blush, but I press my lips into a hard line, refusing to be swayed by pretty words. “There was no reason for you to be rude to Isaiah.”
“Agree to disagree.”
“Declan,” I groan. “He’s my boss.” Things between me and Isaiah were awkward for a whole week after Declan showed up at the gallery unannounced. It didn’t help that he had two dozen roses delivered the next time I worked to unnecessarily remind the gallerist that I was his fiancée.
“And he should remember he’s your boss and stop making inappropriate advances,” Declan returns evenly.
“He doesn’t make inappropriate advances.”
“Again, agree to disagree.”
I sigh. It’s like talking to a brick wall. A stupidly handsome brick wall. I look away from my handsome fiancé in an attempt to get my thoughts in order. I bite the inside of my cheek when I see we’ve caught the attention of almost half the patrons standing in the shipwreck room.
Having no desire to subject myself to their curiosity, I shift closer to Declan and slip my hand over his bicep. “Let’s speak somewhere private.”
His muscles flex under the tuxedo before he relaxes. “Of course.”
We leave the exhibit in silence. I smile politely at the men and women who look our way as we traverse the main gallery. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nolan and Liam give Declan a nod before stepping back into the shadows. I guess my bodyguards aren’t needed when my fiancé is around.
The reminder that Declan is a dangerous man throws my thoughts, once again, to the mystery of his involvement in Antony’s murder. I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t be walking arm in arm with a man who could be responsible for one of the greatest tragedies in my life. First I lost my mom, then I lost Antony. And the blow is still tearing my family apart.
Even now, four years later, Father isn’t the same. He’s harder. Less loving. That’s not to say I feel unloved by him, but his desire to put the family business before all else has cost him his relationship with Nero.
If Declan was in any way responsible for the deterioration of my family, I can’t allow myself to fall into the desire I feel for him any more than I already have. Not if I want to have any piece of my heart left intact at the end of this.
Absentmindedly, I lead Declan to the staircase located off the main gallery. The event is only located on the first floor, but the rest of the museum is open for the time being.
I debate pulling back and leading us to a different part of the museum, ideally one more populated, but Declan keeps placing one expensive shoe on the first marble staircase. “You’ve been avoiding me, Catarina.”
The unexpected statement almost makes me stumble. I quicken my steps and walk up the stairs with him. I clear my throat. “Why would I do that?”
“You tell me.” His green eyes peer down into mine briefly before he faces forward. “I’ve been trying to give you space since Newport. I thought you needed time to come to terms with what we did. But perhaps I shouldn’t have stayed away. Perhaps I should have forced you to speak with me about our night together rather than allow you to retreat to your apartment.”
My cheeks burn hot, and I thank God he’s not looking at me.
He thinks I’m avoiding him because we had sex.
Does he think I regret it?
Doesheregret it?
“I have a lot going on,” I mutter lamely.
“I don’t wish to call you a liar,macushla,” he says when we reach the second floor. We move through the Modern and Contemporary Art room. “But I did not get this far in life by believing in coincidences. You didn’t insist on staying at your apartment until after Newport. Given what transpired, I can only assume something happened that made you want distance.”
Something did happen. Just not what he thinks.
I don’t know what to say. I don’t want Declan to think I regret losing my virginity to him. I mean, I will regret it if I find out he’s responsible for Antony’s death. But that’s not why I’ve wanted space from him.
Being around Declan is distracting. Our attraction makes me want to forget the questions I have about what happened the night of my oldest brother’s death. And I owe it to my family and myself to figure out the truth.
