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Jonas smiled again and I smiled back in turn as it was infectious. “When I have time I sketch people. I studied briefly in college so I’m not an artist as such.”
“I’m sure your sketches are amazing,” I said lifting my chin. “In fact, I bet a few galleries around here would be happy to have a few Crane originals in there.”
“Sweet,” he said softly. “To be honest, I do have a few sketches out there, but under a pseudonym.” He took a sip of his scotch and shook his head. “Not many know that either. You seem to have a way of getting me to talk.”
I ran my tongue over my bottom lip. “I was only making conversation. I didn’t mean to pry.”
Jonas leaned in close, and my heart skipped a beat. “I know and that makes you dangerous.”
My brows rose. “Dangerous?”
“Dangerous and beaut—”
“Lily!”
My head snapped back as the sound of my name broke our spell. I found a man standing in front of us and realized it was Declan.
What the hell was he doing here?
I then remembered how Declan enjoyed the wine and dining at the “best of” in New York on the weekends. From the Gramercy Grill to the Peacock Alley, which was in this hotel. My brows lifted as my gaze went over his grey suit, something he never wore, not even to my parents’ funeral.
Built like a Rugby player, Declan Gilroy was six-one, broad shoulders, with a large chest, arms, and legs. He had thinning, ginger frizzy hair that he combed over, giving it a wispy, feathering appearance. His angular face was covered with premature wrinkles that made him appear older than his twenty-nine years, with a crooked nose and bow lips.
“Yes?” My voice came out rough. Jonas eyed him, but didn’t remove his hand from my arm.
“Lily, what are you doing here?” His lips were curled as he took a peek at Jonas, who had moved closer, to the point of practically embracing me.
My lips turned up.Territorial?The possibility of Jonas Crane being possessive of me set off pheromones, though my attention was now divided between him and my ex before me. “What do you want, Dec?”
“Need to speak with you.” His tone was sharp, but he surprisingly didn’t try to remove me from Jonas.
“Lily. Do you want to speak with him?” Jonas asked.
I shook my head, as if to say no, but instead said, “I’ll be back.” Jonas let his fingers trail down my arm, creating a trail of goose bumps in their wake as he met Declan’s glare.
“Okay. We’ll finish our conversation when you return.” He stressed “our” and that made me smile, despite the odd situation unfolding around me. I walked a few steps away and waited for Declan, who bared his teeth at Jonas before following me.
As we moved away, Declan announced, “This is my fiancée.”
“You’re engaged.” Jonas raised a brow.
I jerked away from Declan. “That’s EX-fiancée,” I said, my voice slightly elevated.
I didn’t get a chance to see Jonas’s face to confirm he registered my reply.
Why it was important to me, I didn’t know. Nonetheless, I had Declan now before me after six months of silence. “What do you want, Dec?”
His green eyes flashed at me. “Why are you being rude? I thought you Salomé’s were never rude,” Declan said with snark. “They strive for perfection, in all things.”
My face fell. Declan had a way of unraveling me. He often mimicked my father on his Salomé third person speak. “I wasn’t being rude. I just don’t know what you want to discuss with me.”
“I didn’t expect to see you out. You look different,” he said.
I shrugged, but inside I danced. Nothing more satisfying than to look better than the last time you saw your ex.Thank you Dee and Natasha. “Yeah. I’d say the same about you,” I said politely.
Declan smiled and moved closer to me. “I’m surprised you never called me. You don’t have any friends here.” He brushed his hands on my jaw line and down the side of my neck, which had, in the past, triggered a need for more. “You must be lonely.”
I bristled and stepped back. “True. I moved here for you.”
