“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!”
I turned toward the apology and found an attractive redhead smoothing down her skirt in a flustered manner. She blinked rapidly as she looked up at me. It was hard to tell under the club’s lighting, but she might have been blushing. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “I, uh, don’t know what happened.” Her voice hardened as she shot a dirty look to her left.
A quick glance revealed two young women who were snort-laughing into their drinks as they peered at us.
“I’m Amy.” The redhead held out her hand, her expression filled with interest. “I’ve seen you around. You’re Eilidh’s big brother, right? I’m a PA. Production assistant.”
Realization dawned.
They’d pushed her into me.
“Nice to meet you.” I gave her a toothless smile because I could feel Callie at my back, and while I’d been seconds from walking out, I found now I couldn’t. She was here. And I hadn’t heard her voice in so long. “I have to get to my sister. Have a good night.”
The redhead’s face fell with disappointment as I swiftly turned and marched toward the bar. Now both Eilidh and Callie were watching me, but I only had eyes for my ex. Her long blond hair curled over her shoulders, and she wore a figure-hugging black dress that stopped above the knee. It had a modest neckline, but it didn’t matter. The dress was so tight it did little to hide the fact that Callie was curvier than she’d been when we were teenagers. And she still had the best pair of legs I’d ever seen. Right now, every strongcurve of her long legs was enhanced by the sky-high heels she wore.
Heat tightened in my gut.
And when I dragged my eyes back up her body as I arrived at the bar, I saw Callie swallow hard. It suggested she was just as nervous to see me.
Good.
“Lewis!” Eilidh reached out, tucking her arm in mine. “You remember Callie, right?”
I shot her a look before returning my attention to my ex. “It’s been a long time.”
Callie straightened to her full height, her expression uncharacteristically blank. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
Meaning … she wouldn’t have come otherwise?
Irritation gnawed at me. “Well, I’m Eilidh’s brother. What are you doing here?” I cursed inwardly at how accusatory that sounded.
“Oh, Callie’s home now,” Eilidh answered for her. “Back in Ardnoch, running the bakery with her mum.”
Shock thrummed through me. “No more France?”
“That was always the plan,” Callie answered politely but emotionlessly. “School in Paris and then bring what I learned back to the bakery.”
It was always the plan? She hadn’t … she hadn’t left Ardnoch for good after telling me she never planned to leave? She hadn’t lied.
Something in me eased.
“Isn’t that great?” Eilidh nudged me mischievously. “And she left the Frenchman behind.”
I watched as Callie narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Eilidh, all the while feeling a relief like I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
“He was a French fling after all,” Eilidh continued.
They weren’t serious? She wasn’t in love with him? Mypulse raced and the room swayed a bit.
Fuck.
“It looks like Amy fancies you.” Eilidh suddenly released my arm to stand between me and Callie. But I couldn’t take my eyes off my ex. It took extreme willpower to drag my attention to my sister.
“What? Who?”
Eilidh chuckled. “Oh, poor Amy.”
Oh right. The redhead.
