Trust me, Nolan, that’s a question I’ve been asking myself for months.
I swallow against the rising emotion. “Sparkwood’s been my family’s home for hundreds of years.”
He nods, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “My family’s home base is Massachusetts, and I love it there. It’ll always be home. My safety net. But that isn’t the case with you and Sparkwood, and I get the distinct impression that’s been your reality for a while now. Ever since your husband was arrested.”
“Oh, it’s been a blast. Can’t you tell?” I roll my eyes and take a swallow of wine. “Look, if you need me to leave?—”
“Actually, yes, but not the party.” Nolan pauses, studying me. “Look, I’ve got a lot of connections in Los Angeles. You need a big city. A place with anonymity and people with far seedier histories than yours.”
My mind scrambles to decipher Nolan’s words. What the hell is he getting at? But before I can figure it out, Eddie strolls into view, and every coherent thought in my head flits right into the ether.
Eddie is a beautiful specimen. Everyone knows that. He’s the total package—face, body, personality, heart—but I have never seen that package wrapped in a suit, and let me tell you, he is a work of art.
He’s the quintessential tall, dark, and handsome, with one noticeable difference. The beard is gone. Completely gone. There’s nothing now to detract from the sharp lines of his face and the full impact of just how devastatingly handsome he is.
And yet, despite the fact that Eddie could be mistaken for a runway model, he also looks uncomfortable as hell, his fingers working around his collar as though the damn thing is trying to strangle him.
He spots us and walks over, his gaze volleying between Nolan and me before landing on the jacket wrapped around my shoulders. “What are you two doing out here? It’s freezing.”
“I needed a cigarette,” Nolan replies, “and I wanted to discuss some business with Kiki.”
Eddie’s eyes drop to the jacket again. “Business,” he repeats, a subtle edge creeping into his voice.
“Yes.” Nolan shrugs, completely unfazed by Eddie’s growing intensity. “I was about to offer Kiki my guest house in Los Angeles. I think she’d do exceptionally well out there. Let’s be honest, Sparkwood is a pit of vipers when it comes to her. We all know it. But Los Angeles? It’s a clean slate with bigger opportunities and bigger clients.”
My brain short circuits at Nolan’s offer. Yep, it’s official. I’ve fallen into an alternate universe. Alice and her Cheshire buddy have got nothing on me.
I was prepared to leave the party with my tail tucked between my legs, branded with the proverbial scarlet letter. I was not expecting to be handed free room and board at a famous Hollywood director’s house with full access to his network of clients.
“I think it would be a great new start for her. Don’t you agree, Eddie?”
But Eddie’s gaze remains locked on me. “I thought you wanted to stay in Sparkwood.”
I can’t speak. Can’t manage a single word—not to agree, not to negate, not to argue any side.
“Besides,” Nolan cuts in, oblivious to the shift in energy between us, “it’s not like she has anything keeping her here. Isn’t that right, Kiki?”
“Is that true? You have nothing keeping you here? Nothing tying you to Sparkwood?” Eddie searches my face, no doubt looking for the answers I can’t give him.
Don’t you see? There are a million reasons for me to stay, and every one of them has your name on it.
But if I dare admit that fact, it will inevitably bring with it a bevy of questions—questions I can’t answer if I hope to keep you and Theo safe from the toxic embrace of my past.
After several loaded seconds, Eddie averts his gaze and drags a hand through his hair, his emotional armor snapping into place so fast it’s damn near audible. “Well, in that case…” He barks out a harsh laugh. “I guess I’ll get myself a drink. You two have a good night.”
My eyes trail Eddie’s retreating figure as he walks briskly through the front entrance. Now what the hell do I do?
“I should have known.”
Nolan’s words pull me from my daze. “Known what?”
He shrugs, pulling another cigarette from his pack. “I thought Los Angeles was a good option for you. Apparently, I thought wrong.”
“No,” I stammer, not ready to sound the death knell on his offer quite yet. “My life is just really complicated right now.”
He nods, clicking his tongue against his teeth as he lights the cigarette and inhales deeply. “Love always is. But now I know the reason the two of you are magic together.”
I consider playing dumb, but let’s be real, that’s not a role I’ve ever cared to employ, and Nolan Montague would see through my flimsy cover-up regardless.
