“Nope. I literally just got off my flight. I’m in...” I could hear the booming voice of airport arrival announcement. “Hell, where am I? Excuse me, miss. What city am I in?”
The honeyed voice of a woman rumbled in the background, but I couldn’t make out her answer. As usual, the woman had entered the tractor beam of Archer’s charm.
“Right. Thanks, love. Coffee?” Even through the static, I could hear the smile in his voice. “Depends on the coffee and where my next flight is.”
“Could you wait five minutes for your next conquest?”
“Just a moment,” he said to the woman. “It’s a wonder you ever have company, Dev. I’m in Georgia.”
Archer was one of the few people who still called me Dev. And just like that, the tangles from my past darkened my mood.
“Get on a flight for Syracuse. I have a job for you. A big one.”
“Syracuse? Where the holy hell is that?”
“Central New York.”
“Not even New York City? If I have to come into a city, the least you could do was give me some nightlife.”
“Just get on a plane. I bought a house on a lake in the middle of nowhere.” I crossed the room to Dahlia. She was looking through the front of the notebook. “I gotta go. Text me when you land, and I’ll get you.”
“Wait. You bought a house? Actually purchased? In your name?”
“Yep. Get here and I’ll show you everything. I need your expertise.”
“I’m still trying to process the purchased part. And hey, what if I already had a job lined up?”
“It’s a Victorian with Gothic accents.”
He whistled. “Color me intrigued.”
“Get your skinny ass over here.” I hung up and stuffed my phone back in my pocket.
“So, I’m not special? You actually talk to everyone like that?”
Was she actually upset about it? I couldn’t quite tell by the coolness to her tone. I tried to grab the book and she shoved it under her shirt.
A flashback to the first time we met, and she’d confiscated my phone moved through me. “You think I won’t go after that?”
She backed up. “Why are you hiding all of this?”
My hand fisted at my side. “I’m not hiding.”
“Could have fooled me.” She held the book tightly against her middle. “You have millions of dollars, and you draw like something out of an art class.”
Astounded that she hadn’t looked me up, I crowded into her. “What’s it matter if you get paid, Dahlia?”
“Maybe I want to know more about you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know!” she exploded and pushed me back as the notebook dropped to the floor. “You make me come my brains out but the idea of having a real conversation with me makes you defensive. You buy this amazing house and want to bring it back to life, you’re related to one of my best friends, and I know nothing about you.”
“Do you know all these details about your other clients?”
She flinched as I’d slapped her, and I cursed.
“Right. You know what? You’re absolutely right.”
“Dahlia—”
“Nope. Just because we stupidly decided to get naked a few times, that doesn’t mean you need to share anything with me. I don’t have any hold on you. I’ll get out of your hair. I’ll continue to look for somewhere for Gizmo, but I appreciate you letting him stay here for now.”
I picked up the notebook from the floor and tucked it under my arm. I didn’t know what to say. I’d already fucked it up with her, anyway.
“Right. I’m just going to get out of here.” Her eyes were a little too bright.
My gut churned. I’d obviously hurt her, but it was better to hurt her a little now, than to have her get too attached to me. I fucked things up with everyone eventually.
Gizmo seemed to understand that his mistress was upset and wound around her ankles. She scooped him up. “You be a good boy, okay? I’ll be back tomorrow morning to feed you.” She glanced at me, but more like over my shoulder as if she didn’t really want to look at me. “Could you open one of the blue cans and put it in his dish at six?”
I nodded.
Seemed inadequate, but that was where I was at right now. Anything else out of my mouth would probably hurt her even more.
She kissed the top of the cat’s head and set him down before she rushed out the door.
I threw the notebook against the wall, and it dropped to the floor, opening to the page with the owl drawing. “Fuck!”
