sed me to walk down to t

e the walls of my suite and the thoughts spinning endlessly inside it. Maybe

ly didn't

fortless, clean-cut way he always was. One hand tucked into his pocket, the other around a

mach d

back upstairs. Pretended I hadn't

I di

he fireplace. I told myself I was just going to sit, breathe, si

in

oice-just my name-

adn't imagined this moment a thous

eful not to let his na

eyes, warm brown and painfully familiar,

actually run into e

he mostly empty ba

w hum of clinking glasses. For a moment, I wished I was someone else. So

d," he said finally, "w

ittle sharp. "I think sh

ily hired you unt

o mention that to her?"

nk. "Didn't see the point

. It

use. This

good," he

"Thanks.

ed faintly. "

indy Hart Events., still l

ars ago. Built a company. Sof

I used to imagine moving cities togeth

in a hotel bar like we hadn't once

ing this," I sai

her w

time, neither of us looked away. T

ifting slightly.

Been together a

seems

e i

voice when he said it. And I hat

ancing toward the

ai

, but firm. My eyes

. "I didn't expect seein

e wh

never rea

of wind. I gripped the edge

said, keeping my tone even. "We

d before wincing slightly. "Sor

windows where the Atlanta skyl

licated," he added. "And I'm no

finally facing him again. "

back up at me, his

s. Planning your wedding. Being around you. And maybe

before I could stop th

ittle, enough that I could smel

rt you," he said quie

whispered. "B

and this time it wasn

ice steadier now. "We'll keep it p

tened slight

r word, heading for the elevator

s eyes on me

ow why, but something about the way he'd spoken, the hesitation in his voice-it didn't sit right with me. It wasn't jus

ject to be coddled. But the longer I thought about it, the more it gnawed at me. Why had he come all t

o there. I couldn't let him

thought that lingered in my mind, even more than the conversation we'd just had, was how ba