“I don’t need time. I don’t need to talk.”
He looked around the lobby. “This doesn’t need to be discussed in public.” He motioned toward the elevators. “We could go to your room.”
“Again, how did you know that I am staying here?”
“I don’t love Beth.”
I took a step backward.
I was currently within a scene from a bad movie. He was right, if we were to have this conversation, it shouldn’t be in public, but then again, I didn’t want the conversation to occur at all, and based on the emptiness of the large entry, there wasn’t anyone to overhear.
I pointed toward the archway to the hotel’s bar. “We can go in the bar. I’ll give you five minutes. No more.”
His hand came to the small of my back as we turned to enter the bar.
I stepped away from his touch.
Despite the tacky neon sign advertising a popular brand of beer on the deep red walls, the room was as lovely as the entry. The long bar was heavy wood with ornate carvings on the front and lined with a brass handrail. Behind the bar was more elaborate woodwork centered around a lighted large mirror with shelves and hundreds of bottles of liquors and wines.
“I could buy you a drink,” Skylar offered. His tone had an unusual sound of trepidation. It seemed as though his usual cockiness had given way to this new subdued and unsure attitude.
“I don’t want a drink,” I said, removing my coat and taking a seat at one of the tables.
Skylar also removed his coat, folded it meticulously, and draped it over one of the chairs before taking a seat beside me.
For a long moment, we simply stared at one another.
There had been too much time spent with one another not to have those memories swirling through my thoughts. And yet they didn’t make my heart flutter or my mouth go dry as they did when I looked into Van’s green orbs.
Skylar reached for my hand.
I looked at our connection, feeling the coolness of his skin, and for the first time recognizing the absence of more.
That too was because of Van.
He’d explained his ongoing desire for more and better.
Feeling the coolness of Skylar’s touch, I came to the same decision. I deserved more. Now that I’d had a taste of more, I wouldn’t settle for less.
My gaze met his. “I’m not changing my mind.”
Skylar inhaled. “It’s been four days. I thought if I let you burn off some steam, you’d come back. The wedding is only in a week and a half.”
“There won’t be a wedding, not with us.” I feigned a smile as I looked at our hands and removed mine from his. “You said you don’t love Beth. Do you love me?”
“Of course I do.”
My nose scrunched. “Do you?”
“Why would you even question that? I’ve loved you my whole life.”
“Have you ever beenin lovewith me?”
He lowered his voice as the bartender came to the bar, peering our way. “Yes, Julia. I only want to spend forever with you.”
“How many women have you slept with?”
He sat taller. “Why would you ask?”