Page 113 of One Night Only
“He confuses me,” Declan says after a moment.
“Try being friends with him.”
“So what do you want to do?” He smiles at my irritated look. “Some find my insistence endearing.”
“Don’t you have to be at the bar or something?”
“I took the night off.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m pleased. Even I can admit that. I spent all evening watching him with someone else. And even though it was Claire and even though I know it wasn’t real, it still hurt like hell and now here he is, telling me in no uncertain terms, that the only thing he wants to do is spend the rest of the night with me.
“I could eat,” I admit. The scraps of finger food on offer left little to balance the amount of champagne I’ve consumed.
“Then we shall eat,” Declan says solemnly and leads me to the elevator.
It’s busy outside. It’s still early for a Saturday night and the air is warm and still.
We walk along the sidewalk, close enough that our arms brush every now and then. Anyone passing us would think we’re a couple. The mere thought of it gives me a thrill.
“Which way?” I ask as we reach a junction.
“You’re asking me?” Declan looks surprised. “I was following you. You said we were going to get something to eat.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know this part of the city.”
“And you think I do?” He laughs.
“Well, where do you want to eat?”
He shrugs. “I’m not really hungry.”
I force down a sigh. “Then what do you feel like doing?”
Declan’s quiet beside me and for a moment I wonder if we should just head back up to the party when he suddenly perks up, his expression clear. “I have an idea,” he says and tugs my arm, towing me down the street.
24
“Are we just going to walk all night? Is that what’s happening now?”
Declan ignores me, texting someone as we wait for the lights to change. We’ve been walking around Midtown for the last fifteen minutes and he still hasn’t told me where we’re going.Are we there yet?I want to say, like an annoying kid in the back seat. He’s fed me at least, a greasy cheeseburger from the first place we saw that I wolfed down without a second thought.
A giggle nearby catches my attention and I look over to see two young women ogling Declan a few steps away. One of them whispers something to the other, their eyes bright with alcohol. It doesn’t take much to understand why he’s attracted their attention. I take in the fancy suit, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, his jacket strewn over his arm. He’s still holding my heels, the black straps dangling from his fingers.
He looks insanely hot.
“What?” he asks, noticing my attention.
He puts his phone away and I slip my hand into his, feeling smug. I feel even smugger when his fingers clasp automatically around mine. As if holding my hand is a perfectly natural thing.
“You’ve got admirers,” I say, flicking my eyes to the girls, who are now staring openly.
He glances over, confused, before he sees them. “Ladies,” he says with a grin and they burst out laughing.
He shakes his head as the light goes green and we walk across the street. He doesn’t let go of me as he leads me to a luxury hotel on the other side.
“I’m not getting a hotel room with you.”
He smirks as he brings me past the grand entrance to a smaller basement door further up. Outside, a couple of waiters are finishing their cigarettes, toeing the butts into the ground.
