“At home. I wanted to see you alone.”
I sat. I wanted her to know how sorry I was we had traveled so far from where we started. I took responsibility for destroying the first glimmer of light in my life. For humiliating her. For pushing her away. For breaking her trust. I didn’t know if I was strong enough to tell her all of it. It didn’t help that Anthony was outside, keeping the car running.
“Thank you. For meeting me. I know it’s strange after what happened today.”
“What? This awkward? How you annihilated me at the bank?” I tried to smile, but there was tension in my chest keeping my lungs from taking a full breath. It was hard to believe these were my last minutes in New Orleans.
“It wasn’t supposed to be personal. It was business. Isn’t that what you told me?” she asked plainly.
I shook my head. “It was stupid of me. Fuck, Kennedy. We became parts of the game. And neither one of us won today. We should have played it our own way. I’m sorry it’s ending this way.”
“What do you mean ending?” Her eyes darted back and forth. It was hard to imagine I wasn’t going to see them again. The green flames I dreamed about.
“I’m taking the red-eye to Paris tonight.”
Her face paled. “Why? For how long? When are you coming back?”
“I’m not.”
“But that can’t be—”
“It doesn’t matter why. I’m leaving tonight and I’m not coming back to New Orleans. I’m taking over all the Corban operations in Paris. We have an extensive vineyard operation in the champagne business. You’d probably love it, actually. Did you order any? I can ask Marguerite to bring you a ’98—”
“I don’t care about champagne right now.” Her voice tinged with rage. “You didn’t mention Paris before.”
“I didn’t know,” I admitted.
“It’s because of the hotel?” Her eyes widened. “Is it a punishment? A penance? This is because I beat you today. This is about the Vieux Carre.”
I didn’t want to lie to her during our last meeting, but why make her feel worse? I shook my head. “I’m taking over the European arm. It needs to be done.” I pressed my lips together. “But the text you sent. I thought I should stop by and say goodbye. Tell you I’m sorry about what happened at my apartment.” The words came out mangled. If she had sent it thirty minutes later, I would have already been at the airport. We wouldn’t be having this conversation.
“I hope you enjoy New Orleans, Kennedy.”
“But you can’t go. Not after what I found out,” she whispered.
“And what did you find out?”
She exhaled. The candle wavered. “My father told me tonight about the merger offer. I know what he proposed.” She scanned my face. “The offer.” She couldn’t say the words.
“Brokering our engagement?” I did the hard part for her.
“Yes. That. It’s why you freaked out, isn’t it? Still shitty, but what he did…what my father tried to do…” Her hands scrambled across the table, rubbing over the top of my knuckles.
She was making this harder than it had to be. I couldn’t stop myself from tangling my fingers against hers. I leaned toward her over the table.
“Is that why? Tell me truth. You threw me out of your apartment after the-the… piano because he tried to force you to marry me?”
I hung my head. “Shit.”
“If you’re leaving, can’t you at least be honest?”
She had me. What did I have to lose? “Yes. I freaked out. For both our sakes. I knew it wasn’t what you wanted or what I wanted. Not right now at least. And to trade you for the hotel. I was pissed. I lashed out. I’m so sorry, Kennedy.”
“Can’t you stay a little longer?” she whispered. “We haven’t figured this out.”
“Figured what out?” I pressed my forehead to hers. I could smell her shampoo. The watermelon chapstick on her lips.
“What do we do now?”
“I get on the plane to Paris. You keep knocking ‘em dead here, killer.”
“That’s it?” Her voice was too low for anyone else to hear.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have treated you the way I did. You deserve better. I owe you that.” I felt her nails dig into my skin. She could tell I was trying to break away. I had to go.
“But I know why you did it now. I know why you lied to me. That changes things.”
“Only part of that afternoon was a lie.” I smoother her hair from her face. Our lips almost touching. “What I said at the end was the lie. What came before that…” My chest tightened. I’d dreamed about her body ever since I’d tasted it. “That was real.”
“Then stay.”
“I can’t.” Anthony would honk the horn any second. My lips burned for the softness of her mouth. Maybe it wasn’t fair that I kissed her roughly. She was a magnetic pull that I hadn’t been able to contest since the night we met at the pool house.
Her fingers feathered through my hair. She moaned. Our tongues tangled.
“Before I go.” I reached into my pocket. “I had this made for you.”
I handed her the velvet box. She cracked the lid and stared at the necklace. Her expression was both confused and excited. She held it close to the candle to read the inscription on the back of the pendant.
“It says carpe noctem.”
I chuckled. “Seemed fitting after our first night.” She fastened the pearl, encrusted with diamonds around her neck.
“And this is for the oysters?” she asked. Her voice cracked.
“Yes, so you don’t forget the first.”
“Knight…”
I kissed her cheek.
And then I stood up and walked out of the bar. I heard her call my name again, but I kept moving. Anthony was waiting outside for me.
“Sir, we’re going to be cutting it close. You could miss your flight.” He was leaning against the hood of the car.
“Just fucking drive,” I ordered.
Part II
Five Years Later
15
Knight
The lilies stunk. It was a putrid scent that wafted in and
