produced a gum-filled lollipop from her pocket, opened the wrapper and popped it in her mouth.
Was that a fucking tongue ring?
Darius was pretty sure his jaw hit the ground and another part of his body reached for the sky.
Good thing he’d returned to his seat.
Audra propped her elbows on the table and tilted her head as she studied him. “What brings you to Royal?”
“A business opportunity.” It wasn’t a lie. The opportunity to collaborate with Miranda had brought him to town.
She sucked on that damn lollipop, which had already stained her tongue red, and awaited further explanation.
“It’s too early to share details.” He picked up his burger. “But I’m hoping to create a clothing line for a major fitness brand.”
“Ah.” When she said it, he couldn’t help staring at her candy-red, pierced tongue. “Miranda Dupree. Scoring the clothing line for her Goddess brand would be a major coup.”
“How’d you—”
“It’s a small world, I guess.” She shrugged. “Miranda is my client’s ex-stepmother. My client is Sophie Blackwood. Do you know her?”
His half sister. Damn. It was a small world.
“Never met her.” He shrugged. “But I’ve heard the name.”
Less than an hour ago, in fact.
Audra’s mouth made a popping sound when she yanked the lollipop from between her lips. She stared at him, her brown eyes narrowed. Judging him. As if she didn’t believe him.
Darius bit a mouthful of the bacon cheeseburger.
He hadn’t seen Audra in five years. They weren’t together, and she had no right to know his personal business.
So why did he feel as guilty now for telling her a half-truth as he had when they were together?
Audra returned the sucker to her mouth and rose from the table. She didn’t believe him, but she obviously didn’t deem pursuing the truth worth her time.
Knowing she found him unworthy made his chest ache. Her wordless condemnation was exactly what he deserved.
“Looks like they’re done with my order.” Audra nodded toward where Amanda was packing a to-go bag. “Nice seeing you again, Darius. Good luck with Fashion Week.”
Darius groaned quietly as he swiped another French fry into his milkshake and took a bite.
Audra made a hasty escape, and he couldn’t blame her.
He was a liar. Apparently, it was hereditary.
Audra slid into the driver’s seat of the Bentley Continental GT convertible her parents had gifted her four years ago, after her business cleared a million dollars in profits in its first year.
She glanced back at the diner. Darius sat motionless in the booth where she’d left him.
Of all the people in the world that she could run into, she had to run into Darius Freaking Taylor-Pratt. The man who’d broken her heart five years ago.
She’d been madly in love with him, and she’d believed he loved her, too. Right up to the moment he’d said things had gotten too serious between them, and he needed space.
There had been no discussion. No evidence he’d fallen for someone else. And no real explanation.
She’d been devastated.
They’d met at a party during grad school at Harvard. The attraction between them had almost been instant. She’d told her friend that she was pretty sure she’d met the man she was going to marry.
Sure, she’d been a little buzzed when she said it. But every day they were together made her believe those words to be true.
Darius suddenly ending things had come of out nowhere. It had left her reeling, wondering what she’d done wrong.
But that was the past. It’d taken some time, but she’d gotten over it and moved on.
Or at least she’d always believed she had. But seeing Darius today made her feel as if things between them weren’t finished at all.
He was more handsome than ever in his navy Tom Ford suit, a white shirt and a navy print tie. His story about being in Royal on business was undoubtedly true. Never a fan of suits, Darius would require a damn good reason to wear one.
And the bald head he was rocking…on him it was sexy as sin. Her fingers had itched with the desire to run her palm over the smooth, brown skin on his clean-shaven head. She’d balled her hands into fists, her fingernails leaving marks on her palms.
Darius’s dark brown eyes registered a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite read.
Sadness. Anger? Maybe even regret.
The only thing she knew for sure was that she’d desperately wanted to lean in and kiss him. If only to remind him of what he’d walked away from five years ago.
Her cell phone rang.
Sophie Blackwood.
Audra smiled, thankful for the distraction. She hit the call button and pulled out of her parking space, heading back toward the house she was renting while she stayed in Royal.
“Hello, Sophie. Back in town yet?”
“We arrived a couple of hours ago. Nigel, my fiancé, needed to stay a couple more days to take care of a staffing issue with the show.”
Audra couldn’t help smiling. Sophie was doing that thing that many newly engaged women did where they referred to their intended as their fiancé, as frequently as possible. It was adorable. And everything about Sophie’s bubbly excitement and the warmth with which she talked about him spoke to just how in love they were.
For Sophie’s sake, Audra truly hoped that their love would last.
“No worries. I’ve been keeping myself occupied. I sketched out a few designs. I’ll show them to you when we get together.”
“Are you busy now? We’re going to grab a bite with friends over at the Glass House in an hour or so. You should join us.”
“Thanks, but I just picked up a salad.” Hopefully, Sophie didn’t think her rude for turning down her offer.
“Is everything all right?” Sophie’s voice was laced with concern.
“Yes. I’m just a bit stunned. I ran into my grad school ex just now.”
“A local?” Sophie asked.
“No, in fact, I got the impression this is his first time here, too. So it was weird to run into him.” Audra bit into the sucker she’d teased Darius with.
She was pretty sure he’d nearly fainted when he caught a glimpse of her pierced tongue.
Good.
She might be over Darius, but she wasn’t above reminding him that he should be sorry he’d walked out on her.
“Oh? Who is he?” Sophie’s voice sounded less jovial.
“Darius Taylor-Pratt. He runs the athletic performance clothing company Thr3d.”
“That must’ve been quite a surprise.” Sophie laughed nervously, then quickly changed the subject. “So the venue where I’d like to have my wedding got damaged during the recent wildfires. The damaged portions have been rebuilt, but there’s still a lot of work to do. If you could spare the time this