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He held up a gnarled hand. Just like her Dad used to always do, Hollis thought. “At one time, we were thick as thieves. That’s what I choose to remember.”
Hollis nodded, twirling her champagne flute, thinking about the folder her Dad had left in the safe deposit box. “Can I ask you something?” When he nodded, she took a deep breath. “What do you think about the 13th ship?”
Diamond laughed. “The same thing I think about fairies and ghosts.”
“So, you don’t think it could exist?”
“Legends are legends for a reason, my dear. They make good stories, but that’s about it.”
Not far away, Dylan hovered at the edge of the crowd, watching them discreetly.
Hollis nodded, took a sip of champagne. “Still, you never know,” she said.
A little while later, after the crowd had thinned and people began to leave, Hollis stood before the huge, floor to ceiling glass wall of the massive, main aquarium. Schools of fish, sharks, stingrays and other various sea creatures swam by as she nursed another glass of champagne. She glanced down at the slim watch on her wrist and decided it was probably time to call it a night.
Suddenly, someone moved up beside her and she glanced over to see Dylan. Her entire body tensed. “What’re you doing here?” she demanded, instantly turning cool. “I don’t recall your name being on the guest list.”
Okay, he supposed that he deserved the Ice Queen treatment. She thought he was a first-class asshole, so what did he expect? “I had a lot of respect for your father,” he said quietly.
Her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms, clutching the glass of champagne so hard it was in danger of breaking. Just when she thought he couldn’t piss her off any further, Dylan Ford found a way. God, he had a lot of nerve. “Is that why you stole from us?”
“Hollis-”
“How much did you and Tony get, anyway?”
Dylan let out a low sigh.Here we go,he thought. “I’m not that guy anymore.”
“How much?”she persisted, brown eyes flashing.
Dylan fidgeted, obviously uncomfortable. “I don’t know what Tony got. And, he never gave me a dime.”
Hollis narrowed her eyes. Even if that were true, she wasn’t stupid. Hollis knew for a fact that Dylan had taken two gold bars. And, still, he had no remorse. Dylan Ford had only ever cared about himself.
But, if that was really true then why is he here?a small voice asked.
Damn.Even though she didn’t trust him, she had to admit that her father and Dylan had been fairly close. Closer than she had liked. She was 14 when Chaz took Dylan under his wing and she had been jealous. No point in denying it. She had been used to getting 100 percent of her Dad’s attention. And then some scruffy kid appeared out of nowhere and began taking that attention away.
Chaz had told her that Dylan’s Dad wasn’t around and he needed a positive male role model in his life. Well, her Mom wasn’t around, but she didn’t try to steal someone else's mother.
Despite coming from similar situations, Dylan and Hollis clashed from day one.
Now, Hollis eyed the tall, dark-haired man beside her. She couldn’t deny that the lanky, raggedy kid she had first met had turned into an extremely handsome man. His dark brown hair was a little too long and his dark brown eyes a little too intense. He had shot up to be around 6’2” or so and filled out really, really well, she thought as she eyed the way his jacket pulled in certain places where muscles lurked beneath the tux.
Hollis bit her lower lip and realized that if Dylan Ford didn’t piss her off so much, she’d want to find out exactly what was underneath that tuxedo.Hmm.Her gaze ran along his clean-shaven jaw, skimmed down his neck to the top of his buttoned-up white shirt and bow tie then casually perused his chest.
God, he fills that tux out well,she thought. Normally, when she saw him, he was tan and scruffy with shorts and a t-shirt on, lounging around on his boat like a big cat. Or, he was in a wetsuit. Now, he looked rather dashing. Like James Bond or something.
Shit.Hollis gave her head a small shake, trying to clear it.Obviously, I’ve had too much champagne.
“Hollis?”
“Huh?” She looked up, trying to focus back on their current conversation. She was mad at him about something, she remembered.What was it? Oh, yeah, the gold bars.
But, she was tired and a little tipsy. Fighting with Dylan right now wasn’t what she wanted to do. Suddenly, her gaze moved to his lips and she wondered what it would be like to kiss him.
God, where did that thought come from?she wondered and pressed a hand to her temple.
“I didn’t come to upset you,” he repeated. “I just wanted to offer my condolences.”
