“Stop that.”

Chuckling, Mayor Miles turned back to Killian. “Tell me what made you think of building such a splendor.”

“My mother,” Killian answered honestly. “She had a love of flowers and gardens. I wanted to share that love with the city.”

“Oh how sweet,” Mrs. Miles whispered. “Well, you did a wonderful job. I’m sure she would have loved it.”

Killian started to open his mouth to respond when a movement by the entrance caught his attention. The words he’d been formulating dissolved in a fog that settled thick across his brain. His mouth went dry even as his heart gave a violent jolt in his chest.

Juliette.

She wore the dress he’d given her on Halloween. The Grecian gown rippled along her lithe frame in a wave of white satin and glittering gems. The silver threads glistened with her unhurried movement. She’d done her hair up in a twisted updo that left her shoulders bared and her face framed by subtle curls. She wore no jewelry, except his mother’s pendant and the sight of it nestled against the soft skin of her chest was nearly his undoing. Then he spotted the hulking figure standing next to her, one hand settled lightly on the small of her back and the burst of joy he’d felt at seeing her thawed into a dark plume of rage.

“Killian?” Mrs. Miles had a dainty hand on his arm and he realized, with a shock, that his fingers had balled into fists. “Is everything all right?”

Forcing himself not to do something absolutely insane like grab the bastard who had his hands on Juliette and pitch him straight into the pond.

“Yes, forgive me, but I must find someone.”

Excusing himself, he headed in the opposite direction of Juliette. He fought to keep his strides slow and even when all he wanted to do was plow through the whole crowd in search of his meddling sister.

Maraveet stood by a fountain, a flute of champagne in one hand, her clutch in the other. The lights built under the water reflected off her gold gown, making the sequins glitter, which in turn reflected off her skin in shivering sparkles. She glanced up when Killian approached.

“Why?” he demanded without missing a beat.

“Sorry?”

He moved in closer, hoping the short distance would remind him to keep his voice low. “Why did you invite her?”

Maraveet blinked. “Who?”

“You know who!” he hissed through his teeth. “Juliette.”

Maraveet’s face went from surprised to absolutely blank in the second it took for him to blink. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If she is here, then maybe she bought a ticket like everyone else. It is a public event, after all.”

He hadn’t considered that. He hadn’t considered ever seeing her again, especially not at a charity event, not with another man.

“She needs to leave,” he decided, more to himself than Maraveet.

“All right.” She raised her glass to her red lips and took a sip. “You tell her.”

Just like that, Maraveet turned on her heels and slinked through the crowd, leaving him alone to figure it out. He glanced over the room, wondering if it was large enough to avoid her. There were certainly enough people and if he just paid attention to where she was the entire night, he could easily keep out of her way.

That was easier said than done when paying attention meant watching as the ape at her side kept touching her, kept bending low to murmur into her ear. The guy was all over her, giving her food, passing her drinks … asking her to dance.

He couldn’t do it. Not without committing murder before all those people. No, he needed to leave. Susan could take over, make sure the rest of the night went smoothly. He was a busy man after all and no one expected him to stay and party. He could sneak out the back and no one…

Juliette tugged away from her companion, said something, and then made a quick escape off the dance floor in the opposite direction. Her strides were hurried, practically a near run as she ducked through the open terrace doors and disappeared into the gardens.

Don’t! His brain warned sharply, but his feet refused to listen.

He hurried after her.

Chapter 34

This was a bad idea. It was such a bad idea. She should never have come. What had she been thinking? Of course Randy would want to dance and enjoy the evening. Of course he would want to touch and act like all the other couples around them. And why wouldn’t he? No, it was done. She couldn’t do this anymore. It wasn’t fair, not to Randy. She had to end it. There was nothing else for it.

“Juliette!”

As though conjured from the very depths of her turmoil, Randy jogged after her. His blond hair caught the light from the row of lamps flagging the cobblestone path and shone like a beckon in the cool evening. His cheeks were pink from the chase and his blue eyes were bright with worry that only made her feel worse.

“What’s wrong?”

Juliette exhaled, wishing the floor would just open up and swallow her. “I’m so sorry, Randy. I’m an awful person.”

He slowed two feet from her and stopped. “What are you talking about? You’re not awful.”

She nodded. “I am and I can’t … I can’t do this to you anymore. I tried so hard to be the kind of person you deserve and I can’t. I will never be that person because I can’t make myself want you the way I know I should and I tried, I really, really tried so hard to do this, but I can’t…”

“Whoa, slow down.” He offered her a small, weak chuckle. “What are you talking about?”

“I love someone else.” She squeezed her eyes shut tight. “It makes me the biggest fool on the planet, because he doesn’t love me back, but I can’t keep seeing you when…”

“When you love someone else,” he finished for her softly.

Her eyes opened and she peered at him through a layer of tears. “I’m so sorry.”

Randy shook his head. “No, I get it. I figured it was something like that, but I thought that if I tried…”

Her heart tore all over again. “I’m sorry,” she croaked for the hundredth time. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“No, it’s not your fault.” He offered her a half grin. “We can’t help who we love. It wasn’t like I expected you to fall hopelessly in love with me in two weeks. Doesn’t work that way.”

It had taken less time for her to fall for Killian, but Randy didn’t need to know that.

“Randy—”

“Please don’t say you’re sorry again,” he teased with a chuckle. “It’s okay. It was fun, right?”

She nodded, because she didn’t know what else to do.

“Okay then.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Can I at least drive you back home?”

She shook her head. The last thing she wanted was a painfully awkward drive back.

“I’ll find my own way. Thank you.”

With a slow nod, he took a step back. “So, I’ll see you around, right?”

“Yeah.”

He turned on his heels and started back the way he’d come. Halfway, he stopped and glanced back.

“For the record, you’re not the fool. He is.”

Then he was gone and she was completely alone in the second most beautiful garden she’d ever been in and all she wanted to do was cry. Instead, she tugged her phone out of her clutch and dialed home. Vi answered on the third ring.

“You can’t already be bored.”

“I told him,” she blurted. “I told him and he left.”

“Whoa, what?”

“Randy.” Breathing hard, Juliette paced further along the path. “I told him about Killian.”

“You told him about Killian?” Vi’s exclamation nearly pierced her eardrums. “Are you crazy? Why would you do that?”

“Because he asked me to dance and I said yes and we were on the floor and he was holding me and all I could think about was the time I danced with Killian and how I’m wearing the dress he’d given me and—”

“Juliette, breathe!”

But it was beyond that, she was passing mildly hysterical straight into the place of no return.