“Lily Ross.”
“Ah,” Ryder said with a grin. He set aside the donut and leaned forward to type on one keyboard. “She is quite the stunner, even with those awful clothes she wears. I think it’s her long dark hair. Or it could be those black eyes of hers.”
Rhys gripped the table to keep himself from reaching over the computers and punching Ryder. It wasn’t as if Ryder was saying it to get a rise out of him. Ryder didn’t even know of his interest in Lily.
“What do you want to know?” Ryder asked.
Rhys desired every detail. But he just wanted it to come from Lily herself, not a computer. Rhys pushed away from the table. “Never mind.”
“What made you crave to know about her?”
Rhys looked into Ryder’s hazel eyes and shrugged. “I think she’s hiding something about her past.”
“Most people do. I can tell you—”
“Doona!” Rhys yelled and held up a hand. “Doona tell me anything.”
Ryder’s forehead furrowed. “I thought you wished to know.”
“I do, but how would you feel if someone looked into your past instead of asking you?”
“Then I suppose you better ask her, though she probably willna tell you.”
Rhys knew Ryder was right, but he also knew he couldn’t stand the look Lily would give him when she discovered he’d delved into her past—because she would find out. People always did.
He ran a hand down his face in frustration. “Is there anything that tells you about her past lovers?”
“No. Lily is clean, Rhys. Whatever she’s hiding is personal and has no bearing on Dreagan.”
“Thanks,” Rhys said as he walked from the room, more determined than ever to hunt down whoever hurt Lily.
*
The more mundane her activity, the more Lily found herself daydreaming. It was becoming quite the problem, if she considered thinking about the gorgeous, aloof Rhys a problem.
She bent and grabbed two round canisters of Dreagan’s ten-year-old single-malt Scotch to set on the shelf as she thought back to the annual party Dreagan hosted. Lily had been outside looking into the warehouse full of people when Rhys came up behind her and spoke. The sound of his deep, stirring voice made her stomach do flips. Hell, who was she kidding? Just thinking of him made her feel the same.
Lily put the last of the canisters in place and walked to the back to set aside the box. Cassie was manning one of the two registers while Jane was talking to a small group just coming off a tour. After a look to make sure all the customers were being taken care of, Lily headed to the bathroom. She shut the door and then let out a long sigh as she looked in the mirror.
Her parents called her pretty, but then again, parents were biased when it came to their children. Why was it easier to believe Dennis’s words than her parents? Lily put a hand to the mirror to hide her face from view. It had happened again last night. She thought she saw Dennis while driving home. Why couldn’t she get the arse out of her head? Why did he still have some kind of hold on her?
“I’m going insane,” Lily told herself as she turned away from the mirror. “It’s finally happening. My mind has broken.”
She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. A soft knock made her jump and jerk her head to the door.
“Lily?” Denae asked from the other side of the door in her Texas accent. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” she quickly replied and then flushed the toilet she hadn’t used and opened the door, a smile in place.
Denae stepped back, her copper brown hair down and loose about her shoulders. Denae’s whisky-colored eyes were smiling. “I’m heading into town to The Fox & The Hound to grab some lunch. Want to come?”
Lily liked all of the women of Dreagan, as she dubbed them. But seeing them with their men made her heartsick for what she knew could never be—regardless of the kiss Rhys had given her over a month ago.
Afterward, Rhys disappeared for a week. She got a glimpse of him, and then he vanished again. As far as she knew, Rhys had yet to return to Dreagan.
“Please,” Denae said with a grin. “I hate eating by myself, and Kellan is in a meeting.”
“How can I refuse that?” Lily asked. “Let me grab my purse.”
Denae followed her out to the front and talked to Jane while Lily made her way to Cassie.
“I see Denae roped you into lunch,” Cassie said with a grin, her American accent coming out strong.
Denae and Cassie weren’t the only Americans at Dreagan. There were also Elena and Jane who hailed from the States. Lily had only worked there for a few months, but she was the lone one from England. Most of the workers hailed from Scotland, though there was also Shara, who was from Ireland.
“She did,” Lily said as she slung her purse strap over her shoulder. “Want to come?”