“Honesty always. We started off with lies. No more of that.”
“Agreed. What else?”
“We give this—us—a shot. A real shot.”
His eyes narrowed. “What are you asking me for exactly?”
She hesitated. Gathering her courage perhaps. “That we both put our baggage aside and give this relationship a fighting chance. Otherwise, what’s the point? We’re doomed to fail if we don’t.”
He nodded. “I can…try.”
“Good.” She leaned in, beaming at him with the kind of naughty grin that curled his toes. “Because if you’re willing to do that, then I think we can talk about adding some benefits.”
Delaney enjoyed Hugh’s stunned, open-mouthed response to her suggestion. She sipped her wine and took it all in, amazed that she could get that kind of response out of a centuries-old vampire.
Huh. Her boyfriend was a vampire.
He finally cleared his throat and found his voice. “What kind of benefits are you talking about?”
“Yeah, what kind of benefits?” Julian plopped down on the sofa next to them. He waved at one of the servers. “Hey, gorgeous, can you bring us another glass? Thanks.”
With a grin, he put his feet up on the table and sat back. He gave Hugh a very pointed look. “Look at you, out at Insomnia of all places. And with a date.”
Hugh’s expression went stony. “I thought you preferred the human clubs, Julian.”
Julian shrugged. “Even I need a break once in a while. Besides, I like to dip my toe into both sides of the river, if you know what I mean. Human, supernatural, I like ’em all.”
Hugh grimaced. “If only it was just your toe you were dipping.”
Delaney rolled her lips in to keep from laughing.
The server brought another glass and poured wine for Julian. He lifted the glass to them. “Here’s to the happy couple then.”
“We were just going home, actually,” Hugh said.
Julian ignored the hint. “Before you do, I thought you should know I ran into Piper.”
Hugh snorted. “There’s a lot of that going around.”
“She told me everything.” Julian flicked his gaze toward Delaney before continuing. He gestured to her with his glass. “She’s got it out for you.”
Delaney waved her hand. “Tell me something I don’t know about Psycho Barbie.”
“It’s handled,” Hugh said.
Julian nodded. “And very well if the two of you are still a thing. I guess it also explains why you’re here.”
“What do you mean?” Delaney asked.
“I mean you two must have had a real heart to heart and dished all your secrets. My brother doesn’t share his true nature with the women he dates.” Julian fluttered his lashes. “The fact that he did that with you can only mean it’s love.”
“Julian—”
“It’s too late to protest, brother dear.” He tipped his head at Delaney. “You can’t pretend otherwise when you’ve got this one wearing your dead wife’s jewelry, now can you?”
Delaney’s hand flew to the dragonfly. A chill ran through her, more because Hugh had lied to her—his mother’s, indeed—than because of who it actually belonged to. Although that was a little creepy too. “This was your wife’s?”
Hugh nodded. “Yes. I—”
“So much for honesty.” If the piece weren’t so valuable, she would have ripped it off and thrown it at him.
“I was going to tell you when we got home. There’s more to the story, it’s just not a conversation I want to have here.”
Julian held his hands up. “Sorry about that. I figured if she knew you were a vampire, you’d told her all about Juliette too.”
Delaney stared at Julian. “Why? What else is there to tell?”
“Say a word, Julian, and I will tear your throat out,” Hugh snarled.
Julian refilled his glass then stood. He lifted the glass toward Delaney. “I’ll just leave you to it then.” And walked off.
Hugh was seething. Her anger over news of the dragonfly’s true owner paled in comparison to whatever was going on with him. He hadn’t been this enraged even when she’d confessed she wasn’t who he thought she was. She wanted to touch him, to reassure him that whatever it was, it couldn’t be that bad, but contact seemed like the last thing he’d welcome.
“Let’s go home,” she said quietly.
He continued staring after his brother, the muscles in his jaw tensing.
She took a breath. And put her hand on his leg. “Hugh.”
Finally, he turned to her, and the luminescent anger in his eyes faded. He blinked once.