look
she’d seen in Ron’s eyes, Ashley stammered through, “Baron. What
brings you upstairs?”
“Thought I’d stop by and see how the
paintings are coming along,” Baron said, then threw Ron a glance.
“Didn’t know you had company.”
She took a sideways step so she wasn’t
between the two men. How much of the conversation had her cousin
heard? She glanced at Ron, remembering the feel of his breath
against her skin, his words, the look in his eyes. Heat crawled up
her neck. Okay, just because he was yummy and was obviously
attracted to her, it didn’t mean she should lose it.
She straightened her spine. “Ron, my cousin
Baron Fitzgerald. Baron, Ron Noble.”
Baron’s expression hardened.
“Le Baron Gallery downstairs, right?” Ron
asked but didn’t offer Baron his hand.
“That’s me,” Baron answered, his tone cold.
Then his gaze shifted to Ashley. “Ash, give me a buzz when you get
time. I need your opinion on something.”
Ashley scowled. The coolness puzzled her. Her
cousin was usually very amiable. “Why don’t you come in now?” Her
glance collided with Ron’s. “Ron was just leaving.”
There was a moment of tense silence. Baron’s
gaze bounced between her and Ron, then he murmured ‘excuse me’ and
walked past them.
Ron stepped out of her loft and turned to
face her. “About—”
She shook her head. “I’ll think about it.”
She didn’t want to discuss hypnosis in front of her cousin.
Ron appeared to understand and nodded. “Okay.
I’ll see you on Saturday.”
“Hey, Noble,” Baron called out. “You forgot
something.”
Ashley turned to look at her cousin and
froze. Oh, no. He was standing by the counter, the pictures Ron had
brought in one hand and the envelope and letter in the other. He
was studying the top photograph with a scowl. Why hadn’t Ron taken
them? She shot him a look from the corner of her eye and hurried
toward her cousin. “Those are mine, Baron.”
Baron’s brows shot up, then he glanced at the
cover of the envelope. “Ron Noble? I don’t think so. What’s going
on, Ash?”
“Nothing.” Ashley reached for the
photographs, but he moved them out of her reach. She glared at him.
“This isn’t funny. Give me the pictures.”
“The envelope and the letter, too,” Ron added
coldly from behind her.
Baron ignored him, his gaze locked on Ashley.
“Were these taken the night your parents, uh, the night of the
fire?”
“Yes.” She extended her hand, palm up. “Give
them to me, please.”
He ignored her request. “What are you doing
with them?”
Ashley’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me? I have a
right to look at my pictures without asking you for permission,
Baron Fitzgerald. And you shouldn’t look at things that don’t
belong to you.” Once again, she reached for them.
“They were spread on the damn counter, Ash. I
had to be blind not to notice them.” He gave them to her, then
jerked his head toward Ron. “Is he responsible for this?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She took the envelope
and the letter from his other hand and shoved them in Ron’s, then
mouthed ‘go please.’
“No.” Ron cut her an unreadable glance, then
his gaze shifted to Baron.
She smothered a growl. She had no idea what
macho nonsense was behind the animosity between these two, and
frankly, she didn’t care.
“Suit yourself.” She turned to Baron and said
the first thing that popped into her head. “I have these pictures
out because I’m thinking of seeing a hypnotist to recover my lost
memories.” She felt Ron move behind her. He probably thought she
was an airhead, one minute vowing to never agree to hypnosis, the
next consenting. He had no idea what a mistress of contradictions
she’d become since meeting him.
“Why?” Baron frowned. “Last I heard you were
dead set against the idea.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Don’t you mean he changed it for
you?” Baron retorted then shot Ron a disdainful look.
A cold smirk touched Ron’s
she’d seen in Ron’s eyes, Ashley stammered through, “Baron. What
brings you upstairs?”
“Thought I’d stop by and see how the
paintings are coming along,” Baron said, then threw Ron a glance.
“Didn’t know you had company.”
She took a sideways step so she wasn’t
between the two men. How much of the conversation had her cousin
heard? She glanced at Ron, remembering the feel of his breath
against her skin, his words, the look in his eyes. Heat crawled up
her neck. Okay, just because he was yummy and was obviously
attracted to her, it didn’t mean she should lose it.
She straightened her spine. “Ron, my cousin
Baron Fitzgerald. Baron, Ron Noble.”
Baron’s expression hardened.
“Le Baron Gallery downstairs, right?” Ron
asked but didn’t offer Baron his hand.
“That’s me,” Baron answered, his tone cold.
Then his gaze shifted to Ashley. “Ash, give me a buzz when you get
time. I need your opinion on something.”
Ashley scowled. The coolness puzzled her. Her
cousin was usually very amiable. “Why don’t you come in now?” Her
glance collided with Ron’s. “Ron was just leaving.”
There was a moment of tense silence. Baron’s
gaze bounced between her and Ron, then he murmured ‘excuse me’ and
walked past them.
Ron stepped out of her loft and turned to
face her. “About—”
She shook her head. “I’ll think about it.”
She didn’t want to discuss hypnosis in front of her cousin.
Ron appeared to understand and nodded. “Okay.
I’ll see you on Saturday.”
“Hey, Noble,” Baron called out. “You forgot
something.”
Ashley turned to look at her cousin and
froze. Oh, no. He was standing by the counter, the pictures Ron had
brought in one hand and the envelope and letter in the other. He
was studying the top photograph with a scowl. Why hadn’t Ron taken
them? She shot him a look from the corner of her eye and hurried
toward her cousin. “Those are mine, Baron.”
Baron’s brows shot up, then he glanced at the
cover of the envelope. “Ron Noble? I don’t think so. What’s going
on, Ash?”
“Nothing.” Ashley reached for the
photographs, but he moved them out of her reach. She glared at him.
“This isn’t funny. Give me the pictures.”
“The envelope and the letter, too,” Ron added
coldly from behind her.
Baron ignored him, his gaze locked on Ashley.
“Were these taken the night your parents, uh, the night of the
fire?”
“Yes.” She extended her hand, palm up. “Give
them to me, please.”
He ignored her request. “What are you doing
with them?”
Ashley’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me? I have a
right to look at my pictures without asking you for permission,
Baron Fitzgerald. And you shouldn’t look at things that don’t
belong to you.” Once again, she reached for them.
“They were spread on the damn counter, Ash. I
had to be blind not to notice them.” He gave them to her, then
jerked his head toward Ron. “Is he responsible for this?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She took the envelope
and the letter from his other hand and shoved them in Ron’s, then
mouthed ‘go please.’
“No.” Ron cut her an unreadable glance, then
his gaze shifted to Baron.
She smothered a growl. She had no idea what
macho nonsense was behind the animosity between these two, and
frankly, she didn’t care.
“Suit yourself.” She turned to Baron and said
the first thing that popped into her head. “I have these pictures
out because I’m thinking of seeing a hypnotist to recover my lost
memories.” She felt Ron move behind her. He probably thought she
was an airhead, one minute vowing to never agree to hypnosis, the
next consenting. He had no idea what a mistress of contradictions
she’d become since meeting him.
“Why?” Baron frowned. “Last I heard you were
dead set against the idea.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Don’t you mean he changed it for
you?” Baron retorted then shot Ron a disdainful look.
A cold smirk touched Ron’s
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