He spoke as if his question was more of an already made assumption, and she waved a hand, dismissing the idea. He had good reason to wonder if she’d want to be in the spotlight. There’d been a time when her goal was to see and be seen. But not anymore.

“God no,” she said. “So far I’ve been able to stay under the radar here, and I hope to keep it that way.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You do realize this hotel is known as a celebrity hangout?”

She nodded. “But it came highly recommended, and it’s in walking distance of the Highline, the Chelsea Market, the Whitney Museum, and the West Village. And the beds? Have you ever stayed here? I’ve never slept on a more comfortable mattress,” she said, trailing off as she caught how his eyes had darkened when she started talking about beds.

Which, now that she thought about it, had her recalling them and all the things they used to do on his large king mattress in LA. She shivered at the memory of his warm skin against hers, the scent of the aftershave he still wore, and the way his body had always commanded hers. Every part of her reacted, and she was grateful the navy top prevented him from noticing her hardened nipples.

She placed a hand on her hip, refocusing on their conversation about the hotel. “Point being, I really wanted to stay here for various reasons. So did you leave Bella in the Hamptons?” she asked, grasping for an easy change of subject.

“No. She’s at my apartment uptown.”

“You have a place in the city, too?” she asked, feigning surprise. No need to explain she’d called in favors to find out where he lived and where to find him. She was sure he already assumed as much.

He nodded. “Linc lives here. Chloe lives here, though now she’s way downtown with Beck. That’s her fiancé. Business brings me into the city since my agent is here, being bi-coastal and all. And the Hamptons is too long a trip to make for a brief business meeting.”

She laughed at that. “Yes. I made the round trip in one day. I can attest to that.” By the time she’d returned to Manhattan in her rented car, her legs had been numb.

“Besides, it’s too damned busy in the city,” he muttered.

She’d known he didn’t like loud noises and crowds. A walk was a bad idea. “I’m sorry. Would you rather just go to the restaurant, sit down, and talk there?”

He hesitated before nodding in agreement. “How about we just walk directly to the restaurant, and we can talk over an early dinner?”

“Compromise. I like it.” Not waiting for him to reply, she deliberately hooked her arm into his and took that first step.