Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
I just knew his chest was everything.
But it was nice to know it was that and multi-purpose to boot.
The next evening, wearing my shoulder-baring, black, bow neck, chiffon, drape back Saint Laurent blouse with the dark gold, satin Saint Laurent maxi-skirt, I swanned…
And believe me…I swanned…
Into Le Bernadin.
I did this at Jamie’s side.
I saw a couple of people I knew.
I noted Jamie did the same.
But it seemed like everyone was watching us make our way to our table.
This didn’t come as a surprise to me.
We were, obviously, fabulous.
Jamie had been right all those years ago. He had a talent at making a beautiful couple.
I was just filled with glee I was part of it now.
Being Jamie, he stood while I seated myself in the booth seat, and only when I had, did he angle into the chair opposite me.
We both shook out our napkins before the waiter could do it and put them on our laps.
Jamie ordered his bourbon. It was a cosmopolitan night for me.
When the waiter left, Jamie opened his menu, looked down to it and casually declared, “Half the men in this room want to fuck you.”
I tsked and opened my own menu, saying, “Please, darling. I appreciate your attempt to stroke my ego, but I don’t mind I don’t turn heads like I used to.”
It took a moment before I realized I had his focus.
“What?” I asked when I’d caught his gaze, but he didn’t speak.
“Do you really think that?”
“I hesitate to remind you of this, considering you know it very well due to your father, but it’s very rare that men of our set have the intelligence and confidence to spend time with age-appropriate women.”
“I do know that. I also know half the men in this room want to fuck you because half of that half have told me.”
I blinked.
He looked back to his menu, stating, “It’s a trait that should be weeded out of our gender, but it perseveres for reasons I can’t comprehend that, no matter their age, some men relapse to the locker room, and often. Especially when another man of their acquaintance starts seeing a woman they want.” Just his eyes lifted from his menu when he again looked at me. “And you are an object of fascination and desire for a good number of them.”
“Are you…quite serious?” I asked.
He shrugged his shoulders in his lovely black velvet blazer (by the by, our clothing also matched splendidly). “That kind of man collects trophies, and you can’t be unaware you’re a lioness in this animal kingdom. In fact, you’re the alpha. As such, they’ve been rabid for you for years.”
It was wonderful he thought that way, but that wasn’t what I’d been referring to.
“What I mean is, when they thought we were together, they said those things to you?”
He slapped his menu shut decisively and set it aside. “I advise you never go to a locker room.”
I couldn’t believe this.
“How crass,” I snapped.
“I’m not immune, sweetheart. It was with singular gratification, having had you…repeatedly…that I walked in here with you tonight, knowing what they do not, and having what they’ll never have, but want very badly. And I felt that before I had you.” He shot me that roguish grin I loved so much. “Though, doing it feels much better now.”
I returned to my menu, shaking my head. “It never fails to baffle me how you lot rule the world.”
“This is part of why Castellini wants you back.”
I raised my gaze to him again.
“That and you’re you, and he knew what a huge fuckup he perpetrated all those years ago,” he concluded.
“Shall we not speak of Roland, let’s say…ever again?” I suggested.
“I’ll agree to that only after you know, his mistake was forgetting he fell in love with you and making you a trophy the first time, and it’s the same now. It’s the way men like him need to think so they can take what they want and move on to the next with zero scruples. And they do this completely unaware it actually emasculates them because it shares they don’t have the balls to commit to the hard work a relationship can be, so they can pretend not to care that they’ll never earn the vast rewards that hard work will get you.”
I snapped my menu shut, set it aside and shared, “I hope you don’t feel threatened, because that’s just ludicrous. There’s no competition, Jamie.”
“I know that, Nora,” he replied. “But have you made it clear, now that we’re back, that he’s not to infiltrate your life anymore?”
I waved a hand. “He hasn’t factored in the last two days of happiness I’ve enjoyed since I’ve been home.”
At my words, Jamie awarded me a contented look before he shifted slightly in his seat as the waiter put our drinks on the table.