Page 93 of Embracing the Change

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.

Jamie did this last, murmuring to himself, “So it’ll be me making it clear. And I’m fine with that.”

“Anything to start?” the waiter inquired.

“Order for me, darling. I can never make up my mind when I’m here,” I said, reaching for my drink.

“Ms. Ellington will have the tuna to start, I’ll have the oysters,” Jamie said. “We’ll order seconds and mains later.”

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