Page 381 of The Sinner: James

“You look stunning.”

A soft shade of nude glistens on her lips, and layers of black mascara make her blue eyes pop.

Her skin looks like silk.

“Am I okay?” she asks, turning her back to me and glancing in a mirror.

“You’re more than okay. If the men having dinner with us were free, you’d probably leave with one of them. Or both,” I say, winking at her in the mirror.

She spins to me fast, her cheeks red.

“How can you say that to me?”

I smile.

“It’s the truth.”

“You really think so? I mean... I’m not talking about them, but someone like them.”

I nod, my eyes locked with hers.

“Yes. That’s your league. I always thought you’d sold yourself short.”

She opens her mouth to argue.

My hand goes up.

“Before you say whatever you want to say… I know you know I’m right. And you said it yourself a few hours ago. You met guys who weren’t a good match for you because you thought compromising was the way to go.”

She grips her hips.

“There aren’t that many men like them,” she says, flicking her head toward the door, meaning the men waiting for us downstairs. “And I wasn’t the way I am right now back when they were free men, and I’m not talking James Sexton here.”

“I know what you’re talking about, but Ed was a free man a couple of years back.”

Her expression collapses into a puddle of disappointment.

“Back then at that party...” I murmur. “Do you remember? The night Dahlia had wrecked Lex’s car?”

“Yes. Of course, I remember.”

“And he liked you, yet you chickened out as you always do.”

“He’s never made a move on me. Truthfully, he’s never been serious about me.”

It’s her turn to flick her hand up and stop me from commenting.

“As I said before. I’m different now. I didn’t have enough experience back then to hook up with someone like Ed Preston.”

“Do you think Thea had? Or do you think I had experience when I met James?”

Her eyebrows knit into a frown.

“Thea was married before Ed, and you were a call girl when you hooked up with James for real. If you ask me, that's an impressive experience, and not many women have it.”

I look at her, expressionless.

“What’s your point?”

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