Page 62 of The Seven Month Itch
“I’m serious. Let’s use tonight to tie up loose ends.”
Brown eyes stare me down. “Loose ends.” You’d think we ordered a hit on them the way he says it. His brows pull together, and he looks down at his plate. I’m ready to call the whole thing off until he says, “Okay. We’ll play it your way, Jay.” He shakes his head like I asked him to rob a bank. “This is the first time I’m going to call her on this trip.”
What? “Time-out. You never called Madison on this trip?”
“I told you the truth, Jay.”
This man.
I smile and take another bite of my salmon. “So that’s our plan for tonight. We say goodbye to them and meet up tomorrow morning.”
His face twists. “Tomorrow morning? Why then?”
I wipe my mouth and stand to close the distance. Strong hands find a home under my butt when I straddle his lap. I lean in, press my mouth to his ear, and roll my hips. “Because the next time we make love, I don’t want to smell her on you.”
Terrence stills. Without warning, he jumps to his feet and tosses me over his shoulder. “In that case, we’ll spend the rest of the day doing what we can’t tonight.”
I squeal. “You’re a nut!”
He smacks my ass. “And you’re about to get mine.”
Chapter 28
Justice
Terrence leaves my room at five thirty after taking me two more times. Clearly, rest is not an option. The stamina of that man is something researchers should study at a university. God knows I don’t understand it, but I’m not about to complain.
The irony of us ondateswith other people tonight isn’t lost on me. But as long as we leave here together, that’s all that matters.
“I gotta give it to you and Terrence. You two are handling this well,” Emma says from a wingback chair in the corner of my room. She’s yet to utter a word about her date last night. It’s not like her to keep secrets, which leaves me with questions…lots of questions. If I weren’t knee-deep in my own mess, I’d press her for answers.
“Preston is a good catch. He deserves the truth.”
“While that might be true, I hope Madison hears it loud and clear that Terrence is off-limits.”
She will tonight. Though Madison always discovers new ways to claw beneath my skin, hurt people hurt people. Under different circumstances—circumstances that don’t involve her life quest to get my husband’s dick—I see us as friends. Sure, she’s conniving at times, but I won’t pretend like Terrence didn’t fuel her hope of reconciliation.
Time will tell how everything unfolds.
I’m down at the ballroom at six forty-five. Preston strikes me as someone who arrives early, and I want to be ready. As expected, he’s outside the French doors, waiting for me. The man looks like the million bucks—sorry, thebillionbucks—he’s worth in a charcoal suit and white shirt with the top buttons loose. The ice-gray pocket square intensifies the cognac eyes now on me. My knees threaten to buckle on my approach. There’s no question he’s successful in business the way he wields his stare. It’s unnerving.
I tense when he takes me into his arms. This is dumb. It’s ahug,but I’m still a turd for the bomb I’m about to drop.
“You look great.” His gaze traces a slow path from my eyes to my toes. My skin heats under his appraisal. If only he knew this black dress cost seven dollars at a thrift shop. I think it’s nice, but designer it is not.
“Thanks.” I try to mirror his smile.Fail. “You look great too.”
With his hand on the small of my back, he guides us to a table near the floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the view of the valley. The ballroom is a far cry from the shell it was after movie night. Round tables with fancy cloths and rattan chairs fill the once-empty space. Servers with trays of wine and fine cuisine whisk by patrons who are deep in conversation. I told Preston about my problems with Terrence the last time we were here. After I dry humped and tongued him down on the balcony.
What a turn of events.
Votive candles illuminate our table in a soft glow. A small bouquet of roses sits in a vase at the center. Did he do all of this for us? My heart beats like a war drum as Preston pulls out my chair. He unbuttons his jacket and takes a seat across from me. Candlelight dances across his eyes, which hold mine.
I’m going to the deepest pits of Hell.
Calm down. You’re not breaking off an engagement.
He reaches for my hand. “Sorry I missed the dance lesson with you yesterday. A business meeting came up, and I had to attend.”
