Page 46 of All I Want For Christmas Is You

“Yes, weak. But also, selfish. Anyhow, this is the day he found out he got the consulting job. I hadn’t seen him that happy in years, so I sent it to the kids. Kind of a, Hey, your dad’s going to be all right kind of thing.”

Beau studied the photo. “He’s not as ugly as I’d hoped he’d be.”

She laughed. “Why do you care what he looks like?”

“I want his outside to match his inside.”

“But then, he’d never have been Petra’s target.” Now that she had someone to talk to about it, she asked the question that had bothered her all along. “Do you think they just happened to fall in love? Or do you think she set out to get him?”

“It’s hard to answer that since I don’t know either of them, but if we look at the facts, we have a former master of the universe. He’s good-looking, in shape, and he’s willing to work for free. I don’t know a lot of people who’d do that.”

“Only someone who’s desperate.”

“Exactly, and he’s looking for an exit ramp. If she is on the prowl, she’ll pick up on that.”

She looked at her ex’s giddy expression. It wasn’t a good look. “So, she saw his vulnerabilities and took advantage of them, but what do you think Petra wanted from a middle-aged has-been? He said it was his resume. She’s trying to trade lithium, and she needed someone with his background to attract venture capital money.”

“Okay, but all of that was a long time ago. Wouldn’t she want to find someone who hasn’t been out of the workplace for that long?”

“Yes. For sure. So, what’re you saying?”

“I don’t know. I’m just looking at the facts. How old is she?”

“Thirty-eight.”

“Does she have kids?”

“No, but you’re heading down the wrong track. My ex would do anything to get his Managing Director title back…except have a second family.”

“That seems pretty random.”

“Where we lived, it was almost a joke how many older, successful men dumped their wives and remarried younger women. In almost every case, the guy would swear up and down he wouldn’t have kids again. And what do you think happens? Their new bride winds up pregnant. At every school event, my ex used to howl with laughter at all the white-haired men holding their babies. Trust me, if that’s Petra’s game, she’s going to be sorely disappointed.”

“If she sets out to seduce him, we’ll see how long he holds out. Of course, this theory’s coming from a jaded man whose wife made sex a transaction, but if she was wild in bed, maybe he’d give in. You’d be surprised what men will do for great head.”

“Especially after they haven’t had any in a long time.” Years. “And trust me, I was never wild in bed.”

“That’s his fault.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.” She didn’t want to think about the number of times her ex just needed to get off so he could fall asleep, leaving her wide awake, lonely, and sad. He’d always wanted her to be more into it, but she’d needed more from him, too. Like foreplay. “I’m definitely no Petra.”

“Fuck Petra, and fuck your ex.”

There he went, getting all protective again. She loved it.

“The problem was never you. If that fucker ever made you doubt yourself, he’s a bigger loser than I thought. In bed, it’s all about responsiveness. Did he ever take the time to find out what makes you hot? Did he hold off so he could get you there first?”

“Maybe in the beginning, he did. But not for the last twenty years.” Twenty years. How embarrassing that she’d settled for so little. Though, to be fair, she didn’t even know how good intimacy could be until she’d met Beau. “You’re getting awfully riled up about sex with my ex.”

“Yeah, because I saw you cover your body.”

She winced, wishing she hadn’t been so obvious. “Well, I’m not twenty anymore. I’m not even thirty-eight.”

“Trust me, it’s not about age or weight. It’s chemistry, attraction. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.”

“And you showed me that.” Which is why I lost my inhibitions. “That was pretty clever, Mr. Lady-Killer.”

“It wasn’t clever at all. I wanted to be with you. It’s not going to be good for either of us if you’re self-conscious. I needed to show you how beautiful you are. How much I want you.”

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