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Sensing that he'll press the subject until I share, I sigh. "He travels a lot for his work and he was easily distracted."
"I understand." I feel his lips gently brush my forehead.
***
"Dinner was delicious. Thank you." I take the linen napkin from my lap and place it next to the plate. The remnants of the seafood pasta Jax prepared still tempting me.
"It was my pleasure." He reaches the short distance across the table to cover my hand with his. "Can I get you anything else? A coffee? Maybe some tea? Scotch?"
I smile at his willingness to please me. "Another glass of wine would be perfect."
"Of course." He reaches for the bottle and half-fills both our glasses. "Let's go back to the living room. It's much more comfortable."
I pick up my glass and follow Jax. I stop along the way to admire a small painting on the wall.
"That's one of Brighton's earliest works." He's standing next to me now, his voice soft.
"I'm surprised. It's so different than what he's doing now."
"He's so different now than he was then." There's an unmistakable edge of displeasure to his voice.
I sigh. "Success can change people."
He studies my face for a moment. "It does. I know you understand."
I turn to walk back towards the living room. I sit in the same spot I was earlier. He settles in closer to me than he was before. He reaches for my wine glass, placing it next to his on the coffee table before picking up a jewelry box and opening it.
"Your work is really brilliant." He pulls one of the soft pink crystal earrings from the box. "When did you decide to start designing jewelry?"
I take it from him and place it back in the box. "Before I do that, can you tell me why you find my jewelry so interesting?" I raise my eyebrow mischievously as I continue, "I'm used to women buying my stuff. I don't think men buy it. I mean, I just get checks from Veray but I think it's mostly women…or maybe I've just always guessed it is." I stop as I realize I'm rambling.
He hesitates before answering. "I was dating a woman a few months ago and she was wearing one of your bracelets. It was stunning. I asked her about it, and she mentioned Veray so I went to check it out."
"I see." I feel a pit in my stomach at the mention of him dating another woman. What's wrong with me? We just met and judging by his behavior in the powder room last night, he's likely dated a lot of women, or at the very least slept with them. "So you rushed out and bought all of these to give to that woman?" I cringe at my own words before picking up my glass and br
inging it my lips.
"No, I never saw her again after that night," he admits.
I try to hold in a smile while swallowing the wine. "That's too bad." I place the glass back down on the table, moving my hand to rest on his thigh.
"I just think they're beautiful." He inches his entire body closer to mine on the couch. "Much like the woman who created them."
"That's very flattering."
"You do all the work yourself?" He cradles the earring I'm wearing between his fingers. "It's all so intricate. Where's your studio? I'd love to stop by sometime and see you in action."
I pull in a deep breath, savouring the intermittent brush of his fingers against my ear. "I work alone at home. I don't have a studio."
"No studio?" His voice is a low whisper as I feel his breath rush against my neck. "That's a shame."
"I'd love to have a dedicated space to work in. One with more natural light. Ideally, I'd find a different apartment that was more suited for me to work and live in. Not that my place now isn't great. It is. I mean, it's not great but it's okay. It's enough for now." I'm digressing partly because the smell of his cologne is intense and alluring and partly because I'm so nervous. My experience with men is restricted to Mark. That's it. Having any other man this close to me is unchartered territory for my hormones and I'm worried that my incessant talking is making that ever apparent. I pull in a deep breath willing myself to calm down and embrace the experience. When would I ever get to be this close to a man like this again?
"I think your talent is less about the space you're in and more about you," he whispers, his index finger gently moving my hair away from my neck.
I can feel him sigh deeply as I move even closer to him, raising my hand up his thigh. I look down to see his obvious growing erection straining against his slacks. I take in the scent of his skin which combined with the wine is making me feel lightheaded.
"Do you have a favorite piece?" My lips are close to his cheek now.
