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“I will.” I nod.
We stare at each other until he finally lets out a heavy exhale. “You’re more beautiful every time I see you. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it is.”
My heart aches inside my chest just as it did when we were teenagers, and he’d say those exact words to me.
“I’ll be in the kitchen.” He gestures in that direction with his hand. “Before you ask, I don’t need any help. Save your energy for later.”
He doesn’t need to say another word because we both know what tonight will bring. Before the clock strikes midnight, I’ll be in bed with the man I’ve had a crush on for years. I’ve liked him, hated him, and tonight, he’ll be my lover. I’ll worry about what that means for tomorrow when the sun rises again.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Sinclair
“You’ve got something right there.” Jameson reaches toward me.
He set the table while I was arranging the flowers in a very large glass vase in my room. Instead of seating us opposite each other, he opted for two elegant place settings next to each other.
When I reached the table at precisely eight o’clock, he was dressed in a well-tailored dark blue suit and a striking patterned tie.
I smiled when he yanked on the back of one of the chairs to pull it out and laughed out loud when he waited for me to sit before he did.
He called himself a true gentleman. I didn’t disagree.
“Where?” I ask as my fingers skim over my chin.
“Right there.” His thumb centers on the corner of my mouth. He swipes it there, catching what looks like a single grain of rice.
I watch as he takes it between his lips.
That shouldn’t be sexy, but it is.
I drop my gaze to my lap. I thought I could handle this. The delicious food, the robust wine, and the way Jameson kept leaning closer to me to brush his forearm against mine have made me feel a million different things.
Longing, excitement, regret, and a little frustration top that list.
“Are you all right?” he asks as he studies my face. “You’re a little flushed.”
I suck in a breath and place the blame squarely on the wine. “I had a little too much to drink.”
He glances at my almost full glass. “You had three sips.”
I make it four by downing half of what’s left before I place the glass back down with a shaking hand.
Jameson reaches for it, pulling it into his. “You’re nervous.”
I look at our hands. I could lie, but he’ll see right through that. He could always see into my soul, so I admit it. “A little bit.”
He brings my hand to his lips to kiss my palm softly. “Tell me why.”
“Sex,” I blurt out the word without giving it any thought.
A smile tugs on the corners of his lips. “You’re not a virgin, are you?”
I can’t help but grin. “No.”
“Me either.” He gazes into my eyes. “I feel a little like one tonight, though.”
I wasn’t expecting that confession, so I shake my head. “You’re joking.”
“No.” He kisses my hand again. “This is a pretty big deal for me, Sinclair.”
“Sleeping with me is a big deal for you?” I try to mask the surprise in my tone, but that’s an epic fail.
He lets out a laugh. “Don’t be so shocked. You’re the ultimate for me. You’ve always been.”
My brow scrunches. “I’m the ultimate what for you?”
He turns, so he’s facing me directly. “Girl. Woman. Dream. Don’t tell me you’re not aware that I’ve been crushing hard on you for most of my life.”
I stare into his eyes, trying to find truth in his words. “You had a crush on me?”
“Have,” he corrects me. “You were out of my league. I was always your best bud.”
I smile at that. He used to call me that when we played soccer together. It’s how he introduced me to the other players on our team. Jameson started in the league a year before I did, so when I decided to take the plunge, he took it upon himself to show me the ropes.
I felt safe and protected back then. I feel that now too.
“What’s running through your mind right now?” he asks softly.
I answer honestly. “I was thinking back to when we were kids.”
“Tell me it’s not about when I got food caught in my braces or that day my pants fell down in front of the entire class.”
My hand leaps to my mouth, but I can’t hold in the laughter. “I forgot about that. You were wearing Holden’s pants, right?”
He nods. “Without a fucking belt. All of my pants were too short, so it seemed like a great idea until I raised both hands during my speech about the moon, and boom, the entire class got a good look at my superhero underwear.”
I glance at his lap.
