Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
“I don’t blame you,” she said.
“I was nothing more than a meal ticket that let her maintain her upscale lifestyle and keep up appearances in the affluent social circles that are important to her but I don’t give a shit about.” He dragged his fingers through his hair in agitation and exhaled a harsh breath. “And, the insane thing is, my mother thinks I should forgive Claire and give her another chance.”
Jessica blinked in surprise. “I had no idea about any of that,” she said, shifting in her chair in a way that caused the loose, open neckline of her top to slip down one shoulder. Derek eyed her exposed skin, his gaze lingering before he casually reached out and guided the material back in place.
He covered up her shoulder, something she found amusing since it was part of the design. “I’m glad you didn’t find out those things after you got married.”
“The truth is, I was having doubts about Claire before the whole credit card issue. I didn’t love her. Those doubts, along with seeing a side she’d never shown me before, were something I couldn’t ignore, no matter how much my parents were hoping for a political arrangement.”
“Sounds like Claire is hoping for a reconciliation, too,” Jessica said, recalling the things she’d overhead the other woman say at the bachelor auction.
He shook his head hard. “Not gonna happen, though it’s not like she hasn’t tried,” he said. “After I ended things, she switched personalities back to sweet Claire and tried calling and texting to say how sorry she was and assuring me that she’d changed.” He scoffed. “I think being manipulative is so ingrained that it’s impossible for her to change. Remember our narcissist discussion earlier?”
She nodded.
“Claire is a textbook example. No self-awareness or empathy, and everything is all about her.” He sighed, the sound heavy and weighted, then met Jessica’s gaze with a grimace. “Damn, that was a lot to unload on you.”
She smiled at him. “Well, I did ask about her.”
“The last thing I want to think about right now, or even this weekend, is Claire,” he said, his mood shifting easily, leaving all that intensity and frustration behind as he gave her one of his flirtatious grins. “So, how about we move on to something more . . . tempting.”
Tempting . . . the word was so filled with possibilities. “Such as?”
“Dessert.” He leaned closer, his eyes falling to her lips. “Chocolate dessert.”
She laughed. “I will never say no to sweets, especially if it’s chocolate. That’s temptation personified.”
“Hmm, I’m learning all your vices,” he hummed in a tone that sent tremors of awareness tingling along her spine. “So, if I want you to spill your secrets, all I have to do is persuade you with chocolate?”
She nodded, mesmerized by the alluring sound of his voice and the inviting twinkle in his eyes. “Yes, pretty much.”
A slow, sinful smile curved his lips. “Good to know.”
Oh, man. She was in trouble. The kind she knew she’d enjoy way too much.
Chapter Seven
After that heavy conversation with Jessica about his relationship with Claire, Derek needed a moment to regroup. He took the opportunity to clear the dishes from the table—insisting Jessica not do a thing—and retreated to the kitchen to fetch dessert, a double chocolate mousse cake with caramel drizzle.
As he switched the cake from the Styrofoam container to a regular plate, he realized he could have kept the details of the breakup streamlined. A simple things just didn’t work out between us would have sufficed, but once he’d started talking, all the sordid details flooded out.
For more than six months, he’d kept everything bottled up inside and hadn’t known how much he needed the release. It wasn’t as though he could have discussed the emotional and mental turmoil Claire had put him through with his parents, who still wanted him to marry the woman. His sister had been going through her own ordeal and he hadn’t wanted to burden her. And he’d even glossed over the details with Ben because who the hell really wanted to hear him rant about relationship drama?
But Jessica was easy to talk to, and once he’d started, the words wouldn’t stop. It had felt good to get it all out there and off his chest. She’d offered no judgment or criticism, just an understanding he’d desperately needed. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d been with a woman he trusted and could talk to without couching his words or feelings. Tonight showed him a side of Jessica he hadn’t been aware of before, and he wasn’t referring to her soft, curvy body and the confidence she’d grown into over the years. A guy would have to be dead not to notice those things. But she’d given him a glimpse beneath the surface to the woman she’d become.