“Who was that?” he asks when he pulls away.
I glance back, noticing Finn is still looking. I quickly turn back to Jameson. “My ex-boyfriend.”
“How long were you seeing him?” His voice has a tone of annoyance laced in it, as though he found out I have a dirty secret.
“Nearly three years,” I say.
“Oh.”
I’m not too sure how to take his ‘oh.’ Especially since Jameson was married for ten years before his divorce.
“I need a coffee,” I say, shrugging my jacket over my shoulders. The weather is warm outside, but as Jameson likes to sit outdoors, I need to protect my skin from the sun.
“Did you love him?” Jameson asks after the server places two coffees on the table.
“Yes. As I’m sure you loved your wife,” I say, my voice remains calm and indifferent.
“Is he the reason you want to remain as friends?”
I huff a little at that, not understanding where the questions are coming from. “We agreed to be friends, not just me. It was a mutual agreement. You just got out of your marriage and wanted nothing unless it was on your terms. And your terms were open relationship or nothing. I was happy with nothing.”
“Why were you happy with that? Why have you never fought for anything else?”
“Because... it’s all I need...”
“And me,” he says with a hesitation to his tone. “What if I need more?”
I squeeze out a smile, meeting his gaze as I tilt my head to one side and sigh. “You were more than happy with this arrangement we have until I had a two-minute conversation with my ex-boyfriend.”
He swipes his tongue over his bottom lip. “How many ex-boyfriends do you have?”
I close my eyes, knowing where this is going. “One.”
He nods his head slowly, and we hold each other’s gaze for a long moment. Long enough for the smiles to end. “Come to the US with me. I think it’s time for us to take it to the next level.”
Chapter 2
Finn
I can’t believe it. Ava was in my arms, albeit for a short time.
Obviously, the moment was ruined when she turned her attention to another man. He’s older, definitely late thirties, maybe early forties. Probably plenty of baggage to go with his stupid man bun.
By the way he looked at me—he knows she was once mine. Yet, the smirk he gave me shows me he’s planning on stopping me from making her mine again.
Just seeing her. Hearing her voice again for the first time in nearly four years is like a light strum to my heart.
She disappeared off the face of the earth and now she’s here, in the same building as me.
As usual, Ava looks hot as hell. She always did, even in casual jeans and a t-shirt. Though she now rocks the corporate suit. I notice she’s teamed it with a little blouse that shows off her perfect, perky breasts. Ava, as always, ensuring she does her own thing.
But where the fuck has she been for the past four years?
My hands ball in and out of fists, thinking of that. She could have talked to me. But she graduated and disappeared off the face of the earth.
The elevator has already ascended as I stare at her with him, and he stares back at me.
It’s as though he can feel the chemistry between me and Ava and needs to let me know she’s his.
