Jacques ignored them, solely focused on me. The noise inside the pub faded away. It was as if we were wrapped in silence, suddenly alone, and I sucked in a breath. Holy hell, he smelled good—fresh and clean with a spicy aftershave. His arm was pressed against mine, our thighs touching underneath the table. He was a wall of muscle. Every inch of his body was hard and tight. David was fit with a trim physique, especially for his age, but he had nothing on Jacques.
He flagged down a waiter, and we ordered a round of drinks. He played with the label on his light beer, peeling one corner away as I sipped my French martini. I tried not to cringe at the building awkwardness between us. It was as if I was suddenly aware of only him, like everything else had faded into the background. But that was ridiculous. He wasn’t a member of the pool of available men I could, one day, date.
He looked at me, and our eyes locked. Ensnared in his whiskey-colored gaze, I couldn’t turn away. I sucked in another shaky breath and shifted in my seat, instinctively moving closer to him.
“Did you enjoy the game?” he asked without breaking eye contact. His voice was smoky, a deep rasp that seemed to wrap around me like his scent.
“So much. You’re all incredible athletes,” I gushed, both grateful I had something to focus on and overwhelmed by his talent. I’d watched all three periods and heard Cara screaming and cheering next to me like the other fans in the arena, but I’d barely noticed anyone else on the ice. He had my entire focus.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s vicious and graceful all at once. You were incredible. I saw you play as a teenager, and you were so much better than everyone else, but now….” I blinked and my cheeks heated, the liquor already going to my head. I fanned myself and choked out a laugh. “Well, you’re very good.”
“Hmm,” he rumbled, making a slow perusal of my body. He licked his lips, then seemed to snap out of it, blinking a couple of times. He grinned and said, “Fill me in on everything that’s happened to you since we left. Mom has told me bits and pieces, but not a lot.”
I thought back to the moment we’d said goodbye to them at the airport and gave him a smile. It was a long time ago now. “Well, Cara grew up, as you know. She just graduated with a business degree but doesn’t want to work for the family business. David now has seventeen warehouses across the eastern states. It’s grown a lot.” I spoke for another few minutes, telling him how Cara was the inspiration for the Seals’ trip and how proud I was that she was working with the team.
Jacques reached out and brushed his fingers over my hand. It was the barest of touches, but it sent a kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering in my belly, swooping and soaring. I basked in it as if I’d been touch starved for half my life, and my eyelids drifted closed.
“It’s been lovely hearing what your daughter and ex-husband have been up to, but what about you?”
His words jarred me out of my stupor. That word—ex-husband—was like a bucket of iced-water landing on me, and the only thing I could focus on was that he’d found out. “You know?” I asked, but it was more of a statement.
He nodded. I closed my eyes again, and my chin hit my chest. I wanted to curl into myself and hide. It wasn’t a secret that we’d split, but I was embarrassed about it. I couldn’t even keep my husband from straying. He’d found someone better than me, and I wasn’t even worth the vows that he’d made. I was a failure as a wife, and now my whole future was teetering on the edge of an abyss. I’d lost my husband, my job, my career, and my home in one fell swoop. Worst of all, I’d been the last one to find out. I was ashamed and appalled that I hadn’t seen it earlier and was now having to listen to evidence of it every time I arrived home to the pool house.
“Do you want to talk about what happened?” he asked gently, slipping his hand into mine. His hands were warm and big, his palms calloused and his grip gentle but firm. I held onto him like a life preserver, his solid presence a balm easing my disquiet.
I shook my head but found myself telling him anyway. “He cheated on me. At work. With the new hire.”
“He’s a pig.”
“Cara walked in on him mid-act.” I cringed and shuddered. The thought of walking in on my parents having sex was gross. There were some things kids never needed to see their parents doing, especially not when it involved cheating.
“Oh shit! That’s enough to land her in therapy for the rest of her life,” he joked. He knocked his shoulder into mine and pressed our temples together. I could feel his chuckle as it vibrated through him until he became serious once more and said, “You know that his cheating is on him, don’t you? It was nothing you did. There’s nothing about you that pushed him to do it.”
I shrugged. Maybe I hadn’t done anything, and that was the problem. Danielle highlighted every insecurity I didn’t even know I had. Until David cheated, I’d loved my curves. I’d never dieted or wanted to lose weight because I liked my body just the way it was. But seeing her strutting around the office and even in the shop downstairs made me look at myself in a way I hadn’t ever before. I didn’t find myself attractive anymore. I certainly didn’t feel desirable.
“It doesn’t feel like that,” I admitted quietly. “She’s everything I’m not—young, pretty, skinny.”
“First off, you’re young—”
I barked out an incredulous laugh. “You’re young. I’m….” I scrunched my nose up in disgust and said in a horrified whisper, “Nearly middle-aged.”
He waved off my comment and brushed a piece of hair off my cheek. “Your curves are….” He exhaled and leaned in close to whisper in my ear. “Damn fine.”
I sucked in a breath and held it, both desperate to get closer and terrified of what would happen if I did.
“You are gorgeous. Absolutely, incredibly stunning. You’ll announce you’re single, and men will be falling over themselves to date you.”
I giggled at his ridiculousness. As. If.
“You’ll be fighting them off—Greek-goddess style with those white flowing robes and a sword.” He held his bottle out like a dagger and swished it across the table. It was a good thing he’d drunk half of it—he didn’t spill a drop. “Can’t you picture it?” he added.
I laughed, and Jacques grinned. “There’s that beautiful smile.”
“Tell me about you,” I directed him. “How do you like living in San Diego?”
“I love it. When we graduated college, my roommate and our friend decided to get a house together. It took a while for us to all find work in the same city, but we have now. We’ve got a ranch with a big house and stables for horses, sheds, and animals. It’s our piece of paradise.”
“It sounds amazing.”
