Chapter 15
MORGAN
If I made mistakes, I’d be willing to admit that bringing Jamie here was one. But I don’t make mistakes—just decisions with consequences.
And the consequences of this decision are very interesting.
I was happy to sweat Jamie out, to make him squirm a bit. I wanted to get a better look at what’s under his sweaters.
I hadn’t expected his undershirt to be mesh, to be met with the planes of his chest at the same time as the scent of his sweat, sweet like vanilla.
The beast keeps purring. For once, we agree on something, and that’s the problem.
Jamie is slender, with a subtle angle from his chest to his waist. I want to drag my claws down his ribs, make him gasp.
He clearly doesn’t know how he looks with his copper hair bright under the sun and falling in front of his face, black mesh over black denim, gold earring glinting in the light, arm wreathed in bold florals.
Absolutely cunt-tinglingly delicious.
Jamie is hot.
In a way that is not conducive to the professional distance that has been crucial to my plan thus far. But a plan isn’t worth much if you don’t have the agility to pivot.
Lunch wasn’t originally in the plan, but I’ll have Eileen move my day around. I hold up two fingers as we approach the restaurant’s host.
“Is Peter not joining?” Jamie asks.
“Our business is done.”
He nods, like it’s just a logistical note. He clearly hasn’t clocked that I don’t talk to other people the way I talk to him.
He’s clearly attracted to me, but he’s doing the best he can to hide it. It’s novel. Challenging. It makes me want to play with him, to see how far I can push him, how overt I can be while he still second-guesses.
As we’re seated, I order sparkling water and a Provence rosé.
“Won’t this nullify the cost savings of skipping a caddy?” he asks.
“No.” I glance at the menu and make my selection. “Not even close.”
“Hm.” Jamie focuses intently as he scans the menu, brow furrowing. Normally, this indecisiveness would be deeply irritating. But with Jamie, I’m finding it… cute.
He finally settles on a lamb kebab dish, and the server brings out steaming fresh bread, which Jamie eyes like it’s a basket of gold. The funniest little things fill him with wonder.
“This is so good,” he says around a mouthful.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
Then a coy light glitters in his eyes. “So… why’d you let Peter win?”
My lips twitch with a slight grin. Even more surprises. “Things don’t always go my way. You win some, you lose some.”
“It’s not because you care about his feelings,” he continues, unconvinced. “So you needed something from him.”
“Wanted something.”
“Knew it,” he hisses victoriously. “And I know you didn’t spring this on me for ‘cost-saving purposes.’”
“Oh?” If Jamie actually guesses that it’s so that I can spend another hour enjoying his flushed cheeks, semi-bare chest, and sweat-laced scent, I’ll really be surprised.
Jamie musters his confidence. “Peter leaned hard on Benny out there. You looked that much better for not having anything resembling a real caddy. And… spending time together is good for stage chemistry, right? Reads better for the investors?”
I hold back my laugh and croon, “Nothing gets past you.”
I love to watch the thoughts stream across Jamie’s face. He can tell I’m being ironic, but he still has no idea what about.
It’s almost too easy.
This trip could be… a lot more fun than I’d expected.
As we finish lunch, I put together a new plan.