He peers at Jane. There’s an elegance there that she clearly gets from her father. Same golden hair, same easy grin. Same copper-colored skin. A true natural beauty doesn’t need a lick of makeup, though she wears it, her cat-green eyes rimmed with black eyeliner.
“Skank,” Nellie says, under her breath, but loud enough for them all to hear.
Jackson squirms.Damn, that Nellie can be horrid. But also, the girl can handle herself.
Alexander’s face reddens, and he clears his throat. “You’ll have to forgive my daughter here—” He shoots Nellie a withering stare.
But again, Abigail pastes on her wholesome smile, as if she didn’t just hear Nellie calling her daughter a slut. “Well,” she says, shaking her limp hair around her shoulders. “And you must be Nellie,” she says, still wearing the same sunny grin, though her tone has an undercurrent to it.
Nellie just stares her down.
Then Ethan steps forward, smiles at Jackson.
Jackson’s pulse ricochets. Is he about to out him in front of Charleigh, make it known that they’ve met before?
“I’m Ethan. And you are?” His caramel eyes dance over Jackson. Knowing.
“Jackson. Jackson Ford.” He takes Ethan’s outstretched hand and squeeze-shakes it, wanting never to let go.
“Oh, forgive me!” Monica bubbles, this time draping her arm around Ethan’s neck. “I forgotallabout you!”
Bitch. And also, bitch, get your hands off him. He’smycrush.
“This is Jackson Ford.” She draws out theFord, making Jackson sound like some kind of big deal, even though he knows she’s just being sarcastic. “The local decorator.”
Cunt.
“And my best friend,” Charleigh says, snaking her hand across the table to clasp Jackson’s.
Touché.
Jackson’s eyes veer back toward Ethan, who is openly staring at him. A sly grin tugs at the corner of his lips, and Jackson’s insides melt. After a second, Ethan hitches his chin toward the restaurant. A signal to Jackson.
“Excuse me, please. I’m in need of the men’s room.” Ethan pivots away.
Jackson drains the rest of his drink, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. After what he hopes is an inconspicuous amount of time, he pushes his chair from the table. “Nature’s calling me, too. Be right back.”
24
Jackson
Jackson’s hands shake as he clasps the bathroom doorknob, opens it.
Ethan’s standing over the sink, soaping his hands. His eyes find Jackson’s in the mirror. “I didn’t even really need to go, just wanted to talk to you. In private.”
Jackson gulps. “Me, too. I mean, I don’t actually need use the restroom.”How awkward.
Ethan lifts a thick linen cloth from a stack atop a silver tray, dries his hands, twists toward Jackson.
He’s even handsomer than Jackson remembered from the other night. If that’s possible. And he can smell him, a clean, woodsy scent that somehow also smells like sex. This man reeks of it.
“Sorry I acted out there like we’d never met before.” He cocks his head to one side, drinks Jackson in with his eyes. His long lashes flutter as they trace over Jackson.
“I…I—” Jackson mutters. His mouth has gone dry, his tongue immobile. How is he supposed to respond?Yeah, me, too. Sorry, my best friend, Charleigh, hates your family, so she can’t know that we’ve already met because I kept it a secret from her?
“It’s just that I didn’t exactly tell my wife about you.” Ethan takes a slight step toward Jackson. “She knew I was at the bar, trying to drum up clients, meet people, but I didn’t mention we were hanging out all night. Together.”
He tilts his head again, smiles that crooked grin.
