“About what?” That was the real question for them both.
“This, you, us, your wives, going home and the mess which is undoubtedly waiting for me.” Her reply sounded blunt, but the things she’d listed really were at the crux of her confusion.
“Wow, it’s quite a list, honey. Let’s start withthis, you and usbecause I think they may all be connected, if not the same.”
“Jim I don’t even know whatthisorusis.” Tasha sighed nervously.
“Is this because you said you love me?” He couldn’t help but grin at her while she blushed at the memory of her declaration of love but as she wondered if he was about to revoke his I love you her expression became more nervous.
“No. You said it too.” Her defensive tone only served to back up her fear she was somehow giving him the option to take his away, but more than that, she was worried he might take the option.
He smiled. “But you said it first.” Before she could respond he added, “If you didn’t mean it, if it was in the moment, and it was pretty hot, baby, it’s fine, just say. But I did mean it when I said it. I never say things I don’t mean, so you can always believe me.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t plan on saying it, not the first time anyway.” She grinned. “But I did mean it. I love you.”
He stared at her intently again then quickly regained his momentum. “You’re distracting me again, so back to this.” He flicked his finger between them. “This is you and me, two people who love each other we now know, but who live on opposite sides of the Atlantic so this will need careful handling and lots of air miles if we’re going to make it work, which we are. As for the mess awaiting you at home, we will sort it. I’ve told you. It will only be a few weeks until I come to see you and we’ll make some decisions, okay?”
She nodded her head, thinking those few weeks might be the longest of her life.
“If you don’t want to go home, then don’t. It’s simple.” He spoke so bluntly she recoiled a little.
Shaking her head, Tasha disagreed. “It’s far from simple, Jim. I have Dan and Pippa to think of and work, so I have to go home.”
With a nod and a sigh, he conceded her point. “So that just leaves my wives on your list, although I would like to clarify, I don’t have a wife, yet, just former wives.”
She considered how to proceed with this. “You have six former wives I’ve been given a brief overview of. I have met Sara and she seems nice and she is the mother of your children so I expect her to be around, but what about the others?”
“What about them? Number six won’t be putting an appearance in.”
“James!” she shouted out in shock at his dark and inappropriate comment.
“Are you trying to distract me again, Natasha, or is your ass missing me, baby?”
She knew he was referring to herJames. “Neither. Well, my ass does miss and love you,” she admitted blushing again.
“Now that thought is really distracting me. Let’s forget dinner and go to bed.”
“No.”
“Oh, baby, did you really just say no to me? We will be going to bed, but you should tell me what confuses you about my ex-wives first. So, one and six are done, who next?” He grinned at her and making her disinclined to talk in favour of going to bed, but she needed to do this more.
“Come on, baby, the clock is ticking if Juan and Philip are coming over at half seven.”
“Do you still see two to five?” She was becoming nervous at the possible answers she was going to hear.
“Two no, three on premium rate channels only, four occasionally in passing and five yes. Now can we go to bed?”
“No.” The timer on the oven buzzed, briefly interrupting them both.
Jim got up and removed what turned out to be cannelloni from the oven with an arched brow. “Another no, honey? No matter how short your dress is tonight you will not be cold if this carries on.”
She could feel her insides clenching low in her stomach and smiled.
As they began to eat dinner, she continued with her questioning. “Why do you see them, or not?”
“Number two was very bitter about not having children, made worse by the fact I had Lizzie and Philip, and by the end we hated each other. It was worse than that because she hated me, and I pitied her. Number three had pretty much broken all of my non-negotiable rules so there was no going back for us. Number four still works at the same studio she did when I met her, and I only ever see her in passing. Number five yes.”
She frowned at him and now felt only anger for him. He had still not mentioned Amanda, his evasiveness somehow suggested he knew he was in the wrong for not telling her who she was sooner and that only infuriated her further.
