If men didn’t usually leave her, Terra had her pick.Why fixate on Mason?He was no major prize.Matters of the heart played by their own rules.It wanted what it wanted.She knew that better than most.
“Not if you have any self-respect,” she said.“If you wanted a casual or open relationship, that’s a group decision.Doesn’t seem you’d be happy with that.”
“I want him to love me.That’s all.It’s not… he should want to be with me, shouldn’t he?”
“Don’t let yourself be used.If you let someone walk all over you, they’ll keep doing it.There’s no incentive not to.If you’re happy to feel this way, that’s a choice.”
“He doesn’t get it,” Terra said.“They don’t get it.Guys don’t know how to chase women.Didn’t they used to chase us?”
“I think that only happens in romance novels.”
“The twenty-first century sucks for dating.For single women.Guys sleep with us and dump us.”
Elle stuck the adhesive.“We’re expected to be sexually liberal, while also being demure and, best case scenario, virginal too.Be innocent and know all the fancy bedroom moves.It’s a no-win game.”
“So how do we win?”
“We don’t.You can’t please everyone all the time.Prioritize you.The sexual revolution messed up a lot of things for us,” Elle said, humoring the woman.“All you can do is know you and what you want.Commit to learning yourself before asking someone else to commit to learning you.”
Listen to her, the wise old sage.True or not, it sounded like she had a clue.Maybe.A little bit.What a con.
Didn’t matter, she may as well have said nothing.
“And, oh, you!Oh, the sisterhood!I betrayed the sisterhood!”Terra grabbed her hands.“I messed up.I didn’t—you must hate me!”
“There’s a car outside,” Cam said, returning.Finally!Her patience was thinning.“It will take you home, Terra.You should rest up.”
“A car?”Terra asked.“You’re really amazing, Mr.Collier.”
She leaped up to throw her arms around him.Cam stood rigid while the woman squeezed and squeezed… and squeezed.They could be there all night.Eventually, Terra eased back, arms still around him.
“No big deal,” Cam said, jaw ticking.
“Do you want anything?”Terra’s tone changed to something much more intimate.“Can I… do anything for you?Anything?”
Ding ding, the bell was wrung.
“Okay,” Elle said, standing to pry the woman away from Cam.“Let’s go.When you get home, drink some water, go to sleep.You’ll feel better in the morning.”
She urged Terra to walk down the stairs while waiting at the top.No way she wanted to go down there.Mason could be hanging around, which might mean another scene.The party was supposed to be fun; drama was unwelcome.
When Terra got to the bottom of the stairs, one of the security guards turned to look up, seeking instruction.
“Make sure she gets in the car out front,” Elle called down to him and was acknowledged with a nod.
She watched the guy guide Terra through the party until she couldn’t see them anymore.
Exhale the tension.
And back to the bedroom she went.Cam was at the window.She slipped in front of him to watch Terra get into the car below.The security guard waited until the door was closed and the wheels rolling.
“You have incredible patience,” Cam said as the car disappeared.“To talk like that with the woman who… You never cease to amaze me.”
Spinning around, she looked up into him.He was calling her incredible?He’d dealt with Terra on his own in the restroom, but that wasn’t what astounded her.She was stuck on what he’d said downstairs.
He’d considered her feelings, her perception.He hadn’t taken Terra to the medkit for fear she’d hear and get the wrong idea about them disappearing upstairs alone.
For a long time, people didn’t consider her.She was an object to be discussed and scrutinized, deconstructed and pitied.Her and Cam had been playing with this thing, but they weren’t a thing.Yet she’d been at the forefront of his mind.That put this guy on a whole other level.How could she match him when he was already ten rungs ahead?
