His tone was one of frustrated resignation, and Rachel wondered if he might actually be jealous of Deke. She had been twenty-eight when she’d married Deke, who had been just twenty-five at the time. His family had been against the union , convinced Rachel was only after his money. Hence, the rigorous prenuptial agreement that had essentially denied her any portion of his wealth should they divorce without children.
But the truth was Rachel had been completely infatuated with Deke in those early years. He’d had a magnetism that drew you in and made you want to be close to him. Of course, his lavish lifestyle had been part of his allure. On their first date, he’d driven her to a local high school football field where a helicopter had been waiting. They’d flown to Martha’s Vineyard for dinner, and had returned to LaGuardia Airport, where he’d handed her into his sports car and driven her home. She hadn’t invited him up to her apartment that night, but she did the following night, and each night after.
But had she really loved him? She’d been hurt when the marriage had ended, but she hadn’t been devastated. If she was honest with herself, she’d actually been a little relieved. Keeping up with Deke Narducci had been exhausting, both physically and mentally.
Deke had loved a good party, and had thought nothing of traveling halfway around the world to be part of a celebration. At first, Rachel had enjoyed accompanying him. Each party, each location had been more fabulous than the last. But eventually, she’d grown weary of the late nights, the constant travel, and the glamorous people. She wasn’t in the same league as the other women at these social events, and she’d grown tired competing for Deke’s attention. She’d started staying behind, letting Deke go alone. Maybe she’d been complicit in the death of their marriage, but looking back she realized it never would have lasted, no matter what she did.
“He could be pretty hard to resist,” she agreed. “Unfortunately, he’s the kind of guy who needs constant stimulation, and he becomes easily bored with the same thing.”
Jamie stared at her in disbelief. “Are you seriously suggesting he became bored with you?”
Rachel shrugged one shoulder. “Apparently. He began cheating less than a year after the wedding. I didn’t find out until much later, but that was his defense—he was bored.”
“Not only is he a serious douche, but he also sounds like a three-year-old.”
Rachel laughed. “Yes, there are a lot of similarities between Deke and a toddler. But enough about him, okay? He’s out of my life, and I’d just as soon not talk about him anymore. Could you hand me my wine?”
Reaching over, Jamie picked up the wineglass and handed it to her. “I don’t know if this helps, but I always thought you were way too good for that guy.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” She took a long swallow of her wine. “Dylan said the same thing. He actually flew out to New York to try and change my mind about marrying Deke.”
“Yeah, I remember. I even offered to pay his airfare if he succeeded in getting you to call the wedding off.”
Rachel stared at him. “You knew about that?”
Jamie shrugged. “I may have encouraged him, a little.”
“Was I the only one who didn’t realize we were wrong for each other?” With a groan, she tipped the wineglass back and drained the contents, and then set the empty glass down on the patio beside the chaise. “Don’t tell me any more; I don’t want to know.”
Reaching out, Jamie captured her free hand and laced his fingers with hers. “I’ll just say one more thing,” he said, “and then we’ll never talk about the Deke-wad again.”
Rachel looked at him, but there was no trace of laughter or mockery in his expression. Something inside her coiled itself in anticipation of what he might say, and she was acutely conscious of how warm and large his hand was.
“What’s that?” she asked faintly.
“Deke is an idiot,” he began, and his voice had a rough-soft quality that made Rachel’s insides quiver. His gaze dropped to their linked hands. “Otherwise, he would never have let you forget how important you were to him, or how damned lucky he was to have you in his life. He’d have reminded you every day of how beautiful and special you are.” He raised his eyes to hers. “And he damned sure never would have cheated on you.”
“Jamie…”
Without conscious thought, she leaned toward him. Jamie released her hand and met her halfway, rolling toward her so he pressed her back against the cushions, bracing his weight on one elbow as he used his free hand to cup her jaw. His hair glinted gold in the firelight, and Rachel’s eyes drifted closed in anticipation of his kiss. He traced his thumb along the line of her cheek before brushing it across her mouth. Without opening her eyes, Rachel lightly bit the pad of his thumb.