“My concern is what’s best for my wife and child.”
“I get that,” I said.
Then, from Jade, “Marj is right, Talon. He’ll perceive you as a threat.”
“I am a threat.”
“Point made.” Jade smiled. “I can handle Colin. I was in a relationship with him for seven years. I know what makes him tick.”
“And I’ll be there to have her back,” I said.
“I’ll be fine,” Jade said. “Colin has no power over me. He hasn’t since I met you.”
“I hate that you were with him for so much longer than we’ve even known each other.”
“So? My time with you means a thousand times more than the time with him. And in a way, he led me to you. We owe him, really.”
Talon scoffed. “I’ll give you some of that. If he hadn’t been a no-show for your nuptials, we wouldn’t have met. But we owe him squat.”
“We owe him everything,” Jade said, her eyes soft. “I couldn’t imagine my life without you. You’re the love of my life, Tal. He never was.”
I eased toward the door. This was getting mushy. Jade had already confided in me that she and Talon wouldn’t be able to make love for at least a month after the bleeding stopped, but still… “If you’ll excuse me. Let me know when you want me to set up the meeting with Colin, Jade.”
I crossed the sitting area and closed the door behind me.
And walked straight into the hard chest of Bryce Simpson.
Chapter Twenty–Eight
Bryce
My arms went around Marjorie automatically and I hugged her.
I pulled back quickly. “Sorry,” I mumbled.
“No worries. Where were you going?”
“Just to tell Talon goodbye and see how Jade is doing.”
“You weren’t going to say goodbye to me?” she asked.
“Well…”
“You knew I was in there with them, right?”
“Yeah. I mean… Fuck.” I warmed with embarrassment. This was ridiculous. I was thirty-eight, not sixteen.
She moved out of my way, gesturing toward Talon’s door. “Be my guest, but they were getting pretty lovey-dovey when I left, so don’t say I didn’t give you fair warning.”
She walked down the hallway toward the kitchen.
Well, she’d definitely talked me out of saying anything to Talon.
Joe and Ryan had already left. Why had I stayed again? To say goodbye to Talon? That was such a crock. Talon and I weren’t even that close.
I’d stayed to catch another glimpse of Marjorie Steel.
Damn, I had it bad.