I just wanted to see him off for the last time. God knew when it would be until I saw him next. “We won’t know unless we test it, right?” My decisionwasset.
“You’re insane,” Blair blurted out, wickedlygrinning.
“That I am, my dearest friends…that I am,” I murmured as I strode towards thefoyer.
They had a grand entrance reminiscent of Versailles in the designer’s mind. The moment I spotted him, my heart lurched then ached in a span of a minute. It had been over fifteen minutes, and yet, he was here still, waiting. It was so out of character for him to wait for anyone at all. I supposed Lexi had made quite animpressionthen.
“Jared! Hi,” I called out to him as I descended thesteps.
The love of my life spun to see who was calling his name. His eyes lingered on me as I approached him. With the way I was sauntering, one wouldn’t guess the inferno in my crotch. But I had a performance to finish. The inferno could wait to be doused later. He and I never did the customary cheek on cheek kiss, so I stood a good threefeetaway.
“Gisele, good evening. Always good to see you.” His eyes quickly noted my dress. There was no spark in his eyes, not the way he had eyed Lexi tonight. There was no feral hunger. He simply eyed me like one would if they saw something unimpressive and unappealing to their sight. The vast difference was striking. And as much as it pained me to admit it, my chances with him as Gisele were never going to be more than nil. Might as well bury it now before I continued my hopelessquest.
His black Aston Martin DB11 drove up, and the valet attendant rounded the car to hand him the keys. Jared graciously thanked him after giving him a hundred-dollarbill.
“You’re not leaving already, are you?” I mustered enough enthusiasm to faintly smileathim.
He distractedly glanced at his watch. “I’m waiting on my date to come out; then we’ll leave for the night. It’s been a long day, and I have to oversee the new project your dad and I have been working ontomorrow.”
He wasn’t all that exhausted to commit to a fuckfest all night long,though.
Shifting my stance, I cleared my throat as I longingly regarded the gorgeous man before me. “How is he? Papa, I mean. He hasn’t been home, and each time I call, he doesn’tpickup.”
Something crossed his face. “He’s been busy; we both have been. Do you want me to tell him tocallyou?”
“No.” I vehemently shook my head. “Uh, tell him to take care and that I miss him, though,willyou?”
“I will.” He nodded, staring at me for a moment before catching himself. He shrugged as if dispelling a horrid thought. “You can go to the headquarters and see him yourself,youknow.”
“I doubt he’d be pleased. I get how eccentric he can be when he’s on the verge of completion. I’ll let him be the great genius thatheis.”
He glanced at his watch again before blowing out a slow breath, his patience evidentlyrunningthin.
“Where’syourdate?”
Pressing his lips, he shrugged, clearly perturbed. “I havenoidea.”
I could’ve stood there, staring at him until he left. But I’d done it so much over the years that ogling him like a morsel with people milling around clearly was out of the question. “Well, it’s good seeing you, Jared. Have a goodevening.”
“You, too,Gisele.”
Walking away from him then shattered something inside me. He was waiting for Lexi, who would never show up again. The only reminder I’d have of tonight was the memories and the epic soreness in between my thighs. Apart from that, it was as if it had never happened; it had neverexisted.
Like an aberration. A momentary relapse that would eventually beforgotten.