He Said Forever(3)
Author: Ruth Cardello

 

Nope. I reject whatever that is.

 

Teddy and I hadn’t had sex in a couple of weeks, which was unusual for us, but I’d been busy and then he’d broken his leg. That had to be it. Beneath everything else, people were mammals. My body was obviously craving sex.

 

I relaxed.

 

Oh, my God, when Teddy feels better this story will make him laugh and keep him hopping in the bedroom. Not that we had a problem with that. Teddy and I fit together like peanut butter and jelly. Everything was simply better when we were together.

 

I raised my eyes to look over the man I’d made the mistake of standing too close to. He was as tall as Teddy, which put him well over six feet. Polished. Muscular.

 

Tense.

 

Angry.

 

Impatient.

 

All the things Teddy never was.

 

Our eyes met and held; I sensed a sadness deep in him that tugged at my heart. I didn’t know much about him, but his impeccable haircut and suit that looked tailored to fit his wide shoulders told me a lot about him. So did his Italian shoes that likely cost more than my car. Money and status were important to this man. My guess was he’d made his own fortune. Trust fund children didn’t have the dangerous edge he exuded. His nose was slightly bent as if it had been broken and there were small scars on his chin, eyebrow, and neck. This was a man who could hold his own in a fight—even if he didn’t always win.

 

What had put the shadow in his eyes?

 

And what would it take to convince him I wasn’t flirting with him? Sure, I’d smiled at him, but I liked people. And, in general, they liked me. Not everything had to be sexual.

 

Except this time I likely was giving off the wrong signal. All he had to do was lean in and I had trouble breathing. I glanced down at the cleavage the top of the sundress revealed and groaned. I’d put on a little weight recently and the top was tighter than the last time I’d worn it. I wished I’d worn something big and baggy. When my gaze rose to Jared’s again, I saw a hunger that made everything about being alone with him feel wrong.

 

I was being ridiculous. He was an attractive man in the prime of his life and he found me attractive. Of course that made me feel good. As long as I didn’t act on it there wasn’t a problem.

 

He wasn’t the first man to be attracted to me despite knowing I was with Teddy. In high school I’d fended off my brother’s drooling friends. Later, when they’d partnered up with others, it became something we even laughed about. In college some professors had paid more attention to my breasts than my answers, but that hadn’t stopped me from graduating in the top of my class and winning award after award for my designs.

 

I squared my shoulders and forced a smile back to my lips. I can fix this. All I have to do is push past the initial awkward phase. “How about we start over? I’m excited to be here and I’m sorry I was late. I’m engaged to my childhood sweetheart, am living my best life, and I appreciate that you put aside time to give me a tour. Unless I hear differently from Mr. Wenham, I’m here to take measurements and get inspired. So as you show me around, I’d love if you’d tell me anything you think would help me match my vision with their lifestyle.”

 

Jared’s eyes narrowed but we were interrupted by a man in a suit before he had time to say anything. The man asked if he could take my luggage and offered to show me to my room.

 

“Thank you. If you put the bag in my room I’ll be back in a little while. Mr. Seacrest was about to start my tour.”

 

The man offered to have a meal prepared for me when I returned as well as address anything else I might need. I thanked him. House staff might not exist in my world back home, but many of my clients had them.

 

“Will you be staying as well, Mr. Seacrest?” the man asked.

 

Looking irritated with the question, Jared answered abruptly, “No.”

 

The man appeared to wait for Jared to say more, then when he didn’t, turned and left. I lost a little respect for Jared in that moment. Kindness and manners cost nothing.

 

As if he could hear my thoughts, he growled, “What?”

 

“I didn’t say anything.”

 

“But you wanted to.”

 

Without giving myself time to consider if it was a wise thing to say, I blurted, “How a person treats staff says a lot about them.”

 

His nostrils flared as he pinned me with a glare. “You think you know me?”

 

I didn’t like how my body came alive beneath his gaze. I swallowed hard. The wisest course of action would have been to apologize again, but he was beginning to irk me. “Only what you’ve shown me.”

 

There it was—the sizzle of mutual attraction that was undeniable. My hands fisted at my sides and my chin rose. Teddy was just as good-looking. He’d admitted to me that women flirted with him. I’d never wondered if he’d been attracted to any of them, but it wasn’t inconceivable. What mattered was he’d never acted on it.

 

Being someone’s partner was a commitment—a promise.

 

One we’d both kept.

 

Meeting Jared might prove to be a good experience for me. It’s easy to be faithful when one is never tempted. But discovering there was another person who could rev my engines? Didn’t that make my decision to be faithful even more meaningful?

 

There had to be a way to diffuse the situation. “Teddy says I can be too blunt, and sometimes he’s right.”

 

“I don’t give a fuck about Teddy.”

 

My mouth dropped open as my mind raced. Everything I said seemed to be making the situation worse. Still, I felt compelled to defend Teddy. “That’s a shame because he’s a very nice man. If you met him, you’d like him.”

 

“I highly doubt that.”

 

“And he’d like you. He’s the type who sees good in everyone.”

 

“Of course he does.”

 

I took a deep breath and held my tongue. This was going bad fast and, as he’d said, we didn’t have to see each other again after that day.

 

His face remained tight and for so long I thought he might tell me to leave, but then he let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. In a harsh tone, he demanded, “Do you have what you need to take notes?”

 

In a relieved scramble I retrieved my phone from my purse. “Yes. Lead on.”

 

It wasn’t an easy feat to focus when he looked like a dark-haired Thor striding ahead of me into the house Hamilton had purchased for his son Gavin.