Beneath This Man (This Man, #2)(115)

Starters are swiftly removed from the table and replaced with salmon and an array of colourful vegetables. I’m thankful dinner is relatively light. I couldn’t stomach much more and with Sarah sat next to me, my appetite is not improving. She hasn’t said one word to me during dinner and has not enquired as to Jesse’s whereabouts, so I assume that she knows. She advises the waiter to remove Jesse’s untouched starter and hold off on his main for the meantime. If Kate wasn’t here, I would be getting really cranky now.

‘You didn’t bring Victoria?’ Kate tosses the question at Drew and he catches it without an ounce of shock or surprise.

‘No, she’s sweet but hard work.’ He takes a swig of wine and sits back in his chair. ‘I’m happy exactly where I am at the moment.’ He raises his glass and everyone joins him, including me, even though I’m not particularly happy about where I am at the moment. Drew continues, ‘Anyway, she wouldn’t let me lay a hand on her without the lights off.’

I nearly spit my wine all over the table, then proceed to laugh – really hard.

‘I told you!’ Kate screeches, throwing a napkin over the table at me.

I grab it and start mopping up the wine dripping down my chin, still laughing.

Drew looks at me and Kate in turn, a smirk breaking the corners of his serious face. ‘You kind of need to see what you’re doing for what I had in mind.’

‘Stop!’ I howl, trying desperately to rein in my chuckles. I glance across at Sarah, and I’m met with a filthy glare. I ignore her and resist the killing temptation to smash her face into her salmon.

I sit bolt upright – as does Sarah – when I spot Jesse and the mystery woman emerging from the corridor that leads down to his office. John must catch our sharp reaction because he jumps up from the table and makes his way over. They have an exchange of quiet words before John takes over responsibility of the woman and leads her out of the summer room.

Jesse looks across the room until he finds my eyes, and then starts making his way over. He’s stopped a dozen times by various men and women as he passes tables, but he doesn’t hang about for conversation. He just shakes hands with the men and leans down to kiss the women, smiling politely before searching me out again. Why can’t he shake the women’s hands as well? He eventually makes it to me and sits himself down, grabbing my knee under the table. Sam cheers his arrival and pours some water into Jesse’s wine glass, Kate frowns at me and Sarah drops all conversation with Niles in favour of Jesse.

He turns into me and gives me very sorry eyes. ‘Forgive me?’

‘Who was that?’ I ask quietly.

‘No one for you to be concerned about,’ He nods at my half empty plate. ‘How is the food?’

No one for me to be concerned about? Well, that just makes me all the more concerned, but is this really the time to be pushing this? ‘It’s good, you should eat.’ I say shortly, looking for a waiter, but I’m a bit slow on the uptake. It seems Sarah has taken care of that already. His salmon lands in front of him and he tucks in, keeping his palm firmly on my knee, chopping and forking with one hand. I’m prepared to leave this for now, this is not the time or the place, but I want to know what that was about.

When John returns and does his signature nod at Jesse, I throw him a curious stare which he catches and tramples all over by leaning in and lavishing me with his lips. I only half-heartedly return his kiss, fully aware that he’s trying to distract me again.

He pulls back, giving me an enquiring eye. ‘Are you holding back on me?’ he asks sharply.

‘Yes, are you?’ I toss back at him, unimpressed by his attitude towards my concern.

‘Hey,’ he grates, quite loudly, considering the close proximity of our company. ‘Who do you think you’re talking to?’ he asks on a scowl, his grip on my knee tightening.

I shake my head. ‘Let’s see what your reaction would be if a mystery man pulled me away from you for over an hour.’ I look him straight in the eye, noticing Sarah’s sly smile behind him. She can f*ck off. I’m in no mood for her.

His eyes soften, his tense jaw easing up a bit. He releases his grip of my knee and strokes up to the juncture of my thighs. I tense. He knows what he’s doing. ‘Ava, please don’t say things that will make me crazy mad.’ His voice has softened, but I can still detect the slight anger in his tone. ‘I’ve told you not to worry so you shouldn’t. End of.’

‘Stop kissing all of the women.’ I turn back towards the table, ignoring his hot touch through my dress. I’m simmering on the inside with possessiveness. I’m getting as bad as him, and this conversation is going to get us nowhere – not here and now





, anyway.





Chapter 21


When dessert and coffee has been served and my cheeks hurt from Kate and Sam antics at the table, John stands and announces, in his usual booming voice, that everyone should clear the room so it can be emptied of tables, ready for the band.

Jesse stands and helps me up from my chair, making a meal of showering me with attention, which I petulantly brush off. He’s trying his hardest to distract me from my sulks. I’m stopped from walking away from the table when he grabs my elbow and whirls me around so we’re front on front.

He burns a hole into me with pools of green displeasure. ‘Are you going to behave like a spoilt brat for the rest of the evening, or have I got to take you upstairs and f*ck some sense into you?’