International Player(44)

“There’s an option for unlimited champagne. How formal can it be? Anyway, the food’s good and so is the view.”

Through the huge windows, the Thames stretched out, a silvery pond between the buildings, and the millennium wheel sat stark against the bright blue sky. “Do you miss New York?” I asked. I wanted to know more about what had happened there. Had brunch become part of his routine while he was over there? How many women had he sat across from on a Sunday morning after ravaging their bodies the night before?

“Urm . . .” He glanced down at the menu and then set it down. “No. It was time to move on. I did what I set out to do and I was ready to leave.”

No, Noah hadn’t changed at all. He’d always liked a challenge. A project. An end date. It seemed to be the same in his relationships. “And you’re happy to be back in London?”

He stretched out his legs, his denim sliding against mine. “London is home. But it’s an adjustment, especially as I don’t know exactly what’s next.”

“Oh, how did your meeting go at the center? Do you think you’ll end up doing something charitable?”

He grinned, his smile taking over his face. “You know, I’m not sure, but I think I want to combine business with philanthropy. As you know, my money won’t make a difference on its own. Healthcare requires billions.”

“And all you’ve got is a measly fifteen million.”

“Noah?”

I snapped my head around as a blonde woman approached our table.

“I thought it was you,” she said, her American accent as strong as the expensive perfume she wore. She, at least, was dressed appropriately for this place. Her skin-tight black trousers showed off a model-thin figure. Her shoes, although flat, were Chanel, as was the handbag slung across her body.

Noah stood and greeted her with a hug. “Ginny, good to see you. What are you doing in London?”

“If I said I was following you, would you take out a restraining order?” She laughed a little too loudly. “Just kidding.”

I glanced between them. If I didn’t know him as well as I did, I wouldn’t have noticed the unease that settled in his eyebrows, jaw, and forehead.

“I’m just over for work and having brunch with a few girlfriends. I’d invite you over, but no doubt you’d end up taking one of them home. Oh! Actually, Lydia is here and you know her very well.” She paused and turned to me. “Sorry.”

Was she trying to upset me? Get me jealous? Apparently, in this restaurant alone, there were three of us who Noah had seduced, seen naked, and shared orgasms with.

My stomach churned, and all I could focus on was the fact there was a list of women Noah had been with, and at some point he’d be done with me and discard me too. I didn’t want to be a name on a list. Someone Noah used to bang.

I should never have come here today. It wasn’t the kind of thing that kept things casual between us. I only had myself to blame.

“This is my good friend, Truly,” Noah said.

I smiled from where I sat. “Hi.”

“Well, it’s great to see you, Noah. I won’t interrupt. Ciao, for now.” She gave me a little wave and twirled off toward a table of six women, all of them ten times more beautiful and glamorous than me.

I stared at my menu as Noah took his seat.

“I met her in New York,” he said.

“I gathered,” I replied, not looking up. I’d lost my appetite.

“Have you decided what you’re going to order?” he asked.

I placed my menu down. “Yeah, nothing. I’m not hungry. I’m going to go.”

“Hey, you promised me brunch.”

“Yeah, sorry, I forgot I have to catch up on something in the office. Stay and have lunch with Ginny.” I nodded toward the table where she sat. “I need to go.” I grabbed my bag from the back of my chair and stood.

“What? I don’t want to have brunch with Ginny or Rob or whoever else you suggest. I want brunch with you.”

Oh God, what he was saying was exactly what I wanted and everything that was bad for me. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“What’s the matter?” He followed me as I headed to the exit.

“Nothing. I just remembered I had something to do.”

“Did Ginny upset you?”

I shook my head as we stepped out onto the street. “No, of course not. Why would she have?” I reached out to hail a cab.

“For God’s sake, I’ll take you to the office if that’s where you’re headed. But please stay. Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing.” In an effort to be convincing, I forced a smile. “I’ll see you around,” I said as a cab pulled up.

I shouldn’t have been upset. We all had a past, and Noah had never lied about his. I knew who he was and what he was capable of when it came to relationships and how he saw me. I was angry at myself that I was so uneasy at being in a restaurant with at least two of Noah’s ex-lovers. This was meant to be casual, but what I felt for Noah wasn’t, despite me trying to convince myself otherwise. I’d been an idiot, and I needed some space away from him so I could organize my thoughts, breathe, decide what I was going to do. Already I was in too deep. And if I wasn’t careful, I was going to drown.