Page 47 of The Himbo and the Lord

And that’s when I finally see the guy who’s sitting opposite the chair Ru was in just a minute ago.

Thegorgeousguy.

Shit.

Fucking dammit.

He’s on a date, and he’s over me. Clearly hasn’t been pining like I was since that night on the yacht.

The memory makes me take a deep breath.

I remember what happened the last time I showed Ru my jealous side.

It all blew the fuck up and I couldn’t apologize after.

And of course there was the awesome hand job, but that’s not the point.

The point is I have to fuckingchill.

“Seriously, are you alright?” Noah asks and touches my shoulder lightly.

I peel my eyes away from the deep dark abyss of the handsome stranger who’s eating withmyRu and look at my friend.

“Yes. Sorry for running off. I just, uh—” I stop myself, my confidence completely gone, and without a clue of what I’m supposed to say now to make sure this isn’t the last time I see Ru. “I recognized Ru and got excited, I guess.” My voice is a lot more subdued now, but at least I’m still being honest. At least I’m still keeping my promise to myself tobe myself.

“You wanna join us?” the gorgeous guy asks.

“We’d love to,” Noah agrees, his smile not dimmed in the slightest. “I’m Noah,” he says, and offers the dude his hand while he’s taking a seat next to him.

“Carter,” gorgeous guy—Carter, I guess—says, and shakes his hand with a gorgeous smile, showing off his gorgeous teeth, hisgorgeousfucking eyes sparkling.

I shuffle to the other side of the table and sit in the last free chair.

“And you are?” Carter asks, aiming all that perfection my way. It doesn’t have an effect on me. Not at all.

“Nate Waterford,” I say quietly.

“You happen to know Chelsea Waterford?” he asks with a—fucking hell—cute tilt to his head.

Of course he has to be cute on top of gorgeous.

“She’s my sister,” I say in a measured tone. “How do you know her?” It only hits me after a long moment that this is weird. Howdoeshe know my sister?

“She’s a big client at the gallery I work at,” he says with that smile intact on his face.

“You work in New York?” I demand, probably harsher than what’s called for.

“Yeah, have for about five years now. I live there too,” he teases, and I don’t like it.

It’s disarming, and that’s the opposite of what I need right now.

“So what brings you back home?” Noah asks Carter brightly, but he’s reaching for the menu as he does.

“That’s really none of your?—”

“It’s fine, Ru,” Carter cuts him off, and I like that even less. He turns to Noah with a clearly forced smile and fucking destroys all my walls. “I’m here to empty out and sell my parents’ home. They passed eight years ago and it’s long past time I get to it. Good thing I came today too, ’cause Ru here was passing by after visiting with his father and I got to reconnect with an old friend.”

“Oh my God,” Noah says, clearly distressed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be insensitive, I just?—”

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