Page 34 of Empowered
“That’s… an astute observation.”
“I’ve done some reading up on you, Mr. Blackbourne.”
He sat back with a start. “Jumping right into it.”
“I only have an hour for lunch. I don’t want to waste any time.”
“I see.” Good. She had made him flustered. Sarah knew coming in that she needed to have the upper hand. This included catching him off guard and making him forget whatever flirtations he intended to hurl her way. “What have you been reading about me?”
His posture was defensive. Arms crossed. Brows furrowed. Leaning back with both feet planted firmly on the floor. Only distraction was that his legs were obnoxiously wide open like the other night in The Dark Hour. Almost an invitation for a woman to crawl between them and have her fun.
And I did have fun. Damnit.
“I read up on your marriage.” What else was she going to do with her Sunday evening after he left? Sarah took that bath she had promised herself and scrolled for miles through her phone, reading everything she could about Lucas Blackbourne’s ill-fated marriage to Jill Blackbourne. “You were only married for five years.”
“Not bad for a kid who got married shortly after turning twenty-five, eh?”
Sarah remained unresponsive.
“Look, I don’t regret my marriage, even if it didn’t end well.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s no point. It’s over. It was not… an amicable split. Part of the reason I fought to keep it out of the press.”
“I see.”
“Do you?”
“What can I say? I was curious if everything you said about being unattached was true. For all I knew, you were saying that to get me to sleep with you again.”
“I’d hardly call what we didsleepingtogether.”
“It’s a euphemism.”
“I’m aware.”
“Look.” This really wasn’t going his way, was it? Sarah would have smiled in self-satisfaction if it wouldn’t piss him off more. “It’s over. In the past. Finished. I have never lied to you.You,on the other hand, have deceived me from the start.”
“What are you talking about?”
Lucas gestured to her as if she wore a disguise. Again. “Do Ireallyhave to say it?”
Sarah sighed. “I do not agree that I deceived you. I certainly did not intend todeceiveyou. But if you feel as if I did, and that bothers you… I’m sorry. Like I said, I was under the presumption I would never see you again.”
“Well, you have. And I would like an explanation.”
“An explanation ofwhat?”
Again, he gestured to her.
“For fuck’s sake.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying a lot lately.”
Was this guy for real? Why did he care so much?Why?So what if he fucked her? What did it have to do with anything? They clearly weren’t ashamed of it. Sarah had made it clear she was not interested in dating, let alone a relationship. So what if it was kinda embarrassing that she had dressed up in a persona and seduced him? Honest mistake. They should be adults about this and move on before they really did embarrass themselves.
“Why did you do that?” Lucas asked. “Why did you go about things that way?”
