Page 10 of Seven Minutes In Heaven
“Good.” Claire let out more breaths. “I think he’s coming back. I swear to God, Jake…”
“My two favorite people already getting to know each other!” Arthur burst back into the salon, cell phone returned to his pocket. A maid trailed behind him. “You’ll have to forgive my son, Claire-Bear.” He sat across from his fiancée. “He gets his mother’s talents for gabbing and gossip. Could never get either of them to shut up when he was a kid.”
Jake revealed a wan smile for his father’s benefit. “Rather talk too much than endure an awkward silence, Dad. You know, those things you’re infamous for.”
“Why fill the air with meaningless conversation?”
“You mean like we are right now?”
“Exactly!” Laughing, Arthur jabbed a finger in Claire’s direction. “So, let’s talk about something we can mutually enjoy. Like how beautiful your future stepmother is.”
Claire almost blushed herself out of the salon. Jake, on the other hand, said, “C’mon, Dad. Let’s not embarrass her. I’m older than her, for fuck’s sake.”
“Are you?” Arthur counted on his fingers. “I thought you were only twenty-three.”
“Twenty-six.”
“Really! Well, how about that? How old are you, Claire?”
I can’t believe I have to remind him.“Twenty-five.” An old, aged crone in terms of Hollywood pandering.
“How about that?”
Claire didn’t mean to catch Jake’s eye as she resettled into her seat. Except there those brown eyes were, glancing in her direction when she crossed her legs and momentarily pushed up her chest so she could brush a crumb off her lap. How dare he, honestly? How dare he be who he was. How dare he have sex with her, knowing damn well whoshewas. And how dare he still be so handsome in his collared shirt and work pants! The man even had perfectly mussed hair! How much did he spend at the salon to get it looking like that? Or had he perfected it on his own?Does he fix his hair naked or after he’s put on his clothes?Claire chastised herself for those inappropriate thoughts.
She really should not be thinking about sex with Jake. Not when his father was at the table with them. God, how would Arthur even take a fact like that? It would have been one thing for Claire to screw around with anunrelatedguy. Arthur’s own son? She could single-handedly destroy the precarious relationship between father and son. What kind of monster would she be?
Harden your heart, girl. This is southern California. There are no morals or ethics when your future is on the line.She further chastised herself for thinking that.
Yet Jake was still here. He still had the magnetic kind of pull that easily drew women in and made them do stupid,stupidthings.
Claire was already thinking about kissing those lips again. Ripping off those clothes. Pouring kisses as sensual as the tingles in her body all over his skin. She longed to renew the feeling of him inside of her, driving her wild and mad with orgasm.
This time in bed and not in some cramped closet.
Oh, God. This was going to be hell.
“Do you have a girlfriend, Jake?” she asked.
He sat back in his seat. “No.”
“That’s my biggest gripe about my son,” Arthur said. “He’s not enough of a ladies’ man.”
“Please.” Jake turned on the face he must have been hiding from his father this whole time. “Do we have to do this in front of your fiancée?”
“Do what?” Claire asked.
Arthur laughed. “My son has a terrible habit ofnothaving a girlfriend. He’s such a romantic. No idea where he gets it from, because that doesn’t describe his momorme.” He winked at his fiancée. “Sorry, hon, but you knew that already.”
Don’t have to tell me twice.“Romance is overrated now. I’m sure Jake’s fine.” They didn’t make eye contact.
“See? This is why you shouldn’t be telling your fiancée about my love life.” Jake pretended to be nonplussed by his father’s meddling, but Claire sensed a definitive uneasiness radiating from his body. “Mom meddles enough as it is.”
“We’re your parents, son. It’s our job to make sure you’re good and bothered in the romance department.”
“I can’t say I’ve ever hurt to have more attentions in my personal life.” The way Jake said that implied he had nothing else to say on the matter, and that the subject was closed.
“So does this mean you’re not bringing a date to the wedding?”
