Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 438(@250wpm)___ 365(@300wpm)
The men in my closet redoubled their efforts at rummaging.
A masculine throat was cleared.
I turned to the doorway and saw Jamie standing there.
Oh yes indeed.
I needed to make a great deal of space.
He was wearing a dark gray suit with a darker gray vest that had thin lines in it that formed a check pattern. White shirt. Light gray tie. And then there was the razor-sharp line of a white pocket square.
He didn’t go out and buy his clothes.
Monica employed several stylists, and with their guidance, all of his suits were tailored for him.
Including this one.
“Oh. My. God,” I heard breathed behind me.
“I can’t believe it. It’s impossible. He’s even better in person,” came another reverent whisper.
“I feel faint,” was a third.
My brows drew together as I moved toward Jamie. “Darling? Did you text?”
“Yes, I texted,” he said, dipping his chin when I made it to him, an invitation I accepted, getting up on my toes to brush my lips against his.
When we broke, I murmured, “I don’t know how I missed it.”
His gaze moved to the room as his lips twitched. “I do.”
“Of course,” I said, and turned to his side, whereupon he took one hand out of his pockets where both had been resting (yes, even through our kiss, very sexy) and wrapped his arm around my waist.
“Jamie, allow me to introduce you to Ryan, Bryan, Byron and Wallace.” I indicated each in turn. “Gentleman, this is Jamie Oakley.”
They rushed forward as one.
“Of course.”
“Yes, lovely.”
“Good to meet you.”
“Charmed.”
Jamie shook hands with each of them, before he remarked, “I take it you’re the G-Force.”
There were smiles, nods, and Byron did a little preening.
“Pleased to meet you,” Jamie said, then moved from me to give Mika a kiss on her cheek and shake Teddy’s hand and clap him on the arm.
“Sadly, I’m afraid we need to cut this short,” I announced to the boys.
“Please don’t do that on my part,” Jamie said. “I have some calls I need to make and a few emails I can return.”
He came back to me and cupped my jaw.
When he did, I was sure it was Byron who I heard sigh.
“Take all the time you need, sweetheart. I can entertain myself,” he said.
“All right.”
He dropped to give me another swift kiss before he smiled to our audience, and walked out, shrugging off his jacket.
When he did this last, I heard another sigh (Byron) and a muted moan (I didn’t know who that was, I was just glad I had enough control that it wasn’t me).
Jamie tossed his jacket on the bed, aimed another smile our way as he walked to the bedroom door, loosening his tie, and there were two more muted moans.
The instant he was out of eyesight, Bryan declared, “We must take that bitch down immediately, so Nora and that fine man have no obstacles in their path.”
“They’re moving in together,” Mika pointed out. “They already don’t have any.”
“Don’t spoil the fun,” Teddy mumbled to her.
“We’re taking her down anyway,” Byron decreed. Then he turned to Bryan. “Did you hear that she visited Ned Sharp’s lover’s table at DANIEL and not so subtly hinted that Ned was her castoff. Like she scraped off the great Ned Sharp.”
Bryan rolled his eyes and made a face.
“It’s simply bad form to walk up to your ex-lover’s new lover’s table at all,” Wallace griped.
I felt Mika’s gaze but ignored it to watch and listen.
It must be said, there was one spill I was very adept at wiping up, and that was spilled tea.
“I’m so happy Ned found somebody,” Ryan oozed. “That horrible Helena is such a bitch. Do you remember that time she told Mamie that Gucci was common? Gucci! Princess Diana carried Gucci!”
There were infuriated nods all around.
Ryan carried on. “It’s about time Ned moved on. I hope he claims her officially soon, like Nora and Jamie have done.”
“And I hope Blake’s grown up enough to let her daddy find some happy,” Wallace declared.
Blake was Ned’s daughter, Alex’s older sister.
She’d not exactly behaved with decorum her whole life. It was only recently, after a humiliating experience at the altar of her own disastrous (and incomplete) wedding, that she’d started to get her act together.
And I, too, hoped she’d grown up enough to allow Ned to find his happiness.
Byron pouted. “Sadly, the bitch is in Texas now. I mean Paloma, not Helena. I haven’t seen Helena in ages and have no idea where she is. I’m just glad she’s not here.”
“I’m pretty sure she returned to hell for her annual visit with her brother Satan,” Wallace remarked.
Byron and Ryan snickered.
But Bryan beamed. “Yes, but let us not forget, Paloma is in…Texas…having to bang…AJ Oakley only to earn Coach bags.”
They all started cackling.
And you could see why I adored them.
In the ensuing thirty minutes, I gave away another scarf (Prada), a costume bracelet (Chanel), and a brooch (also Chanel). It wasn’t much of a dent, but the boys seemed happy.