Chapter 75: Loose Hands

She stood there with her back to them, staring blindly at the counter. Maybe she had seen wrong.

Maybe it wasn’t Jordan. People had doubles. Naomi pressed her lips together. She needed to be sure.

Very slowly, she turned again.

Definitely Jordan.

No doubt about it. The woman leaned closer. Her hand moved toward his face. Then, right there in the middle of the restaurant, she placed a finger against his lips.

Naomi’s stomach dropped as she turned back around again. A headache was already beginning behind her eyes.

This was not good. Jordan and Tessa had been married for what?

Five minutes?

Naomi’s stupid accidental marriage was older than theirs. What the hell was wrong with men? Why did they constantly find new and creative ways to humiliate women?

Tessa had literally stood beside her less than an hour ago talking about how wonderful married life was. She had been glowing.

Naomi’s jaw clenched. Maybe there was an explanation. There had better be an explanation. A very good one. Her chest tightened.

This was exactly why she didn’t trust relationships. Everything could look perfect from the outside while something ugly was happening underneath.

Tessa thought she was safe.

The irritation she had felt toward Dorian all day suddenly seemed smaller.

"Ma’am, here’s your order," the attendant said from behind her.

"Thank you." Naomi handed over her card, waited for the payment to go through, then took it back along with her order. She should leave.

That was the sensible thing to do. Get in the Range Rover, and pretend she had never seen anything until she figured out what the hell was going on.

But she didn’t want to jump into any conclusions. Besides, maybe Jordan had an explanation. A good one.

Maybe the woman was his sister. Naomi had already made that exact mistake with Dorian once, when she had assumed something inappropriate and later discovered the woman in question was very much related to him.

It was possible she was about to embarrass herself twice. Highly unlikely, considering the woman had been touching Jordan’s mouth like she personally owned the lips, but technically possible.

Naomi turned around. She was going over there. If nothing else, Jordan could explain himself before she went home and decided whether Tessa needed to know. She crossed the restaurant slowly.

Neither Jordan nor the woman noticed her. They were far too engrossed in each other. She stopped beside their table and cleared her throat.

Jordan looked up. Then almost sprang out of his chair. Naomi’s eyebrows rose.

Well.

There went the innocent-sister theory.

"Hi, Jordan..." she said sweetly.

"Hey... Naomi." His eyes flicked around the restaurant before returning to her. "I... uh... how are you?"

"I’m fine." Naomi smiled. "Just stopped by to grab lunch. I just finished with your wife. She is headed home," Naomi continued, watching his expression very carefully. "And who is this lady here? Aren’t you going to introduce us? Because surely, I must be seeing things."

The woman stared at her. Naomi did not give Jordan enough time to respond. She turned to the woman.

"Hi, I’m Naomi. I’m his wife’s best friend. You know he is married, don’t you?" Naomi asked. "Surely you do not, because, well, only tramps will be making out with a married man out in broad daylight for all the world to see."

"Naomi—"

She turned back to Jordan before he could finish. "And don’t you have any shame or respect?"

Jordan opened his mouth. Naomi kept going.

"You have a wife who completely adores you, and...and..." She was getting angrier the longer she looked at him.

"Naomi..." Jordan tried again.

She ignored him. "How can you do this to her?"

Jordan looked around uneasily. People at the surrounding tables had started noticing. He had not been concerned about public attention when another woman had her hands all over him five minutes ago. "Naomi, can you lower your voice? Please."

"Why? Are you embarrassed now?"

The woman shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Naomi looked at her.

"And you. If you didn’t know he was married, fine. Congratulations, now you know."

"I—"

"If you did know, then shame on both of you."

Jordan pushed his chair back. "Naomi, stop. just let me explain."

"I am standing right here."

Jordan dragged a hand over his face. Naomi could practically see panic pouring off him. That made her stomach sink even further.

innocent people didn’t look like this.

"How can you do this to her?"

"Naomi, it’s... it’s complicated."

"Is it?" Naomi stared at him. "Because it seems quite clear-cut to me. You are a cheating bastard! You are not even three months married. Are you that bored already? Couldn’t you wait, I don’t know, until you were old and wrinkled before destroying your marriage?"

"Naomi, come on..." Jordan glanced around the restaurant, clearly wishing the floor would open up and swallow him. "Please. Let’s just... can I explain?"

Naomi folded her arms. "I’d really love to hear this." She meant it too. She would genuinely love to hear whatever magnificent explanation he had.

Jordan looked at the woman, then back at Naomi. "I... it’s... it’s nothing. I promise you. I haven’t done anything. I just... I’m... we..." He seemed to have completely lost his ability to speak English.

"I...I...I...I... we...we...we...we... she...she...she...she..." Naomi mocked him mercilessly.

The woman beside him looked mortified, but Naomi had very little sympathy available at the moment.

"Now that it is clear you have exhausted your vocabulary with her, enjoy your lunch." Naomi turned. She was done.

Whatever Jordan wanted to explain, he could explain it to Tessa. Preferably while wearing protective equipment.

She had barely taken two steps when Jordan caught her arm.

"Please."

Naomi looked down at his hand. Jordan quickly loosened his grip but didn’t completely let go.

"Please, Naomi. You can’t tell Tessa." Jordan’s face twisted desperately. "You would crush her."

Naomi stared at him. "I would crush her?" She snatched her arm away. "Christ, you’re pathetic!"