“We should head to our table now,” Damian interrupted before Sarah could answer.
“Of course, sir.” April hid her smile as she had one of their waiters escort the “siblings” to their usual spot. The tables had obviously turned now, and as Damian and Sarah were both considered as local celebrities of sorts, exciting gossip about the two was likely forthcoming in the next few days.
Sarah’s face glowed with pleasure when Damian pulled her chair out and she saw the bouquet of roses lying in wait. “Is that mine?”
“A belated gift for your college graduation,” he answered gruffly.
“You also missed several birthdays and Christmases,” she reminded him while reaching for the bouquet. “Is this bouquet for all those occasions…” Her voice drifted off. With the bouquet in her hand, it was only now that she saw the small velvet box hidden underneath it.
She glanced at him questioningly, and Damian nodded.
Wow.
He had never given her jewelry before, and she had always thought the reason for that was because he hadn’t wanted her to attach any special meaning to it. So what did this mean then, she couldn’t help wondering. Did he want her to see this as symbolic of something—-
Here we go again, Sarah Jeanne!
Damian Fox was only giving her this because he obviously believed the years they had spent apart had made Sarah get over him. Just that, she told herself firmly. Just that and nothing else!
But even as she tried hard to convince herself of this, she still couldn’t help trembling as he reached for the box and opened it to reveal a pair of diamond earrings.
“May I?” Damian asked.
All Sarah could do was nod and found herself biting her lip hard as his fingers frequently brushed against her ears. Just the slightest touch had her fighting off the shivers, and she closed her eyes and prayed for control. You can do this!
Damian stepped back, ostensibly to see how the earrings looked on her, but what he actually wanted to see was her reaction…which turned out to be nothing but a look of childish pleasure. The kind, he thought grimly, that one would get from little sisters.
“I love it, Damian. Thank you.” And as soon as they took their seats, she gave her head a little shake to make the earrings dangle. “How does it look? Do I look prettier now?”
“It looks too elegant on you.”
Sarah made a face. “Will it kill you to give me a compliment?”
“Don’t be greedy,” he chided. “I don’t buy just any woman earrings. That should be enough.”
“True.” She looked around, asking, “Is Tommy still your assistant?”
“He is, and he just texted. There’s an issue at Foxtown. I’ll be meeting him there instead.”
“Oh.” Did that mean it would really just be the two of them then? “I see.”
“Don’t tell me you’re nervous to be alone with me,” he mocked.
Abso-freaking-lutely, Sarah thought, but because she was a changed woman now, she knew how to play the game and hid her feelings in plain sight, saying with a rueful shake of her head, “I just feel bad for you. Being alone like this…I can’t help remembering the times I shamelessly went after you.” She sent him a look of apology, saying sheepishly, “Sorry for that.”
“It’s nothing.”
Damian’s brusque voice threw her off, and she asked with genuine confusion, “Are you mad?”
What else could he fucking be, with the way her every word was unintentionally confirming his worst fears? She was truly over him, he thought bitterly, and he only had himself to blame for it.
“Damian?”
“Apologies.” This time, he made an effort to keep the edge off his voice. “I just have a lot on my plate these days.”
“Because of Foxtown?” she asked worriedly.
“It’s nothing bad,” he swiftly assured her. “We’re only months away from opening, so having to iron out a few little hiccups along the way is normal.”
“So it’s really happening then, the launch?” Sarah asked excitedly. Foxtown was Damian’s most ambitious project to date, and one that had been five years in the making.
“We can tour it this afternoon if you like,” he offered.
“I’d love that, thank you,” she said with a beaming smile. “How does it feel, now that Foxtown’s about to be unveiled to the world? Are you excited? Nervous?”
“I’m looking forward to its launch.”
She couldn’t help laughing at his matter-of-fact tone. “You so don’t sound like it.”
“Not everyone has to squeal and giggle like you used to do,” the billionaire retorted, “to show excitement.” A pause. “Or are you still like that now?”
“Mm.” She gave him a mysterious look. “That’s a secret.”
“Careful, little Sarah,” he murmured. “You know how I am with secrets.”
Her heartbeat spiked up. Was it just her imagination or did he sound like he was flirting with her back there?
The billionaire arched a brow. “Why are you looking at me like that?”