Free London Bound by Jessica Jarman

“Why is that so important to you?”
    “Because my son the same age as your sister.”
    “Yes, my younger sister. My wee baby sister.” He tightened his grip when she tried to pull her hand away. “Meg, does it matter?”
    “Yes, it matters!” she cried loudly and nearly died when the pub quieted around them a few moments before conversations resumed.
    “Why?”
    She leaned forward and carefully kept her voice lower. “It matters if I’ve fucked someone young enough to be my child. How can you not see that? Why would you want to be with someone old enough to be your mother?”
    “You’re not old enough to be my mum, for fuck’s sake,” he snapped, the first sign she’d seen that he was losing patience with her. “I’m twenty-seven, going to be twenty-eight in two month’s time if that makes a difference to you.”
    Somewhat mollified, she opened her mouth to speak, but he kept going.
    “I find you attractive and sexy, and when I look at you, the last thing I’m thinking is mother . Tell me, Meg—when you look at me, do you see a child?”
    “No! Of course not!”
    “Then, quit getting hung up on a number. It doesn’t matter.” He cocked his head to the side. “I’m a grown man—have been for a while now—and I’m more than capable of deciding what I want. I thought I was quite clear when we were together before, but let me make sure there’s no misunderstanding or confusion. I want you. I don’t care that you’re forty. I don’t care that you’ve two nearly grown children. That doesn’t matter to me. I just want you . Do you understand?”
    Meg blinked rapidly and swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Yes.”
    “And you want me?”
    “Yes,” she said, breath shaky.
    “Then, that’s all the matters, love.” He lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “Ah, there’s supper. Finally.”
    Another quick buss, and he released his hold just as Georgia set steaming plates and another round of drinks between them. Meg watched as he thanked the other woman and reached for his cutlery. He paused in digging into his meal and looked up to meet Meg’s gaze.
    “Should I be expecting any more of these freak outs?”
    She stared at him, trying to decide if he was making fun of her, but all she saw in his expression was calm curiosity and acceptance. With a sigh, she reached for her silverware and cut into her fish.
    “Probably.”

Chapter Seven
    M eg poked at the delicious looking fish on her plate, even as her stomach churned. She tried not to obsess over...everything, but it’s what she did. Always. Those she loved put up with it, even teased her about it. However, it wasn’t something she liked people seeing—and Nathan had gotten quite the glimpse of it. Again, she wondered why he wasn’t running in the other direction. He wasn’t, though. Nope, he was sitting there calmly tucking into his meal as if he hadn’t a care in the world, as if she hadn’t just had a mini-meltdown, as if—
    “Stop it.”
    Her breath hitched at Nathan’s clipped, stern tone.
    “S-stop what?”
    He lifted a brow, intense gaze fixed on her. “The worrying. There’s no need, love. I’m not going anywhere.”
    “So, you can read minds, now?” She carefully picked up her glass and took a drink.
    He chuckled. “Don’t need to read minds. Just you.”
    Laughing softly, Meg asked, “Are all my secrets that obvious?”
    “No, I haven’t sussed them all out, yet. Working on that. Besides,” his foot hooked around her ankle, “you should be focusing on other things.”
    “Oh, really? Such as?” She shifted until their feet were tangled together beneath the table.
    “Such as finishing your supper so we can go home.” He calmly took a bite and studied her as he chewed and swallowed. “And I can take you to bed and make you scream for me, again.”
    “Oh.” She wet her lips, heart hammering as his gaze tracked the movement of her tongue then cleared her throat. “That’s the plan, then?”
    “It