The last thing she said, whether she meant it to or not, hit a raw nerve, marked by a small tic in his jaw as it clenched tight. This can't be all you are now, Lindsey. His gaze swept silently over the office. It might not have been anything close to his office at CEO, but it was comparable to the one he'd had as a junior partner. A nice office but it wasn't really about the asthesic value.
It was about him, as seen through the eyes of the woman who had been at his side when he'd put together the plan to get to the Black Thorn. The magic, the mindcasting. Her close proximity to him during that time had given her every example of what he was capable of, examples that she was measuring him against now.
"It's not." The last word came out with a little more forcefulness than he intended. A pause and he reined the annoyance back. He couldn't have been happier with Cathy. She gave something to him that he'd been missing for years and given the chance, he wouldn't change a thing about their relationship. But he had those brief moments of self-doubt, just a thought that stayed around too long.
He took his glass back after she poured the drinks. "I could prove that looks are deceiving," he replied, smiling faintly.