After meeting Jake’s best friend, Collin, I could see where the two had a connection in this crazy bubble of wealthy people we were surrounded by. I also noted their connection on the medical level, both exchanging stories about patients and their success—Jake’s in heart disease and Collin’s in neurosurgery. More than once, I found myself having to do a double-take on the young blond man with sky blue eyes and Jake. They were so gorgeous they could have made a fortune as models, but instead, their hearts and passion were in the medical science industry.
Collin was one whose eyes and smile could take any woman and bring her to her knees. I couldn’t imagine the single life for these two, and I bet some women were praying that either one of them would look in their direction.
Then there was big brother, Jim, and his best friend, Alex, who was president of Mitchell and Associates. Both men worked side-by-side to run the well-oiled machine of a company that owned everything under the sun, including some minor league sports team.
The men were good company to be in, and I found myself quieter than I’d anticipated as I listened to them talk and catch up after their long days from work. Maybe it was the beer I was nursing that was fizzling me out or just my interest and intrigue, watching the men talk.
“So, you’re really going to let this nut date you, eh?” Collin asked while taking a sip of his gin and tonic. “He’s a prick. You know that, right?”
I laughed. “You watch too much television,” I said, Jake smiling down at me and joining in on the conversation. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”
“Ah,” Alex said, joining in from across the bar where we all sat, “but he does have a complete douchebag for a brother…” He paused and sipped his bourbon. “One who, apparently, still hasn’t figured his shit out yet.” He looked over at Jim. “If you ran the company the way you ran your pathetic love life, we’d be fucked.”
“God knows that.” Jake raised his beer to Jim’s smile.
“God may indeed know,” Collin said, looking over his shoulder at the troop of girls sitting over in the lounge area of the upper deck. “But does Jake know how stupid you really can be?”
“What the hell am I missing?” Jake asked, glancing over his shoulder at the girls.
Shit! They’re bringing up Lillian.
“What you don’t see, you don’t know, little brother.” Jim winked, and then suddenly, this derail of conversation had me in Jim’s arms as Jake fought off Collin and Alex as they dragged him away. Jake recovered from being flung out into the pool, and he turned what should have been an embarrassing moment into a swan dive into the pool.
“You’ll have to forgive me, Ash.” Jim smiled, and it was the first time I saw the man’s face light and humorous. “But this might be the worst of your troubles due to Jake.”
With that, Jim was more generous than the other two, and he softly nudged me into the deep end of the glowing pool. I was expecting to meet with ice-cold water, but this was lovely. Warmed to a perfect temperature, and now I was snatched up in Jake’s arms.
His smile and laugh both were contagious. “You’re all mine now, babe,” he said, and our eyes locked knowingly. He watched as I smoothed my hair back, and he ran his knuckles along my jawline.
“You okay?” I asked, trying to remove the water from my face.
“Better than ever.” He traced my bottom lip with his thumb. “I’m sorry that we got lost in decompression talk back there. It’s sort of the thing we do when we catch up at the end of the day.”
“I enjoyed it. Your little Billionaires’ Club is quite the club,” I mocked.
“Overrated,” he said, eyes studying mine in a way they never had before. “Would I be insane if I said I was in love with you?”
I framed his soft, innocent face that was more sincere than I’d ever seen in him before. “I would say someone spiked your beer.” I kissed his lips. “Don’t go soft on me, Mitchell,” I warned.
He held me close. “I know it’s all sudden and fucking crazy.” He laughed, nipping at my chin. “But I can’t explain how you make me feel when I’m around you. How just having you here, I feel complete and actually pity the rest of these assholes who aren’t as fortunate as I am.”
“Someone must have spiked the beer,” I said.
“No one spiked my beer,” he teased back. “You don’t have to reciprocate my feelings or my words, but I’m telling you how I feel.”
“You two going to stay in the pool all night, or can we cut this cake and move on with the night?” I heard Collin call out over the music.
“Cabo,” he said. “You and me, the boat staff, and that’s it.” He pulled me in.
I kissed his lips. “Let’s go eat cake, birthday boy.”
This was moving at light speed between Jake and me, but I knew what Jake felt because I felt it too. I’d had boyfriends before—I thought I was in love my first year of college—but I’d never felt what I felt with Jake. The way it turned from the very first moment we met, started talking, the sex, and then these looks we both seemed to get lost in. It was intense and scared the shit out of me. Maybe Jake was braver than I, but to feel the way I was feeling about him lately was dangerous. Dangerous in the form of knowing if I lost him and he moved on, I’d be in trouble. I’d never met anyone so bold, so fun, and yet so passionate in his professional career.
No, we hadn’t had a lot of time together, but there was a pull toward this man that I couldn’t explain. I just wish I had the guts to tell him I loved him too. Because I did. He’d saved my dad’s life and mine also. I may never know what the hell I did to draw his attention toward me like this, but I wasn’t discrediting myself by saying I didn’t deserve it. I deserved to feel the way only Jake would make me feel. I deserved to feel happy and alive again, and in all honesty, it was Jake that was bringing this out in me. That’s what was the scariest part.
Soon after the cake was cut, that’s when Jake’s eyes fell on my boss. Surprisingly, Jake didn’t throw a raging fit.
“Listen, Jim,” Jake said, “if you want to bring her along, then fine. You know how I feel about her, and one day you’ll understand it. Right now, I would rather go to the top deck and enjoy the rest of this birthday with the only person I’d wish to spend it with in the first place.”
“Sorry, man. I’m not interested in the woman. She came along with the company executives Alex and I met with earlier. She followed me in tonight, and instead of mentioning it was a private party, I just allowed her in.”
“She’s here because she’s stalking you, Jim. It’s creepy, rude, and repulsive. She’s a problem.”
“Sorry about this, Ashley,” Jim said.
“No need. I work with her every day.” I laughed.
“I just feel bad for you, Jim. You have yourself in a tangled-up mess with that woman.”
“Why don’t I go introduce myself to the ladies who seem to be more curious about my being here than the cocktails they keep downing,” I said, rubbing Jake’s arm. “Besides, that’s my boss, and I’ll let you both know how much of an issue she really is.”
Jake pulled me in. “You do not have to entertain them. I’m sure their slurred words are entertainment enough for each other, and Lillian is Jim’s problem to deal with, not ours.”
“Are you nervous they’ll say something about you, lover man?” I arched an eyebrow at him.
He smiled. “You should be the nervous one; raising your eyebrow like that at me gets your sexy ass in trouble every time.”
“I’ll be back. You go enjoy the guys.”
“I’ll come to rescue you in about ten minutes. We’re heading up to the upper deck. You’ll enjoy the wind and the views as the boat cruises through the bay up there.”
“And if I can gain my brother’s forgiveness, we’ll all be up there with you two,” Jim teased. “I will handle your boss. Jake is correct, she’s not your problem and most definitely an issue I need to sort out.”
“I’ll see you guys in a few.” I smiled at the two handsome brothers then turned toward the ladies club that had a few men with them, but it was almost as if I’d jolted the boat and silenced the mob as soon as I moved their direction. Jesus Christ, the looks on their faces were not what I expected. Maybe they were way ahead of me in drinks, and I had only half a beer.
I could feel the judgmental vibes from across the pool, and I was bracing myself for what would most likely be said to me after they watched me with Jake tonight. I didn’t know how this upper-class crowd rolled, but I did know Jake wouldn’t send me into the lion’s den if he didn’t think I could handle it. However, he also had never shown himself to be controlling or overprotective.
Something told me this was a stupid, pointless exercise. Going to the upper deck to get away from the people who’d hitched a ride on Jake’s beautiful yacht sounded like a better idea.
Ten minutes. I looked back to see Jake, watching me while talking with a group of men. He smiled and nodded as if he’d read my mind, and rescue would come for me earlier if ten minutes turned into an eternity.
