A Billionaire's Game (Ellsworth Brothers #2) (2 page)

Early the next morning Jill arose and sleepily padded into
the bathroom and shrieked. “Oh my god!” She had forgotten about her overnight
guest. “Wait. Don’t. Don’t turn around. I don’t want to see your…. Well, you
know what,” she finished lamely.

“Dick?” Drake asked turning his head to face her, a grin
spreading across his stubbled face.

“Grrrr…. No. Well, yes. Yes, your penis. Let’s keep our
private parts private.” Jill stomped out of the bathroom and waited impatiently
for Drake to exit. She bounced from foot to foot since the urge to go was
making her increasingly uncomfortable.

“Aren’t you done yet? It doesn’t take guys that long. And,
don’t forget to put the seat down. And, wash your hands. You can spread a lot
of germs if you don’t wash.”

Drake interrupted her diatribe.

“It’s all yours, gorgeous,” his voice smooth and smoky. It
should be illegal for a man to sound that sexy at any hour of the day.

“Great. Thanks. And, dude! Geez!” Jill turned her head to
keep from staring at his sculpted body. “Put on some clothes, please.”

“Are you always this uptight, Jill? You should consider
letting go once in awhile and having a little fun. Being strung so tightly
can’t be good for your life expectancy.”

The bathroom door slammed in response. Grinning, Drake
walked to his pants that were hanging over the back of a chair, picked them up
and sniffed. “Fuck. These things really do stink.”

Drake found his cell phone and dialed. “Yes, Mr. Drake,
what can I do for you?” the voice on the other end asked.

“Benny, my man. I need your help. I need some clothes sent
to me. I’m at an apartment on…Jill where the hell do you live?” Drake shouted.

Yawning, Jill walked into the living room and answered,
“What? Oh, address, right. Washington Avenue Apartments, number 317. But you
have to get buzzed up.”

Drake repeated the address and instructed Benny to send
over jeans, a shirt, boxers, socks and his Asics. “Need ’em ASAP. Thanks man,
you’re the best.” Drake ended the call and looked at Jill.

Embarrassed, she turned toward the kitchen and said,
“Can’t you at least put a towel around your waist or something? Who was on the
phone?”

“My man, Benny,” Drake said, wrapping the towel he’d used
last night around his lean hips. “He’s sending over some clothes for me.”

“You have a man?” she asked incredulously.

“Sure. It makes life easier and keeps me looking my best
at all times.”

“So, you can’t wear the clothes you had on last night like
every other normal person?”

“Ah, no. Why would I do that?”

“They are your clothes!”

“I can’t wear the same thing two days in a row. Besides
did you smell them? They fucking stink.”

“Yes. I know.”

“Someone should take them to the garbage.”

“Or, here’s a novel idea. You could wash them.”

“I don’t do laundry.”

“Now there’s a surprise,” Jill said sarcastically.

“I need food. Can I take you out to breakfast?”

Jill’s stomach growled in reply.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Drake smiled broadly and picked
up his phone again to call a car to pick them up in an hour.

~

“So, have you lived in Minneapolis all your life?” Drake
asked Jill over pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and freshly brewed coffee.

“No. Actually, I grew up in Ohio, near Cleveland and officially
moved to Minnesota after I graduated from the university here.”

“The U of M, huh? Is that where you met Thea?”

“Yeah, we lived in the same dorm freshman year and then
decided to room together after that. What about you? Are you a Minnesota
native?”

“I am. Born and bred.”

“Where did you attend college?”

Smiling, Drake replied, “I went to the University of
Wisconsin. It has a reputation as a party school and I took full advantage of
all it had to offer.”

“I’ll bet.”

The waitress sauntered over to their table and grinned
widely at Drake. “How is everything here? Is there anything else I can get for
you?”

“We’re doing great… Melissa,” Drake responded, looking at
the young woman’s name tag. She blushed appreciatively.

Jill held up her coffee mug and asked, “Can I get a
refill?”

“What?” Melissa said tearing her eyes off of Drake.

“I said, can I get a refill on my coffee?” Jill held her
mug aloft.

“Oh, right. Just a sec.” Within moments Melissa returned
to the table and first refilled Drake’s mug. She turned to pour some into
Jill’s cup and ran out before it was filled halfway. “Oops. Hold on a sec. I’ll
go get some more.”

Sighing, Jill glanced at Drake, saw that he was laughing
at her and raising his mug in a mock salute.

“So, how did you find out where I live?”

“I told you last night, a reporter never divulges his
sources.”

Exasperated, she nodded. “Fine. Moving on. We have about
two more hours until we have to be at the Grand Hotel to get dressed. Picture
taking starts promptly at 3 p.m. I need to get your cell number in case you get
lost again and no one can find you. We wouldn’t want a repeat of last night.”
Jill raised her eyebrows to punctuate her last statement.

“Why don’t you give me your phone number and I’ll call you
if I’m going to be late?”

“You’re hilarious. Give me your number.”

“Since I have my phone right here, why don’t you tell me
your number and I’ll call you, so you have mine. I promise I’ll call you before
we leave this table.”

Begrudgingly, Jill recited her number as Drake tapped the
numbers on his screen. Moments later Jill’s phone began to ring. She pulled it
from her bag to ensure it was Drake calling her and not Thea. It was Drake. She
added him to her contacts and looked up to see he’d been staring at her the
whole time.

“What? Do I have egg on my face or something?”

“No egg. I was just admiring your beautiful face.”

Jill looked at Drake, her eyes squinting. “Give me a
break. You’re probably just coming down with a fever or something.” She reached
up and touched his forehead. Their eyes locked. As Jill’s hand fell from his
head, Drake took it gently into his and kissed her knuckles.

Jill pulled her gaze from his and slowly brought her hand
to rest on the table by her plate.

The waitress brought their check to the table and looking
directly at Drake, wished them well and invited them to return very soon. Drake
took out some bills from his wallet and left them on the table. He left a
generous tip.

Jill pressed her lips together in a sardonic frown. “Since
it appears I’m not going to get anymore coffee we may as well head out. If you
can give me a ride back to my place I can gather my things. Then you can get to
your place and get your tux and whatever else you need. We can meet at the
Grand in the lobby. And before you say anything, yes I want to make sure that
you are there, in the hotel, on time and, well, sober.”

“Aye-aye, Sergeant.” Drake gave her a mock salute. “Let’s
synchronize our watches. Rendezvous is promptly at 14 hundred hours. Permission
to leave the restaurant, sir.”

“Granted,” Jill said with a sigh. She rose from her chair,
gathered her coat and bag and walked out of the building.

Drake followed her out the door.

“Would you mind giving me a ride back to my place before
you head to yours?”

“Your wish is my command.”

As if on cue, Drake’s driver pulled up in a black SUV.
Drake opened the back door for Jill and got in the car after her.

As the vehicle approached her building she looked at Drake
and repeated, “You go and get your tux and whatever else you need and meet me
in the lobby.”

“Jill. We’ve been over this already. Just go and get your
things. We’ll wait here for you and drive you to the hotel. That way, we’ll
enter the lobby together and you can be assured of my presence.”

“But your stuff? Your tux?”

“My man, Benny here has taken care of everything for me.
Haven’t you Benny?” Drake inquired slapping the man on this shoulder.

Benny turned, smiled at them both and said, “You know it,
boss. Mr. Ellsworth.”

“Okay. If you’re sure?”

“Yes. We’re sure. Now, go. You’ll make us late.”

Getting out of the car Jill made a rude gesture with her
hand.

“I saw that,” Drake shouted.

Jill stuck out her tongue at the man in the car.

“I saw that, too.”

Disgruntled, Jill entered her apartment building to gather
her things.

~

When they arrived at the Grand Hotel, a man in a red coat
with tails and a top hat, wearing white gloves, greeted their vehicle. “Welcome
to the Grand Hotel, Miss. May I help you with your things?”

“That would be great,” Jill said with relief.

He took her bags, and Benny held out her garment bag that
held the gown she’d be wearing soon.

“Where can I have this sent?”

“We’re with the wedding party; the Ellsworth/Jeffries
wedding.”

“Very good, Miss. I’ll take care of everything. The bride
has already arrived and is in the presidential suite.”

Jill thanked the man for his help and walked up the steps
that led into the lobby. Inside the building Jill stopped and took in her
surroundings.

A sleek, white, life-sized statue of a lion lounged lazily
on a marble platform in the entryway. The floor was a mosaic of dark brown and
white tiles forming rectangles. Crystals hung from chandeliers shaded in purple
and mauve. Off to the right was a bar offering only the best spirits money
could buy. Cozy, luxurious seating areas dotted the perimeter of the room.

Moving toward the center of the room, Jill’s eyes were
drawn instantly to the grand staircase carpeted in an animal print reminiscent
of tiger stripes.

Jill turned to see Drake enter the hotel and greet other
red-coated men stationed in the room.

He walked up to her and stood a little closer than
necessary. Jill had to look up in order to see his eyes.

“So, you see me. I’m here. We’re on time, and I’m sober.”
He drew his arms out to the side. “Am I free to go, Sarge?”

“Yes. You are. Thank you for humoring me. You have to
understand. This is my best friend’s wedding and I want everything to be
perfect. Thea asked me to help her to make sure that happens, and I take my
responsibility very seriously.”

“I understand,” Drake said humbly. “Now go. You’re friend
is probably a nervous wreck without you.”

Smiling, Jill began ascending the stairs, but she stopped
and turned. “Thanks for breakfast, and the ride, and understanding how
important this is to Thea and to me. You know,” she paused, “maybe you’re not
such a bad boy after all.”

Drake stood in the lobby admiring Jill’s ass as she walked
up the stairs. Little did she know just how bad he was. As she went out of
sight he turned and made his way to the bar.

Jill knocked on the door of the presidential suite. She
heard her friend call, “Come in.”

Thea sat in the middle of the room, a flurry of activity
taking
 
place around her.

“Are you nervous?”

Thea waited until the makeup artist finished putting eye
shadow on her left lid.

“Nervous? No. Not at all. I’m not going to be standing up
in front of a ballroom full of people I barely know, walking in heels in the
most expensive dress I’ll ever wear. What if I spill wine down the front of the
dress, Jills?” The look on Thea’s face made Jill soften.

“Thea,” Jill said taking her friends hands into her own.
“You are going to be perfect. Do you know why? Because the minute you start
walking down the center of that ballroom all you have to concentrate on is
Landen. Once you see him, everything else will fade away. Trust me on this one,
okay?”

Sniffling, Thea nodded. “You’re right. You are so right.
Landen is all that matters. I know he’d marry me if I showed up in T-shirt and
jeans.”

“Who is wearing T-shirt and jeans?”

Thea and Jill turned to see Caroline Ellsworth enter from
one of the suite’s three bedrooms, the hum of her power wheelchair barely
audible.

“Caroline,” Thea said excitedly. “You look beautiful! I
was just telling Jill that Landen would marry me no matter what I wearing.”

“Yes,” Caroline nodded in agreement. “Except he’d probably
be a little upset that you were wearing jeans and he’d be all dressed up in a
penguin suit.”

They all laughed at the thought.

“She’s right, Thea.” Jill walked over to greet Caroline.

“How are you doing, mother of the groom?” Jill asked.

“Me? I’m perfect. My baby boy is marrying an incredibly
kind, smart and beautiful woman and I couldn’t be happier.” Caroline beamed as
she looked at her soon-to-be daughter in-law.

“Okay, Caroline. That’s enough. You’re not allowed to make
me cry even before my makeup is done. Speaking of which this very patient woman
is eager to finish her job.”

The makeup artist turned Thea’s head just a little and
directed Thea to look at the ceiling, so she could apply waterproof mascara.

“Put your stuff anywhere, Jill. My mom and Sasha are
putting on their dresses in their suite and will come here as soon as they’re
ready. They should be here at any moment now.”

As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door and Liane,
Thea’s mother, peeked her head in the room.

“Yoo hoo,” Liane said in a sing-song voice. “Can we come
in?”

“Mom! Come on in. We were just talking about you. Hi
Sasha,” Thea greeted her sister. “You look gorgeous; your hair, the dress, it’s
perfect.”

“Thanks, Sis. You look like you’re not quite ready.”

“I know. I keep talking to everyone and get distracted.”

Jill interrupted, “Okay. As maid-of-honor I am taking
control of the situation. No one is allowed to speak to the bride until after
her makeup and hair are done.”

Laughter filled the room and everyone began chatting
quietly to each other, leaving the bride to get ready for her big day.

~

The bridesmaids were all in purple, but Jill was wearing
an iridescent grey dress. The garment was obviously tailored to fit her every
curve since it highlighted all of her assets exquisitely. The yards of satin
clung to her luscious body. Drake couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Rather than paying attention to the couple to his left he
was focused on Jill. If he leaned back just a little bit more he had a great
view of her profile. If he leaned back too far, though, he’d draw unwanted
attention.

Moments later he heard his brother Landen pledging to have
sex with only one woman. For. The. Rest. Of His. Life.

Who does that? he thought snidely. Well, I guess a large
proportion of the population does, but I’m pretty damn certain that they’re all
cheating.

It was beyond Drake’s comprehension. There were so many
woman he had yet to meet, and in his humble opinion, rock their world. In
truth, Drake Ellsworth was not in the least bit humble. He was arrogant,
self-absorbed, and a player.

Unfortunately for the women he encountered, he was also
ruggedly handsome with piercing blue eyes and a body sculpted to resemble a
Greek god. Adonis had nothing on the second son of billionaire construction
magnate William Ellsworth and his wife, Caroline.

Drake grinned to himself as he was shaken out of his
daydreams by the applause coming from the intimate gathering of 500 of the
couple’s closest friends. As his brother Landen turned to walk back down the
aisle with his bride, Thea, on his arm, Drake patted his shoulder and whispered
into his ear, “Better you than me, bro.” Then he pasted on a fake smile as he
offered his congratulations to the smiling bride.

Drake had to admit, however, that Thea was a bombshell.
He’d tried tapping that ass once upon a time without success. Probably for the
best, he thought, a snicker playing on his lips.

Drake presented his right arm to Jill, the smoking hot
maid of honor. He’d decided the moment they’d been introduced that she was to be
his next conquest. He looked straight into her eyes and grinned knowingly. The
weight of Jill’s hand rested on his forearm, and the two began their walk to
the back of the ballroom.

The next hour was tedious, greeting ancient relatives and
cousins three times removed. “Hangers on,” he thought nastily. “They all want a
piece of the Ellsworth pie.”

This event was practically like a free vacation for most
since the venue, the Grand Hotel, had been reserved in its entirety for this
event and its guests. At least the booze was top of the line.

At that thought Drake became thirsty and turned to try and
escape but was thwarted by a woman with an ear bud and clipboard. Who the fuck
did she think she was? he thought.

“Sir, can I help you with something? You’ll need to stay
in place until the receiving line is complete. You’re only halfway through.”

“Bourbon, neat. Now,” he ordered, and turned to kiss the
cheek of the oldest woman on the planet. She had to be at least a hundred and
thirty. Her skin was so wrinkly and translucent she actually made Drake
nervous.

That was hard to do since he was a professional ladies
man. He’d never been tongue-tied around a woman since he was five years old.

The woman’s bony hand covered in massive gem stones of
every color raised to Drake’s face. He had to lean down so she could reach him.

The hand patted his lightly stubbled cheek and she
announced loudly that, “Honey, you’re just the kind of stud I like. I’m in room
214. Meet me there in an hour. I may be older than dirt, but I still got
moves.” Then she proceeded to pinch Drake’s ass.

At that moment a glass of bourbon appeared. Drake grabbed
it and threw the amber liquid down his throat in a single gulp. He handed the
glass back to the anonymous hand and said, “Another. Stat.”

Jill turned to look at him and disapprovingly said, “Geez.
Can’t you lay off the booze for even an hour? I know receiving lines are
tedious, but you don’t have to look like you’ve just been asked to bend over
and cough.”

“Gorgeous,” he whispered, “you have no idea what you’re
talking about,” and he shook the hand of a guy in his mid-forties wearing what
had to be a suit he’d bought when he’d been 20 pounds lighter.

Forty-five minutes later Drake, Jill and the other
attendants collapsed in a private lounge just off the main ballroom. They’d
been given a half hour reprieve before the hors d’oeuvres and mingling began.

“Whoever came up with the idea of receiving lines should
be shot,” complained Drake dryly. “I got six business cards, a proposition from
a woman older than Moses, and a drawing from a three-year-old with a half-eaten
life saver stuck to it.”

Jill laughed loudly and added, “Well, I got asked out on
two dates, lots of hugs from sweet little girls who thought I looked pretty,
and one guy’s room key. I think he said his name was Rob.”

That got Drake’s attention right away. He sat up
straighter in his lounge chair and casually asked if she was going to take this
guy up on his offer.

Smiling, Jill assured Drake that, “No. I’m not going to
sleep with a guy I’ve never met at my best friend’s wedding. That would be
tacky.”

Relieved, Drake sat back and blew out a breath he had not
realized he’d been holding.