Sweet Seduction (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (10 page)

BOOK: Sweet Seduction (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series)
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Quietly, so as not to wake his sleeping guest, Jake
slid out of the bed and headed for the bathroom.  A cold shower would do the
trick.

When the refreshing spray hit his body it did not only
cool him down but it woke him up as well.  He made quick work of his shower,
brushed his teeth then lathered his face for a shave.  He grimaced into the mirror. 
He looked like a caveman.

Within minutes he was back in the bedroom dressed in
boxer shorts with a towel wrapped around his waist.  Barefoot, he walked over
to the night table where he helped himself to a drink of water then he turned
to Sam who was still curled up in the armchair. His good Samaritan.  Jake
couldn’t help smiling as he stared down at her sleeping form.  On an impulse he
walked over and bent down to brush his lips against her forehead.

She stirred, gave a soft sigh, and her eyelids
fluttered open.  Forehead crinkling, she stared up at him in confusion then her
face softened in a smile.  “You’re up,” she said softly, “and you look much
better.”  As he stared at her rosebud mouth, the soft, full lips parted and she
gave him a smile of obvious relief.

With her face turned up to his, her mouth so soft and
inviting, there was no way Jake could resist stealing a kiss.  As soon as the
thought entered his mind, before he could find reasons not to, he lowered his
head and captured her lips in a kiss that told of his longing.  Sam moaned
against his mouth but she did not resist.  She kissed him back with a fervor
that left him in no doubt that she wanted this as badly as he did.

As the kiss deepened Jake slid his hands under her
arms and lifted her from the chair to press her against his body, still cool from
the shower.  As he held her in his arms he hardened in his shorts and he gave
an involuntary groan.  He wanted her so badly.  Reluctantly, he pulled his lips
from hers but, giving her no chance to recover, he feathered kisses across the
line of her jaw, down her neck and across her collarbone.  His heart thrilled
when he heard her moan of pleasure.

As she arched her back, giving him greater access to
her body, he locked his arms tighter around her waist and lifted her off her
feet.  As he turned her toward the bed the knot in his towel loosened and it
fell to the floor.  No matter.  He had no need for it, anyway.  Right now the
less there was between them the better.

Acting on that thought, he laid her in the bed then
began to loosen the buttons on her shirt.  He wanted to see her, touch her,
taste her.  He wanted to feel her skin against his, nothing between them, just
heated flesh entwined in mutual abandon.

He had half the buttons loose now and he paused to
gaze down at the fullness of her breasts as they filled the black lace cups of
her bra.  Delicious.  He dipped his head and kissed the tops of those creamy
mounds and she gasped and arched her back.  He pressed his attack, reaching up
to pull down the right cup so that the rose-tipped nipple popped up pretty and
pert and inviting.  He covered that rosebud with his lips and drew it deep into
his mouth until he heard her cry his name.

But he gave her no mercy.  He nuzzled that nipple,
rolled it and worried it until she groaned and slid her hands up into his hair
to anchor his head to her breasts.  He gave her all the pleasure she craved,
soothing her nipple with sweet strokes of his tongue and soon she was sighing
in satisfaction.

She was ready, he could tell, so he pulled back just
far enough to tackle the rest of the buttons on her shirt.  He opened it out,
revealing the smooth, pale skin of her belly.  So beautiful.  He licked his
lips then slid his hands lower till one of them rested on the top button of her
jeans.

He’d just begun to slide the button through the hole
when he felt soft hands descend on his, gentle but firm.  Immediately he
stopped and looked down into her eyes.

“No,” she whispered.  “Not like this.  Not when you’re
not ready.”

He stared at her, confused, and then he realized she
was right.  How was he going to make love to her when he didn’t have
protection?  He shook his head then gave her a look of regret.  “Sorry,” he
said with a sigh.  “No condoms.”

“No,” she said again.  “Not that.”

“Then what?”

She stroked his hand with her thumb. “Emotionally.  You
have to make sure you’re ready.”

Jake drew back then propped himself on his elbow and
contemplated her in silence, knowing that even in this context she had a point.

Samantha Fox was something else.  She was willing to
suppress her own desires until she was sure he wasn’t running headlong into
something he wouldn’t be able to handle afterwards.  He had to respect her for
that.

And she was right, of course.  He needed to give this
more time.

He reached out a hand to touch her cheek.  “Now might
not be the right time for this,” he said, “but soon it will be.”  Tenderly, he
ran his finger over her lower lip.  “And when that time comes I will find you.”

She smiled at him then, a soft, alluring smile.  “I’ll
be waiting,” she said softly. 

They were the sweetest words he’d heard in a very long
time.

 

CHAPTER EIGHT

 

Brent Baker was at it again, steeped in the mystery of
the moment.  That was what had caused Jake’s downfall earlier that week.  He’d
returned from Long Island after an eight hour drive and next day, the thoughts
teeming inside his head, he’d begun to write feverishly, the ideas fighting for
him to give them life on paper.

Brent Baker, his main character, had dug himself into
a dilemma and now he was facing the villain – with no weapon.

The thoughts had flowed that day and Jake had gone
without breakfast, lunch and dinner, munching on fruits, crackers and anything
he could grab.  Sometimes he’d forgotten to have even that.  By the end of the
day a throbbing started just behind his left eye and by midnight he was almost
blinded by the pain.  Nothing he’d taken had helped and he’d suffered alone for
almost two days – until Sam came and rescued him.  Thank God for her.

Now that his book was flowing he felt like his old
self again and decided to pick up some of the projects he’d left hanging since
his move to Tonawanda.  He’d always felt blessed to have a talent that had
generated so much wealth.  He’d also felt that the blessing had to be shared. 
That was part of his responsibility to humankind.  He and Jessica had been
involved in several charities, donating money and even their time to worthy
causes.

It was Jessica who had organized much of their giving
and she’d been careful, making sure the donations were anonymous or through one
of their foundations.  Now he wanted to rekindle that fire of giving but in
someone else.  Sam was the perfect person, with her ready smile and kindhearted
nature.  He would ask her to help him give his money away.  And one of the
first projects would be a scholarship fund in Jessica's name to help students
pursuing studies in early childhood education.  That had been her major in
college and it had always held a special place in her heart.

“With pleasure,” Sam told him when he asked.  Her eyes
twinkled in anticipation.  “I have some favorite charities, too, that are
crying out for help.”

Over the next few days they came up with a plan. 
Seeing that Sam was unknown she would be the front man – or woman – for the
next projects, making contact with the various organizations, attending
meetings, and making proposals.  If a project was of particular interest to
Jake he would attend the meeting or conference simply as an associate or friend
of Sam, not as the benefactor.    In that way he could participate without giving
up his valued possession – his privacy.

All of this seemed harmless enough and within a few
weeks he and Sam had settled into a routine he was comfortable with.  By this
time she’d completed the decorating project so during her spare time she would
drop by a couple of days a week to brainstorm and plan with Jake.  He looked
forward to her visits, his long monotonous days now occupied with bouts of
creativity where the words would flow on paper, and pleasant moments spent in
the company of a woman who was slowly captivating his heart.

One day Sam stopped by, her face flushed with
excitement.  “I’ve found the perfect charity to support.”  She laid a pamphlet
on the table and waved him over.  “Come and see.”

They already had nine on their list, six of which
they’d begun funding, but Jake did not mind adding a tenth.  With all the money
he’d made there was no way he could spend it all on himself.  Not in a hundred
lifetimes.  A man could wear just so many suits, and you could only eat so
much, no matter how rich you were.  Besides, he loved the way Sam’s face lit up
as she formulated her plans to help others.  For that alone, it was worth it.

“This team of doctors is looking for sponsors for
their trip to Haiti,” she said as she slid the paper over to him.  “They're almost
like Doctors Without Borders, that volunteer organization from Canada, but in
addition to providing free medical services they plan to spend time doing
community outreach and education to help eliminate unhealthy practices.  They
say their objective is to lay the foundation for a healthy nation.  What do you
think?”

“Sounds like a worthy aim, if they can do it.”  He
picked up the brochure and skimmed the first paragraph.  “It’s not always easy
to just drop into an unfamiliar region and execute plans, no matter how
ambitious and well-meaning.  It’s a totally different culture-”

“But that’s the great thing about this team.”  She cut
him off in her excitement.  “These doctors are all Haitian-born.  They want to
go back home to help their people.  And who better, than a team of medical
professionals who can speak to the people in their own language and really
understand what their issues are?”

He had to agree with her on that.  “Okay, sign us up.”

She smiled and shook her head.  “Now that’s the tricky
part.  We can’t just ‘sign up’ or send a check.  One of the requirements is
that the sponsor should meet the doctors, get to know them.  They're very
excited about their project and don’t just want absentee donors.  They want
people who are truly interested in what they’re trying to achieve.”

Jake sighed.  “So I have to go to a meeting.”

“I'm afraid so.”

“Well, you know the program,” he said.  “I’ll be there
but only to be part of the wallpaper.”

“I know. I know.  I’ll be the face they get to know.” 
Then she said with a chuckle, “Shy guy.”

The following week Sam and Jake traveled together to
Princeton Crown Hotel where the doctor’s meet-and-greet would be held. There
were eighteen doctors in the group with specialties ranging from epidemiology
to neurology but they all had one thing in common – an intense love for their
country which manifested in a shared dream of doing what they could to restore
health to the people of that ravaged nation.

At the close of the ceremony, as Sam stepped forward
to present their contribution – a check for two hundred thousand dollars – Jake
watched from the back of the room and smiled.  She looked radiant tonight in a
flowing ankle-length dress of crimson and beige but as striking as it was, the
beauty of her clothes was nothing compared to the elegance of her poise, the
sparkle in her brown eyes and the fresh vitality that shone in her face.

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who noticed this. 
Out of nowhere he saw a suit-clad man with short-cropped blond hair walk over
to Sam.  He leaned down to say something to her.  It must have been damn funny because
she gave a little laugh and then shook her head.  Jake frowned.  Who in the
blazes was that guy, anyway?  He looked across at where he’d come from and saw
two other men in suits.  They were standing by a freestanding banner that read,
‘First National Credit Bank.’  So he was a banker and one who, by the look of
things, had taken a serious liking to Sam.

Jake rested his glass of wine on the nearest table and
walked over to her.  As he approached the man looked up, a look of annoyance
flashing across his face.  Obviously he'd said something cute and charming to
make Sam laugh and now that she’d been softened up he was ready to move in for
the kill.  Jake narrowed his gaze.  Well, it wasn’t going to happen.  Not on
his watch.  “Ready to go, sweetheart?”  He stepped close and cupped Sam’s
elbow.

She looked up at him, eyebrows raised, but smart girl
that she was she gave him a warm smile and nodded.  “Whenever you are,” she
said sweetly.  Then she turned to the man who now looked like he’d been fishing
and had just lost a prized catch.  “Thanks, again, for your kind words.  I wish
you much success.”  Then she gave him her signature smile and slipped her hand
into the crook of Jake's bent arm.

Jake didn’t talk much as he drove home with Sam in the
seat beside him.  His mind was still on the man who had approached her.  It had
probably been childish but seeing him go up to her and stand so close had
filled him with a jealousy he hadn’t felt in a long time.  It was stupid, he
knew, but he’d felt like someone had invaded his space.

It had pissed him off but more than anything it made
him realize how complacent he’d been.  Sam didn’t need to sit there waiting on
him to come around.  She was a very attractive woman and he had no doubt that
he wasn’t the only man interested in her.  Tonight’s incident had proved that. 
If he wasn’t careful he’d lose her to a more aggressive shark in Tonawanda’s
ocean.  And there was no way he was going to let that happen.

BOOK: Sweet Seduction (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series)
13.47Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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