Sweet Seduction (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (13 page)

Jake folded his arms across his chest and slid back in
his chair, deep in thought.  Who could have done this to him?  After his head
cooled down his heart told him it could not have been Sam.  No, he had come to
know her, and betrayal and deceit were not part of her make-up.  But who else
would have had access to such intimate details of his business?

And then it hit him.  Jesus, how could he have been so
stupid?  There was only one other person he could think of, who had all the
bits of information that had appeared in the article and who would have any
incentive to leak information to the tabloids.  Denise Marshall, his attorney’s
new secretary.  She’d been in the room when he’d mentioned Sam’s name and
discussed the details of his will with Richard Connelly. 

The Smith and Connelly law firm had handled Jake’s
affairs for years and he’d had nothing but respect for them.  On his last trip
back to Long Island he’d visited the law firm – the day after he’d gone to
Jessica to say goodbye – and that was when he'd been introduced to Miss
Marshall.  She was young, maybe in her early twenties, with a flirtatious
demeanor that Jake hadn’t particularly liked, but he’d let it slide.  He’d had
other things on his mind – like taking care of a special woman who he wanted to
be a permanent part of his life.  But in taking care of that part of his
business he’d laid himself unprotected and vulnerable to someone who was
probably an opportunist, waiting for her big break.

He picked up the phone again.  This time he’d be
calling Richard Connelly.  He would not accuse, not without proof.  He would
not make that mistake twice.  But he would certainly get an investigation
going.  If the woman had sold his information to the tabloids he wanted to know
about it.  He was not going to take this lying down.  And right after his call
he would hit the road to deal with another urgent matter – Miss Samantha Fox.

******

Sam paused outside the office door, delaying the
moment when she would go in.  She was sure her dad and Meg had already heard
she was in the news with Jake.  They’d bombard her with questions the minute
she stepped through the door.  And what would she say?  The bubble had burst,
she wasn’t engaged anymore, and it was back to life as usual?  Heavens, she was
depressed enough already but to add humiliation to her list of troubles right
now – she just wasn’t ready. 

She turned round and was walking back to the car when
the screaming of tires made her whirl round and hop out of the driveway.  A
black SUV screeched into the space beside her truck.  It was Jake. 

Sam’s heart leaped at the sight of him.  He’d jumped
out, slammed the door shut and was walking purposefully toward her.  Then her
heart sank. Was he coming to tell her in person what he’d told her over the
phone?  She almost felt like backing away and running for cover inside the
office.

But she didn’t.  She stood her ground, folding her
arms across her chest and fixing Jake with a cool, determined stare.  She loved
this man with all her heart but she would not let him intimidate her.  She drew
in her breath and steeled herself for the attack.

But it never came.  Instead of blasting her with more
words of anger Jake came to stand before her, looking contrite.  “Sam,” he
said, then stopped and the look he gave her was so full of pain that her heart
ached to see it.

“Sam,” he said again, “I wish I could take back the
hurtful things I said.  I can’t blame you if you were to decide never to speak
to me again but…can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”

Sam stared back at him, confused.  Was this the same
man who had told her off on the phone?  What had caused this sudden change of
heart?

Before she could respond he reached out and took her
hands in his.  She did not pull away.

“Could we sit in my car for a minute,” he asked, “just
so we can talk?  In private.”  He cocked his head to one side and looked
pointedly at the front window.

That was when Sam saw Alvin and Meg peering out,
obviously dying to know what was transpiring between them. 

“Alright,” she said, although reluctantly, “but just
for a minute.”

She followed him to his vehicle and climbed into the
passenger seat.  “Jake,” she said, even before he’d settled into the seat
beside her.  “I don’t know what made you change your mind but I want you to know
I didn’t do it.”

“I know you didn’t, Sam.”

“But how?”

“I just know it.  Which is why I feel so bad about
what I did earlier."  He sighed.  “Will you forgive me, Sam?  This doesn’t
change anything about our plans, right?  You will still marry me?”

Sam said nothing as she stared at his tortured face. 
Finally, she heaved a sigh of sadness.  “Jake, I’m sorry, but I don’t know if I
can.”

“What?  But why not?”

“I love you, Jake, so much.  But after what happened,
how can I trust you?”  She dropped her eyes and bit her lip.  “If something
else goes wrong will you be just as quick to blame it on me?”

At her words Jake's face darkened and she could almost
feel his pain.  “There’s something I have to tell you, Sam.”  His voice was
quiet and sad.  “On my last trip to Long Island I visited my attorney and
changed my will.  Along with my parents you’re now one of the beneficiaries of
my estate.”

“But…we’re not even married.”  She frowned as another
thought came to her.  “Jake, you hadn’t even asked me yet.”

“I know.  But what I knew then was that I loved you
and I wanted to be there for you.  I wanted to know that if anything were to
happen to me you’d be alright.”  He shifted in his seat and looked like he was
going to take her hand but then he stopped.  “Life is so fleeting, Sam.  What
if I’d had an accident on the drive back?  I just wanted to know you would be
fine.”

“Even though I wasn’t your wife?”

He nodded.  “I asked you to marry me with the
confidence that you would say yes.  I love you, Sam, and I know you love me,
too.  Please, don’t let us both suffer because of my stupidity.”

“But we still don’t know who did this.”

“I can make a fairly good guess,” he said with a
slight twist of his lips.  “That new secretary who took notes of the meeting
and had access to my files, she knew I added you to my will.  She probably saw
this as an opportunity to set herself up for life.”

“But now that your identity has been revealed you
won’t be able to hide anymore.”  She gave him a worried look.  “How will you
handle it?”

“There’s only one way I’ll be able to.”  He reached
over and took her hand then.  “Only if I have you by my side.  Will you stay
with me and help me get through this?”

She looked down at their clasped hands then raised her
eyes to his.  She shook her head.  "You've been such a bad boy, blowing
hot and cold, torturing me all this time.  But I’ll help you,” she said,
smiling, “on one condition.”

“What is it?” he asked, the tension gone from his
face, his eyes twinkling with relief.  “I’ll do anything.”

“I’ll marry you,” she said with a little laugh, “on
condition that you never ever doubt that I love you with all my heart.”

“Deal.  And always know that whatever stupid mistakes
I make, I love you and always will.”  He raised her hand to his lips.  “Please
let my actions speak louder than my rash words.”

“They do,” she whispered, her heart full of love for
this selfless man who was giving so much to others and now to her.

And the greatest thing he had given her was his love.

This time when their lips met in a kiss she knew it
was to seal a love that would last for the rest of their lives.

THE END

Thank you for reading ‘Sweet Seduction’.  I sincerely
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SWEET
SEDUCTION

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The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series by Judy Angelo

Volume 1 -
Tamed
by the Billionaire

Volume 2 -
Maid
in the USA

Volume 3 -
Billionaire's
Island Bride

Volume 4 -
Dangerous
Deception

Volume 5 -
To
Tame a Tycoon

Volume 6 -
Sweet
Seduction

Box Set -
Bad
Boy Billionaires Collection, Vols. 1 - 6

COMING IN AUGUST:

Daddy by December

To Catch a Man (in 30 Days or Less)

[email protected]

Judy Angelo's Blog

VOLUME 1 - TAMED BY THE
BILLIONAIRE

THE
TAMING OF A PRINCESS...

Serena Van Buren, the privileged daughter of a wealthy businessman, can't wait
to begin her three-month tour of Europe with her college mates. Little does she
know that fate has other plans in store!
Instead of dancing with handsome Italians and dining with charming Frenchmen
Serena finds herself trapped in a six-month internship with overbearing
business tycoon, Roman Steele - an arrangement orchestrated by her own father.
Serena is determined to show Roman that she won't yield to the demands of any
man, boss or no boss. She's a Van Buren, after all, known to wither a man with
one look. But Roman Steele is like no man she's ever met before. Suave, sexy
and stunningly handsome, there's something about him that she can't resist. It
looks like Serena Van Buren has finally met her match.
A sweet and saucy romance that will have you smiling...

Click on the  link to get: 
TAMED
by the BILLIONAIRE
 

VOLUME 2 - MAID IN THE USA

WHO
EVER SAID BILLIONAIRE BACHELORS AND MODEST MAIDS DON'T MIX?

Celine
Santini couldn't have been more shocked when billionaire bachelor Pierce
D'Amato offers her a job as nanny to his four-year-old charge. After all, he
hardly even knows her. But after finding herself thrown into an unexpectedly
intimate encounter with him, are they really strangers? Celine is captivated by
the green-eyed heartthrob who takes her heart ransom but how can she give in to
her feelings when they're from two totally different worlds?
From the first day he lays eyes on the dark-eyed beauty, Pierce D'Amato knows
he is lost. He immediately devises a plan to get her under his roof...and it
works. But the more he gets to know the sweetly seductive Celine Santini the
more he realizes there's a lot more to this woman than he could ever have
imagined. Her intriguing combination of sophistication and innocence keeps him
forever off-balance and, before he knows it, his bachelor heart turns traitor.
The heart knows what the heart wants and it wants Celine Santini...whatever the
cost.
A thrilling romance with twists and turns that will keep you turning the
pages...

Click on the link to get: 
 
MAID
IN THE USA

 
VOLUME 3 -
BILLIONAIRE'S ISLAND BRIDE

BAD
BOY BILLIONAIRE VERSUS REBEL ISLAND BRIDE - AND THE WINNER IS...
Normally shy and reserved, college student Erin Samuels goes to the island of
Santa Marta where she breaks out of her shell and does things that shock even
her. And, as if that weren't bad enough, she ends up trapped in a marriage by
blackmail!
Dare DeSouza is used to women throwing themselves at him and he lumps Erin
Samuels in the same category. Gold-diggers, that's what they all are, but this
time he has a plan. He sets out to teach Erin a lesson she'll never
forget...and ends up learning the greatest lesson of his life.
An island romance that will keep readers guessing every step of the way...

Click on  the link to get: 
BILLIONAIRE'S
ISLAND BRIDE
 

VOLUME 4 - DANGEROUS DECEPTION

TO
CATCH A COMMITTED BACHELOR...
When Dani Swift put on her chauffeur's uniform with her hair tucked under her
hat and her face make-up free she looks like a clean-shaven young man. How
could she have known her little disguise would lead to a major misunderstanding
and even greater deception, one that threatens her heart?
Storm Hunter loves motorcycles and fast cars but now he's got to add one more
item to his list of loves - Dani Swift. Bold and independent, she's like no
woman he's ever met. But when their little game ends in disaster that's when he
knows love can be very dangerous indeed.