The Billionaire's Longshot: Betting on You Series: Book Three (5 page)

She took the laptop from him and instantly started pulling up a bunch of files and rattling off all kinds of information. It didn’t matter what she wanted for this event—it was hers to decide—but he would humor her and sit through the presentation. That didn’t mean he was planning on listening to it.

Even though he sat close beside her, he was only hearing every other word. He was close enough to inhale her scent, and it was more than enough to distract him. She wasn’t wearing the overpowering perfume he was accustomed to women wearing. This must be new on the market. Such a sweet, fresh scent couldn’t possibly come from a person naturally.
What is it?

At that moment she turned to him and asked, “Am I losing you? I don’t want to go too fast. Let me know if you have any questions.”

He had a lot of questions, not one damn thing, though, about this event. The look on her face was so serious he almost burst out laughing. He fully supported the cause, but there was a fire within her that seemed to stem from something deeper. Did she personally know a wounded soldier she was doing all this for? Maybe he had been her lover, or maybe he still was. Tension filled the pit of his stomach.

The thought of her with anyone else didn’t sit well. He should have considered beforehand she was seeing someone.
Why wouldn’t she be? She is absolutely gorgeous.
She was young but carried herself with a confidence that many twice her age didn’t have. There wasn’t a man alive who wouldn’t notice her when she entered a room. He was no exception.
I haven’t stopped thinking about her since the engagement party.
Even her multi-colored hair a few months ago had been captivating.

“Hello? Ross? Are you listening to me? This isn’t supposed to be a one-way conversation, you know,” Jill said insistently.

Damn, she’s cute.
“Sorry, I think you have it all under control. I like it all so far. Great job.”

“So, you don’t mind the dogs? I was worried about that.”

The dogs?
Damn, maybe he should have listened a little more. He had no objection to dogs, he actually loved animals. His mother never allowed him to have a dog growing up, or any pet, for that matter. He was tempted to ask Jill to review that part one more time then decided against it. His mother insisted the event be held on the family homestead if they were donating the wine. So she would have to accept the event as Jill planned, dogs and all. “I loved the idea.”

Jill’s face filled with joy. At that moment he knew he would agree to anything.
Whatever you want, you got it.

“You didn’t say anything about the guest list.” Her eyes filled with hope.

“My mother said she would be handling the setup and the catering. She’ll also be inviting a few of her closest friends, so I think it’s all covered.”
Two weeks? This should be as interesting as hell.
He had to warn her about his mother. Letting her enter the lion’s den unprepared wouldn’t be very kind. “Jill, about my mother . . .”

Excitement beamed from her. “I can’t wait to meet her. She sounds lovely. It was so kind of her to let us hold this event at her home.”

Lovely? Kind?
Those words were never used when describing his mother. “Yes. Well, she likes to take control, and can be, well . . . overbearing at times.” That was the nicest way he could put it. Outright mean would have been a better fit.

Jill took the information in stride. “I have an older sister like that. No problem.”

Ross didn’t think her sister was anything like his mother, otherwise Jill couldn’t have turned out to be such a breath of fresh air. No, she was in for a rude awakening. At least she wouldn’t be alone. He would be by her side as well as his friends: Trent, Jon, and Drew. He made a mental note to remind Trent and Jon to prepare Elaine and Lizette for what they were walking into—hell. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.
No . . . probably worse.

“I guess that’s all settled then. Two weeks and this will be behind us.”

By her deep sigh and relaxing posture, he believed they shared the same thought.
Thank God.

Since his earlier plans to wine, dine, and bed her hadn’t matched
her
plans by the look of her bedroom, he thought it better to start from the basics. “I haven’t eaten, would you like to join me for dinner?

Her eyes widened as though she couldn’t believe her ears. She turned her head away so he couldn’t see her face. “That would be nice, thank you. Let me get my coat.”

She left him sitting on the couch while she went into the bedroom.
She is trying so hard to pretend she isn’t interested. Why?
When she returned her face was flushed. “Are you okay?”

With a forced smile she answered, “Ross, look at my head. I can’t go out like this. You were right; it looks like a horn coming out of my forehead.” Tears welled in her eyes.

I’m such a jackass.
He hadn’t meant to hurt her when he said that. He was only trying to get to her sit still so he could take care of her. There was no backpedaling from this one. “Not a horn, but it does look painful. I can have something delivered if you would prefer.” The curve of her lips was his answer. “What do you feel like? Seafood, Italian, Chinese?”

Shrugging her shoulders she answered, “Pizza and beer?”

He laughed deeply and said, “My two favorites.” He took her topping request, which ended up being nearly all the toppings available, and placed the order. “They said thirty minutes, so why don’t we sit down, and you can tell me more about yourself.”

“Not much to tell. I have an older sister named Donna, who lives in Boston with her husband and two children.”

She had so much to say when it was business she was rattling on about. Her personal life seemed to be different and actually the only part that interested him. He’s never been one to give up. “Parents?”

More softly she said, “Deceased.”

Can I really fuck this up any more? So much for being a smooth talker.
“I . . . I didn’t know.” Most times he didn’t get along with his mother, but he still loved her. He knew he should drop the topic, move on to something safe, non-confrontational, but instead he asked, “What happened?”

She sat quietly for a moment. Her eyes began welling with tears before she started to speak. She blinked several times and looked to the ceiling in an effort not to cry. “They were coming home late one night from a play in Providence. It was foggy and lightly raining. Dad was driving—Dad always drove.” She let out a shaky sigh, probably in an effort to hold her composure. “Donna and I were so excited about something. I don’t even remember what we were so excited about, but we just
had
to wait up for them. So when one a.m. came around and they still hadn’t come home, we called the police. When they found them in the morning, they confirmed their car had rolled over into a ditch. The police said it appeared a deer had run in front of them, causing my father to lose control. There was nothing they could do. They were already gone.”

A single tear rolled down her cheek. Gently he brushed it away with the back of his forefinger. “I’m so sorry.” He watched her cover her pain, pulling from strength deep within her. Ross should regret pushing the subject, but it revealed so much about her he was glad he did. Someone who had endured so much was not a weak, delicate flower but needed to be treated like one. He knew he was attracted to her fire and beauty, but her inner strength meant even more to him.

Sniffling a bit, she forced a smile and said, “That was eleven years ago.”

Yet the pain is still there.
It was time for a bit of redirection. “Tell me, do you like New York?”

Jill perked up noticeably, the tears disappearing from her eyes like they had never been there at all. “It’s okay. I mean, it’s good. Well, I really miss having a yard. But that is what you give up when you move here. What about you? Do you like the city?”

Not as much as people think I do.
“It serves its purpose, but it’s not where I like to be for any length of time.”

Puzzled, she asked, “I never asked where you grew up. I assumed it was here. Do you still live with your parents?”

God no.
He laughed slightly. “Not since I graduated from high school sixteen years ago.”

Her jawed dropped open. “I didn’t realize you were so old,” Jill said sincerely, her hand against her chest in shock.

Totally taken back, he responded, “I didn’t realize I was so old, either.”

Jill shook her head. “You don’t look it at all. I really thought you were twenty-nine or something. Maybe it’s that beautiful tan and how fit you are, but you really look a lot younger than Trent and Jon.”

He deserved those comments after his horn one earlier.
Old? Really?
He also lived a different lifestyle than Jon and Trent. They drove themselves twenty-four seven, at least until recently. Ross worked hard to build his business, but escaped on his boat every chance he could. “I’m sure there is a compliment in there somewhere,” he teased.

“Don’t worry, everyone thinks I’m younger than I am, too. I was even carded a few months ago when I went to a bar with my friends.”

Ross didn’t want to think of her any younger that she was. Twenty-six was pushing it. He couldn’t remember dating anyone even close to eight years his junior.
Dating? Wait, we’re not dating,
he reminded himself.

Saved by the bell.
The pizza arrived, they kept their topics light, and the hours flew by. Before he knew it, she was yawning. Looking at his watch, he couldn’t believe it. It was already past midnight. When had he simply enjoyed talking to a woman so much? She was more endearing than he thought . . . and perhaps a little vulnerable. But he didn’t want to outstay his welcome, particularly if he wanted to be invited back.
And I do want that. I want her.
Another soft yawn escaped her sweet lips. “I better go and let you sleep.”

Jill nodded in agreement and followed him to the door. “Will I see you again before the fundraiser?”

She was a good six inches shorter than he, and as she looked into his eyes, he saw desire. Her eyes were bright, and her cheeks were flushed.
Did she feel this too?
He felt a little intoxicated by her scent, by her sweetness . . . by her. How his fingers itched to stroke her soft skin. How he wanted to breathe the same air as they kissed. No, if she didn’t stop looking at him like that, he wasn’t going to leave. Bending slightly, he noted a hitch in her breathing.
Yes, she feels this.
He kissed her black and blue, bruised forehead and moved slightly away.

“How about Friday night for that dinner I promised you?”

She nodded and smiled. “Yes,” she answered quietly. Her brown eyes glistened as she rose to the tips of her toes and placed a kiss on his right cheek. “Thank you for a lovely night, Ross.”

Was it just him, or did she shut the door with reluctance?
Maybe next time no flowers.

‡

“I
can’t believe
you are doing this. It’s like you totally forgot about the last time we were there,” Trent said.

“At least you remember it. I barely remembered my name the next morning. Damn we were all young and dumb then,” Jon added.

Elaine chimed in, “Anyone care to share what happened back then, or are you going to leave me hanging?”

The men laughed and Trent answered, “I’ll tell you later, angel.”

“That bad, huh? You guys never cease to amaze me,” she said.

Ross interjected, “This meeting is not supposed to be about the past; it is supposed to be about Takes One. Can we please focus on that for the moment?”

Silence filled the air before Trent finally asked, “What gives?”

“Nothing. I’m running short on time.”
And patience.
He didn’t want to take a walk through memory lane, at least not on that topic.

“I’m all for calling this one short, too. You guys really need to change the time for these calls. No pregnant woman wants to be up at six if she doesn’t have to be.”

With that Elaine began her presentation on this month’s recipient. “As I said, the timing would be perfect and in line with the fundraiser taking place next week.”

“You are right. Timing couldn’t be any better,” Drew said. “I say let’s do it.”

They took a vote and once again unanimously approved the recipient.

“Great. I will start the ball rolling. Now I am going back to bed. I will see you guys in Napa. Have a great week,” Elaine said.

With only four men remaining on Skype, Trent asked, “I wanted to make sure I understood correctly; Elaine said this event is casual and pet friendly. Was that a joke? I wasn’t sure I heard her correctly? I know it has been a long time since I have been there, but that doesn’t strike me as something your mother would approve of.”

I really should have listened to Jill’s updates
. “It’s going to be fine.”

“Does she know what she is walking into?” Trent asked.

He tried to explain it, but there was no way she would believe his mother could be that bad. It was something you needed to experience for yourself and once was more than enough. “She’s not alone. I’ll be with her.”