Bedding The Billionaire

Don’t be nice, Jake. I don’t want to like you.

“I wish I could believe that,” Lil mumbled.

Jake wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her gently back against him, talking softly into her ear. “I envy your daughter. She has a mother who loves her fiercely and unconditionally. That’s the gift you will give her. Wanting me doesn’t make you weak or dependent. And I’m not a little boy, Lil. You can’t drive me away with your sarcasm or change my mind about what I want. I don’t know what we have and I don’t know if it will last, but it’s not cheap, Lil.”

She looked back at him. “Then what is it?”

He was quiet for a moment, then said, “Do we need to label it for you to be comfortable with it? Call me a boyfriend. Call me a lover. I don’t care.”

Lil turned away again, removed his hands from her stomach and stepped out of his embrace. “I care. And I’m not looking for an empty label, either.”

He took one of her arms in his hand and turned her to face him. “What do you want, Lil?”

She shook her head and refused to look up at him. I want the stupid fairytale, but who could admit that? She wanted to be loved, needed, cherished-all the cornball stuff she vehemently denied. The best response she could give him was the truth. “More than this.”

“Do you want me to lie? Say something we both don’t mean yet?” His hand tightened on her arm.

Lil pulled her arm free. “Been there, done that.”

She stepped away, but he followed her, putting a hand beneath her chin and forcing her to meet his eyes. “I’m not your ex, Lil.”

Feeling cornered, she snapped, “No, you’re not. You’re not even my present. We’re nothing to each other except a bad decision. I’d like you to go now.”

“Lil-”

Like removing a band aide, Lil wanted the pain to come in one swift rip at a time of her choosing. She pushed against him with her words. “I mean it, Jake. We’re not good for each other. We’re too different. This…this attraction between us is something that is better just denied.”

“That’s what you really want?” He sounded almost sad.

“Yes, that’s what I want.”

“I’m not sorry I came back up here.”

Don’t be so damned sweet, Jake! It would be too easy to accept what little he was offering her and confuse his kindness with what she really craved from him. “I’m not either, but from now on we have to keep a distance from each other.”

He looked down at her like he wanted to kiss her again, but instead, he said, “This isn’t over.”

A question leapt out of her, as unplanned as it was quickly regretted. “Will you be at Abby and Dominic’s party this weekend?”

“Yes,” he said simply.

She bit her bottom lip to stop herself from saying more. She didn’t want to be happy to hear that they would see each other again.

I’m such an idiot.

She walked to the door and opened it.

He followed her, but stopped in front of her. He leaned in and gave her a deep kiss, the kind that made her want to retract everything she’d just said and find a babysitter for the night. She sagged against him.

He put her back gently. “I’ll see you at the party.”

“Yes,” she croaked.

“Call me if you change your mind,” he said and she hated that she wasn’t able to hide her surge of attraction from him.

“I won’t,” she said with determination.

After one final, light kiss to her cheek, he smiled, walked through the door and said, “You might.”

She closed the door behind him and stood there for a moment, just holding the handle to steady herself.

I can’t.

Chapter Nine

In the middle of the night, Lil’s fitful sleep was interrupted by her cell phone vibrating on the bed stand. She groaned and rolled over, pulling a pillow over her head. Midnight had once been a time for late night discussions and a cue to order the last round of drinks for her and her friends, but motherhood had a way of changing a person’s inner clock. Five of midnight might as well be called five of this-had-better-be-important-because-if- Colby-wakes-up-I’m-going-to-kill-you.

Her phone vibrated again, Lil pushed back the comforter, grabbed her phone and padded to the living room to answer it. Alethea’s name showed on the caller ID. She wouldn’t call at this hour unless it was important.

Lil plopped onto the couch. “What do you need?”

“Did I wake you? Sorry, but this can’t wait,” Alethea said. “We have a problem. I’ve been looking into this party you say your sister has planned for Saturday and something isn’t right about it.”

Rubbing a tired hand over her still half-closed eyes, Lil asked, “What are you talking about?”

Alethea continued on at what felt like breakneck speed to Lil. “There is a buzz in the hacker community that something big is going down and the party is a cover.”

Lil turned onto her side on the couch with a yawn, her eyes closing even as she spoke. “You always think something suspicious is going on.”

“I’m usually right,” her friend said impatiently. “I know your sister is in love, but you two don’t really know who you are dealing with. Dominic didn’t make his fortune by playing nice and Jake hasn’t been crisscrossing the country for the past week looking for the perfect engagement present. Everything leads back to that party and anyone he has spoken to has received some form of hush money. Not enough, is my guess, since there is chatter.”

“Maybe they are planning a surprise for Abby,” Lil mumbled.

“Or maybe your sister is in danger.”

That woke Lil up. Her eyes flew open and she sat straight up.

Alethea continued, “What if Dominic is using your sister as a cover for something he doesn’t want people to know about? Their whole engagement could be a sham. And worse, what if your sister stumbles onto what is going on? She’d be a danger to them.”

Hugging her knees to her on the couch, Lil said, “That’s a lot of ifs. Do you have any proof?”

“Jeremy does.”

“Jeremy Kater? I haven’t heard from him in years.”

“No one has. I don’t think he leaves his basement. He doesn’t see anyone, either. It’s really a bit creepy.”

“But he saw you?”

“He used to have a crush on me. We’ve kept in touch. Remember how he used to play video games for 10 hours a day back in school? He’s taken it to a whole new level. It’s an obsession now. But he is the best hacker I know. It’s how he gets all the games before they come out. Sometimes I slide him a little cash to get the plans for a building or to check out something for me. He prefers to stay below the radar, though, so I had to promise him more than money to get him to hack other hackers.

Lil shuddered. “You didn’t…”

Her friend laughed. “No, get your mind out of the gutter. I promised him that I’d help him find a date.”

“That’s it?”

“Oh, you haven’t seen him recently. It’s not going to be easy. Anyway, Dominic and Jake are definitely hiding something. You should warn your sister.”

“And say what? That you have a bad feeling about the party?” Lil’s stomach clenched and churned. That would go over well. “She’s going to think that I’m stirring up trouble.”

“Well you can’t say nothing.”

“We have no proof. You could be wrong.” Lil stood and began to pace nervously. “I can’t get involved in