The Billionaire Playboy (14 page)

Every decision
she'd made in life so far gravitated toward safe options. Even when it came to
men and relationships she picked the safe options. She dated only men who
wouldn't capture her heart and then walk out once they did. At least she always
did until now. Somehow she knew Jake could do some serious damage to her heart
if she let him. They'd only known each other a short time and already she felt
more emotionally connected to him than any other man she'd dated. How had she
let that happen?

He's not looking for long-term either. Jake's the
kind of guy who hangs around for a while then moves on when he gets bored. There's
nothing to worry about. Except my heart.

Charlie forced
herself to recall some of the magazine headlines she'd read over the years
about Jake. They always painted him as the handsome playboy with women across
the globe. Even though her mind pulled up plenty of names and incidents
connected with his, Charlie wondered if it was all true. A month ago she
would've said yes, but not now. Some of it had to be true. Pictures didn't lie,
yet a picture could paint a misleading story.

From the altar
Jake winked at her and Charlie's heart skipped a beat, something she'd never
experienced before. Without a second thought she smiled and waved back, not
once considering what his family would think if they saw her. She assumed they
were already wondering what kind of relationship existed between them anyway. After
all one didn't normally invite a virtual stranger to a family wedding. At least
in her world people didn't. Yet if they were curious no one said anything to
her.

***

“I've thought
about this all day.” Jake wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her
against him now that they were finally alone..

Charlie melted
against him enjoying the warmth of his solid chest on her back and Jake's
possessive embrace. Around them the crickets sang as the waves crashed against
the shore. Above them stars sparkled liked diamonds in the clear sky.

Now this is romantic. A night to remember.
She suspected
she could live out the rest of her life and not experience a more romantic
setting.

“Sorry we didn't
get much time together earlier.” As he spoke Jake nuzzled the side of her neck.
“Sunday it'll be just you and me. Promise.”

He whispered the
last part of his sentence in her ear, filling her with desire that unfolded in
her belly then spread like fire through her body. Words never affected her this
way. They never made her want to throw her arms around a guy and beg him to
make love to her. Beg him to make promises that he wouldn't be able to keep. Yet
Jake's words were doing just that. More than anything she wanted to turn around
and tell him to take her to his room where they could both enjoy the magnetism
between them.

So what if she
did? They were both adults. Who would care? Nobody.

“Family comes
first.” Charlie struggled to form a complete thought despite the sensations
coursing through her body as he began to kiss the other side of her neck. “And
this is your sister's wedding. I shouldn't even be here.”

Jake's arms left
her waist and he spun her around so she faced him. “Did Sara say something to
you?”

His initial
reaction took her aback. Had his sister complained about his choice of dates? The
youngest Sherbrooke hadn't joined the rest of the family until the wedding
rehearsal, so Charlie had barely spoken to her. Still, she had noticed that
Sara kept herself somewhat separated from everyone during both the rehearsal
and the dinner party that followed.

“We only talked
for a few minutes. She just asked how we met. Why, do you think she said
something?” Charlie found it odd that he'd suspected Sara and not anyone else.

Jake took a deep
breath and slowly exhaled. “Sara doesn't trust people much anymore thanks to
her last boyfriend. Not even family. When she met Callie last year she was less
than accepting. Even now things are a little rocky between them.”

“Oh,” Charlie
said, now starting to understand why Sara had kept to herself during the
rehearsal. “Really no one said anything. But most people don't take virtual
strangers to family weddings.” She might as well tell him exactly what she
thought.

Jake's stance relaxed
and he once again wrapped his arms around her. “What better way to learn more
about each other than to spend the weekend together.”

Talk about not
getting the point. Did he really think bringing her along was no big deal? Perhaps
he did things like this all the time. “Do you always invite strangers to your
parents' house?” The question slipped out before she could stop it. “Forget I
even asked. It doesn't matter,” Charlie said disgusted by her lack of control. She
didn't have a monopoly on him.

Jake chuckled
and she felt his chest rumble beneath her breasts.

“You're the
first I've invited to spend the weekend.”

A warm tingly
feeling spread through her body at his words, and Charlie fought it down. She
didn't for one second want to think she was special to this man. She didn't
want to think that he viewed her any differently than he did any other woman he
spent time with.

“And it's not
like I just pulled you off the street.”

Charlie couldn't
argue with him there. They'd seen each other every day since his arrival in
North Salem. Still, she knew he didn't get what she meant, but she didn't feel
like pressing the issue either. Why ruin the mood?

“I'm probably
going to leave Massachusetts either Tuesday or Wednesday. There isn't much else
that I can do there and I've got issues waiting for me in Virginia.”

Jake's words
brought an unexpected and unwanted physical pang to her heart. She knew his
departure was inevitable. She had in fact been expecting it.
 
Despite this, sadness rolled over her.

“How much longer
will you be up here? If it's going to be awhile I can come back up but
otherwise I thought we could see each other when you get back home.” Jake
looked her in the eye as he spoke.

His question
sent her mind into overdrive. He wanted to continue their relationship or
whatever this was past his time in North Salem. But did she? Could she continue
to spend time with him and keep her heart firmly locked away? She'd never
doubted it with other men but with Jake the uncertainty plagued her. Perhaps if
she could figure out what it was about him that reached her on such a deep
level, she could adequately protect herself. As of yet she hadn't been able to
narrow it down.

“Not sure. I
have a few more weeks of leave. I plan on spending at least some of it up here.”
She hadn't decided when she would go back to Virginia. Charlie found being with
her family a nice change despite the hurricane and the destruction it caused. Not
to mention that on this trip she felt no urgency to return home. On her last
visit up she'd counted the days till she could get back in her car and drive
home.

In the bright
moonlight she saw Jake nod his head.

“I'll plan on
coming back up then. Maybe next weekend.”

Before Charlie
could say anything, Jake grazed her lips with his. The kiss started out gentle,
but quickly it changed as he applied more pressure. Soon he set about coaxing
her lips apart, and Charlie happily gave him access. At the same time he
slipped his hands under the hem of her shirt. Slowly he ran his hand up her
back leaving a trail of fire across her skin. Unwilling to do much of anything
else Charlie circled her arms around his neck and enjoyed the fire coursing
through her body. Right then under the moonlight outside a nineteenth century
mansion with the sound of the waves in the background and the fragrant smell of
flowers around her, Charlie felt like the heroine from a classic black and
white movie.

Jake took his
time getting to know the contours of her back and Charlie relished every second
of it. Once his hands made it to her shoulders, he let them begin to wander
down her back. When they reached the hooks at the back of her bra they slowly
circled around to the bottom of her rib cage. Charlie inhaled deeply as his
fingers skimmed over her ribs before cupping her breasts. At the same time he
kicked up the intensity of his kiss sending white hot desire spiraling through
her body. Then inch by agonizing inch he pushed her bra down till his hands
were on skin. She'd been with men before, but she'd never felt passion like
this. Charlie feared her legs might give out so, unable to do much of anything
else, she tightened her hold on him as he moved his lips away from hers and
began to suckle the frantic pulse in her neck.

She moaned as
his hand brushed across her nipple and she heard him chuckle. Part of her
wanted to whack him for laughing but another just wanted to stand there forever
while he lavished her body with attention.

In the end
Charlie decided on a third option, to return the sweet torture. So she pulled
his shirt out of his waist band, slipped her hands under his shirt and mimicked
the same trip he'd taken. She made it up to his shoulders when hushed voices
brought her game to an abrupt end. Without warning, Charlie jerked away from
Jake's embrace.

At first Jake looked
about to protest. He actually took a step toward her, but then he stopped.

“Damn. Who the
hell is that?” He kept his voice low as he stuffed the back of his shirt into
his pants.

Charlie
struggled as she attempted to fix her own clothing. Talk about rotten luck. Whoever
was out walking could have gone anywhere on the property and they had to head
in this direction.

By the time she
finished adjusting her top, she could clearly make out Dylan and Callie’s faces.
They walked holding hands and leaning into each other. Both looked happy and
very much in love.

What would it be
like to be in love with someone like that? The thought leaped into Charlie's
head. The concept of love, marriage and happily ever after had never entered
her mind, not even when she saw her friends getting married. But tonight
the
 
ideas were swirling around in her
head.

“I didn't know
you two were out here.” Dylan stopped alongside Jake. “Hope we're not
interrupting anything.”

Charlie didn't
miss the knowing look that Dylan gave his half-brother. Immediately her face
flooded with heat. It could be worse. This could be his father, she thought.

“It's a nice
night. They probably wanted some fresh air. Just like us. All the guests are
making the house stuffy,” Callie offered.

Charlie threw
Callie a grateful smile for her efforts. “I didn't think a rehearsal dinner
party was such a big deal.” She guessed more than twenty couples filled the
mansion and most were not part of the wedding party itself.

“In the real
world they’re not; in Warren's world it's another story. Most of them will be
leaving soon I think. At least till tomorrow.”

Charlie could
hear the strain in Callie's voice. Evidently Dylan heard it as well because he
wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

“Forget about
them. Tomorrow at this time we'll be on our way to France.”

During their
earlier conversation Callie had told her all about their honeymoon plans. They
planned to spend three weeks in Europe, starting in France. The entire trip
sounded romantic. She'd seen some of Europe but never on vacation, it'd always
been while on duty. Someday she wanted to return. Charlie especially wanted to
see Ireland and Scotland where many of her ancestors came from.

“Rub it in, why
don't you.” Jake tossed back at his brother. “While you two are off sightseeing
some of us have real work to do.”

Dylan laughed a
deep rich sound that Charlie found contagious and she couldn't stop herself
from smiling as well.

“If you're
trying to make me feel guilty little brother, it's not going to work.” Dylan
stopped laughing and gave his brother a knowing look. “Besides, you'll get your
chance.”

Jake shrugged at
his brother's comment but remained silent.

Charlie expected
Dylan and Callie to say goodnight and continue on, but instead Dylan turned his
attention toward her.

“Jake said your
family runs a bed and breakfast. How long have they done that?” Dylan asked.

Charlie met his
intense gaze and nodded. “For a few years now. Before that my mom rented out
rooms mostly to college students from Salem State. My brother convinced her to
try the bed and breakfast route. So far it's working well for them.”

“Renting to
regular boarders seems easier,” Dylan said, his attention still centered on
her.

“Maybe. I never
asked. And they don't complain.” Charlie shifted her weight but kept constant
eye contact.

“Steadier income
potential if you're renting to college students as well. There are always down
times for a bed and breakfast regardless of its location.”

Does he always
think in terms of dollars and cents, Charlie wondered? “I don't ask them about
their finances. But The Victorian Rose seems to be doing well.”