Protecting Her Heart

by Chance Carter

  Chapter 31

  Brad takes the phone call from his investment banker. “Yes… uh huh… no. What? That can’t be. What kind of nut bar would do something like that? Okay, keep me posted.” He hangs up the phone and then immediately calls his lawyer.

  “John, It’s Brad here. Big time stuff going on. Some chick is trying to sue me. You gotta get me out of this mess,” says Brad. “No, I don’t know her. I don’t think I do. You know me, it could be anyone, really. I’ve never been married, damn it.”

  Brad begins to sweat, feeling panicked. He hasn’t felt this way since a potential takeover fiasco that happened when Brad was 19 and messed things up for his dad. He was so angry then and deeply disappointed in himself. He felt like someone took advantage of him because he was young and naïve.

  Now he has to deal with this woman who is trying to make a court claim that he’s been skipping out on child support for the past 10 years, and falsely identifying herself as an ex-wife. What the hell? He apparently can’t go back to the States because he will be arrested upon arrival. This is pure insanity.

  Brad paces back and forth while on the phone waiting for John to get back on.

  “Yes, I’m here. What’s the news?” Brad demands. “Okay. So just stay here on the island? You’ll sort it out? Okay, I’ll have to trust you on this one, John.”

  Brad hangs up the phone.

  Shit. What the hell am I going to tell Jane? And what if this drags on for months? She’ll think I’m a lunatic and that I’ve lied to her.

  Brad goes back and forth with different scenarios. He doesn’t know what to do so he goes over to the bar and orders a scotch on the rocks. He throws it back and it calms his nerves. He can’t think of anything else but this.

  He decides to go to the hot tub to settle down before lunch. He doesn’t want Jane to see him this way. He goes to get his swimming shorts and bathrobe, then heads to the hot tub.

  He doesn’t see Jane anywhere and, in a way, he is relieved.

  He takes his robe and sandals off, goes over to the tub, and sinks down to rest in it. He falls back and closes his eyes, wanting this mess to go away. He can hear the lapping of the sea in the background, and he remembers he is safe. He will be fine.

  John has never let him down before. Even that time when someone was trying to frame him for the murder of a prostitute. He has had to deal with shit like this from crazy people before. He can’t let this get him down, he just has to be patient and let his attorney get it resolved. He lays there in the hot tub and feels his muscles relax.

  He hears the door open and he glances up. There is a gorgeous, blonde woman walking his way. She had huge tits and a firm body, clothed only in a red bikini. She bends over, deliberately showing off her ass in front of Brad while she takes off her sandals.

  Brad lies back, playing it cool and trying not to look at her. She lies on a lawn chair behind him. Normally, before Jane, Brad would have been all over her. He would have locked eyes with her when she walked in and started a conversation by now, inviting her in to join him.

  Brad knows how all of this would have gone down, because he knows how to get women to take their clothes off for him. It’s kind of like his best magic trick. This time, though, it’s her trying to start the conversation.

  “Hey, I haven’t seen you here before,” she says. “What’s your name?”

  “Brad. I haven’t seen you here before either,” he replies. “What’s your name?”

  “Ella,” she says in a smooth way.

  “Are you on your own here, Brad?” she asks, “Cause I am. Would you mind some company?”

  “Well, actually I’m staying here with someone,” Brad tries to explain, feeling a bit uneasy and guilty.

  “Oh well, I’m sure she won’t mind if you and I become friends,” she says, as she steps unabashedly into the hot tub.

  Her abs are tight, her thighs even tighter. In the past, he would have gone right up to her and bit her bikini bottoms off, pulling them down with his teeth so he could get right down to business.

  This time, he’s not feeling it. He just wishes it was Jane’s body in front of him. He wants her small, perky tits, and her thin, sweet and tender body.

  Ella sits next to him and starts stroking his leg. Brad moves her hand away. She tries to kiss and suck his neck. But he pulls away.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought you were wanting something more,” she says. “My mistake.”

  Ella gets up out of the hot tub and grabs her things. Brad sits there in the tub and throws his head back again.

  Jesus Christ, Brad. What the fuck is wrong with you? You did it again, he tells himself.

  He looks up and sees Jane at the door for a split second before she turns and rushes away. He wonders how long she was there and how much she saw.

  “Ah, shit,” Brad mutters. He falls back into the hot tub and soaks it all in. “This has to be one of the worst days ever.”

  Chapter 32

  Jane stays in the hammock at the beach for quite a while, her mind spinning madly. Who was that woman, and why was Brad in the hot tub in the first place. The woman was clearly more suited for him. She starts doubting herself again, feeling like nothing but an ugly waif. She doesn’t know what to think or feel about all of this, but does realize it was the woman hitting on him, not the other way around, and he didn’t seem to respond or encourage the advances. Jane is spinning with confusion.

  After collecting her belongings, Jane returns to the hotel, eventually making her way out front where a car is waiting to take her to the restaurant to meet Brad. She is not sure if she even wants to see him right now. She’s feeling huffy and unbalanced, a mixture of sadness, disappointment, and anger. She really wonders why she should care. I mean, really. He’s a billionaire, and he can get whoever he wants.

  The driver tries to speak with Jane, but she responds with one-word answers.

  “You from New York?” he asks.

  “Technically,” she says.

  “A friend of Mr. Halliwell’s?”

  “Maybe.”

  “You married?”

  “Why?” she responds, wanting to keep him guessing.

  She feels like she is on some weird, emotional roller coaster that she can’t get off of. Brad is elusive, yet when he’s there with her, he is completely present. She feels so good when she’s with him, but then her paranoia takes over. At times, she worries she is being played somehow.

  “Well, if I may say so, madam, you are a beautiful young lady, so anyone who gets to be with you is a lucky man,” he remarks.

  Jane soaks in the compliments because this is not what she gets in New York.

  “Well, thank you, sir. I will take your word for it,” she replies.

  “One tip about Mr. Halliwell, ma’am. He holds onto his women for only so long. Usually there’s a spat, and it turns into, shall we say, too much passion,” he points out.

  “Well, I’m not sure how Mr. Halliwell would feel about you speaking this way, but I appreciate your concern,” she responds gratefully.

  “Just my two cents, madam. Take it for what it’s worth,” he adds.

  “Thank you.”

  This makes Jane feel nervous and sick to her stomach. She surely can’t tell Brad she knows this because it would implicate the driver, but it seems there are signs everywhere that keep showing her there’s something she just can’t trust about this guy.

  Is it her fear, her gut instinct, or plain old common sense? Her uncle back home used to say, ‘Sweet baby Jane would get stuck in the middle of an intersection and just stand there because of her lack of common sense.’

  “Well, here we are. Thai Bistro,” he says, slowing down in front of the place.

  “Thank you, sir. Here, keep the change,” she says, passing him a tip.

  Jane steps out into the hot air and immediately feels dizzy. She tries to catch her balance as she gets up. Someone at the restaurant comes out to escort her in.

  “You’re with Mr.
Halliwell?” he asks.

  “Wow, who doesn’t Brad know? It seems everyone around here knows who he is,” she says.

  “Well, yes. It is his island. He’s technically our boss here,” he says matter-of-factly.

  “Oh. Well that explains why he seems to be able to get away with murder,” Jane comments. “Can’t say I’d want this kind of life, though, if you ask me. You’re just way too exposed to the world.”

  “Indeed,” he replies. “So can I assume you’re not related to him, then?”

  “Heck no,” Jane shoots back, afraid she’s going to get Brad’s reputation confused around here, and also because she’s not sure if she even wants to be associated with him at all right now.

  Jane is escorted to the table. She is about 15 minutes early and realizes that with all the drama, she forgot to put the silly red thong back on. At this point, though, she’s not sure if she should bother.

  She orders a Long Island Iced Tea and drinks it down as she sits and replays in her mind the events of the day so far.

  Hmmm… he had to take a phone call, told me to meet him for lunch, then I find him in a hot tub with some other woman, and she eventually leaves. Did they sleep together earlier? Is she a woman who knows Brad from before? Have they slept together in the past?

  Her mind is racing, and she has no idea how to shut it off.

  She keeps wondering, though, what did he say to that woman? Why did she leave? Did he turn her down? Jane can only hope.

  Deciding she’s not going to lose Brad to some woman she knows nothing about, Jane takes her purse and goes to the ladies’ room where she proceeds to remove her stockings and underwear, replacing it with the thong. She rolls up her garments and puts them in her purse.

  The thong actually feels quite good. It rubs the inside of her cunt and against her ass. It makes her feel wet already, especially when thinking about the possibility of Brad reaching up her dress and touching her, outlining the thong with his fingers, and playing with her.

  She would surrender and be his personal slut while he licks her deep and long until she squirts all over his face, right there in the stall, not caring at all about anyone else. Because, after all, it is his island, and he can do whatever the fuck he wants.

  Jane pulls her skirt down and smooths it out, all lady-like. She leaves the stall and checks her makeup and lipstick. She looks pretty good, if she says so herself.

  She checks to make sure the red thong isn’t showing through her skirt. All looks as it should.

  She makes her way back to the table and finds that Brad is there.

  “Hello, beautiful,” he says, standing up and kissing her hand.

  “Well, thank you,” she says, a bit distantly. She still can’t seem to shake the hurt.

  Brad can sense it, but tries to ignore it. He never knows what women are thinking, really.

  “Have you ever had Green Basil Curry? This place makes the best in the world, I can guarantee it!” Brad says, trying to uplift her spirits.

  “No, can’t say I have,” she replies, feeling sullen.

  Brad orders an appetizer of fresh spring rolls, two orders of Green Basil Curry, and the finest white wine they have.

  “Let’s celebrate having more time together,” he says, lifting his glass.

  “Sure,” replies Jane, raising hers to clink against his. The appetizer arrives and they both start eating it in silence. Finally, Brad has to say something.

  “Jane, I really have to speak up. I can tell you’re upset about something. What is it?” he asks, genuinely concerned.

  Jane really didn’t want him to bring it up. She was hoping she could get through the meal without having to share these mixed feelings.

  “It’s nothing, really. Just one of those days,” she says, nonchalantly.

  “I see. Okay, I can take that. I have days like that,” he replies, reassuring her. “Well, just let me know if I can do anything for you, okay?”

  Jane nods. “Yeah, sure.”

  They continue to eat in awkward silence. Brad keeps pouring the wine, and Jane keeps drinking it. They both get tipsy, and finally Jane starts opening up, the liquid courage spurring her on.

  “Well, honestly Brad, I don’t care what you think. I am feeling upset about something,” she replies, choking back her sadness.

  “Okay, go ahead. What is it?” he says.

  “Well, when we were together this morning, you said you had business to do, and you had to take an important phone call,” she explains.

  “Yeah, that’s true.”

  “Well, in my break time, I went down to the hot tub and…” Jane can hardly hold it in.

  “You saw me with a woman in the hot tub. I know. I saw you on the other side of the door just before you ran away.”

  This really took the steam out of Jane—the fact that he knew, the fact he wasn’t upset that she saw him, and the fact that he acknowledged this other woman in the hot tub. She really didn’t have anything she could hold against him.

  “Did you think I was attracted to her?” Brad asks honestly, reaching out to hold Jane’s hand.

  “Well… yes,” Jane says sheepishly, feeling ridiculous now.

  “Well, I will let you know what happened, if that’s okay for you,” Brad says.

  She nods her head, not wanting to force him to share if he doesn’t want to.

  “Honestly, I know she is an attractive woman. I’m a guy and all. She started talking to me, and I just responded. She invited herself into the hot tub. What am I going to do? Tell her she can’t?” Brad says.

  “Well no, I guess not,” Jane acknowledges. “Have you and her ever met before?” she asks.

  “No, I’ve never seen her here before, which is unusual, because I know most people who come here. I still don’t know who she is, other than her first name,” he says with a concerned tone, wondering if perhaps she is some kind of journalist or spy. “But I need you to know one more thing. She did try to seduce me in the hot tub.”

  Jane feels overwhelmed with jealousy. Brad can see her eyes welling up as her face turns away.

  “That hurts you?” Brad asks, somewhat happy to know she cares this much.

  Jane nods a bit, squeezing her lips together because she doesn’t want to admit it.

  “Well, I turned her away. In fact, I didn’t feel turned on by her at all. For real. I could only think of you,” he says honestly, still holding her hand.

  The warmth of his hand says a lot to Jane. She can sense how much he does care for her, and that he is being truthful.

  “And the other thing is that, in my not-so-distant past, I would have probably had sex with her right there, just because I’ve been that kind of guy,” he says openly, not wanting to hold anything back from Jane.

  Jane’s eyes widen, unsure of how to respond.

  “Brad, that’s just it you see, this is what I don’t understand. I have no idea what you see in me. I have nothing to offer you. I’m broke, I’m 19, I’m a hick girl from Utah, I can hardly dance well, and I’m a virgin. How attractive is that? I mean, what man in his right mind would want me?” Jane says, grabbing the napkin to hide her tears.

  “I want you, Jane,” Brad says, moving over to put his arm around her. “You see, one thing I realized today is that the hottest woman in the world could walk in here and promise to give me everything I want, and that still wouldn’t do it for me.

  “You are capturing me. All those things you say are true. On paper, it seems ridiculous for me to pay a million dollars for the hope of something with you, but I can’t help myself. You do something to me that no one else has. Not even Kelly, my first love,” Brad says, admitting this for the first time.

  “That still doesn’t explain what it is you like about me. I really don’t understand,” Jane says, feeling distressed and desperate.

  “To be honest, I love your innocence. I’m really enjoying how real you are. You speak the truth, and you aren’t ashamed about who you are and where you’ve come from.
I find that you are not only adorable but also stunning. The way you dance is full of heart, not just following the motions. You’re not trying to please anyone or prove yourself. You are just you, and that is enough for me,” he says, really wanting it to sink deep into her.

  Jane feels his words penetrate her heart. She really can see that he means it, and she starts cheering up. She looks up, takes a deep breath, and feels herself come back to the room.

  “The question really should be the opposite— why would you be interested in me?” Brad asks earnestly.

  Jane is shocked, because it seems so obvious. Not just the money, but how he treats her. She thought he knew.

  “I don’t even know where to begin to answer that,” says Jane.

  “You don’t have to. Take as much time as you need,” responds Brad gently.

  Chapter 33

  “Well, it’s not that I need to think about it, Brad. I mean, it is surprising that you don’t know. It has nothing to do with your money,” she says, matter-of-factly. “It’s just that… well, I really haven’t had anyone take this much interest in me before. I really don’t know how to take it. It seems a bit overwhelming, to tell you the truth.”

  “That surprises me, Jane. I really don’t know why anyone wouldn’t have scooped you up by now, but I can also see that you’ve been very dedicated to your dreams and you may not have noticed when someone was interested.”

  “I’ll have to take your word for it. But back to why I’m attracted to you. I can only explain it as just the way you make me feel—like I’m the most beautiful woman in the world. I’m not used to this, and I find that it’s something I can’t fully believe, but I do love being treated this way,” says Jane, nestling into Brad’s shoulder. “I’m just nervous that soon you’re going to realize I’m not as exciting as you want me to be. I’m really just plain ol’ Jane Bryden. Nothing more.”