by Dawn Tamayo
Victoria looked at Jake, he looked deadly serious and something deep inside her told her to stay and listen to what he had to say. She nodded her head.
Jake stood up from his chair and walked to the selection of drinks on the side, he looked at his watch and it was certainly a decent enough time to pour himself a strong Bacardi and coke. He poured two and dropped a large cube of ice in each one and returned to his seat putting the drinks onto the desk next to him. Victoria took one of the drinks and took a big sip, she really needed this - seeing Jake had taken her by surprise, the last thing she thought she would be doing today was sitting in a room with him.
“I didn’t know what to believe that night when I was in the hallway of the Four Seasons Hotel. I am going to be honest with you Vicky, I didn’t. You know how I have trust issues, with very good reason, and it all looked so bad. But I did listen to you and I just needed a bit of time to think. Stupidly I did go out for a drink with some friends and yes there were pretty women around, women I know who I am just friends with, but you know what the media are like with me and they obviously played it up. I did leave the club with Natasha but that was because we had both been drinking and she had too much to drink, so I was making sure she got safely home. I took her back home in my taxi first, but that was all. I promise you on everything I have that I did not do anything with Natasha and I did not go inside her home.
Victoria took in what Jake was saying and realised he was telling the truth – she could see it in his eyes.
“Okay Jake.”
“Vicky I didn’t even know about the photos until Andrea came to London, I thought you told me it was over because you didn’t love me the way I love you.
Victoria looked at Jake - was he crazy? She had fallen in love with him so hard it hurt.
“I wasn’t sure if you were using your time in Miami, with me, to get over Mark and everything he did to you.”
“A rebound guy? You thought I used you as a rebound guy?”
Jake nodded.
“No Jake!” She wasn’t sure if she really should be telling him how she felt, but then again if she didn’t tell him now then she may never get the chance again.
“Vicky I love you and I don’t want to be your rebound guy. Maybe if it was someone else I wouldn’t care. But not with you. I want it to be so much more than that with you.” Jake took a deep breath, he had come here to get Victoria back, but only if she loved him too and he had to know that. “Do you still love him? Do you still love Mark?”
Victoria took another sip of her strong drink and welcomed the relaxing feeling it brought as it slid down her throat and into her stomach. “No I don’t love Mark anymore, and to be honest I don’t think I have loved him the way I thought I did for a very long time. Of course there was a part of me that loved the person I fell in love with, but I realise that person doesn’t exist anymore. And it is not just about who Mark is now, I have changed. It’s about me too. I am not the same girl who fell in love with Mark, and I think we both just got swept along with the momentum of the idea of getting married and didn’t really look at our relationship, or each other close enough to notice we had both changed. I don’t love Mark anymore and I don’t think I have loved him the way a girlfriend, fiancé or wife should, for a very long time.”
Jake smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, thank goodness she felt that way, now he just had the matter of if she loved him to deal with now!
“I guess that was why Mark behaved the way he did with his infidelity and the other women. He obviously didn’t love me the way he thought he did either.”
“Well there is that or he could still just be a lying cheating scumbag!” Jake added thinking Victoria was giving Mark far too much credit, and he was always going to be a piece of scum in his opinion.
Victoria laughed and smiled, “I think you are right there Jake, no argument from me.”
“It’s good to see you smile, I have missed that so much.”
“It didn’t look like it.” Victoria said referring to the pictures of him partying with all the different women over the last week.
“Yeah well I was trying to forget about you. I went out and had a few drinks and had dinner with a few friends, but it was nothing more than that I swear to you. If you want you can have every woman’s phone number to call them and check, I don’t care.”
Victoria shook her head, she didn’t need to check, she could see Jake was telling her the truth.
Jake knew there was something else he had to discuss with Victoria before they went any further. “Alice told me what you did. She told me how you gave everything up to pay off Mark so he would sign the confidentiality agreement, and in effect save me millions of dollars.”
“She shouldn’t have done that.” Victoria said serious again.
“Yes she should. Actually no, you should have told me.”
“Why? All that matters is that nothing was leaked and everything went on as planned.”
“Not at such a big price to you. You gave up everything.”
“I deserved it.”
“No Vicky you didn’t. Creative Technology Holdings in my company and Mark isn’t the first person to try and extort money out of us, and sadly he won’t be the last. I don’t want any argument on it, it is not up for discussion. Regardless of what you say next, I will repay every penny to you and you will cash my cheque.”
“Say next?”
“Yes.” Jake took hold of Victoria’s hand and stroked her soft skin with his thumb. “Victoria I love you and I want you to come back to Miami with me. I don’t want to be without you. You are everything to me.”
Victoria squeezed Jake’s hand, her heart screamed out inside her but she shook her head. “No Jake I am sorry but I can’t.”
“Why not?” He asked. He really thought she loved him, and if she did then why couldn’t she come back with him, to him. Why wouldn’t she?
“You think you love me but I don’t think you do, not really.”
“That’s crazy, I am completely head over heels in love with you. Why would you say that?”
“Because you have never really been turned down or told by a woman that she doesn’t want you when you want her.” She couldn’t imagine any woman not wanting Jake, he was an amazing catch and he had beautiful women throwing themselves at him left right and centre.
Jake laughed his deep throaty laugh. “What would make you say that? I never said that.”
She shrugged.
“It may surprise you but I have been turned down plenty of times, not every woman drops at my feet.” He smiled as Victoria raised an eyebrow at him, he liked the idea she thought he was irresistible! “Okay so it hasn’t happened that often, but it has happened. That’s life.”
“You only want me because you can’t have me Jake. After a while you will get bored with me, then what will happen?”
Jake stood up and pulled Victoria into his arms. “Don’t ever think that Victoria because it is never going to happen. I knew the minute I met you at that little fete there was something special about you, and you have consumed my thoughts and feelings ever since.”
Victoria didn’t want to move, she felt happy and warm in Jake’s arms - they were comforting and reassuring, and his familiar delicious smell woke up the thousand sleeping butterflies in her stomach and they flew around frantically. She wished she could stay in Jake’s arms but she stepped back putting a little distance between them. Jake kept his hands around her waist, he wasn’t letting her go again so easily, not now he had her so close.
“What’s the matter Vicky?”
“I’m afraid.” She whispered trying to avoid his eyes but he wouldn’t let her.
“You, afraid? I don’t believe that for one minute, you are fearless. What can you possibly be afraid of?”
“I’m afraid of getting hurt.”
Jake frowned, she really wasn’t getting it was she?
“I’m afraid of getting my heart trampled on again and I can’t go through that. No
t again.” Victoria meant every word of it – she couldn’t deal with falling in love with Jake all over again because that was what was happening. Just being near him was bringing back all those feelings, making her want to touch him and be touched by him, and making her want to sit in his apartment watching movies and eating pizza whilst drinking beer with him. She tried to tell herself she was not in love with Jake, that Miami was just a way to get over Mark and it had been fun and nothing more than that. But she knew it wasn’t true. She loved Jake more than she had ever loved Mark or anyone else. She loved the way they talked, she loved his mind, she loved his body and the way he made her feel when he touched her. She loved everything about Jake Cumberland. But what happened if Jake cheated on her the way Mark did? She had been so hurt by Mark that she didn’t think she could handle it if Jake did that to her! She wouldn’t be able to deal with that. It would break her heart forever. Just the mere thought of Jake being with other women over the last few weeks had hurt her so much, and they had only been together for a short period of time. What would it be like if Jake cheated on her further down the line? She didn’t think she could take that, and she didn’t know if she could take the risk.
“So you do love me?” Jake said pulling Victoria back in close, savouring the feeling of her in his arms again. He rested his head against her hair and breathed in her beautiful scent feeling like he had come home.
Victoria nodded against his chest, “Of course I love you Jake. I love you so much I gave everything up for you. And you know what? None of that mattered.”
“And I appreciate it so much Victoria, but I didn’t know that when I flew here to get you. I knew none of that until Alice told me today. Surely this must show you how much I love you. Not because of what you did for me - but because I truly love you with all my heart and I don’t want to be without you.”
Victoria nodded against Jake’s chest and pulled back so she could look into his incredible sparkling blue eyes. She let her eyes travel across his face and placed one hand on his cheek feeling the beginning of stubble breaking through his lightly tanned skin. Wow he was gorgeous.
“The job is yours Victoria, it’s all real and you would be perfect for it. You can have it either way, but don’t expect me to give up on you because I won’t. I warn you now that I will spend every day trying to persuade you to come back to me and give us another chance. I want you with me in my life, drinking beer and eating pizza, coming out to extravagant restaurants and events, and in my bed. I won’t give up on you Victoria because I love you and I always will. I promise.”
Victoria smiled and for the first time Jake saw the smile in her eyes too. His heart almost leapt out of his body with happiness as she nodded.
“Where is this fantastic new job then?”
“Miami of course.” Jake smiled mischievously, having hope for the first time.
“When do we leave?” Victoria smiled.
“You accept? You’re going to take the job?”
“Not just that Jake. I’m taking everything.” Victoria laughed as she planted a kiss firmly on Jake’s lips. “I’m taking the job, and I’m taking you too. You are mine because I love you Jake Cumberland. So just you make sure you keep this promise, okay?”
Jake nodded as he tried to contain his happiness and excitement. He could hardly believe it, he was all ready to have to live every day chasing after Victoria until she finally gave in to him, but now all he had to do was spend every day loving Victoria and showing her how much she meant to him.
“I love you Victoria Pembrose.”
“I love you too Jake.” Victoria slid her arms around Jake’s neck and pulled him in to kiss her. He didn’t waste any time and pressed his lips to hers tasting her sweetness.
Victoria pulled back, but this time she had a smile on her lips and a softness in her dark brown eyes, “So when are we leaving for Miami?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? That soon?” Victoria was surprised.
“I have to be back for Monday morning. You don’t have to come back to Miami with me tomorrow, you could come when you are ready. But I must admit I hoped you would come back with me.”
“I’ll be on that flight with you. You, Mr Cumberland, are not getting away from me that easily.”
“I certainly hope not.” Jake said taking out his phone and dialling Andrea’s number. By the time he had finished telling Andrea to book Victoria on the same flight as him home tomorrow night, he didn’t think he had ever heard Andrea so excited, and he couldn’t help laughing as he put his phone away.
Victoria perched on the edge of the large desk swinging her legs, and took a sip of her drink. She liked the way Jake was looking at her and she couldn’t believe how quickly her life had changed yet again.
Jake walked back to Victoria and ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her neck.
“Hang on there mister. I have a question for you.”
“Anything.” Jake murmured not taking his lips away from the sensitive area below Victoria’s ear and she gently pushed him away so she could see his face.
“How did you manage to set this up, set me up?”
“I must admit I did have a little help from Alice.” Jake grinned sheepishly.
“Alice!” Victoria gasped. She hadn’t expected that. When she left home this morning Alice was still using Jake’s name as a swear word she was so annoyed with him, and now she had helped Jake to successfully get Victoria back!
“Yes well she took pity on me when I nearly froze to death on her doorstep, and I guess she finally saw that I’m not such a bad guy after all.”
“Mmm I can agree with that.”
“I hope so.” Jake said wrapping his arms around her. “So where do we go from here?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well I am guessing you need to collect your things from Alice’s house, but do we have any time to sneak upstairs to my suite first?” He asked hopefully as his hands smoothed their way across Victoria’s shoulders and down to her waist.
“There is always time my darling.” Victoria said as she slipped off the desk, sliding her body up against Jake’s. “Let’s go upstairs.”
“Then lead away Vicky, because anywhere you go I will follow.” Jake said as he stepped aside and made way for Victoria to lead them both into the rest of their lives together.
THE END