Her eyebrows shot up. ‘Live?’ She was silent for a moment and Jakob, his eyes wary, tried to smile.
‘I’m not trying to freak you out and if you say no, if you think it’s too soon, that’s okay.’
Quilla sat up again, studied his face. ‘Jakob…I really, really,' she exaggerated the word and he smiled, ‘want this to work. I do. It is a little fast to live together…and we come from such hugely different worlds – seriously, look at this place, it’s luxurious compared to my actual one bed in St Anne’s. I’m a grad student; I worked in the Art department of the university and just about make rent and food. I’m crazy about you but I think we should date a bit first.’
Jakob nodded, only wincing slightly. ‘I always go all in – it’s a character flaw – ‘
‘No,’ she interrupted, ‘It isn’t at all. Better to do that than always hold back. I’ve done that in the past, with…’ She sighed, hugging her legs to her chest. ‘My mom was a heroin addict. I helped get her clean, the last time and stupidly I thought we’d actually made it. I didn’t get her the follow up care she needed. And she started using again but she hid it. I found her dead, overdosed. So no, don’t hold back, please. It’s just I’m not ready quite yet.’
Jakob pressed his lips to hers. ‘Quilla Chen, you are wiser than your years.’
‘Grandpa.’
‘Ouch.’ But he laughed. ‘So, you’ll think about it?’
Quilla grinned and slid her hand around to the back of his neck, leaning her forehead against his. ‘Yup. And what’s more, I’ll think about it while sucking your big, delicious cock…’
‘You are a filthy, filthy girl…’
‘Oh I know...I know…’
If I hadn’t met Jakob, Quilla thought as she stared wide-eyed out of the window at a rain-drenched Seattle, I’d be sitting on a steaming, stinky bus instead of this air-conditioned behemoth of a town car. Next to her, Jakob was clearly enjoying introducing her to the luxuries in his life. He’d insisted on changing her plane ticket to a business class one – next to him, of course – and they’d arrived back in Washington rested and without a hint of the jet lag she’d expected. And of course being with him had made leaving Venice easier – although she still felt a pang. She’d spent the last three months there, met Jakob there, fell in love with…everything. Oh to hell with it, she smiled to herself, I fell in love with him. She didn’t mind admitting that to herself, even if she was holding back from saying it to him…yet.
Jakob reached for her hand. ‘So, you want to go home, get changed? Get some rest?’
She nodded. ‘I think I need to. Do some laundry, call my friends. Just for today,’ she said hurriedly, not wanting him to think she didn’t want to be with him.
He nodded. ‘Of course. Look, take as long as you need – but I would like to take you to dinner, meet my family. Separately if you like, then it’s not too scary.’
‘That sounds perfect…I’d like to meet your dad at dinner, seems respectful and appropriate. Then maybe we could do something more relaxed with your brothers, your friends.’
‘Good call. Kit and Grady are still abroad, anyway but Joel is around. Skandar too,’ he added with a grin and she shrugged good-naturedly.
‘I’ve moved on from my crush. I prefer his uncle now.’
‘Damn straight.’
Later, at home, she suddenly missed his company – after all they’d been together day and night for nearly three months – and after loading her washer with her clothes, she snagged her phone from her purse and dialed her best friend.
Marley Griffin yelled a hello down the phone that made Quilla laugh. Marley, a science nerd who was currently wowing the science world with her research, was a Canadian emigre who Quilla had bonded with a college over their loathing of the cafeteria’s food. The dark haired pale skinned, hard-bodied Canook had been Quilla’s confident ever since but when she was in Venice, calling each other had been a case of ‘when they had the money to call.’ Emails just weren’t the same, Quilla realized now, as she listened to her friend’s happiness at hearing from her.
‘I’ve been saving up,’ Marley told her now, ‘So that the day you came back, we could go out and blow it all on drink and loose men . Or was it loose drink and men? Either.’
Quilla giggled. ‘God, I have missed you. When can we start drinking?’
Jakob stopped by the office before heading to his father’s house. His assistant Miles was there and the two chatted.
‘You back to work?’
‘Not for a couple of days, Miles, as long as there’s nothing too urgent.’
‘Nothing that can’t wait.’ Miles was a slight man of Iranian and Irish heritage, with effortless poise and grace and with a razor sharp intellect. Jakob thought again that he was wasted as his assistant, had offered to fund further education for him, but Miles insisted he was happy where he was – for now. ‘I might change my mind on it, so keep that offer open,’ he’d said with a grin and Jakob had reassured him that it would always be open to him. He liked that Miles didn’t defer to him, or kiss his ass if he disagreed with him. Gregor, Jakob’s business partner, loathed Miles – which was always a reason to keep someone around. Miles had no time for Gregor either.
‘How is Gregor?’
Miles sniffed. ‘Busy spreading STDs as usual.’
Jakob snorted with laughter. ‘No change there.’
Miles made a face. ‘Ugh, can you imagine?’
Jakob grinned. ‘I hear women find him attractive.’
Miles mumbled something and Jakob was pretty sure he heard the words ‘Helen Keller’. He tried to look disapproving but failed.
‘For someone as misogynistic as Gregor, he sure does enjoy having a lot of bad sex with as many woman as he can. Oh, I’m assuming it’s bad,’ Miles waved a hand dismissively, ‘because it’s him.’
Jakob laughed and right on cue, Gregor himself came through the door.
‘Miles, can you send these by courier?’ He threw an envelope down on the desk.
No please, no thank you. Jakob’s eyes narrowed but Miles, as unflappable as ever, merely ignored the envelope. ‘I’m sure Mandy will send it for you in the morning.’
‘I’m asking you.’
‘Hello, Gregor.’
Gregor turned and blinked, obviously amazed at seeing him. ‘Hey, I didn’t know you were back. To be honest, I didn’t expect you back…your dad said something about Venice and a girl?’
Miles’ eyebrow shot up and he suddenly seemed very interested in their conversation. Jakob tried not to grin.
‘Something like that. Anyway, I’m back.’
Gregor chewed his lips then tapped the envelope. ‘Send that out. Tonight, Miles. Jakob, a word in private?’
Jakob winked at Miles, who made an obscene gesture behind Gregor’s back but did it with such a cheesy grin on his face, Jakob had to smother a laugh.
Jakob followed Gregor back to his office and sat down. He already knew what was coming.
‘So…Venice. For nearly three months? Could have given me some notice, Jake.’
Gregor knew Jakob hated his name shortened. He looked over at him now, obviously trying to figure out where this new relaxed Jakob had come from.
‘So, who is she?’
‘My girlfriend.’
Gregor shook his head. ‘Man, I thought we had a silent agreement – no long term things, no commitments to interfere with the business.’
Jakob gave a hollow laugh. ‘I seem to remember us saying that once, in college, stoned out of our minds. Didn’t think it was binding.’
‘How do you think we built this business, Jake? Work. Eighteen hours days.’
‘Which we had the energy for twenty five years ago. Jesus, Gregor, how much more money do you need? This place and the people we invested in are the top picks from every grad scheme in the country, hell, the world. You and me, we don’t even need to show up for work anymore.’
‘So that’s it? That’s why you dropped ever
ything for some Italian pussy?’
Jakob’s dark green eyes took on a dangerous gleam. ‘Watch yourself, Greg. And she’s American, actually from here too.’
‘How’d you meet her?’
Jakob hesitated then decided the truth was the best way to go. ‘She dragged me out of the Venetian Lagoon after I jumped in. I was coming down, Greg, hard. She nursed me back to health.’
Greg sneered. ‘So she saves you from the drink, recognizes you and thinks ‘hey, meal ticket’.’
Jakob moved suddenly then, diving across the desk and grabbing Gregor by the throat. ‘Gregor, you don’t ever talk like that about her again, okay? Or we are done.’ He studied the other man’s eyes then released him in disgust. ‘You’re high at work?’
Gregor gave a laugh. ‘Seriously? You’re judging me? Did you think no-one noticed at that benefit in January how wasted you were? Don’t be a hypocrite, Jake. You know how much we built because we could use it to fuel our energy.’
‘Yeah,’ Jakob said, bleakly. ‘I remember and I can tell you now…it’s over. You need to get clean or I’m walking away with my share and you can do what the hell you want.’
He got up and walked to the door. ‘And I mean it, Gregor, you will speak about and to Quilla with respect or not at all.’
He slammed the door behind him, stalked down to the car and drove out to his dad’s place, feeling irked and tired and…pissed. Why was he still in business with that clown? It wasn’t as if he even liked Gregor – the dude was snaky as all hell. Fuck it. He’d talk to his dad – who had warned him about Gregor from the beginning – and work out a way to separate from him without risking the jobs of the people who worked there. Buy Gregor out maybe. Mallory Fisk didn’t need him anymore and Jakob didn’t need someone like that – such a malevolent presence – in his life..
As he drove out to the big house, he pushed Gregor to the back of his mind and focused instead on Quilla. He already missed her. Tomorrow he would go over early and see her before work. He still couldn’t quite believe she was his…or that he had fallen quite so hard. He’d always been such a workaholic but the last three months he realized how much of life he had been missing.
He steered the car up the long driveway of his father’s home. Despite his billions, Randall Mallory’s home wasn’t a tacky monolith to bad taste, instead it was a two story Ranch- style home – large yes – but not over the top.
Jakob didn’t bother to knock – it drove him mad that Ran never locked the door but today he didn’t care. He found his father reading in his library, his beloved dogs asleep at his feet.
‘Hey dad.’
Randall Mallory looked up and smiled, putting his book down. ‘Well about time, Jakob, come on in. I’ll call for some coffee.’
The dogs, two loopy Labrador retrievers, jumped up to greet Jakob and he wrestled with them whilst his dad ordered their drinks. Ran batted the dogs away affectionately and gave his son an awkward hug. He stood back and studied him. ‘Well now, you look good, Jakob, healthy. Rested.’
They sat, Jakob relieved to see his father looking so relaxed himself. Since their mom had died, Ran had gone through life with his usual stoicism but with a stoop to his tall frame, a sadness, an almost palpable sense of bewilderment. Francis Mallory had been the love of his life and without her, Ran wasn’t sure how to exist. His farther had never been the archetypal patriarch; he was kind, considerate, brilliant – and lonely and Jakob hated to see him so depressed.
Now, he smiled at his eldest son.
‘You really do look, good, Jakob. Now, tell me about this remarkable young lady.’
Back in his office, Gregor Fisk had done little work since Jakob had left. He knew his time at the company was at risk, that Jakob held all the cards because at the beginning, it had been the Mallory family who had bankrolled Gregor.
He hated it, he hated being in debt to a family who, for the most part, hated him. He’d had a plan to change that. Had a plan. And mostly that plan had had to do with Jakob being deemed unfit for service by the Board. Gregor had invested time, had risked everything to procure the highest quality coke. When he’d persuaded Jakob to use a little pick-me up – the night his mom was buried – he’d had no idea how quickly Jakob would become addicted. He had been using the drug to fend of the pain of losing his mom, of working to prove to his dad that he could take care of the business. Gregor had been waiting ever since to see Jakob fall.
And now, damn it, he was clean. Gregor had seen it in the healthy pallor of his skin, the clear sclera in his green eyes. All that work wasted. His interest had been piqued when Jakob had admitted the suicide attempt. That would have been…helpful. None of Jakob’s brothers were interested in property – or was qualified to fill his position. It would have been Gregor’s ‘honor’ to take the reins.
Now this girl had screwed up his plans…twice. Quilla. Gregor smirked. It shouldn’t be too hard to find out who she was with a name like that. He picked up the phone to call the person he knew could find her, wherever she was in the city.
Quilla flopped back on her bed, Marley beside her. ‘God, that was fun.’ They had been out at a local bar, a band playing in the background and Quilla had told Marley everything. Almost. She edited the way she had met Jakob – she just said he fell in the water by accident. Normally she would have told Marley everything but she felt disloyal about Jakob’s pain when they had never met.
‘I still can’t believe it…Jakob Mallory. Damn, girl,’ Marley propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at her friend. Quilla looked…amazing. That was the only word for it. Her eyes sparkled, her skin glowed… ‘Ugh, you are a living loved up cliché,’ Marley grumbled and Quilla laughed.
‘Yes, I am.’ She gave Marley a very cheesy, smug grin. ‘I got mine.’
Marley snorted. ‘And then some, by the sounds of it. So, what now? I mean, you lived together for three months so…?’
‘He asked me to move in with him – I said I needed time. That was then though,’ she admitted, ‘and I thought I was being mature and sensible. But fuck it, if we can go through all of that and be…’ She trailed off when she saw Markley’s doubtful expression and sighed. ‘Yeah, I know. I just…’
‘If you say ‘miss him already’, I will vomit on you.’ Marley growled and pretended to throttle her friend. Quilla giggled and Marley relented.
‘Well,’ she sat up, adjusting her t-shirt. ‘I’m going to get a cab. I need to meet this man of yours before you decide to move in with him and be all like ‘Oh we must register for dishware, darling’,’
Quilla pushed her off the bed with a foot. ‘Yeah, that’ll never happen.’
‘You don’t know, when you’re all Mrs. Billionaire and you can spend your days buffing your nails and giving him blow jobs that you’ve learned from his personal sex sensei.’
Quilla was crying with laughter. ‘Yes, because that’s what they do. God, you are a lunatic, my ribs hurt.’
Marley leaned over and hugged her friend. ‘I am happy for you and not at all jealous. Nope, not one bit.’ She grinned wickedly at her friend before waving. ‘I’m outty.’
‘Later, dude.’
Quilla heard her friend close her front door but lay on her bed still, catching her breath and thinking of the evening and her friend and Jakob – of course, Jakob. She rolled over onto her back, kicking her shoes off and easing out of her jeans. She grabbed her phone. Eleven p.m. There was a message she’d missed.
Thinking about your lips right now…thinking about what I’m going to do to you tomorrow…J xx
Quilla grinned. God, why had she said she wanted today to take a breather? She wanted him here, now…
She shook her head and went to run a bath in her tiny tub. If nothing else, she needed to shave her legs, primp herself for tomorrow. She took her phone in with her – just in case – setting her iPad on the sink to play soft music. She had nearly drifted off to sleep when her phone buzzed.
She smiled when she saw the ca
ller i.d. ‘Hey, I was dreaming about you…’
Jakob gave a throaty chuckle. ‘Must be catching. How was your evening?’
‘Fun but it was missing something.’ There was a chuckle in her voice.
‘And what would that be?’
They both laughed. ‘I hear splashing, you in the tub…naked?’
‘Nope, fully clothed.’
‘Funny girl.’
Quilla grinned. ‘You still at your dad’s?’
‘No, on my way back into the city. He wants to meet you.’
Quilla felt a shiver of nervousness and when she didn’t reply, Jakob reassured her. ‘You’ll be fine; he’s a kitten, really.’
‘I’ll take your word for it.’
‘Anyway, this tub…’
She laughed. ‘You know, it’s small but it could fit two people if they were very, very close…’
Jakob growled. ‘Woman, I’m already on my way.’
‘I’ll leave the door open for you.’
Jakob pushed open the door to the apartment building and quickly ascended the two flights of stairs to Quilla’s apartment. 3E. He pushed on her door and let himself in. Down the hallway then he was into the living room. There were dimmed lamps on and Quilla, naked and wet from the bathtub, sat on a chair, waiting for him, her posture upright, and a small smile playing around her lips.
‘Hello baby,’ she said softly and slowly and deliberately spread her legs so he could see her wet, slippery cunt, swollen and ready for him. Jakob let out a long sigh of longing and moved toward her. When he reached her, he bent his head to kiss her, and felt her hands at his crotch, unzipping him. She smiled up at him. ‘Stay still, handsome.’
She took his already stiffening cock from his pants and glided her lips over the wide crest of it, teasing the ultra-sensitive tip with her tongue. Her hand stroked up and down the length of his shaft while the other cupped his balls and massaged them gently.
Montgomery Billionaire Series Page 94