The Billionaire's Wife (Part Two)

by Ava Claire

  “And speaking of happy, I was watching PR the other day with Jeanette and I would just love it if you could pass along some ideas to Jacob.”

  Anddd she was back.

  I pulled to the curb in front of Bite, trying to not take it personal. At least she asked how I was and said something super sweet before she got to the real reason behind her call. “I gotta go. Give Dad a kiss for me.” I disconnected and hopped out of the car. I refocused on my mission: meeting Cole and inviting him over for dinner.

  I’d cleared out my schedule from 2 pm on in an effort to avoid the lunch rush and steal a sit down with Jacob’s brother, but when I stepped through the doors of Bite, I realized that ‘rush’ probably applied to the time between open and close.

  The first word that came to mind was bright. It was more than the white walls and vaulted ceilings with chandeliers that seemed to triple the size of the room. It was more than the circular tables, framed by modern yellow armchairs.The oversized, floor to ceiling windows let the sunshine in, but it was still more than interior decorating magic. It was all about the energy in the room. The excited chatter of the people lined up at the hostess stand. The visibly exhausted server who managed to smile; a real smile, not a fake, wince inducing one. It was beautifully plated dishes that made their way to the tables. It was the sparkle and glee that rounded the customer’s eyes as they brought the first bite to their lips. Things were so bright, so optimistic that I didn’t waste time with chit chat once I made it to the grinning hostess.

  “Table for one. Please seat me in Cole’s section.”

  Her smiled wavered. “What?”

  “Cole Sommers is on shift this afternoon, right?” It was rhetorical since I had already done my research and knew he was working until 5pm.

  Her cheeks darkened but there was something in her dark brown eyes that told me she wasn’t embarrassed. When she pulled herself to every inch of her height, I was sure she was about to challenge me to some sort of duel for Cole’s heart. “You’re a ... friend of Cole’s?”

  I shifted my purse to my other arm, fighting the urge to tell her that I was married and so not interested. “I’m kind of in a hurry. And starving.”

  She glared me up and down then slapped on a smile that looked like she was sucking on a lemon. “Right this way.”

  I practically sprinted trying to keep up with her, the brightness I'd seen a whirl of color now. The voices were teeth gratingly loud. The food overwhelmed my senses. And I didn't see Cole.

  Are you overstepping your bounds? Doing the exact kind of meddling that you chastise and avoid your mother for?

  I didn't give those questions a second thought, focusing instead on the fact that the restaurant was significantly bigger than it looked...or she was taking me to some secret room to off the competition.

  Just as I was about to ask for an ETA, she dumped me at a table near the back, whipping a menu in my direction like a frisbee.

  “He'll be right with you. Enjoy!”

  As delicious as the room smelled, my eyes didn’t scan the plates on the table. They searched the staff. Blond, tall, with gray eyes, should have been easy to spot, but I came up empty. I glanced down at my hands, the tremble rippling through me and taking the menu along for the ride. Nerves were natural in these kinds of situations, but I searched for a liquid remedy anyway.

  Just as I was about to grab the nearest server and order a bottle of wine, a high pitched giggle pulled my attention toward the kitchen. I knew that giggle. It had even fell from my lips a couple of times. That giggle happened when you like someone and you’re a bundle of awkward. Nothing you say comes out right because you can’t utter the one thing that everyone can see: you like him.

  A guy and a girl were leaning against the bar. Their backs were toward me, but I knew it was Cole. It was more than the fact that he hit every characteristic on the list. He towered above his co-worker. His blond hair hung in shaggy waves and when he brushed it from his eyes, the giggle became a sigh. I knew it was Cole because he had the same power as Jacob: the ability to make a woman do just about anything with a single look.

  When he turned toward me that look snatched all the air from my lungs. If Jacob’s eyes were the sky, Cole’s were the sea. Blue gray. Vast. Mysterious.

  A curious smile curved his lips because I was staring, but I could tell from his stride that he was used to being stared at. He wore an ebony colored button down shirt and light colored jeans with every ounce of sophistication that his brother exuded in a suit. His smile deepened when he approached my table and heat involuntarily rushed to my cheeks.

  There was one key difference between the brothers. Where Jacob was guarded, an intriguing puzzle that revealed his innermost desires with every piece that clicked together, there was no wall with Cole. He was an open book, and right now every page was etched with the word ‘sex’. He stripped me down with his eyes, licking his lips with approval.

  Mortified, I broke the trance and brought my hands, specifically my left, to the table. I put on my business voice. “Hello. Cole, right?”

  “The one and only,” he winked, his voice deep and all charm. “And I know we don’t know each other. I never forget a pretty face.”

  Oh God. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “Does that line really work?”

  He leaned in. On closer inspection I saw that his features were much sharper than Jacob’s. Predatory. “Between you and me...yes.” He gave me another dazzling smile and stood upright. “But that’s enough about me-”

  “Actually, it isn’t.” I scooped my flyaways behind my ear and skipped to the end. “I’m Jacob’s wife, Leila. Do you have a break soon? I’d like to talk to you.”

  The smile dropped to the floor. “You’re Jacob’s wife?”

  I nodded slowly. “And you’re his brother.”

  “But you haven’t seen the birth certificate.” He meant it as a joke but the bitterness cut like a knife.

  I offered him a small smile. “I knew you were his brother the minute I saw you.”

  His gray eyes sparkled mischievously and his lips parted like he had something to say but he changed his mind and went quiet. He studied me, not in the overtly sexual manner like before, but with genuine interest. Somehow, that made me even more uncomfortable.

  I snatched my gaze from his, scouring the menu as I fidgeted in my seat. “I guess I should order something.”

  “I’ve got you.” He eased the menu out of my grasp. “I’ll run to the back and put your order in and grab a break so I can learn everything there is to know about my brother—and his beautiful wife.”

  Blushing all over again I shook it off and watched him head back to the pass that separated the dining area from the kitchen. An older woman in a white shirt and jeans exited the kitchen and Cole’s admirer quickly got back to work...along with everyone in the near vicinity.

  “Manager.” I murmured, expecting Cole’s exterior to change too, but the woman changed instead, her hawkish gaze softening. Her lips eased into a grin that she covered by shoo-ing Cole away. He pecked her on the cheek and made his way back towards me, the look on his face confirming what he said to me. That innate charm or draw must have been a genetic thing.

  He pulled the chair from the opposite side of the table to a few inches from mine. While he was settling in, I scooted a few inches away, prepared for the game this round.

  He smirked, my distance not lost on him. “You know, I don’t bite. Unless that’s your thing.”

  “Cut that out,” I hissed, pulling my blazer tighter. “I’m pretty much your sister.”

  He shook his head. “I have a sister. She’s sixteen going on thirty. Everything is boys, Instagram, Beyonce and volleyball.” He smiled to himself. “She’s back in Seattle, but we talk all the time. Somebody has to keep her on the straight and narrow.”

  I relaxed, the peek behind the flirty, aggressive curtain revealing a loving, supportive brother. “She’s lucky to have you.”

  He perked. “You hav
e brothers, sisters?”

  “Only child,” I answered.

  “Then you’re the lucky one,” he joked. “Being an only child means you avoid these kinds of situations. No long lost siblings popping up at your business meetings.” His voice sharpened. “What did he call me...” He snapped when it came to him. “A disruption.”

  “He called you a disruption?” I frowned. He definitely left that out.

  Cole sat back, a weird look on his face. “Among other things.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I knew Jacob, knew that this was the last thing he expected. I knew that he was angry at his mother...but also angry at fate, that he lost all the time with Cole. That didn’t align with Jacob going off on him.

  Luckily, the awkward silence that followed Cole’s admission was brief since our first course was up. The flirty co-worker couldn’t wait to sneak in a few more minutes with Cole and I watched him woo her, tease her, then send her on her way. Like a switch was flipped, he went from smiling and laughing to dead serious with no light or warmth to be found.

  “I take it Jacob redacted a few things,” he said coolly, “Like how he would contact me if he ever felt the urge to know me... And that sharing DNA didn’t make us brothers, it just meant our mother was a whore.”

  “What?!” I shook my head slowly at first, then more enthusiastically as I replayed Cole’s words. “They aren’t close, but Jacob wouldn’t call his mother a whore. And he’s cautious because he doesn’t want to get hurt, but I know that Jacob wants to know you. That he feels like a life was taken from him.”

  Cole looked away, his jaw tight and unyielding. “He’s had a change of heart then because the last time I saw him he made it pretty clear that he never wanted to see me again.”

  I still couldn’t wrap my brain around Jacob ripping his brother a new one, but in the heat of the moment, faced with the fallout of his mother’s secrets, he could have lost it. If I asked myself, ‘why didn’t he tell me the whole story?’ it opened up a whole new can of worms. So I let it go. It happened. Things were said that clearly weren’t meant. The only important question was, what now?

  “That’s why I’m here.” I said, fiddling with my napkin. “He wants to se you. I, we, want you to come over for dinner.”

  He blinked. “Jacob wants to see me?”

  I nodded. Well, those exact words hadn’t been uttered, but that was the general gist of it.

  “You’re inviting me over to dinner?” Cole asked, like he was waiting for the catch.

  “Absolutely. We’d love to have you.” His coworker breezed past and the two of them exchanged sultry looks. “Feel free to bring your girlfriend.”

  “Tracy?” he snorted. “We’re just special friends.” He gave me a look that explained just how special.

  “Oh Lord,” I groaned. “Okay, so bring someone, or not. Whatever makes you feel most comfortable.” I swallowed a forkful of Caesar salad. “Are you free tonight?”

  “Wow, um...I can be?” He was suddenly nervous, picking at the tablecloth. “Can I ask you a favor?”

  “Of course.”

  He glanced up, then back down. “I feel like the only way this works is if we start over. Forget what happened when he came here and I told him who I was and he-” Cole cleared his throat, looking up at me with renewed purpose. “I don’t even want to talk about it. We need a completely clean slate.”

  I put a hand on his arm. “Clean slate. You got it. You just make sure you bring an empty stomach.”

  Family dinner and a fresh start.

  NINE

  ****

  “Leila, have you lost your mind?”

  I pretended I didn’t hear Megan, even though she was on speakerphone and me, the delivery guy, and half the building must have heard her screech. I flashed him a tight smile as I signed for the catering order.

  “Do you need help setting up-”

  “She needs help alright,” Megan answered for me. “In fact, I think you should take all the food back. If there’s no food, maybe she won’t go through with this fantastically bad idea –”

  I reached over and put her on mute, handing the paper back to the delivery guy. “Thanks, but I have it covered.”

  He didn’t seem too convinced either, but he tapped the rim of his ball cap. “Good luck.”

  I waited for him to leave, refusing to let his doubt creep in too. He didn’t have all the details, just the brief meltdown Megan had been in the throes of when I told her about the impromptu dinner. I inhaled the herb and meaty deliciousness that wafted from the bag on the bar. A part of me hoped the involuntary muting would piss her off and she’d hang up, but it was wishful thinking. The call was still connected.

  I tapped the un-mute button, ready to apologize, but she clearly didn’t even notice that I put her on silent in the first place.

  “...After lunch, I thought we agreed that you are prone to overreacting. Jumping to conclusions and such?”

  I pulled out the containers of food, trying to keep my voice level. “What does any of that have to do with a harmless dinner?”

  “Please,” she scoffed. “Harmless? This is life-changing information. Jacob has a brother that his mother categorically denied until fairly recently. He kept it to himself, and when he told you, your first reaction is to hunt down his brother and set up some sort of reunion dinner?”

  “Reunion denotes that there was some sort of established relationship and they’re being reunited after a period of time. Doesn’t really apply to this situation.”

  “Thank you, Dictionary.com.”

  “I’m just trying to help,” I snapped. “Jacob’s hurting, Cole’s hurting-”

  “And I’m not sure it’s your job to be the glue that fixes it. You can’t force these kinds of things.”

  I was saved by a text from Jacob. I snatched up the reprieve. “That’s Jacob–I’ll let you know how it goes.”

  “Leila-”

  I disconnected and silenced the building knots in my stomach, scrolling to my unread messages. Jacob was leaving the office. My fingers trembled as I tapped out that I had a surprise. My world stood still while I waited for his reply.

  Jacob: You know how I love your surprises. :)

  Warmth ricocheted over me as I put aside my phone and focused on making tonight a night to be remembered.

  “Because I’m doing the right thing.” I said aloud, marching toward the kitchen. I swiped a couple of nice plates and serving dishes. I was a blur of movement, not thinking, just moving. The pasta was piled high, the salad was bright and tossed, the bread was buttered and savory. I pulled an unopened bottle of wine from the cabinet and swiped three glasses. Once the table was set, everything perfect and in its place, I was left with the quiet and the quiet gave my nerves the chance to magnify.

  What if Megan was right? What if I was just making it worse? What if it wasn’t my place? I frowned, that statement like something sour on my tongue. Making sure Jacob was happy was my place. I put the finishing touches on the spread, lighting some candles for ambiance. Zen, relaxed, good food...and hopefully, good, positive conversation.

  I braced myself on the table as I took in the empty plates. Blank slate. It was still hard to wrap my mind around Jacob ripping into his brother, but tonight wasn’t about rehashing things that were done out of anger. It was about healing and moving forward.

  The elevator chimed and I rushed to the mirror in the living room, giving my reflection a final look. Curls were pulled into a bun at the top of my head with a few in the front trickling down. Gloss and mascara outlined my features, but nothing too intense. Understated black dress and casual black flats completed the look.

  I crossed my legs and waited for him, hoping that Megan was wrong. Hoping that tiny voice inside my head was overreacting. Praying I wasn’t making a mistake.

  Jacob stopped in the doorway, a smile brightening his tired face. “You ordered in?” He took stock of the dining room. “Pasta, wine, candles, what’s the-”

 
My heart seized when he stopped talking, probably counting the plates and realizing that it wasn’t a dinner for two. He peeled off his jacket, his tone a little less excited. Rough around the edges. “Who’s joining us for dinner?”

  The knots tightened. “C-Cole.”

  I was so sure this was the right move, that I just needed to get the two brothers in the same room and everything would work itself out, but when I saw Jacob’s face, I realized I was wrong.

  I made a huge mistake.

  Jacob’s face was darkened with anger, his eyes turning to coal as he glared at me like my very existence was enough to make him want to put his fist through the wall. He didn’t move, and neither did I, terrified that the slightest movement, even a blink, would make him burn the entire building to the ground.

  “I’m sorry – it sounded like you said that Cole was joining us for dinner, but I must be mistaken.” His voice was savage. “Tell me I’m mistaken, Leila.”

  I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t breathe. And as badly as I wanted to, I couldn’t lie. “I did ask him over, but-”

  Jacob didn’t wait for the rest, storming into the next room. I saw the tense lines in his back, the way his muscles rippled because he couldn’t stop shaking. Everything in me except my heart said to give him space, but I followed him instead. I had to make him understand. “The way you talked about him, all the lost time...I just wanted to help. Give you a chance to hear his story. And he can hear yours.”

  The elevator intercom buzzed and I winced. I knew it was Cole before his voice filtered through the speaker.

  “Hello? Anybody there?”

  “He’s here?” Jacob had murder in his eyes. “You really had no intention of giving me an opportunity to decline. Dinner or else?”

  My throat was on fire, regret bringing emotion to my eyes. “Jacob, please...”

  He made a grand gesture. Ladies first. Or maybe it was ‘Go to hell’. “He’s your guest. By all means, buzz him up.”

  I went to the wall console, my finger hovering above the button.