by Misty Evans
“I see why Jacob likes you. He likes generous souls.” Ruth squeezed her hand. “Let’s invite your driver in, shall we?”
They found the cabbie playing basketball with Calen, the dog joining in the fun, jumping and barking at the two of them. The driver waved off the offer of iced tea and the two women sat on the small patio, watching him play with Calen. Jenna took back her earlier thought. While the guy seemed out of shape, he had some mean moves on the court.
Ruth was true to her word. By the time Jenna had drunk her iced tea, she had a wealth of knowledge about Jacob and his quiet, but diligent work, with not just a few families but dozens spread out across the country.
“I hope to see you at the campground this fall,” Ruth called after her a few minutes later as Jenna climbed into the cab. “Jacob needs someone like you in his life.”
Someone like me. Jenna waved as the cab pulled away. Her mind reeled from all the info Ruth had provided, and she wondered—hoped—was it possible?
Could Jacob love someone like her?
16
Jacob toyed with strands of Jenna’s hair as they ate their sushi and watched the news. “You were okay this afternoon while I had to deal with the renovation stuff? You kept busy?”
Jenna's hands paused for the briefest of moments before the chopsticks made it to her mouth. “Uh, yeah, I worked on stuff for the event. You know how it is. All the little bits and pieces to be verified.”
He studied her as she leaned back against the couch. The little picnic had been her idea, but she seemed distant...distracted.
She wasn’t lying exactly, but he could tell she was keeping something from him. He had no idea what.
Maybe it’s that she has feelings for that drunken asshole. He clenched his jaw and sucked in a deep breath as he mentally beat back the image of her in Hawke's arms.
After what that useless waste of space had pulled with her in Perris, there was no way she was still hung up on him, was she? She was too smart for that. She had to be.
And there was nothing wrong with him. He may well be the responsible sort, but he was plenty dirty where it mattered.
He couldn't help the smirk tugging at his lips thinking of that afternoon's adventures. The conference call. The way he'd bent her over his desk afterward, hitching up her skirt and sliding into her from behind. Judging from the muffled moans and the oh my Gods she liked his brand of dirty just fine. Then why couldn’t he shake the specter of Hawke with an E? Maybe because he’d seen some more tabloid trash linking them together earlier that day. He knew teenage crushes just within grasp didn't die easy.
Hell, if Giselle walked in right now, he might drool. She'd been all he could think about for years as a teenager. Granted, his taste had since matured. He had a distinct thing for redheads now.
“Right, pieces to be verified.” He added more wasabi to his tiny bowl and poured soy sauce over it.
Jenna wrinkled her nose. “Would you like some soy sauce with your wasabi?”
He laughed. “You know what? You focus on your bland sushi, I’ll focus on my exciting version.”
“I like wasabi fine, but you realize you’re basically creating a paste for your sushi.”
“I like it hot.”
She flushed, the tint going all the way up to her forehead. It was cute.
“And what, pray tell, was the beautiful Miss McIntyre just thinking about?”
Jenna giggled. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”
“Mmm-hmm. So you weren’t thinking about this afternoon, and how you clung onto my desk for purchase as I slid into you? Or maybe you weren’t thinking about this morning in the shower. I am more than happy to relive any of those if it'll make you flush like that again.”
Licking soy sauce off her fingers, she said, “All in due time, Mr. Swinton.”
She was so beautiful, siting there on the floor of his suite, wearing sweats and tiny white gym socks, eating sushi and making him smile. When was the last time he'd eaten on the floor and not some pretentious restaurant, or showing off in his massive kitchen?
He liked this better. “So tell me, Miss McIntyre. What would you like to do tonight? We've already had dinner, but I was thinking perhaps a show. Or a concert. What do you fancy?”
“Maybe we could head down to the casinos. I mean this is Vegas after all. I want to at least say I did some gambling while I was here.”
“You're in a hurry to lose your money are you? You know things are stacked so the house always wins right?”
“Oh, come on, it'll be fun. We can get all dressed up like it's a special occasion, or in your case, Tuesday, and have a real James Bond moment. You can show me how to play craps or something else totally baller.”
Her beautiful eyes were wide and hopeful. He really hated to bust her bubble. “Jenna, I don't gamble. Not with anything I don’t want to lose.”
“No way. Not roulette or craps? Poker? What about poker? As good as you are at reading people, you must be excellent at poker.”
He shook his head. “I never learned to play.”
“You know how to play cards. I mean it's like rich-guy code or something. You know, underground high-roller games. Beautiful women, high stakes, where nothing is off limits?”
Jacob laughed. “You watch too many spy movies. I don’t gamble. Early lessons from the family. Don’t gamble with anything you’re not willing to lose. And when you have shareholders, that means no gambling with other peoples' money. Besides, it's more satisfying to give money to people who need it. Not lose it to someone who wants to buy a new car or hopes to win yours.”
She blinked at him, then again. “Seriously Swinton, you're ruining my international rogue view of you. Like totally ruined. I mean, not even strip poker?”
Okay, that sounded far more interesting than gambling for money. “Strip poker. Now, I’m willing to listen to that idea. I’m sorry, love. Think of me as boring and stodgy. More Colin Firth than James Bond or Prince Harry.”
Her smile was impish. “You're hardly boring. Or stodgy. Especially not with what you can do with your fingers. I’m pretty sure you can keep me entertained for eons.”
He grinned. “If that's all it takes, I'd certainly be willing to give it a go.” He studied her, picturing her sitting on the couch, naked, wearing nothing but some cards in her hands. “Though, if you want to teach me poker and how stripping is involved, I am willing to sacrifice myself for that endeavor.”
She arched a dark, russet brow. “I'll bet you are. But I don't know how to play poker.”
Jacob leaned over and kissed her knee, trailed a kiss up her thigh. Jenna laughed low and husky, but shifted away. “Oh no you don't. You will not distract me from my mission to loosen you up.”
“I thought you said I wasn’t stodgy? Shall I show you just how not stodgy I am?”
She giggled. “Yes. Yes, you may. After we have some fun. Clothed fun.”
He paused and studied her closely. Shit. He'd cocked this up somehow. “Jenna, if you’re not in the mood, all you have to—”
She covered her face. “Oh my God, shut up. I’m in the mood. That's the problem. I’m always—uh—in the mood when you’re around.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “And that's a problem because....?”
She flushed again and he wanted to nuzzle her neck. Make her feel comfortable again. Before he peeled off her clothes to see how he could make her flush again. She was quickly becoming a major obsession of his.
You can fuck her all you like. You still won’t be able to keep other men from looking at her the same way you do.
Shoving the thought aside he cleared his throat. “Talk to me. What’s up?”
“It's a problem because when you get bored with me, I'll need you to remember how cool I am outside of the bedroom,” she smirked.
She may have been teasing, but there was a hint of truth to what she said. She thought he'd tire of her. That this would end once he'd had his fill. Isn’t that how your relationships usually go?
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Yes, but they were with women who used him for his money. Jenna may have been completely off base and misguided, but she was smarter than those women. Instead of using sex, she wanted him to know her.
He could do that. Humor her. Eventually she'd learn he wasn't going to let her go so easily. He'd give her time to warm up to the idea. Besides, he'd been doing the same thing most women did. He figured if he gave her enough orgasms, she'd forget all about 'Hawke with an E' and maybe, just maybe, she'd open up to him.
“First, I’m not going to get bored,” Jacob said. “And a Swinton never goes back on his word. You completely underestimate your effect on me. And secondly. I've always thought you were cool. Even before I saw how spectacular your breasts were. But, if you want to have some fun, we’ll have some fun. I think I have someone I can call to come tutor us in poker.”
She grinned and the tightness in his chest eased. He was so much happier when she was relaxed. “I have a better idea. But first we're going to need some Uno cards.”
* * *
Jacob never thought he’d sweat so much over what was supposed to be a children's game. First of all, Jenna was competitive. Second of all, so was he. Plus, there was the added bonus of nudity. And he was going to win. What Jenna didn't realize was that for a man, the promise of naked flesh was enough for him to fight tooth and nail.
She slapped down a 'Plus Four' card and cheerfully called out a new color. “Red. Take four. Oh, and Uno. Hand it over, Swinton.”
Jacob scowled and stared gloomily at the pile of clothes he'd amassed on the side. So far he had her hoodie, her socks and a t-shirt . Sadly, she still had on her bra and sweatpants. He needed an edge here. And frankly, he wasn't afraid to play a little dirty. He took his damn four cards, muttering under his breath as he did so. But then, instead of tossing one of her garments back at her, he stripped off his t-shirt, smirking as her eyes went wide.
She sputtered. “No, sweetheart, I don’t think you understand. You give me back something of mine.”
“No, love. You're making up the rules to strip Uno. So nowhere in your bylaws does it state that I have to return your clothing to you. Besides,” he shrugged. “I’m hot.” He winked and grinned at her, throwing his t-shirt , stripper style, right in her face.
She snatched the garment off of her face and glared at him. He lounged casually back against the couch. He knew as much as her body fascinated him, his fascinated her as well. Fuck, she’d spend a good twenty minutes last night counting his abs, always seeming to lose count along the way. He almost half-wished he was in just boxers and not jeans so she could get a full look at his erection. Granted, if that was the case, it would be harder to keep his hands off of her. More layers were good.
“I—okay, fine, bend the rules. If that’s the only way you can win.” She gloomily stared at her single card, then picked up another since she didn’t have the color or number to match.
“You said the object was to win. You provided shoddy rules. Don’t be mad if I use that against you.”
“You know, I think I liked it better when you were gay.”
Jacob grinned. “Oh, is that so?” She turned her face away in a mock pout and he laughed. The kind of deep belly laugh he wasn’t accustomed to. “Aww, does my darling Scarlett Witch regret teaching me this game?”
“You're cheating and” –her gaze roved over his chest—“and it's distracting.”
He let his tongue run over his bottom lip and Jenna stared. Got you, princess. “No more than you sitting there in nothing but your bra with your tits within licking distance. But somehow I’m managing.”
The only problem with poking his redheaded lioness was that she was a woman. Hands down, she had him dead to rights. All she had to do was touch him and he'd go off. But she didn’t need to know that.
Too bad she'd been imbued with those characteristics and the core knowledge that seemed to come with her sex. She propped herself up and leaned over him from the side table—her breasts coming within inches of his mouth. Fuck.
“Oh sorry,” she whispered, before easing back down to her kneeling position. “So thirsty.”
She took her time sipping her water, letting a few drops dribble down his chest. Jacob shuddered both from the cold and having her so close. How could she think he'd ever get bored with her? He was about ready to jump out of his skin.
“You are playing a dangerous game, Jenna McIntyre.”
She returned her glass to the table, this time deliberately brushing her left breast against his cheek. He groaned and his hands wrapped around her slender waist. “Naughty, naughty.”
Jenna stared at his lips. “Jacob, how about you just tell me how cool I am and we get naked?”
Jacob grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”
17
Jenna’s head spun with everything she had learned about Jacob over the past few days. Ruth and Calen weren’t the only ones he’d helped. Through Ruth, Jenna had been put in contact with several other families planning on attending the upcoming Swinton family camping event held every year near Napa. It was a weeklong camp for the kids Jacob sponsored and their families. Soldiers came down from Fort Bragg to teach the kids outdoor survival techniques. There was horse riding, swimming, crafts for the kids, and campfire cookouts. The parents were given time off, as well, to take tours of the nearby wineries, go to movies, have dinner out…all on Jacob’s dime.
And all of it done without a single bit of publicity.
On the taxi ride back to the Swinton Hotel from another pointless meeting with Hawke’s bank manager, Jenna wondered why Jacob kept his generous contributions to kids in need so hush-hush. She respected his desire to not bring unwanted attention to the kids and their families, but it seemed like a crying shame not to spread the word about his good deeds.
While many of the families loved being in the spotlight, she’d discovered many others, like Ruth, didn’t. They appreciated Jacob beyond measure, but they also liked a certain level of privacy. Not everything was a publicity event. They knew they couldn’t completely shelter their child from the world, but they also didn’t want to make a spectacle of them.
Jenna’s parents had felt the same way. While she could have been the poster child for 3 Wishes, they’d never used her story or her face as a marketing campaign.
God, she missed them. It was good they were having a second honeymoon, but she really wished they’d come home so she could hug them. Pulling out her phone, she texted them both.
Miss you. Hope you’re having fun! Can’t wait to see you.
Her finger hovered over the 'Send' button. Her parents would read too much into that and worry. She went back and deleted everything but ‘Hope you’re having fun!’, then hit Send.
“Gonna hafeta letcha out here, Miss,” the cabbie said from the front seat. “There’s some kinda thing goin’ on up there.”
Jenna stared through the rivulets of rain coming down her window. Sure enough, the sidewalk in front of the hotel was jam-packed with press blocking the entrance. A security guard was keeping them back, but things looked a bit unruly.
What was going on? Another celebrity sighting? This was Las Vegas, after all. Celebrities were everywhere.
“That’s all right,” Jenna said, tightening the sash on her trench coat. God, she hoped it wasn’t Hawke. She paid the driver and got out. It was her last day in Vegas and she hated to see it end. The time with Jacob had been like a vacation. The sex, the food, the fun.
The sex.
She’d never felt more alive, more attractive. More confident.
Skirting the crowd, she tried to see who they were waiting for as she made her way to the entrance. She hoped Jacob was still tied up with the renovation disaster and she could sneak into the penthouse without him realizing she’d even been gone. She hated lying to him, and had even considered asking for his help with Hawke’s missing funds, but as much as Jacob seem to hate Hawke, she didn’t want to involve him. Besides, she needed to handle this on
her own.
Grow a pair, as Van would say.
She’d grown some big ones lately.
Hopefully she’d have a time to get out of her wet clothes and dry her hair before Jacob returned. Maybe she’d stay naked and challenge him to another game of Uno.
“Hey! There she is!” A man shouted. “Hawke’s Humble Heroine!”
Suddenly Jenna was deluged. People started shouting things at her, camera flashes blinding her. She stumbled backward and ran into a guy who shoved a mini-recorder under her mouth. “Did you and Hawke break up? Where is Hawke? Why are you staying here with Jacob Swinton?”
A wet curl of hair fell into her face. She tried to work her way past the man and regain her balance. Didn’t these people understand personal space? “Hawke Thorn and I were never together,” Jenna said, shoving the man out her way. “Now please get out of my way.”
“So you slept with him and then left him,” some woman reporter yelled. “Or did he leave you? Are you brokenhearted? Did you check yourself in here to recover?”
Jenna snorted a laugh. She was nearly to the entrance. “Yes, my recovery is going quite well, too,” she said, lipping off while thinking about Jacob and his way of making her feel like the most special woman in the world.
She had just reached the security guard when a limo pulled up, parting the crowd. En masse, they turned and descended on whoever was getting out.
Thank goodness for celebrities, Jenna thought as the security guard tipped his hat and opened the door for her.
She was hurrying to the elevators when she heard her name being called.
Cringing, she turned, but it wasn’t Jacob catching her in the act.
It was Hawke.
Followed by his paparazzi brigade.
Oh, crap.
“Jenna.” He was all toothpaste commercial smiley, his very tight t-shirt damp from the rain and showing off his pecs. “Where are you going?”
She pumped the elevator button. Hurry up. “To my room.”