Do Marry Your Billionaire Boss (Jewel Family Romance Book 1)

by Cami Checketts

  He smirked at her, as if he knew exactly what she wanted. Swimming with quick strokes toward the waterfall, he plunged under it, grabbing his hat and sunglasses as he did. When he surfaced, his sunglasses were firmly in place, his dark hair covering his forehead. He shoved his hair back and replaced his hat.

  Dang. That hadn’t worked. All she’d gotten was a quick glimpse of his dark, wavy hair.

  “Your turn,” he called.

  Jade swam the short distance to the falls and let it pound on her head and shoulders. It wasn’t vicious, but it definitely gave a stronger massage than her last masseuse had done.

  She pushed the hair out of her face and glanced over to where Jesse was treading water. Why was he so mysterious? The investigative part of her that loved getting to the bottom of celebrities’ lives and secrets wondered if he was famous; that would explain why he wouldn’t show her his face. The womanly part of her just wanted to see his eyes and get to know him better.

  After they played in the water a little longer, they dried off, went back to the car, and then drove higher into the forest. They hiked up to the El Yunque peak. It was a decent workout and an incredible view. Jade tried to ask Jesse questions to draw him out as they hiked, but she failed miserably. He was an expert at turning the conversation back on her, and before they finished the hike, he knew all about her only sister, Teal, who had just fallen in love with a football player, Stetson Strong. He knew about how she’d gotten her MBA from Stanford and worked for several different property management companies before working her way up to the CEO of Jewel’s Property Management division, Curtis Slade’s assistant—which was all a waste now. The only things she didn’t spill were about her celebrity blog and her narcissistic parents. The parents she rarely talked about, and she didn’t want him to clam up if he knew about Cream the Celebrity. Most celebrities she’d interviewed seemed to love sharing with her and her fans. Jesse didn’t appear that way. If he was even a celebrity.

  They arrived back at the vehicle, leaving tracks of mud behind them. Jade was wishing she could swim in another waterfall pool and find something more about Jesse; he’d only revealed that he had six siblings and had been raised all over, but mostly in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Hence the Jesse James alibi, she supposed. Who was he? She was going nuts. He hadn’t even admitted where he normally lived, claiming that the Jewel resort was his home base for a while. He was obviously wealthy, if she was reading the indicators correctly: he’d been to all the vacation spots where he’d claimed to swim in a waterfall, was able to make a luxury resort his home base, and his Lexus was extremely nice. She’d assumed it was a rental, but now she wasn’t so sure.

  Jesse drove the Lexus’ sports utility around the loop at the top of the forest road and headed back down. Jade’s mind was scrambling for ideas to draw him out, but her surroundings proved to be a distraction. The windows were down and the massive sunroof was open as Jesse slowly navigated the curvy road so Jade could soak in all the scenery. Jade liked being able to see the outside world.

  “Hamburgers,” Jesse suddenly proclaimed.

  “Excuse me?” Jade turned to him, confused.

  “I smell hamburgers. Do you?”

  “No.” She laughed softly. “All that hiking has you hungry?”

  “I’m starved. It’s almost five, and I haven’t eaten since breakfast. That’s not natural. Aren’t you hungry?”

  Her stomach growled at that moment, and they both laughed. “I guess I could eat.” She perked up when she spotted a small restaurant on the right-hand side of the road. “I didn’t notice this going up. Who knew there’d be a little restaurant in the rainforest?”

  “What did I tell you?” Jesse asked triumphantly. “Some smart man put it here, knowing other men would be starving with all that hiking and swimming.”

  “You men have all the knowledge. I bow to you, the master of sniffing out hamburgers.”

  “At least I’m a master of something.”

  They unloaded from the car again and walked into the little restaurant and up to the bar to order. Jade realized she really liked being around Jesse and wouldn’t mind getting to know him better. It was a complete one-eighty from how her day had started, with Curtis’s accusation of embezzlement. Yet she still knew so little about Jesse, and she was leaving on Sunday for the cruise. If things kept going as well as they had today, maybe he’d be interested in coming to visit her in Florida. It wasn’t as exotic as all of this, but there were still a lot of fun things to do.

  Thinking of Florida reminded her that she’d quit her job. Dang. Maybe she’d relocate to California, where she could be closer to celebrities and update her blog and social media more regularly than once every couple of weeks. She tried to do a teaser early in the month and then have a new spotlight on a celebrity toward the end of the month. People seemed to like it, but she always got comments and emails wanting more, and it wouldn’t hurt her ad money either.

  Yet it was getting harder to find willing and interesting subjects since she’d already interviewed all the famous people she knew personally. Now the willing ones she was finding were usually social climbers, and the interesting ones were usually more reclusive. She shot a side glance at Jesse as they waited for their food at a semi-clean picnic table. He was intriguing, handsome, but she didn’t like that he was hiding something from her. With parents like hers, she would never fall for someone who couldn’t be honest with her.

  She pushed those worries from her mind just like she was ignoring the stress hanging over her from Curtis’s accusations. Her lawyer had said she shouldn’t worry, so she’d try not to. There was nothing wrong with enjoying time with an attractive man. Seeing the color of his eyes would make it all the better.

  Chapter Three

  Once they got back to the resort around seven, Joshua admitted to himself, and to Jade, that he’d better get some work done. Jade said she was going to swim in the ocean and the pool. He thought it was an invitation, but he didn’t take it. He found himself drawn to her, but he had no kind of proof that she wasn’t the embezzler and that she didn’t know exactly who she was flirting with. Over the past year, someone had been skimming a small fee off the additional tax and resort fee for the Jewel Resorts that were located throughout the Caribbean, rerouting the money to different Grand Cayman accounts. A million dollars and change was gone.

  He thought he’d played the part of Jesse James pretty well as he tried to figure out exactly who Jade Jardine was. Unfortunately, Jade was even more appealing to him now that he’d spent the day with her, and he still had no answers.

  Joshua went back to the suite and worked for a couple of hours, asking for a full report on the embezzlement and why the finger was pointed at Jade Jardine. After that, he ordered room service and ate on the balcony, overlooking the moonlit beach and ocean. He wished he’d asked Jade to a late dinner that night, but he needed to slow way down. He’d already asked her to go to the west side of the island to explore tomorrow. On Sunday they’d both get on the cruise ship, though she didn’t know he’d be there as Joshua Jewel, not Jesse James. It made him smile that she was obviously bugged by not knowing who he was or seeing his eyes and face completely, but she’d been great about it too. She hadn’t given him too hard of a time, and she had exhibited patience that he’d rarely seen in a woman who was pursuing him.

  He paced the long patio and found he couldn’t get the beautiful and fun Jade Jardine out of his mind. Was she into him? His cynical mind told him that even if she didn’t know who he was, she could still be using him as a buddy to explore the island with, or even a meal ticket. Yet that made no sense; the meals at the resort were all-inclusive, so she’d have all the food she wanted, and it wasn’t as if the hamburger from the roadside restaurant was expensive.

  He flashed back to Amber, and his gut tightened. He’d only been a junior in college, twenty years old and thinking he had the world in his grasp. He’d fallen quickly for the gorgeous Amber, drawn in by her charming personality
, her long, black curls, her smooth brown skin, and her perfect body. She was a star volleyball player. Several of his lacrosse buddies had told him she was using him, but he didn’t believe them—until one of them recorded her telling her friend about all the things she was going to do with the money and fame of the Jewel family.

  Then, before he could dump her, he caught her with a senior hockey player whose family money was even greater than Joshua’s and who already had a contract with the NHL. She’d assumed she could keep both of her boyfriends and play them both for all they were worth. Joshua had ruined that plan, and she’d retaliated by making him look bad around campus and on social media.

  It was pathetic, as he’d been so young, but he’d been deeply in love with her. The betrayal hurt so much that he became a recluse, quit lacrosse, and focused on school and becoming the businessman his dad needed him to be. He determined that he wasn’t going to be some billionaire that every woman went after for only his money, so he made certain not to get his face photographed and he promised himself to never, ever fall in love again.

  Jade was testing his conviction. He wasn’t falling in love, he assured himself. She was great to be around, and maybe he was lonely for a friend without his brothers and sisters, and hilarious niece, Paisley, being around. If Paisley was here he’d be laughing nonstop and constantly distracted. That was it. He simply missed his family.

  He forced himself to go lie down on the massive bed in his suite. The crashing of the waves far below didn’t put him to sleep like usual. He couldn’t forget how cute Jade had been as they’d swum in the small waterfall pool, as she’d teased with him, and as she’d taken in the beauty of the rainforest. She was unique, and he was excited to spend tomorrow with her. Besides, he needed to get to the bottom of the embezzlement accusations against her. That was all it was.

  Love. He scoffed, punched the pillow, and rolled over. That wasn’t happening to him again.

  Jade woke early and ran the beach. Her mind flipped between concern over the embezzlement accusation and delight over memories of her day with Jesse yesterday. After seven miles traversing back and forth along the stretch in front of the resort, she slowed down and walked, savoring the beauty of the morning and the sand and the waves. Living in Florida, she had a lot of opportunities to enjoy the beach, but usually she was busy with work and researching for her blog.

  She showered quickly, ate some eggs and fruit from room service, and waited in the lobby at eight a.m. for Jesse. He strode confidently around the rear of the Italian restaurant. She waved, and he grinned as he approached. Sadly, he was still wearing the sunglasses and a hat; this hat was a new one, sporting the name Duke.

  “Is that where you went to school?” she asked, pointing.

  He nodded. “And you went to Stanford.”

  “Yep.” She liked that he remembered.

  “Very impressive.”

  She swung her day bag between her fingers. “For sure. Duke’s not exactly for slouches either.”

  He shrugged. “And you graduated with an MBA in business?”

  “That’s right. You?”

  “The same.” He grinned as if they were sharing a secret.

  “Mr. Jewel?”

  Jade whipped around. Joshua Jewel was here? It did make sense that he’d be at his own resort, especially as they were leaving on the cruise tomorrow. She couldn’t wait to meet him. Worry rolled inside her gut, though. How was she going to meet him when she’d quit and he’d probably already heard about Curtis’s accusations? Luckily, she hadn’t seen the slime Curtis since yesterday morning.

  The lady who Jade assumed had called to Mr. Jewel was looking a little confused. Then she simply turned and walked the other direction. That was weird.

  Jesse put his hand on her lower back and escorted her out the glass front doors. “I think the valet has the car,” he murmured.

  “Did you hear that lady call to Mr. Jewel?” she asked as they walked to the Lexus and the valet got her door.

  Jesse said nothing as he walked around and climbed in.

  “Jesse?” she asked again. “Do you think Joshua Jewel is here?”

  “It’s his resort, so maybe.”

  “I’d love to meet him.”

  “Why?” Jesse asked sharply.

  “HR wouldn’t give me his number, but I think he’d listen to me if I told him my side of the story.”

  “I guess that’s a good reason.”

  “You guess?” She glanced at him. His jaw was clamped tight, as if he were the one being wrongly accused. “I’m being accused of embezzlement. I think that’s a pretty good reason to want to meet the owner and have my side of the story told.”

  Jesse pulled through the circle and out toward the main road. “Is that the only reason?”

  She glanced out the window and admitted, “I’ve always wanted to meet him. I like his name: Joshua Jewel.”

  “So, you must like my name, Jesse James.” He pumped his eyebrows.

  She glared at him. “I would if it was a real name.”

  He didn’t flinch as he pulled onto the road and headed for the nearby highway, driving to the west. “It is a real name. Shared with the famous outlaw and my buddy who was once married to Sandra Bullock.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Your buddy, huh? Have you been married four times as well?”

  “Nope. Never married. You?”

  “Nope. I’m a lonesome loser as well,” she said. “Why haven’t you married?” She looked him over. “From what I can tell, you’re a Handsome Harry, you seem successful, and you’re not too awfully creepy.”

  Jesse laughed, driving easily with one hand even though traffic was heavy as they cruised through San Juan. “So from what you can tell, I’m handsome and not creepy?”

  “It’s hard with your face all covered.” She angled toward him. “Now if you’d take off the hat and sunglasses, I could give you a better evaluation.”

  “Keep dreaming,” he said.

  She folded her arms across her chest and turned back forward. “Don’t flatter yourself. I have much better dreams than gazing into your eyes.”

  “I hope so. So tell me what you think about the Strong family. You were saying your sister’s pretty close with Stetson Strong?”

  “Yeah.” Jade started talking, and he encouraged her with questions. Apparently, Heath and Hazel Strong were friends of his, and he’d stayed at their Park City resort a few times. They talked through each of the Strongs that they’d met and shared some funny stories about Stetson’s nephew, Austin, who’d added Jade to his list of girlfriends moments after meeting her.

  “So where are we going?” she asked at a break in the conversation. He was a master at drawing her thoughts out while revealing very little about himself.

  They’d been driving along a freeway for almost an hour, and now they turned onto a route as picturesque as the rainforest had been yesterday, driving up above verdant valleys that sloped sharply away from the road. It looked like what she’d imagined Vietnam or Hawaii would look like. She’d had no clue that Puerto Rico was this beautiful and lush.

  “Well, you like waterfalls, so I thought I’d take you to a bigger one.” He grinned at her with such warmth that she instantly forgave him for being vague about himself.

  “I love waterfalls,” she found herself gushing, bouncing slightly in her seat.

  “I’ve noticed.”

  She ignored the sarcasm in his voice. “What’s this one called?”

  “Cascadas de Gozalandia.” He almost had a Spanish accent as he pronounced it.

  “Okay, I’m never going to remember that, so I’ll be bugging you for that name again. Maybe you can text it to me?” She hoped her voice didn’t sound too hopeful, but she’d love to have his number and know that she might see him again after today.

  “Sounds good,” he answered easily.

  She smiled and bit at her lip.

  He confidently traversed some different roads as if he’d driven this route a dozen t
imes. They went through tight streets, up and down sharp inclines. These streets would be a nightmare in the snow, not that it had ever snowed here. As it was, a light rain was pattering on the windows.

  Suddenly, a huge decline sloped before them. Jade looked down and let out a little squeal.

  Jesse laughed. “It’s okay. I’ve got a diggin’ vehicle.”

  “Diggin’? You might be Jesse James after all.”

  He eased down the crazy steep road, and the rough cement finish on it helped their tires grip. They hit some shallow puddles in the bottom; then they came up the equally steep other side of the ravine, and the tires spun a bit.

  “These tires are pathetic,” he muttered.

  Jade clutched the bar on the door until the Lexus gained traction and spit them out at the top of the cement. They pulled into a large dirt parking lot that was about half full, and the rain was drizzling more steadily now. A man gestured for them to park next to a small car.

  Jade glanced around, selfishly wishing that the spot wasn’t so busy. She wanted to be alone with Jesse like they’d been in the small waterfall yesterday. Popping out of the door, she turned her face to the heavens and let the soft rain kiss her skin.

  Jesse came around and put a hand on her lower back. “Ready?”

  “For sure!”

  He paid the parking attendant, and they grabbed their backpacks and headed to the trail. The rain increased as they hit the first set of stone steps. Jade’s foot slid, and she grasped the railing. Jesse was right there to wrap his arm around her, and Jade forgot all about the rain, the slick steps, and the anticipation of swimming in a waterfall. Her body felt a zip of awareness with his strong arm surrounding her waist, and she found her gaze drawn to those intriguing lips. It took all her self-restraint to not kiss him, or rip off his hat and sunglasses.