Ma continued, “When I started, Lizette was only seven. Every day after school she would come in with that beautiful smile of hers. I would get her an ice cream soda and, before you knew it, she was yakking nonstop about her day. Even after all these years, all it takes is a bit of ice cream and she comes right out of her shell.”
Jon looked at Lizette, who looked like she was planning her escape. The thought of finally being alone with her was tempting, yet he found he was enjoying hearing about her. It only took three words to encourage Ma to continue. “Tell me more,” he said.
“She loved school, especially math. Bet she didn’t tell you she’s brilliant with numbers.” Jon shook his head. “Well, she is and always has been. After she finished her homework, she would help me count all the money in the cash drawer. You would think she would have made mistakes at age seven, but not when it came to numbers. By the time she was in high school, she was able to handle the store’s bookkeeping. She was so talented at math we weren’t surprised when she received a full scholarship to the University of Connecticut and earned a BA and master’s degree in accounting. Her parents were so proud.” Ma turned again to Lizette and gave her hand a little supportive tap. “You see, she planned on coming back to Chepachet someday to take over the family business. But as you know, sometimes things don’t go as planned.”
“What happened?” he asked.
“Well, while she was away at college, hard times hit around here and eventually her family sold the business.”
Jon watched as Lizette’s sweet smile faded and was replaced by a cold blank stare. It was obvious she harbored some serious issues regarding her parents’ sale of the store. He made a mental note to ask her about it later when they were alone.
“Ever since Lizette graduated, she’s been working as the accountant for the not-for-profit organization called Another Chance located here. She said she wouldn’t ever leave Chepachet again. She loves this town, and we love her. There is something special about this young lady, and don’t you forget it.”
Ma was right. Even though it had only been twenty-four hours since he’d laid eyes on her, he could tell there was something special about Lizette. She wasn’t like many women he’d met, who had either wanted him because of his money, or had been so fake he thought they were made of plastic. Lizette fell into neither category. She was the type of woman a man could settle down with, have children with. Something that didn’t fit in his world, though it fit into the world he was sitting in right now.
He thought of Ma’s house, an old Victorian with a wraparound porch and a white picket fence. Rosebushes grew on both sides of the porch, and there was a small flower garden he was sure Ma had trouble keeping the boys out of. The ride through town earlier in the day had revealed all types of houses, each with their own character. Trees all around, children playing in the yards: this was a town a person could call home. Jon looked out the kitchen window and saw the sun was beginning to set. It never really got dark in the city, but here it would soon be dark, quiet, and peaceful. Yes, a place like this was where you were meant to raise a family. But for him, it wasn’t time yet.
He thought about how he lived and worked now, spending all his time in the office, only stopping long enough to sleep. There was only one way to describe his love life—one of convenience, with no actual love involved.
Lizette brought Jon back from his thoughts, saying, “Ma, I think that is enough about me for tonight. I’m sure Jon is tired of hearing about me.”
“Lizette,” Jon replied, “Ma made a good point earlier—how else will we get to know each other if we don’t ask questions?” He smiled playfully and asked, “Husband, children, or boyfriend?”
“I am not playing Truth or Dare with you, Jon.”
“Now that could be interesting, but maybe best left for another time and place.” Jon smiled at Lizette and then gave Ma a wink.
He almost felt bad watching Lizette as she hung her head in defeat, but he was enjoying the game. When Lizette didn’t answer his question, Ma cheerfully did so for her. “No husband or boyfriend at the moment, but things are starting to look promising.”
“Siblings?” Jon asked, without taking his eyes off Lizette.
“No,” she answered.
“Hobbies? Interests?” Jon probed.
“Reading,” Lizette said.
“Lizette, there is so much more to you than that,” Ma interrupted. Turning to Jon, she added, “She just doesn’t like to boast about herself, that’s all. You already know she is very involved in the community, but you might not know she’s also an advocate for small businesses. She helps fight takeovers from those big corporate giants, as she calls them, so they won’t destroy every last bit of history in this town. You should see this sweet girl when they try to intimidate us little guys. You know who I mean—those companies that seem to have more money than God. Oh, I could tell you stories all night.”
Jon looked at Lizette, whose face was glowing red with embarrassment. “That’s enough for tonight, Ma.” She quickly got up and started clearing the dirty dishes from the table.
“Leave that, sweetie, I’ll do it later.”
“Ma, you know the rules. You cook and I do the dishes,” Lizette stated.
“Tonight is different—you brought a date.”
Lizette ignored her comment, grabbed an apron out of a drawer near the sink, and slipped it over her head. This had been their routine each Saturday night for the past five years, since she returned home from college. Just because Jon was here was no reason to break tradition.
Jon rose from his place and took his plate to the sink. He rolled up his sleeves and said, “Where do you want me to start?”
Lizette opened her mouth to protest. Jon took his finger and laid it across her lips. Their eyes met and whatever she was about to say was lost in his gentle touch.
“I can see you two can handle this without me, so I’ll go get those grandkids of mine washed and ready for bed. When I return, we can sit and have some coffee and pie.” With that, Ma scooted out of the kitchen, leaving them alone.
Lizette blushed and turned away. He had seen the flame, the yearning in her eyes when he touched her, and wondered where it could have led if they’d been somewhere more private.
Lizette had looked like she was going to refuse his offer of help, but instead she turned toward the mound of dishes and said, “I’ll wash, you dry.”
She opened the drawer again and pulled out another apron. She turned to Jon, raised her arms, and slipped the apron around his neck. Then she leaned closer and wrapped her arms around him so she could tie it behind him. Her breasts were pressed up against him, and he felt the blood rushing to his manhood. What game was she playing? He bent slightly to kiss her. He had to taste those lips that had been driving him crazy since last night. His mouth met hers, gently at first, then more and more hungrily. His tongue teased her lips open. Just as she started to give in, he trailed his kisses down to her jaw, then back to her lips. She was left defenseless as his hot mouth claimed hers once again, this time with more intensity. His need to have her was growing beyond anything he had felt before. This wasn’t the time or the place to explore this further. Forcing himself to gain control, he began to lower the heat that had built between them.
Once he had stopped, Lizette pulled away from him slowly. She hid her eyes from him, but her hard nipples pressing against her own apron said she was feeling their connection too.
Yet she turned to the sink as though nothing had transpired between them. She began washing, rinsing, and passing the dishes to him without uttering one word. The only indication of their encounter was the unsteadiness of her hands.
Jon broke the silence by talking on a safe topic, asking more about Ma and the boys. The conversation soon flowed easily between them. By the time Ma returned, they were both laughing at a story Lizette told when Bobby was younger.
“Well, you two seem to be getting along just fine without me. You finish up while I get th
at coffee and pie I promised.”
Jon and Lizette exchanged a sideways glance before returning to the task at hand. It was true, they worked well together, and before they knew it the dishes were all put away.
Ma had set the table for dessert. She poured the coffee and cut slices of the warm apple pie, each with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Even though Jon and Lizette were still full, they knew they could not resist having a piece of her pie.
The three of them sat and chatted for more than two hours, talking about the children, the local happenings, and Ma’s memories of the “good ol’ days,” as she called them. They were startled when the clock chimed eleven. “Ma, we better get going,” Lizette said. “Sorry to have kept you up so late.”
“No, sweetie, I could not have enjoyed myself anymore than I did tonight. We will have to do this again soon.”
As they walked to the door, Lizette said, “I will see you again next Saturday. Call me if you need anything before then.” She gave Ma a kiss on the cheek.
Jon reached out to shake Ma’s hand, but she wasn’t having any of that. She pulled him into her arms and gave him a hug. Without hesitation this time, Jon gave her a kiss on the cheek too. “Thank you for opening your home to me. I haven’t had a home-cooked meal for a very long time. Lizette was right—you are a wonderful cook. It truly was a pleasure meeting you and the boys.”
Ma grinned from ear to ear and said, “That is so kind. When will I be seeing you again? Next Saturday, maybe?”
Oh, Ma was persistent. Jon did not want to commit to anything. This day was supposed to be a onetime deal. One event, one date, then back to business. Yet somehow without thinking he said, “We’ll be back soon. I promise.”
Ma smiled, hugged Jon goodbye, and whispered a private message in his ear. He could tell Lizette was trying to catch what she said but couldn’t.
“I will, I promise,” was his response.
The two walked to her car. When they were alone, Lizette asked, “What did Ma whisper to you when we were leaving?”
“She was just saying goodbye.” He could tell from the expression on her face she wasn’t buying his answer. Why should she? He was lying. It wasn’t something he normally felt the need to do, but Ma’s message had been more of a warning, and was not meant to be shared. Lizette shook her head and started the car. He enjoyed watching her as she tried ignoring him. It seemed the more she tried the more she twitched that cute little nose of hers. The car ride was going to be different from the earlier ones. He couldn’t handle another ride in silence. He now knew a topic she was comfortable with: Ma and the boys. “So tell me, is that a usual Saturday night at Ma’s?” he asked. His plan worked. They chatted all the way back to her house about Ma and the boys and sometimes even shared their own childhood memories. They were actually enjoying themselves. Even laughing at times. It felt good. Really good.
Lizette pulled into her driveway. The car was barely in park and she appeared ready to jump out when Jon asked, “Did you enjoy yourself this evening?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Isn’t this when you ask if I enjoyed myself too?”
“Did you enjoy yourself this evening?”
“Yes, I did.” Jon stroked her hand with his. Quickly Lizette pulled her hand away and got out of the car. He exited right after her and asked, “What are you afraid of, Lizette? Why do you pull away from me when you know you’re enjoying yourself as much as I am?”
“You give yourself too much credit, Mr. Vinchi.”
“Ah, back to Mr. Vinchi. Okay, Lizette, so you’re saying you don’t find me attractive? That you didn’t enjoy that kiss in Ma’s kitchen? That your blood wasn’t as hot as mine? Because your body seemed to be saying you were.”
“That was just a physical reaction. I don’t even like you, Mr. Vinchi.”
“Oh. Don’t like me? A bit harsh, don’t you think? I mean, what could I have done in twenty-four hours for you to have already formed such a negative opinion about me?”
“You know exactly what you did.”
By now Lizette had made it to her front porch and was fumbling with her keys. Yep, she was upset. About what, he did not know, but he was about to find out. “Lizette, we need to talk.”
“No, we don’t. Goodbye, Mr. Vinchi.”
Jon grabbed her hand to stop her from continuing. “The name is Jon. What are you afraid of, Lizette?”
He could feel Lizette’s hand tremble in his before she pulled hers away. “Jon, I am not afraid of anything and definitely not afraid of you. We have nothing to talk about. You fulfilled your business obligation today. Now we don’t have to see each other again. You can go back to your big office in the big city with your fancy suits and corporate friends and laugh about what you did on the Date of Your Dreams.”
“Why do you think I’m going to laugh at what we did today? We worked to make the park a safe place for kids to play. I don’t see anything to laugh at.”
“You mean you don’t mind that you spent the afternoon picking up trash?” she asked sarcastically.
“I won’t lie, I would have preferred another assignment, but I was there to help, no matter what the job. It’s not the work at the park that has upset you. By your greeting this morning, it would seem you were less than happy to be spending the day with me. I suspect it wasn’t an accident that you omitted the details of what we’d be doing when you spoke to Matt. So tell me, Lizette, why the change from last night?”
“Last night was different. I was doing my job,” she said.
“Lie to yourself if you want. You enjoyed yourself last night, and you may not have planned to, but you enjoyed being with me again today.”
“Oh, you have some nerve, talking to me about lying, Mr. Vinchi. You wrote the book on it.” She opened her front door, entered, turned, and said, “Goodbye, Mr. Vinchi.” Then she slammed the door without another word.
Chapter Six
The hot water beat against her back. One of his hands caressed her breast while the other moved lower and grasped her behind her knee. With ease he lifted her up, and she instinctively opened for him. With one swift move, he slid his hot shaft inside her. She clung to his shoulders as he cupped her buttock with his hands, lifting and driving further into her with each motion. She shuddered against the waves of her climax, which were so strong she actually heard fireworks. As the waves subsided, the sound of fireworks was replaced by the familiar buzzing of her cell phone.
Not again, she thought. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was 8:00 a.m. Really? No one ever calls her early on the weekends. What were the odds that both her days started the same way? Was this the sign to start shutting her phone off before bed?
Not wanting to open her eyes again, she didn’t even bother to look at caller ID before picking up her phone. Better not be Jon or his assistant, she thought as she answered.
“Hello, Lizette. Sorry to call so early.”
It was Ms. Manning. Lizette sat up and tried to force herself awake. It must be important because Ms. Manning never called her personal cell phone before. “No problem, Ms. Manning. What can I do for you?”
“What can you do for me? No, Lizette, it’s what you seem to be doing for Another Chance. I was watching the news this morning and found out that you won the Date of Your Dreams with one of the most eligible bachelors, billionaire Jonathan Vinchi. I couldn’t believe it. Not only were you on the local news, but I opened the newspaper and there you were again. Pictures of the two of you at Friday’s charity event, and then more pictures of you cleaning a local park and leaving together in your car. This is amazing. Just think, if I hadn’t been so sick Friday night, I would have been the lucky winner.”
What? No! No way! How could he? “Ms. Manning, I can explain—”
“The only thing you need to explain is why you didn’t call me so I could have joined you at the park? I thought we were lost, that there was no way to keep these doors open much longer. I knew that within thirty days I was going to have
to lay off the staff, but now, with this new development, your contact with Jonathan Vinchi, we have hope. Not just for us, but think how the community will benefit.” She paused a moment and then asked, “So how did it go? When you asked him for a donation?”
Oh, yeah, forgot about that. “Ms. Manning, Mr. Vinchi didn’t give me an answer.”
“Well, you better give him a call and strike while the iron is hot. This opportunity won’t come up again.”
Great, no pressure. “I don’t believe I will be seeing Mr. Vinchi again, and I have no way of reaching him.” And I don’t want to.
“Don’t play coy with me, Lizette. I saw those pictures, the way the two of you were looking at each other. I know you don’t like people delving into your personal life, but we need a sponsor like Vinchi Medical Engineering. Mixing business with pleasure is never easy, and I myself avoid it too, but this time it can’t be helped. No matter what you feel for Mr. Vinchi, I need you to negotiate a donation for Another Chance. The office will be notified that you’re taking time off for business. My admin will be expecting your call for any assistance you need. The door is open, Lizette—now you have to seal this deal. I am sure if you put your mind to it, you will find a way to contact him—if he doesn’t contact you first. I don’t care how you do it, just make it happen.”
“I will do my best, Ms. Manning,” Lizette said, trying to sound hopeful.
“You always do. I know you won’t disappoint us.”
Lizette hung up in disbelief. Maybe this was just a terrible dream. More like a nightmare. Ms. Manning had said the door was open—not quite. Lizette recalled calling Jon a liar as she slammed the door in his face. Really, could a door be any more closed than that?
Throwing the covers off, she got up and said to herself, “This weekend can’t get any worse.” At least, she hoped it couldn’t—but since Friday nothing seemed to be going the way she’d planned.
The Billionaire's Secret (Betting on You Series: Book One) Page 6
