The Miami Millionaire

by Dawn Tamayo

  “Well I believe trust is something which has to be earnt, so yes it won’t be easy but one day you will trust the right person if you want to. As for me, you couldn’t be further from the truth. I know Felicity was just a first class bitch and not all women are like her. I won’t let her taint every woman for me. I know one day I will meet my Miss Right, Felicity just wasn’t it and when I look back there are so many things about her that should have told me that, but I was young and reckless back then.”

  “And not so now?”

  “No.”

  “So you just need to try out a lot of woman before you find the right one then, huh?” Victoria raised an eyebrow and smiled sarcastically at Jake.

  “Hey don’t hit out at me, not all men are the same as your Mark guy or Luke you know. Yes I date a lot of women but we all know where we stand. I am not exclusively dating any of them and they know that. I never tell these women I love them, and I never sleep with them and leave them thinking I will call when I won’t.”

  “Really?” She said sarcastically.

  “Yes really.” He said flatly.

  “Oh.” Victoria realised Jake was serious.

  “Not all of us are idiots like that ex of yours. Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking that Vicky.” He reached across the small gap between them and rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand.

  “Well right now being able to feel the way you do seems a long way off to me. I still haven’t finished cancelling everything I need to. I need to send a few more e-mails but I had to stop earlier, it was all getting a bit too much.”

  “I can imagine. Tell you what, let’s go back to my office at home and you can send your e-mails in peace from there.”

  “No that’s okay, I can send them from my laptop. If you don’t mind I will just go back to my hotel and do it from there.”

  “No you won’t, I’m not having you sitting alone in a hotel room doing something like that. I have an office at my condo, you can do it all from there. Can you access your e-mail account from any computer?”

  She nodded.

  “Good then it’s settled, let’s go straight there.”

  “What about my handbag, it’s still in the office at work.”

  “Don’t worry about that, I’ll call Andrea and she will have it sent across.”

  Victoria nodded, that sounded like a nicer plan than the one she originally had in mind.

  Jake stood up and held out his hand. Victoria took it and stood up, she knew it should have seemed strange to be taking Jake’s hand but it didn’t feel strange at all. She walked hand in hand with Jake swinging her sandals in her spare hand as her flip-flops made a padding sound along the promenade. Jake threw their rubbish into the bin and led Victoria out onto the main road to hail a yellow taxi again.

  Victoria walked into Jake’s living room and apart from the vast size of the apartment she was hit by the amazing view across the ocean from his fourteenth floor windows.

  “Wow that’s some view!” She called to Jake as he walked off into the kitchen.

  “It’s good isn’t it? I really like the view from my office window at night, that side of the building is facing inland and you have got the Miami lights as far as the eye can see. It’s quite something.”

  “I’m sure it is.” She murmured to herself.

  “Here you go.” Jake walked back in with two glasses of ice cold lemonade and passed one to Victoria.

  “Thanks.”

  “So, Andrea will bring your bag across later, she’s going to bring my car back too, much to her joy, she loves driving it when I give her the chance.”

  “I bet she does, that’s some car. Which one have you got with you today.”

  “The purple one.”

  “My favourite.”

  “Really? I’ll remember that.” Jake looked at his watch. “You go ahead and make yourself comfortable in my office, it’s just through there,” he motioned towards an open doorway off the large sitting room, “and I will phone down to order us some food. Take your time.”

  “What about you?”

  “Don’t worry I can work on my laptop in here, I won’t disturb you.”

  “Oh I didn’t mean that, I meant that I didn’t want to inconvenience you.” She almost laughed, she was high-jacking not only Jake’s day but his private office at home too, and he was worried that she might think he was going to disturb her!

  “Vicky it’s fine. Do what you’ve got to do and then come and eat.”

  Jake watched as Victoria walked into his office and he wondered what on earth he was doing. Was he trying to kill himself inside? Victoria looked so right there in his home, she somehow seemed to fit in so perfectly – watching her walk off into his office with a glass of fresh lemonade in her hand just looked right, like she was meant to be there. He turned away when she was out of sight and reached for the concierge’s restaurant guide and chose some lunch for them to send on up.

  Victoria pressed the send button and pushed her chair back from the computer. That was it, all done – everything was cancelled and her wedding dress was even advertised for sale on e-bay. She didn’t want anything to remind her of what could have been. It had been hard, she had shed a good few more silent tears but sending out the final e-mails hadn’t been like this morning and now, rather than feeling like her heart was shredded to pieces, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Of course she had sent Mark an e-mail telling him that everything was now cancelled, just to make it all final, but that e-mail had been short and barely courteous. She pushed the white leather chair away from Jake’s desk and stood looking out across the Miami skyline, Jake was right it was an amazing view from his office and she could imagine how incredible it would look at night with all the buildings’ lights against the evening darkness.

  Victoria walked out of Jakes office into the living room and saw Jake lifting the clear plastic lid off the last of the plates on the dining table.

  “Oh that smells delicious.” She said as her stomach grumbled.

  “All done?”

  She nodded.

  “Are you okay?” He said looking at her seriously. Whilst Victoria had been in his office putting her future to bed, Jake had been going through a few e-mails on his laptop. He tried to concentrate on the matter in hand but his mind kept wondering back to Victoria in the other room, so close, and he felt her pain. It hurt to know how much she was hurting inside. He hurt for her.

  “Actually I am okay, surprisingly. I thought it would be much harder but thanks to you, you made it so much easier.”

  “Me? What have I done?” He said surprised and happy she felt that way.

  “Well all this.” She said pointing to the delicious smelling food waiting for her, “and the time out on the beach before. It made a difference. Thank you.”

  Jake smiled and forced himself to turn his focus back to the food on the table.

  “I hope this is okay, I ordered rice with black beans and pulled pork with salad.”

  “That’s great. Thanks.” Victoria said as she joined him at the table.

  As they ate dinner Jake enjoyed every moment of Victoria’s conversation and Victoria almost forgot she was sitting with her potential client and momentarily her boss. Their conversation continued to flow as they took their coffees to the enormous black leather sofa.

  Victoria stood up and walked to a painting on the wall of a woman dancing with her golden hair flowing around her.

  “This is a beautiful painting.” She said as she examined it in detail, it wasn’t something she expected to see here in Jake’s modern apartment.

  “Thank you, someone bought it for me as a house-warming present.”

  “The woman in it is very beautiful, is she someone you know?” The pretty face of the dancer was clear and she wondered if it was a painting of an old girlfriend.

  “No, no one I know, and she is not as beautiful as you. In fact my mother was the one who bought it for me, she would love you.” He said get
ting up from the sofa walking towards a now bare foot Victoria.

  “Jake.” She laughed blushing.

  “Oh come on Victoria, you’re a very beautiful woman and you know I think that – you’re smart, sassy and sexy.” He said walking slowly towards her as she turned away from the painting to face him.

  She looked at Jake with his cheeky grin and sparkling blue eyes – he sent tingles down her spine. “Jake, don’t you have a no flirting policy as well as a no relationship policy for your employees? Because if you do then you are seriously breaking it yourself. Or do your policies only apply to your employees and not you?” Victoria put her hands on her hips and playfully reprimanded him, “I’m surprised at you Jake Cumberland, I thought you were a man of the people and not one of the big fat cats, as you put it.”

  Jake laughed. “What on earth do you mean?”

  “Seriously Jake, we both know you’re flirting with me.”

  “Really.” He moved from where he was and walked slowly around Victoria like a tiger prowling his prey. He stopped just behind her shoulder and bent forward slightly so his lips were right next to her ear and gently spoke. “Oh Victoria if you think this is flirting you have not seen anything yet!”

  The hairs on Victoria’s arms stood on end as she felt an electric shock shoot from the deep seductive voice in her ear right through her brain and down her body. She turned her head to look at Jake standing not six inches from her and she was lost for words as she looked straight into his eyes. If she thought Jake’s bright blue eyes were intense before then she hadn’t been prepared for this now, she had never seen eyes like this, looking at her as if she was about to be eaten alive. Through her breathlessness she found her voice but didn’t take her eyes away from him as he continued to walk slowly around her, to stand in front of her.

  “Then I apologise if I made a mistake.” She swallowed almost painfully as she realised her lips and throat were dry, so she licked her lips to moisten them as she took a step back feeling a moment of reprieve from the intensity of the chemistry pulsating between them.

  Jake’s eyes flickered to her tongue as it moved across her lips leaving a moisty shimmer behind. His insides growled at him to taste her shimmery lips. He tried to ignore himself but instead he took a step towards Victoria closing the gap between them once again.

  “No apology required I can assure you.” The corners of his lips turned up slightly, “Besides if I was flirting with you I would not be breaking my company’s policy. You don’t work for me! You are not my employee.”

  “A mere technicality. You are still the boss and I am working on projects in your company at the moment. So I am sort-of working for you.”

  “Ah but I don’t pay your salary.”

  “No, you’re the client, my client, and until you sign on that dotted line for us to have your account in the UK, and I am here in your offices in Miami, then you are my sort-of boss.” Victoria took another step backwards and watched as Jake took one more purposeful step forward.

  “Sort-of boss. Interesting terminology. So that means you have to sort-of do what I say? Does that mean anything I say?” He playfully asked as his deep voice teased her senses.

  Victoria stepped back again and found herself up against the cool floor-to-ceiling windowed wall of Jake’s living room. “Jake stop it, you’re being naughty!” she laughed putting up a hand to stop him as he stepped forward once again and found her hand resting up against Jake’s firm chest.

  “Mmm naughty? Again interesting. I don’t think I have been called that for a very long time.”

  “I find that very hard to believe.” She said thinking that if he played with his women like this, like a predator playing with its prey before it ate it, then yes he was very naughty indeed. A naughty, seriously gorgeous, sexy man.

  For a moment Victoria’s mouth fell open with surprise as she felt the warmth of Jake’s hands when they touched the bare skin of her waist just below the hem of her top, and smoothed their way around to her back. She quickly closed her mouth and looked down not believing her own body, then back to look at Jake’s face so close to hers as she realised that yes she was backed up against Jake’s living room wall with him not a foot away from her. His large warm hands were on her skin making it burn with desire for him, and his eyes looked like he was about to devour her.

  “Okay you are definitely flirting with me now. If you wanted to prove a point then you have, and now would be a good time to stop.” She said breathlessly, but she secretly hoped he wouldn’t stop - the look in his eyes was intoxicating and his full lips so close to hers were pure temptation.

  Jake leaned forwards and whispered into her ear, “But what if I don’t want to stop Vicky? What if I want this to be only the beginning? What then?”

  Without thinking Victoria rubbed her smooth cheek against Jake’s and felt the beginning of his stubble. ‘What then?’ she had no idea! In fact she had no idea about anything except the sensual smell of Jake - not just the smell of his seductive aftershave but the smell of Jake the man, and his lips just inches from hers. She moved her head a few inches to meet his lips and instantly she lost herself in the deliciousness as their lips touched for the first time and the warmth of his mouth as he opened up to her.

  The moment their lips touched Jake lost himself. His body was torn between the torturously tempting feeling of Victoria’s skin beneath his fingertips and the fiery sweetness of her lips on his. He kissed her deeply, exploring the contours of her lips and the depth of her mouth as his hands explored her waist and pulled her tightly in against him. He felt Victoria’s hands travel up his chest and circle his neck. Vaguely he was aware of her fingers as they touched his hair at the nape of his neck and he slowly pulled back not wanting to break the moment but needing to see the beautiful woman in his arms.

  Victoria looked at Jake as he raised his head slightly, not enough to break their spell but just enough so she could see his blue eyes a shade darker than she had ever seen them before and the shimmer of their moistness on his lips. She wasn’t sure what was happening but that kiss was like no other kiss, it took her breath away and left her craving for more, her whole body wanted more! As she pressed up against Jake’s body with his hardness pressed firmly up against her stomach she had no doubt he was feeling the same. Victoria closed her eyes tilting her head upwards ready for Jake’s descending lips. Everything in her body was ready and waiting for the next onslaught, but just as his lips touched hers and her body responded, a loud pounding noise broke their lips apart.

  Jake and Victoria stood in each other’s arms looking at one another, both not sure what was happening when the loud knock came again. Jake realised it was the sound of his front door just as it swung open and Andrea walked in.

  Andrea stopped in her tracks clearly shocked. She stood looking at Jake and Victoria across the expanse of his living room, in an obviously passionate embrace up against his glass wall.

  “Not now!” He called out not turning around or letting his eyes leave Victoria’s for a second - he didn’t want this moment broken.

  “Oh sorry Jake. The door was unlocked, I didn’t realise you were busy. I brought your keys back, and Victoria I have your bag from the office.” Andrea said as she started to walk backwards out the apartment. This was a first! Jake very rarely surprised her - considering how long she had worked for him she had pretty much seen and heard everything from him and about him, but Andrea was totally thrown by the scene in front of her now. Never had he dated someone from the office and as far as she remembered he didn’t usually have women in his apartment either, preferring to go over to their homes or take them away to luxurious hotels for the weekend, that way he didn’t have to wait for his latest interest to leave, he could just walk out of the door and the date was over.

  Victoria gasped feeling like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over her as she realised they were no longer alone, and not only that, what she had been doing! What she and Jake had been doing! Slowly she let her a
rms slip from around Jake’s neck, down the front of his chest, and gave him a gentle push to put some distance between them. She ignored his hands still resting on her waist and stepped out from in between the glass wall and Jake’s warm body. Warm, oh it was seriously hot!

  “No Andrea, that’s okay. I’m just leaving.” she said hastily.

  “No, Victoria, don’t go.” Jake said as he felt Victoria leave him in more ways than one.

  “No Jake, I think now would be a good time for me to leave.” She took a deep breath and straightened the bottom of her shirt looking back at Jake quickly. “Yes definitely, I think it’s time I left.” Victoria walked across the room and took her handbag from Andrea’s outstretched hand, picked up her shoes and walked out of Jake’s front door, leaving it open behind her as Jake watched her go, and Andrea let out a little laugh.

  Victoria picked up her pace as she walked towards the lift and pushed the button. She willed it to hurry up as she kept pushing the button whilst putting on her strappy heeled shoes as fast as she could, she wanted to be inside the lift right now going down and as far away from here as possible. Her mind was running on overdrive - oh shit, she’d just kissed the boss, no, the client. Oh crap, she didn’t care what she called him, she had just kissed Jake and what a kiss it had been!

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Jake woke up and swore that Victoria was going to be the death of him! If she wore one more skimpy little outfit or ran her fingers through her dark red hair whilst looking at him with those dark brown eyes one more time then he was going to forget any promise he had made to himself, or sense of professionalism around her. He had lost it for a moment yesterday, but it had been far too tempting having her standing there in his home - they had eaten lunch and laughed on his sofa, and all sense of Victoria being anything other than a beautiful woman he could really be himself around and fancied the hell out of had vanished. He would be in heaven if he could have that every day, and just for a moment that was more important to him than any dammed principle he imposed upon himself.