“I’ll do my best,” Rick answered.
They picked up Camden, who was all smiles but very quiet, as if he was nervous, and headed for the airport. The Dallas/Fort Worth airport was an enormous and bustling airport, but Rick drove them to a hangar away from the main hub. As they boarded Blake’s plane and readied for take-off, Jill allowed herself to enjoy the ease and convenience of traveling with a billionaire. Not that she would ever admit it to him. She settled into her wide leather seat and buckled her seat belt.
They took off, and Jill watched out the window as the ground disappeared, trying to ignore the sensation of rising into the air that made her stomach leap and tighten. She was used to it after all this time, but she was always glad when the plane reached cruising altitude and evened out.
Twenty minutes later, there was nothing but a vast field of white clouds beneath them, so Jill gave up staring out the window and turned forward. Blake sat facing her while Rick and Camden sat on the other side of the plane, both of them on their phones. Her conversations with Blake always seemed dangerous as she fought the pull of attraction, but she didn’t feel like resisting today.
The late morning sun shone through the window and glinted off the band on Blake’s wrist. She had never been able to make out what was engraved on it. “What does your wristband say?”
Blake looked up from his tablet, then held out his left wrist. “See for yourself.”
She turned the band slightly so that she could read it, accidentally brushing his warm skin. It said, “Truth.” She looked up with questioning eyes.
He spoke quietly, but they were close enough that she heard him despite the noise from the engines. Close enough that she could smell his cologne and feel his body warmth as well. “I got that from a craftsman on Harwood street in downtown Dallas. You could pick any word you wanted. I picked this one because of my mother. At the time, I had to repair our reputation as a company, and I hated the way people looked at me—as if I might be as dishonest as she was. It took time, but I believe I have built my own reputation. I wear this as a motto to do business by—something I stand for.”
She felt an urge to reach for his hand but resisted. “You’re a good man, Blake. I’m glad I’ve been able to work with you.”
Blake leaned back and smiled, though it had a wry twist to it. “That sounds as if you’re getting ready to say goodbye.”
“No, I’m just thinking that it won’t be long now before I can turn in a full report and get your very competent team set on the right course. I just wanted you to know in case I don’t get another chance.”
His eyes seemed to flash. “Do you always move on from a job so easily? Brushing off the relationships you’ve built along the way?”
“No. Not always. Are you saying you don’t want me to move on?”
“Yes.”
His answer was short and unequivocal. Combined with his uncompromising expression, it flustered her.
“Are you offering me a job?”
“I wasn’t talking business.”
She’d never known such an intense man. Friendship would be impossible for them. Their interactions were always unpredictable as they either clashed like two bolts of lightning or drew together like magnets. “I am not sure we could ever be comfortable with friendship,” she said.
“Maybe we don’t call it friendship then. And who cares if it’s comfortable?”
The pilot came over the loudspeaker and announced they might hit a patch of turbulence ahead.
“On such a sunny day?” Jill asked, leaning back and looking out the window. Really, she was glad for the intrusion into their conversation.
“You never know what kind of currents you’re going to run into,” Blake said, smiling to himself as he picked up his tablet again.
Jill watched him, wondering if he had meant anything by that, then gave up trying to figure him out and reached for her laptop. The turbulence proved to be minimal, and they landed in Memphis an hour later. A gleaming Land Rover waited for them, and Blake’s crew quickly retrieved their luggage. Rick took the driver seat and Blake waved Camden into the front seat, then opened the back-passenger door for her.
She considered the tight quarters and wondered if she was getting a little too used to riding in close contact with Blake, but they were going to be traveling together for several days. She got in and just hoped she could maintain her professionalism so close to his warmth and charisma and intoxicating cologne.
“Okay,” Rick said from the driver’s seat. “Where to?”
“Elysian corporate office in Merton,” Camden said. “I’ll program it into the navigation system.”
Rick nodded and put the car in drive. “Looks like we’ll be there in two hours,” he said as soon as Camden had finished. “That’ll put us there at one-thirty.”
“I’m going to need some lunch before that,” Blake said. “Can you look for a good place to stop?”
“We don’t have time for a sit-down lunch,” Jill said. “We’ll have to settle for drive-through if we’re going to make our two o’clock appointment with Mr. Dunn.”
Blake looked at her with a faint challenge in his eyes and a smile hovering over his mouth. “Think you’re going to put me off with threats of fast food?”
“No.” But she couldn’t help grinning because she had been expecting him to object and was secretly looking forward to it.
“Believe it or not, I can put away a burger and fries as well as the next man.”
“If you say so.”
“But in the meantime, I’m going to close my eyes for a while. Working on the plane gave me a headache.”
“Do you want to take something for it? I’ve got some Advil in my bag.”
He sat up straighter. “That would be awesome.”
Jill pulled her bag up from the floorboard, dug out her little bag of over-the-counter medicine that she kept for emergencies and gave him three Advil. “This is the only water I have,” she said, holding up her insulated water bottle.
“I don’t mind if you don’t.”
She watched him tip her cup up, press the button that opened the spill proof water spout, and hold it millimeters above his lips as the water poured out. She thought then about how close they’d come to kissing in the pool. Where would that have taken them? Funny that just sharing her water with him had led her thoughts in such dangerous directions.
Blake handed the water cup back. “Thank you.” Then he leaned back, shifted his shoulders a few times to get comfortable and closed his eyes. Jill noticed for the first time how long Blake's eyelashes were. Frustrated with herself, she sighed.
Obviously hearing the sound, Blake stirred and turned towards her with his eyes open and a questioning look on his face. "Everything okay?"
"Yes. Sometimes I have mental arguments with myself."
"And you weren't happy with the way this argument went?"
Jill chuckled. "Not exactly."
Blake nodded, and a smile flashed across his lips. "I feel that way all the time when I argue with you."
"You're so funny. Go back to sleep."
The drive passed quickly, and Jill used the time to go over all that she knew about Elysian Ice Cream. When they arrived, they found it was a small facility in an industrial park that looked a little run down but practical. When they went inside, they were directed to the head office on the top floor, where they found Mr. Dunn busily engaged at his desk.
He put his phone down and closed his computer before coming forward to shake all their hands. He conducted them on a tour of the office and introduced them to his employees. Blake hung back and when he was introduced nobody mentioned his position as owner of the company. It wasn't likely that anyone knew who he was by name anyway.
Jill took the lead and was quite comfortable doing so. She was in her element here, meeting new people and learning as much as she could about them, and thereby the company. Within a couple of hours, she had a strong grasp on the general tone and culture of this offi
ce. Mr. Dunn had a good team here and it was clear from their smiles and positive attitude that they enjoyed their work. Jill had learned long ago that these were important characteristics of a business. When they were done, Jill asked Mr. Dunn, "Would you like to go to dinner with us?"
"If you don't mind, I would like to eat dinner with my family tonight since I have been gone for so long and only recently got back into town. I understand that I will be traveling with you for a couple of days, so I’ll look forward to eating with you another night."
"That's perfectly understandable."
Blake stepped forward and put the file he had been looking at on Mr. Dunn's desk. “Where’s a good place to eat here? I am starving since the rest of my team decided to keep driving when I fell asleep on the way here."
"You looked so comfortable," Jill said.
Blake stared at her with knowing eyes, a teasing light glinting in their depths. “You just didn’t want to take the time.”
“You know me so well,” she said.
“I’m starting to.”
Her heart flipped at the rich tone of his voice, and she wondered what thoughts were causing the warm expression on his face.
Before she could respond to Blake, however, Mr. Dunn said, “I know just the place if you like southern home cooking."
Chapter Ten
Blake smiled to himself as a waitress took them to the table. Flanders’ Home Cooking, World-Famous Home of Flying Rolls was bound to be entertaining. It was busy enough that they'd had a fifteen-minute wait to even get a table.
Luckily, the table she took their group to was a secluded one. Camden scooted to the far end of the table and Jill slid in across from him. Rick took one look at the narrow space between the table in the back of the bench where Jill sat and wisely chose to sit next Camden. Even with more room on that side of the table, however, he still looked like a sardine in a too-small can.
"It sure smells good in here," Jill said as she picked up her menu. "I love eating at places where you can get country gravy as a side."
Blake settled in on the bench next to her, glad he wasn't as bulky as Rick. And since the close seating meant his leg and shoulders were only inches away from Jill's, he was glad to have Rick and Camden around. Their presence would remind him this was not a date. He was totally capable of eating dinner in the company of a lovely, intelligent woman without letting his attraction for her get the best of him.
When the waitress came back to take their order, Blake realized that he was the only one who ordered something even remotely healthy. From Rick's chicken fried steak, Camden's double cheeseburger with fried onions and barbecue sauce on top, and Jill's order of wet fries, whatever those were, his grilled catfish and salad greens stood out.
"Is that really what you're ordering?" Jill asked.
"It seemed like the best thing on the menu for anyone who doesn't want a heart attack."
"You need to learn to live a little," Jill said.
"I'm more worried about living longer." Blake nudged her with his elbow to let her know he was teasing, and the contact of her skin against his made him realize it was not a good idea to touch her, even casually.
"People in the south have been eating this way for a long time. Besides, it's been a forever since I've seen fries like this on the menu anywhere."
"Yeah, what exactly are wet fries?"
Jill's eyes sparkled as she smiled. "I ordered these with grilled onions, melted cheese, and a slathering of country gravy. It's heaven, trust me."
Blake raised his eyebrow. "If all of you keep eating like this, you're going to be sick as dogs before this trip is over."
"Whatever," Jill said. "Now, if only I could figure out what they mean by flying rolls."
There was a shout from a few tables away. Blake realized they were being given a heads-up in time to see a waiter throw a roll in their direction. Glad for his quick reflexes, he reached out and caught the roll in midair, right before it smacked into Jill's face. Her eyes were huge for a few seconds as she tried to figure out what was going on, then she burst out laughing. "Flying rolls. Got it."
Rick turned around and looked over his shoulder behind them. "Hey, how do I get one of those?" Rick waved his hand in a gesture that looked more like he was asking for a pass from a quarterback.
Blake was surprised when Jill was able to snatch one of the rolls flying their direction. She gave a happy little wriggle and buttered it. He realized he was smiling when Rick looked across the table at him with a knowing look on his face—blast the man.
When the food came, Blake watched in amazement as the waitress set a plate as big as a cookie sheet in front of Jill. It was heaped with a steaming, gooey pile of fries and toppings.
Rick and Camden stared with their mouths open.
"Oh man, this looks good," she said, picking up her fork.
Rick pointed his finger at her plate. "There's no way you can eat all that."
"Want to bet?"
"Yes."
Jill grinned. "Okay. How about, if I can eat all this, you guys have to eat whatever I tell you to at the first gas station we stop at tomorrow?"
They all laughed, and Blake said, "Hey, I want in on this action. What happens if you can't eat it all?"
Rick chuckled. "We get to pick what she has to eat from a gas station tomorrow."
"Here goes nothing," Jill said, picking up her fork.
For the next forty-five minutes, Blake watched in awe as Jill methodically, and with some degree of relish, ate almost the entire plate of fries. It was beyond his comprehension where she was putting it all. She was definitely slowing down however.
"I haven't done anything this stupid since college," Jill said.
Camden grinned at her. "You haven't done it now either. You still have about five bites to eat."
"Clearly, getting a soda was a mistake," Jill said. "There’s one thing you three should know about me. I always finish what I start."
With a determined look on her face, Jill somehow managed to clean her plate.
"You’re going to be sick tonight," Blake said.
Jill nodded. "True. But it was so worth it.”
They went outside and got in the Land Rover. Camden put the hotel address in the GPS. “Looks like we’ll get to the hotel at eight o’clock. Jill wanted to stay closer to our next stop so we don’t have to get up too early tomorrow.”
“See what a genius I am?” Jill said.
Blake looked across at her and saw that she was leaning back with her arms crossed over her stomach and a pained expression on her face. She was still too beautiful for words, but he chuckled softly at her self-imposed misery.
“Shut up,” she whispered at him before closing her eyes.
As Rick drove, Blake watched out the window at the passing scenery. Not that there was much to see with nothing but fields and an occasional farm house. But it was calming in a way, and since they were heading north, he was able to watch the sunset out his window. By the time they got into the town where they were staying the night, an inky darkness was spreading over the sky and the first stars were coming out. Best of all, however, Jill had gone to sleep and had slumped against his shoulder. The weight of her head on his arm made him want to move it so she could rest against his chest instead.
When the car stopped, she woke up immediately, and sat looking around the parking lot like a prairie dog who just popped out of her hole. “Be right back,” she said, grabbing the handles of her purse and opening her door.
But Blake wasn’t about to let her go in by herself, so he got out and followed her. She glanced back over her shoulder at him. “I can check us in without help, you know.”
“Of course. I just wanted to stretch my legs.”
She nodded and didn’t say another word until she spoke to the lady at the reception desk. Soon she had four keys in her hand. “I hope you don’t mind staying in an ordinary room. It’s all they had left.”
“Why would I mind?”
She
shrugged. “I just thought you might be expecting something more… posh.”
“What are you, British? And for the record, I’ve slept in a lot of roach motels in my time. These are fancy digs compared to my rodeo days.”
“You mean you didn’t live off your parents’ money when you were younger?”
Blake clenched his teeth, but forced himself to relax. She was just trying to rile him up. “I could have, but chose not to. It was the only way to be free back then.”
A few minutes later, the four of them, with luggage in hand, squeezed into the same elevator and rode up to the second floor where all their rooms were located. The hotel only had two floors, so perhaps that wasn’t surprising. Camden’s room was first, but Blake was glad to see that Jill’s room was next to his, with Rick’s right across the hall. He doubted either of them would need any kind of security during the night, but it made him feel at ease to know they had it.
The click of the door when he shut it made Blake feel oddly alone. Trying to ward it off, Blake turned the AC unit up as high as it would go, undressed, and threw on some pajama pants. As he brushed his teeth, he looked at himself in the mirror, trying to see himself as Jill did. What did she think of him? And how long would it take him to forget about her? Stop thinking about her being part of his life? The answer, unfortunately, was nowhere to be found in his reflection.
So, he laid in the dark, staring up at the grooves in the white ceiling through the green darkness, tinted by the exit sign over the door. He should have brought something to help him go to sleep. He sat up and turned to the side, stacked up his pillows and punched them into submission, but before he could lay down again, there was a knock on the door.
Throwing his blankets aside, he went to the door. It was probably just Rick checking in with him before he went to sleep. But when he opened the door and looked down to find Jill, he realized how much he’d been hoping it was her.
He realized that, though he usually looked straight into her eyes, she was looking up at him. Then he saw her bare feet. A jolt of adrenalin shot through him at the intimate picture she made.
The Truth about Billionaires (Southern Billionaires Book 2) Page 7
