Jane reaches over to his tie and does it up a little bit more. “Well, the same can be said of you, handsome. I love this silver tie on you. It’s stunning,” she says.
“Here, reach into my pocket and see what’s in there,” he says.
“Oh, that old trick?” Jane smiles.
“No, really, there’s something special in there for you,” he assures.
Jane reaches in lightly and feels a thin, dangly item. She pulls it out and it’s a gorgeous, silver, diamond and multi-gemstone necklace.
“It’s for you, to match your outfit,” he says, clasping it on for her. “It sparkles like your eyes,” he adds.
She looks up and stares into his eyes. She feels the genuine love coming from him and can’t believe she doubted his intentions.
“Brad, I have to tell you something. I feel a bit embarrassed about it,” she tries to explain.
Brad wonders what it is she would need to tell him. Is she embarrassed about playing with herself and screaming out his name, or that she uses the vibrator every day? He imagines all the naughty things she could tell him that would be their own little secrets.
“Well, I found out some things about you and it made me doubt being with you anymore. I was ready to run away tomorrow, tell you to keep your million dollars, and send me back home.”
“Oh, Jane, what did you hear?” Brad asks, thinking it was about the insane news that will be leaked tomorrow in the headlines. His anger starts building up in him again just thinking about it. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it is a lie.”
“Well, I heard that you frequently bring escorts here. I thought you were seeing me that way, and that I was a fool for believing in you,” Jane says, starting to tear up.
Brad is shocked she has found this out, and he doesn’t know what to say. Now he’s the one feeling embarrassed.
“Then, I found out you have never done this with anyone before, bringing someone here for a week with no demands, I mean. Luckily, I realized that this means I am someone special in your life,” she says.
Brad is relieved that she sees it this way. He really doesn’t ever want her to run away from here or think he’s just using her.
“You are, Jane. You really are, and the more I am getting to know you, the more my heart is yours. You are like no one I have ever met, even my first girlfriend who I was madly in love with.”
“Well, I’m still a bit uncomfortable with the fact you hire escorts. It makes me nervous that I won’t ever be able to satisfy you. You know, because I’m a virgin, and they have more experience.”
“Jane, please don’t worry yourself about that. What will happen between you and I will be something special, so meaningful, and not empty like those others. I know you have desires for me, Jane. I overheard you in your room yesterday.”
Jane widens her eyes, horrified that she could be heard at all, but especially by him.
“Oh my God, what did you hear?”
He puts his arm around her shoulders.
“Enough to know that you want to fuck me,” he whispers in her ear.
The way he says it makes her feel so natural and accepted. It shows he doesn’t think any less of her for having those feelings.
“Well, for the record, I want to fuck you, too,” he says gently and smiles, placing his hand on her ass and stroking it lightly.
Jane leans into him and lets herself be held without fear. She can hear the slight pulse of his heart and feels more connected to him than ever.
The driver of the limo pulls up and opens the door for them.
“Good evening, sir,” the driver says to Brad.
“Good evening, Sam,” Brad responds.
“And who is the fine lady with you this evening?” asks Sam.
“Fine she is. This is Jane Bryden,” Brad says proudly.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Bryden. Can’t say I’ve met anyone who’s been able to light up Mr. Halliwell’s life like this before,” Sam smiles.
“It’s true, Sam,” Brad says, pulling Jane in closer. “She’s a true gem.”
They get into the limo and start driving to the event. She checks that the privacy window is up before she speaks.
“Honestly Brad, I keep hearing mixed reviews about you. Are you that much of a curmudgeon when I’m not around?” Jane asks.
“Ha! Well, I suppose so. Guess I’ll have to have words with a few people for ratting me out,” Brad says jokingly.
Jane leans into Brad. “Please don’t do that. They did it out of concern for me. May I kiss you?” she asks him.
“You never need to ask,” Brad replies, pulling Jane closer to him.
She pushes her lips against his and kisses the top lip, then the bottom, and opens her mouth to kiss him deeply. A rush of tingles runs through her body. She feels she could be there all night, making out in the back of the car. Her body presses up against his, her tits press into him, and she straddles his leg.
“I love your hot pussy against me,” he says. “I want your smell on me all night long.”
They spend the rest of the ride making out in the back. When they arrive, Sam opens the door. Jane has made herself back up at this point, as if nothing has happened.
“Here were are, sir,” Sam says.
“Yes, I can see that. A little sooner than I would have liked,” Brad muttered to himself.
They step out of the limo toward a gorgeous, glass house. As they make their way over, Jane feels nervous, unsure if they will like her or if she will fit in. She grabs on to Brad’s hand for strength.
“What a beautiful home. I hope your friends will like me,” she says.
“I hope you will like my friends. That is my bigger concern,” Brad says with a smile, and kisses her cheek. “You’re just fine the way you are.”
Chapter 42
Brad and Jane walk into the place. Immediately, people come up and surround Brad with handshakes and hugs. Jane is on the side, not wanting to take up too much space or interfere. Brad notices she is shying away and reaches over to introduce her.
“Hey everyone, this is Jane Bryden. She is our special guest dancer tonight. You will not be disappointed,” he announces.
A few people welcome Jane, and the woman who owns the house helps Jane with her overcoat.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jane. Brad has spoken so well of you. Thank you for joining us,” the woman speaks with very proper English. “My name is Mary,” she says, reaching out her hand. It is cold, fragile, and thin.
“Nice to meet you,” Jane says, feeling a bit awkward.
“Have you ever been to this island before?” asks Mary.
“No, it’s my first time out of the States,” Jane says innocently.
“Oh, really?” says Mary, a bit disgusted at the lack of culture Jane has just revealed.
“Yeah, I just didn’t have the money, I guess, and both my parents are pretty timid people. It was a big deal for me to move to New York,” says Jane openly.
“Hmm, well, make yourself comfortable, dear,” Mary says, clearly withdrawing from Jane.
Jane feels like she’s said something inappropriate. She goes up to Brad.
“Did I say something wrong?” she asks.
“Not at all, dear. Mary is just a bitch,” Brad responds honestly.
“Oh, okay,” Jane says, feeling comfortable with Brad. Her shoulders drop and she relaxes a bit. She at least has Brad on her side, and based on his status, it is very clear that he is a good person to have in your corner.
Waiters walk around serving hors d’oeuvres and wine. Jane refuses to eat or drink anything because she doesn’t want to be bloated for the dance portion of the evening.
She spends most of her time nodding, smiling, and pretending she’s getting along with everyone. She actually finds them all quite boring. She would much rather go to a room and lie down before they need her to perform. To get out of it, she asks Mary if she can use one of the rooms to freshen up before her performance. Mary fully understands Jane
’s need and knows that all ladies need a little powder break every once in a while.
Mary leads her to a spare room and quickly leaves. Jane stands in the room feeling more at ease here than with the party of boring strangers. She looks in the mirror at herself and really likes what she sees—her body, her outfit, and most of all, the pink glow in her face. She recognizes it as the glow of a woman in love. She still doesn’t see what Brad sees, but she will accept it anyway.
Jane starts pirouetting and stretching until she hears a knock on the door. She assumes that it’s Brad so she says, “Come in.”
It’s not. It’s some guy from the party. He walks in boldly.
“Hey, there. We didn’t get a chance to meet. I’m Paul, Brad’s friend,” he says. “You’re Jane, right?”
Jane feels a bit nervous and afraid. She doesn’t know how to respond.
“Uh huh, I’m just practicing, warming up before my show.”
“Oh, right, you’re going to do a little dance for us, aren’t you?” he says. “I like gals in tutus.” He approaches Jane and starts touching her skirt.
Jane freezes. She has never had to deal with an advance from a man she didn’t like before.
“Brad will be coming up soon. I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she says meekly.
“Oh, Brad is a good friend. He shares whatever goods he has with me,” Paul says more directly.
“I’m not a good, Paul,” Jane says. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be leaving now,” she says, starting to walk out of the room.
He grabs her arm. “Where are you going? We were just getting friendly.”
“No, we weren’t. I don’t care if you’re Brad’s friend. You’re not mine,” she says, pulling her arm away.
“Well, Brad and I are tighter than you. He told me you were a virgin,” Paul says.
“What?” Jane looks over to him with anger in her eyes. “How dare you.” She has tears welling up and she runs downstairs.
Brad is there talking to his friends, and she goes up to him fiercely. “I have to talk to you outside, right now.”
Brad can tell she means business and excuses himself immediately. They go out on the patio.
“Who the fuck is Paul, and how the hell does he know I’m a virgin?” Jane says in a pissed off tone.
“Wow, Jane, I didn’t know you could swear. I like it,” Brad says, not taking her seriously.
Jane turns away from him and says “Oh, fuck off. I thought you actually cared,” she says aloud to him.
“I’m sorry, Jane. I really am. What happened?”
“Your so-called best friend, Paul, came into the room upstairs where I was. He started touching my skirt and making advances. I told him off, and he made claims that you and he are tighter than you and I could ever be, and said he knows I’m a virgin. Is this some sick game, Brad? To fuck a virgin?” Jane says loudly, not caring at all if anyone hears.
“Oh my God, Jane, no, you’ve got it all wrong. Paul knows I have a thing for virgins because of my longing for my first girlfriend, who I told you about. I’ve wanted to re-create that time in my life, and a woman who has been with other men just doesn’t cut it for me.
“I’ve been looking for the right woman, and you, well, you are perfect for me. Paul is a dick, and I know that. He’s just someone I’ve known for a very long time. I will address this with him, I swear. I’m just as pissed off that he’d try something as you,” Brad reassures, coming up behind her to comfort her. He takes his coat off and wraps it around her. “Here, don’t catch a cold.”
Jane can smell his cologne on it and turns around. She sobs and falls into his chest. “I’m so afraid I’m going to get hurt, Brad. I just don’t know who to trust.”
“Just trust me, Jane. You can feel my heart, can’t you?” Brad says.
Jane sniffles and nods. “Yes. Yes, I can.”
Chapter 43
They go back into the party and sit down to eat dinner. Jane sits next to Brad on his left and it feels good to be with him. She can see how everyone respects him and listens to what he has to say.
Brad puts his hand on Jane’s knee and squeezes it lightly, reassuring her. She feels calm in his presence and confident that everything will be okay.
Jane doesn’t understand half of the jokes people say, nor does she get what they are talking about when it comes to finances. It is all over her head. Finally, a woman named Margaret speaks to Jane.
“So, dear, how did you get into ballet?”
The whole table goes silent and looks over at her. Jane feels very self-conscious now.
Brad puts his arm around her to give her strength.
“Well, honestly, when I was a kid watching T.V.,” she says earnestly.
Everyone laughs. “Oh, that is so sweet,” one woman says pretentiously.
“It’s true. I watched those shows for years, studying their every move. My parents couldn’t afford to send me to ballet school, so I had to wait until I was older. A teacher noticed my interest and encouraged my parents to send me to classes,” Jane continues.
Jane’s boldness about being a poor girl surprises many people at the table. They don’t know how to react, turning their eyes down toward their meals and picking up their glasses for a drink. Jane has never experienced this kind of reaction before.
She looks over to Brad, a bit perplexed. Her expression asks him if she had said something wrong.
Brad speaks up.
“I admire self-made people. I was of the lucky few who were born with money, and I didn’t have to work half as hard as someone like Jane. You’re a strong woman!” he says, raising his glass to toast her.
They all raise their glasses in sync with Brad. Jane takes a breath in and smiles, feeling the warmth of his acknowledgment.
“To Jane!” he says.
“To Jane!” they repeat.
They finally finish up dinner and dessert. Wendy brings out coffee and tea for everyone, and they all move to the living room.
“Now it’s time for Jane’s performance,” announces Brad.
Jane instantly gets butterflies in her stomach. She feels a bit numb, and now, has doubts she will be able to perform. But she knows she has no other choice at this point.
They dim the lights and bring everyone together in a semi-circle. Jane leaves the room and waits for Brad to turn on the music. She fixes her hair and fidgets with her dress.
A modern, pop ballet song comes on, one that her ballet instructor introduced them to at the beginning of the year. Jane is amazed that Brad knows all of these details.
She takes a deep breath in and out and gets into position. She races into the center of the room and stops. The crowd feels her intensity. She then rushes forward and back, showing emotions of desperation and passion. She twirls and stops, adding in wild and funky movements most people have never seen before.
The crowd is thrilled and amazed at Jane’s abilities. They hold their breath, clap, ooh and ah, and are truly impressed by her skills.
The music stops and Jane flops to the floor, crumpled into a tiny ball. Everyone stands up and cheers. Brad goes over to help Jane up.
“Oh my gosh, young lady, you are the next big thing!” says one man.
“We must get your autograph before you become famous,” says another.
“You have to be the best ballerina I’ve ever seen,” says an older woman.
Jane is so pleased and stunned that people there really like her.
Brad puts his arm around her waist with pride. “I told her you would love her. I fell for her the first time I saw her dance,” he says, kissing her on the cheek. “You were absolutely marvelous, darling,” he says.
Brad wraps her overcoat around her and they walk out to the patio to spend time alone. The cool breeze of the sea and the night air sweep through her hair. Jane feels on top of the world. All her hard work, quiet suffering, and difficulty culminated into this one performance, and it proves she was right to listen to her heart. She absolutely glo
ws with possibilities for her future.
“Jane, you have no idea what you just did tonight. You will become a world famous ballerina. I can promise you that!” Brad says, beaming with excitement.
“I don’t even know what to say, Brad. I can’t thank you enough, and yet, I’m still in shock. What am I supposed to do?” she says.
“Just keep being you. Life will take care of the rest. I’m right here and I will support you,” he says.
Life could not get any sweeter than it is right now. Brad holds Jane close to his chest and she can hear his heart thudding. It makes her feel like everything will be just fine.
Paul comes through the sliding door, drunk.
“So, you got yourself a virgin, eh, Brad? Can I have her first?” he says crassly.
Brad turns to look at him, holding Jane’s hand.
“Shut the hell up, Paul. Don’t you dare treat Jane like that ever again. I can’t believe you hit on her. You and I are no longer friends.”
“What? Because of a chick? Come on, man, you’ve lost it.”
“No, because I don’t hang out with assholes like you. Leave, now. I don’t want to see you again.”
Jane is so touched that Brad would stand up for her like this. She can’t believe he’d do this to his friend for her.
She leans into him more and looks up to him. “Thank you, Brad. You are a true gentleman.” She kisses him on the mouth.
“You are worth it, Jane.” he says, kissing her back.
Chapter 44
At the end of the night, Brad and Jane go back to the hotel in the limo. Jane feels quite exhausted from the adrenaline of the night. She leans into Brad and falls asleep on his chest. It feels like home.
He looks down at her. Her cute nose, the dimple on her cheek, the sprinkling of freckles on her face, she is so delicate and sensitive, and he just loves how adorable she is. He strokes her hair lightly and rubs her arms. She snuggles in closer.
“Jane? Jane?” he says, whispering softly.
“Mmm,” she moans, half-awake, snuggling in further.
Billionaire Baby Bump Page 34
