I pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a loose hoodie before dragging myself into the living room and sitting down on the couch.
“How are you so tired?” Jenna asked. “You didn’t even stay late at school!”
I yawned, rubbing my eyes with hands balled into fists. “It’s the curse of getting older,” I groaned. “When you’re twenty-seven, you’ll feel like that too.”
Jenna made a face. “Ew,” she said. “That’s so old.”
I glared at her. “Watch it, or you’re getting instant soup for dinner,” I said.
Jenna flushed. “Sorry,” she said. “So, can I call it in?”
I nodded, mentally calculating how much a chichi Boston burger dinner would be. Taylor had been right to worry earlier – if I wanted steady income over the summer, I should have started saving months ago. I didn’t like the idea of taking on a second job just for a few months, but with Jenna and her upcoming collegiate expenses to consider…well, that was looking more likely by the day.
When our double-bacon-cheeseburgers arrived, Jenna and I sat down on the living room couch and started eating. I hadn’t felt very hungry before taking my nap, but before I knew it, my burger was reduced to shreds of meat and cheese in my hands before Jenna had even eaten half of hers.
“Speaking of getting fat,” I grumbled, wiping my hands on a paper napkin and tossing it in the bag. “I really need to cut back.”
“So,” Jenna said. “Are you doing anything this weekend?”
“Besides taking you shopping for college?” I shook my head. “Nothing. Why?”
Jenna shrugged innocently. “I don’t know,” she said. “I just...well, I don’t know, you mentioned that guy you work with.”
I snorted. “Oh, god, you think I’m going to date one of my coworkers? Seriously?”
Jenna flushed.
“He’s a jerk, Jen,” I said. “He asked Taylor out and stood her up. There’s no way I’d do that to my friend.”
“I’m sure there are other guys you work with who don’t totally suck,” Jenna said. “I mean, I had some really hot teachers in high school.”
I rolled my eyes. “Spare me the details.”
“It’s just…you’ve, like, never had a boyfriend,” Jenna said shyly. “And I just, um, wanted you to know that if you wanted to date someone, it’s totally fine. Like, I wouldn’t mind. I’m older now – you know I can take care of myself.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “So, what, you’re pushing me to date now?”
“Not pushing,” Jenna said quickly. “I just don’t want you to feel like I’m holding you back, or like…” She trailed off, biting her lip and blushing. “Like I’m some little kid who would be upset if you brought a guy home.”
I flushed. “I wouldn’t do that,” I said quickly. “There’s no way I’d bring someone home without telling you about it first.”
“Well, then…”
“What?”
“Why aren’t you dating?”
I shrugged. “Because I don’t want to,” I said honestly. And it was true – I didn’t.
“Why not? Boston is full of hot guys,” Jenna said.
“I’m just not interested,” I replied.
“Why not? Are you asexual or something?”
I narrowed my eyes and got to my feet. “That’s not an appropriate question to ask your older sister,” I said, wiping my hands on my yoga pants. Suddenly, being home alone with Jenna was making me feel stifled. “And if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to go for a long walk.”
Jenna kept her eyes locked on me as she reached into the bag of food and pulled out a chili-cheese fry. “Fine,” she said. “But I’ll probably eat all of these by the time you get back.”
“Knock yourself out,” I said drily. Heading to my room, I changed into a pair of athletic pants and a fitted t-shirt before lacing up my sneakers. I didn’t run, or even jog, but sometimes I went on long walks to clear my head whenever I was feeling particularly frustrated. And though I couldn’t put my finger on why Jenna’s comments had bothered me, they definitely had.
Of course I’m not asexual, I thought as I jogged down the stairs of my apartment building and into the street. Why would you even say something like that?
But I knew how it must look to Jenna and Taylor. I’d rarely dated since college – taking care of Jenna and working full-time didn’t exactly leave me with tons of room to date anyone. But it wasn’t just that. Taylor had worked two jobs for a while and she’d still had a boyfriend.
I knew then that I hadn’t avoided dating because I didn’t like men.
I’d avoided dating because I didn’t like the idea of casual relationships. I didn’t want some kind of casual relationship that ended with sloppy sex and a failed promise of becoming serious.
I wanted love. I wanted passion.
Gritting my teeth, I broke into a run, something I rarely did nowadays. I left my neighborhood and pushed myself even faster as I began scaling a hill. There was a stitch in my side and I gasped in pain, slowing to a walk. As I looked around, I realized that I’d strayed into a bad neighborhood. My heart began to race nervously in my chest as I turned around and began the walk back home.
Just as I was nearing the corner that led to my neighborhood, I heard footsteps behind me and quickened my pace.
“Hey, lady.”
The deep male voice made me shiver and I yelped in fear as I felt strong hands grab me from behind. Twisting my body, I kicked and fought, but my attacker was stronger. He dragged me into an alley and clapped a hand over my mouth before I could scream.
Tears came to my eyes and I bit and scratched at the man, desperate to shove him away. Just as I swung my arm forward, the man cried out in pain and crumpled to the ground. What happened, I thought blearily as I staggered back. Was I really strong enough to push my attacker away?
Chapter Three
Jordan
After my talk with Ken, I was in the worst kind of mood. I left the park and walked around for hours, through every neighborhood where I’d lived since moving to Boston. Some of the blue-collar areas had changed and become gentrified over the years, but some of them were still the same as ever.
My stomach rumbled and I frowned, thinking of a falafel shop near one of my first apartments in Winter Hill. When I looked up at the street signs, I couldn’t believe my luck – I was only a block away. Nothing like a falafel and a cold beer, I thought as a grin spread across my face. Then I’ll go home, kick back, and try to forget about this fucking disaster of a day.
But as I was turning the corner, I saw a man leap out of an alley and grab a woman, yanking her back by both arms. She screamed and struggled, but soon they’d disappeared into the dark alley. Balling my hands into fists, I charged after them.
The man and the woman were tussling, and I could tell this was a random attack – it was obvious she’d never seen her attacker before. As she kicked and tried to fight for freedom, I swung forward with a powerful punch to the back of the man’s neck. He groaned in pain and crumpled to the ground.
I looked at the woman. “Go!” I yelled. “Run, get out of here!”
The woman didn’t move. She stayed rooted to the spot and I could see that she was shaking with fear.
“Fine,” I barked loudly. “Then stay out of the way!”
The man grunted and groaned in pain as he tried to haul himself to his feet, but I was faster. I swung again, punching him hard in the gut and he gasped before crumbling to the ground. Turning on one heel, I kicked my foot powerfully through the air, assaulting him in the ribs. Before he even had the chance to get up, I squatted over his muscular frame and punched him in the nose, then clipped him sharply in the jaw until his head snapped back and he lay there, dazed and bleeding.
That was when I recognized him. The man lying helpless on the ground was someone I knew – someone I’d worked with in the past. Holy shit, I thought in a blind panic. It’s Leo McKinney! Not only was Leo one of the worst thugs in Bos
ton, I couldn’t believe he was out of prison. The last time I’d seen him, he’d been sitting in the cell that we’d shared, picking his nails with a file and staring me in the eye. He’d threatened to kill me, more than once even. But that had been my life back then, and it certainly wasn’t my life now. Fuck you, Leo, I thought, giving him one more savage kick in the ribs.
Turning to the woman, I grabbed her wrist. “Come on,” I growled. “We’re getting you out of here!”
This time, the woman didn’t resist. She broke into a run and followed me out of the dark alley. I kept a fast pace but she matched with no complaint. When we were three or four blocks away, I pulled her into a grimy pizza shop and helped her to a booth.
“Are you okay?” I reached across the table and put my hand on her shoulder. The woman was visibly shaking through her thin t-shirt, and I couldn’t help but notice the soft curves of her body in the dim lighting of the restaurant. When she looked up at me, my jaw dropped. She had deep blue eyes, almost the exact same color as the ocean. Her pointed, delicate features were twisted with worry, but she was still the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. She had shiny brown hair that fell to her shoulders, and a soft pink mouth that I wanted to kiss.
“I will be,” she said softly. She swallowed and I watched as her chest heaved up and down. “Thank you. I…I don’t know what to say.”
I felt dumbstruck, tongue-tied, like someone had cut off the top of my head and mangled my brains.
“You’re welcome,” I said finally. “Can I buy you a slice?”
“What?”
“We’re in a pizza joint,” I said with a smirk, pointing over my shoulder.
To my surprise – and relief – she laughed. Her laugh was beautiful, too – it sounded like the tinkling of bells.
“I’m Laci,” she said softly. “Laci Wright.” I watched as she frowned and bit her lip. “But I guess people like you wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this. I should feel lucky.”
For a moment, I wondered what she was talking about. Then I realized that I was no longer Jordan West, petty thief and criminal. Sitting there in my thousand-dollar suit, I was Jordan West: powerful billionaire.
“Oh, well, yeah, you know, I like to slum it sometimes,” I said, leaning forward and smirking. Outside, I knew I was doing a good job of keeping it cool, but inside, I was dying. Suddenly, I realized that even though I barely knew this woman, I couldn’t let her find out about my past. It seemed incredibly important, like remembering to breathe and eat and drink water.
“What’s your name?”
“Jordan West.” I held out my hand and after a moment’s pause, Laci put her fingers against mine.
“Nice to meet you,” she said. “And I owe you…you saved my life.” She shuddered again. “I don’t want to think about what would’ve happened if you hadn’t shown up.”
“Yeah,” I said. "Better not to think about it.”
We lapsed into silence and I looked down at Laci’s hands on the table. She was still shaking, but some of the color had returned to her cheeks, and I could tell she was feeling a little better.
“Are you okay?” Laci narrowed her eyes and looked at me. “Did he hurt you?”
“No.” I shook my head. After a second, I laughed. “And I can’t believe you’re asking about me! You’re the one who was just attacked!”
Laci gave me a wry smile. “I’m a high school teacher,” she replied. “I spend every day getting attacked…of course, not like that.”
“Oh, the wicked Mrs. Wright,” I teased. “I’m sure your students love that.”
Laci flushed. “‘Miss’,” she said. “I’m not married.”
I suppressed a grin. I couldn’t believe my luck – not only was this beautiful creature talking to me, she was actually single.
“Yeah, well, like you said…this isn’t the best neighborhood. What were you doing out here, anyway?”
Laci shrugged and gave me an odd look. “I was just taking a walk,” she said. “What, I’m not allowed to do that in my own city?”
“Just seems like someone like you wouldn’t be comfortable around here, either,” I said casually.
Laci flushed again. “You’re probably right.” She shook her head and sighed. “To be honest, I was really distracted…I don’t know what I was thinking. I didn’t realize how far I’d gotten until right before that…that asshole attacked me.”
“Do you want me to call the cops? He’s probably still in the alley.”
Laci shuddered with obvious revulsion. “No,” she said. “Don’t do that. I’d rather just forget about it, if that’s okay with you.”
I knew it was cowardly, but her words brought me a sense of relief. For one thing, calling the cops would mean going back to the alley and seeing if Leo was still lying there unconscious. It hadn’t been that long since we’d been in prison together, and I knew he’d recognize me.
“It’s fine with me,” I said. I shrugged.
Laci pressed her lips together in a small smile. “So, what do you do when you’re not out playing superhero?” Before I could answer, she held up a hand. “Wait, let me guess – you’ve got a secret identity and you spend every night hunting Boston for criminals and saving damsels in distress?”
I snorted, not wanting her to know just how dangerously close to the truth she actually was.
“No,” I said, shrugging. “As much as I’d like to lie and say yes, I don’t normally walk around much by myself. I usually work late.”
“Ah,” Laci said knowingly. “Are you a banker?”
“Not exactly.”
“Real estate magnate?”
I burst out laughing. “No,” I said, shaking my head. “Definitely not.”
Laci smirked. “Well, okay – how about this: you inherited a ton of money from your family and you spend your days walking around in really nice suits?”
“Couldn’t be farther from the truth,” I said. There was a noticeable trace of bitterness in my voice and Laci caught it, too – I could tell by the way her smile faded. “I own a trading firm,” I said. “Trading West.”
Laci’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth with one hand. “Oh my god, I was kidding,” she said, blushing a furious shade of crimson. “I feel like such a jerk now!”
I laughed. “Don’t,” I told her. “It was something I got into on my own…I never really had any idea of what I wanted to do when I was growing up.”
“I don’t think any little kid wants to grow up and own a trading firm,” Laci said. Her blue eyes twinkled with amusement. “But I could be wrong.” She yawned, rubbing her eyes with one hand. “My kids are so lazy. It’s a chore to get them to do the slightest thing. They even groaned about watching a movie in class next week, can you believe that?”
“Well, yeah,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “If I had you as a teacher, I wouldn’t want to watch anything but you.”
Laci giggled. I could feel the attraction between us flowing powerfully back and forth, almost like a very rich wine.
“Can I take you out to dinner sometime?”
Laci blinked.
“I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I know that probably makes me sound like a total creep, right?”
Laci shook her head. “I…I don’t really have a lot of time to date,” she said. She sounded disappointed, and I wondered if there was a boyfriend or a dark secret I didn’t know about.
“Well, I don’t have a lot of time, either,” I said. “I work really late days. But I want to see you again, hopefully not after I’ve just rescued you from some creep in an alley.”
Laci flushed. “My younger sister lives with me,” she said. “Our parents died when she was really young, and I’ve taken care of her.”
“So?” I shrugged. “I don’t mind kids, hell, the more the merrier.”
Laci smiled.
“How old is she, anyway?”
“Eighteen.”
I frowned. “Is there…something wrong? Can she not be on he
r own?”
Laci squirmed on her side of the booth, shaking her head. She looked deeply uncomfortable and I prepared myself to hear the worst.
“No,” Laci said. “She’s fine. She’s just…naïve. She’s starting college in the fall, actually. And she really wants to move out, but…” She trailed off, biting her lip. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this – you’re a complete stranger.”
“Not a complete stranger,” I said. “You know my name. Hell, you know the name of my company.” I smirked. “That’s more than a lot of other people know.”
Before Laci could reply, a surly teenager waiter slumped over to the table.
“Are you guys eating here or not? My boss wants me to kick you out,” he said, sounding as if he couldn’t care less. “Are you getting pizza?”
I cocked my head to the side and grinned at Laci. “So, pizza? I swear, if you let me take you out, this doesn’t count – we’ll go to a real restaurant.” The waiter rolled his eyes at my comment but Laci giggled, and I smirked proudly.
Laci shook her head. She got to her feet. “I should really be getting home,” she said. “Jenna’s going to wonder why I’ve been gone so long.”
“I’ll walk you,” I said, standing up from the booth and stretching.
The Secret: A billionaire romance Page 3
