The Jilted Billionaire Groom

by Jennifer Youngblood

  One towel, then two. So far so good. He didn’t even act as though he knew she was here. It’s for the best, she told herself, pushing aside the disappointment. Hurry, her mind screamed. A few more towels and she’d be done. She picked up the last one and was about to scamper to the bin to deposit them and then dart out.

  “Hey.”

  His voice sent quivers of awareness over her as she slowly turned.

  She watched in fascination as he climbed up the ladder with the ease and grace of a gymnast. An unexpected wave of desire simmered in her stomach, sending heat bursting over her. He looked like a freaking Adonis.

  Crap, Crap, Crap! Now what?

  Chapter 4

  Sunny fought to keep her face expressionless as her eyes went to Finley’s pecs. Don’t stare, the little voice in her head commanded, but she couldn’t seem to peel her eyes away. Water droplets trickled down his skin as he brushed the water from his face, then ran his hands through his hair. She felt like she was watching a live fitness commercial.

  “Would you mind handing me a towel?”

  She looked down at the damp towels she was holding. Her first impulse was to thrust them at him. Then it registered in her mind that he wanted a fresh towel. “Sure.” She hurried to the bin on the other side of the pool and dropped in the towels. Next, she reached for a clean towel and went back to him, keenly aware the entire time that he was watching her. His skin shimmered gold, the proportions of his body perfect. A part of her wondered if maybe this was a dream. Maybe the nightmarish events in her life were too much for her brain to take, so she was dreaming up her greatest fantasy—Finley Landers here in the hotel. Sooner or later, she’d wake up. Amusement sparkled in his compelling eyes, which were more gold than brown today. “The towel?” He arched an eyebrow.

  “Oh.” Her cheeks flushed as she held it out. Why did she have to act like a complete idiot around him? Finley took it from her, brushing her hand in the process.

  “Thanks,” he said offhandedly, flashing a dazzling smile that caused her breath to hitch.

  Finley towered over her five feet four frame. She loved tall, lithe guys. No, what she loved was Finley. Finley had been her first crush, the one who became the pattern of what she looked for in a guy. For her, he embodied perfection. She looked up at his messy hair, which held water droplets. As he dried off, she stood there awkwardly, trying to think up something halfway intelligent to say, but all thoughts seemed to have escaped her head.

  “It’s Sunny, isn’t it?” Finley said, a grin tugging at his lips.

  “Yes.” From the way he spoke, it seemed like it took effort to recall her name. Suddenly she felt foolish for working herself into a frenzy. As far as he was concerned, yesterday was merely a casual meeting. She meant no more to him than a passing stranger.

  “Sunny Day,” he murmured, his eyes caressing hers.

  Okay, maybe she meant a little something. A stranger wouldn’t look at her with those smoldering eyes. Why had Lexi given her such a stupid name? She had to fight the urge to look upward. If Lexi could see her now, she was sure to get a kick out of the situation.

  “What’s your son up to today? Ian, wasn’t it?” A smile slid over his lips. “Taz.”

  She laughed, a heatwave running through her. Finley even remembered the nickname. “Ian’s supposed to be doing his homework in the break room. Hopefully, he’s staying out of trouble,” she said wryly.

  His eyes sparkled. “Not rifling through the pants of unsuspecting guests?”

  An embarrassed laugh escaped her throat. “I sincerely hope not.” She still couldn’t believe Ian had tried to steal money from Finley Landers, of all people. She risked another look at Finley’s magnificent chest, then realized he’d caught her checking him out. A tiny smirk touched his lips. She straightened her shoulders, eyes narrowing. “Well, if you’ll excuse me,” she said crisply. “I’ve got work to do.” Geez. She’d have to learn to develop a better poker face. She turned on her heel.

  “I wish you’d stay.” Sparks raced through her when he touched her hand.

  She spun around, a mixture of surprise and attraction warring inside her.

  A smile broke over Finley’s lips. “We could go for a swim. I reserved the pool for a couple of hours.”

  A-ha! Just as she suspected! “You set this up.” Blast it! She couldn’t deny that the idea was thrilling.

  His expression went innocent. “Huh?”

  She held up a finger. “Don’t try to deny it.”

  He laughed easily. “Okay, guilty as charged. Go swimming with me,” he implored, his eyes holding hers.

  A giggle rose in her throat. “Seriously?” She felt exactly like she did in high school when she was so enamored with Finley that she could scarcely form a clear thought around him.

  “Seriously.” He tossed the towel on a nearby chair and stepped up to her.

  Her heart hammered against her chest. Breathe, she commanded herself. She had to do something to counteract this incredible attraction buzzing through her. Her hand went to her hip, her voice going saccharine sweet. “I don’t know if I should be flattered or concerned that the great Finley Landers is giving me the time of day.” Yes, that was the best line of defense—to keep throwing him barbs.

  His face fell. “Ouch.” He motioned with his head. “Shall we sit down?”

  “I’ll stand, thanks.” She folded her arms over her chest. “Why me?”

  His expression grew puzzled.

  “Why me?” she repeated, pinning him with a steely look.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You arranged this whole thing, got Drake to ask me to come to the pool area. Why?”

  “I’d like to get to know you.”

  A thrill shot through her. Was this really happening? No! It couldn’t happen. She had to remain strong. “That’s not possible,” she said through tight lips.

  He touched her hair, stepping even closer. “Why not?” She felt his warm breath on her face, caught a hint of mint. It was mixed with the smell of chlorine from the pool. A lock of hair fell over his eye, giving him an adventurous, boyish look. Without thinking, she reached up and brushed it back, her fingers lingering on his temple. All she could think about was his nearness. She glanced at his lips, wondering how they would taste.

  When his arm encircled her waist, she came to her senses. “What’re you doing?” she growled indignantly.

  “Kissing you,” he said huskily, his eyes going to her lips.

  She wanted him to kiss her, wanted it more than she wanted air. The instant before his lips touched hers, she pulled back. “I can’t,” she muttered. A miserable agony streaked through her. To be this close to Finley and not be able to reciprocate his affection was killing her. She’d have to say something catty enough to put him off. She faked a harsh laugh. “You’re not really interested in me. The only reason you’re giving me the time of day is because you’re bored.”

  “No, that’s not true,” he said fiercely.

  “Then why’re you interested in me? I’m a lowly housekeeper.” She looked down at the water pooling on the concrete. “Do you need another towel?” she asked to divert his attention.

  He ignored her question. “You’re beautiful and kind.” His eyes roved over her face as he touched her cheek. Her cells danced jubilantly. How in the heck was she supposed to resist such a man? “And I can tell that you care nothing about my money or influence.”

  “You’ve got that right,” she snapped, her jaw tightening. Yes, she remembered now. Money and prestige had always been a double-edged sword for Finley. He liked his money, but a part of him wanted to be recognized on his own merit, not for his family name.

  His eyes took on a serious light. “I know, I can sense that about you, and you have no idea how attractive that is.”

  He spoke the words like he was unburdening himself from something deep and brooding. A thought occurred to her. “You say you want to be appreciated for you and not your influence, right?”
r />   “Absolutely.”

  “And yet you used your authority to drag me down here.” She held him with a look, daring him to disagree.

  He rocked back, a smile creeping over his lips. “Hah. You set me up. You’re good,” he said admiringly.

  His compliment was more pleasing than she’d dare admit. She arched an eyebrow. “So, why did you use your influence? If you’re so opposed to being known by it?”

  He looked thoughtful. “Failing to take full advantage of the resources at my disposal would be about as senseless as using a Commodore 64 computer when I’ve got a dozen MacBook Pros at my side.” He smiled like he was immensely proud of the metaphor.

  She couldn’t help but laugh. Finley had always been into computers. Evidently, not much had changed. “You know, you don’t need money to impress women. You could just be yourself.”

  Hope sparkled in his eyes. “Is that an invitation?”

  Her eyes flew open wide. “No, I was talking about you impressing other women.”

  He grinned. “I knew what you were talking about. And thank you. It means a lot. You really are stunning,” he murmured.

  She felt a soft puff of his warm breath on her face. His eyes were shining with such sincerity that in another few minutes, she’d be throwing her arms around him and begging him to kiss her. Back in the day, she would’ve gone to the moon and back for Finley Landers a hundred times over. But he didn’t want her then. Now? Irritation pricked over her. Why did it have to be now when she was powerless to do anything about it? “You’re so charming,” she said flippantly. “Know how to say all the right things to have the women swooning over you.”

  “I only want the attention of one woman,” he said in a low tone. “A dark-eyed, exotic beauty with a keen wit and a sharp tongue.”

  She put a finger to his lip to shush him. His eyes radiated laughter. “Oh, and she can be a bit bossy at times, but I can handle her.”

  “Shh! Let me finish.”

  He nodded.

  “If we were anywhere but here, you wouldn’t even give me the time of day.”

  His brows furrowed. “That’s not true.”

  She leaned forward, probing his face. “You sure about that?”

  “Of course.” A new light came into his eyes. “You speak as if it already happened. We’ve met before.”

  Crap. Now she’d done it. “Nope,” she said lightly. “Just speaking hypothetically.”

  He touched her arm, his fingertips trailing like silk over her skin, sending delicious pulses swirling down her spine. “Go swimming with me,” he urged.

  Everything seemed to slow and all she could think about was Finley. How he looked, how he smelled, the fact that he was in standing in front of her, in the flesh. She was as helpless as a fly caught in a spider’s trap. She could tell from the look in his eyes, that he somehow sensed the control he wielded over her. She had to put distance between them—had to keep her wits about her. “Go swimming with yourself,” she barked, pushing his chest hard with the flats of her palms. His eyes shot open wide, his arms flailing as he fell backwards. “That’ll teach you,” she muttered as he sank below the surface into the deep end of the pool. A couple of seconds crawled by. “Okay, you can come up now,” she said loudly, her hands going to her hips. The old sink to the bottom of the pool trick wasn’t going to work on her.

  A couple of minutes passed. Frantic wings of panic fluttered against her ribcage. Crap! He wasn’t coming up. “Finley.” He was at the bottom of the pool, just sitting there. “Come up,” she commanded, clutching her throat.

  This couldn’t be happening!

  Yes, it could, her mind answered almost before she could get the thought out. Considering her luck of late, it certainly could. No more tragedies were happening on her watch, not if she could help it! Without another thought, she jumped in to save him.

  When she reached him, she reached out to pull him to the surface, but he grabbed her, encircling his arms around her waist as they both rose to the surface.

  “What’re you doing?” she demanded, slapping his arms. She spat out the water, trying to clear her eyes so she could see.

  He laughed and let her go. She moved away from him, treading water. “I can’t believe you did that! I thought you were drowning.” Her shoes were like concrete on her feet. This whole thing was ridiculous! How was she supposed to go back to work when she was sopping wet? Drake was going to have a coronary over this.

  “You jumped in to save me.” There was open admiration in his voice. “Thank you.”

  She just rolled her eyes.

  He bridged the distance between them. “Don’t be mad. I was just having a little fun,” he said playfully.

  “At my expense,” she muttered, but her anger was ebbing. Dang, these shoes felt heavy. Her dress was billowing up. She pushed it back down, grunting. “I’m sinking,” she grumbled.

  “Here, I’ll hold you up.” He slid his arms around her waist.

  “I don’t need your help,” she retorted. It was nice to have his support lifting her up. No way was she going to admit it though. “You’ve caused me enough trouble as it is. I’ve got to get out of here before these shoes cause me to sink like a rock.”

  “Take them off.”

  “Huh?”

  A mischievous smile tugged at his lips. “Take them off, and you’ll be free. Just me and you in this big, wonderful pool.”

  She tried to hold it back, but couldn’t stop laughter from gurgling in her throat. A reckless impulse overtook her as she slid off the shoes. Finley took them from her and tossed them over to the side, near the lounge chairs. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she uttered, mostly to herself.

  “Cowabunga!” She looked up as Ian sprinted to the edge and jumped into the pool cannonball style, causing a mountain of water to spray over them.

  Ian’s face bobbed out of the water as he dog paddled toward them. “Hey.”

  “What’re you doing here?” Sunny moved over to the side of the pool and put her arm on the concrete edge. Finley did the same, staying close by her.

  “I thought we agreed you were going to stay in the lounge and do your homework,” Sunny said, giving Ian a firm look.

  “I finished it.”

  Sunny cocked an eyebrow. “All of it?”

  Ian smiled broadly. With his freckles and sparkling blue eyes, he was the epitome of the all-American boy. “Yep.” He looked at Finley, his eyes shining. “I did it fast just like you said, so I could go swimming.”

  She turned and saw Finley’s sheepish grin. “You!” she exploded, slapping his arm. She shook her head. “You were acting so sly like you were trying to recall mine and Ian’s names. And all the while you had the whole thing planned.”

  Finley just laughed, not even the slightest hint of remorse in his expression. “My mama didn’t raise no dummy,” he drawled in an exaggerated Southern accent. He was way to charming for his own good.

  “Watch this,” Ian said as he dove under and turned a flip.

  “Very good,” Sunny said when he emerged, giving him a thumb’s up.

  “There’s a ball over there.” Ian pointed to the far corner of the pool area. “Can I play with it?”

  Finley nodded. “Sure.”

  In a flurry, Ian swam over to the side and scrambled out of the pool to retrieve it.

  Sunny looked sideways at Finley. “You think you’re really smart, don’t you?” She held onto the side with both hands and dipped her head back in the pool. The water was refreshing. The only thing that would’ve made the experience better would be to shed the uniform and put on a swimsuit so that she wasn’t so constricted.

  “I guess that remains to be seen.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He moved closer. “Here’s hoping that all of my efforts have persuaded you that I’m truly interested in you.” Time seemed to pause as his eyes locked with hers. “Have dinner with me tonight.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to shout yes. L
uckily, her good senses took over before the word could escape her lips. “What about Ian?” She glanced in his direction as she spoke. Ian threw the ball high in the air, then jumped into the pool to retrieve it.

  “We’ll go to a kid-friendly place.”

  Finley touched her arm, sending sparks tingling through her. “You have to eat.”

  “Thanks, but no thanks,” she said lightly, disappointment lodging like concrete in her chest. Why did making the right decision seem so wrong? She angled away from him and reached to undo her ponytail holder.

  “Here, let me help.” Before she could protest, Finley carefully slid the holder down her hair. When her hair was free, he used his fingers to comb through her tresses. There was something intimate about the gesture that sent tingles rushing through her.

  “Hey … mom. Come play ball with me,” Ian yelled. He was standing in the shallow end, water at his waist.

  Sunny cringed inwardly. The word mom always seemed to hang a little on his tongue, like it took effort to force it out. She wondered if Finley had noticed.

  “All right,” she said quickly. Anything to put space between her and Finley. Before she could escape, Finley touched her arm, his eyes locking with hers.

  “I’m not giving up.”

  The sure promise in his voice reverberated through her with such certainty that it caused a lump to form in her throat. She swallowed it down. “I have to go,” she mumbled, moving away from him.