by Violet Paige
“I should say I am,” he said with a laugh, exchanging nods with some of the other men around him.
“I think Bruin understates my contributions,” Rhett said in a half-joking tone, and there was a laugh around the table, “but I’ll let him have this one.”
“If you ask me,” one of my colleagues next to me said, nodding toward the door out of our private room, “that waitress would let you have her, too.”
There were some laughs and nods of agreement around the table, and I smiled politely, rolling my eyes while I took a bite of the sushi.
“Leave her a tip, and she’ll come back for more,” another said.
“Come on, where’s the hot-blooded Bruin I know?” Rhett said.
“I’m catching a redeye flight,” I lied, giving Rhett a meaningful glance, and he quirked an eyebrow for a moment, but he caught on.
The waitress returned and started serving drinks. Rhett said something flirtatiously to her while the other men took a moment to enjoy their drinks and eat in the break in conversation, but I couldn’t focus on any of that.
Truth be told, I was surprised I’d been able to focus on this dinner at all. I was still rocking it, but it took a lot more willpower than usual.
These were my regular hunting grounds. I could charm anyone, seal any deal, no matter whether the businesspeople were men or women, foreign or local, friendly or hostile. It was the kind of environment I thrived in, and I got energized by it all.
So, why did this feel like an uphill slog that I couldn’t wait to end?
I knew why, of course. Ever since Jillian had left for Atlanta I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Every night that I laid down, all I could think about was how I wanted Jillian there at my side. I wanted to turn her over and fuck her sweet and hard all at the same time until the two of us were panting at each other’s sides, drifting off into sleep with our energy spent on each other. And when I woke up, I wanted to see Jillian’s face next to mine, those gorgeous green eyes fluttering open sleepily before I took her out to brunch at whatever place became her favorite.
I wanted to see her playing with Emma, to take them all on vacations down to Cozumel, St. Martin, Costa Rica, anywhere they wanted. I wanted us to do it together, too.
I had to face the facts. Jillian had changed me, in a major way. None of that would have been on my mind a few weeks ago. Well, except the sex, but that was only getting better over time.
When I stood in the master bedroom’s shower, steam rolling down my muscled shoulders, I still couldn’t believe that shy, awkward Jilly had become the woman that I—
I stopped myself short at the thought of the word that was at the front of my mind. The L-word.
“Bruin?” a voice called to me, and I gave my head a shake, snapping out of my trance.
One of my friends was looking at me with a puzzled look. “You all right, pal? Wanted to know if you wanted another sake.”
“Please,” I answered with a nod, smiling at the waitress, who was waiting patiently beside my friend. She gave an overly-bright smile and hurried off.
She was short and slim, with jet-black hair and a face that men would kill for. She couldn’t have been older than twenty-one, and she had a smile that could light up the room.
And I felt nothing for her.
The old me would have been all over her, giving her the night of her life and something to talk about for the next few months, something to make other men seem inadequate by comparison. But Jillian had changed all that, and I knew it.
And every time I thought about that, it took me out of the present.
I pulled myself together and passed the rest of the dinner as well as ever. I chatted about hunting a little more with Mr. Tanaka, reminisced about our soccer days with Rhett, and built rapport like the expert I was. As long as I could keep my mind off Jillian, I had complete control over every word that was said at the dinner, even when some of the lightweights at the table started to feel the one-too-many sakes that were going around.
When the dinner finally wound down, I had the bill put on my card and exchanged a lot of handshakes and a lot of bows with the businessmen as we headed outside into the cool evening air. Rhett hung back, presumably to chat up the waitress. Some of the men were wobbly already, and they got into cabs and headed their separate ways after many promises of more lunches and dinners, more meetings, and some promising prospects for a business deal in the near future. As usual, they were interested in purchasing some of the software we were developing as part of the empire I’d been building over the past few years.
As well-padded as my finances were, I knew I had to get my head out of this funk, or business would start to suffer.
When most of the men were gone, I started to head around the building for a quick walk to clear my head, but I felt a clap on my shoulder.
I turned my head to see Rhett standing there, an eyebrow raised at me.
“Rhett? Where’s your squeeze?” I asked.
“What I wanted to know is why she’s not all over you in the back of a cab,” he said with a concerned tone. “She was practically throwing herself at you, man. What’s up?”
“Jesus, am I that transparent?” I asked.
“When it comes to women? Always,” he said with a flash of that grin that had melted many a woman’s heart. I chuckled and rolled my eyes.
“Let’s go for a walk,” I said.
We strolled through downtown Santa Barbara under the many streetlights, the sounds of other groups going out and drinking, chatting, and having a good time all around us. People made way for us wherever we went. We were about the same size and build, and people tended to naturally respect that.
“So, you remember Jeff’s sister, Jillian?” I asked as we walked, puffs of breath coming from my mouth in the winter air.
“Vaguely,” Rhett said, furrowing his eyebrow. “Kind of awkward girl, brunette? She’s doing brokering or something for Jeff now, right?”
“Right,” I said. “Well, half-right. She used to be like that. I never really noticed her either, but a while ago, she showed up in Ft. Lauderdale with Jeff to buy a yacht from me for him. I had no idea they were the buyers, so it totally took me off guard.”
“Okay,” he said, following along. “There some problem with the deal?”
“Yes and no,” I said. “I like her, Rhett. A lot.”
“What?” he said, raising an eyebrow at me. “Man, I know you like to get around, but Jeff’s sister-”
“It’s not like that,” I said, shaking my head. “I mean, I thought about it that way at first, but then I spent a little time with her, and…” I rubbed the back of my head, looking up at the stars a moment. “She’s something special, Rhett. Something really special.”
“Where’s the Bruin Kincaid I know and what have you done with him?” Rhett asked, looking genuinely concerned at the look on my face.
“I know, right?” I said with a dark chuckle. I shook my head. “I can’t get her out of my head. I even introduced her to Emma, and they got along great.”
“Shit, man.”
“But then there’s Jeff,” I said, frowning. “I mean, I know what I need to do, what I want to do, but it sounds like if I do it, I’m burning my bridges with him.”
“And what do you want to do?”
“I want to marry her,” I said, stopping and turning to face Rhett, who looked at me as if I’d just told him I was a werewolf. Hell, even I was surprised that the words came from my mouth, but once they were out, I felt euphoria run through me. It felt good to say it. Damn good. “I love her, and I’m going to make her my wife.”
It was a short and simple statement, and Rhett just stared at me for a long time.
“Shit,” he responded finally, “I mean, it sounds like your mind’s made up then, but seriously, if the real Bruin gets back, tell him the new Bruin is ruining his reputation,” he added with a boyish grin. I punched him in the arm and shook my head, laughing along with him. “Seriously though, Bruin, if that’s how y
ou feel, I’m happy for you.”
“It is,” I said, feeling better about it every time I said it, beaming. “And it feels damn good.”
“So, what are you going to do about Jeff?” he asked.
“I know what I’m going to do,” I said with a frown. “I’m going to be honest about it. I think Jill feels the same way about me, and if Jeff can’t get over that, then…” I paused. “Then he’s not the man I’ve always thought he is. That’ll be on him.”
“Sounds like you’ve thought this through.” Rhett crossed his arms and nodded at me.
“More than you know.” I laughed. “Guess I just need some other asshole my size to try it out on before I get into a fistfight with Jeff.”
“Anytime, bro,” Rhett said. “Give me a heads up if you’re serious about the fighting part, though, I don’t want to get blood on this particular shirt.”
“Jackass,” I said, punching him in the arm again. “Come on, let’s grab a drink. I could use an Old Fashioned to wash down the sake.”
That, and I needed a drink to settle down the rush I was feeling in my head from admitting it to myself.
I was in love.
And Jillian was going to be mine.
Twenty-Four
Jillian
I was nervous.
It was stupid of me to feel that way, and I knew it. I hadn’t seen or heard from my ex-boyfriend in months. We weren’t even close to being a part of each other’s lives anymore. Hell, we had never been all that serious when we were together, anyway. At least not from my perspective.
Daniel and I had been too much alike to last, it seemed. We had met through work, our paths crossing so frequently that finally we decided to give it a go. It seemed like fate. Or something like that. I had told myself that over and over again during our three-month relationship that it was fate. It was meant to be. There had to be a reason why we kept running into each other all the time.
That was how it always worked in the movies. Boy meets girl, they notice each other. Then, they just keep noticing each other, running into each other at work events, bonding over having to deal with the same annoying clients together. It seemed kind of perfect at first. We were both really, insanely busy people with hectic lives and even crazier schedules. We both flew all over the world, schmoozing and mingling with high-class people who sometimes looked at us like personal assistants rather than colleagues. Daniel was one of the first people I met who seemed to really understand the unique stress and fun of my line of work.
And besides, if we were just going to keep running smack into each other over and over again, why not make the most of it? Daniel was sweet. Humble, despite the kind of high-stakes work he was involved with. He was essentially an accountant, but the kind of accountant who only dealt with extremely wealthy accounts. He helped millionaires and billionaires balance their checkbooks, helped them sort through their various infinite lines of credit and figure out how to file their complicated taxes. He advised them on the stock market, on what kinds of investments were worth the risk and which ones would land them in bankruptcy territory. It was a lot of work. A lot of very boring, complex math.
Luckily for him, he was kind of a math whiz, and he genuinely enjoyed doing all those annoying calculations. I, on the other hand, had never been into mathematics. In college, I had worked as an editor, so I was more about writing and communications. More creative exploits. Of course, my current job didn’t have much to do with that. But I liked to think that my attention to detail and my ability to use my words to persuade people were helpful holdovers from my college days. Despite our differences, Daniel and I had clicked on some level.
I stood in front of my full-length mirror in my bedroom, looking at my outfit.
It was nine in the evening. I was wearing the same outfit I had worn earlier to my business meeting. A white blouse tucked into a black pencil skirt, paired with stylish red heels and a heavy blazer to combat the sudden cold snap Atlanta was experiencing. I frowned, wondering if this was an appropriate ensemble for a reunion with my ex. He had always liked me in red. Maybe it was too much.
I kicked off the scarlet heels and put on nude kitten heels instead.
“I guess this’ll work,” I mumbled, turning to look at the back of my skirt, making sure it wasn’t too short in the back.
I didn’t know what the hell Daniel wanted with me tonight, but I was damn sure not going to let him think I was trying to impress him. We were broken up. And we had been for months. There was nothing between us. I had no reason to impress him.
“He’s just some guy I used to make out with,” I told my reflection in the mirror. “We never even had sex the whole time we were together. He’s never seen you naked and he sure as hell isn’t going to see that tonight, either.”
I blushed, embarrassed of myself for this dumb pep talk. It was stupid to assume Daniel wanted to see me for some romantic or sexual purpose. If he was trying to make this a booty call, he was going to be sorely disappointed. I wasn’t interested. Sure, when he had first broken up with me, I was upset. I might have even cried a little bit. But I was over it. And once I got over the sting of being dumped, it had become blatantly clear to me that we were never meant to be anyway. No matter how much I had tried to convince myself of that when we were together.
“You’ve got this,” I told myself, putting on my blazer.
And with that, I picked up my purse and headed downstairs in the elevator, calling a cab on my way down. I walked out and climbed into the sedan, feeling pretty confident. In a way, I kind of hoped he was trying to get me back. After the unceremonious manner in which he’d dumped me, I thought it might feel kind of nice to turn him down.
I told the cab driver to take me to a bar Danny had texted me about. A place I had forgotten all about in the months after we broke up. It was just a sports bar, unassuming and loud, full of local college kids who were there to get drunk and yell at the sports games on TV. Daniel and I were certainly not college kids anymore, but he had always liked that bar because, as he said, he was highly unlikely to run into anyone he worked with. His rich, snooty clients always preferred higher-end bars than this one.
Once I got there, I actually did feel a little nervous again. I walked into the bar and went straight to the counter to order a rum and coke. If I was going to survive this night, I had a feeling I was going to need some liquid courage. Even if I didn’t have feelings for my ex anymore, it was still bound to be a little awkward.
As I was turning away from the bartender, drink in hand, suddenly Danny was right in front of me. He was smiling, looking positively delighted to see me. He looked exactly the same as he had months ago when I last saw him. Just under six feet, with blond hair and brown eyes. He had a sweet, almost boyish face. The only thing different now was that he had glasses, which made him look like a bigger nerd than before. It suited him, though.
“Jill.” He threw his arms around me in a hug. “It’s so fantastic to see you again. You look amazing.”
“Oh, uh, thank you,” I responded awkwardly. I forced a smile. “Can I buy your drink?”
“No, no, I’ve got it.” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “There’s a table over there in the corner if you want to sit down. I’ll be there in a minute. I’m so glad you came.”
“Okay,” I said, hurrying away to the table.
I sat down and immediately began sipping my drink, wondering if I was making a big mistake being here. Danny came back and sat down across from me, his cheeks pink. I could tell he was nervous, too.
Good, I thought.
“How are you?” he asked.
“I’m good. Tired. I just got back from California early this morning,” I said. “Been going all day, and I’m a little jetlagged.”
“Still busy as ever, then?”
I nodded. “Yes. You?”
“Yes. Still flying all over the place. It’s always nice to come back to Atlanta, though. I have a lot of good memories here,” he said, smiling. I knew w
hat he meant. Memories with me.
“So, any particular reason you wanted to meet?” I asked, cutting to the chase.
Daniel’s cheery expression faltered a moment. “Well, mostly, I just thought it would be nice to catch up. It’s been a while.”
“Yeah. Well, after you dumped me I wasn’t exactly ready to be friends.”
He hung his head for a moment and then reached across the table to take my hands. I was too stunned by the gesture to pull away. “Look, Jillian. You’ve always preferred when I get to the point, so that’s what I’ll do. I miss you. I’ve been missing you. All this time.”
I blinked a few times. “You missed me?”
“Yes,” he said firmly. “A lot. In fact, after we broke up—”
“After you dumped me over email,” I corrected him.
He winced slightly. “Yes. After that, I went through a tough time. I thought about my life and how busy I was and how great things were going but I realized I still wasn’t happy. Because something was missing. You.”
I pulled my hands away and put them in my lap. “Danny.”
“I know, I know,” he said, putting his hands up. “It’s crazy. Out of left field. I get it. But let me explain, okay? I messed up. I made a mistake when I broke up with you, Jillian. I was an idiot. I didn’t know what I had. But I do now. I looked around myself and realized you belonged there. In my world. Beside me.”
“Danny.”
“I’m not finished yet,” he said, holding up one finger. “My business is booming. I’m looking to expand, hire on new people. And you know who was the first person I thought of?”
“Me?” I suggested flatly.
He nodded. “Yes. You. You’re smart, you’re persuasive, you’re used to handling large sums of money and working with luxury-class clientele. You’d be perfect as a partner. Both in business and in well, life.”
“Are you offering me a job and telling me you want me back?” I asked, frowning.
“Yes. Exactly. That is exactly what I’m doing.”
I scoffed, shaking my head. “It doesn’t work that way.”
