The Geek's Bad Boy Billionaire

by Talia Hunter

  “Think, Lana. Please. Were you going out with Troy then? Blake left on December second and it was a Thursday night.”

  “Troy? Oh yeah, it would have been him. The guy was such a loser, I don’t know what I ever saw in him.”

  “Was he there that night? Come on, Lana.”

  “Um…I don’t…”

  “Blake’s uncle came and picked him up, so you might have seen his car pull up outside. Or you might have seen Blake get all his bags and leave. Maybe you were scared Mom would come home and you’d get caught with a boy in your room?”

  “Oh, yeah. Hang on, I think I do remember. I went down to take a look outside because Blake’s parents were yelling even worse than usual. That was his uncle who picked him up? I thought his father was going to punch him.”

  “And Troy? What was he doing while you were outside?”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me if he was up to no good. He could have gone into your room and taken your stuff. He stole things from me, too, and I didn’t find out until later.”

  Caylee closed her eyes for a moment. How could she have been so blind? “He could have seen Blake coming out of my room with my diary in his hand, and decided to go in and see what valuables he could take. He’d had an argument with him the previous night, and he probably guessed Blake would get blamed.”

  “The dirty rat!” Lana made a tsking sound with her tongue. “And all this time you thought it was Blake.”

  “Yes, I did. I’ll call you later.”

  “Hey, are you—”

  “Sorry, I can’t talk, there’s somewhere I need to be.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Blake turned the Jet Ski toward the beach. Jenna sat behind him, her hands gripping his waist nervously, her white wedding gown and veil blowing in the wind.

  John stood waiting on the sand with a wide smile. If he’d woken up with a hangover, he was hiding it well. Jenna arriving at their wedding by Jet Ski was the surprise she’d planned for him, the favor she’d asked of Blake. She’d wanted to make more of an entrance than just walking out of the resort and, judging by John’s expression, he appreciated the drama of her sudden appearance out on the water, even if Blake had caused her to arrive much later than they’d planned.

  As soon as the Jet Ski’s hull touched the beach, Jenna unclenched her hands from his waist and waved to John. Her delighted laugh tinkled behind his ear and Blake guessed she was relieved to have arrived safely. She hadn’t been out on the Ski very often and she’d been afraid her wedding gown would get soaked, but yesterday’s practice run had helped to reassure her.

  Blake slid off the Ski into the shallow water. He was barefoot and his trousers were rolled up. He scooped Jenna into his arms, and carried her ashore to her waiting groom. He couldn’t help scanning the beach for Caylee but, of course, there was no sign of her. She’d be on her way to the ferry by now, and then she’d get on a plane home. The thought made it much harder to smile at his friends as he deposited Jenna safely on the sand, then watched them step forward together, hand in hand, toward the waiting marriage officiant.

  “Friends, we are gathered here today to witness the wedding of…”

  Blake stood to one side, watching as John and Jenna spoke simple vows they’d written themselves. The words were touching, but it was the way John and Jenna looked into each other’s eyes that made Blake afraid he might choke up. There was such love shining out of their gaze, and a deep, unbreakable trust.

  “…To love with all my heart. To honor for all my days. To care for, and trust, and prove myself worthy of your trust. I pledge to you my forever, no matter what life might bring…”

  John was smiling at Jenna, but his hands were shaking slightly. Blake knew it wasn’t from fear, but from the importance of this day, the quiet truth in the words he was speaking. He meant them with all his heart.

  Maybe promising to be true to one woman forever wasn’t such a frightening concept. The look in John’s eyes was one of joy, not fear. Perhaps Blake had been wrong, and his parents were the exception rather than the rule. If anyone could stay in love forever, it was John and Jenna.

  John eased a beautiful gold ring onto Jenna’s finger. “With this ring I thee wed…”

  Blake turned his head and searched for Caylee, even though he knew she wasn’t coming. He burned to go and find her, to tell her…to tell her the truth. The honest, unvarnished truth that just became clear to him, the fact that only the throbbing pain in his heart had made him see. Without her, there was no chance for him to ever feel the love that John and Jenna had found. Without her, he would always feel a desperate kind of loneliness. She’d been his center as a boy, the light around which he revolved. That hadn’t changed.

  Sure, he could kid himself that he needed to go and build another resort, but it was a lie. It was a way to stay so busy that he could forget how miserable he was.

  Without Caylee, what did he have? Diversions. Resorts, jet boat racing, even the Jet Ski: they all amounted to ways to keep him from missing what it was he really yearned for. To keep from admitting he’d been a listless, unfulfilled fool before she walked back into his life.

  But he’d blown it with her. Hell, he’d really messed things up.

  She could never trust him now, no matter what he said. How could she when she’d proven him a liar? There was no way to fix this, nothing he could do to make it up to her.

  Jenna fumbled with the ring she was giving to John. Her hands trembled as she slid it onto his finger and tried to push it over his knuckle. When it stuck for a moment, she gave a nervous giggle, and John grinned back.

  Blake gave himself a mental shake. What the hell was he thinking, giving up on Caylee so easily? Things had seemed hopeless for him before. Many times when he was on the rocky, difficult slope to earning his first million, he’d almost lost everything, and only dogged determination and stubbornness had pulled him through.

  If anything in his entire life was worth fighting for, it was Caylee. Dammit, he’d fight! He’d do whatever it took. With the decision made, his black mood lifted and he felt suddenly light. Now that he knew exactly what he wanted, he would get it. He’d devote the rest of his life to loving her and, sooner or later, she’d have to let him.

  Blake checked his watch. 12:18 p.m. By now Caylee would be at the wharf, waiting to catch the ferry to Airlie Beach. Even if he raced to his car and drove the island’s narrow, winding roads at dangerous speeds, he’d never make it in time to stop her getting aboard.

  He glanced at his Jet Ski, grounded on the sand in the gently lapping water. At full throttle, the Jet Ski could easily beat the ferry. He could intercept Caylee at Airlie Beach. He could beg her not to catch her flight home, to give him another chance to make things right. Did he have enough fuel to get there? No time to refuel now. If he ran out of gas halfway across, he’d damn well swim the rest of the way.

  “You may now kiss the bride.”

  Claps and whistles from the other guests dragged Blake’s attention back to the wedding ceremony. John and Jenna broke off their passionate kiss to beam at the cheering crowd. They were expecting him to help them celebrate, and Jenna had asked him to give a speech after their wedding feast. He hated to let them down, but he’d explain later, and he was sure they’d understand how important this was to him. Thank goodness he wasn’t the best man.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the married couple.”

  Beating the sudden rush of people coming forward to congratulate the radiant pair, Blake clapped John on the back and planted a kiss on Jenna’s cheek. “Congratulations you two,” he said. “I wish I could stick around, but there’s something urgent I need to do.”

  “Now?” exclaimed Jenna.

  John’s smile grew even wider. His arm circled Jenna’s shoulders as he shot Blake a wink. “Go get her, buddy.”

  …

  Caylee walked to the beach, slipping her shoes off as she reached the sand. It seemed the wedding ceremony had just finished, and Blake was
the first to congratulate the newlyweds.

  The blond woman—the one she’d seen sitting behind Blake on his Jet Ski—gazed with such love at her new husband, it made Caylee’s heart ache and her eyes prick with sudden tears. She stopped, hanging back from the group of well dressed people gathered in an area of the beach marked out with a beautiful floral wedding arch at one end and decorated tables at the other. A photographer was taking pictures from one side, and waiters were starting to serve glasses of champagne. She’d watch from a distance, so as not to interrupt Blake’s friends’ special day. She could always catch Blake’s attention later, perhaps when the happy couple slipped away to have photographs taken. She’d already missed the ferry, so she had plenty of time—and she needed every minute of it to figure out what on earth she’d say. She had to tell Blake how wrong she’d been and how sorry she was. She had to find the right words to convince him to forgive her, and that might take her a while.

  But where was Blake going? He’d rolled up his trouser legs and was wading into the sea, pushing the Jet Ski clear of the shore into deeper water. What on earth? Why would he take the Jet Ski back out to sea now?

  Caylee rushed forward, her heart suddenly racing. He couldn’t leave, not when she had so much she needed to say to him.

  “Blake!” But he didn’t hear her yell over the sound of the Jet Ski’s engine starting. “Blake!” She called as loudly as she could, running toward the water. She dropped her shoes in the sand, then hitched up her tight skirt so she could move faster. The wedding guests were turning to look at her. No doubt she looked crazy, running and shouting Blake’s name with her skirt tucked up and her curls bouncing, but who cared?

  Blake revved the Jet Ski’s engine and her voice was lost in the roar. He couldn’t hear her. Any moment he was going to speed away.

  She raced past the waiters, past the guests and the surprised faces of Blake’s friends, and splashed into the water behind the Jet Ski.

  “Blake,” she called one last time, her voice full of despair. And this time, incredibly, his head swung toward her. He cut the engine, jumped off the Ski, and stood in the shallows, gazing at her.

  She stopped ankle-deep, her rucked-up skirt splashed with water. All of a sudden she was afraid. The sun was in her eyes and Caylee couldn’t make out Blake’s expression. Was he furious with her? She’d accused him of terrible things and treated him unfairly. He’d deserved far better from her and she’d failed him. How could she ever say she was sorry?

  There was only one way, and that was just to say it. To apologize as well as she could and hope he could find it in him to forgive her. She shot a quick glance at the crowd of wedding guests gaping at her. If only she didn’t have to bare her heart in front of them, but it couldn’t be helped. She’d make a fool of herself in front of the entire world if it meant Blake would forgive her. Caylee took a deep breath.

  “Blake, I…”

  Blake stepped forward and took her hand. The look in his eyes was so tender that she couldn’t finish her apology. “Come on,” he said, leading her down the beach, away from the curious stares of the wedding party. When he stopped and faced her, the soft blue of his eyes reflected the sunshine and glowed with a warmth that radiated out from him and into her. A warmth that made her heart soar and her hands tremble. She could look into those eyes forever and never need another thing as long as she lived.

  “Before you say anything, Caylee, there’s something I need to get off my chest.” His voice was husky with emotion, and he put his hands on her upper arms. “Stealing your diary was a terrible thing to do and I wish I hadn’t. I did it because I thought I’d never see you again, and I wanted to keep a little piece of your heart with me. I told myself you would have wanted me to have it so many times, I came close to believing it. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I needed something of yours to hang on to, to help get me through the times when I missed you so badly it felt like it was ripping me apart. I needed something that would keep me alive, keep me going, like you had for so many years. It was selfish of me, and cruel. I’m so sorry, Caylee.”

  She shook her head. Her heart was swelling. All those years she’d thought he took the diary to hurt her, it never occurred to her to see it any other way. She was the selfish one, not him.

  “Caylee, my love.” His hands tightened on her arms. “I think you’re incredible, I always have and I always will. I promise I’ll never hurt you again. I just want to be with you, if you’ll let me.” He dragged in a shaky breath, and touched his chest. “I realize now that I got it wrong all those years ago when I put your paper airplane over my heart. When we’re together, I feel myself becoming light. When we went out on the Jet Ski, skimming over the waves with your arms around me. And in bed…” Another deep, shuddering breath. “I don’t need you to release me before I can fly. I find freedom when you put your arms around me. It’s when you’re holding me, Caylee. That’s when I can fly.”

  “Blake.” Her voice caught. She couldn’t trust herself to speak or to form the right words. Tears simmered in her eyes, swelled onto her lashes. Nothing existed but him. Nothing mattered but that he loved her and her own heart overflowed with that same love.

  His hand stroked her face, then he carefully wiped the moisture off her cheek with his thumb. “Now I’ve made you cry.”

  “No,” she managed. “They’re happy tears.” She tried to laugh, though her voice was raspy with the pressure of all the unshed tears still inside her. “I’ve treated you unfairly. I trust you, Blake. I want you to know that I trust you absolutely.”

  He smiled back, and his soft blue eyes were as cloudless as the sky. “I’ve decided not to build a resort in Indonesia. I’m just going to build a clinic and school there instead. That was always the part of each project I enjoyed the most anyway, and I don’t need to prove anything, not anymore. The last couple of days I’ve been happier than I’ve ever been, and now that I’ve finally found what was missing in my life, I don’t mean to let you go.” He drew her toward him. “I know you don’t want to accept my money. Your pride is one of the things I love and respect about you. But won’t you let me fund your research? You were born to do exactly what you’re doing, and it would kill me if you couldn’t continue with it.”

  She shook her head. She was still smiling, joy bubbling up inside her. “I’ve been offered funding, Blake. It’s more than I had before, from a private investor who doesn’t mind where I work from. I’m not going to stay at the university. I was going to see if you’d let me come to Indonesia with you?”

  “I wouldn’t want to go without you.”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks even as she laughed with happiness. Had anyone ever felt more amazed, more in love than she did right now? He drew her close, hugging her against his body. “What’s so funny?”

  “I was just remembering when I arrived here. I was crying then, too. And when I saw you I thought of that famous line from the movie Casablanca. Do you know it? Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, I had to walk into your place.”

  He laughed as well, his fingers moving up to her hair to smooth back one of her curls. His face was very close to hers, his voice very soft. “That’s what you thought then. What are you thinking now?”

  “I’m thinking the same thing you are. That I didn’t even know how much I needed you until you were right in front of me, and even then I was too stupid to realize it.”

  “You could never be stupid.”

  “But I was. I thought I could plan a relationship like I do my research. I thought I didn’t need to feel passion, that I could order my life like an equation, by the numbers.”

  “Maybe you can. I want to start fresh with you, Caylee. I want to make up for every moment when I hurt you. Can we begin again with number one and go slowly up from there until we reach infinity?”

  His lips were so achingly close to hers. “Only infinity?” she murmured as she closed the last gap between them.

  “It’s a place to start,” h
e whispered.

  Epilogue

  The sun felt good on Caylee’s bronzed skin as she gazed out the high window of the guest suite overlooking the beach. It was wonderful to be back on Sunset Island. Even better to be able to share this gorgeous place with Lana and their mother. She’d known they’d both love it, but their amazement at the sheer beauty of the island had been even better than she’d hoped for. Lana had been out to the reef to snorkel every day since she’d arrived, and her mother had spent each day on the beach in a bikini that Caylee wasn’t sure was quite decent for a woman her age.

  Thankfully, her mother was now dressed in a formal pink dress and matching hat. She’d also insisted on wearing high heels, in spite of the fact it was impossible to walk over sand in them. Lana wore a simple cream dress and had very sensibly slipped off her shoes. Her back was to Caylee, and she was deep in conversation with a man Caylee didn’t recognize. Caylee craned her neck to see who her sister was talking to. Could it be one of Blake’s friends? Surely it wasn’t another one of the no-hopers her sister seemed to effortlessly attract? Hopefully she’d meet someone decent while she was on the island. Her sister deserved better than another disastrous relationship with a man who wasn’t worthy of her. She deserved the kind of happiness Caylee had found.

  “Now that’s my kind of bride.”

  Blake’s soft voice tickled her ear and sent a shiver down her back. She smiled as his arms slipped around her, and she tilted her head back to rest against his neck as he drew her body against his. She hadn’t heard him come in but it always felt good to be in his arms.

  He obviously thought she felt good, too, because his hand stroked over the lace of her bra, before moving down to her panties, and his sudden hardness pressed into her lower back.

  “As much as I love this look, I’m not sure our guests will be completely comfortable with it,” he murmured. “And it might give a whole new meaning to the words ‘I do’.”