So claiming Jane publicly feels right. In more ways than one. I realize that I don’t just want to protect her—I just want her. Period. The feel of her soft body in my arms is intoxicating.
The women who seem to always flock to me are the thin model types—the ones who look like they wouldn’t know what to do with a slice of pizza. I like them well enough, tried seeing a few, but for the most part I send them away. Now I realize why.
As soon as I looked down into Jane’s soft pleading brown eyes, saw the way the little vixen had opened her coat to reveal a sexy, plump body, I knew. She’s the one for me. Everything else is history. She looks at me now so trustingly that I know I’m making the right decision.
This situation isn’t so crazy when I look at it that way.
“We have a lot to talk about,” I say, sipping my drink.
“Yeah, we do,” she says.
“This will put Gavin off for now, but he’ll come slinking back.”
I feel her shiver. “I know he will.”
“I think it’s best if you let me assign you protection. Around the clock.”
Jane pulls away from me and faces me in the booth. “Like bodyguards?” I nod. “Do you really think that’s necessary?”
“I think I would rather be safe than sorry. We just made a powerful man very angry.” At the fear in her gaze, I grab her hand, squeezing it. “But I’m even more powerful.”
She nods, but her eyes seem worried. “Why would you do all of this? What do you get out of it?”
All I want out of it is Jane herself, but I don’t say that. I don’t want to scare her off. She needs to believe I get more out of the deal. Well… it would make me look good. If I have a public fiancée, then maybe those photoshopped pictures will be less believable. After all, they are fake. I tell her so. “With you by my side, I’ll build trust in my clients. It will be really good for my business if they see me settling down.”
She nods, understanding dawning in her eyes. It almost hurts that she thinks I only want her for business purposes. I want to tell her the truth. If only she’d believe me.
Something tells me she won’t. Not yet anyway.
“Okay,” she says. “Bodyguards it is.” Her shoulders shake with quiet laughter. “And a pseudo engagement to Halcyon Craft.”
I chuckle. Her laughter is contagious. “Did you see his face when I told him?”
She nods and now bends over in laughter. It’s not silent anymore. “That had to be the best thing I’ve ever seen. It was like he couldn’t quite register what was happening.”
Before I know it, we’re both bowled over and I have to force myself to settle down. The tension seeps from both of us so that I feel light and relaxed. I think Jane does as well.
“There’s a gala,” I say. “In two weeks. A big event in the business world. You’ll come with me.”
Jane bites her lip, drawing my eyes. She is just about the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen. “I look forward to it,” she says. Then an uncertain look enters her gaze.
“What is it?” I ask.
“It’s just… can’t you find someone else for this? I’m… well… I know I’m not your type.”
“My type?” What in the world is she talking about?
“I’ve seen the tabloids,” she says. “You’re always with slender blondes. Not girls like me.” She says “me” like she’s a pariah instead of the goddess I see before me.
I speak carefully. “Those kinds of women tend to follow me. Believe it or not, I ignore them for the most part.” At the hope in her eyes, I feel bolder. I take her face in my hands, look into her eyes. “I want you, Jane, to have no doubt in your mind that you are exactly my type. Whether our engagement is real or not, that is the truth.”
At the tears welling in her eyes, it’s all I can do to stop myself from embracing her. She’s too damn precious. How a girl like this ended up with a man like Gavin is a mystery. The thought of him even looking at her now boils my blood.
“Let’s try it,” she says softly. I let go of her and we’re separated once again. “Try. I really could use the help with Gavin.”
“He won’t dare touch you if you’re by my side,” I reassure her. “I don’t half-ass anything, Jane. That’s another thing I want you to know about me. When I’m in, I’m all in. And believe me when I say I’m all in on you.”
I realize I’m being too intense at her shocked silence. I chuckle softly. “We should get out of here for now. I’ll make arrangements and take you home myself.”
She nods, looking relieved. It’s hard to look away from her.
If there’s one thing I know, it’s that saving Jane is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.
5
Jane
I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to Halcyon Craft driving me around. For some reason, I imagined him having a driver himself. But no—it seems he’s humble enough to drive a car on his own. I kind of like it.
Having him drive is giving me time to process the whirlwind that was the last hour of my life. Seeing Gavin again, running into Hal who then claims me as his fiancée… it’s all pretty incredible. The most shocking part of it all is hearing Hal call me his type.
I’ll be honest. Those were the last words I expected to hear coming from his mouth. Sickeningly sexy Halcyon Craft into me—plain old Jane? That kind of thing just doesn’t happen. I ought to pinch myself.
And yet here I am. When I look to the driver’s seat, the man himself is there in the flesh. I feel as if I can’t quite grasp what’s happening. Not yet.
“So I’ve set up security for you,” Hal is saying, eyes forward on the road. “You’ll have round the clock protection from my personal team.”
I bite my lip nervously. “Round the clock?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll still have privacy. They’ll be posted outside your door and such. Just watching out for you.” After moment’s pause he continues. “I really don’t like the way Gavin was talking. And how he just left. That man is capable of anything.” Hal’s hands clench upon the steering wheel, revealing an undercurrent of anger.
“That’s true,” I say quietly. “I really do appreciate your help.”
He looks at me briefly and something flashes in his eyes. God, those eyes. I feel as if I can look at them forever. “What happened?” he asks. “With Gavin, I mean. Your ex.”
I stay silent a moment, wrap my arms tightly around myself. I don’t like to think about my time with Gavin, but I knew this was bound to come up. I sigh. “I knew from the start he was a controlling man—it was always a bit alarming—but I ignored it. Thought I could deal with a little jealousy. I mean, jealousy is flattering in a way, isn’t it?” I remember Gavin when I first met him and want to cringe. How had I not seen through him right away? “He was just so charming, dashing, possessive. He was beautiful, really.” I notice Hal’s brow furrow. “Not that I feel that way anymore.” Before I know it, I’m talking in a rush and Hal just listens silently, a brooding presence beside me. “It started with little things, you see. He texted me all the time, always checking up on me. And I mean always. I put up with it. Then it became an issue when I wanted to grab lunch with my girlfriends. When I had to run to the store. When I had to go to work.” Hal’s eyes remain on the road. “You see where this is going. Before I knew it, he had replaced my cell plan without me even knowing. He was tracking my location. Manipulating my life in subtle ways.”
“I’m sure he paid off the phone company to make the change. He has a habit of doing shady business like that.” Hal’s voice is wooden. Clearly he has a history of his own with Gavin.
I nod. “Oh, I know he does. He began using it against me. Using his money against me. I eventually felt like everyone I talked to was working for him. And who knows? Maybe they were.” I shudder. “He was gaslighting me. Making me think I was crazy. One night he was drunk and I wanted to go see a friend. He very nearly hit me. Thank God he didn’t, but it scared me well enough. I always told myself I would ne
ver be one of those girls who stayed with an abuser. But at that point I realized I was one of those girls. Maybe not physically, but... emotionally. Mentally. Anyway, that was the final straw. I took off one night. It took a lot of planning to make that happen without him knowing.” I rub my arms, suddenly cold at the memories. It had definitely been a low point in my life. “I didn’t get very far. He brought me back the next day. So I bided my time and escaped again. He’s been on my tail ever since. Half-heartedly, I think, otherwise I wouldn’t be here to tell you this.”
I feel myself losing control over my emotions. I really don’t like to think about Gavin. About how unsafe he makes me feel. “I move from place to place, hoping he’ll forget me for good. I think he does sometimes. I’ve been here for a whole year now. I have a few friends. An apartment. A cozy library job. I like it. I thought that maybe, finally, I was safe. And then this morning happened.”
I break down at last, feel the moisture welling at the corners of my eyes. I bury my face in my hands. “I’m sorry, Hal.” The tears fall harder and I choke back a sob. “I just want you to know what you’re getting into. What I’m up against. I completely understand if you just want to—”
Hal pulls over suddenly to the side of the road. Next thing I know my face is in his hands and his warm thumbs are wiping my tears away.
“Hey,” he says, “we’re a team now. So you should be saying what we are up against. I’m not going anywhere and I’m not letting that piece of shit get his hands on you ever again. You had me from the second you grabbed my arm out on that street, Jane.” He smiles kindly. “And no apologizing. I’m the one who asked you to tell me.” I look into his eyes and know he’s sincere. A sniffle escapes me and he chuckles softly. “Ever since you first clung to my arm, I knew I’d be stuck on you, goose.” Hal’s voice is so warm and inviting. I chuckle at his pet name. I could be really silly sometimes, the way I get myself so worked up. Goose is perfect.
“Oh, Hal,” I breathe. My heart aches with strong currents of emotion. It seems an invisible cord stretches between us tenuously, one that grows stronger with every moment we spend together. Another sob escapes my lips, but this time it’s a happier one. I do feel safe with Hal. That alone means the world. “Thank you,” I finally whisper. “I think I needed to get that out.”
He smiles, softly at first then wickedly. “Damn it if I don’t want to kiss you right now.” I chuckle and Hal pulls back to his seat. “But I won’t. Don’t want you to think I’m trying to take advantage of your vulnerable state. You would think something like that.” He winks at me.
“Thanks, Hal. I do feel so much better.” How can I not? Hal is both wickedly sexy and sweet all at once. The total package.
“Good.” He pulls out onto the road again and resumes driving, closely following his GPS directions. We’re almost to my apartment. “Thank you for telling me all of that. It must have been hard.”
I nod. “You really should know. Is it okay if I ask about you?” I hesitate. “You know, you and Gavin. How do you know him?”
“Ah,” he says. “It’s a tale as old as time. One of those friends turned enemies scenarios. We grew up together, played together as boys do, eventually got into the same line of business. I’d always known he had some odd tendencies—a mean streak as it were—but when we went into business together… that’s when I realized how truly mean it was. He had an underhanded way of getting things done and it didn’t sit right with me. I walked out on a deal, on our partnership, our friendship, everything when he decided it was okay to sell a potentially harmful product to a disadvantaged, desperate population. Fucking scum.”
I shudder. Gavin would be the type to disregard human life like that. “So now you’re on your own. I mean… business wise.”
“Yep. I won’t be associated with him.”
“You’re a good man,” I say. “It’s kind of strange though. How the media perceives him as this… angel almost. Like he’s God’s gift to mankind. It’s twisted. Is he paying them off, do you think?”
Hal shrugs. “Maybe. Who knows? I’ve never been one to concern myself with the media. Though maybe I should.” I can tell he’s thinking about his own image in the papers lately. It wasn’t good.
“You’re so different from how the headlines make you out to be,” I say hesitantly. Truthfully, I don’t want to think about the photos of Hal with stick thin girls hanging on him. It’s too…
Hal glances at me. “The papers don’t know everything. They say I move from relationship to relationship, breaking hearts. That I sleep around. Yada, yada, yada. The truth is…”
I place a hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Hal. You don’t need to explain yourself.” We reach my apartment just then and he parks outside my building. “You really don’t.”
“I just don’t want you thinking strange things. Yes, I’ve had flings. Who hasn’t? But the truth is… I’ve never had an actual, official relationship. And all those photos in the paper lately? One word: Photoshop.”
“That can’t be true.” I mean, the fake photos, sure, I can believe that. But the other part? The thought of handsome, playboy Hal Craft forever single is… too impossible to believe. And yet he almost seems embarrassed. Can it be? I reach across his lap to grab his hand. I hold it tight. “If it is as you say, I don’t care. Unlike Gavin, I can see that you’re a good man. And I love it. I don’t care what the papers say.”
Seeing Hal this way is making me feel things I really shouldn’t be in the close confines of his car. I stare at his perfect jawline, his muscled forearm taut with tension. His lips look so inviting. How had I ever thought Gavin handsome? Compared to Hal… there is no comparison.
I look down, spotting the bulge of my belly and everything comes snapping back into place. I snatch my purse from the floor of the car and cover my stomach with it, embarrassed for looking at Hal that way when I look as I do.
He notices the movement and raises his eyebrows. “I gained a lot of weight with Gavin, too, you know,” I say quickly. “Stress, I suppose.”
Hal’s hand tightens on mine. “You say you don’t care about my past, about what the papers say. Well, I don’t care about your weight. Actually, I think you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen. Every inch of you. It’s taking me everything I have to keep my hands from you.”
There he goes again, making me feel good. Making me feel confident and beautiful. I smile and bite my lip, pleased that he feels that way. I really can feel the tension in him, in the insistent grip of his hand. There’s heat between us, a force that’s dragging us together. Hal makes me weak in the knees and I’m glad I’m sitting down.
“Well…” I breathe. Just then a black car with tinted windows pulls in beside us. I stiffen, immediately on edge.
“Don’t worry,” Hal says. He releases my hand and rolls down the window. “It’s my man. Graves. He’ll be watching over you while I’m at work today. And driving you wherever you need to go.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, truly grateful for it. “Thank God.”
“He’s the best of the best,” he reassures me. The man—Graves—gets out of the car and nods.
“Mr. Craft,” he says.
“Thank you for your promptness as always, Graves. Keep me informed of anything at all that’s suspicious.”
“Of course, sir.” The man moves off to stand in front of the building. He begins inspecting it right away. Tall and bulky, he certainly looks imposing. Good. I turn my attention back to Hal. He’s watching me with an expression that makes me blush.
“I’ll see you later, goose,” he says.
“Will you?”
“You can bet on it.” With a wicked grin, he bends over my hand and kisses it sensually, lingering slightly before rising to meet my eyes. I’m almost positive I can cum on the spot with the way his gaze sears into me.
I let out a shaky breath and place my hand on his face. “Please be safe, fiancé,” I say quietly, sincerely. I don’t know how I made it this far in life wi
thout Hal. I feel like if I lost him now, there would be a huge hole in his place. Crazy, I know.
I quickly gather my purse and flee from the car. After an awkward nod to Graves, I run into my apartment, body and mind aflame with Halcyon Craft.
6
Hal
Please be safe, fiancé.
Jane’s words echo in my mind. Such a simple statement and yet… had I ever heard those words before? More than ever I want to protect this vibrant woman who had walked into my life. I watch her run indoors, knowing how anxious she must feel. Graves follows her in, no doubt ready to stand vigilant outside her door.
I know I don’t have to worry, but I can’t help it. The things Jane said, her story with Gavin… it set me on edge. To think he went to such lengths to claim her, to trap her. I feel my anger rising. She deserves so much more than him. She deserves everything.
I unclench my fists upon the steering wheel, willing myself to let off some steam. I take one last look at Jane’s building before driving off.
There’s a lot of work to be done today, but I’m not rushing to it. I have too much on my mind since the arrival of Miss Jane Wilder. I’ve never had such an instantaneous reaction to someone before her. Never had anyone else make me feel so alive.
Every time I look at her, it’s like the world makes sense. Every touch is fire. Desire courses through me at the thought of her generous hips, her bountiful bust. I can’t even begin to imagine her losing control, staring me down with those eyes, biting her lip with need.
It takes effort to get the distracting image of her out of my head.
Yes, I want her. I want her all to myself.
But I also want her to be comfortable with herself. I noticed the way she pulled her purse over her stomach to hide it. How she sat slightly hunched. Covered her face with a wave of hair. Pulled her coat around her body like it was a shield.
God, I wish she could see what I see. I wish I could have a word with all the people who ever made her feel that she isn’t the most beautiful thing on the planet. Her curves only make that all the more true for me.
Curves for the Billionaire Page 2
