CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Jacob hung up the phoneand leaned back in his leather chair.

"Shit," he cursed out loud into the empty office.

Fletcher had rung to ask why he hadn't replied to their invite. A weekend away in the Hamptons with the Dufort cousins.

"Sorry, man. I've been a little behind in catching up on messages the past few weeks."

"I get it. Life is busy. Olivia is trying to confirm numbers, and everyone else is coming, so we hope you'll be there. It will be the first time we are all together." Fletch said.

Damn.

He wanted that. He really did, and just as he was about to say fuck yes, count me in despite the current situation, Fletcher hit him with one other little fact.

Atlas, Knox, and Levi Montgomery had also been invited.

"Ahh," Jacob replied slowly.

"Shit, Jake. I wouldn't have invited them had I known there would be any tension. We invited them before the wedding and your mom's announcement. Should I—"

"No, man. It's fine. There's no tension," Jacob replied, not wanting any trouble.

If Fletcher withdrew the invitation, Blake would find out. Bella would be upset. Ward would have an opinion.

He would look like a fucking asshole.

"I'll be there," he added.

"I'll blame my wife because she can't hear me. She wants an enormous family, so when Blake married Bella and we expanded, Olivia began salivating."

Jacob let out a laugh despite himself. Then, without thinking, he asked, "Can I bring someone?"

What the hell am I doing?

"Of course. I forgot you haven't seen the house. It's huge. We're out of rooms, so if this someone can share the bed, then they're welcome," Fletcher said.

"Yeah, she'll be in my room."

Would she?

Now he sat wondering what the fuck he was thinking.

You should have run.

The kiss he and Leilani had shared at Magic Gardens had played on repeat inside his head. Not just the kiss, the entire afternoon, and how his car had driven itself to her house.

Who blames their fucking car?

Jacob had spent the entire drive home having an internal argument about why he had nearly asked Leilani to go home with him. Where he intended to keep kissing her and fuck her...on his own.

Something he'd never even considered since Jenny.

Now the beautiful little Hawaiian had him wanting things he hadn't even considered for a very long time.

Her. Alone. In his arms.

Wrapped around his cock.

Just her.

Just him.

Where she would thank him for another great fuck and leave.

Because, like Jenny, but for different reasons, Leilani didn't see him as the man for her.

So why the hell had he told Fletcher that he was bringing her to the Hamptons?

More to the point, why did he think she would say yes?

Because he was Jacob fucking Dufort.

That's why.