CHAPTER NINETEEN
Leilani spent the firstthree days of the following week hiding from Missy. Fortunately, she had a lock on her office door, so when she found the woman waving in front of the glass, Leilani just did arm signals to indicate she was super busy.
The one time she did venture out, she noticed a few of her work colleagues shooting her funny looks. And one knowing grin from Simon in the finance team
Oh, Simon, trust me, you don't know.
Two men. She'd slept with two men. At the same time. Two absolutely gorgeous men who were way out of her league and richer than most men in the country. Jacob had told her who Carter was—the son of a real estate tycoon.
Two playboys.
Not her proudest moment, but she meant it when she'd told Jacob she didn't regret it.
It was incredible.
Erotic.
Empowering.
Because Leilani had pleasured them in return.
Would you do it again?
No. But not for the reasons you think.
When Jacob had demanded she tell him not to kiss her, she'd known, like him, that it was a dangerous move. The more time she spent with him, the more she liked him.
He knew.
She wore her heart on her sleeve—so the people in her life told her—so there was no way he couldn't know.
Jacob might be hot as hell, successful, and the best lover she'd ever had, but Leilani knew falling for him was the worst possible thing she could do.
They were worlds apart in what they wanted.
The life he lived was not the future she saw for herself.
Leilani saw herself in a pair of overalls one day, painting the walls of her child's bedroom as it grew inside of her tummy. She saw herself making fun of her husband as he assembled the crib. Badly.
To make him dinner so that after a busy day at work he'd arrive home, kiss her on the cheek while she served it up, and tell her how much he had been looking forward to seeing her all day.
Then they'd make love on the sofa because no show on tv was more interesting than each other.
Their baby would be born, and then they'd quickly have their second.
She would be loved and secure and never question that he wanted anyone else.
Jacob wasn't that man.
He was someone who had everything he could desire. Private jets, a one hundred-thousand-dollar vehicle—he probably owned multiple cars—eight hundred dollars cash in his pocket to throw at museum tickets, a sex club, and any woman he desired.
He offered her nothing but distraction and was very good at it.
But it hadn't resolved anything.
Today, she was finishing early to take her mom to see Dr. Maxwell, who'd said the bloating was not a good sign.
"Lani, how are you getting on with the presentation?" Blake asked, popping his head out of his office.
"Almost finished. Did you want the graph in there or not?" she asked.
"Leave it in. I'll go through it and remove it if I change my mind." He said and went to leave, then stopped. "Is...everything okay? I saw your message about leaving early."
She nodded.
"Mom needs to see her doctor. I won't be back today. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. Family first," Blake said. "Let me know if you need anything." Then he leaned against the doorjamb and propped his hand on his hip. "It's none of my business, but...can I assume my brother got you home okay on Friday?"
She felt her face flame.
"Shit, sorry." Blake straightened and held up a hand.
"No, it's fine. I did. He did. We just..."
Christ, please stop talking.
"You don't need to tell me," Blake replied. "I shouldn't have asked."
Her phone beeped. The sender's name was Hot Guy.
Leilani's eyes widened. She knew Jacob had put his number in her phone but hadn't seen what name he put it under. When he dropped her home Sunday night, he asked for hers.
Honestly, she didn't expect to hear from him again. Not after their conversation at the museum had been left open after that scorching kiss, and her announcement that she wouldn't want a repeat of Friday.
She coughed awkwardly and glanced back up at Blake.
"I take it that's him," he said, looking disappointed in her.
"Just a friend," she lied, not knowing if Jacob would want his brother knowing they'd seen each other again.
It was probably the last time in any case.
"Send me the presentation and I'll see you tomorrow." Blake returned to his office.
Shit.
She hated lying to her boss.
Leilani finalized the document, saving Jacob's message for later, knowing it would frazzle her.
He did that just by looking at her.
Twenty minutes later, she was standing at the bus stop—parking was way too expensive in the city—and heading home to get her mom. The bus arrived on time, so she climbed on, found a seat near the back, then pulled out her phone.
Hot Guy: I need a date
Leilani frowned at the message. Jacob wanted to take her on a date? Or needed a date and wanted her to be the date?
Hot Guy:....
She dropped it to her knee as she saw him typing. She wasn't ready to answer yet.
Hot Guy: I can see you read my message. So?
Heart pounding, she glanced around the bus, feeling like everyone knew what was going on.
Then the phone rang.
OMG.
Cursing silently, she pressed answer as she put in an earbud.
"I'm on the bus," she whispered.
"Why are you on the bus? I saw your car in the driveway." Jacob asked, confused.
"Because parking is costly...never mind. I can't talk." She rasped.
"Are you not allowed to talk on buses? I never knew that." He hummed.
A few people shot Leilani a dark look as she groaned and hid her face. "Yes you can but, no, listen, I will call you back when I get home."
"So is that a yes?" Jacob asked, and she could hear the grin in his voice.
"No."
"No?"
"Yes. No. Jacob. God. I will call you in thirty minutes." Leilani ended the call and turned her face away from all the dirty looks. Most of them wore earbuds, likely listening to their own thing, so what did they care?
Hot Guy: That was rude, princess. Lucky you're extremely sexy, so I forgive you.
Ugh. She changed his name on her phone and tucked it away inside her purse.
Talk about a reminder of how different they were. He'd probably never taken public transportation in his life.
As promised, when she got off the bus and began to walk the short distance home, she found Jacob's number and called him.
"I'm just in therapy after being hung up on," he said dramatically.
Leilani snorted.
"I'm sure you've never had a woman say no to you in your life. Let alone hang up on you."
There was a moment's silence, and she bit her lip.
Had she hit a nerve?
"Never make assumptions, princess. Now something has come up. I need a date for a family event. Say yes."
Leilani stopped at the end of the street, three houses down from hers, and asked, "When?"
"Friday," Jacob answered.
"Easter?"
"Well, yes. The entire weekend. We are going to the Hamptons. I have to go, but I need a buffer."
Not I want you there.
And what the hell? A whole weekend?
Jacob hadn't thought this through at all. She had told him she wasn't interested in a repeat sex orgy with him, and now he wanted to take her away for a weekend with his family.
"Are you insane? Aside from the fact I work for your brother, we aren't a couple. We only...you know."
He was silent again.
Leilani wanted to know what he was thinking and hated that her mind was whirling with a whole lot of what ifs.
"Why me?" she asked before he could reply.
"You know why," Jacob said.
She really didn't, and he was confusing the hell out of her.
Was he just ringing a list of women he'd slept with and hoping one of them was available?
Leilani spotted the neighbor leaving her mom's house and snapped back to her priorities. "Look, I have family commitments of my own. Sorry Jacob. I have to go. I hope you find someone else."
The idea of the man she had spent not just Friday with but Sunday night walking around the museum and playing hide and seek with taking another woman on a family trip felt...wrong.
Which was also wrong.
She had no claims on him.
Jacob Dufort wasn't her boyfriend, or really even her friend. Yet here he was, phoning her. Asking her.
Why?
Why did this man who was so far out of her league want her in his life?
God she was losing her mind trying to understand this stupidly handsome and complex man.
"I don't want anyone else, Lani. I want you." Jacob added, his voice rough and sexy, affecting her in the way that only he seemed to be able to do. "For. The weekend. Obviously."
For the weekend.
Obviously.
Translation:Do not read anything more into this.
As if she would.
Leilani started walking, conscious of the time and not wanting to miss the doctor's appointment.
Speaking of time, Jacob was just wasting hers. She should be out dating and looking for a man she could have a real relationship with. Not a man who owned a sex club and took woman there to share her with other men.
This was all a game to him, she was sure.
Why would he need her at a Dufort family event? She'd heard Blake talking about his family and how supportive they were.
His request didn't make sense.
"I thought you were a close family," she said. "Why do you need a buffer?"
Jacob took a moment to reply, but when he did, she could hear the tension in his voice. "We are. It's just...complicated."
She huffed through her nose. "They all are."
"So, you'll come?" Jacob asked.
The arrogance of this man.
He gave her no explanation and thought she'd just roll over and say yes.
Unfortunately, she couldn't.
Whatever his "rich people" problems were, Leilani had bigger ones. Her mother was dying, and she couldn't just pack up and go on a vacation.
"No Jacob. I have my own complications." She stood at the foot of the drive and watched as her mom opened the front door and then shot her a grumpy look.
Like this was all her fault.
Like she was the one forcing her to drink and not face her grief.
Leilani wondered if it might do them both good to have some time apart. For her mom to think about her life choices and how sick she really was. How she was going to die and leave daughter alone in this world.
Perhaps she'd decide to stop drinking and give her body a chance to heal.
"Let me uncomplicate them for you," Jacob said. "Tell me what you need."
She drew in a deep breath, and an idea began formulating in her mind. It was completely unthinkable to ask this of anyone normally, but Jacob Dufort wasn't just anyone. He was a billionaire, a Dufort, and he'd asked her for a favor.
He was a man who tossed eight hundred dollars at a man to let them into a museum on a Sunday night.
"If I come with you, I will need a live-in nurse." Leilani said. "If you can arrange that, then I'll come to the Hamptons with you."
Silence.
"For?" Jacob asked.
"My mom. She is sick. Someone qualified will need to stay with her if I'm not here. Those are my terms," she said boldly.
What was the worst thing that would happen?
He'd say no and ring the next girl.
"Jesus, Lani. I'm sorry." Jacob's voice enveloped her in an emotion she wanted to believe was real. Almost like a loving hug. "This is why you were sad."
"Yes," she said softly.
"Shit. I know I should just hang up, but I'm a selfish bastard and I want you with me, princess. I'll get you the nurse and pick you up Friday afternoon."
––––––––
JACOB HUNG UP and leta smile spread across his face.
He felt terrible learning her mom was sick but selfishly happy, as he'd admitted, that Leilani had been bold enough to ask for the help so she would come to the Hamptons.
It had taken him days to decide to ask her.
In the end he'd known he didn't want anyone else there, and if he had to spend a weekend with his family and the Montgomery brothers, then he needed a buffer.
So he would happily hire the fucking live-in nurse.
Jesus next minute he'd be proposing.
That was a joke.
He stood and walked to the windows of his office, staring down at downtown Philadelphia. Rubbing his jaw, he recalled their conversation and the sadness in her voice as she told him her mom was dying.
God, he was an asshole.
Taking her away from her mom was the last thing he should be doing.
Yet she had agreed.
Why?
Either way, he was thankful. He knew Leilani would be paramount in diverting any serious family questions from his cousins and the likes of Knox, Levi, or Atlas.
That aside, he was looking forward to visiting the infamous Dufort beach house in the Hamptons and spending time with his family.
And honestly, the more he thought about having three days with Leilani, the happier he felt.
Her in his bed.
It was different from taking her home.
Less intimate, without any promises.
God, he could fuck her without sharing and the fact that made him so eager and hard, and not trigger any vulnerabilities, was fantastic.
Talk about a win-win.
By the end of the weekend, he was sure they would both have had their fill.
He turned and walked out of his office and headed down to his personal assistant's office.
"Ricky, find me the best private nurse in the city," Jacob instructed him. "Friday through to Monday."
"This Friday?" the guy said, glancing up in surprise.
"Yes. Offer them whatever's necessary. Toss the Dufort name in there. I'll send you details when I get them." Jacob said, knowing Leilani was going to message him with the information.
Three days.
He could spend three days with the little Hawaiian princess without it meaning anything more. They seemed very compatible together, and with hours of spicy sex thrown in, maybe it would be a good test to see if he liked it one-on-one.
Or maybe he wouldn't.
Clearly, Leilani had decided there was something in it for her. What it was, wasn't his business.
But he was thankful she had said yes, and he'd make sure to show his gratitude.
Between her legs.
You like this woman, don't be a dick.
Fuck.
Jacob loosened the buttons around his neck and headed back to his office.
Shit, shit, shit.
He needed to go to the club tonight.