Billionaire's Secret: Exposing Jay: A Chicago Suits Romance (Loving Jay Book 2) (8 page)

Yes Sam, I planned to. I wouldn’t be staying late and dancing or anything, but I needed to talk to them. Jenny had better have been thinking over my problems all week and I needed her take on the situation. I don’t know what Jenny told her, but it must have made her realize I needed them.

Although I hadn’t told Jay yet I was going. I couldn’t, I hadn’t seen him all week since he got home after I went to bed and left before I got up in the morning.

I crawled into bed, alone, not long after eleven. The key rattled in the lock about fifteen minutes later. I sat up and turned the bedside lamp on, eager to see Jay.

“Hey, you’re still up.”

“You’re not quite as late today.”

He shrugged. “I’m closing a deal tomorrow, it’s been a busy week.”

He took his jacket off and laid it over the bedroom chair. There seemed to be a lot of suit jackets laid around my condo these days. I should have kept all those vases, so he’d have more things to lay them on.

“I won’t be late tomorrow, I’ll be home before you.”

As much has I wanted to see him, I didn’t want to be the one keeping us out of each other’s arms and guilt weighed down on me.

“I’m meeting Jenny and Sam after work tomorrow.”

His eyes flickered then fixed on mine. “I don’t want you walking anywhere on your own. You phone me to come get you.”

“I will.”

“You said that last week. Maybe I should come out with you.”

My eyes widened. I couldn’t talk about him if he was sitting right there. Sam and Jenny would take his side and they’d all gang up on me.

“No need. I’ll phone you, I promise.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I mean it Beautiful, you have to call me. No excuses.”

I tried to smile to reassure him, though my mind was trying to understand why he wanted to walk me home so badly.

He got into bed and put his arm around me. Within minutes he was asleep, but it took me over an hour to drift off.

“
T
here she is
!” Jenny called out as I walked into the bar. I waved and walked toward them.

“Don’t you come over here without drinks!” Sam shouted.

I gave her the finger and kept walking to them.

“You’re going to be pretty thirsty ‘cause there’s no drink here for you!” Sam yelled.

“Fine!” I changed my course and went up to the bar. I got a bottle of Pino Grigio and plunked the bottle down on the table, along with the one wine glass I’d taken.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, where’re our glasses?” Jenny asked.

“Right in front of you.”

“This is an empty beer glass,” Sam said, pointing at it with both her hands.

“Yep,” I said, pouring the wine into the glass.

“Oh come on, beer suds are foaming at the contact with the wine.”

Jenny snatched her beer glass off the table and bee-lined for the bar. I sat in the seat beside her and poured wine into my glass, filling it far fuller than any bartender would have.

Once Jenny returned with a clean wine glass I asked, “So, what do I do?”

“You move in with him!” Sam said.

I looked to Jenny, searching her eyes. Sam hadn’t known me when I lived with Matt. She didn’t understand how he had destroyed me. How he’d leached off me and sucked a huge portion of my inheritance away. My parents would be so ashamed of me. I could never forgive myself for being so stupid. And I certainly could never leach off of someone else.

“I think you need to take the risk,” Jenny said. She took my hand in hers.

“But how would I contribute?”

“I somehow don’t think he cares,” Sam said, rolling her eyes.

“I care.”

“Sweetie, when are you going to learn that in real life it’s not possible to have everything work out nice and fifty-fifty. So what if you can’t contribute an equal amount for the house?” Jenny said.

“He said I could pay for the maintenance on his indoor swimming pool.”

“Who cares if you can’t meaningfully contribute to the household? The only thing that cares to is your ego,” Jenny said.

“Yeah, stop being such an egomaniac,” Sam said cackling.

“Why don’t you rent out your condo to keep it going, cover the mortgage. Then you’d always have it as an asset to throw into his asset pool,” Jenny said.

“He doesn’t have an asset pool, he has an asset ocean,” I said.

“But if it makes you feel better, then do it. If it justifies your ability to have a functioning relationship with him, then do it. You’ve got nothing to lose,” Jenny said.

I took a long drink of my wine and let the liquid swirl around in my mouth. It seemed like a no brainer as far as they were concerned. But. I’d relied on no one but myself since my parents died when I was seventeen, I had to then but now it’s so deeply ingrained in me I could never uncoil myself from the need. There’s only one person in life I could ever be indebted to, myself, and I hated myself for it.

“Okay, so now you’re moving in with him, what’s this big job he offered you?” Sam asked.

Man, I’d been so focused all week on the question of moving in with him I’d forgotten about the job thing.

“Nothing concrete, he said he thought my talents were wasted in reporting.” Just saying it out loud made me proud.

“I’d be all over it, sign the job contract tomorrow,” Jenny said.

“Or is this another of your silly hang-ups?” Sam said.

“It’s another of her hang-ups.”

“Why doesn’t she get that using contacts to get a job is normal?”

“I don’t know. I never would have got into marketing without help from my dad’s friend.”

“Why are you two talking about me like I’m not here?”

“Because you’re not going to take any notice of what we say anyway, so we might as well,” Sam said, mock glaring at me.

I shook my head. They were so understanding, not.

After just the one bottle of wine, I was keen to get home and see Jay. More than keen. I hadn’t seen much of him all week and I missed our chats. Plus I worried about how stressed he’d seemed on Monday and wanted to make sure he wasn’t still stressed.

“It’s been great but I have to get home to my man,” I said standing up.

“Sure, go running to him when he’s at your house,” Sam said.

“You know, it would help if he didn’t live out in the burbs,” I said laughing.

* * *

I
’d walked
a couple of blocks before I remembered my promise to Jay. I didn’t understand why he was so insistent on walking me home. Matt never cared. And I’d walked around the streets late at night so many times over so many years on my own that I never thought twice about it.

“Abbie,” Calvin said, appearing out of the shadows. I jumped at my name, and my heart pounded. There was no way to get around him.

“Why do you keep coming up to me?” I said through my heavy breathing.

“No reason.” His voice was bitter, taunting.

“Then leave me alone.” I swept my eyes around the street, pleading for someone to help me, but the area was devoid of people. My body trembled at the realization.

“You need to be careful about James.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Here, take this.” He held out a small manilla envelope. I looked at the envelope, my brow furrowed but my mind blanked.

“Take it!” Calvin shoved it into me and my reflexes took hold of it. Calvin snickered and walked away.

I stood motionless, my heart pounding as I tried to comprehend what had just happened.

Some part of my brain kicked my ass into gear, I crammed the envelope into my Burberry jacket pocket and half jogged home.

* * *

“
W
hy didn’t
you call me?” Jay said the second I opened my condo door. I’d never heard him sound so angry before. Normally he didn’t exhibit emotions. But this was raw. Serious.

“I’m sorry, I forgot.” He walked over to me, his eyes boring into my core.

“That’s not good enough. You can’t forget.” My heartbeat, still rapid from Calvin, crashed against my ribcage.

I pursed my lips and bit them together with my teeth, trying to stop my chin from quivering. I was so on edge from Calvin that my emotions struggled to grasp what was happening.

I’d left the bar, eager to rush home to his embrace. A mere fifteen minutes ago. And now I stood here a wreck.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

Jay smoothed my hair over the top of my head and pulled me into him. I let him take all my weight as the tears rolled down my cheeks.

“It’s fine. I worry about you. I need to know you are safe. I will start coming out with you, so you don’t forget again.”

He led me to the sofa and flicked an old movie on, Bullit. I'd always liked Steve McQueen, even though the man holding me on the sofa was hotter.

* * *

W
e spent
the weekend at his house, not doing much other than eating, watching movies and having sex. And going for a couple of swims in his basement. Naked swims.

Sunday night we went back to my little condo. The difference in the two places became more glaring each time I went between them. What must he think about staying at my teeny tiny home?

But he stayed here. He insisted.

* * *

U
gh
. Every time I went into my new job, I found something else that was screwed up about the place. It was a dysfunctional company, to say the least.

At least I liked my boss, Laurie. And I was getting to grips with my staff, though I wasn’t yet in a position to guide them because I was still trying to figure out how all the reporting at the company fit together.

O
n Wednesday
, I entered the office and took my Burberry jacket off. As I laid it over my arm, the manilla envelope fell out of my pocket.

I’d forgotten all about it after the reaction Jay greeted me at the door with. I picked it up off the floor and hung up my coat.

Should I open it? Or toss it? I wasn’t sure. I sat at my desk and uncrumpled it. There was nothing remarkable about it. No writing on it, no label. Just a little envelope. When I smoothed it flat with my hands, I could feel the outline of a piece of paper inside.

What was Calvin up to? Why did he keep coming up to me? It’s fricking Chicago, a big city I shouldn't 'accidentally' bump into him in. Let alone at night.

You know what? I don’t even care, I chucked the envelope into the trash can.

I pulled my chair towards my desk and resumed my mission of making sense of the reports. But I was having trouble focusing. I pulled the envelope out of the trash and put it in my purse.

* * *

A
t lunch
I sat at my desk eating a sandwich, looking through yet more messed up reports. Every second seemed to reveal more issues in this company’s reporting.

What were all these people doing before I got here? I mean, it’s not that hard to pull important information out from company reports, but they’d managed to screw it up on an epic scale. I laughed to myself, even Calvin could have done a better job.

Calvin. The thought reminded me of the envelope. Fuck it.

I took the envelope out of my purse and before I’d had the chance to second guess myself, I ripped it open.

A piece of paper was folded and folded some more. I unfolded it, my heart getting faster with each motion. I unfolded the last fold, finally revealing the message. It was a printout of a news article from a website.

I read the headline over and over but never managed to read the actual article. The air was knocked out of me. My stomach churned. Even my face hurt.

I took my phone out.

Why did I trust him again? I crammed my phone back in my bag, picked my things up and left work, my half-eaten sandwich still on my desk. My phone bleeped but I ignored it.

I opened my condo door and collapsed on my bed in my jacket and with my purse strap still over my shoulder. I didn’t even cry. Couldn’t cry. My mind was too busy trying to comprehend the headline.

And why did Calvin have it? Why did he give it to me? What the fuck was going on? My phone bleeped again and I pulled it out.

What is going on Jay? Wouldn’t I like to know.

I hit send and broke down and bawled. Heaving great sobs that shuddered all the way to my toes. Why? What? Why? It’s all my brain could think. Nothing more. I couldn’t even think of the information I knew, let alone try to piece together what I didn’t know.

* * *

T
he key rattled
in the lock and the front door flung open, bouncing off the door stop. It slammed shut and Jay appeared at my bedroom doorway.

“Get out of my home,” I said, my voice weak with emotional exhaustion.

“What happened? What’s going on?”

“Fuck you, liar,” my voice was soft, weak and tears flowed down my face.

“Abbie, Beautiful, tell me what’s going on.” Jay leaned over the bed and tried to pull me off it, but I resisted with every bit of strength I still had. Even though I resisted, wherever his hands touched me, my body relaxed.

“Leave James. Leave me alone.”

He put his hands around my torso and yanked me off the bed like a rag doll. He pulled me close to him, squeezing me so hard it was difficult to breathe.

“Tell me what is going on,” he said, his voice firm. Demanding.

What do I tell him?

“You bought CQ Francis.” My voice was barely audible, even to me.

He exhaled and held me tighter still.

“I buy lots of companies.”

“But why did you buy CQ Francis?” I hoped it was a coincidence, but I knew better.

“What did you want me to do? I wasn’t about to let you leave Force McAllister without another job to go to.”

The words drew a deep, bellowing wail from the pit of my stomach. His grip loosened, transformed into a loving embrace while I cried against his chest. He rubbed my back, comforting me.

I was so comfortable in his arms, so soothed by him that I almost forgot he was my problem. But for now I needed his embrace to keep me from falling apart completely.

* * *

H
e led
me to the sofa and sat me down. He perched on the coffee table, facing me and took hold of my hands. We were both leaning forward, and our heads nearly touched.

My mind was still too overloaded to make any sense of the situation.

“Why did you lie to me?”

“I didn’t lie to you.”

“You didn’t tell me you bought CQ Francis.”

“I buy a lot of companies, and I don’t tell you about them.”

“But…”

“But nothing Beautiful, I bought the company you happen to work for.”

I took a breath, trying to sort out my thoughts. He didn’t move, hadn’t flinched once. I couldn’t read him, but he didn’t seem to feel any guilt at what he’d done.

“Did you buy them before or after they hired me?” I bit my lip, afraid of the answer. Jay sighed.

“Before.”

“And you made them hire me.”

“Yes.” I started crying again, though my eyes were out of tears.

“No. No,” I shook my head, “you lied to me. I can’t. You have to leave. I don’t want to see you again.”

“No.” Any softness was gone from his voice.

“I can’t be with someone who lies.”

“I didn’t lie. I bought a shitty, badly run company for you.” The words stung all over again.

“James, go. This is over.” He let go of my hands and tilted my face to his, our heads inches apart. His eyes bore into mine with an intensity I hadn’t seen before. I gulped, struggling to meet his stare, willing my eyes not to close.

“I will not lose you for this. I will not let you go.”

“It’s not your decision.”

“I need you too much. I’ll do whatever, make you the CEO if you want but I’m not losing you. I love you.”

I drank in his words. Let them comfort me even though I knew I couldn’t accept them.

“I don’t want to be CEO, I want to be taken seriously.”

“You are. Do you really think I’d want you in these positions in my companies if I didn’t think you could do them? I know you can do more, you would thrive in more challenging roles. You’re amazing Beautiful, you are more capable than most of my top advisers.”

“But I can’t get a job,” the words came out between sobs, “no one will hire me because they think I fuck my way into roles.”

“No Abbie, that’s not true.”

“Yes it is. I can’t get a job. No one wants me. No one thinks I’m any good.” I put my arm between our faces, to wipe my face on my sleeve.

He cupped the back of my head and pulled it toward him, his lips grazed my ear, tickling it.

His voice quiet, he said, “I put word out not to hire you.”

My body buckled in half, my head landing on his shoulder. How? Why?

“I hate you.”

“No, no Abbie. You can’t.” His eyes searched me.

“I do,” I said, sitting up straight and wailing.

“Beautiful, it’s all okay. Everything is okay.”

“No James. It isn’t okay. How can you think that?”

“I know you’re being treated well. I needed to know you’d never have another boss like Calvin. And now you won’t. Isn’t that good?”

I flung myself away from him and into the sofa, my hands flying away from his grasp.

“It is not good. You have ruined my ability to support myself.” He placed his hands on my knees and slid them up my thighs. I tried to ignore the soothing feelings they were creating.

“Beautiful, you don’t need to support yourself, ever again. I will take care of you. I will do everything in my power to give you the best life possible.”

Unbelievable.

“But I want to support myself. I need to support myself. The last thing I need in my life is to be dependent on someone else.”

“Well now you don’t have to. I will take care of you. Always.”

“If you think that then you don’t know anything about me. Don’t understand who I am.”

“I do, Beautiful, I understand you more than you understand yourself. Your parents dying when you were so young traumatized you, but you need to let that wound heel. Stop fighting it.”

My heart froze. He knew. He understood. Matt never had. Or if he had, he used it to take advantage of me. But Jay, Jay understands me. More than Jenny even.

I looked at him and met his gaze. There was nothing but warmth in his eyes. My heart started pounding again, like it was trying to break out of my ribs to get to him.

I started to lean forward, to enter his embrace, but the image of the headline appeared in front of my eyes. Stealth takeover. I couldn’t do it, however much my heart wanted to.

“James. I can’t do this.” As fast as I could, I pulled my legs up and pushed myself over the side of the sofa’s arm and bolted out the door. I didn’t wait for the elevator, instead ran as fast as I could in heels down the stairs, out the door and kept on moving.