The Billionaire Playboy (21 page)

“Sounds like
great news so what's the problem?”

“She could claim
she was with me. Technically we were still together then. Or she could argue
it’s only an estimated date. The research I read said the technology is not one
hundred percent accurate.”

Charlie didn't
see his bad news as earth-shattering. There must be people in England that
could confirm Blair hadn't been with him. “No, but its pretty darn good. Besides
whoever you were visiting can confirm you were alone right?” Although he'd left
out any names, he'd told her that he recently visited family in England during
one of their conversations.

Jake remained
silent on the other end of the line and a knot began to grow in Charlie's
stomach. What was he hiding? Had he left out some important details when he'd
told her about his trip?

“I can't. I was
visiting my cousin. He was in drug rehab. If I tell the media who I was with
they'll start digging and AJ's hospital stay would come out. Right now no one
but me and his girlfriend know about it. He doesn't want the rest of the family
to know yet.”

Charlie admired
him for his sense of loyalty but didn't agree with his decision. If he could
put an end to the speculation now, he should consider it. “Have you asked him?”

“Trust me, AJ
can't handle it right now. I'll just have to wait it out. My lawyer is still
pushing for DNA testing. Though her lawyer did suggest that she'd be willing to
admit she might be mistaken in exchange for two million dollars. Apparently
Blair is running a little low on funds.”

How could
someone blow through the money Blair Peters made modeling?. She modeled for all
the top designers as well as Victoria's Secret. Charlie didn't know what the
going rate for a fashion model was, but it had to be way up there.

“For that kind
of money she should come right out and tell the truth.”

“She wants to
save face.”

Charlie couldn't
contain her sarcastic laugh. “So it looks better to admit she was involved with
two men at the same time?”

“I guess it does
in her mind. Not that it matters. I'm not paying her anything.”

She still
thought getting someone to verify his whereabouts during the month of March was
the best solution. “Jake, maybe you should talk to your cousin. See what he
says. He might surprise you.”

“What are your
plans for this weekend?”

Jake's immediate
switch in topics let her know he considered their previous topic closed for
further discussion.

Fool.
She wanted to reach through the phone
and beat some sense into the man. “None, why?” she asked, choosing to take his
hint and drop the subject.

“I thought we
could spend it together.”

A warm sense of
excitement spread through her. It occurred every time she anticipated spending
time with him. And she wasn't sure she liked it. None of the men she dated in
the past affected her this way, and she couldn't help but wonder if that meant
her feelings toward Jake were developing into something she didn’t want to deal
with. Every time they were together she tried to remind herself she wasn't
looking for love. That she was only having fun with Jake. But somehow she
suspected her heart was slowly getting invested in their relationship despite
her efforts.

“What did you
have in mind?” Charlie pushed aside worries for the moment. She could sort out
her feeling later when they weren't on the phone.

“How does a
weekend on Martha's Vineyard sound? I can pick you up and we can fly to the
island together,” Jake said.

The worries
she'd just buried exploded in her head again. How should she interpret Jake and
his actions? They never discussed an exclusive relationship, yet he treated it
as one. He called almost every day. Sometimes they talked about nothing of
importance. The weekend before he traveled up to see her and now he wanted to
take her away. Just what was his game? Should she tell him she didn't want
anything serious in her life? Or should she go with the flow and keep having
fun? Eventually he would move on to someone else. She knew that like she knew
the sun would rise tomorrow. So why worry about it now, right?

“It sounds nice.
I've never been.” Charlie proceeded to put her clothes away while ignoring the
uneasy emotions lurking just below the surface. By agreeing to go was she
leading him on and giving him the wrong impression about what she wanted?
 
If on the off chance he wanted something
permanent between them, he had a right to know the truth.

Get serious. This is Jake Sherbrooke aka Prince
Charming. Even if he wanted a serious girlfriend he wouldn't look at you.

Though it hurt
to admit, Charlie's silent reminder to herself pushed most of her unease away. Another
relaxing weekend with Jake sounded wonderful, so why should she deny herself?

“I'll take that
as a yes,” Jake drawled.

Charlie closed
the bureau drawer causing her reenlistment papers to scatter across the floor. She'd
been prepared to fax them the day before, and then had gotten distracted. For
whatever reason she'd hadn't gotten around to it yet. “You twisted my arm. I'll
go with you.” She picked up the papers and put them back into their envelope.

“I knew I could
convince you,” Jake replied smugly. “I'll have a car pick you up and bring you
to the airport. I'll meet you there.”

***

Jake leaned back
in the plush leather seat and stretched his legs out as his last conversation
with his lawyer replayed in his head. He'd suggested that Jake consider paying
Blair off. As much as he wanted this scandal to disappear, he refused to play
her game. It now made sense why she repeatedly tried to change his mind about
their relationship. She wasn't the first woman to use him for his money. Unfortunately,
he didn't have another quick and easy way out of this situation. Not unless he
wanted to drag his cousin into things. Charlie suggested he reconsider his
decision on that front. He knew she meant well, but she didn't understand his
cousin's fragile state. Even if he just announced that he'd been in England
during March the media would somehow track down his exact whereabouts. They
always seemed to. Once they did that, it wouldn't be hard to trace things back
to AJ. He wouldn't let that happen. No one else in the family knew about AJ's
problem and he'd promised to keep it that way. If it meant he had to make some
sacrifices to keep his promise, oh well. Both his family and Charlie seemed
willing to stick by him.

The fact his
family remained behind him didn't surprise him. While they may not always agree
or support his decisions, they would never turn their back on him. Charlie, on
the other hand, did surprise him a little. The fact she had not tossed him out
on his ass when she read the magazine pleased him, more than he thought
possible in fact. After all, in many ways they barely knew each other. But at
the same time he felt closer to her than any other women he'd dated. Jake
didn't know what that meant in the long term, though he did know he was looking
forward to another weekend together. This time away from both their families.

Reaching for his
drink he realized this would be their first weekend alone. Every time they'd
been together either her family or his were close by. The thought made him
smile. No one else around meant no distractions or interruptions.

A few minutes
later the small plane touched down. Eager to see Charlie, Jake came to his feet.
If everything went as planned the car he'd sent to pick her up at the Victorian
Rose would arrive soon.

A warm breeze
washed over him as he stood outside the airport. A group of girl scouts passed
him on their way inside for a tour of the airport, but Jake didn't notice them.
His mind was planning the next few days. He already scheduled reservations for
dinner. But after that he had nothing planned. As far as he cared they could
spend the entire weekend locked up in their room, coming out just for food. Still
it wouldn't hurt to have a few other ideas just in case Charlie wanted to see
some of the island. After all, it was her first time on Martha's Vineyard. Perhaps
a short excursion
 
for some sightseeing
or shopping was needed. Many talented artists and jewelry makers called the
island home.

The sound of
several car doors slamming grabbed Jake's attention. From behind his dark
glasses his eyes scanned the people heading his way. The minute his eyes locked
on Charlie walking toward him a calmness he hadn't realized was missing settled
over him. Until the moment he saw her, he hadn't realized how restless he'd
been. With her suddenly in reach he felt grounded, as if he was just where he
was meant to be.

He couldn't help
but smile when she saw him and waved. Today her vibrant red hair hung free and
the breeze was blowing it in every direction. She wore a pair of denim shorts
and a plain black t-shirt. Although the outfit didn't scream “look at me”, he
couldn't tear his eyes from her.

“You're late,”
he said in his best no-nonsense tone. She'd told him before how much she hated
being late so he couldn't help but give her a bit of a hard time now.

Charlie stopped
in front of him, her hands on her slim hips. “Not all of us have a private
plane, Mr. Sherbrooke.”

She kept any
hint of laughter out of her voice, but he noticed her lips curved ever so
slightly as she fought back a smile.

“Some of us had
to deal with traffic on the highway.”

He stopped a
grin from spreading across his face. She never held anything back. She seemed
to tell him exactly what was on her mind. “I'll forgive you this time. Just
don't let it happen again.” Jake took two steps forward and pulled her
possessively toward him. When his arms went around her it almost felt as if a
switch flicked inside his head. The minute he felt her pressed up against him
all of his
 
worries faded away. That fact
unnerved him. How could someone he'd known such a short time have such an
effect on him? And what should he do about it?

Now isn't the time to think about it. This weekend
is all about relaxing and having fun.

“The plane is
waiting for us.” Jake took a step back and picked up her bag. “Ready to go?”

Charlie took
hold of his free hand and fell into step next to him. “All set.”

Jake led her
inside the airport and through a restricted area, then back outside to the
private air strip where their plane sat ready to go. “I think you'll love the
house we're staying in. It belongs to a good friend of mine. He bought it a few
years ago, but only gets there maybe once a year.” Jake put her bag in a
storage compartment, then pulled her down into one of the seats and prepared to
make this his most enjoyable plane ride ever.

***

Charlie walked
along the uppermost deck with a mug of coffee in hand and took in the view. She
couldn't imagine owning a piece of property like this and only getting here
once a year. She didn't know where the homeowner spent most of his time, but it
couldn't possibly compare to this. Setting her mug down on a table, she glanced
over the railing at the secluded beach below. Maybe today she would check it
out. Since it was part of the property no one else could use the beach, and it
remained pristine thanks to the home's maintenance staff. She doubted even a
single piece of drift wood could be found on the sand.

Through the open
screen door she heard Jake moving around inside. When she woke up he'd looked
so peaceful she didn't want to disturb him, so she'd made a pot of coffee and
come outside. That had been more than an hour ago.

As she leaned
against the railing she wondered what he had planned for the day. The previous
afternoon they'd walked through the center of town checking out some of the
local businesses before having a dinner at The Blue Herring, the most exclusive
restaurant on the island.

He knows how to
spoil a girl, Charlie thought as visions of their dinner replayed in her mind.

Behind her the
screen door opened and closed. “Why didn't you wake me?” Jake wrapped an arm
around her waist and pulled her against his side.

“You looked so
adorable sleeping. I didn't have the heart,” she teased before dropping a quick
kiss on his cheek.

“Adorable? I
looked adorable?” He asked with mock outrage. “I'm going to get you for that
one.”

“Just try.”

Jake took a long
drink of coffee before replying. “Those sound like fighting words.”

“You can take
them anyway you want,” Charlie tossed back, enjoying the silly banter. “So
what's on the agenda for today?” As she spoke Charlie looped her arm around his
waist and leaned into his side.

“For starters,
breakfast. It’s ready when you are. After that you'll just have to wait and
see.”

After a
breakfast of freshly baked scones and fruit, Charlie took her time getting
ready. She felt no need to rush and Jake didn't seem in any hurry either. In
fact, by the time Charlie showered and dressed the clock read noon and Jake
still hadn't finished getting dressed