Resisting the Billionaire (10 page)

No, I had to resist him.

I waved a hand between us. “Jake, this can’t happen. We
can’t happen.”

He folded his arms. “You still haven’t told me a compelling
reason why not.”

A growl of frustration vibrated in my throat. “I’ve given
you a million reasons why not!”

“None that matter!” he countered, a scowl on his face.

I decided to change tactics. “What do you want from me, Jake?
Are you looking for a convenient fuck-toy in the office?”

His eyes turned into narrow slits at my crudeness, but I
didn’t get the explosive fury I wanted to elicit.

“Cora, why is it so hard to believe that I want you because
you’re you?” His blue-green gaze was so piercing, I felt like he would root out
all of my deepest secrets.

Because the long
string of broken hearts trailing behind you tells me you can’t feel any deeper
emotion than lust. And I could fall for you.

I lowered my lashes, feeling too exposed.

I settled on a half-truth. “I don’t doubt you want me now,
Jake, but a brief fling is not something I want to risk my career on.”
And my heart
.

Face hardening, he abruptly turned away from me. He strode to
the window and gazed out at the view.

Silhouetted against the vastness of the city, Jake looked
invincible, but as I stared at his stiff carriage, I was struck again by how
alone he seemed.

After each of my parents died, there were moments of
unbearable loneliness in my life, like there was nobody else in the world
who
could understand me. I sensed that Jake was feeling
something similar in the moment. Even as I was telling myself it was in my
imagination, I ached for him.

After a long stretch of silence, I asked tentatively, “Jake,
would you please accept my resignation?”

His shoulders visibly tensed at my question and he whipped
around to face me. “No!”

Even as I castigated myself, a wave of relief surged through
me. “And we won’t talk about last night or this morning again?”

Blue-green eyes turned hard, radiating an iron will. “This
is not the end of the discussion.” It was a promise.

“Jake!” I protested.

His right hand rose to stem my words and I pursed my lips in
aggravation. “We will continue this argument at another time, but just be
warned, I’m not giving up.”

“Jake! This is ridiculous. You could have any woman you
wanted. They fall at your feet when you walk by. I don’t know why–”

The sudden grin he shot me scrambled my thoughts. “I’m glad
you think so highly of my charms, Cora.”

Cheeks warm, I shrugged. “I don’t need to boost your giant
ego by telling you how attractive you are. I just think anything between us
would be a disaster.”

“That’s bullshit.” He said this with a small smile. My
inadvertent compliment seemed to restore his good humor.

I closed my eyes and prayed for patience.

“Here!” He lifted my hand and placed a piece of paper in my
palm.

“What’s this?” I stared at the phone number scrawled in his
bold handwriting.

“That’s David Bouchard’s personal number. He’s expecting
your call today.”

“Why do you have the private number of the principal of Marcus’s
old school? And why would he be expecting to hear from me?” Confusion seemed to
be my default state when dealing with Jake.

“A friend of mine is on their board. When I discussed
Marcus’s abilities with him yesterday, he was appalled Marcus wasn’t still at
the academy. Jon made some calls. Marcus can matriculate into school as soon as
he wants. David is waiting to hear from you to can set up an appointment to discuss
Marcus’s classes. And don’t worry about tuition. The board is offering your
brother a full scholarship until he graduates.”

The most unflattering sound came out of my mouth. I could
only categorize it as a squawk.

A million things ran through my mind. Galileo Academy was
not the type of school to accept students mid term and they certainly did not
offer any scholarships. Most likely, Jake had pulled in a few favors and arranged
for the tuition to be paid in full.

“How did you know Marcus was at Galileo?”

Jake scoffed as if I had asked him the simplest question in
the world. “It wasn’t hard to figure out that the son of Sebastian
Branton
wouldn’t attend any other school other than the
premier institution for math and sciences.”

I looked at the phone number longingly. One phone call could
resolve so many of our problems, but having Jake use his clout on my behalf didn’t
sit well with me. “Jake, this is too much. It’s wonderful of you to do this for
us, but I can’t accept this.”

He dismissed my protest with a wave of his hand. “I didn’t
do anything except chat with a friend. Jon was the one who offered the
scholarship. Besides, you can’t turn down something like this without
discussing it with Marcus.”

“That would be pointless. Marcus would jump at the chance to
go back to his old school.” I knew my brother missed the academic rigor as well
as his friends. He kept in touch with them online and saw them on the weekends,
but it was not the same.

Jake shrugged, unsympathetic to my dilemma. “Well, then I guess
Marcus is changing schools. Besides, you can’t deny him this opportunity. I was
blown away by how smart he is.”

I felt a glow of pride at his words.

Jake squeezed my fingers around the scrap. “Cora, he needs
an environment that would foster his abilities. It would be a shame to turn it
down because of some misguided sense of pride.”

I bit my lip, feeling torn. As much as I didn’t want to be
beholden to Jake, he was right. Marcus had been languishing at his current
school. I inclined my head in acquiescence and smiled at him, a wave of
something I was afraid to name overwhelming me. “Okay, I’ll call David
Bouchard. Thank you, Jake.”

He grinned in triumph, looking heart-stutteringly handsome.

That he didn’t tell me about his efforts on Marcus’s behalf
before he expressed his personal interest in me was to his credit. It showed me
he respected me enough not to manipulate me.

Still, I had to clarify my position even though I felt like
the worst ingrate. “This doesn’t change anything between us.”

His grin did not dim. “I didn’t expect it to.” His
expression turned rueful. “You really do have the most appalling opinion of me.
I have my work cut out for me. I have never had to resort to cheap tricks to
win a woman’s affection and I don’t plan to start with you.” He stooped down
and looked directly at me. His voice lowered until it was an intimate caress
against my skin. “Baby, when you finally come to me, and you will, it will be
for no other reason than you want me so much you can’t help yourself.”

His endearment sent my heart racing and my breath caught at
the determination in his aquamarine eyes. I felt like a rabbit sighted by a
hawk. And I was afraid the emotion spreading through me wasn’t fear. It was
excitement.

Marcus thought Jake hung the moon and the stars and the sun
and everything in the universe when I told him about the scholarship. He wanted
to call Jake to thank him, but I nixed the idea, considering it too intrusive.
I compromised by letting him text a thank you to Jake’s cell phone.

I didn’t want Jake to feel obligated to talk to my brother. I
loved Marcus, but when he was excited about a topic, he could go on forever
about it. It was both endearing and exasperating.

Within seconds of the sent text, I heard Marcus’s cell phone
ring.

“Hi Jake!”

I looked up from my book in surprise.

Marcus’s lean face was bright and happy. “Uh-huh. Yeah.” He nodded
vigorously, his hair flopping into his eyes.

Shit…haircut.

“It’s awesome. I’m going to start next week. I wanted to go
tomorrow, but Cora says we still have to figure out my classes and stuff. Yeah.
Thanks!”

There was a long pause. I strained to hear Jake’s side of
the conversation, but I couldn’t make out a single word.

“Sure! I’m don’t think Cora would mind!”

The book fell out of my hands and hit the floor with a loud
thud. I sat up in alarm. “Marcus!” The idea of a twelve-year old agreeing to
something on my behalf filled me with dread.

Peeking at me, he turned away and said quickly, “Bye, Jake.
Thanks for everything.” He ended the call and stuffed the phone in the pocket
of his baggy jeans.

I stood and planted my fists on my hips. It would have been
more effective had I been taller than he was, but I tried to project authority.
“What wouldn’t I mind?”

He shuffled guiltily toward his room. “Um… Jake said he had
an empty apartment that was closer to my school and to your work. He said it’s
sitting empty and we could move into it if we want.”

He spoke so quickly that the words strung together. It took me
a few moments to register the words. “Marcus
Branton
!
We are not taking charity from my boss!”

His jaw jutted out pugnaciously. “It’s not charity. Jake
said we could pay the same amount of rent as we do now! And I hate it here.
Something’s always broken and it’ll take me an hour to get to and from Galileo.”

I walked up to him and put my hands on his shoulders. “Marcus,
you know this is wrong. If we accept Jake’s generosity, we are essentially
letting him subsidize our apartment. And that is charity. I know our living
situation is not ideal, but Jake has done enough. He already pulled strings to
get you a full scholarship. It’s not fair to take advantage of his kindness. When
our lease is up in a few months, we can take a look at our finances to see if
we can move closer to the school.”

His eyes brightened with hope. “Really?”

“I can’t promise anything, but yes we’ll seriously look into
moving.” With Marcus’s tuition taken care of, I was sure we could upgrade to a
nicer location.

Long arms snapped around me and I almost cried at Marcus’s
spontaneous display of affection. He had not voluntarily hugged me since he was
a young kid. Every time I pulled him into a hug, it felt like he was tolerating
my touch.

I wrapped my arms around his bony figure and held him close.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like my brother and I were on the
same page. I closed my eyes to savor every precious second, but all too soon,
he pulled away awkwardly.

“Um…should I call Jake to tell him?”

I narrowed my eyes in anger at Jake’s manipulative ways.
“No, I’ll talk to him.”

“Okay. Don’t make him mad, okay?”

I gnashed my teeth. The man was turning my own brother
against me. “Why would I make him mad?”

“Uh…
cuz
you look really pissed
off.”

“I’m fine. Don’t you have to get ready for school? Just
because you’re transferring doesn’t excuse you from finishing your homework.
You have that paper due in English Lit.”

“UGH!” He groaned and walked to his room, feet dragging on
the floor. English Literature was his least favorite subject. Before he reached
his door, he paused and looked at the floor. “Um…Cora, I’m sorry for saying I
hate you the other day.” He slanted a sideway glance at me. “I didn’t mean it.”

Tears welled up. “I know.”

He gave me a small smile of relief and walked into his room.

I took a moment to savor the shift in our relationship. My
heart already felt lighter.

After a few minutes, I took out my phone and dialed Jake. My
foot tapped with irritation as the phone ring.

“Hey, baby. I was hoping to hear from you.”

At the sound of his deep voice calling me baby, I almost forgot
the purpose of my call. All I felt were the tremors of pleasure running from my
ears down my spine to my feminine core. I bit my lip hard, hoping the pain
would help me focus.

Work today had been an uphill battle. After our passionate
kiss, Jake’s demeanor changed. He was never outright unprofessional, but there
were little things that kept my nerves humming the whole time. When he spoke to
me, he stood close a tad too close. His eyes followed me with a calculating
glint, as if he were plotting something. When he spoke to me, he used a softer
tone. And most distracting of all were his little touches. They weren’t lewd or
inappropriate– a hand at my elbow or our fingers meeting when I handed
him something– but each glance of his skin electrified my senses.

“Jake, what the hell are you doing?”

“What do you mean, baby?”

I almost groaned out loud, giving away how much he affected
me. “Don’t call me that!”

His voice lowered to a croon. “But you are my baby. My
beautiful, sexy, stubborn baby.”

“Jake!” I meant to say it as a rebuke, but it came out as more
of a half-moan.

“I love the way you say my name. I can’t wait until you’re
screaming it when you come on my cock.”

The phone landed on the floor with a loud crack. I stared at
it, my mind pure sludge. My limbs were weak and shaking and it felt like I was
running a fever. To my embarrassment, my panties were wet.

Shit! A few sexy words
and I creamed myself.

“Cora! Are you okay?” My name sounded far away and with a
start, I realized Jake was still on the other line.

I clenched my jaw and picked up the phone. Afraid he would
derail me with his seductive voice, I spoke rapidly, “How dare you talk to
Marcus about moving! It was an underhanded tactic and you know it. He’s twelve,
Jake.”

His voice was surprisingly calm in the face of my angry
words. “I knew you weren’t going to agree to move, but I don’t like where you
live. It’s not safe for you or Marcus.”

“That’s for me to decide. It’s the best I can do right now
and I don’t need your interference.”

“I’m not interfering. I’m trying to help.”

“We’re fine where we’re at!” I said haughtily.

“Your stubbornness is exactly why I talked to Marcus about
it in the first place. Sometimes your brother is more levelheaded than you are.
Why won’t you let me help you? What I told Marcus is one hundred percent true.
There are several units in River
North which are sitting
empty. You and Marcus could move in this weekend.”

I gnashed my teeth in frustration at his deliberate
obtuseness. “Jake, I’m not some helpless woman who needs rescuing. I won’t take
charity.”

“This is not charity, damn it. And I know you’re not
helpless. Although I swear to God, things sure as hell would be easier if you
were.” I could hear a trace of anger in his voice before he drew a deep breath.
When he spoke, he sounded calm again. “Your neighborhood is not safe. Your
building is falling apart. A single woman and a teenager are vulnerable. If you
won’t do it for yourself, do it for Marcus. Aren’t you worried about him walking
home from school?”

“That isn’t fair!” I gasped at the sly attack.

“I don’t care. You’re not thinking rationally. I’ll do
whatever it takes.”

“We’re not moving!”

A string of vicious curses blasted out of my speakers.

I took the phone away from my ear and stared at it in
astonishment. Jake cursed on occasion, but it was always limited to one-word
expletives. He must be extremely aggravated to lose his cool.

When I heard his words slow down, I cautiously put the phone
back at my ear. “Feel better?”

“No! I’d feel better if you agreed to move.”

“No!”

“Fuck! You’re so damn pig-headed,” he grumbled.

“Ha! That’s rich coming from you!”

There was a pause and then a bark of laughter. I blinked. I had
not expected that reaction.

“Damn, my mom’s going to love you!”

I could not keep up with this man’s mental acrobatics. “What
are you talking about?”

“Poor baby. You won’t even see it coming.” There was a note
of pity in his voice.

My hands rose to massage the throbbing ache in my head.
“God! I’m getting a headache talking to you. Nothing you say makes any sense.”

“I’m sorry, baby. The headache will go away if you stop
fighting me.”

For some reason, that sent me into peals of laughter. Jake
was so unrelenting in everything he did. “You can’t stand to lose, can you?” I
gasped between giggles.

“No, I can’t. Remember that.”

It was a warning and I sobered, thinking about what he
wanted from me.
Maybe I should just give
in. An affair with a sexy, handsome billionaire doesn’t sound so bad.

Until he breaks your
heart,
a voice pointed out.

I sighed. “Jake–”

“Fine, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

“We will
not–”

“I’ll see you bright and early, baby. Sweet dreams.”
Click.

I glowered at the phone. I wished he had remained the aloof,
cold boss from a month ago.

Liar.

My spine lost its starch. Jake Weston was making me so
crazy, I was arguing with myself.