Resisting the Billionaire (16 page)

I sat back at my desk and continued working on the press
release, letting them have a moment of privacy.

“Dear, why are you still working? Let’s go,” said Susan.

It sounded like she was talking to me and I glanced up. Two
sets of blue-green eyes stared at me in puzzlement.

“Um…” I looked to Jake for answers. “What?”

Jake turned to his mom, his eyes conveying a hidden message
and his mom nodded, her face troubled.

“I see what you mean, Jacob. It’s a challenge, to be sure.
But don’t you worry. I’ll see what I can do.” She patted his hand.

 
It was like they
were speaking in secret code.

His smile a touch devious, Jake leaned over my desk. “Let’s
go to lunch. I’m taking my two favorite women out.”

Flustered by the thought of having lunch with his mom, I
said tentatively, “Thank you, but I think I should stay here to finish this
release.”

Jake’s face darkened and a growl rose from deep in his chest.

“Don’t be such a bear, Jacob. Cora, darling, I’ve wanted to
meet you for a long time. Won’t you be a dear and indulge this old woman?”

Susan’s voice was a sweet as honey and before I knew what I
was doing, I had logged off my computer and had my purse in my hand.

What had I just agreed
to?

 
Seeing the dazed
look on Cora’s face, I almost felt sorry for her, but remembering her assumption
that I was going to leave her behind for lunch, I hardened my resolve. I hated
seeing the look of uncertainty on her face. It had appeared on her face far too
often since we came together. Every time I saw it, it reminded me that she was
waiting for us to fail.

Fuck that.

We were sitting at my mom’s favorite seafood restaurant. The
owner recognized us on sight and sat us in a private room in the back. I almost
choked on my laughter when mom casually introduced Cora as my girlfriend. I
thought my poor baby was going to faint. She looked at me helplessly but I put
on an I-don’t-understand-what-the-big-deal-is look and she fell silent.

I didn’t share her reticence about hiding our relationship.
I was ready to announce our relationship to the world, even at work. I knew she
was scared of the rumors, but I didn’t give a flying fuck. She was my woman and
I wanted to claim her. It infuriated me that she thought she had to hide her
face when we left together in my car. I wanted her to be secure enough in the
relationship to walk out of the office by my side.

I sat back to watch my mom work her sorcery. People thought
my dad was a brilliant businessman, but he would have gone nowhere without my
mom. He had the business acumen, but my mom knew how to read and influence
people. Without her perceptiveness, the company would never have been as
successful as it was.

When I had called my mom to ask for her help with Cora, I
thought my eardrums would rupture, she screamed so loudly. She had been after
Troy and me for years to get her a daughter-in-law. I was never ready, but now
that I met Cora, I knew she was it for me.

My mom had been ready to come down on Monday, but I
convinced her to wait until the end of the week. It allowed me to get a better
lay of the land. When we talked yesterday, I explained to her how hardheaded my
sweetheart was so that she was fully prepared for the challenge.

We had already ordered and were now sipping on glasses of
crisp white wine. When Cora seemed hesitant about drinking alcohol, Mom called
the waiter to cancel the order, claiming she didn’t want to drink if Cora
wasn’t joining us. Feeling guilty, Cora had caved.

Round one: Mom.

“Cora, I’ve heard so much about your brother, Marcus. Jacob
tells me he’s a genius. I’d love to meet him sometime.”

“Um…Mrs. Weston…” Cora bit her plump lips in indecision.

I could see her weighing her options. If she agreed, she’d
be weaving our lives together more tightly. If she refused, she’d be offending
my mom.

“Call me Susan, please,” my mom admonished gently. “Why
don’t you both come up with Jacob and Troy tomorrow night for dinner? Geoffrey
couldn’t make it down today. He was feeling poorly and he ever so wanted to
meet you. He was so disappointed.” Mom, the faker, made a sad face, clearly
implying that my dad was in poor health when he was probably baling hay in the
barn. He had the heart of a thirty-year-old.

“Okay.” Cora’s pretty caramel-colored eyes looked a little glassy.

Round two: Mom.

“So Cora dear, Jake tells me you want to go back to school
to get your college degree.”

“Yes, I need to save up some money and then I want to go
back to school.”

“Where did you attend before?”

“A college in Massachusetts.”

“She’s modest, Mom. Cora went to MIT.” I pressed a kiss to
the back of her hand.

“Oh! That’s fabulous. Beautiful and smart…but of course, now
that you and Jake are serious, have you considered attending the University of
Chicago or Northwestern instead?”

At the word serious, Cora froze.

My mom, bless her heart, just continued without missing a beat,
“Of course, you don’t need to wait to go back to school. Jake could find
another assistant and you could devote your time to getting your degree.” She
sent me a mock frown. “Son, why aren’t you being supportive of Cora’s goals?”

Round three: Mom.

“You’re right as always, Mom.” I assumed an appropriately
contrite face and turned to Cora. It was all I could do not to burst out
laughing at her round-eyed, round-mouthed look. “Baby, where do you want to go
to school?”

“
Eeep
.”

My mom reached over and patted Cora’s hand. “I know. I know.
It took him long enough. Don’t be too upset with him.” She heaved a put-upon
sigh. “I thought I raised my boys to be considerate and thoughtful, but men
don’t think about these things like we do. Of course, I don’t mean to be
sexist, but when I started dating Geoffrey, I had to constantly remind him
about the little things. Jacob’s just like his father. A little absent-minded.”

“Jake’s really thoughtful!” Her voice rising, Cora sat
straighter, taking offense at my mom’s criticism. “He’s always looking out for
my brother and me. He even helped my brother get back into Galileo Academy! And
he’s not absent-minded. He’s sharp and insightful!”

I grinned, warmed by her defense of me. Ignoring my mom’s
presence, I leaned over for a nice long kiss. “Thanks, baby. I’m glad you think
so.”

Cora’s face turned pink and she peeked at my mom to check
her reaction to my affectionate display, but I could tell her my mom would look
like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.

“Hmm… that’s gratifying to hear, son. I’m glad you’re taking
care of Cora. Now, back to the college question.”

“Mrs. Weston… Susan, I can’t let Jake pay for school!” Cora
sounded absolutely scandalized.

“Why ever not? That’s what couples do. They support each
other, in good and bad times.” She looked at Cora suspiciously. “Unless you
plan to break my son’s heart by leaving him to go back to MIT. Don’t you care
about Jacob?”

“No! I mean, yes! I care about him!” Poor baby didn’t know
what was up or what was down.

Of course I knew she cared about me. She wouldn’t have given
herself fully to me unless she felt something, but it was a relief to hear her
say it out loud.

Round four: Mom.

My mom beamed with happiness. “I’m glad to hear it.” She
leaned over and whispered theatrically. “I can’t tell you how I’ve longed to
have a daughter. And you’re just perfect for my Jacob.”

Ignoring Cora’s dumbfounded expression, my mom turned to me
with a mock frown. “I hope you realize how lucky you are to have found such a
treasure, Jacob. Don’t do anything to screw it up.”

“I know, Mom.”

“Good.” My mom turned back to Cora. “As for getting your
education, I firmly believe it’s best for you to get your degree when you’re
young.” She waved her hand casually. “You know, before you start having babies.

“
Eeep
.”

My poor baby was back to chirping again. She looked pale at
the thought of having kids with me and I frowned. That was too damn bad because
I wanted at least two kids…maybe three. Two boys and a little girl who looked
just like her mom.
Or maybe two girls and a boy.
Hmm…
no definitely two boys because they’d have to keep an eye on my little girl
when she started dating… at age thirty.

“Because I can tell you, once you start having a family, you
won’t have time to do anything. Or course, Geoffrey and I would be so happy to
look after the little ones anytime you needed!” She peered at Cora with
concern. “Oh, did you not want to have a family?”

“No! I mean, yes, I want a family some day.” Cora darted a
glance at me.

I squeezed her hand and smiled. “You’re going to be a great
mom. You could still have a career, baby. I won’t make you stay home if you
don’t want to. We could always hire a nanny.”

“I don’t want some stranger to raise my kids.”

My mom winked at me and I almost lost my composure.
“Whatever you want, baby. I’ll support you. I’ll delegate my work to Troy or
another manager when that time comes.”

“Wonderful! You two will have such adorable little ones. I
can’t wait. Maybe you should look into starting school this fall. I’m sure we
know someone at the school who could make an exception for a late application.
Jacob, maybe you should call Merrill Anderson. I think he’s the president at
University of Chicago now.”

“First thing on Monday, Mom.”

“Oh, silly me. I’ll have Geoffrey talk to him on Sunday. They’re
playing golf together.” Smiling, my mom sat back and folded her hands in her
lap. “Oh and of course, you should look into getting her an apartment that’s
closer to the school. It’s not safe to be commuting at night when she has to
study late.”

“Of course, Mom.”

My poor baby looked shell-shocked.

And knockout.

Match: Mom.

Jake and Troy were joking and laughing with Marcus while I
sat quietly in the back of the car. My brother was soaking up the male
attention like a parched plant in a rainstorm. Troy, being Troy, had made
Marcus feel immediately at ease.

We were on our way to their parents’ house for dinner and
somehow Susan had convinced us we should stay overnight. I stared at the pecan
pie I baked and wondered how I got to this point.

Lunch yesterday had been… the only other time I felt so
discombobulated was when I went to an amusement park and sat in a spinning teacup
that jostled my insides so hard, I came out walking crooked. That was how it
felt after I came out of lunch with Susan and Jake.

Did I agree to let
Jake pay for school, get me an apartment, and father my babies within the span
of an hour? This was not how I imagined the course of our affair.

I looked at the two brothers bantering with each other in
the front seat.

I definitely didn’t
expect to meet his parents and be invited for a family dinner. And when did
Jake talk to his mom about us? We’d only been dating for a week. What the hell
was happening to my life?

I pressed a hand to my temple and tried to massage some of
the cobwebs out of my head. In the rearview mirror, I caught Jake looking at me
with a twinkle in his eyes.

“You okay, baby?” he asked, reaching back with his right
hand to touch my knee.

I nodded and blushed when Troy smiled slyly at me.

Marcus wrinkled his nose in disgust, but he knew better than
to complain out loud.

Troy on the other hand had no restraint and griped
teasingly, “
Ew
… is this what I have to deal with all
through dinner. You two calling each other ‘baby’ and ‘sweetheart’ and ‘honey?’
It’s bad enough with mom and dad doing that lovey-dovey stuff.”

“They also kiss each other all the time,” reported Marcus.

I scrubbed my little brother’s hair, making him laughingly
lean away from me. It made me smile. Just a few weeks ago, we would not have
felt so comfortable horsing around with each other.

Grinning, Troy turned around to give me a wink. “Oh, the
things we have to put up with.”

Without taking his eyes off of the road, Jake smacked Troy.

“
Ow
!” Troy rubbed at his arm
exaggeratedly.

I rolled my eyes at their childish antics. Away from the
office, they did not resemble wealthy businessmen. They were like toddlers.

“You’re just jealous,” said Jake with a trace of smugness.

“I actually am. Cora, do you have any friends you could
introduce me to? My brother stole you from under my nose. You threw yourself at
me on the first day and then before I knew it, Jake had claimed you. So it’s
only fair that you help me find someone to alleviate the loneliness.”

I snorted in laughter at his outrageous claim. “I didn’t
throw myself at you. And the day you need me to help you with your love life is
the day you need to look out for flying pigs.”

“Oink. Oink.”

“Your parents really are saints,” I declared laughingly.

“You’ve already won over Mom. Dad will topple like a row of
dominoes, especially once he finds out you bake,” Troy said with satisfaction.

The reminder of their parents silenced me and I was back to
being a nervous mess. Again, Jake shot me a sharp glance in the mirror, but I
looked out the window to avoid giving away my agitation.

“The house is just around the bend.”

Jake’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I looked in
the direction he pointed.

“That’s your parents’ house?” Marcus asked in awe.

The two-story house was lit up like a Christmas tree, the
reflection in the pond doubling the wattage. It looked like a fairy-tale
structure with arched windows and majestic columns flanking the front entrance.

“Yup. Dad had it custom built to Mom’s specifications. There
are six bedrooms and four baths. I thought it was too big for the two of them,
but Troy and I visit almost every week and we sometimes stay overnight.
Besides, Mom said she wanted the extra bedrooms for when she would have
grandkids to spoil.”

I choked on my own spit and went into a coughing fit. Being
with Jake and his family was a health hazard. Marcus started thumping on my
back a tad too enthusiastically, making me cough harder.

Troy took one look at my red face and laughed uproariously.

“What’s so funny?” Marcus asked, thankfully forgetting to
whack my back.

“On nothing. Just thinking about being an uncle, is all.”

“I don’t think that’s funny,” Marcus argued.

“Troy has a very twisted sense of humor, Marcus,” I said,
glaring at the younger Weston brother.

Thankfully, before Troy could say anything else, we pulled
up to the front drive. Jake opened the door for me and helped me out of the
car. He and Troy grabbed the overnight bags from the trunk and we walked to the
front door.

Susan was already at the doorway, exclaiming joyfully at the
sight of her boys. She gave each of them hugs and kisses and then she warmly
embraced my brother and me.

“I’m so glad you could make it. It’s wonderful to meet you,
Marcus.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” he said shyly.

“Call me Susan, dear.”

I murmured my thanks for her invitation and handed her the
pie.

“Ooh…this looks scrumptious. It’s Geoffrey’s favorite. Thank
you, Cora. You’re a sweetheart.”

A tall man who could only be Jacob Geoffrey Weston II was
standing in the entryway, talking to his sons. Jake looked like a younger
version of his dad, except for his eyes, which were clearly from his mom.
Geoffrey Weston’s hair had more black than gray in it and he had the muscular
build of someone who worked with his hands.

I felt a crease form between my brows. I could have sworn
Susan said something about her husband’s health being poor, but he looked like
he was in the prime of his life.

“You must be Cora!” He turned to me with a bright smile.

“Hi, Mr. Weston. Thank you for–” Before I could finish
my sentence, he hauled me into a bone-crushing hug. Nope, definitely nothing
wrong with his health. I was coming to realize I’d been had, although I had yet
to figure out how. Come to think of it, Susan never mentioned anything about
her husband being sick.

“Nonsense. What is this Mr. Weston crap? You can call me
Geoffrey or Geoff.”

“Darling, your language,” admonished Susan in a mild voice.
She held up the pie, “Cora made your favorite pie.”

Keeping his hands on my shoulder, he turned toward Jake and
said, “Son, if you don’t keep this one happy, I’m
gonna
take my shotgun to your backside.”

I blushed.

Unperturbed by the threat, Jake dragged me out of his dad’s
arms and tucked me into his side. “I’m doing my best, sir.”

“Of course you are. We didn’t raise a dummy.” Geoffrey
turned to my brother and gave him a man hug. “Welcome, Marcus. Jake tells me
you have an interest in science. One of these days, we need to make a trip down
to NASA for a tour. I know the chief scientist…” He started to walk off with
Marcus, who was hanging on to his every word.

Jake took me on a tour of the house. The décor was simple,
but beautiful. The color scheme was mostly cream and silver, which was tasteful
and calming. I especially admired the wooden furniture and Jake told me his parents
only bought from local craftsman.

During dinner, I sat back and observed the way the
Westons
interacted as a family. They were warm and gracious
and you could feel their unconditional love for each other.

I was too overwhelmed to contribute much to the conversation.
Every now and then Jake would send me a searching look and squeezed my thigh in
inquiry, but I smiled at him to let him know I was fine. Although Marcus was
initially quiet, Geoffrey’s stories about his connections with some of the most
famous scientists and engineers soon had my brother opening up as if he’d known
the
Westons
for years.

I liked Jake’s parents immensely.

Susan was a deft conversationalist while Geoffrey exhibited
a raw honesty that was disarming. I could tell Susan and Geoffrey had a strong
marriage. They clearly loved each other and seemed to read each other’s
thoughts. I looked at them with envy. In thirty years, I hoped Jake and
I–

No! Not going to go there.

I was a tad self-conscious when Susan brought out my pie to serve
as dessert.

Troy, the ham, took one bite and slapped his hand over his
heart. “Marry me, Cora. They say the way to a man’s stomach is through his
heart. And I can tell you, you’ve won mine.”

Jake snapped his napkin at Troy. The linen hit Troy’s hand
with a loud
twap
. Jake didn’t even look up from his
pie.

“
Ow
!”

“Boys! Manners!” Susan scolded, but she couldn’t hide her
amusement.

While Troy was acting like a clown, Geoffrey swiped Troy’s
piece of pie from under his nose.

Troy picked up his fork and looked down at the empty spot in
front of him in dismay. He looked at his dad, who had wolfed down his own slice
and was now digging into his son’s. “Hey! Pie stealer.”

“You snooze, you lose.” Geoffrey popped the last bite into
his mouth and winked at me. “That’s the best pie I’ve ever eaten. My son is a
lucky fella.”

“Mom! Dad stole my piece of pie.” Troy sounded all of five
years old.

“Well, there’s still some left in the kitchen.”

Chairs scraped as both Troy and Geoffrey made for the
kitchen in a dead run.

Marcus was giggling and I barely kept a straight face.

Susan waved her fork. “Oh, don’t mind them. It’s always like
that around here when it comes to dessert.” She closed her eyes. “Hmm… that
really is the best pie I’ve ever had. You simply have to give me the recipe or
my husband will be impossible to live with.”

“Um… sure. I’ll write it down before I leave.”

Troy and Geoffrey emerged from the kitchen, each with a slice
on their plates.

“Is there any more left?” asked Jake.

“You snooze, you lose,” Troy said triumphantly as he ate a
forkful.

“That’s my girlfriend’s pie!”

Jake calling me his girlfriend in front of his family sent
little butterfly wings fluttering in my stomach.

“I’m sorry son. Your brother is a glutton.”

“That’s your third piece, old man! Who’s the glutton?”

Geoffrey smiled. “Son, that just means I’m the smart one.
You both only got one slice and I got three!”

Troy and Jake both groaned at his infallible logic.

“I’ll bake two pies next time,” I offered, smiling at their
dynamics. I was tickled by their obsession with dessert.

Three sets of hopeful male eyes turned to me.

“Son, remember, shotgun to your backside.”

“Yes, sir.” Jake was smiling at me like I’d done something
miraculous.

“Okay, boys. You know the drill. Dishes.” Susan looked at my
brother. “Marcus do you want to help with the dishes or would you like to join
us women for a walk?”

“I’ll stay with the guys.”

I smiled mistily at his choice, not surprised my brother
wanted to spend more time with the men. It would be good for him to see how
males bonded, although hopefully he wouldn’t pick up their habit of fighting
over food.

Standing, Susan gestured for me to go with her. “Come on,
darling. Let me show you the garden.”

Feeling a bit apprehensive about being alone with Jake’s
mom, I looked at Jake, but he was already tying an apron around his waist. He
looked so domestic and cute that I stared for a moment.

With a secretive smile on her lips, Susan hooked her arm
through mine and led me to the living room. After she flipped on the garden
lights, she slid open the French doors leading outside.

I walked out and gasped at the beautifully landscaped yard.
Flood lighting showcased the countless flowerbeds full of hydrangeas, poppies,
asters, and many more. The air was perfumed with the most wonderful floral
scents.

“Oh my! This is gorgeous. You must be an avid gardener.”

“Yes. Geoffrey has his golf and I have my flowers. There’s a
little path we can take.” She led me down a cobblestoned walkway and I was glad
I wore my comfortable flats.

“I’m so glad Jake met you, Cora. He’s been so much happier.”

“Um… I’m not sure that has anything to do with me,” I
mumbled.

She slanted me a look and started laughing. “You keep
thinking that, dear.” Wiping a tear out of the corner of her eye, she added,
“We all have our delusions.”

I stopped and turned to her, “Mrs. Weston… I mean
Susan,
I think you have the wrong idea about me and Jake. We
just started dating and we’re not nearly as serious as you think we are.” I
breathed a sigh of relief at finally clarifying the situation.

She patted my arm. “I’m not blind. I see what I see.
Besides, my son has never brought anyone to meet us before. And it’s obvious
you’re crazy about him.” She leaned closer. “I’m so glad he found someone like
you.”

“I…um…” I didn’t know what to say. Susan’s revelation that
Jake had never brought another woman home had thrown me for a loop. And I
couldn’t refute her statement that I was crazy about Jake. Deep down I knew it
was true. The fuzziness I seemed to develop in Jake’s mom’s company was back.

“Don’t worry dear. I know my son. Everything will turn out
fine.”

Somehow I didn’t find that reassuring.