Page 29 of The Runaway Billionaire's Inconvenient Baby
“Are you sure? Because you seemed dead set on the idea that he was going to steal our homes last time you talked about him.”
“He is,” I say uncertainly. “He was. That was the plan. I’ve been trying desperately to persuade him otherwise this week.”
“And it’s working?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“And he’s working his charm on you in return,” Jeff chips in.
“No,” I say firmly, bringing myself to stand up straight, hoping to look imposing enough to put the conversation to bed. “I’ve been getting to know him a little bit, and he’s not as bad as he looks. That’s all.”
“Not as bad as he looks, huh?” says Jeff.
“You know what that’s code for?” says Tommy.
With a sigh, I say firmly, “I don’t want to know, okay? Just… just concentrate on the grill, will you?” I snap the tongs at them again, the points colliding near Tommy’s face. He jumps back and snaps his own tongs at me in return, making me giggle.
I flip my corn cobs and focus my attention back on the food, trying not to let my eyes wander over to Jacob again. Their comments are complete nonsense, aren’t they? I don’t even like Jacob. The only reason I ever agreed to spend any time with him is because I don’t want him to take our island.
That’s all. How could it be anything else?
We’re not even friends.
“He’s handsome, isn’t he?” says Tommy after a pause, clearly not ready to let the subject drop.
“Who? Jacob? I wouldn’t know,” I lie, because I do know he’s handsome. He has broad shoulders and a kind smile when he lets it out. He’s well groomed, always smells good, and I think if he wanted to, he could be great fun.
Great fun and a great body. If he were anyone else, I would say,what’s not to love? But he’s not anybody else. He’s Jacob Ford, the billionaire, and he wants to force me out of my home.
To my relief, the conversation dies as people start lining up for food. Anything we were saying fades into irrelevance as we turn on our best smiles and start serving. Still, even while I’m helping my friends and neighbors, I keep glancing over to the beach, not wanting to miss the moment Jacob wanders over.
When he does, I stare hard at the grill, trying not to notice the way he grins when he sees me.
He saunters over and breathes in the smell of fresh-cooked food. “And what are you serving here?”
“I’ve got vegetarian sausages, burgers, some greens, corn.”
“You’ve been busy,” he says.
“We’re cooking for several hundred people. It takes a while.”
“It looks like you’ve done a great job,” he says, and I clench my fist to force myself not to smile. His validation doesn’t mean anything to me. I don’t need his validation.
“It’s just what we do for our community,” I say.
“It’s a good job,” he repeats.
Before I can stop myself, I comment, “And you do a great job with the kids.” He blinks in surprise, and I feel an awkward blush rising on my cheekbones. “I noticed you playing with some of the kids earlier. That’s all. They looked like they liked you.”
“They’re great fun.” He shrugs. “I was just bored.”
“I’m sure Jeanette and Bernice appreciated it. They both have twins. It’s a lot of work.”
“It was nothing, really,” he insists, his own blush mirroring mine. “I really like kids,” he confesses quietly.
“I could tell.”
“I’ve kind of always wanted some.”
