There. Very firm and to the point. Bravo.
The alpha raised an eyebrow at me.
“So what does that mean?” he drawled. “You want to tell her?” The billionaire quirked a smile like this was a game.
My face flushed, hotly embarrassed.
“This isn’t funny,” came my stilted voice. “Don’t act like this is funny.”
He held his hands up then in surrender. But I knew there was no surrender.
“I never said it was funny,” came that smooth drawl again. “You’re the one who came charging into my office unannounced with an axe to grind. You, Lacey. Not me.”
Okay. I took a deep breath, determined to act professional again.
“Jake, I’m not joking,” came my words this time. “This has to stop. Whatever it is between you and me,” I said, gesturing to the air between us, “has to stop. Now. For sure.”
His eyebrow quirked.
“Says who?”
I heaved a breath, exasperated.
“Says me! I’m half of this as well! If I don’t want to, then we won’t!”
The big man grinned at me again.
“Then why are you even here?” he asked mildly, leaning indolently against his desk. But those blue eyes were piercing, closely watching my every move. “If you’re not into it, then you’re right, it won’t work. I don’t even have to lift a finger. So why are you here babydoll?”
Really? I let out a huge gust then.
“Seriously,” I said, placing my hands on my hips, giving him an exasperated look. “You’re impossible, has anyone ever told you that?”
“Just a few folks over the years,” quipped the big man, amused again. “Why?”
But it was impossible to argue with him. Jake was twenty years my senior, a seasoned professional with the instincts of a shark. This encounter was backfiring, and I decided to switch directions.
“Why are you even getting married?” I asked plaintively, holding out my hands. “You’re clearly not in love with Amanda. You couldn’t possibly be in love, acting the way you do with me.”
Plus, I’d watched him at the luncheon. Jake hadn’t once held my mother’s hand and had barely spoke to her, even though they were seated right next to one another. Instead, he’d kept up a steady stream of conversation with my aunt and uncle on the other side.
For a second, I thought he was going to say something real in reply. Those blue eyes darkened, the big man’s lips going tight. But then he relaxed again, all smiles and a carefree manner.
“Because I can,” he threw out casually, arms crossed over his chest. “You’ll never understand,” he shrugged.
That was absolutely right. I’d never get what he was doing. Why would you get married to someone you didn’t care about? Wasn’t that backwards, the complete opposite of what a loving union was supposed to be about?
But then again, maybe I didn’t know. I’ve never been married before. In fact, I’ve never really even had a boyfriend. Sure, there was Teddy in Biology who liked me, but he was a shadow next to Jake. The pudgy boy’s hands twitched when we talked, his eyes blinking furiously behind those coke-bottle glasses. Honestly, I felt sorry for Teddy most times as he stammered my name, sweating like a pig in a microwave.
But right now, there were bigger fish to fry.
“Jake,” I pressed again, this time pinning him with a serious eyes. “What’s going on? Why are you going through with this wedding? I don’t get it.”
The look in the alpha’s eyes grew faraway again, and I thought for sure he’d give me a straight answer this time.
But instead, the billionaire grinned once more.
“You shouldn’t worry about what your mother thinks,” he drawled lazily. “Besides, Amanda doesn’t think about you much. Really, honey. Your mom’s not like that, don’t waste a second of your pretty little brain on her.”
I sighed. Of course my mom wasn’t like that. She was too caught up in the wedding details, the honeymoon, and showing off her hunky new fiancé. Amanda has never been interested in my life. That was nothing new.
“I know,” I tried again. “But still, why are you doing this to yourself? I’m not asking about my mom. I’m asking about you, Jake. Just you.”
At that, a thoughtful shadow crossed his handsome face, expression pensive. And this time, he didn’t laugh it off.
“You know, not a lot of folks ask about me,” he began slowly. “Most times, people want to know what I can do for them. How I can help their careers. How I can hook them up. How I can find a better situation, in any number of ways. You’re the first person who’s asked about me,” he added wryly.
I was silent for a moment, unsure what to say.
“But I guess that’s natural,” came my slow words. “I mean, you’re the man. And I don’t mean that in a cute way. You really are the guy in a big office, with a billion people to do your bidding, and a billion dollars at your fingertips. So I guess people come to you for help when they need it.”