Jacob pursed his lips. How could he have thought for even a second that he might get out of this easily? He’d put a nearly flawless master plan in place. All he could do now was control his own holdings, make a few more phone calls and try to convince some others. Otherwise, what could he do? This train he’d put on the tracks had momentum of its own. “Well, obviously I can’t tell you guys what to do. All I can do is tell you that I’m out. I’m moving on to greener pastures. Greener pastures with less of a headache.”
“Suit yourself, Lin. I don’t see any way any of these guys are going to back down any time soon. Plus, there’s talk of a new investor in the mix. A big hitter with very deep pockets.”
His mind raced. This was news to him. “A new member? Nobody spoke to me about this. I have say over who joins the group.”
“This guy apparently has no interest in joining the group. But he already has extensive holdings in the company and is keenly interested in a takeover. Probably just one more person who hates Adam Langford.”
Jacob threaded his hand through his hair, the most colossal headache he’d ever had making his eyes burn. “And no idea who this guy is?”
“None. Right now, it’s just talk. I have to ask why you would even care? Even if you pull your money out of the deal, you’ll still get the fun of seeing LangTel and Adam Langford taken down. That’s gotta be worth something.”
Funny how the appeal of seeing Adam destroyed had taken on a pall, all because he’d given in to his desire for Anna. How could he even think about moving forward with Anna when this was all going on? He couldn’t. It would be reckless and stupid and worst of all, unconscionable. Forget that her brother despised him—he couldn’t begin things with an enormous secret hanging over his head. It would never work. That left him only one option. He had to back off with her. If she wanted to pursue things, she’d have to let him know, and then he’d make a decision. For now, he’d have to play it cool.
“Okay. Thanks. We’ll talk soon.” Jacob hung up and shoved his phone back into his pocket. So much for being a financial wizard. That wasn’t going to keep him warm at night.
* * *
Anna couldn’t sit in the house anymore. She needed fresh air, so she made her way outside to the driveway and set her overnight bag next to Jacob’s car.
The notion of the end of their getaway was all too depressing. Last night had shattered her expectations. Just thinking about the things they had done together, his touch against her skin, every white-hot kiss, made her tingle. They’d flipped on a switch and completed a circuit, but that could be turned off just as easily, couldn’t it?
She felt as if he’d answered the question mere moments ago, when he went out to the garage to spend some time with his beloved motorcycles. He’d patted her back on his way out the door, like a pal—as a buddy would do. He’d been distant all morning. It was hard not to take the hint. Last night was in the past. Today, he was moving forward.
She kicked a pebble into a puddle. It had rained at some point in the middle of the night, which left behind a grayish-blue sky with only the wispiest of white clouds. They would have a gloomy ride back to Manhattan, a fitting precursor to what was waiting for her when they got there—family, responsibilities that were more important than a fling. She didn’t want to think about it too hard. She wanted to be back in Jacob’s bed, curled up in the sheets, pillows cast aside, the rest of the world an afterthought.
So if this was a one-time occurrence, could she be content with that? She caught a glimpse of Jacob as he came out of the garage. The answer was clear as she watched the way he moved. One night would not be enough. In jeans and a gray sweater, clothes that were nothing special on any other man, he was stunning. He lowered his sunglasses, which had been nestled in his thick head of hair. Not being able to see more of him, in every sense of the word, would be such a disappointment. But was that realistic? Considering the circumstances, she feared it was not.
“I need to grab one more thing inside,” he called to her from the flagstone walkway in front of the house.
“No problem. Take your time,” she answered.
A muffled version of her cell phone ringtone sounded. Who’s calling me on a Sunday morning? She fished it from the bottom of her bag, her stomach flip-flopping when she saw the name on the caller ID. Talk about an abrupt jerk back to reality. Adam. She walked away from the car with a finger jammed in her ear. “Adam. Hi. Everything okay?”