Captivated by the Millionaire

“About the SM posts,” she clarified. “I realize I must have embarrassed you.” She swallowed down hard. “I’m sorry about that.”

What? Why in the world was she the one apologizing to him? Nothing made sense anymore.

“What are you talking about, Jess?” She squinted at him as if what she was referring to should be obvious. “What on earth do you have to apologize for?”

“The way your name is splattered all over the web. Because I don’t know how to dress for gala parties in Manhattan.”

He could only stare at her, his mouth agape. “You think this is somehow your fault? The fact that you’re being ridiculed and taunted by the New York tabloids?”

“Isn’t it? After all, you tried to get me to visit the boutique. And you certainly weren’t the one who wore the same dress two nights in a row,” she quipped with a hint of a smile. A smile so enticing, he lost his train of thought as images of taking her lips with his own flooded his brain and heated him through to his core. Even dressed as she was, in loose, baggy capri sweatpants and a thinning baseball jersey, Jess was so damn pretty. Her thick, luscious hair was piled high on top of her head. Just enough strands had escaped their hold that they framed her lovely face. She wore no makeup and didn’t appear to have showered just yet. That thought led to another unwelcome one as he imagined her stepping naked into a bath. He was there with her, helping her lather up and rubbing the soap all over her body.

Stop it!

When he finally spoke, he said the only words that came to his mind. “You fool. You silly, beautiful, guileless fool.”

Her eyes grew wide. But then she looked up at the ceiling with a resounding laugh. “I guess you and I tend to interpret things differently.”

“I guess so.”

“I’m not sure what to do about that.”

Neither did he. But he knew what might be a good way for them to start. “Can you break away for a few minutes, Jess? Just to talk?”

She sucked in her bottom lip, giving it serious thought. To the point where Jordan was afraid she was about to turn him down.

But ultimately, she nodded. “There’s a raggedy, uncomfortable wooden bench by a small stream behind the building. I sit out there to sketch sometimes.”

Another flood of relief surged through him that she hadn’t turned down his offer. “That sounds lovely. It’s a beautiful day out.”

“All right. I’ll even treat you to bad vending machine coffee and we can take it out there.”

He couldn’t help himself; he stepped closer to her. They stood within inches of each other. He gently rubbed a finger down her cheek. She trembled at the contact, making him wish he could touch her further. Really touch her.

He hadn’t wanted to admit to himself just how much he’d missed her these past few days. “That’s the best offer I’ve had in a while,” he said on a hoarse whisper. Why had he even tried to stay away from her? Jordan followed Jess to a small break room with an automatic coffee server on the counter and a mostly empty vending machine against the wall. Jess turned the coffeepot on then stepped over to the snack vending machine and punched in a code. A package of sugary chocolate cupcakes fell to the bottom.

She grabbed it and held it out. “I’ll share this with you.”

“Another tempting offer. You spoil me.”

Within moments they were outside sitting on her wooden sketching bench. The narrow stream meandered lazily by their feet. The seat was much too small and he was certain he’d stand up with more than a few splinters in his backside. The half a cupcake Jess offered him was stale and much too rich. And he had to resist the urge to spit out the watery, tasteless coffee. If one could even call the beverage that.

Jordan had sat in deluxe cafés by the Seine indulging in chef-prepared desserts and gourmet espresso ground from the finest java beans.

But at this moment there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

* * *

“This is quite a view,” Jordan commented as they sat down. Jess had drawn this particular landscape countless times during her time working for the community center. The scenery changed with the seasons, providing her with a varying subject every time. She took in the lush greenery now, the bright sunshine, the pretty ferns that grew along the base of the stream. A red-chested robin watched them from a tree branch above.