Billionaire Unloved

“It’s good,” I said as I swallowed my first bite.

“High praise coming from you,” he said playfully.

I made a face at him and continued to eat my cake.

He finished his and sat back in his chair. “So what’s your plan for Lia’s shop?”

“She needs something a lot different than she has, and that goes well with coffee. Like chocolate croissants, sweet buns, and maybe some incredible brownies. I’ll sit down later and plan out what I’m making every day next week.”

“Nobody has sweeter buns than you,” he said in a cheerful voice.

I rolled my eyes. “Tell me you didn’t just go there.”

He shrugged. “I did. I couldn’t help myself.”

“It’s going to feel good to finally be earning money.”

“That could be a lucrative gig,” he agreed.

“It’s nothing compared to your net worth, but I’ll take it.”

“No offense, sweetheart, but there are very few people in the world who have my net worth. I’m not saying that to be arrogant. It’s just a fact.”

I knew he wasn’t being conceited. No matter how many skills or how much education I got, my income would never be even a tiny fraction of his. “I’m not making comparisons anymore, and I’m not intimidated by your money. I let you give me a car, for God’s sake. I think I’m doing pretty well with accepting that I’m with a very rich guy.”

“I’m not downplaying your accomplishment, Ruby. I never would. Going out and snagging a gig with Lia’s shop is huge. I know every eatery in the city will be fighting over you pretty soon.”

“Do you think so?” I asked hesitantly.

He nodded. “I know so.”

I basked in his praise for a moment, refusing to blow it off like I used to do.

I was smart.

I was ambitious.

I made tasty pastry.

And I was determined to make a difference in the world in my own way.

That was really all that I wanted.

“Thanks,” I finally acknowledged quietly. “Thank you for always being there to encourage me. It means a lot.”

Jett never acted like his career was more important than what I was doing, or that my interests or ambitions were ever inferior to his. He treated me like an equal, even though he was one of the most important and influential men in the world.

“If I didn’t support you, it would make me a jerk,” he considered. “And I’d hate being an asshole.”

I laughed. “You’re not. I wouldn’t be with a jerk, no matter how much money he had.”

He shot me a heart-stopping grin. “Besides, I might be slightly intimidated by your intelligence now. You might have a higher IQ than I do.”

“No, you’re not intimidated. You already know you’re brilliant. The best hacker in the world, remember?”

Jett amazed me when he was in his “zone” on the computer. His fingers flew over the keys so fast that they were practically a blur. And he’d stop for a minute, and then move on, only to stop one more time and evaluate the screen before he seemed to get another idea and forged ahead. I’d watch him do that for hours sometimes, and he never seemed to get impatient or weary with what he was doing. It was obvious that he loved a challenge. And it didn’t appear that he couldn’t conquer every one of them.

“Are you still okay with going to Marcus’s wedding with me?”

“Of course. When is it?”

“Two weeks,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to it. I still want to thank Dani for what she did for me.” I was silent for a moment before I said, “I really should get some clothes. But I’m not sure how to dress for the wedding of two billionaires.”

The Colters and the Lawsons were both powerful families, and the wealth that would be amassed between them was almost unfathomable.

“Honestly, Dani isn’t really that into clothes. She never has been. I’ll admit that Marcus can be a little uptight, but only on the surface. They’re good people. They aren’t going to care what you wear. They’ll both just be glad you came. It’s going to be a fairly small service in Rocky Springs, with the reception at the resort that Marcus’s mom owns there.”