Rock Star Billionaire

"I know of a better way to work off frustrations," he said with a sly grin as he, again, attempted to close the gap between us.

"Did you really just say that?" I asked as I put my hands on my hips and squinted up at him. The sun was high in the sky, but Jack was so tall that he blocked it, leaving a halo of bright light shining around the outer edges of his skull. The idea that he could be wearing a halo struck me as immensely funny, and I burst out laughing.

"What? What did I say that was so funny?" he asked, obviously annoyed, but also interested.

"Your father, my boss, is inside in a casket, and you're making a pass at me out here in the parking lot?" I said bluntly. "That seems like something that would be more suited to a wedding or a formal dinner, not a wake."

"Can't blame me for trying, can you?" he grinned as he, again, stepped closer and reached out to run a finger down the side of my arm. The feeling of his skin pressed against mine gave me a jolt that caused me to step backwards and trip on a concrete barrier that had been placed around the flowerbed. Before I knew what had happened, Jack reached out and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me tightly against his body to prevent me tumbling into the dirt.

I looked up into his brown eyes as I felt the strength of his arm holding me against his firm body. I gasped as he lowered his head and quickly brushed his lips across mine before setting me securely on my feet and backing away. I stared at him with wide eyes, unsure whether to slap him or grab the front of his shirt and drag him back toward me so that I could kiss him again, this time harder.

"That's what I thought," he grinned as he turned and headed back inside without another word.

I stood there, staring at the empty space, wondering if I'd imagined it all or if Jack Yates had actually kissed me, and if so, what I was going to do about it.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Jack

I'd walked away from the moment with Leah Walsh wondering why she hadn't given in to my seduction. Granted, she was not the usual type of woman I pursued, but there was something incredibly sexy about the way she stood up to me and laughed at my lame come-on line when most women would have swooned. I liked her honesty, and if I was candid, I liked the way she'd felt pressed against my chest. But I also knew that she worked for my father's company, and that our little encounter would be limited to the flirtation at my father's wake. I was disappointed, but I told myself that there would be others. There always were.

After the wake, Jimmy drove my mother and me back to the house in Brooklyn. We both spent the drive staring out opposite windows. My mother sighed and reached out to take my hand as she fought back the tears, while I simply watched the familiar landscape pass by as I wondered how much longer I'd have to endure this hell.

"I've got your room ready for you," my mother said as she unlocked the door and turned on the entry lights. My brother and his wife pulled up in the driveway several minutes later, and I could hear them open the door and send their two small children running toward the kitchen.

"Grandma! Grandma!" the small boy shouted as he threw his arms around my mother's waist and hugged her tightly.

"Well, now who is this?" my mother said smiling down at him as she patted his head. "I don't think I remember you. You've gotten so tall!"

"Grandma, it's me! Joey!" the boy laughed loudly as he hugged her tighter.

"Ah yes, Joey. I believe I remember you," she grinned as she bent down and kissed the top of his head.

"Who is that?" Joey asked pointing at me.

"That's your Uncle Jack," Lincoln's wife, Jessie, said as she bent and picked up the little girl who'd been lost in the action and was now crying. She smoothed the child's hair and soothed her saying, "Don't cry, Mimi. Uncle Jack is Daddy's brother. See? He looks like Daddy!"

"Hello," I said holding out a hand to Joey. "It's nice to meet you."

"You're tall," Joey said, staring up at me completely ignoring my hand. "How did you get to be so tall?"

"Dunno, I grew, I guess," I said looking down at him. "How did you get to be so short?"

"It's because I haven't grown yet!" Joey shouted. "I'm not done growing! I need more nutrients!"

"Where did he pick that up?" I asked my mother. "Kind of precocious."

"Stop it, Jack," she said. "Joey goes to a Montessori school. They teach them advanced concepts according to their own learning styles."

"Wow, guess we missed out on a few things, eh Linc?" I said, looking over at my brother who had a murderous look on his face.

"Can it, Jack," he said as he looked at his son and said, "Hey, Joey, I bet Grandma has some cookies out in the dining room for you. Want to go check?"

"May I have a glass of milk to go with them?" Joey asked.

"What's the magic word, Joey?" his mother said in a sing-song voice that made me want to vomit. The whole family routine was already getting on my nerves, and this little act was the last straw.

"Cookie!" Joey bellowed in a voice that sounded like it was designed to shake the foundation of the house.