Her Bad Boy Billionaire Lover (Billionai - By Bretton, Barbara Page 0,2
brief marriage, things her sexy but struggling husband couldn't provide, had proved to be unimportant. She could do without lunches at the Club and fancy dresses and all the other luxuries she'd once taken for granted. If only she'd learned that before her marriage broke up, she and Jake might have had a chance.
Not that it mattered. The only thing that mattered now was nailing the contract with Tropicale and taking another step toward securing the future for her daughter.
#
Jake watched her from the uppermost deck.
Six years since he had held her in his arms.
Six years since he'd tasted her lips.
Six years since he'd known the sweet secrets of her body.
All the places he'd seen, the things he'd done, the women he'd known--vanished, all of them, in the blink of an eye. Every cell and fiber of his body ached for her. Her power over him was stronger and even more demanding than his need to show her that he had succeeded.
She leaned against the railing, her fiery auburn hair a sleek line against her cheek, as she gazed out at the sun-splashed wake that trailed behind the ship and it was all he could do to keep from pulling her into his arms and having her right there on the deck.
He wanted to hate her. Everything about her screamed privilege, from her glossy hair to the expensive shoes on her feet. She stood there, head held high, as if she owned the Sea Goddess and everyone on it. Every casual movement was imbued with an arrogant grace, an elegant disdain that told a man he could look but he couldn't touch.
This wasn't about reunions, he warned himself. This was about putting the past to rest once and for all and getting on with his life.
He'd come so far since she'd seen him last. No longer struggling to find success, he had accomplished more than even he had dared to dream. He had come to America in search of success and he had found it a thousandfold. Big dreams and a little luck can take even a down-on-his-luck bloke from the Outback straight to the top. He had the respect and admiration of his colleagues. He owned homes in three countries and more cars than he knew what to do with. Everything he touched turned to gold and he was lucky enough to have the time and the inclination to enjoy every bit of it.
The sailboat of his dreams, built by the best in the business, waited at the marina in Maui. He could do it now, sail off into the endless sunset while his fortune grew bigger and his future more secure. It's what he'd wanted to do since he was old enough to spin a dream and there was nothing to stop him.
Except Megan.
Spoiled, selfish, impossibly beautiful Megan. The woman he'd loved and hated and never been able to forget.
And, damn it, the woman he still wanted more than any woman he'd ever known.
#
Dinner was superb as Megan had known it would be. Medallions of veal so tender they melted in her mouth. The use of coriander in the sauce had been subtle and effective, and she made a mental note to try adapting that technique to her own repertoire. Someone had wisely seen to it that the caterers vying for position on the Sea Goddess were seated at separate tables and so she'd found herself actually enjoying herself. Sandy and her sister Val, partners in a travel agency, had a comically adversarial relationship that kept Megan amused from appetizers through dessert.
"...so if it hadn't been for Val, I would never have taken time to go on vacation." Sandy's husky laugh rang out as they strolled into the lounge for after-dinner drinks.
"She's married to her work," Val said ruefully.
Sandy shot her sister a glance sharp as a razor's edge. "Beats being married to Harry."
Megan said nothing, just smiled absently at the women's good-natured banter. She was glad for their company. The last thing she'd expected was to feel uncomfortable amidst the splendor of the Sea Goddess but there it was. She'd thought it would be easy to fall into the old ways, downing Veuve Clicquot as if it were water, eating caviar and laughing the carefree laugh of a woman who'd never known anything but the best. But the old ways no longer fit and she doubted they ever would again.
After dinner they strolled the deck for a while then stopped in the lounge for a drink.