Mr. Mitchell Billionaires' Club Book 2 - Raylin Marks Page 0,136

together, watching them interact reaffirmed to me that love truly could conquer all.

I smiled at how corny that phrase could sound. I’d heard it a million times, but I never believed it. Not until now. Not until I felt myself growing wildly in love with this man who treated my daughter as if she were his own. I desperately wanted to hang onto this forever, but I had to remain as level-headed as I could, and thank God for Jim’s patience in that. It proved to me that the man cared for me, and Addy, on a level that I might never understand.

“Collin,” I heard Alex say as I lay on the lounge chair, eyes closed and soaking up the sun. “What’s up with you today?”

“What’s that?” Collin said, close to where I was laying on my stomach, in and out of sleep since Jim was with Addy, and he insisted I relax while they help Ash bury Jacob.

“You’re quiet today, and you hardly surfed. You okay?”

“Meh, it’s nothing,” he answered. “Still dealing with the bullshit of the company. That woman who took it over is like the devil in fucking stilettos. Evil as hell.”

I heard Alex laugh. “She’s hot as hell.” I leaned up on my elbows as the guys talked, watching the surf roll in. “Maybe that’s the problem. Jim and I met with her more than once. She’s a businesswoman. It’s to be expected.”

I looked over at Collin, who was wearing his trendy shades and staring at Alex. “A businesswoman who treats me like a fucking dumbass because I’m not stepping into my dad’s shoes. She can go to hell, and she’s lucky I haven’t used Jim’s headhunters to replace her.”

Alex’s eyes drifted toward mine, and he smiled. “Collin lost his dad pretty recently. His dad ran a similar company to Jim’s. In fact, Collin’s dad helped Jim deal with the loss of his father, Howard, and he helped Jim takeover Mitchell and Associates as CEO. He was a no-bullshit kind of guy.” He looked at Collin, who was smiling at the commotion of the others as they buried Jake in the sand. “Which is why he set her as his VP. I think you just have a little ego problem with her, or is there more to your story with Tate?”

“Yeah, no.” Collin dismissed the question.

I could tell the guys were holding back, and it cracked me up. They didn’t know me, so the breaks were on.

“Shit,” Alex said, looking out to where Jim was, and I startled as Jake busted out of his sand burial grounds and acted like a monster coming for Addy. “Hey, Mitch.”

Jim’s smile and laugh were contagious as Addy ran to him for protection, and he caught her from the sand monster, Jake. “What’s up?” Jim said as Jake and Ash walked out to the shore.

“Check out the bar. It looks like more sea scum washed up on shore.”

Jim’s eyebrows pulled together behind the silver frames of his aviators, forcing me to look into the mob of people at the oceanside bar.

“Hey, Avery,” I heard Jim say, his voice lighter than expected.

“Momma! Mom, mom,” Addison said in my face now that I had turned and sat up.

“What, kiddo?” I said, accepting her puckered lips for a kiss. “You having fun?”

“So much fun,” she said, balling her hands into fists. Then the look came as soon as the tall man’s shadow showed up. “Guess what, Momma. Guess what I know?”

“Addy,” Jim said in some funny voice I’d never heard him use before. “She might not like it.”

“Like what? What are you two up to?”

Addy leaned toward my ear and whispered, “Jim likes you, Momma.”

“He’s going to be my friend too?” I dropped my legs over the edge of the lounge chair, where Jim sat next to me. “Hey, I thought he was Mitch?” I laughed, looking at Jim.

“Turns out, I’m Jim. Jim’s cooler because he surfs,” Jim said as he ran his hand over my warm back, my insides tingling with the few times I’d been touched by him today.

“How’d we manage that one?” I asked as Addy left me and walked over to where Collin was now at her service, pulling a juice box from the ice chest for her. Addy had four gorgeous men at her service all day, and it was only two in the afternoon.

“Jake started the rumor, and it took off.”

I laughed and was shocked when Jim’s lips captured mine, his hand cupping my side, bringing me