Breaking Braydon (11 page)

“Jain?”

She seemed to come out of her food trance and looked up. But I swear her gaze lingered on my lips. Holy shit. Finally, her eyes made their way up to greet mine.

Her cheeks flushed pink. “Sorry, the food distracted me.”

“I’m glad to see you’re enjoying it.” I could sit and watch her all day.

“Thanks for taking me here, and, you know, out of that situation.” The color on her cheeks turned a darker pink.

“I was glad to.” I didn’t want to rehash the unpleasantness, so I continued with, “How about we discuss some of the details about your fundraiser?”

She smiled and put her hand on her chest.

God help me.

“I would love that. I don’t think we even talked about it at Starbucks the other day. I received a little lecture from Colin.” Her eyes warmed whenever she spoke of Colin. “Our meeting today should make him happy. She rubbed her palms together. “So, what’s first? We need a theme, correct?”

I chuckled. “Yes, we can start there.”

She continued to rub her hands. “It’s going to be on Valentine’s Day, so should we do a love theme?”

“Yes, I’ll have Todd work on that. Right now, we’re putting together a list of all our major donors. If we can get a handful on board, there’ll be a domino effect. Everyone loves a party, especially that time of year. We already have the ballroom at the Paramount Hotel reserved.”

“Wow. You move fast. I didn’t even realize the ball was already rolling.” She paused. “Do you even need me? It sounds like everything’s coming together.”

“Yes, I do need you.” Those words, they just slipped. “I still have some specifics we’ll need to go over.” I had to stay on track. “Most fundraisers include an auction. We’ll need to put our heads together to decide what you’d like to include. Wealthy people love to compete.”

TWENTY

Jain

I have to quit staring at his eyes. What did he just say?

“Wealthy people like to compete?” I think that’s what I heard.

He nodded. Good, at least part of my functions were working.

“Yes, auctions are the best, most effective way to draw money from the crowd. We include them in almost every function we hold. I saw a plate of brownies go for two thousand dollars at an event last year. Each bidder had a pregnant woman tugging at his sleeve.”

“That’s rather sweet.”

He stared out the window. “If you believe in that sort of thing.”

“Like love and romance?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“Braydon?” I knew I was about to say too much. “I don’t either. Things will always end. People get hurt. I think it’s much safer to immerse yourself in a job you love, make a contribution to the world and…”

Braydon’s posture changed; he sat straight up. “Not you. You’re the type of girl who should have it all. You deserve it.”

“I don’t deserve – I mean, I don’t
want
that. I don’t want anything to take even one minute of focus off my research. It’s everything to me.”
I must not cry. I must not cry.

“I get that. But you can balance it and still have a life.”

“Says the pot to the kettle.” I quirked an eyebrow. Take that.

“I’m not like you, Jain. You’re much…better. Me? I’ll never change.”

“You won’t change because you can’t? Or because you don’t want to?” I was curious which one it was.

“A little of both, I suppose. Although, recently, I’ve thought about at least trying to change.” His gaze shifted from my eyes to my lips.

Every single cell in my body exploded at that moment. Desire, like I’d never experienced before, richocheted through me. I thought I felt it even in my hair; every strand seemed to stand on end. I wanted to run. I wanted to jump him. I wanted; I just wanted. Why did he have to say that?

At that moment, the waitress approached our table and asked if everything was okay.
No!
I wanted to say. How could anything be okay when I wanted this man, the very man who was most dangerous to me, to my vision, my goals? He would destroy me; I knew he would.

“Everything was great, thank you,” Braydon answered. Good, because I couldn’t talk. He gave me a slight smirk. Darn, he knew what he did to me. Did he really want to change for me? I raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe,” he said softly.

“No,” I said as I shook my head. I didn’t want to get my hopes up.

“Perhaps,” he returned.

“Nope,” I reiterated.

“Possibly,” A gorgeous, heart-stopping smile curved his lips.

I smiled in return. “Never.”

He laughed. “Okay, you win. Anyone ever tell you that you’re stubborn?”

“All the time.” I grabbed my sweater and purse and headed toward the door.

***

“This has been the longest day of my life.” I slid into the passenger seat in Colin’s car for the ride home.

He cleared his throat. “I heard about what happened in the lab today.”

“What? How did that leak out already?” Oh hell, this was bad.

“Becky told Ali, Ali told Emily Rose, she told Kate who then told Beth.”

“So, basically everyone knows.” I groaned with frustration and embarrassment.

“Yes. I’m sorry. I tried to warn you.” He peeked over at me.

“Keep your eyes on the road. I’m fine.” With that part, at least. “I haven’t talked to Erik again, you know, after, but I hope he just had an excited moment, and that will be the end of it. You heard about our breakthrough today?”

“Yes, of course. The gossip about you and Erik was just a bonus.” He smiled and winked.

“I’d hit you right now if you weren’t driving,” I snapped.

He continued to laugh. “Oh, come on. You’ve got to admit, it’s rather funny. What was he thinking?”

I tried to contain my giggles. “He wasn’t thinking.” Now that I had some distance from the situation, I saw the humor. “You should have seen his face when Martin tapped on the window.” I broke into peals of laughter. I knew I shouldn’t, but really, who does that?

“You’ve gone and broken his poor heart. You’re a heartbreaker.” 

My breath caught. “You don’t actually think I hurt his feelings, do you? I mean, he has lots of women to choose from. He’s wealthy, smart, and gorgeous. So, I’m sure it was a pity pass. Right?”

“Jain.” He drew my name out in the most exasperated voice. “Why do you always do that?”

“What?”

“Sell yourself short. He didn’t make a pass out of pity. He wants you. I’ve already told you. Now, don’t go feeling guilty. He should have never done it the way he did. That was a big mistake. I think you were right, I believe he was overcome by the test results. But, even still, I think he would have eventually let his feelings be known. You have some decisions to make.”

“What kind of decisions?”

“The kind where you tell him if you’re going to give him a chance or shoot him down like all the others.”

“There are no others.” What was he thinking?

“How about Edward from 3D?” he asked.

“Edward. Oh. He just asked me for coffee. I didn’t have time that morning. Remember? We had our conference that day.”

“And Patrick, the man we always run into when we pick up Thai food.”

“The guy in the business suit? How did you even know his name?”

“He gave you his card and asked you to call him.”

Hmm. Forgot about that one.

“And then there’s Paul from accounting. He’s been asking you to lunch once a month for almost a year.”

“He’s just friendly. I’m sure he asks everyone out to lunch.”

Colin shook his head.

“He doesn’t?” Oh, hell.

“He’s never asked me, or anyone else in the company as far as I know.”

“Oh.” It grew quiet in the car.

I’ve always known I was closed off, but I never realized how much. A lot, apparently.

“You’ll be happy to know I almost jumped out of my seat and attacked Braydon right in the middle of Angelo’s restaurant today,” I said proudly.

I might as well have told Colin aliens had just landed by the expression on his face.

“You did what?” He pulled the car to the side of the road and turned toward me.

“I didn’t say I did anything. I almost did. Almost being the operative word. Just calm down, I didn’t ruin anything. I’m not going to mess up our funding with a potential relationship. But for the first time in forever, I actually felt like I wanted to be with someone. So, there’s still hope for me, don’t you think?”

He didn’t say anything at first. He reached over and held me close. It was a comforting hug, although I was a little squished with the steering wheel in the way.

After a few minutes, he said, “Yes. There’s hope for you. In fact, I don’t want you to hold back because of the funding issue. You should explore this if you have real feelings for this guy. I know it can be tricky with us all working together, but the kind of chemistry I witnessed between you two doesn’t happen every day. Hell, it doesn’t happen in every lifetime. You need to see where this might go.”

“We’ll see him again this weekend at the Breast Cancer Fundraiser. Let’s see what he’s like in his element, around the people he usually hangs with. I’ve only seen him in small groups, so it should be enlightening. We’ll get a glimpse into his true character.”

“I don’t know. People can be different in a party atmosphere.”

“Exactly.”

TWENTY-ONE

Braydon

I was nervous. I never got nervous. I checked my tie for the twentieth time. Still straight.
Where is she?

The catering company pulled out all the stops, and decked out the ballroom at the Paramount Hotel in the very best finery for the Thanksgiving holiday. I surveyed the room, taking everything in. They’d done an excellent job, as usual. From the expensive table linens and crystal champagne glasses, to the scented candles and sparkling silver service – all of it looked festive. I peered overhead at the lighting display hanging from the forty-foot ceilings. Strings of white globed lights crisscrossed their way across the huge room. This was where Bastion Medical would hold their fundraiser in February. I hoped they approved.

Todd approached with a handshake. “Hey man, everything’s gone off without a hitch. Congratulations on another successful fundraiser.”

“We’ll see about that when we tally up the donations tonight. It looks like a good group.” I scanned the room again.

“Looking for anyone in particular?” Todd asked.

“No. I’m just taking in it. Have you seen the Manchester’s yet? They brought their rich uncle.” That should distract him.

“Yeah. I talked to them a few minutes ago. How about the team from Bastion Medical? Are they here yet?”

Bastard. “I haven’t seen them.” I replied and tried to look bored with the conversation.

“Uh oh. Now
this
should make the night interesting. Look who just waltzed in.” Todd moved his head toward the entrance.

My breath caught. It was Angela, and she had her steely blues zoned in on me. This couldn’t have happened at a worse time. I didn’t have a game plan. Revenge. I knew I wanted it. I needed it. Angela should be taught a lesson. I’d be the one who’d return the karma she deserved.
Wait.
I had to think about this. Jain would be arriving soon—I hoped. If I followed my usual routine with Angela, Jain would have a front row seat, witnessing the way I usually operated.
She should see you as you are.
But,
was
that me? Did I have to remain stuck in the past? Maybe I’d been waiting for Angela so I could get my revenge, hurt her like she’d hurt me, and move on. Could I move on without getting her out of my system?

Angela was beautiful, stunning even. Every person in the room stopped to stare at her, both men and women. She walked gracefully across the room, making a beeline toward me.
Think.
Think.

She stopped right in front of me. Her large eyes met mine. She let them close ever so slightly. This was her “come hither” look. I’m sure it worked for her on many occasions. She didn’t even glance at Todd.

“Braydon Decker? I’ve wanted to meet you. I’ve heard so many great things.” She slowly passed her tongue over her lips. Could she be any more obvious?

“Yes, I’m Braydon. This is Todd.” I turned toward him, clueless on what to do next. Or how to react.

Todd stepped in, “Pleased to meet you. And you are?”

She threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, I thought you already knew. I’m Angela.
The
Angela. I’m a Barthomew.
”
She placed her hands on her hips and raised her right eyebrow, waiting for acknowledgment. She was even worse than I remembered.

Across the crowded ballroom, Jain, Colin, and Martin entered. They were wide-eyed, taking in the grandeur of the event. Jain had her hands pressed against her cheeks.

My decision made, I turned back to Angela. “Please, excuse me. I have someone important to talk to.” I dismissed her; her mouth gaped open.

“I’ll catch you later, Todd.” He gave me a quick nod. His face reflected a mixture of surprise and respect. I’d surprised myself.

Angela moved in front of me, blocking my way. “I’d like to get to know you better. Maybe we could, you know, meet up and talk or whatever…” She put her hand on my chest and gave me a sensuous smile.

I was immune. “Sorry, not interested.” And I left her for a second time.

This time, she didn’t look surprised. She looked pissed. Rejecting her in front of a roomful of people was better than my original plan. It was honest. I didn’t lower myself to treat her as poorly as she’d treated me back in high school. But it was enough.

As I got closer to the group from Bastion, I had to chuckle. Jain. She was wearing a white baggy dress with some sequins. It completely hid her figure, similar to everything else I’d seen her wear.

I smiled. “Jain, you look lovely.” I heard a snort from Colin.

“Colin, don’t you start.” She sent him a warning glance, but she was trying not to laugh at the same time. “Colin took me on a shopping trip at the mall for an appropriate dress. I think he hoped I’d wear something like the other women here.” Her eyes swept around the room. “Yeah, I missed the mark all right. Sorry.”