Love Unbound (Billionaire In Love 2) (2 page)

2

After she dried herself off, she walked back through her apartment, rubbing her long hair with a towel. The bath had been so relaxing and the release of tension had been satisfying, but she wanted the comfort of his arms when all she had was herself. It wasn't too late, and Scarlett never went to sleep until late anyway. She tried to curl up with a book, but her eyes scanned the pages without taking in any of the word. After she read the same page five times in a row, she let the book fall to her lap and nibbled on the tips of her fingers, glancing around the room, hoping to find something that could distract her from Jack. However, even in his absence, he commanded her attention and she couldn't escape him, no matter how hard she tried.

Given the way she felt about him, it was difficult sometimes to remember that she had only seen him a couple of times. In the grand scheme of things, he was more like a stranger than anything else, and yet it felt as though she knew him intimately. But there was so much more to discover, so much more that she wanted to know. The lack of information about it only added to her attraction for him and the possibilities played on her mind, but she wanted to know for sure.

Impulsively, she crawled over to her laptop and switched it on. The screen glowed softly and a tapping sound echoed around her bedroom as her fingers danced over the keys. She brought up her browser and ignored the people trying to talk to her on Facebook, focused on her goal. In the search bar, she typed Jack's name, but it only came up with people with the same name, not the Jack Keyes she was looking for. Feeling disappointed, she went to Google and typed his name in again. This time there were results linked to
her
Jack, but most of them were dry business reports. There was nothing about the man himself, and only a handful of images, mostly of him with a beautiful woman on his arm.

Every time she saw one of these pictures, she felt a pang of jealousy, and wondered if she was just one more notch on his bedpost.

Scarlett scrolled through a few pages of Google, hoping to find that one magic article that would shed light on the man that she was obsessed with. But there was nothing, and this only made her attraction to him grow, for the mystery was highly alluring. With a sigh, she went back to Facebook as the incessant beeping of the messages was becoming annoying. Most of them were from Matt, and these she ignored, wondering if she should go to the extreme of unfriending him. It seemed so petty and immature though, and she wanted to be better than that, but he made it difficult.

At least it was better than receiving flowers from him at work. She'd had to explain to her colleagues that they were just from her parents and friends, wishing her well at her new job. How she wished that Jack would send her flowers...

With her mission being a failure, she closed the laptop without bothering to reply to Matt. However, almost as soon as she logged off, her cell was bombarded with text messages from him, trying to ascertain whether she was all right. For a moment, she was tempted to pick up the phone and send him an angry text message back, but just as her fingers hovered over the screen she thought better of it and simply switched it off. The joys of modern technology were such that she could ignore someone so readily, and she drifted off to sleep, forgetting about the man of her past, and thinking about the man of her future.

It seemed a forlorn dream because in all likelihood, Jack used her once and was done with her. But there was a part of her heart that was convinced that one day she would see him again, and he'd be reminded of all they had shared. It seemed impossible that everything she felt was only moving in one direction. Part of the reason why things had been so intense with him was because they had shared the connection, and although he could have any woman he wanted, she knew that the feeling they experienced together was nigh on impossible to replicate, and that gave her hope that somehow he would come back to her, possessed by the same need as she was.

Wrapped up in her soft cotton sheets, Scarlett's mind drifted back to Jack again. She wondered if he was somewhere, thinking about her in the same way that she thought about him. Again she thought about his hands moving down his body, playing with himself, making his penis swell and grow erect as he stroked and squeezed it. The heat grew within her again, and once more she descended into the hazy bliss of orgasmic delight...

3

The weekends were a time for her to relax. Work was busy and while she was able to handle the pressure that came with her promotion, she felt drained by the end of the day, and there was barely any time to relax. It didn't help that every time she walked past Jack's empty office, she flushed with pleasure as she thought about the things the two of them had done in there. People still gossiped, and although her ideas were taken on board in the meetings, she got a strong sense that Sam still didn't like her, so she stayed out of his way as much as she possibly could.

But she did work long hours, and as such she found it hard to do menial things like chores during the week, for when she came home she was ready to collapse. Sunday mornings were set aside for chores, while she tried to get all her shopping done on Saturday morning, although this often took longer than usual because it seemed like everyone else wanted to do their shopping at that time as well. It wasn't something she enjoyed, because she never usually had the patience to go around the store and pick out exactly what she needed, she preferred to grab whatever came close and get out of there as quickly as possible.

She still thought of Jack, but as the days went by, her feelings for him faded and her memories became more forlorn. It was sad to admit, but she wasn't one to dream too much, especially not since Lisa died, and she didn't want to waste her energy on things that were never going to happen. So, although she indulged in fantasies from time to time, she admitted to herself that she was never going to see Jack again and that she would simply have to accept that the moment they shared was just a moment.

When she returned home, she bustled through the door with her shopping bags. It was only when she was halfway through the door that she noticed a piece of card lodged in the hinge. Thinking that it was just a random business card, Scarlett went inside and forgot all about it as she put her shopping away. When she went back to close the door, she saw it again, and pulled it out with the intention of throwing it straight into the trash. But when she looked at it, she saw that it was a handwritten message meant only for her.

Meet me by the fountain, J.

Scarlett's heart fluttered and she read the message over and over again just to make sure that her eyes were not deceiving her. She turned the card over in her hands. The edges were sharp and the other side was blank. It was such a short message, more of a command really, yet it was pregnant with opportunity. Squealing with excitement, she ran to her room to get ready, but then she paused. Was she really going to jump every time he told her to? Was she going to be the type of woman to hang onto him and just drop everything to be with him when he was in town so that she could be used again for one hot, sweaty afternoon and then be forgotten about? Scarlett had more self-respect than that, but she knew that she couldn't dismiss the message entirely.

She got dressed in an outfit that flattered her hourglass figure, but didn't scream that she was ready to be swept away in a burst of hedonistic desire.

She was going to go up to Jack and tell him that she didn't deserve to be treated like this. Nobody did. No matter that he was a billionaire and the most desirable man she had ever met—even if he had not a cent to his name, he was still the most handsome man she had ever seen. But she would fight every fiber of her being that yelled at her to give herself to him, because she was going to show him what she was worth, and it was more than just an afternoon fling.

The sun was shining high in the sky and the afternoon world was idyllic. Scarlett drove into the city and walked along the sidewalk, enjoying the smell of coffee emanating from the row of cafes along the commercial district. Street performers danced and hollered, and as she walked, she glanced down at some amazing chalk art. But she had no time to waste. She had no idea when Jack had left that note, and she didn't think him the type of man to wait around. There were far too many demands on his time.

Her heels clacked against the ground as she crossed over to the park. Most of the city was built as a tribute to the dollar, but there were still some nooks where natural beauty was allowed to flourish. The park she entered was a large expanse of land that, if truth be told, did look at odds with its surroundings. Stepping into the park was like stepping into another world. Trees framed the edge and lush green grass stretched out before her. Grey paths wound through the greenery, and colorful flowers provided a burst of light. As she neared the fountain, Scarlett felt the nerves grow in her stomach. Seeing Jack in the office was one thing. That was their domain. It was forbidden and secret, and there were rules to which they both had to adhere, but out here they were in the real world. Anything could happen. It was like a proper date.

Out on the grass, Scarlett saw a few people having a picnic. There were families with their young children skipping about with glee. One of them had bubbles and were watching them float and they sparkled in the sunlight. Lovers ignored the rest of the world and lost each other in their own eyes. A few people were walking their dogs as well, and some other people were laying on the grass, reading, using the books to shield their eyes from the sun.

As she approached the fountain, her pace slowed and she focused on her breathing to keep it steady. She had no idea what she was going to say to him, and she only hoped that she could maintain her resolve and tell him everything that she had rehearsed on the way to the park.

Then she saw him and she froze.

He was sitting on the edge of the fountain, caressing the cool, clear water. On either side of him, people were tossing in coins, making a silent wish. Had he made a wish too? Had he wished for her? There was a moment when she could have spun on her heels and turned away, and she would have never had to see him again, but she clenched her jaw and walked forward, each step more determined than the last.

Jack turned his head slowly and looked at her. He looked tired, but he wore a smile and seemed genuinely happy to see her. He wasn't dressed like she expected. Somehow, she imagined that he was always in a suit. This time, he was wearing shorts and a white v-neck t-shirt that wrapped tightly around his muscles. Sunglasses hung from the plunging neckline, and salt and pepper stubble grew across his jaw.

“For a billionaire, you look rather normal,” she said, folding her arms. Jack laughed, and walked forward to hug her. He kissed her on the cheek, and to feel his hand wrap around her made her melt. Her eyelids fluttered but her resolve remained strong.

“Is everything all right?” he asked, looking puzzled at her lack of reaction. His hand still lingered on her upper arm, and a tingling sensation spread throughout her flesh.

“Oh, of course everything is fine. You know, it's not like I met this guy and had a pretty decent time in his office, and then he just ups and leaves without saying anything...” she said, averting her gaze.

“Pretty decent?” he said, and leaned into her so that his mouth was against her ear, and his low voice growled. “It was the best fuck I've ever had.” Her eyes danced around to all the other people playing in the park. The secret she shared with him made her heart do somersaults. Her throat was dry and she gulped. Her breaths became shorter and now that she was in the presence of his masculine essence again, it brought back all the memories of his body, all the ways he made her shiver with delight, and they were stronger than ever. She was falling again. Being around him was dangerous, and yet she couldn't walk away.

Jack stepped back, and it was like she was facing the cold air after drinking copious amounts of alcohol. She staggered slightly even though she was standing still, and she just hoped that Jack didn't notice.

“Didn't you get my flowers?” he asked. She furrowed her brow and thought back, then a moment of realization shocked her. She brought her hand to mouth. The ones she had thrown away.

“Those were from you?!”

“Who else would they have been from?” he said, although Scarlett was too preoccupied with her own ghastly mistake to notice the hint of jealousy in his voice.

“My ex... he'd sent me some. He keeps trying to win me back. I just assumed...”

“Well, never assume. I hope that you didn't think too badly of me.”

“I thought that you had just gone and played me like a fool. Mandy had said that you were sticking around a few days, so when I went into work the next day, I thought that you had left because of me.” She felt like an utter fool. All that despair she was feeling had been because she'd been so blinded by anger at Matt.

“Not at all. Something came up with an associate in China and I had to fly over there. I just got back early this morning and I wanted to see you.”

“You traveled all that way and the first thing you did when you got back was post a note at my door? You haven't been waiting here all morning have you?”

Jack shrugged. “I like to come here to think sometimes. I spend so much of my time either flying or sitting in an office, it's nice to remind myself that there's a real world out there, with fresh air and sunlight instead of the stuff that's pumped around offices.”

It was a touching to think that he had waited for her all this time, and suddenly all the thoughts and feelings she had about him were turned on their head. Her heart thundered in her chest and a smiled played across her face. The flurry of anger she was going to direct towards him quickly faded and was replaced by excitement. He offered her his arm, and she gladly took it, and the two of them walked along the path, enjoying the feeling of being with each other while the sun shone down upon them.