Twenty One (Love by Numbers Book 2) (29 page)

“That’s my fucking girl. Now I see
exactly
why you have stolen that boy’s heart.”

R
ealising that you love someone is easy; it’s the moment that you want to protect their heart, more than you want to guard yours.

T
ina has emailed through a dozen offers, from various publications and companies that she has cherry picked as the cream of the crop.

Each deal has a monetary value alongside it so I can see exactly which ones to take, to get rid of this nightmare once and for all.

I highlight an underwear campaign and an exclusive spread with a worldwide, women’s glossy magazine.

These two deals alone will pay off FML and leave me a little extra to put aside for my big plan. Add that to my VB payout, plus associated deals and I’ll soon be making Emmy mine in more ways than one.

T
ime to put phase two of my plan into action.

I email Nate everything I need, knowing that he is back in the U.K. for a few days before he flies back out to Ibiza.

Within half an hour I get a reply text.

Bloody hell bro, I’ve only been back in the country a few hours. U sure you’re not rushing into this?

I
appreciate his concern, kind of, but nothing anyone can say or do will change my feelings. I don’t want to get into a debate with him via text so I send back a short reply.

Why wait? It’s what I want Nate, just send the info when U get it

A
fter waking early to prepare for today’s junket, I get Emmy set up with my team in a room that’s right alongside the one being used for my interviews.

This way I know I’ll get to spend any free moment I have during the day, with her.

The morning drags with round after round of interviews. Various members of the press are rolled in and out, all asking the same monotonous questions, all dying to pry further into my personal life, but the VB rep in the room swiftly steers them back on course without me needing to say a word.

By the time lunch comes around, I’m hungry and not just for food.

I exit the room via the interconnecting door and instead of finding Emmy relaxing while listening to music or reading a book, I see her sat with Nina’s laptop in front her and she’s answering some of my fan mail.

The thought of her using her free time to help me in some way, instantly warms my chest. I can’t help myself from walking straight up to her, pulling her up from her seat so that she’s standing in my arms and then devouring her with my mouth.

She’s lucky that we have an audience or she would be spread out underneath me within five seconds flat.

W
e share a quick lunch and I give Emmy a kiss goodbye before heading back into the other room ready and eager to get this long day over with. I can’t wait to take my girl back to our suite and lose myself in her all night long before flying out to Australia tomorrow.

It’s only when I return to the other room that I realise I’ve left my phone back with Emmy. I turn back around to grab it quickly, not wanting her to accidentally read any emails or texts from Nate; what she sees might scare her away and I need to keep it a surprise a while longer.

On entering the team room I am stopped in my tracks, not by what I see but by the tone of Emma’s voice while addressing Tina. It’s firm, demanding and filled with ice; the words I hear spilling from her mouth shock me even more.

“Make the deals; I want enough money to get rid of that awful woman once and for all. I don’t care what deals you chose or who they are with, just arrange it and soon.”

What. The. Fuck.

This is not happening and I will be having words with Tina later for even putting these ideas in her head.

After making damn sure she understands that I will not allow her to sell herself for me, I storm from the room before I say something I might later regret.

T
he hair and make-up girl gets the full brunt of my mood. I either scare her or she’s having withdrawals because she can hardly keep her hands from shaking as she primps and preens me to within an inch of my life.

“Bring the first vulture in.” I bark at Crystal, the VB rep.

Thus begins another round of brain numbing questions, only this time I don’t even bother to hide my disdain for the process. I’m sure that by this time tomorrow, more than one publication will be printing how much of a prick, bad boy Jake Fox really is, and I couldn’t give a single fuck.

By the time the second round of interviews finish, my temper is close to boiling point and I storm back into the team room before the last reporter has even got up out her seat.

Only Emmy is left waiting for me. Everyone else has gone and I find her curled up in a large chair in front of the patio doors, a book in her lap, headphones on and her head tipped back with her eyes closed.

Watching her for a moment and seeing her happy and relaxed soothes my anger to a more comfortable level.

As long as my girl is okay, everything else is irrelevant.

It doesn’t take her long to open her eyes. I instinctively know when she is near and I am comforted by the fact that she is also able to feel this tangible electricity between us.

Removing the headphones and closing her book she gives me a sweet smile, “Hey, you all done for today?”

I lean over her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead and then another on her lips.

“I need you, then I need to eat, then I may need you again.” I give her a cheeky grin, “Those plans okay with you?”

She leans forward to place a kiss on my lips, my bottom one fitting perfectly between both of hers and her reply escapes on a sigh, “Yes, perfect.”

A
fter taking care of part one of my plan, and by taking care I mean taking
her
up against the closed door of our suite as soon as we step over the threshold, we are now on to step two.

We decide to order room service, our earlier escapades, combined with the long day, makes us both want to just chill out and enjoy each others company.

So after a delicious meal that comprised of lots of fresh seafood, which Emma ate as much of as I did, we sit curled up together on the sofa sharing dessert.

Between mouthfuls of chocolate soufflé, a groan of ecstasy leaves her lips and I have to readjust myself from the sound alone.

“God this tastes divine.” She rolls her eyes and leans back to pat her flat stomach, “Please don’t let me eat anymore; I’m fit to burst.”

I am just about to offer her something else to eat, something that’s not on the room service menu, when my phone rings with Nate’s ringtone.

“Sit here and chill for while, let all that food you scoffed down settle, I’ve gotta take this.” I swipe my screen to answer as I get up from the sofa and she promptly sprawls across it, stretching her body like a cat lazying in the sun.

Now there’s an image I could stop and stare at.

“N
ate.”

I greet my brother while I walk towards the bedroom.

“Any news for me? Have you heard from H today?”

“Yes to the first question, I’m emailing you a couple of particulars now and no to the H question, but I’m heading straight to the hospital to visit him as soon as I get off the phone.”

“Thanks Nate, for both; I wish I could be there for him bro.”

“Shall I tell him you’ll call later? I’ve already checked with his parents and they said the surgery went well and that he’s in recovery.”

“Yeah I’ll call in couple of hours, let him have a chance to come around from it first. It’s such a relief to know that it went as planned.”

We are both silent for a few moments, reflecting on the ordeal that H is currently going through. Nate is first to break the silence.

“Want my opinion on the details I’m emailing over?”

I laugh, knowing that he’s going to give me it anyway, “Yeah go ahead, what’s your thoughts?”

“If I was buying it would be number three; great location, a good size and lots of potential.”

“Thanks bro I’ll let you know which one I want you to proceed with.” I hesitate for a second before asking, “Will she like it do you think?”

Now it’s Nate’s turn to laugh, “Well you know I can’t keep anything from Liv and she reckons she will love it.”

“Good to know. Just tell your girl to keep her mouth zipped. I’m not ready to tell Emmy yet.”

“Will do bro; have fun in Australia. You know if you fancy flying us out again for a few days, I wouldn’t say no.”

I shake my head even though he can’t see me but I’m guessing that he can hear the smile in my voice, “Like I said, good to know. Take care bro, speak to you soon.”

A
s soon as I disconnect the phone, I sit on the bed to pull up my emails.

Nate’s got it spot on, number three is the one.

I flick over to my text feature to let him know.

Number three is a winner. Set things up for me bro

A
few moments later I get a reply but it’s from Liv’s phone, not Nate’s.

Eeek!! She is going to pass out when she sees it

I
laugh at her obvious excitement and feel a little calmer that it has the blessing of Emmy’s best friend.

Yeah well, it’s a secret remember?

I
watch the little dots on my screen that let me know she’s typing and up pops her reply.

Zips mouth shut, padlocks it & throws away key

N
ate’s girl is fucking cuckoo.

Tell Nate he can thank me later for the silence

I
turn off my phone, not waiting for a reply and wanting to spend the rest of the night in the arms of my girl.

Soon I’ll tell her everything I’ve been keeping from her. I just hope she doesn’t run for the hills.

T
he sun rising up over Sydney Harbour, framing the famous opera house in an ethereal glow, has to be one of the most amazing sights in the world.

T
o wake up and have that view calling out to you, from the floor to ceiling windows at the end of your bed, is nothing less than magical.

I wanted to pinch myself; not only am I lying in the arms of the man who I’ve fallen utterly, completely and irrevocably in love with, but I am doing so while he shares his dreams with me and gives me the entire world.

I stretch languorously; untangling my limbs from Jake’s sleeping body I pad quietly over to the windows to take in the view.

Pressing my palms up against the cool glass, I gaze out over the sparkling water stretched out below, and wonder how I’m going to tell him about the interview that Tina has already scheduled for me later today.

A warm hand skates over my shoulder, across my collarbone and down between my breasts before settling on my hip. His lips skate over my ear, a single word escaping them, “Beautiful”.

I don’t ask whether he means me or the view, I just lean back into his firm body and relax into his touch.