Page 14 of Bossy Bred

“Can I get you two something to drink? We have everything. Marian’s also making her famous margaritas.”

“There’s no way I’m passing that up,” I say. “I’d love a margarita.”

Diego points at Jake. “You too, bud?”

“I’m good,” says Jake with a shake of his head. “I’ll help myself to something else.”

Diego dashes off, and I glance at Jake, who is looking around the yard, taking in the crowd. He looks serious, not at all relaxed. I try to think of something I could say that would make him laugh, but before I can think of anything, Diego is back with a frothy yellow margarita in hand.

“So, Leta,” Diego says as he hands it to me. “Tell me about yourself. What do you do?”

I take a sip of the drink, the salt on the rim of the glass sparkling against my lips. “This isdelicious. Thank you. And to answer your question, I run a tutoring center for kids.”

“No kidding? That’s awesome.”

“She started it six years ago and built it up all by herself,” says Jake. “She’s helped countless high school kids get into college.”

Wait…what? How does he know that? I never told him those details.I try to hide my shock, keeping my eyes on Diego. “It’s very rewarding.”

“I can imagine.” Someone calls Diego’s name and he shakes his head. “My apologies, but I’m being summoned. We’ll talk more later?”

I smile and nod. After Diego rushes off, I’m finally able to look at Jake.

“How did you know that?” I ask.

“About the tutoring center?” he says. “I read it on your website.”

I fight back a bigger smile. “You were reading up about me?”

“It’s called due diligence. It would have been grossly irresponsible of me to have the company making donations to an unvetted cause.”

Oh. Right.

Every time I think about that ten thousand dollar donation that Jake tried to make, I feel a little faint. I’m not much more comfortable with the hundred dollar donations that have been dropping in every day since then, but the fact is that I really do need the money if I’m going to stay on top of my new loan payments. Still, I’m determined to do something to raise extra funds. The sooner those donations stop, the better.

“Not that there wasn’t also personal interest on my part,” Jake adds.

His postscript prompts a little thump in my chest. “You have a personal interest in me, huh?”

The corners of his mouth lift in that irresistibly sexy way. “Indeed I do.”

Don’t get me wrong. It’s terribly nice to be flirted with by a man like him. But it’s also confusing. Just like how this whole outing is confusing. Why did he bring me here? Is he trying to make some kind of point? Was he forced into bringing a plus one?

Someone else approaches us and says something in business-speak to Jake. He gives the other man a brief reply and then introduces me. But it’s clear that the other person only cares about grabbing a few minutes with Jake. I don’t mind, and keep myself occupied with taking sips from my margarita and doing some covert people-watching.

Suddenly, I feel Jake’s hand on my hip, pulling me into him. My drink sloshes in my glass as he leans down and captures my lips, giving me an unexpectedly heated kiss out of the middle of nowhere.

“What was that for?” I ask breathlessly as our lips part.

“You keep getting lingering gazes from other men here. Everyone needs to know that you’re mine.”

His words pulse through me. God, why is it so hot to hear him talk like that?

“Oh, so I’mnotsupposed to sleep with other men?” I tease him.

Darkness comes into his eyes. “You better be kidding.”

I drum my fingers on the buttons of his shirt. “To be fair, we never discussed exclusivity.”

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