Page 85 of From the Moment We Met

Chapter Fourteen

Jacob

Jacob wasn’t three steps into the banquet hall when he heard Victoria’s shriek of excitement. God, she sounds like a harpy.

“There he is, the man of the hour.” Victoria sidled up to him, her lips at his ear. “Did you really think I would let you get away with your little stunt?”

“I thought you weren’t attending tonight. What were your exact words? I’d rather suffer ten hangnails than mingle with the lowlifes at this charity?” Jacob’s voice held a veiled threat.

Victoria laughed so the crowd would assume they were sharing a private joke, but her green eyes pierced Jacob. “We have a deal, remember? And you aren’t living up to your end of the bargain. Now pretend you adore me, and in a few weeks, you’ll have your precious role, so you can go seduce whatever trollop stumbles across your path. I’m sure your little nurse will have outlived her usefulness by that point, and you’ll be on to the next pitiful stand-in.”

Jacob felt his temperature rising. He would like nothing more than to tell her off in front of the guests who were paying a bit too much attention to their exchange. Instead, he sighed, realizing that right now, he needed her as an ally.

He wished he could walk away from the movie role, tell Victoria to bugger off and never deal with her again. But reputations were built and destroyed daily in Hollywood, and the wrong word from the right person could send you to a blacklist of wannabes and has-beens. Victoria was cruel enough to pull that card if she didn’t get what she wanted.

“Do we understand each other?”

Jacob forced a laugh. “Of course, darling; but remember, once the event ends, so does this charade. And you keep your hands to yourself.”

Victoria smiled, showing straight white teeth—like a shark—and leaned into him. “I say when the charade ends, okay, darling?” She turned to the crowd. “Who would like an impromptu performance? Give me a few minutes to set up, and we’ll have some fun!” She squeezed Jacob’s ass, shooting him a seductive side eye before departing.

Jacob needed a shower. He felt dirty after their brief interlude and wondered how he would survive the next several weeks.

“Quite the performance, Mr. Edmonton,” Sabina sneered, peering at him over her glass. “You may be in contention for an Oscar.”

Jacob knew he deserved her scathing remarks. Their earlier conversation revolved around Lilly, and Sabina was candid. It was obvious he and Lilly were attracted to one another, but Sabina didn’t want her friend played for a fool by a well-known playboy. “I told you, it’s a public relations ploy. If I don’t act as the doting escort, Victoria will ensure I’m blacklisted from the lead role in Milieu of Madness. Sabina, I explained all this.” His last line resonated as a plea for understanding.

“You did, and I believe you, but Lilly has no clue what, if anything, you feel towards her. She’s in the dark and feeling very small and stupid.” Sabina’s face softened at the stricken look on Jacob’s face. “Lilly’s the most understanding person in the world, but you’ve explained your situation to everyone, except the person who’s directly affected.’”

“I hate that she feels that way. I’ll speak with her, I promise.”

“Tonight.”

Jacob nodded. “Absolutely.” He kissed Sabina on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“Don’t make me regret this. Don’t make me regret not telling her to run as fast as she can in the opposite direction.”

Jacob scanned the room for Lilly. He spotted her with Enrique and Ben, and suddenly his throat felt dry and his feet like lead. Her opinion was of the utmost importance to him, and he was terrified of her shutting him out.

Enrique’s eyes narrowed at his approach, but he held out his hand, and Jacob shook it with a firm response. Jacob was no fool, he knew Enrique would like nothing more than to give him a good thrashing. In the surgeon’s mind, Jacob was the only thing standing in the way of his relationship with Lilly, but Jacob would be damned if he allowed that to happen without one hell of a fight.

Ben nodded in Jacob’s direction before pulling Enrique aside for a drink.

Lilly remained in the same position, shaking her head, and staring at the floor. “What do you want?”

“I want you to look at me.”

After a moment, Lilly’s gaze swung to meet his, and she remarked flatly, “I’m looking at you.”

Every thought in his head went up in smoke when he saw her brown eyes darken with pent-up emotion. “I know how this looks, and it is ridiculous and stupid and—”

“How what looks? You and your girlfriend? Or what occurred between you and me on the balcony? Which part exactly is ridiculous and stupid?” Her eyes glistened, and he cringed at her biting words.

“What happened on the balcony was amazing—”

“I’m sorry I kissed you, I put you in an awkward position.”

Jacob couldn’t stand it. He grabbed Lilly’s hand and dragged her to a hidden alcove, away from prying eyes. “Don’t ever apologize for kissing me, or for anything that occurred between us. You don’t know what you do to me, what touching you does to me. You’re spellbinding. This whole thing between Victoria and me,” he gestured in the general direction of the stage, “it’s a ruse. She and I have an agreement. She’s friends with the director of Milieu of Madness and if I don’t play along, my chances of getting that role are nil.” Jacob sighed as he leaned Lilly against the wall, one arm at each side of her head. “And it would have been fine—annoying, but fine—except I met you, and I don’t want to pretend to want anyone. I just want you.”

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