Page 25 of Ruthless Financier
“I’ve always feared I’d turn into my mom if I took on a relationship, so I just avoided men all together.”
“You’re mine now.”
Guess that was true for the next few years. We made it to the front door, which was open a crack. I took his hand and I said, “Don’t stall. It will be fine.”
I probably needed to convince myself, as much as him. I forced a smile. He didn’t move for a moment. Then he said, “We spent all that time talking about me when we should have talked more about you. Your mom’s story might be good for me to know.”
Mom and me … I was Daddy’s girl.
Besides, learning about Jacob had been interesting. I hadn’t wanted him to stop talking. His voice alone hypnotized me and I tugged his arm as I said, “There’s plenty of time to talk later.”
I steeled my shoulders and opened the door for us. We walked in and I heard my family all laughing in the dining room. We walked through the living room, then the kitchen. A quick scan of the dining room revealed almost a dozen people gathered around the table for eight.
When I was growing up, it had been the same, here in this very room. And when our minivan was broken—as it often was—Mom somehow squeezed twelve of us into the sedan that was meant for four. I called it the clown car.
Now I bounced on my feet as everyone stared at us. Then my oldest sister stood up and I said, “Georgie, this is Jacob Donovan.”
She waved to us to join them and said, “So, you brought your husband home.”
My face felt tight. I’d hoped this meeting was about me.
“You heard?” I asked.
Nicole stared at us and I knew she’d have something to blog about on her clean-living site. She said, “You’re late for lunch.”
I held his hand so he’d not be so tense and then fanned my family with my other hand, like I was introducing everyone at once. I said, “Everybody, this is Jacob.”
Georgie’s new husband stood beside her. I walked Jacob over to them and said, “This is Georgie and her husband Michael.”
“I’m a fan,” he said, as he shook Michael’s hand.
Good. If he liked baseball maybe he’d be good to the team he now technically owned. Or at least he’d sell it to someone who knew about the game.
Michael said, “Thanks.”
My nephew was right next to his dad. I ruffled his hair and said, “This is their son, Jeremy.”
Jacob shook his hand and said, “Nice to meet you.”
Jeremy asked, “Is it true you’re richer than my dad?”
My eyes widened. I’d no idea my nephew was, well, more like me than I realized. Jacob winked at the boy like they shared a secret. “Yes, but your dad has more than anyone, because he has you.”
Good answer. Down to earth. And it matched that secret of his, that he wanted a real wife and family after our marriage, and after he succeeded in his goal to wrest control of his father’s empire from him. Part of my stomach twisted like I wanted to be the woman he saw in his future. I met his brown-eyed gaze and my skin warmed as I said, “That’s sweet, Jacob.”
His shrugged off the compliment, like I’d sworn at him. “Again with that word.”
“Right.” I laughed. As my sisters were all standing near the wall, I pointed and said, “Ridley, Nicole, Olivia, this is Jacob.”
Jacob went and shook everyone’s hand as he said, “Nice to meet you all.”
Olivia, the teacher, smiled. “At least he’s handsome, Indigo.”
I checked out his profile. His muscular frame, square jaw and flawless skin made him the perfect man. My heart jumped as electricity shot through me and I said, “He is.”
I then hugged my cousin, who’d been staying in the shelter. “And this is Mary and her son, Bruce.”
No visible sign of being punched in the face remained around her eyes. Good. She left my side and shook Jacob’s hand as he said, “Pleasure to meet you.”
