Chapter Seven
NATALIE
The next morning, I woke up at seven o'clock, as usual.
The house was eerily quiet. I took in a deep breath, walking over to my window and opening it wide.
The breeze fluttered in. The air was salty and fresh and just a bit chilly, but mostly, it was simply beautiful.
I showered quickly and put on jeans and my thickest shirt, which, to be honest, wasn't very thick.
I wondered if Jake would give me his jacket again.
God, the man was such a contrast. I couldn't get a good read on him.
On the one hand, he was guarded to the point of being rude.
I could handle that side of him. On the other hand, he was surprisingly thoughtful, and a gentleman, and so damn attractive.
I couldn't handle that side of him at all. The contrasts between Jake and my ex were vast, yet there were similarities too. Both were career focused, but Jake’s drive was straightforward and intense.
Vince was a climber and liked to take advantage of people. I learned that the hard way.
I tiptoed through the house, unsure if he was still asleep and possibly a light sleeper. My shoes clacked on the marble floors, so I took them off, holding them in one hand. The marble was cold on my bare feet. I descended the stairs, looking around and wondering if anyone else was up.
Jake was nowhere to be found, and as far as I could tell, no member of his staff was here either. This house was so gorgeous. If it belonged to me, I’d never leave it, much less go back to New York. I'd visited the Big Apple a couple times and decided it was an exhausting city with too much noise.
I put on my shoes just before stepping outside. I breathed very deeply, crossing my arms over my chest to keep myself warm.
Where to begin? Where to go?
I was tempted to head back to the spot Jake had shown me yesterday, just to see how it looked in plain daylight, but I couldn't waste any time.
I wanted to scour the property and decide if I wanted an outdoor tent as well, though it was a shame to cover any part of the beautiful lawn with a tent.
I wanted to consider all possibilities so I could present them to Jeannie.
I took a few steps to go around the house when I stopped, rooted in my spot, taking in the sight before me. Jake Whitley was working out.
He was wearing jogging pants and absolutely nothing else, and I was in love with his outfit.
The polite thing to do would’ve been to turn around and head back from where I came.
I wasn't a Peeping Tom, and yet I couldn't move.
My eyes were fixed on him. Even from this distance, I could tell his body was absolutely insane.
What did he do, hire a private trainer to get every muscle into the best shape possible?
No one looked like that. At least, no one I saw naked ever looked like that, especially Vince.
But Jake… Oh my. He came closer to swimsuit models on a magazine cover, but even those where photoshopped, weren't they?
Jake Whitley was real. I was partly regretful that he chose to work out in jogging pants.
Why not naked, if he was usually alone? Or maybe he usually did it naked but had put on the pants for my benefit.
Nat! Get a hold of yourself!
Currently, he was doing push-ups, and even though I should’ve let the man do his thing, I couldn't help but get closer. His dark hair was slicked back with either sweat from his workout or water. Droplets of moisture were dripping down his forehead. Maybe he’d showered first?
"So, this is what you do at your retreat?" I asked. "Wake up at seven o'clock and work out?"
He stopped mid-push-up, looking up at me, then put one foot forward, standing up and coming face-to-face with me.
Holy shit. I didn't think this through.
Up close, he wasn't just sexy. His sex appeal was out of this world.
A thin sheen of perspiration covered his torso, but that somehow only contributed to his masculinity shining through every pore.
His blue eyes looked brighter in the morning sun.
His cheekbones seemed more angular than they had last evening.
I hadn't seen his shoulders properly before while he was in a push-up position, but now they were practically in my face. Luckily, I could inspect them under the pretense of looking behind him. I wasn't obvious, was I?
"I woke up at six. I swam for half an hour before the workout. It's what I do when I'm here, you're right. I wake up early. I train. And then I start my day."
"Mm," I replied, dragging my gaze from his sculpted right shoulder to his eyes. "You're very thorough, even in your free time, aren't you?"
"I believe discipline should be maintained at all times."
"Maintained?" I teased.
"You have a problem with my use of the English language?"
"No, you just like to use formal words."
He looked at me like I was nuts, then said, "I'll walk around with you. Just give me ten minutes to take a shower."
"You don’t have to. You're a busy man."
He tilted his head. Was it my imagination, or was he looking at my mouth? It was hard to tell. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but imagination or not, my body reacted just at the thought that he could possibly be interested in me. Heat pooled between my thighs.
Great, Natalie. You’re now attracted to your client's grandson, who’s kind of a jerk.
“I said I’ll do it.”
"Fine, I’ll wait."
He nodded. It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him he didn't have to shower on my account. I found the sweat on him incredibly sexy, but even I knew that would be completely inappropriate, so I kept my mouth shut.
As he walked up to the house, I didn't even pretend not to look at his ass. It was impressive. That was the only way to describe it. My mouth watered. Yum.
Well, well, will you look at that? One night and Jake Whitley has mellowed out. Though perhaps I shouldn't chant victory just yet. Maybe after a shower and coffee, he’ll go back to his grumpy self.
Either way, I was glad for the opportunity to have him show me around. I did want him to give me his approval on certain things. It was his home, after all. He should have a say in it, and if some areas were off-limits, I needed to know that as well.
He came down fifteen minutes later but didn't join me.
He was on the phone, and I saw him pacing on the west terrace, frowning.
Even from here, I could hear he was talking to his grandmother.
He even mentioned his grandfather. A few minutes later, he pocketed his phone, descending the marble steps to join me.
"Oh, you're back to grumpy Jake, aren't you?" I asked.
He didn't smile. "Let's start the tour."
"Okay."
So, the miracle had only lasted a few minutes.
"How much time do you have?" I asked him.
"Thirty minutes."
"That’s plenty. Would you like me to walk you through my ideas?" I asked.
"Sure, why not?"
"Okay, so I'm thinking there’s no need for a tent. Your house is big enough to hold the reception inside. The catering team will put everything on the kitchen island and on the dining room table. There will be chafing dishes, of course. As for the outside, I’ll contact the company that has rental furniture to set up some tables and chairs on the terrace, but I wouldn't put anything on any of your lawns. They’re perfect and beautiful, and it would be a shame to ruin them.
Jeannie seems like a very outdoorsy kind of person, though, judging by how lovely her garden is back in Boston, so I’ll try to make the outdoor area as hospitable as possible to keep the heart of the party right there by the trees. "
I stopped midsentence, looking at him. He seemed lost in thought.
"Have you listened to a word I said?" I asked.
"No, I apologize. You were saying?"
My shoulders dropped. "Look, there’s no point in doing this if you aren't going to pay attention.
You have other things to focus on. I simply wanted you to know what I planned.
Tell me if anything is off-limits. In fact, why don't we start with that?
Is there anything you absolutely don't want me to do? "
"I would like the upstairs area to remain closed."
"I can do that. There’s no reason for the guests to go upstairs anyway. Your grandmother said all guests will sleep at surrounding hotels."
"Good. Are we done?"
My jaw dropped. "Are you in a hurry?"
"Yes. We should go back to Boston immediately."
I blinked several times. "I thought you were going to stay and have your Natalie-free retreat this evening and tomorrow.” I paused a moment. “Wait, did you say we? You’re coming to Boston? To stay, or just a layover?"
It hit me then. I took in his appearance. He wasn't annoyed like he was yesterday. He was frowning, and his eyes were intent and dark, not smug.
"What happened?" I asked.
"My grandfather took a trip to the ER.” His tone was even, but his expression betrayed just how worried he was. He just wasn’t letting on.
"Oh my God, is he okay?" I exclaimed, a hand on my chest. I had the strangest impulse to put my hand on him instead, hoping to calm him somewhat, even though he seemed perfectly composed. I had this eerie feeling that, inside, he was completely undone.
"He claims yes.”
“But you don't believe him," I stated.
"No. My grandparents have a habit of downplaying health situations. They don’t want to worry me, or us—me and my brothers."
"Oh good. So, that's where you get it," I said in a teasing tone. I wasn't sure why I said it. I wasn't trying to push his buttons like last night. I guess I simply wanted to alleviate the tension. It worked, because he lifted a corner of his mouth.
"What?"
“You look so stoic and calm, but it's obvious that you're very worried about him."
His shoulders relaxed, but his frown intensified. "How can you tell?"
"I’m not sure," I said. "Have you spoken to any of your brothers?"
"None of them are answering, which is even more concerning.
" He said the word as if it felt strange to him.
Like he didn't own up to being concerned very often.
I had a hunch I was seeing a side of him he usually kept for himself.
For some reason, seeing him vulnerable made him even sexier.
Although I was probably still rattled by all the hormones that had been rolling off him before he went to shower.
"Why did you let me babble about the party?" I asked. “Let’s go.”
"It’s important to my grandmother. I thought we could at least get this done before going back to Boston, where, according to her, everything is fine. Except for the fact that my grandfather had to go to the ER."
He swallowed hard.
"My suitcase is all packed. I can just go get it, and we can leave right away.”
“No, come on, let's do this. Walk me through everything once before we leave.”
“You promise to pay attention?" I teased.
"I promise to try."
"That's good enough."
"My grandfather is at home, so it's not an emergency right now anyway. But I do want us to fly out straight after the tour."
"Okay." I clapped my hands once. "Pay attention. I’ll be quick."
I swallowed hard, trying to focus.
Oh, Jesus, Natalie, you truly are in danger of losing your damn brain around this man.
I blamed his perfectly sculpted shoulders for that.