Page 24 of Date The Billionaire

“That was close.” I settled on the apex of the roof and looked down over at Mrs. Mallory’s house.

That’s when my heart stood still. There was a man next door, piling wood into his arms.

“Is that the grandson?” I whispered over to Tony.

He went still before he sat down beside me.

“Yeah, I think it is.”

He had a knit cap on his head, and he didn’t look up at us so I didn’t get a good look at him at first.

“Have you seen the front yet?” The guy was wearing one of those stretchy thermal tops, in a dark olive green that showed off his muscled chest to perfection. When he stood up, his arms full of wood, something about the set of his shoulders seemed familiar.

“It’s just because he’s Mrs. Mallory’s grandson, right?”

“What’s that?” Tony asked, looking at me.

“He seems so...oh my God!” I stood abruptly, almost sliding off the roof again but the harness caught me. “That’s Jake. It’s Jake!”

Chapter Twelve

Jake

I heard Laney call out my name and lost my footing. The wood went one way and I went the other as I stared up at the sky. Her voice had come from up there somewhere.

The landing knocked the breath out of me and I could only try to inhale as I searched the sky for the woman of my dreams. I finally spotted her on the roof, her face terrified as she stared down at me.

“Jake? What are you doing down there?” she called down to me with confusion.

“What are you doing up there?” I tried to wheeze out. “You look beautiful by the way!”

She pushed a pair of glasses up her nose, straightened her skewed ponytail, and started towards the ladder.

I clambered up from the ground as she climbed down the ladder. We stopped just as we came within five feet of each other. In that instant, all my thoughts disappeared, all the doubts, the worries, and fears because Laney was there. Her blue eyes were as beautiful as I remembered, her lips were just as tempting, and I wanted nothing more than to pick her up and carry her to my bed. Now that she was here though, all I wanted to do was stare at her like a creeper.

Chapter Thirteen

Laney

“What are you…? How did you know…? What are you doing at Mrs. Mallory’s house, Jake?” I stammered the words out, befuddled but a thought forming. “Are you Mrs. Mallory’s grandson?”

He looked like he wanted nothing more than to drag me into his arms. I wouldn’t mind it if he did. An explanation of some kind would be nice, though.

“I am, yes.” He didn’t elaborate.

I made a rolling motion with my hand. “Go on. Wait, I thought her grandson’s name was Jackson?”

“It is, but I go by Jake. Look, I can’t tell you a whole lot, the show will sue the pants off of me, literally from what my lawyer says.” He stopped and scratched at the knit cap on his head.

“Jake? How long have you been over here? Just across from me? How long?” The question had started to burn in my head, anger fanning the flames. Had he been there this whole time and hadn’t bothered to tell me?

Was I some kind of fool? Was I just some kind of game the show producers had him playing along with? I knew I didn’t know a lot about him, but that didn’t seem possible.

“It was a choice between a few stolen moments with you, Laney, and being able to provide for my grandmother. If the show sues me, anything I have or will make could be forfeited. I can’t leave Gran in that state. I just can’t.” He turned away, his shoulders slumped in a way I hated.

I felt a pain start around my heart, an aching squeeze that nearly took my breath away as I watched him. I couldn’t let him go on like that.

“I understand that, Jake. That’s all I needed, just an explanation.” I put my hand out for his and waited.