The Billionaire Playboy(40)

Next to him he felt Charlie move and he looked over at her. The sun coming through the windows danced across her bare skin making her red hair glow like fire against the black silk pillowcase. Instantly he felt something in his chest relax and a complete sense of peacefulness settled upon him. Often disappointment and the urge to keep searching plagued him. Neither emotion had bothered him for some time. In fact he hadn't felt either since kissing Charlie for the first time outside the hospital. He didn't know what that meant. However, he did know that he wanted to explore this thing between them. She seemed open to the idea. If she wasn't would she have made the trip this weekend with him? Would they have made love three times during the night?

As Jake continued to study Charlie and think about the way she made him feel, her eyelids began to flutter. Slowly her eyes opened and stared up at him. He could tell it took her a minute to fully realize where she was and he knew the second it dawned on her.

Charlie sat bolt upright in bed and tugged the sheet against her chest. Jake almost laughed at her attempt to cover herself. The night before he'd seen and explored every inch of her naked body. It seemed a little late for modesty now.

“What time is it?” she asked.

His fingers itched to pull down the sheet she clutched against her chest and pick up where they'd left off earlier, but he resisted the urge. She didn't appear to be in the right frame of mind at the moment so instead he glanced at his watch. “Six,” he answered as he pulled himself into a sitting position next to her.

Charlie groaned and moved to get out of bed. “I shouldn’t be here. If I wait too long your mom or someone else might see me going back to my room.”

Jake shrugged. He didn't see why that should matter. “I doubt it, but so what? We're all adults.”

“Your mom wouldn't even let Dylan and Callie share a room.” Charlie threw him a look that would probably stop most people in their tracks. It didn't faze him though. Actually he found it cute and couldn't help but say so.

“You're adorable when you do that.” He reached for her before she could comment and pulled her under him, silencing any retort with a kiss.

At first Charlie held herself stiff with her hands still clutching the sheet and her lips pressed tightly together. After a little coaxing she relaxed under him, and her arms looped around his shoulders.

“Don't go. Stay a little longer.” Jake trailed a hand down her side to her waist. He felt her quick intake of breath. She's going to stay. A sense of pure male satisfaction surged through him.

Charlie shook her head. “Can't. I don't want anyone to know I spent the night here.” Disappointment laced her words.

“My family probably assumes we're sleeping together anyway. It's not like they think I'm a monk.” The words passed his lips and he knew it'd been the wrong thing to say.

Nice going. Next to him Charlie eyed him. Without even asking he imagined Charlie was envisioning every headline and every picture of him ever printed. Time for some damage control, he thought.#p#分页标题#e#

“Come on Charlie. I'm twenty-eight. They know I'm not a virgin. The media has made sure of that.”

She didn't get out of bed, but she didn't make any move to continue their earlier activities either. Instead Charlie continued to study his face as if looking for some hidden answer. “I know that.” Her voice was confident but soft.

Once again he found himself cursing the media and the false picture it painted of him. Sure he dated, but the playboy they made him out to be didn't exist. In truth it never had.

“Really don't worry about my mom. She wouldn't say anything to you even if she did see you leaving my room. She'd come to me.”

Charlie narrowed her eyes at him, and he suspected that she was deciding whether or not she believed him. After what seemed like an eternity, she relaxed next to him.

“I still don't want anyone to see me going back to my room.” Leaning over, she kissed him on the cheek. “I'll see you downstairs at breakfast.”

He decided not to force the issue. More than anything he wanted her to be comfortable this weekend. If being seen leaving his room would embarrass her, it was best to avoid it. If possible anyway. Even if she left now there was no guarantee she'd make it back to her room without someone seeing her in the same dress as the night before.

Jake didn't point this fact out to her. Instead he remained silent, content to watch her get dressed. Unlike many of the women he dated, she wasn't stick thin. She looked toned and healthy with curves in all the right places. He could stay here all day and look at her.

“How about we spend some time on the water today then head downtown for dinner?” Jake folded his arms behind his head and leaned against the headboard. He figured a day on his sailboat would give them some privacy from the members of his family who planned to stay in Newport for the week. So far, except for the hours they'd spent in his room, they hadn't gotten much alone time and tomorrow they were headed back to Massachusetts.