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“I’d like to travel,” I mused. “And I do like raising money for my charity. I wouldn’t mind doing as much as I can for other fund-raisers.”
“I can teach you what billionaires can do for fun. And then I can show you how we can make a difference in the world. Give me some of your time, and I promise that I’ll make you feel differently about having money,” he said gruffly.
“By taking me to dinner in a nice place?” I asked curiously. There was something very appealing about having someone to show me the billionaire ropes, because I was clueless as to how I could become a good philanthropist.
“Among other things,” he answered. “Give me ten days, Jade. I can take that much time off. I might have emergencies come up, but I’ll otherwise be at your disposal. I can help you get used to being rich, and prove that it doesn’t change you.”
My heart tripped. I couldn’t imagine spending every single day with Eli for over a week. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted. Eli seemed to understand my fears about the money, and I could talk to him. “I have classes,” I argued.
“No, you don’t,” he replied smugly. “I bought them all out for the next month. I was hoping you’d agree to spend some time with me.”
“I know I had some people who wanted to sign up.”
“Classes were already booked. Those potential students got pushed to the following month.”
“How in the world did that happen? How did you manage to buy out all the classes?”
“I have a lot of friends in San Diego,” he answered. “And I was desperate.”
My schedule was put together by some of the rec centers who recommended my classes. So it irritated the hell out of me that somebody had just . . . fixed it for Eli.
There was part of me that was annoyed that he’d high-handedly stripped me of the ability to teach classes for a month, but there was a soft spot inside me because Eli was trying so damn hard.
And really, I didn’t have much desire to fight him. I wanted to get to know him. He did some great things for charity, and I wanted to be part of that. And I had the chance to work with a man who had grown up rich. If anybody knew the ins and outs of being a billionaire, he did. “Are you going to try to kiss me again?”
“Undoubtedly,” he said firmly.
I wasn’t sure whether the thought terrified me, or if I was secretly glad.
“I suppose you did donate a lot of money to my charity,” I mused.
“Don’t agree because of that. I wanted to donate,” he said huskily. “Do it because you want to or not at all. I donate millions to charity, but I’ll make you a deal.”
“What?” I answered in a breathless voice.
“Do the days with me, and on the last day I’ll throw a fund-raising event for SWCF. I’ll get every person I know with money to attend. You’ll raise a fortune for your nonprofit, and I’ll teach you how to keep doing it. I’ll introduce you to every influential person I know.”
The thought of learning to do charity fund-raising from Eli was a dream come true. But being with him for over a week was even more tempting. “I’d like to,” I admitted.
“But? I definitely hear a hesitation. What is it, Jade?”
“I’m not sure what your motivation is,” I admitted. “Are you trying to get me into your bed?”
“Yes,” he said bluntly. “But I’d really like to get to know you. I haven’t had any real time off in a long time. And I’d like to spend those days with you.”
“What are we going to do?” I asked nervously.
“I get to arrange the days,” he insisted.
“I don’t like surprises,” I muttered.
“You’ll learn to love them,” he countered.
I knew it was way past time I got more into the human world. I’d spent too much time in the backcountry conducting research. I’d been isolated, and I was starting to get lonely, especially with my twin across the country.
“Okay. I’m not going to be seduced,” I said firmly. “But I think I’d like to be your friend.”
“We’ll see,” Eli said mysteriously. “I very much doubt we can be friends, Butterfly. We’re too attracted to each other. And I don’t really do girlfriends or commitment. I have . . . arrangements.”
I already knew that about him, but hearing the words come from him directly made me sad. At times, he could be a really nice guy. So I was having a hard time figuring out why he could also be a jerk.
Something is haunting him.
Brooke would say that it was my closet romantic, thinking that Eli was better than he really was, but I just had a weird sense that he wasn’t always showing his true face. I’d seen it in his interview, and I felt it even stronger now that I’d spent some time with him.
“I’m not going to give in on the sex thing, so you’re wasting your time if that’s all you want.”
“Spending time with you would never be a waste, whether we burn up the sheets or not.”
His comment silenced me momentarily because he sounded so sincere. “I want to spend time with you, too, Eli. But I don’t want to sleep with you. I’m a commitment type of woman, and if I have sex with somebody, I’d at least like that option to be open.”
My statement was a little white lie, a comment that was much more about convincing myself I didn’t want him to fuck me than letting him know how I felt. But most of it was honest. I did want to have a committed relationship if the right guy came along.
“Let’s just spend the time together and see what happens,” he suggested.
I already knew what would happen. I’d be hot and bothered every moment we were together. I was seriously starting to wonder if I had masochistic tendencies.
“Did you hope I’d end up giving in tonight?” I asked curiously.
“Yep. But I did accomplish one thing,” he said thoughtfully.
“What?”
“I have your body underneath mine, even if it isn’t exactly how I’d planned it.”
I snorted. My bunk bed was underneath his. “You’re crazy,” I told him.
“I have been since I met you,” he agreed readily.
I rolled on my side with a long sigh. Eli had a quirky sense of humor that I was quickly beginning to like. And I was slowly getting used to his sexual innuendos.
I could handle them in the dark with him in another bed.
But I wasn’t too certain I’d do as well if I could see him.
“Good night, Eli,” I said sleepily.
“Sweet dreams, Butterfly.”
I was asleep moments later, and I was pretty sure I conked out with a smile on my face.
For some reason, it never occurred to me that I should be wary of sleeping in the same cabin with a guy who wanted my body.
As long as I professed to be unwilling, I knew I was safe.
CHAPTER 7
JADE
“Sounds like you had fun,” I said to my twin sister, Brooke, as we spoke on the phone the following evening.
My sister’s husband, Liam, had gotten a manager for his restaurant in Maine, and he and Brooke were traveling a lot. She’d just arrived home from a second honeymoon, even though they’d only been back from their first one a few days before the second one had taken place.
