“How’s Mindy doing?” I asked, remembering his granddaughter’s name.
“Ready for a break, I think,” he said with a chuckle. “She works so hard.” He touched the visor of his hat. “Well, I won’t keep you. If you ever need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.”
I thanked him again then turned to the kitchen. I had some fruit already cut up; now all I needed was to not burn the penthouse down while I whipped up some pancakes.
The mix was easy enough since all I had to do was add water and surprisingly, I managed to pour in two dollops without making a mega pancake or splattering it all over the place. Not that I couldn’t eat a mega pancake--or a small house. After our first bdsm session in over a month, I felt like I’d just run a marathon. I was spent, physically and emotionally. But I loved it—it was like we’d climbed our Everest, a mountain of all of these trials and tribulations—and now we could finally move forward.
You’re my forever, Leila.
I got goose bumps and couldn’t stop smiling as I flipped the pancakes. My smile broadened when I saw they were a perfect golden brown. I knew that whatever happened, whatever was next, I could face it with Jacob.
“You’re cooking breakfast?” His voice filtered from upstairs, still thick with sleep.
I pointed at him with the spatula. “The best breakfast ever, in fact.”
“Is that right?” he smirked, walking down the stairs. He came over, his eyes taking in the line of orange wedges, strawberries, and grapes.
“Mmhm. So I hope you’re hungry.” I turned back to the skillet and slid the two pancakes onto porcelain plates.
“It looks great, babe.” He went to work, helping me setup by putting the fruit into two square bowls. He swiped a strawberry and turned back to me, blocking me in. “I think I might need to sample something though. Make sure the fruit is of the utmost quality.” His eyes glittered. “Shirt off.”
I made a face. “What?”
“Shirt. Off.”
God when his voice deepened like that...
Heat flared in my belly, in my cheeks, and I obeyed, pulling the t-shirt up and over, letting it drop to the floor.
When he took the tip of the strawberry and trailed it down the valley between my br**sts before taking a bite, I had a feeling sex was on the menu.
Lucky me, because I was starved.
He took another swipe then offered it to me. My eyes gobbled him up as I sunk my teeth into the tender flesh of the truth. As soon as I swallowed, the fruit was forgotten as our lips locked and he pulled me to his chest. He tasted sweet, ripe with lust. I’d never get enough of the way he tasted. I’d never get enough of Jacob Whitmore.
The elevator dinged and I froze, his lip between my teeth. I released him and snatched up my t-shirt, bringing it to my chest. “Were you expecting someone?”
He shook his head. “At this hour? Absolutely not.”
He moved past me and I took the opportunity to pull my shirt over my head and tried to make myself respectable. It had to be someone on his cleared visitors list or else the front desk would have called up for permission before letting them up in the private elevator.
I heard Jacob’s voice, hushed and dark with anger and I skated across the floor, expecting to see a photographer, but I stopped when I saw a woman in the foyer. She looked to sleek to be a paparazzo, dressed in a crisp white suit and stilettos. The tailored fit of her jacket and pants and the bright, classic color gave her an air of chic sophistication. She had short, cropped salt and pepper hair and even though I could only make out her side profile, there was something about her jawline and demeanor. The way she held herself with confidence and authority reminded me of Jacob.
When she faced me, I knew who she was immediately. She had more in common with Jacob than a presence—she had the same aristocratic nose and patrician features, devastatingly gorgeous like she’d just walked off the glossy pages of a magazine.
It was Jacob’s mom, Alicia Whitmore.
She moved forward with fluidity, extending her hand. “You must be Leila.” She held her head high, showcasing her long, lean neck and a glittering diamond necklace. “I’m Alicia Whitmore, Jacob’s mother.”
I shook her hand gingerly, eyes darting over to Jacob. He looked just surprised as I was. “H-Hi.”
Her cool gray eyes studied me for a moment before her ruby red lips spread into a grin. “I was just telling Jacob that I was in town for a charity luncheon and wanted to swing by and say hello--”
“And I was telling my mother that she should have called first,” Jacob cut in brusquely.
My eyes darted to him in bewilderment. I knew he had a difficult relationship with his father, but from the bits and pieces he’d shared of his childhood, he’d always had a solid connection with his mother. Not to mention the fact that I hoped they were close since he was sharing important facets of our relationship with her...like a desire to ask me to be his wife. None of it seemed to line up with the contemptuous vibes he was throwing her way.
If she was taken aback by his comment or reception, it hardly showed on her classically attractive face, her eyes glinting for a moment before she blinked it away.
I guess the mask was genetic.
“I’m sorry if you were pre-occupied.” Her emphasis was on the word as her gaze detoured to my chest. When her eyes returned to mine, she gave me a knowing wink that made me cross my arms uncomfortably. I wasn’t even that close with my own mother.
“We were just, uh, about to have something to eat.” I said, gesturing at the kitchen.
She didn’t wait for further explanation, breezing past and taking in the spread like it was the most scrumptious thing she’d ever seen.
“How delicious,” she said, popping a grape in her mouth. She chewed and swallowed then batted her thick eyelashes at me. “Room for one more?”
“Sure/No.” Jacob and I said in unison. I frowned at him and he glared right back.
I ignored him. “We’d love to have you.”
She clasped her hands together with glee, her manicured nails glittering...along with a wedding ring that eclipsed her left hand. I knew that Jacob’s father had passed away years ago so seeing it made me feel odd. My inner voice told me that I didn’t know what their relationship was like, but I felt like Jacob and Allegra’s revelations helped me put together a fairly accurate picture of what Carlton and Alicia Whitmore’s marriage was like.
Jacob’s father was filthy rich and he had a young, beautiful trophy wife...but she wasn’t just in it for the money. She loved him. Loved him even though he had an affair that lasted for years. Loved him when he ended the affair and shut his heart off to both his wife and son. The fact that she was still walking around with the ring, the very symbol of their love and marriage was...unsettling.