CHAPTER Four
He was a rotten bastard.
The photographer he’d hired to spy on them got a few clicks in before turning back around.
It shouldn’t have been that easy to get Kacey to kiss him, and now he felt like the biggest ass on the planet. But they had to look in love! It needed to look serious! The hand holding wasn’t enough.
So he went in for the kill.
And then opened his big fat mouth again. What the hell had he been thinking? Their past history created a giant chasm between them, one that he wasn’t sure he could fix.
The silence was going to kill him. He needed to think fast, but the only words that seemed to come to mind were. “I’m sorry, I’m an ass. All men should burn.” And truly that just seemed like he was traitor to the male population as a whole.
Plus, Kacey had plenty of opportunities to talk to him as well. The phone did work both ways. So what if he kept tabs on her? It wasn’t as if she hadn’t kept tabs on him.
He smirked and gave her a chilling glare. “Tell me you haven’t done the exact same thing to me, and I’ll let you fly back to Seattle.”
Kacey shook her head and looked down at her hands.
“What?” He nudged her. “No answer?”
She shook her head one more time and sent him a seething glare. “Curse you, Jake Titus. A hex on your fancy car, your apartment, and your little dog!”
“Um, Kace, if you’re going to include all my worldly possessions in your little hexing to make yourself feel better and all, well, maybe you should include my yacht, three summer homes, twenty-seven cars, and goldfish Sid.”
He gave a smug wink and folded his arms across his chest.
“What the h—”
The woman was trying to kill him! Kacey pinched the underside of his arm with such force he thought he was going to lose vision in his left eye.
“Don’t!”
Kacey twisted the flesh and released it.
Yes, a nasty bruise would definitely make itself known soon.
“Don’t you ever throw your money in my face like that. It isn’t polite, it isn’t nice, and I remember you before you had it all!”
Jake shook his head. “Kace, I’ve always had money.”
The plane began to taxi and Kacey reached for his hand. “Not as much money as you have now. Admit it. I knew you when you had zits.”
He felt his face burn crimson. “I never had zits.”
“Don’t lie, Jake. I also remember when you used to dream of owning a chicken farm.”
“I was seven!”
“You were adorable.” She smirked reaching out with her free hand and patting his head, still keeping her other hand in his. He wasn’t sure if she knew that she was clenching him that tight, but it was obvious her fear was still ridiculously out of control.
“Also…” Her luscious mouth burst into a smile. “I was your first kiss.”
Jake closed his eyes against the onslaught of memories her admission created. “Okay, yes, so I was your first kiss…”
“Before all the strippers.”
“Keep your voice down, Kace!” He shushed her.
“Before you knew what French kissing was.” She laughed. “Kacey, Kacey, what do I do with my tongue?” she mocked.
“Hilarious.” He shifted in his seat and cracked his neck.
“Is it supposed to feel funny?” She continued mocking him and burst out laughing.