Read Online Lovers and Takers by Katherine Cachitorie - Free Book Online
Authors: Katherine Cachitorie
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And it angered him. For some reason it angered him deeply.
“Who does she think she is, anyway?” he asked his long-time butler. “Turning me down as if I was up to no good just by asking her to stay back. Yes, I planned to take her to my bed, of course I did. But it wasn’t as if I announced those intentions.”
“Perhaps,” Hudson said, careful to tread lightly, “she viewed the very fact that you would ask her to stay as the announcement.”
Jake looked at Hudson with alarm. “Am I that transparent now?” he asked him.
“Absolutely,” Hudson said honestly. “But what do I know?” he hastened to add.
Jake exhaled, and ran his hand through his well-groomed hair. “Well, anyway,” he said, refusing to let some female bother him, “it’s her lost. I’m going to review a few more briefing books and then head off to bed. Good night, Hudson,” he said as he turned to leave.
“Goodnight, sir,” Hudson replied, watching him leave. A sadness crept over Hudson. If any man deserved a good woman, it was Jake Varnadore. But it never seemed to work out that way.
“Oh, and Hud ,” Jake said, turning back around. “Where are my children?”
“Pam and Mr. Lincoln went to the club, and Aubrey and Miss Wingate went with them. Miss Kara Wingate, that is.”
“But Veronica didn’t go with them?”
“No, sir. She said she’s going home.”
Jake was oddly pleased to hear it. “But didn’t Kara drive her own car?”
“She did indeed, sir,” Hudson said. “But you know young Miss Wingate. Every chance she gets to be with Aubrey, she will take. Miss Veronica Wingate took her car.”
Jake nodded. Why a smart young man like Aubrey would even bother with a gold-digger like Kara was a mystery to him. It was almost as if Aubrey was pulling one of his numbers: date only the women with the least chance of winning his heart. Which, Jake thought, as he made his way back to his study, was a lousy testament to the kind of role model he really was.
When he returned to his study, he spent the next hour reviewing long, drawn-out briefing books about the various proposals on the table to avert a hostile takeover. There was nothing new in any of them, and Jake knew, in the end, he would have to come up with something completely outside the box.
But the more he read, the more he realized just how little he was able to concentrate. He removed his reading glasses, tossed them along with his briefing book onto the desk, and leaned back in his swiveled chair. And all he could think about was Veronica Wingate. Roni . She certainly had a look about her, he thought, that made him feel oddly happy to see her. And that body. Geez. He was looking forward to touching her and being with her.
But the nerve of that woman! He didn’t think he was being offensive just by asking her to stay back. How was that offensive? He wanted to have a nightcap with her, to perhaps talk to her some more. He wanted more than to have a drink with her and to talk with her, of course he knew that. But she didn’t know it! He exhaled. Why in the world, he wondered, would she turn him down?
He stood up and walked over to his wall-sized window. Maybe she turned him down because she wasn’t interested, he thought. It wasn’t as if he was some great catch, after all. He knew his temperament and his womanizing made him overall a net negative. But he thought they had made some kind of connection. He thought she was interested too.
“Oh, forget it,” he said aloud as he went back to his desk. He didn’t have time for this! And he returned his attention to his work. But even still his focus kept reverting back to Roni. It became so distracting that he knew he had to do something. He phoned Aubrey, whom he knew would be discreet, and told him to get Roni’s address for him. Although Aubrey was
“Who does she think she is, anyway?” he asked his long-time butler. “Turning me down as if I was up to no good just by asking her to stay back. Yes, I planned to take her to my bed, of course I did. But it wasn’t as if I announced those intentions.”
“Perhaps,” Hudson said, careful to tread lightly, “she viewed the very fact that you would ask her to stay as the announcement.”
Jake looked at Hudson with alarm. “Am I that transparent now?” he asked him.
“Absolutely,” Hudson said honestly. “But what do I know?” he hastened to add.
Jake exhaled, and ran his hand through his well-groomed hair. “Well, anyway,” he said, refusing to let some female bother him, “it’s her lost. I’m going to review a few more briefing books and then head off to bed. Good night, Hudson,” he said as he turned to leave.
“Goodnight, sir,” Hudson replied, watching him leave. A sadness crept over Hudson. If any man deserved a good woman, it was Jake Varnadore. But it never seemed to work out that way.
“Oh, and Hud ,” Jake said, turning back around. “Where are my children?”
“Pam and Mr. Lincoln went to the club, and Aubrey and Miss Wingate went with them. Miss Kara Wingate, that is.”
“But Veronica didn’t go with them?”
“No, sir. She said she’s going home.”
Jake was oddly pleased to hear it. “But didn’t Kara drive her own car?”
“She did indeed, sir,” Hudson said. “But you know young Miss Wingate. Every chance she gets to be with Aubrey, she will take. Miss Veronica Wingate took her car.”
Jake nodded. Why a smart young man like Aubrey would even bother with a gold-digger like Kara was a mystery to him. It was almost as if Aubrey was pulling one of his numbers: date only the women with the least chance of winning his heart. Which, Jake thought, as he made his way back to his study, was a lousy testament to the kind of role model he really was.
When he returned to his study, he spent the next hour reviewing long, drawn-out briefing books about the various proposals on the table to avert a hostile takeover. There was nothing new in any of them, and Jake knew, in the end, he would have to come up with something completely outside the box.
But the more he read, the more he realized just how little he was able to concentrate. He removed his reading glasses, tossed them along with his briefing book onto the desk, and leaned back in his swiveled chair. And all he could think about was Veronica Wingate. Roni . She certainly had a look about her, he thought, that made him feel oddly happy to see her. And that body. Geez. He was looking forward to touching her and being with her.
But the nerve of that woman! He didn’t think he was being offensive just by asking her to stay back. How was that offensive? He wanted to have a nightcap with her, to perhaps talk to her some more. He wanted more than to have a drink with her and to talk with her, of course he knew that. But she didn’t know it! He exhaled. Why in the world, he wondered, would she turn him down?
He stood up and walked over to his wall-sized window. Maybe she turned him down because she wasn’t interested, he thought. It wasn’t as if he was some great catch, after all. He knew his temperament and his womanizing made him overall a net negative. But he thought they had made some kind of connection. He thought she was interested too.
“Oh, forget it,” he said aloud as he went back to his desk. He didn’t have time for this! And he returned his attention to his work. But even still his focus kept reverting back to Roni. It became so distracting that he knew he had to do something. He phoned Aubrey, whom he knew would be discreet, and told him to get Roni’s address for him. Although Aubrey was
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