The Bet (The Bet #1)(3)

“Wow, so not helping your case,” Kacey snapped.

“I need this.” Jake reached across the table and grabbed her hand. His hands were always so large and warm, as if by holding them, he could take away all her pain. But she knew the truth, those same hands destroyed her, ruined her, and in the end, those selfish hands never handed back her heart. “I’ll pay off your student loans.”

“How do you even know about my student—”

“I know everything.” He winked. “It’s my job to. Come on, you need to finish your senior year of college, Kace. It’s been three months since graduation. Do you really want to be left behind while everyone else is out there making something out of themselves?”

The guy should never try to be a lawyer. Kacey would be surprised if she had any self-confidence remaining by the time she left the coffee shop. As it was she was trying to decide if it was possible to bang her head against the coffee table hard enough to gain a concussion.

“Please,” Jake pleaded. His hands squeezed hers tighter. “Do this for me. Do it for Grandma. Hell, do it for you. You have to finish school, Kace, and since your parents—”

“Don’t you dare bring them into this.”

Jake swallowed slowly and released her hand. His fingers danced along her jaw as he turned her head so he could look directly into her eyes. “It’s only for the holiday weekend. How bad could it be? We used to be best friends.”

Used being the key word. He hadn’t even texted her since graduation.

“Heartless billionaire…,” Kacey mumbled. The guy had no shame whatsoever. What sucked was that she really did need to finish school, and she was about to default on her loans. All the money her parents left her had gone into the house and retirement, and well, it wasn’t as if Seattle University was a cheap school.

“Billionaire? Not yet, babe. Heartless?” Jake reached out and touched her face with his hand. “I think we both know the answer to that.”

Memories of his touch flooded her senses until Kacey felt like she couldn’t breathe. She had traveled that road one too many times with the man. First in high school and then again in college. She hadn’t thought that life would get in the way of the only man she had ever given her heart to. But Jake changed, and for that she would never forgive him. Kacey looked down at her lap and closed her eyes. How did he still have so much power over her? One touch and a bribe and she was ready to do exactly as he said.

True, she had always had a weakness for his grandmother, no matter how scary she was or was not. Plus, Grandma Nadine had been the only one to help Kacey get through the time in her life when she didn’t care if she died in her sleep or went on living. The dark years were just that. Dark. Kacey shuddered to think of how bad things had gotten. If Grandma Nadine was sick, and he was really trying to help her, and if Jake followed through and paid for her remaining credits. It would be worth it.

“Only the weekend?” Kacey asked in a small voice. “And you say Grandma’s been all sentimental and not feeling well?”

Jake nodded. “She says she wants to see you, and I need my parents off my back about this whole press fiasco with that stripper. If I bring you home with a ring on your finger, all will be forgiven. Dad won’t think he needs to jump back out of retirement, and Grandma won’t shoot me. It’s a win-win. Besides, like I said, image is everything and I still want to have full control of my grandmother’s company at the end of the month. The board won’t go for it if I keep getting bad press. I need everyone on board. We’ll go our separate ways and I’ll fake a breakup, cry on TV and well, then at least the board members who hate me will feel sorry for me.”

He didn’t wait for her to agree. Instead, he reached into his pocket. “It’s for more than just me. It’s for Grandma, Kace. She isn’t doing well. This may be the one thing that makes her want to keep on living.”

Kacey narrowed her eyes. Lying bastard. In his twenty-one years Jake hadn’t learned to lie better than that? His smile was tense, his breathing a bit ragged. But he did mention Grandma.

Kacey suddenly felt ill. She wanted to hop on the plane right now, but Jake didn’t know she and his grandma still talked. Nor did she want him to. “Fine, but Grandma can’t know about the student loans. Deal?” Kacey held out her hand, hoping Jake wouldn’t notice the slight tremble.

Exhaling, Jake smiled. “Thanks for doing this for me.”

Kacey looked into his crystal green eyes. “For Grandma. I’m doing it for Grandma and for me.” Not for you, never again for you, Jake. The rest of the thought hung in the air. Suddenly the coffee shop seemed a much-too-small arena for digging up past demons. Kacey gave a shaky laugh and rubbed her sweaty hands on her jeans. Worried that he was going to somehow make it worse by smiling or offering a pity hug, she took a big gulp of coffee.

Jake pushed away from the table. “Right, okay. Well, thanks for being my fake fiancée.” He pulled out a three-karat ring and confidently slipped it onto her finger.

“B-but…” she stuttered. “How did you know my size?”

He smiled and rose from his seat. “A man could never forget those hands, Kacey.”

“No matter how many hands the man-whore has held?” Kacey asked sweetly.

Jake chuckled. “Absolutely. I’ll see you Friday morning, okay?”