The Miami Millionaire Read Free Page B

tent was certainly fuller than the cream-tea tent and there was definitely more thirties and forties than any other age bracket.  He was impressed, this was a well put together event and the amount of sponsorship Victoria had secured was impressive.  “So you put all this together in your spare time and you’re not getting anything out of it?”
    “Well a team of people and I put it together, but otherwise yes.  But I am getting something out of it – I am getting free drinks and great company all day knowing that we have raised a lot of money for a good cause.  That’s good enough for me.”  She smiled feeling good that she had impressed such a successful businessman.
    “And after here, where are you off to?”  Jake held up his free hand in a silent signal for the waiting photographers and journalists who were getting impatient to stay back for a moment longer, and two large men in black suits walked out from what seemed like nowhere to stand a few feet in front of Jake making sure no one encroached forward before Jake was ready.
    “Home.”
    “London?”
    “Yes that’s right.”
    “Maybe I can give you a lift?  I’m staying in London for a few days.  Actually would you like to join me for dinner tonight?” Jake said looking down into Victoria’s soft brown eyes as if she were the only person there and there weren’t a crowd of people waiting for his attention.
     
    For a moment Victoria was taken aback, and not just by the way Jake made her feel, as if she was the only person in the world and the only one that mattered at that very moment in time.  Was she hearing Jake Cumberland right, had he just asked her out on a date? She smiled and held up her free hand realising that Jake still hadn’t let go of her other one and wiggled her ring fingers letting the solitaire diamond flash in the sunlight.  “Thank you for the invitation but I’m afraid my fiancé wouldn’t be too happy about that.”
    “Oh!  Am I about to get set upon by a jealous fiancé?” Jake laughed gently, it was a sound more like a chuckle and it penetrated right through Victoria.
    “Hardly.  He knows he can trust me.”  Victoria said seriously putting her hand on her hip looking Jake squarely in his eyes.  Then she wished she hadn’t done that, she wished she hadn’t seen Jake’s blue eyes sparkle playfully at her and she quickly looked away towards the group of reporters trying to ignore the feeling in her stomach.  Then Victoria wished she hadn’t looked at the reporters either as she realised they were gleefully snapping their cameras at her and Jake standing close together. 
     
    She turned back to Jake.
    “So where is he?”  Jake said scanning the surrounding area ignoring the growing sound of impatience from the waiting journalists.  He knew they would get what they wanted in a few minutes, he always made sure they did, but first he wanted a minute or two more for himself.
    “Not here.”  Victoria shrugged.
    “Not here?  Is he mad?  If you were mine I wouldn’t let you out of my sight.”  Jake said as he finally let Victoria’s hand go, only to pull her in again close to his side as he put his arm around her shoulder and held her there. 
    “Yes well my fiancé knows that I am not an object, so he doesn’t feel the need to constantly be by my side.”   She retorted and saw a glimmer of laughter in Jake’s eyes.
    “That wasn’t what I meant.”  He muttered between smiles as he squeezed her shoulder gently.
    Victoria subtly tried to step away but Jake’s hand on her shoulder held her firmly in place, and for some reason, she had no idea why, it felt warm and comfortable.  Victoria knew she should step away and tell Jake to take his hand off her, but the photographers had already started snapping away with their cameras from a distance and the journalists had now started to shout questions at Jake, so she decided not to cause a scene and stayed where she was.   “What are you