Leverage (Part Three) (Billionaire Romance) (2 page)

Boston, dressed and ready, made his way to
Larimar, a plan of action in place. He shuddered to think just how close he’d come to dropping to his knees and begging for forgiveness, prostrating himself before Julianna in the pathetic hope that she might come back to him when in fact, she was the one who should be begging. Didn’t she realize he had the power to destroy her? The point was to win — not limp into second place, licking wounds and whimpering over lost opportunities. Weakness simply wasn’t tolerated.

He strode into the airy lobby of
Larimar and waved at Lilah, heading for the bungalows when Lilah stopped him.

“Are you looking for
Julianna?” she asked with a bright smile.

“Yes, actually I am. Care to give me a hint?”

“She’s on the beach. Morning swim.” Lilah winked and his smile deepened for her help. She gestured at the bright spray of flowers gracing the counter. “Help yourself to a flower. It always helps.” Ah, the girl was observant. She must’ve realized that he hadn’t stayed at the resort last night.

Boston plucked a bright
fuscia bloom from the bunch and inclined his head with false gratitude for Lilah’s benefit. He didn’t need flowers to get what he wanted but there was no sense in raising suspicion. Boston found his way to the beach and saw Julianna talking and laughing with the same guy he’d seen the other day. His body language made Boston want to growl.
Yeah buddy, keep touching her shoulder like that and I’ll rip your fucking arm off.
She was pregnant with his kid, for Christ’s sake.
Get a grip, don’t let your emotions run off with your mouth
. Boston took a moment to calm himself and then strode down to the beach to join them. “Good morning, lover,” Boston said, walking right up to Julianna, enjoying her sudden look of surprise and then immediate scowl as she recovered.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her gaze hot and resentful. Even pissed off,
Julianna was a vision. No wonder Surfer Boy was practically panting after her, hoping to piss on her leg before breakfast.

“Let me take a guess. T
his is…Boston?” the man supplied with a guarded smile that certainly didn’t reach his eyes. When Julianna jerked a short nod, the man extended a hand, saying, “My name is Miles Lassister. Dr. Miles Lassiter. Pleased to meet you.”

Boston regarded his extended hand and patently ignored it.
As if he would shake the hand of the man clearly looking to move in on his territory. “Doctor is it? Such service. I had no idea Larimar offered house calls. They really should put that on the brochure.”

“Stop it,”
Julianna hissed, looking ready to pelt him with rocks. “There’s no need to be such a prick. Miles was just being nice. And before you came along, I was having a nice morning. Now you’ve ruined it with your face.”

“Funny, you weren’t complaining about my face or my cock yesterday.”

She gaped, immediately embarrassed that he would bring up their interlude in front of a relative stranger but she recovered sufficiently to reply coolly, “Well, from what I’ve been reading, a pregnant woman’s hormones can lead her to do all sorts of foolish things. Sleeping with you is only a step above eating paint chips. Excuse me, as much as I’d love to say that you’ve killed my appetite, nothing does and I’m starving.” She pushed past Boston and Miles went to follow but Boston stopped him with an arm across his chest.

“Where do you think you’re going, Doc?” he asked in a deceptively mild tone.

Miles pushed at Boston’s arm with an expression that said,
go ahead, keep pushing because I’ll gladly lay you out for the pleasure of it
, but Boston wasn’t intimidated by Surfer Boy, no matter what degrees he had hanging on his wall. He mentally sized his competition up and felt fairly confident he could handle him. “She’s taken.”

“Doesn’t look that way to me.”

“Maybe you need your eyes checked.”

“Want to know what I see?” Miles didn’t wait for Boston,
continuing with total confidence, “I see a man stalking a woman who doesn’t want him anymore. You lost your chance. Now you need to step aside for a real man who knows how to treat a woman right.”

“Oh, and you’re that man?” Boston dearly wanted to bury his fist in the fucker’s face but there was a frisson of fear squeezing his heart that Miles was right.
Julianna didn’t want him. She’d never wanted him. All she’d wanted was his money. And now? She had even better leverage against him in the form of his child. The sense of loss and inadequacy threatened to strangle him where he stood and leave him in the sand like forgotten trash but he never showed weakness to the enemy. Not even when he was losing. He stepped forward, making his meaning crystal. “Let me get something very clear: she’s not available. Just ask her. Ask her why,” he dared Miles, a taunting smile on his mouth. He’d love to see Surfer Boy’s expression when Julianna admitted that she’d sold herself to him. Hard to pretty up that truth.

“Are you threatening her?”

“Not threatening. Just stating facts. You’d do well to steer clear.”

“Oh, now you’re offering advice? Looking out for my welfare? That’s kind of you,” Miles said with open sarcasm.  His gaze went to the patio, clearly done with Boston and his advice.
“Look, the lady doesn’t want you any more. Why don’t you handle this with a little class?”

“Says the man moving in on another’s man’s pregnant woman?” Boston mocked. The man had balls.
“But then I guess sloppy seconds are your thing?”

“Try to show some respect,” Miles said. “
Julianna is a woman, not your plaything.”

Richard’s advice rang in his ears and he faltered. There was the tiniest voice beneath the roar of his outrage that begged him to stop chasing
Julianna down, to tell her exactly how being without her was driving him mad but how could he do that without seeming weak or pathetic? The answer skittered out of his reach and he was left with absolute nothing but his current course of action. He couldn’t back down, couldn’t retreat. He forced a laugh but it rang with the ugliness curdling his heart. “What’s your game, pretty boy?” he asked. “Is it simply about the chase? Are you only interested in fucking her? Is that your fetish? Fucking pregnant women? I know that’s a thing but I suggest you find a different woman to get your rocks off. Like I said, Julianna is
taken
.”

Through with the conversation, Miles moved away. “You’re a pig,” he said. “No wonder Julianna wants to be free from you. Maybe if you’d treated her with an ounce of kindness and respect she might’ve put up with your insufferable attitude but you can’t help yourself from being a total douche.”

Boston stilled the sudden leap of fear. She would return to him. She had to. He couldn’t —
 no, he wouldn’t — lose her.

“Here’s what you don’t know about
Julianna….” He let the words hang in the air and Miles stopped but didn’t turn around. A cold, knowing smile followed as understanding followed. Miles couldn’t help himself. Julianna was a mystery that he couldn’t quit. Boston understood that drive, that longing. Too bad Miles was destined to lose. “She will come back to me. That’s a promise. So don’t get attached. And here’s another word of advice…if you fucking touch her…I will destroy you.”

Miles shook his head and tossed a dismissive wave Boston’s direction before disappearing into the resort.

Boston chuckled. Yeah, keep walking pretty boy. We’ll see who’s right. And who’s left behind.

#

Miles had never wanted to punch someone more badly than he wanted to bury his fist in Boston’s smug face right this moment. He wanted to understand why someone like Julianna would get involved with a man as crude and ruthless as Boston but he didn’t want to pepper her with questions right after an altercation like that. He found her sitting apart, clearly still agitated by the situation. Her brows pulled into a subtle frown and her gaze shone a little too brightly as she held back tears. Miles took the seat opposite her and reached for her hand. “Are you okay?” he asked, noting the wildly jittering pulse in her neck and the sad downturn of her beautiful, soft mouth.

“He’s such a jerk,” she said, staring unseeing at her plate. “He’s the biggest asshole I’ve ever met.”

Yeah, Miles agreed. But there was something else. As much as he hated to see it, he voiced his private fear. “But you love him don’t you?”

“Love?” She glanced up, suddenly very vulnerable. “What makes you say that?”

He sighed. “Because even though he’s treated you terribly, you’re about ready to cry over him,” he said gently. When her eyes welled even more, he said with a sigh, “Don’t beat yourself up over it.” Adding with earnest as he squeezed her hand. “Sometimes we have to fall in love with the wrong person so that when we meet the right person, we know what’s real.”

She sniffed
and withdrew her hand as she wiped her eyes. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I never imagined I’d be one of those pathetic women weeping over some jerk who treats me badly after knocking me up. I’m a cliché.”

“You’re hardly a cliché,” he assured her with a chuckle, loving the way the light
danced around her crown, creating a halo. He knew he was treading on dangerous ground but he couldn’t seem to help himself. Julianna needed him. “You’re a sweet person who gave your heart to the wrong guy. Simple as that.”

“It’s not that simple,” she murmured, blinking back more tears. “I can’t tell you why it’s more complicated than that but trust me, when I say that it is.”

A warning bell went off in his head, ringing with the echo of Boston’s taunt. What did that guy have on her? He was perplexed but seeing as talking about it seemed to upset her more, he tried to change the subject. “How about we go do something fun today?” he suggested.

“What do you mean? Don’t you have to go to work? I don’t want to complicate your life more than I already have.”

“That’s the best part about being a traveling doctor…I’m part of a rotating service. Today is my day off.”

“Oh,” she said, breaking a tiny smile. “And you want to spend it with me?”

“I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather spend it with.”

“You’re good for a girl’s ego,” she said, risking a bigger smile. “I mean, how can I say no?”

“You can’t. I engineered it that way,” he said with what he hoped was a charming grin. “How about this…a ride to other side of the island. It’s a great scenic drive and it’ll give you a chance to get out of your head for a little while.”

“That sounds wonderful,” she admitted but hesitated. “Are you sure? I feel like a toad for monopolizing your only day off.”

“Have you forgotten that I have ulterior motives?” He gestured toward her bathing suit and she blushed. “See? I’m not entirely a gentleman. You have a rocking body and a wonderful personality. I don’t see how spending a day with you would be a hardship. If anything, it might be a hardship on you putting up with my tour guide mentality.”

“Tour guide mentality?” She arched a brow in question. “What does that mean or do I want to know?”

“It means I can’t help myself when I move some place…I have to find out everything there is to know so I can speak like a know-it-all at dinner parties.”

She laughed, her mouth curving in a sweet smile. “Oh, you’re one of
those
guys.”

“Totally guilty. I know just enough to be dangerous.”

“Well, thanks for the warning but I like the idea of the driver knowing a bit about the area. So I think we’re safe. What time do you want to leave?”

“I do need to call in, double check I’m not on call, and then if all is good, we can leave around eleven. I’ll even pack a picnic.”

“A picnic? That sounds fun. Should I bring anything?”

“Sunscreen and that gorgeous smile. I will handle everything else.”

“Well, sounds like you have this all figured out.” She grinned. “Meet you in the lobby at eleven?”

“Sounds good. Now,” he gestured to her plate. “Eat up. Don’t starve that baby.”

Julianna laughed as if there was very little threat of that but took a bite for his benefit. “Good girl,” he said, excusing himself. “See you in a bit.” He grabbed an apple on the way out, the only blemish on his thoughts was the lingering knowledge that joking aside, Julianna, for all her bluster, was suffering from a broken heart. He could read the anguish in her stare, even as she tried hard to hide it, and he could sense it in the way the corners of her mouth turned down in the most subtle, nearly hidden manner. All the signs pointed to disaster, so why was he patently ignoring the big, yellow caution sign warning him of the broken bridge up ahead?

The smart thing to do would be to back off and let
Julianna and Boston figure things out.

But then he remembered what a self-centered prick Boston was and how badly he
’d treated Julianna and he knew the only way he was going to back down was if Julianna pushed him away. She deserved someone who would treat her as the sexy, vibrant woman she was, and not some possession to jerk around whenever the mood suits. Was he that man? Maybe. He’d like to give it a shot. He knew with a certainty that he was a far better match for Julianna than Boston. All he had to do was get Julianna to see that, too.