She stroked his hand with her thumb. “Emotionally. You have to make sure you’re ready.”
Jake drew back then propped himself on his elbow and contemplated her in silence, knowing that even in this context she had a point.
Samantha Fox was something else. She was willing to suppress her own desires until she was sure he wasn’t running headlong into something he wouldn’t be able to handle afterwards. He had to respect her for that.
And she was right, of course. He needed to give this more time.
He reached out a hand to touch her cheek. “Now might not be the right time for this,” he said, “but soon it will be.” Tenderly, he ran his finger over her lower lip. “And when that time comes I will find you.”
She smiled at him then, a soft, alluring smile. “I’ll be waiting,” she said softly.
They were the sweetest words he’d heard in a very long time.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Brent Baker was at it again, steeped in the mystery of the moment. That was what had caused Jake’s downfall earlier that week. He’d returned from Long Island after an eight hour drive and next day, the thoughts teeming inside his head, he’d begun to write feverishly, the ideas fighting for him to give them life on paper.
Brent Baker, his main character, had dug himself into a dilemma and now he was facing the villain – with no weapon.
The thoughts had flowed that day and Jake had gone without breakfast, lunch and dinner, munching on fruits, crackers and anything he could grab. Sometimes he’d forgotten to have even that. By the end of the day a throbbing started just behind his left eye and by midnight he was almost blinded by the pain. Nothing he’d taken had helped and he’d suffered alone for almost two days – until Sam came and rescued him. Thank God for her.
Now that his book was flowing he felt like his old self again and decided to pick up some of the projects he’d left hanging since his move to Tonawanda. He’d always felt blessed to have a talent that had generated so much wealth. He’d also felt that the blessing had to be shared. That was part of his responsibility to humankind. He and Jessica had been involved in several charities, donating money and even their time to worthy causes.
It was Jessica who had organized much of their giving and she’d been careful, making sure the donations were anonymous or through one of their foundations. Now he wanted to rekindle that fire of giving but in someone else. Sam was the perfect person, with her ready smile and kindhearted nature. He would ask her to help him give his money away. And one of the first projects would be a scholarship fund in Jessica's name to help students pursuing studies in early childhood education. That had been her major in college and it had always held a special place in her heart.
“With pleasure,” Sam told him when he asked. Her eyes twinkled in anticipation. “I have some favorite charities, too, that are crying out for help.”
Over the next few days they came up with a plan. Seeing that Sam was unknown she would be the front man – or woman – for the next projects, making contact with the various organizations, attending meetings, and making proposals. If a project was of particular interest to Jake he would attend the meeting or conference simply as an associate or friend of Sam, not as the benefactor. In that way he could participate without giving up his valued possession – his privacy.
All of this seemed harmless enough and within a few weeks he and Sam had settled into a routine he was comfortable with. By this time she’d completed the decorating project so during her spare time she would drop by a couple of days a week to brainstorm and plan with Jake. He looked forward to her visits, his long monotonous days now occupied with bouts of creativity where the words would flow on paper, and pleasant moments spent in the company of a woman who was slowly captivating his heart.
One day Sam stopped by, her face flushed with excitement. “I’ve found the perfect charity to support.” She laid a pamphlet on the table and waved him over. “Come and see.”
They already had nine on their list, six of which they’d begun funding, but Jake did not mind adding a tenth. With all the money he’d made there was no way he could spend it all on himself. Not in a hundred lifetimes. A man could wear just so many suits, and you could only eat so much, no matter how rich you were. Besides, he loved the way Sam’s face lit up as she formulated her plans to help others. For that alone, it was worth it.
“This team of doctors is looking for sponsors for their trip to Haiti,” she said as she slid the paper over to him. “They're almost like Doctors Without Borders, that volunteer organization from Canada, but in addition to providing free medical services they plan to spend time doing community outreach and education to help eliminate unhealthy practices. They say their objective is to lay the foundation for a healthy nation. What do you think?”
“Sounds like a worthy aim, if they can do it.” He picked up the brochure and skimmed the first paragraph. “It’s not always easy to just drop into an unfamiliar region and execute plans, no matter how ambitious and well-meaning. It’s a totally different culture-”
“But that’s the great thing about this team.” She cut him off in her excitement. “These doctors are all Haitian-born. They want to go back home to help their people. And who better, than a team of medical professionals who can speak to the people in their own language and really understand what their issues are?”
He had to agree with her on that. “Okay, sign us up.”
She smiled and shook her head. “Now that’s the tricky part. We can’t just ‘sign up’ or send a check. One of the requirements is that the sponsor should meet the doctors, get to know them. They're very excited about their project and don’t just want absentee donors. They want people who are truly interested in what they’re trying to achieve.”
Jake sighed. “So I have to go to a meeting.”
“I'm afraid so.”
“Well, you know the program,” he said. “I’ll be there but only to be part of the wallpaper.”
“I know. I know. I’ll be the face they get to know.” Then she said with a chuckle, “Shy guy.”
The following week Sam and Jake traveled together to Princeton Crown Hotel where the doctor’s meet-and-greet would be held. There were eighteen doctors in the group with specialties ranging from epidemiology to neurology but they all had one thing in common – an intense love for their country which manifested in a shared dream of doing what they could to restore health to the people of that ravaged nation.
At the close of the ceremony, as Sam stepped forward to present their contribution – a check for two hundred thousand dollars – Jake watched from the back of the room and smiled. She looked radiant tonight in a flowing ankle-length dress of crimson and beige but as striking as it was, the beauty of her clothes was nothing compared to the elegance of her poise, the sparkle in her brown eyes and the fresh vitality that shone in her face.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who noticed this. Out of nowhere he saw a suit-clad man with short-cropped blond hair walk over to Sam. He leaned down to say something to her. It must have been damn funny because she gave a little laugh and then shook her head. Jake frowned. Who in the blazes was that guy, anyway? He looked across at where he’d come from and saw two other men in suits. They were standing by a freestanding banner that read, ‘First National Credit Bank.’ So he was a banker and one who, by the look of things, had taken a serious liking to Sam.
Jake rested his glass of wine on the nearest table and walked over to her. As he approached the man looked up, a look of annoyance flashing across his face. Obviously he'd said something cute and charming to make Sam laugh and now that she’d been softened up he was ready to move in for the kill. Jake narrowed his gaze. Well, it wasn’t going to happen. Not on his watch. “Ready to go, sweetheart?” He stepped close and cupped Sam’s elbow.
She looked up at him, eyebrows raised, but smart girl that she was she gave him a warm smile and nodded. “Whenever you are,” she said sweetly. Then she turned to the man who now looked like he’d been fishing and had just lost a prized catch. “Thanks, again, for your kind words. I wish you much success.” Then she gave him her signature smile and slipped her hand into the crook of Jake's bent arm.
Jake didn’t talk much as he drove home with Sam in the seat beside him. His mind was still on the man who had approached her. It had probably been childish but seeing him go up to her and stand so close had filled him with a jealousy he hadn’t felt in a long time. It was stupid, he knew, but he’d felt like someone had invaded his space.
It had pissed him off but more than anything it made him realize how complacent he’d been. Sam didn’t need to sit there waiting on him to come around. She was a very attractive woman and he had no doubt that he wasn’t the only man interested in her. Tonight’s incident had proved that. If he wasn’t careful he’d lose her to a more aggressive shark in Tonawanda’s ocean. And there was no way he was going to let that happen.