Bedding The Billionaire (Bedding the Bachelors Book 3) (21 page)

Jamie looked at the jellyfish, which hung suspended, practically invisible thanks to their see-through bodies. He laughed and said, “I really have no idea.”

She slanted him a teasing look. “What? I thought you were a big environmentalist.”

“Yes, but I’m not a marine biologist.”

“Humph.”

She walked off, leaving him to call after her, “What’s that mean?”

She just looked over her shoulder at him and grinned, then moved on to a display of black jellies and then from there to one of sea horses. She stood in front of each exhibit with her eyes wide and filled with wonder, and Jamie was having more fun watching her than looking at the marine life. He let her lead the way, and although he’d been there a dozen or more times, with her it was as if he was seeing it all again for the first time.

At one point, she pointed to a sign for the Shark and Ray Exhibit, and took his hand, pulling him with her. The affectionate gesture made his throat close up.

They washed their hands as instructed, then found an open spot along the side of the pool where the rays were swimming.

“Oh look at him! He’s huge!” she said in fascination.

“Are you going to touch one?” Jamie asked her.

“Of course,” she said, flopping down onto her belly across the cement barrier. Jamie was still standing there, watching her and she looked up at him and said, “Come on, Professor Whitcomb. You may not be a marine biologist, but a little hands-on research never hurt anyone.”

God, he wanted to be doing some hands on research. On her.

He pushed his right sleeve all the way up and lay down next to her. They dipped their arms down into the pool and held them still. As the rays swam by, the tops of their backs would touch the palms of their hands. Each time one touched her, Lucy would squeal.

Then one of the rays smacked the water with its fin, giving Jamie an impromptu, fishy shower, and she burst into giggles.

“You think that’s funny, do you?” he said.

She was still laughing as she nodded.

Jamie looked around to make sure the attendants weren’t watching and then he scooped up a handful of water and splashed it in Lucy’s direction. She squealed again and started to splash him back until an attendant shot them a disapproving stare and said, “Please don’t do that. We’re trying to set a good example for the children.” Lucy and Jamie apologized and slunk out, but when they got to the shower area outside to wash their hands, the giggling and splashing started back up until they were asked to move along.

“You’re a terrible influence,” he said as they walked towards something called Raptor Row.

“Me?” she said, with indignation in her voice. “You started it.”

“Yes, but it was your influence that made me do it.”

“So you’re easily influenced by peer pressure?” she asked.

“Definitely. You’re like the hot bad girl my mom warned me about.”

“Oh no, baby,” she said in a sultry voice. “I doubt that your mom could have ever imagined how bad I can be.” She blew him an air kiss then took off ahead of him at a jog.

He followed her feeling somewhat dazed. Her defenses were down and she was being so playful. Why? Because their plan had been successful and she was feeling optimistic about her chances of soon being reunited with Milly? Or because she was simply happy to be with Jamie?

They finished exploring the center, which included feeding the sea turtles and holding a hawk on her arm. Afterward, she grabbed his hand again. They walked the one-and-a-half mile trail that led down to the beach and then along the water.

“Oh look! A sand dollar.”

“Picking it up without breaking it is supposed to be good luck,” he said.

“Well then, I can definitely use some of that.” As she bent down to pick up the sand dollar, Jamie took the opportunity to bump her with his hip so that she fell over into the water.

She screeched and landed face first in the shallow water. Immediately, she stood up and said, “You are in so much trouble.” But she said it with a smile on her face.

Jamie took off running and Lucy ran after him. Given her petite size, he wasn’t surprised she was so fast, but he was surprised when she tackled him with a full-on body slam that landed them both in the water. They wrestled around for a bit and then Jamie couldn’t help himself anymore. He covered her lips with his. She kissed him back hungrily and kept kissing him until a childish voice saying “Look mama, they’re kissing” snapped them back to reality.

As the child’s mother pulled her son away, Jamie helped Lucy to her feet.

Lucy elbowed Jamie and said, “You need to behave.”

He grinned and elbowed her back. “What would be the fun in that?”

They walked back up towards the center. Thankfully there was a gift shop there where they could buy beach towels to dry off and remove the sand from their arms and legs.

Lucy grimaced when she wiped her face and the towel came away with streaks of her fading make-up. “I must be quite a mess, huh?”

Jamie reached out and touched the side of her face. “I have honestly never seen you look more beautiful.”

Lucy lifted up on her tiptoes and gave him a soft kiss. He tried to put his arm around her waist but she backed up and said, “No way, mister! You already got us in trouble once today.”

Jamie laughed and followed her out to where they’d left their bikes.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

After they left the aquarium, Jamie and Lucy continued to ride their bikes until they came upon some big ponds behind a place called the South Bay Salt Works.

“What are those?” she asked Jamie.

Jamie pulled his bike up next to her and said, “Evaporation ponds. If you look closely, you can see the water being agitated. It sits there, being manipulated in different ways for about a year before the water completely evaporates off and only the salt is left.”

“Cool,” she said.

“It is pretty cool,” Jamie said. “It’s…well…”

“What?”

“It’s one of the businesses my family has stock in. It’s been here for over 100 years. It’s had a lot of different names, but they’ve been processing salt pretty much the same way the entire time.”

“Wow, I guess when you have a good system you stick to it. It’s funny, I’ve never once thought about the time and effort that goes into the salt that I so easily stroll into the market and buy.”

“That’s true of most people,” he said. “Unfortunately, during my time studying and teaching about the environment, I’ve discovered that as long as people can go buy it, they don’t spend much time thinking where it came from, or how it got there, or even how what was produced has affected the environment. I’m not judging,” he said quickly. “Or at least, I’m trying not to. I know how busy people are. How many are overwhelmed with everyday concerns. But so much of what we consume is either damaging the environment in the processing of it, or damaging the environment because of the waste it produces.” Jamie stopped suddenly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to give you a lecture.”

Lucy grinned at him and said, “No problem, Professor. I’ve been meaning to sit in on one of your classes, you know.”

“No, I didn’t know that. I’ve sat in on a couple of yours.”

“You have?”

“Your general ed ones.”

“Oh.” The ones that were so big she felt like she was teaching in a sports arena. “How come you never told me?”

“I guess it just never came up. You’re good at what you do, Luce. But I’ve never doubted that.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly. What he was saying was so real. So genuine. She tried to give him the same thing back. “I think it’s admirable that you’re so passionate about the environment. Most people, rich and poor, don’t give it much thought. They think it’s someone else’s problem, and someday when their grandchildren are older, there won’t be an earth for them to live on.”

“You know what else I’m passionate about?”

“I think I can guess, but…” She waved her hand for him to continue.

“Right now, I’m really hungry.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yep.”

“For what?”

“Lunch, for starters. What do you say we finish up our ride, grab something to eat, and then…” He wiggled his brows up and down.

“Then…what?”

“Then I’ll eat some more. Only I’ll eat you.”

She actually blushed. Without commenting, she started pedaling again. As they left the trail and headed back into Coronado, Lucy enjoyed seeing the freshly painted buildings and perfectly manicured lawns. There were more people strolling down the sidewalk than there were driving in cars, and the whole place had a nice “homey” feel to it. Of course, she knew that was in part because the community was so affluent, and thus life on the island was a bit like living in a bubble. A very nice bubble, but a bubble nonetheless.

At one point they got off their bikes and walked them through a residential area so she could admire the beautiful homes lining the street.

“I bet it was fun growing up here,” she said.

“It was,” he said. “I had a good childhood here, but it wasn’t perfect.”

“Oh?”

“That surprise you?”

“A little. It looks ideal. Your family is wonderful. You probably didn’t want for anything. What was there to ruin all that?”

“Exactly what caused you to freak when you found out I was rich. Assholes and snobs who have too much money but a decided lack of compassion or integrity. Intolerance isn’t directed only between those from different classes, but those in the same class, too, even the upper class.”

She stopped walking and so did Jamie. “People were intolerant of you? Why?”

He shrugged. “Because, as you like to remind me, I’m a nice guy. I’ve never been the stud or the rebel. I love my family and often preferred to spend time with them rather than go out partying with my friends. There were plenty of times I felt out of place. Pressured to be something I wasn’t.”

“But?”

“What?”

“I can hear it coming. You were going to say you felt out of place but...what? You didn’t let it change who you were? Didn’t let it change your attitude about people or who you chose to associate with?”

“I wish I could say that, but it’s not true. Stuff happens, and as a result of that stuff, I am careful about who I associate with. About what kind of women I’ll get involved with.”

“And what kind of women is that?”

“You already know the answer to that, too, Lucy. For any long-term relationship to work out between me and woman, she has to be willing to fit into my world.”

“You mean compromise who she is.”

“If she thinks there’s a need to compromise, that’s her decision. Or if she decides not to compromise because she needs to be herself, that’s her decision, too. I just need to know she can deal with the consequences in a way that doesn’t involve her hurting herself or running away.”

“And you think I’m a runner. I mean, obviously you do. I left my family. And broke up with you. Which is why we’re not getting involved.”

He just stared at her.

She stared back at him.

She was the first to look away.

Until he put a hand under her chin and turned her gaze back to his. “Lucy…”

She shook her head. “Sorry. You must think I’m crazy saying something like that given I’m the one who broke up with you in the first place.”

“I don’t think you’re crazy. And I’m the one that’s sorry. I didn’t mean to steer the conversation that way. I’ve been having a great time with you. Can we just enjoy the rest of the day?”

She smiled and nodded. “I’d like that.”

* * *

Jamie and Lucy stopped at a quaint little café for lunch. The food was delicious, and Jamie and Lucy were enjoying a piece of chocolate cake when a woman sitting with a man at a nearby table squealed as if she’d noticed Jamie for the first time. She jumped up from her seat and approached their table. Lucy noticed that she was wearing a three hundred dollar pair of jeans and a pair of shoes that had to be worth at least five. Her bag was designer, as well, and her hair was long and straight with a perfect cut and color, which was probably touched up weekly.

Lucy suddenly became accutely aware how she must look, dressed in her bike clothes and tennis shoes, wind-blown from their jaunt.

“Jamie Whitcomb! What are you doing?” the woman screamed out in one of those fake, annoying voices that Lucy hated.

Jamie stood up and said, “Hi, Rachel. I was just out for a bike ride with my fiancée. This is Lucy Conrad. Lucy, this is Rachel Smythe.”

Rachel glanced sideways at her and gave her a fake smile as she nodded. Then she turned back to Jamie and said, “That’s Rachel Smythe
Landon
, if you don’t mind! Michael, get over here,” she called to the man who was still in the middle of his lunch. He pushed himself back from the table and did as he was told. To Lucy, he looked like a man who had already been beaten into submission.

“Hey Jamie, long time no see,” the man said, holding out his hand. At least
his
smile seemed genuine.