Free The Billionaire Playboy by Christina Tetreault

and
understanding spread across her face. Even though she hadn't said it, he knew
that she understood why he'd made the decisions he had. Most people assumed he'd
been rebelling against his parents, and to some extent he had. Yet there had
been much more to his decisions than that. He'd been trying to prove to himself
that he had some control over his future. That just because his last name was
Sherbrooke he didn't have to follow the path so many in his family had.
    “I left the
engineering firm a few years ago to start the foundation.” It was one of the
only decisions he'd made as an adult that he was proud of.
    “Do you ever
regret not becoming a SEAL?” Sometime during his explanation she came to stand
next to him and now she placed a reassuring hand on his face.
    Jake averted his
gaze and focused instead on the city skyline, “Every damn day.”
    Leaning closer
she spoke in a tone filled with respect. “If you had, who knows what all those
people your foundation helped would've done.” Her voice dropped to almost a
whisper. “And we might not have met.”
    Jake was floored
by the feelings her words and gentle touch evoked in him. They were so
unfamiliar. Sure he'd desired plenty of women and enjoyed their company but
he'd never felt such an emotional connection to one before. Of all the women he
dated never had he confessed this regret. None of them had ever shown any
interest. Most were more interested in what he could give them or what being
seen with him meant. It didn't appear as if Charlie cared about either.
    Pushing back his
chair Jake pulled Charlie onto his lap. “I'm glad we did,” he said before
lightly kissing her. Like it had earlier, desire hot and heavy swept through his
body the second his lips touched hers. When she wrapped her arms around his
neck and wiggled her sexy bottom in order to get closer, he instantly became
hard. Thoughts of tossing her over his shoulder and finding the closest bed ran
through is mind. How would she react if he did?
    Raising his
mouth from hers, he kissed a path down her neck. “Do you want to see the rest
of the yacht now? We didn't check out the bedrooms, or would you rather have
dessert?” he asked his voice low and purposefully seductive.
    “Depends, what
is the chef planning?” Charlie asked with a trace of laughter in her voice. She
didn't wait for an answer. Instead she slid off his lap giving Jake the only
answer he needed.
    Anticipation
surged through him as Jake led her to the largest of the bedrooms below. Just
as he expected, the room was prepared for them. The lights were dimmed and the
sheets on the bed were neatly turned down.
    “Where were we?”
Charlie moved close to him and began to caress the back of his neck.
    Rather than give
her a verbal answer, he walked her backward and then eased her down onto the
queen-sized bed. “Does right about here seem right?” He brushed his lips
against hers as he spoke.
    A soft moan
escaped Charlie and she slipped a hand under his shirt searing a path up his
back to his shoulders. Not needing any further encouragement, Jake stood and
pulled his shirt up over his head. Then he reached for Charlie’s, intent on
doing the same thing to hers. The sound of the beeping intercom on the wall
halted his progress.
    For half a
heartbeat he stared at the offending box on the wall. “What the hell?” Slowly
his brain registered what the sound was and stood.
    This better be an emergency. With more force
than necessary, Jake jabbed the talk button with his index finger. “Something
wrong Captain?”
    “I'm sorry to
disturb you Mr. Sherbrooke. There is a disabled yacht just off our port. It's
taking on water.”
    Frustrated Jake
raked his fingers through his hair. “Get them on board and make sure you alert
authorities. I'll be right up to greet them.” Grabbing his shirt off the floor,
he turned to Charlie who now sat upright on the bed. “We'll have to continue
this another night,” he said brushing his lips