The Miami Millionaire Read Online Free PDF Page A

asked a little disappointed he was about to rush off so soon.
    “No, my team have it all under control.  We’ve been doing lots of these in America so they know what they’re doing.”
    “Well the least we can do is offer you a drink and some cake before you go.”
    Jake hesitated for a moment, he really did have to get back to London, he had a big meeting planned for tomorrow morning and he wanted to go over some research his team had prepared for him tonight.  But one look into those soft brown eyes as Victoria’s red hair once again blew crazily around her face in the gentle afternoon breeze and Jake knew he couldn’t go, not just yet.  He laughed to himself, he was a sucker for a pretty face.
    “Oh go on then, introduce me to some English drink and cake.  But do me a favour and send some over to my driver to keep him amused while he’s waiting will you?  We can’t have him going hungry.”
    “Great.”  Victoria said as she led Jake away from the promotional trailer into the bustle of the fete, and out the corner of her eye she saw one of Jake’s burley security men approach the lone photographer as he tried to follow them, preventing him from going any further. It was obvious that from now on this was Jake’s personal time.
     
    The rest of the afternoon had gone really well.  The fete had raised thousands of pounds more than anyone had anticipated, and in the end Jake had stayed right up until it finished and had thoroughly enjoyed himself.  Victoria showed him around the stalls and, much to the local traders’ delight, he put one of his promotional team in charge of packing up his large orders of local jams and other produce to be flown back to his home.
     
    Jake walked around the stalls with Victoria exchanging pleasantries with the locals and fete-goers.  He even posed for a few more photographs at the journalists request once the treasure hunt had finished.  However the photographs finished at the beer tent door, and Jake put one of his security personnel at the door just to make sure that they didn’t invade his privacy.  He would do almost anything for work - it was all consuming and he didn’t mind that, after all it was him who had made it that way, but he still valued and protected his private life fiercely.  No one was interrupting a private moment when he wanted it.
     
    Jake agreed with Victoria, the strange English drink she had given him to try was very refreshing and hardly tasted like alcohol at all.  She had called it “Pimms” and at first he didn’t think it sounded particularly appealing - he wondered who on earth had ever come up with the idea to put a slice of cucumber and a mint leaf along with fresh strawberries in a liquor drink with a lemonade mixer! But when he actually tried the drink for himself he decided it was pleasantly light and fruity, and amazingly the interesting mix actually did work. Then again he thought it was not stranger than half the cocktails he drank in Miami! However, he definitely preferred the local beer even if it wasn’t served as cold as they served it in Miami.
    “So what’s your favourite drink Mr Cumberland?”  Victoria asked as they sat on opposite sides of a small wooden picnic table.
    “It’s Jake remember.  Don’t call me Mr Cumberland unless you’re expecting me to call you Miss Pembrose, and I don’t think I want to do that.”  He said as he finally loosened his tie and took off his jacket. 
    “Okay, Jake.”  Victoria said as she tried not to make it so obvious that she was looking at the contour of Jake’s pecks and biceps through his shirt.
    “Dark rum and coke, I’m a simple man.” 
    Victoria raised an eyebrow, she wasn’t sure she would call a chairman of a multimillion dollar company “simple” – it took a lot of hard work and determination, and probably complex behind the scene deals to achieve that.  She didn’t think there was anything “simple” about Jake Cumberland at all.
    “And you?