One Long Embrace (Eternal Bachelors Club #5)

And here he’d thought Paul’s parents’ anniversary party, to which the Who’s Who of the Hamptons and New York had been invited, would be a dull affair. Far from it. While Jay had nothing against some impromptu entertainment, he didn’t wish anything bad on Paul, particularly when it had anything to do with Holly, the woman he was so clearly in love with. Jay couldn’t blame him. Holly was a stunner: mesmerizing blue eyes, long blond locks, and a body to die for. Jay had flirted with her a few months ago, but he knew that a woman like Holly deserved a man who could make a commitment.

And after the debacle with Deborah, Jay had sworn off relationships. It didn’t mean that he didn’t date or have sex, but it meant he didn’t open his heart anymore. His trust in the opposite sex was somewhat shaken, and so far he hadn’t come up with a sure-fire way of figuring out if a woman truly liked him or his money. Jay pushed the thoughts away. This certainly wasn’t the place to be looking for a girlfriend. The women invited to this high society event were all from wealthy or well-connected families, and he knew very well what that meant: they wouldn’t look at him twice if he didn’t have hundreds of millions to his name. Knowing that, how could he ever be sure that the affection and love they showed him was genuine?

Was it even possible to find a love match in a society like this? Where parents were making sure that their daughters met only eligible men with a large enough bank account? Sometimes he wished he could pretend to be an average Joe and see how far his good looks, southern drawl, and charm would get him. Maybe then he would finally meet a real woman who saw the man behind the suave exterior: the hard-working kid who’d worked his way out of poverty and made it big, thanks to his determination and inventiveness, not to mention a good portion of luck. But few people ever got to see that side of him. Nor knew where he came from, or the pain of his difficult childhood.

Paul, on the other hand, had enjoyed a privileged upbringing. And at the moment his parents’ friends were all looking in his direction, their conversations suddenly silenced.

Jay paved his way through the onlookers, ready to come to his friend’s aid and assist him in removing the jerk, who was spouting lies about Holly, from the property.

“Yeah, a fucking hooker!” the drunk yelled again, pointing at Holly, who stood near the entrance to the pool house, a horrified expression on her beautiful face.

Jay glanced over to her. God, she was pretty. But a hooker? He shook his head. No way! Holly just didn’t seem the type. She was too… well, too sweet.

“Shut your fucking mouth, or I’ll shut it for you!” Paul yelled, and swung his fist.

It connected with the guy’s face and whipped his head sideways. The drunkard was catapulted in Jay’s direction. A waiter, dressed in a tuxedo, with a tray full of drinks was in his path.

“Crap!” Jay cursed and reached out, trying to pull the server out of the way, but all he caught was the tray as the drunk crashed into the poor guy.

The drunk caught himself as the waiter fell to the ground.

Wiping blood off his mouth, the troublemaker continued glaring at Paul. “Yeah, a two-bit hooker. That’s all she is! What are you paying her, huh?”

Paul looked as if he was seeing red and pounded his fists into the man in such quick succession that his opponent couldn’t even lift his arms in defense. All the drunkard could do was step backward to try to escape Paul’s unrelenting fists. But there was no escape.

With Paul’s next punch, the man stumbled over the ledge of the pool and fell in. Water sloshed over the edges, splashing onto those guests who stood too close. A collective gasp went through the crowd.

“Paul!” Mrs. Gilbert screamed.

Jay cringed. He’d known the Gilberts for many years, and he was fully aware of the fact that Mrs. Gilbert always wanted to be seen in the best light. The fact that her son was now being accused of having a prostitute for a girlfriend couldn’t sit well with her.

Paul jerked his head up to look at his mother, who glared at him and then turned her gaze on Holly.

“Is this true? Is it true what he said?”

“He attacked Holly!” Paul ground out.

It was dead silent now. None of the over one hundred guests and catering staff spoke a word. The only thing that could be heard was the sloshing in the pool, as the drunk tried to keep his head above water.

Mrs. Gilbert pointed to Holly. “Somebody remove that woman from my property!”

But Holly had already turned on her heel and was running down the path that led to the beach.

“Holly!” Paul called after her. Before he could follow her, his mother had gripped him by the elbow.

Jay couldn’t hear what she said to him in a low voice, her jaw tight, but judging by the venomous look on her face, she wasn’t pleased.

“Isn’t anybody going to help him?” Jay suddenly heard a woman ask, breaking the silence.

He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young woman with a blond pixie haircut standing at the edge of the pool, pointing to the drunk who was still struggling to keep above water.

Nobody reacted. Jay looked to his left and right, searching for a place to set down the tray of drinks he was holding and coming up empty.

When he heard a splashing sound, he whirled his head back to the pool and watched the woman dive into it, swimming toward the drunk. She reached him within seconds and slung her arms under his armpits.