Bidding On The Bachelor. Kerri Carpenter

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ

      “You are relying on your parents’ money and connections to get you through life. You have no ambition and no drive. Do you think I want to be with someone like that? I don’t.” She looked at the ground.

      He felt like someone had slapped him across the face. “What are you saying?”

      “I don’t want to ever come back to Bayside. I’m so done with this town. I want someone who has goals and like, initiative and stuff,” She bit her lip. Even as she insulted him, there was sadness in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Jasper. You just don’t.”

      With that, she’d walked away with his heart.

      He’d tried to call her but she’d never answered. Her parents said she went to a prefreshman-year program at Northwestern. She’d wanted to get a jump on classes. Then her parents had moved away later in the year and she didn’t have a reason to return to Bayside anymore. He never saw her again.

      It was Jasper’s nature to find a bright side. But in truth, Carissa’s words stung. Not only did she break up with him, but she insulted his very character.

      It had taken some time. A lot of time. But eventually, the memory of Carissa’s words had kicked his butt into gear. She wanted someone with ambition and that’s what he’d decided to give her. Even if they weren’t actually together.

      His father’s name may have gotten him into college, but he worked his butt off once he got there. He joined a fraternity but when it was time for midterms or finals, he’d camp out at the library to make sure he kept his GPA up, finally graduating with honors. He never told his parents about applying to grad schools so they couldn’t influence the process.

      He’d come a long way from the irresponsible, somewhat reckless, carefree kid who was always the life of the party. Some people had called him foolish, but in Jasper’s mind he’d always been underestimated.

      At some point, though, all the hard work stopped being just for her. He’d become obsessed with doing the very best he could and in the process he’d become the head of Dumont Incorporated. If Carissa were here maybe he’d thank her. Especially after his victory tonight. But the odds of ever seeing Carissa Blackwell in Bayside again were slim to none.

      His phone made a little ding alerting him to a text message. He looked down to see his brother’s name. How’d it go with Morris?

      Jasper began texting back but something caught his attention. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a woman standing at the same location where he’d been before his little walk down memory lane. Fingers still poised over the keypad on his phone, he didn’t have time to text Cam back before his brother added, Either way, come over tonight. Let’s hang out and watch the game.

      Again, he began typing a reply but the woman reached her arms above her head and stretched. She was really beautiful. He peered closer and got a chill up the back of his neck.

      She looked familiar. Too familiar. Jasper gripped his cell harder and began walking faster. Closer. But as he rounded the corner, she was heading away from the dock toward a black car.

      He would know that sashay of hips anywhere. After all, the last time he’d seen a movement like that had been her swaying body walking away from him.

      No way. No freaking way.

      “Carissa?” he said into the silence around him. Luckily, no one was there to hear him talking to himself. Likewise, no one was there to see him step to the side to ensure he was actually seeing his first love and not some late-summer apparition brought on by too much work. In any case, he slipped, hit the railing with too much momentum, and before he could say Carissa is back in Bayside, he’d fallen over the metal divider and into the bay.

       Chapter Two

      Greetings, dear readers! After a brief hiatus, your ever-faithful Bayside Blogger is back from a much-needed summer vacay! And color me shocked, surprised and downright confused. Carissa Blackwell, former Bayside High A-list superstar, has also returned to our fair shores! And just why is little-miss-too-good-for-good-ole-Bayside back in town?

      Let’s get down to it, folks—the far more interesting question is...how does Jasper Dumont feel? Well, I understand he took a late-evening swim in the bay after catching a glimpse of his long-lost prom queen. And let’s just say that the swim wasn’t exactly planned...

      Jasper needed some liquor.

      Once he was home, freshly showered and in dry clothes, he crossed the room to the wall that held a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf. He scanned the bottom shelf until he found what he was searching for. His high school yearbook. Jasper grabbed it from the shelf, made a cup of coffee and started riffling through the pages until he got to the B names.

      There she was. Carissa Blackwell. Jasper didn’t need to ogle the photo to recall that long golden hair, legs that went on for miles and flawless skin that always looked like it was kissed by the sun.

      Flipping more pages, he eyed the photos of the cheerleaders. There she was again, all decked out in that appealing little uniform. His lips quirked. Damn, he’d loved watching her cheer at football games. He’d loved making out with her under the bleachers after the game even more.

      They’d done everything together senior year. Until she’d broken up with him. Jasper could feel his eyebrows growing close together just as something fell out from between the pages of the yearbook. A picture of the two of them at prom. He couldn’t remember who had snapped it. But in the photo they were dancing; Carissa was staring up at him adoringly as he had his arms wrapped tightly around her.

      To this day, Jasper still wondered what had changed. Prom had been one month before she’d dumped him. When had she stopped looking at him like that and decided he hadn’t been good enough for her?

      His phone—which luckily had fallen from his hand and landed safely on the dock—rang.

      “Hey, Cam,” he greeted his big brother.

      “So?”

      Jasper shifted in his seat. So what?”

      “So what have you been doing?”

      Jasper eyed the garbage can, where he’d decided to throw his clothes out after he climbed out of the bay. As he’d hoisted himself back onto the wooden dock, he’d snagged his pants. The quick jaunt from the water to his new condo in the center of town had been interesting. Wet and interesting. If his brother found out about it, he’d never hear the end of it.

      So he decided to play it cool. “I haven’t been doing anything,” he lied. He paced the length of the living room. He loved this condo with its exposed beamed ceiling, brick walls and amazing view of the bay. Although, the sight of the water at the moment made him cringe.

      “What do you mean you haven’t been doing anything? Wasn’t your huge meeting with Mr. Morris today? I’ve been texting you for the last hour.”

      Jasper snapped out of his Carissa-focused stupor. “Right. Sorry.” He proceeded to tell Cam all about the meeting. His brother seemed ecstatic for him.

      “That’s amazing, Jasp. Congratulations.”

      “Thanks, СКАЧАТЬ