Billionaire by Design (A BWWM Romance)

by Tiana Cole

  Normally she’d take a long, hot shower before slipping on her robe and watching television alongside Leigh, but she couldn’t get Zane Talbot out of her head. Their entire exchange had lasted only five minutes, yet she’d been thinking about him ever since. His incredible eyes, deep voice, confident stride, perfect smile, firm hands, and commanding presence had completely captivated her. Everything about the man was intriguing, and impossible to forget.

  With her computer booted and ready to go, she wasted little time heading to Google to search for “Zane Talbot.” Her search yielded a plethora of results, all of them impressive.

  She found countless articles centered around Talbot himself and his lucrative Enterprise Marketing. Nowhere in her search did she uncover anything negative about the man or his company, nor did she unearth any sign of a girlfriend, fiancée, or wife. An image search returned photos of the same gorgeous man she’d met earlier in the day, and the sight of his handsome face made her heart flutter once again. The pictures were mostly of him at company functions, or professional shots taken to accompany the articles written about him. Not a single photo showed him with another woman. Jenna found herself relieved by this and was quick to chastise herself for it.

  Why does it matter if he’s with somebody else? Degree and a decent job, Jenna, those are supposed to be your only goals. Besides, like he’d be interested in a girl like you anyway. You work at a goddamn fast food joint.

  Years earlier, Jenna had resolved to focus on her education and career, placing them as her highest priority and swearing to remain single until she’d achieved them both.

  Sadly, she’d seen too many of her high school classmates derail their dreams by falling for the wrong men. She was afraid of making the same mistake and winding up pregnant and alone. In hopes of avoiding this, she decided the best possible prevention was to remain celibate until she had a framed degree on her wall and a reliable, satisfying job.

  Yes, at twenty-four years old, Jenna was still a virgin and often struggled with how she felt about that. Worried she’d be treated differently if people knew the truth, she’d become a pro at changing the subject when it came to sex. She avoided any discussion of her sexual history, and when pressed, would resort to fabricating stories while trying to steer the conversation in another direction.

  A year earlier, after downing two big bottles of white wine one night, Leigh had relentlessly grilled her regarding her love life.

  “Oh my God, what’s the big fucking deal? Just tell me how many guys you’ve fucked already,” Leigh had insisted with slurred speech. After twenty minutes of drunken prodding, Jenna finally silenced her with a series of white lies.

  “Okay, okay. Four. Now will you drop it?”

  When Leigh demanded more details, Jenna had gone so far as to make up names and stories for all four of her fictional lovers while her friend hung on every word. She didn’t blame Leigh for being curious, though. At that point, they’d lived together for three years and Leigh had never heard Jenna talk about a man, let alone seen her bring one home.

  “I actually thought you might be a lesbian,” Leigh had giggled before rushing down the hall and into the bathroom to vomit and pass out. Jenna hoped the girl had been too drunk to remember the conversation. Since a year had passed with no mention of it, she could only assume she had.

  As the only virgin she knew, she felt like an outcast but remained steadfast in her commitment to her schooling and employment. Still, she did have those moments, especially late at night when the uncertainty of the future kept her awake, when she longed for a man’s touch. Having somebody by her side, somebody to wrap their arms around her and tell her everything was going to be okay, was something that sounded quite nice indeed.

  Somebody like Zane Talbot.

  Jenna caught her thoughts drifting to him yet again and scolded herself for the second time that night. She had to keep her eyes on the prize, as she was fond of saying, and that prize was a fruitful career stemming from the hard-earned bachelor’s degree that she was only three months short of receiving.

  Ignoring the attraction she felt for the man she’d only met briefly, she cleared her head and recognized that a logo design for Enterprise Marketing would look damn impressive on a resume. That is, if the company chose to use her work. Zane Talbot had proven to be the real deal, and that meant it was time for her to get to work.

  Opening up Adobe Illustrator, a program she’d grown quite familiar with over the years, she began toying with ideas for the marketing firm’s new logo.

  Zane hadn’t given her much to work with, and she was sure that was quite intentional. He’d mentioned that he wanted a pair of new eyes and likely didn’t want her to be influenced by his art department’s work. She scrapped her first two ideas, believing them to be too simplistic and amateur, but by her third attempt, an idea was beginning to take shape.

  She worked diligently until 2:00 am, then had to force herself to get a few hours of sleep. Once she started a project, it was common for her to become so engrossed in it that she’d stay glued to her computer until it was done. She had class first thing in the morning, though, and needed her rest. She backed up her work, pried herself away from her screen, and readied herself for bed. As she drifted off to sleep, thoughts of Zane Talbot’s mesmeric blue eyes pervaded her thoughts.

  Chapter Five

  “Any new messages?” Zane asked Sheryl as he paused in front of his office door. He’d been repeatedly asking his secretary this for the last four days, but none of the messages were the one he was hoping for. Jenna still hadn’t called to schedule a meeting with him, and he was beginning to think she never would.

  “Ali from accounting wants to speak to you about some account discrepancies, and that’s it,” Sheryl replied apologetically. She clearly knew he was waiting for an important call, and could tell by the sunken look on his face that this wasn’t it.

  “Okay, thanks,” he responded politely with a forced smile as he headed into his office, shutting his door behind him. With an exasperated sigh, he plopped down into the high-back leather office chair that was seated behind his large, solid oak desk.

  His fingers tapped its wooden surface impatiently as he stared down his work phone and debated calling Family Burger. Days had passed, yet he still couldn’t shake the image of her big, brown eyes and amazing smile. She looked beautiful, even in her outdated Family Burger uniform, and he desperately wanted to see her again. He’d felt an undeniable chemistry with her and was sure the connection was reciprocated. Now, days later, he wasn’t as certain of that anymore. His intuition usually never failed him, but it appeared that this time it had. If she hadn’t called by now, it probably wasn’t going to happen.

  The sudden ringing of the same work phone he was staring at startled him so greatly that he almost jumped out of his chair. His adrenaline surged and his heart raced as he mumbled “Jesus Christ” under his breath. Running one hand through his hair while straightening his tie with the other in an attempt to recompose himself, he inhaled deeply before answering the ringing phone.

  “What’s up?” he asked informally, knowing it would be his secretary since no calls made it to his desk without passing by her first.

  “Mr. Talbot, you have a call from a Jenna Parker on line one. Are you available to take it?” Sheryl questioned. She sat only fifteen feet away from him just outside his office door, but the two agreed that calling worked better than knocking.

  “Yes, Sheryl, thank you,” Zane answered, trying to contain his excitement.

  He left Jenna on hold for a moment so as not to appear too eager, and to wrap his mind around the odds of her calling at the same time he’d been thinking of calling her. Seconds earlier, he’d been staring at his phone in deliberation, and by some extraordinary coincidence, perhaps even intervention from above, she was now on the line. The chances of that happening were astronomical, yet it had happened. Perhaps they had a connection after all, he couldn’t help but think as he collected himself
for the second time. With his calm, confident demeanor back in place, he picked up the phone and pressed the blinking button signaling line one.

  “Jenna, I’m glad you called!” he greeted exuberantly.

  “Should I call you Zane, or should I call you Mr. Talbot?” Jenna joked nervously.

  “Zane, of course,” he chuckled as he leaned forward to rest his arm on his desk. “I’m honestly kind of sick of people calling me Mr. Talbot. Makes me feel old.”

  “Well, that’s because you are,” Jenna teased, following it with a giggle that made that both laugh.

  “Fair enough. Old man Talbot. Soon they’ll be putting me in a home.”

  “Oh, shush. How old are you? Thirty-five? You still have a few good years left in you,” Jenna fired back.

  “That was either a very good guess, or you’ve done your homework,” Zane replied with a smile.

  “You got me,” Jenna replied. “I did a little snooping online to see if I’d be wasting my time on that logo.”

  “I take it you liked what you saw, then?” Zane asked as he twirled the phone’s cord around his finger. He wasn’t aware of it, but he had a tendency to do this when he was excited.

  “Pretty impressive, I have to admit.”

  “Why, thank you,” Zane responded, genuinely appreciative of the compliment. “So, speaking of the logo… did you get a chance to work on anything yet? I know you’re busy with school and work, so if you haven‘t had time yet, I totally understand.”

  “I actually have them all done and was wondering when a good time to meet with you was. I know you’re busy, too.”

  “Wait, you have them all done? What do you mean by all?” Zane asked in slight confusion.

  “I made a few different versions so you can choose the one you like the best. I mean… if you even like any of them…” Jenna explained guardedly, unsure if she’d made a mistake or not. Zane was quick to assure he that she hadn’t.

  “Oh, wow, that’s awesome! Totally above and beyond. I’m excited to see what you came up with!”

  She had the mindset of a true professional, and that fact wasn’t lost on Zane. It was routine for him to have his art department offer a client several versions of a logo or advertisement so they could select the one they felt best represented their business. Not only had Jenna done this without instruction, she’d also done it quickly. He’d given her a week to come up with one logo, yet she’d produced several in only four days.

  “When can you squeeze me in?” Jenna asked.

  “I’ll work around your schedule since mine’s probably a bit more flexible,” Zane replied understandingly. “When are you free?”

  “Amazingly, I have the entire day off Saturday and Sunday, but I figure you’re probably out of the office on weekends. After that, my next free time will be… um… let me see,” Jenna paused to check her schedule. “Tuesday anytime after 3:00 pm.”

  “There’s no way I can wait until Tuesday,” Zane said as he leaned back in his chair. “I’m too impatient. I’m also somewhat of a workaholic and will be here on Saturday,” he continued as he flipped through his planner.

  “Oh? What time can we meet?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to figure out right now,” he answered slowly as he mapped out his day. “How’s 4:00 pm sound?”

  “That’s actually perfect,” Jenna replied with a hint of relief in her voice. “It gives me some time to sleep in for once!” she laughed.

  “Good. Rest those pretty eyes of yours,” Zane dared to say in his first attempt at mild flirtation. Before she could respond, he added, “Oh, and do me a favor and bring in some of your other artwork. I’d love to see as much of it as I can.”

  “Most of it’s digital…” Jenna trailed off, hoping Zane would take it from there. He didn’t let her down.

  “Hell, most of what we do is digital. Throw it all on a flash drive if you’d be so kind, and you can show it to me here.”

  “I can definitely do that, but don’t expect anything great. I’m sure I’m nowhere near as good as your art department,” Jenna muttered.

  “Remember the last thing I said to you when I saw you the other day? Confidence is the key to success. I want you to come in here with your head held high. I have faith in you. Have a little faith in yourself,” Zane’s commanding voice coached her. “If you’re going to make it as an artist, you can’t be afraid to show your work.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jenna playfully replied.

  “Oh, and give me your number if you’d be so kind. That way if anything changes, I can give you a ring.”

  She happily agreed, and he eagerly jotted her digits down in his planner.

  “Okay, great! Got it.”

  “I’ll see you Saturday at 4:00 pm, then?” Jenna reconfirmed.

  “I’ll be here!” Zane replied enthusiastically. “You take care now.”

  “You too. Bye for now.”

  “Bye for now,” Zane repeated back with a smile as he hung up the phone. He turned his chair to admire the mountainous view out of the large series of windows his office boasted. Parker. He now knew her last name, and he’d be seeing her again in two short days. The mere sound of her voice had made his heart melt, and he couldn’t remember ever feeling this way about a woman… especially one he’d barely spoken to.

  He sensed she had a depth that most beautiful women lacked, and he hoped for the opportunity to explore it. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his phone ringing yet again. He quickly swiveled his chair to answer it, excitedly thinking it may be Jenna calling him back.

  “Is it Jenna again?” he asked Sheryl, immediately regretting how desperate he sounded.

  “What? No,” his confused secretary replied. His question had obviously caught her off guard. “It’s Ali Chadwick from accounting again. She’s out here and says she really needs to speak with you… now.”

  “Okay, send her in,” Zane sighed as he rose from his chair to greet her. He’d hired Ali eight years earlier to manage the books, and she’d never asked to meet with him so urgently. He could only assume she needed time off for an emergency of some sort.

  His door opened and he straightened his jacket as Sheryl motioned Ali into the room. He crossed his large office to meet her with a smile and guided her into one of the two chairs seated in front of his desk.

  “What can I do for you, Ali? Everything okay?” he asked as he returned to his comfortable leather chair.

  “Well, that’s just the thing,” Ali began. She opened the manila folder she’d been carrying and flipped through a few printouts that appeared to be spreadsheets and financial statements. “I’ve gone over everything a million times and… it just doesn’t make sense.”

  “What doesn’t make sense?” a concerned Zane asked as he rolled his chair closer to his desk and cleared his throat. Ali, a stout, timid girl by nature who was notable for her thick, horned-rimmed glasses, looked especially distraught today. Whatever news she was about to give him was going to be bad, and he knew it.

  “I think… I mean… It looks like… I…” Ali stammered.

  “Just say it,” Zane stopped her. His hands gripped the arm rests of his chair tightly as he braced himself for the news.

  “We’re missing some money,” Ali blurted. She looked as if she were on the verge of tears.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you mean we’re ‘missing some money?’” Zane asked in frustration while trying not to raise his voice. He prided himself in always remaining calm and collected regardless of the situation.

  “Eighty thousand dollars, to be exact,” Ali sniffled as she readjusted her glasses. “I don’t know how it could have happened. I reviewed our client list again, and… I just don’t know where it went!”

  “First of all, calm down,” Zane spoke gently in an effort to divert Ali’s meltdown. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were red, and he could see her hands shaking. “Just relax,” he comforted. “Take a deep breath.”

  His soothing tone seemed to work.
Ali relaxed slightly and fumbled with the paperwork she’d been holding.

  “Once a year, I sort through our client list and compare how much we budgeted their account with how much we ended up using for their campaign, just like you told me to,” Ali began.

  “Uh-huh,” Zane nodded his understanding.

  “Sometimes we have to go over the budgeted amount, and sometimes we go under. As you know, everything’s documented. When we go over, we note how much we went over by. When we go under, that’s also noted and the money’s placed back into the marketing account,” Ali went on.

  “Right,” Zane nodded again, gesturing for her to continue.

  “We also have the collections account. When a client pays us for our services, that money winds up there. That‘s the same account we use for payroll.”

  “Yes, I know all this,” Zane said in irritation.

  “All expenses are documented. Everything. Every cent we spend on a client is accounted for. We keep every receipt, even for a box of staples.”

  “I know, so how are we missing money?” Zane asked as he placed his elbows on his desk and rested his chin in his hands. He listened attentively as Ali spoke.

  “I opened up every client file we have. I’ve found two clients that…” she paused to find the right printouts and handed them to Zane. “…don’t seem to have any real documentation at all,” she finished.

  Zane scanned the printouts, reading pieces under his breath as his eyes trailed down them.

  “Kroger… forty thousand… Tanque Verde Ranch… forty thousand…”