She’d made cake pops before, that wasn’t going to put too much of a stretch on her imagination. She’d even made filled cake pops before. All of the individual ingredients were well within her repertoire, but she hadn’t put together this exact combination before now. However, the familiar routine allowed her to focus her thoughts on the business plan she’d been working on trying to get together.
Charlotte had always seen herself opening up a business for herself, but she’d never really seen how she was going to be able to get there on her own. There were a lot of details to think about. It was more than just making cookies and cupcakes. She could do that with one arm tied behind her back without even breaking a sweat. This meant thinking about finances, locations, supplies, overhead, equipment she was going to need for a bakery, banking, loans, and a million other things that just kind of hit her one after another while she was working. As soon as she jotted down one thing, the next thing would pop into her thoughts. She felt a little bit lost by the amount of things that hit her.
Preston had given her his number and insisted that she call him Preston instead of Mr. Pierce before she left his office the night she’d really figured out who he was. She was half tempted to call him and let him help her get this swirl of thoughts in her head figured out, but she didn’t want him to think she wasn’t going to be able to do this on her own. A billionaire had offered to invest in her dream. She didn’t want to do anything to screw this up, so if that meant she was going to have to struggle though this on her own until she could figure out how to organize her thoughts, then so be it. She thought it was a good sign that she was thinking through all the details, and she hoped it would mean that there wouldn’t be anything she was overlooking when the time finally came to present this to Preston. Her over-achieving and attentive nature might give her a fighting chance at making sure that her dream came true.
By the time that Charlotte was dipping the last of the cake pops in the melted white chocolate in the double boiler she’d perched carefully on the countertop of the kitchen’s island, she had six sheets of paper filled with notes, drawings, and diagrams. It might not be a complete business plan, but it was a good start towards one. She sprinkled sea salt on the top of the last of the cake pops before popping them into the fridge to cool off completely and walked over to the notebook on the counter opposite her, picking up her pen and chewing absentmindedly on the end. Her thoughts weren’t on the kitchen around her, but on the bakery she saw set up in her mind. She had all of it in place except one thing. In her mind’s eye, she saw a name painted backwards on the glass she could see from her place behind the counter in the bakery, but she couldn’t for the life of her settle on what that name should be.
Charlotte had been through a thousand possibilities, variations on her name, the name of her blog, her mother’s name. None of them seemed to fit what she had pictured for her business. Suddenly something hit her hard. Her eyes grew wide, and she snatched the pen from between her teeth, jotting two words at the top of the sheet of paper before dropping the pen on the pad of paper and turning to head off into her bedroom. A shower and changing into her pajamas was going to be just the perfect thing to cap off the evening, just like Sweet Temptation was going to be just the perfect name for the bakery of her dreams.
Chapter 6
It had been some time since Preston had accidentally run into Charlotte on the top floor of the Pierce building. Ever since then, the two of them had spent Friday evenings in his office over a bottle of scotch. He’d done a lot more of the drinking than she had. She always had exactly one glass that she wound up nursing throughout the remainder of the night.
He was surprised at how together she seemed to have her plans. Most people her age were too busy trying to climb the social ladder and have a good time rather than investing in their future. They were more worried about the next party they were going to than worrying about finding financing for their business. They most certainly weren’t sitting in the penthouse suite of a high-rise office building having a glass of scotch with a billionaire business mogul.
He wasn’t entirely certain what to make of it all. He just knew that he wanted to know more about her. Charlotte kept her cards close to her chest. Their conversations stuck strictly to the business line and even if he’d wanted to know more about her, it didn’t seem like the appropriate setting for it.
She was getting close to having her preliminary business plan completely together, so he had an idea. Last Friday when they’d met in his office, he’d invited her to present her plan to him in one of the board rooms here at Pierce Industries. It was going to be well past the time that everyone left to go home for the weekend, so it was just going to be the two of them in the boardroom. But if she planned to get anywhere real with this business, Charlotte was going to have to get used to being the center of attention in one of those big intimidating rooms.
She had talent, that much was clear, but she needed a push to get herself off the ground with the rest of the process. He was determined to be that push. There was something a bit intoxicating about being the final thing that sent her off in the direction she needed. He remembered being a new up and coming business owner and getting a boost from Howard Specter all those years ago and it was interesting to get the chance to be that for someone else, especially someone as promising as Charlotte Fairweather.
He’d been waiting for her in the boardroom long before she was due to show up. Preston was aware that she had to shut down the cart for the evening and make sure that things were in order downstairs before she arrived here. He’d asked her to be here at 7:00, but by 6:45 he was already nervously pacing by the windows. The floor to ceiling windows overlooked the city that was coming to life in the dimming twilight. Several times he caught himself glancing at his watch every few minutes and waiting for the time to arrive. He was looking forward to hearing her presentation, but he also realized he was looking forward to seeing Charlotte herself again.
Most mornings he got a glimpse of her or said a hello in passing as he made his way up to the top floor. Fridays were something special, the time when they got to be just the two of them with no other interruptions or distractions. He hadn’t remembered a time when he’d enjoyed being at work so much in his life. Preston had chalked it up to being involved with getting her business off the ground, but there was so much more to it than that, even if he was in the habit of denying that to himself. There was just something about her that he enjoyed. It brought out urges and feelings he hadn’t had in years, things he’d tried to successfully suppress, at least until now.
There was a rush in being with her and in trying to keep his hands firmly on the glass he was drinking from or tucked in his pockets. Even if he couldn’t prevent his mind from wandering, he could manage not to touch her. In fact, there hadn’t been a moment when he’d let his skin come in contact with hers since the two of them had met, merely chaste conversation over a glass of scotch at night in his office. He told himself she was safe from him, that he was going to keep his focus one hundred percent on the business at hand between the two of them, but in truth, she was always going to be a bit of a drug for him, no matter how much he might try to deny it.
Preston could at least hide it, and the glass of scotch he’d downed back in his office before coming to the board room was a huge aid in accomplishing that task. He was able to find that perfect balance between drinking too much and being entirely sober that allowed him to remain professional.
He’d gotten so lost in watching the sunset and the city springing to life in the picture window at the far side of the conference room that he didn’t hear Charlotte come into the room. She cleared her throat, and he jumped a little as he turned around to face her.
“Well, Miss Fairweather, it’s always a pleasure to see you.” Using her last name was one of the tricks he’d told himself was going to keep things strictly on a professional level between the two of them. He smiled at her and pulled a seat near the end of the table out to
slide into as she walked around to the front of the room. It left a vast amount of space between the two of them, more than he would have ideally wanted, but he also knew how dangerous his thoughts were tonight.
“Likewise, Mr. Pierce…. Preston.” She stumbled over the choice of name for the only other person in the room, torn between wanting to sound professional and using the name he’d always insisted that she use. Though he’d called her Miss Fairweather, and it was only fair that she use the same formality.
The fact that Charlotte had walked into the room in the clothes she’d chosen for the occasion didn’t help matters much. He’d seen her earlier in the day, and she’d been wearing her usual brightly patterned skirt and button down blouse, but for tonight, she’d changed into a pair of black trousers and a jacket that screamed professional. Her hair was pulled into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck. It was quite the transformation from her usual sunny self, though the fact that she felt slightly uncomfortable in those clothes was radiating from her facial expression. The same old Charlotte was shining out from those light hazel eyes that he couldn’t seem to keep his gaze from finding. She was there, even if the normal exterior was covered in a costume meant for the occasion.
“So are you ready to begin?” He threaded his fingers together, resting his elbows on the table in front of him and staring down the younger woman as she placed the files she was holding onto, for dear life, onto the table and took a deep breath.
“As ready as I’m ever going to be I suppose.” She let out the breath she’d taken in with a soft sigh, glancing around the room.
“Well, we can begin whenever you’re up for it, Charlotte.” Try as he might he wasn’t ever going to be able to stick to the formality for long. She started in on her presentation and Preston eased back into his chair to watch. He hadn’t expected her to be this prepared. The two of them had talked about a lot during the past few weeks together, but he hadn’t hit on nearly everything she was going to need to cover in order to have a complete business plan.
Preston had heard proposals from MBAs who hadn’t been as well prepared as Charlotte seemed to be, she’d thought of almost every contingency. There were some points where she could use a little guidance and improvement. That’s where a business partner came into play. If he went into this, it was going to be with more than just money. He was going to be a business partner in every sense of the word and he meant very much to be hands on with everything that went on in the bakery.
He was good at convincing his subconscious that it was because he just wanted to protect his investment, but he wasn’t stupid enough to believe the lies he told himself completely. Yes, he was protecting his investment, but he was also placing himself close to Charlotte for as long as the two of them were in business together. He was a billionaire, running a Fortune 500 company. The day in and out workings of a single bakery shouldn’t have been high on his list of priorities to manage. Usually that would have fallen to one of his employees to look into and report back to him on, but he was keeping this particular business deal under his hat. It wasn’t going under the umbrella of Pierce Industries. Instead, he was investing in this one from his own personal funds.
Preston remained silent as she finished her proposal, letting the quiet settle around the two of them while he pondered what his response was going to be. He’d intended to invest in her business no matter what happened tonight, but this was the moment he was certain that it was all going to work out perfectly. He had every faith that she wasn’t going to let this business fail if it was within her power to keep it from happening. That was one of the pluses of working with someone who was passionate about what they did.
“Well Charlotte, I have to say had completely different expectations.” He studied the look on her face as he rose from his chair and walked around the outside of the large conference table towards where she was waiting nervously. He knew Charlotte had no clue what he was about to say. She had this expression like she was expecting him to kick her out of the office after telling her what a ridiculous failure her idea was going to be. She moved to grab the files off the table top in front of her as she twisted her mouth into a knot that showed the frown she was trying desperately to hide.
“Sorry for bothering you, Preston. I’ll just go.”
He reached out, pinning her hand beneath his on the table and stopping her from making another move. She looked up and caught his eye. Preston could see the tears gathering at the edges of her eyelids. He fought off the urge to reach out and run his thumbs under her eyes while the rest of his hand molded itself into the shape of her cheek. Instead, he slid his hand off hers and placed both of them into his pockets in order to kill the temptation that he felt welling up in his chest, swallowing hard to force it back down.
“No, stay. I was just going to tell you I was pleasantly surprised. I hadn’t expected you to have quite so many ducks in a row already. I’m going to be investing in your business. We just need to work out the details, and I was just going to suggest we have dinner to celebrate and work out the kinks in everything. My treat.” He wanted her to stay as long as she could, and inviting her to dinner had just been a spur of the moment decision. He watched the expression on her face melt into a huge grin.
“Are you kidding me? Of course I’d love to go to dinner. You’re really investing in my business?” He could tell she was fighting not to bounce up on the balls of her feet, and it made her all the more endearing.
“Yes, I’m going to invest in your business, now why don’t you go change into something more comfortable in the next room?” He gestured towards the door that led to the private apartment he’d set up here in the office. “I’ll get the car to meet us downstairs, and we can go discuss all the details over something ridiculously overpriced.”
❖
Charlotte looked worlds more comfortable once she was back in the clothes she usually wore to work. As lovely as she’d looked in the business attire, there was something to be said for the light, airy clothes she usually wore. They suited her personality, and moreover they made her look like she belonged in the profession she’d chosen. She would have made a great host of some baking show or other and that was always a possible future.
Preston was trying to occupy himself with thoughts of business, but he couldn’t help trying to get to know his new business partner better once they’d hammered out all the finer points of how much money and what percent of the business he was going to own. However, she wasn’t exactly forthcoming with all of the things he’d asked her about. Finally, he just gave up all the pretenses and asked the questions he was actually curious about.
“So, tell me where you’re from? Because it’s endlessly clear that you’re not from the city.” When her expression fell a little, he brought the glass from his lips and gave her a reassuring look. “Not that that’s a bad thing, Charlotte. I get tired of the same jaded people day in and day out. It’s refreshing to meet someone who’s got a better outlook on things.”
She toyed with the food on her plate with her fork, looking as though she were pondering over how to answer him. It was clear she wasn’t just going to let everything come pouring out over dinner, no matter how much money he was planning to invest in her business.
“I’m from the middle of nowhere in Iowa. I grew up on the edge of a cornfield. Corn as far as the eye could see every summer. My parents still live there. I came here to see if I could make a go of things, plus I love the mountains.” She brought a bite of the chicken she’d been pushing around the plate up to her lips, glancing across the table at her dinner partner. “And you?”
He shrugged, taking another drink before answering her. His story wasn’t particularly interesting. “I’ve always lived in Denver, but my parents died when I was a teenager. I was technically a ward of the state until I was eighteen, and then I was out on my own. Everything that happened since then is boring. Let’s just say someone with more money than me saw something in me I didn’t know was there and took a ch
ance in investing on one of my business ideas.”
Preston didn’t like thinking about the past too much. There were some bad memories there. The present and the future were far more promising.
“So do you ever miss you parents? Do you get to visit them often?” He brought the focus back to his dinner partner, hoping to change the subject just slightly, but he didn’t like the look on her face.
“I haven’t had a chance to go back and visit since I left, to be honest. I miss home, but I’m trying to build something here. If it means I miss a few things back there then so be it. Eventually, I’ll be able to go back, but for right now, it just has to wait, even if I miss my parents. At least I get to talk to them from time to time on the phone. Dad calls every Sunday to make sure things are going alright. Mom texts me good morning every day. Things aren’t quite the same, but it’s not so bad.”
She was trying to make the best of a bad situation, but he could see how much she really missed them in her expression. Preston didn’t exactly understand the urge to visit one’s family. His own hadn’t been much to speak of. It had been a strange relief when his parents had passed away. It left him alone in the world, but it also meant he wasn’t left to take care of two drug addicts in the final throes of their addictions. He’d been taking care of himself since he was old enough to remember being able to do it. He hadn’t really had many other options.
That may have been the reason he depended so much on himself these days, and it was definitely the reason that there was no one much that he spent his life with. He didn’t have friends, just business partners. He hadn’t had a girlfriend in ages, just women who he shared a purely physical relationship with that would come if and when he called. Nothing more. It had suited him until now, but there was some part of him that wanted to share things with Charlotte, even if she was fifteen years younger than him.
Sweet Temptation: A Billionaire Virgin Romance Page 4
