Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe: Her Billionaire's Bargain (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Yvette Hines

  Like all the other businesses and houses that had been around the property previously, it was a removable piece. It had to go.

  Turning, he faced the other two in the room who had continued the conversation between each other. They both stopped talking and glanced at him, waiting.

  “Move the financial meeting to tomorrow sometime if Jim can do it.” His financial guy Jim Landor was a grandfather of six and a family man. Even though he generally worked on the weekend, he never made that a mandatory thing for his staff. Even Dillion got time off, but with a phone attached to his hip. “If not, Monday first thing.”

  “Will do, boss.” Dillion keyed in notes on his tablet.

  He looked to Rebecca. “Get me a copy of the contract for the last business and meet me at the elevator. It’s getting signed tonight.” Adding one more instruction to Dillion, he headed toward the door. “Call Steve and tell him to bring the car around in ten.”

  “Mr. Powers. It is seven at night. That bakery closed at two.” Rebecca called from behind him as he strutted out of the conference room.

  The corridors were now silent and bare. Ninety-eight percent of his staff had already gone home and started their weekends. To him the weekends were just quiet business days for him to plan, prep, strategize in making his company bigger, better.

  “Then I’ll go to her house.” Zac never broke stride. “Dillion inform Steve.”

  “On it, boss.” Dillion was now in step with him pressing a speed dial button on his phone.

  “See you at the elevator.” Rebecca peeled off and went in the reverse direction toward her office.

  He passed Dillion’s office with its glass walls and walked into his. The only glass in the room was a wall of windows that matched the ones in his bedroom. He could see out, but no one saw in. Not even at night with all the lights on as it was lit up now.

  His assistant had gone to his own office, and Zac was grateful. He needed a few moments to compose himself, get his thoughts together. There was no doubt in his mind a battle awaited him with Kourtney. It was the discussion there were supposed to have eight days ago over dinner. Or any subsequent day since then.

  They’d have it now. She’d see the power and unmovable fortress that made and ran Zac Acquisition & Development and brought them to the success they’d achieved over the years. Good sex and feelings be damned, this was business.

  ~YH~

  “Alex.” Zac called out after pushing the button on his steering column to activate his cars Bluetooth as he negotiated the uptown traffic. “How are things in Seattle?”

  Normally Steven would have driven him, but he’d sent his driver home, because the mission before him he preferred to do alone. Mostly, because he had learned from other times that being around Kourtney Deen was always unpredictable. Convincing her to sign the contract and sell the property her store sat on to Zac Acquisition & Development was not going to be a cut and dry task. However, he had no plans to leave until she did. He had racked his brain and couldn’t see any other way around it.

  “Ah, great, Zac. Anytime you want to bring your side of the family back here, we will take it.” His cousin teased.

  “See I was thinking you all were getting tired of the rainy weather and wanted more sunshine.” Hearing from his cousin was just what he needed right now. He was so mentally stressed speaking with Alex provided him a reprieve.

  “Doubtful. The Anderson corporate roots run too deep here, just like you all have done there in North Carolina, Zac.”

  “True.”

  “So, what do I owe this call to? Did the Powers side forget to get our family reunion deposit in?”

  “If you did, I’d leave that call to my mother to handle with yours. I try not to get very involved in all that.”

  They both chuckled in agreement.

  “So, you’re not calling about business or the reunion so what’s going on.” He took the interstate ramp that would lead him in the direction of Harrisburg.

  “I got married.” Alex declared.

  Shocked, Zac wasn’t sure how to respond to the three word announcement. Even though his older cousin Lucas had fallen, Alex was more like his self—business minded. Alex was driven, and ate and breathed corporate success above all. Just like him. Pulling himself out of his reverie he asked, “What prompted your walk down the aisle? I didn’t even realize from our last talk months ago that you were leaning in that direction.”

  “I wasn’t.” Alex exhaled hard into the phone. “She got pregnant.” He paused. “I couldn’t walk away from this my son. Instant love when I saw Jacob’s little face.” The tone of his cousin’s voice revealed the awe Alex was feeling.

  “Well, if you’re happy…”

  “With my son yes. Jessica, my wife, and I are working through it all.”

  “Well, I guess that just leaves Mark and me. You know my brother was the first to fall.”

  “It changes everything.”

  There was a weight and knowledge to Alex’s words, Zac had to be honest with himself that he just didn’t understand. “I’m sure. Well, I’ll get my assistant to send you all both a wedding and baby gift. Can’t wait to meet your Jessica and Jacob next year.”

  “Maybe you’ll have some lady as your plus one at the family reunion.”

  “Doubtful.” Zac laughed hard. “We’re both too busy to talk anymore nonsense.”

  “Then explain to me what the hell your Governor was thinking in signing that law.”

  “Fuck if I know.” Now this was the exact discussion Zac expected from his tycoon cousin as he took the exit off the interstate.

  ~YH~

  “Can I haf cheese on my popcorn, Mommy?” Zendaya kneeled on a stool at the bar and watched the popcorn bounce up and around in the maker.

  “Yes, button, you sure can.” Kourtney set a large bowl on the small kitchen island.

  “Cheese doesn’t like Ms. Margo.”

  Kourtney laughed. “You mean Ms. Margo’s body doesn’t like cheese. She’s lactose intolerant, remember? In milk, cheese, ice cream or things made from a cow.” She turned to cross the few steps to the refrigerator.

  “Lactose. Laaaactose. Lactooooose.” Her daughter continued to repeat.

  She couldn’t help but smile at her daughter playing around with the word. It was game night for her and her daughter. Instead of going to the movie as they had done last Friday, they were staying in and playing Shuts and Ladders, Uno and Sorry as they gorged on popcorn. It was the nanny’s night off. Tomorrow Ms. Margo would take Zendaya to her best friend’s party and sleepover while Kourtney went to work.

  At the open refrigerator, she asked, “Do you want apple juice or sweet tea?” Normally, she limited the sugary drinks her daughter consumed, but on Friday and Saturday she was more lenient.

  Zendaya’s lips twisted from left to right as she contemplated her choices. “Sweet tea.”

  “Ah, spoken like a true southern girl.” She smiled back at her daughter as she grabbed the glass pitcher from the top shelf.

  Her daughter beamed. “It’s done! It’s done.”

  “Okay. Wait, I will help you get it out. Otherwise I fear I’ll be picking up popcorn from the floor all night.” She poured their two drinks first, then placed them on the round kitchen table where the first board game was already set up. When she returned to the island her daughter was already holding the scooper and the bowl.

  She was glad she’d purchased the popcorn maker. It was a smaller version of the maker at a theater. The popcorn was better than microwave or pot cooked and it highly entertained her daughter, in turn made it a pleasure for her to watch.

  “Now, button, remember to be careful. Some of the kernels can be hot if they touch your skin.” She undid the latch that held the glass door closed during popping.

  “I’ll be careful, Mommy.” Zendaya dug into the hill of popcorn and dumped the first scoop into the bowl. Then she used her other hand to pull one out and pop it into her mouth. “Yum.”

  “An of
ficial taster’s job is never done. It is how I make sure my cupcakes are delicious each and every time.”

  “Oh, yeah.” Her daughter was rocking back and forth as she started scooping again.

  Kourtney was sure her daughter was remembering the chocolate cupcake a blood orange cream filling and a chocolate ganache topping. There was still two more on the counter.

  “That’s good.” She took the scooper and closed the glass door. “What kind of cheese do you want? Cheddar or parmesan?”

  Zendaya left the bowl on the counter as she jumped down from the stool and rushed to the refrigerator. Kourtney went to get the microplane grater from the drawer.

  “Can we have both?”

  Her mouth went dry at the thought of the two different cheeses. “Um…they normally don’t go together, but sure. It’s your popcorn.” She went to the cabinet and grabbed a smaller bowl to fill with her own popcorn. Her palate and a seven year old’s tastes buds were not the same.

  “Who’s phat?” Her daughter was eating a pinch of cheese as she turned toward the front of the townhouse the direction of the knocking sound.

  “I don’t know who that is.” She said, just as they finished preparing one bowl with dual cheeses and another with cayenne, garlic powder and kosher salt. Grabbing the two bowls, Kourtney placed them on the table. “I’ll see. Be back.”

  “Okie dokie.” Her daughter was barely paying attention to her as Zendaya was busy shoving handfuls of over cheesed popcorn into her mouth.

  Shaking her head and laughing at her daughter antics, she went to the door and pulled it open.

  “Good evening, Ms. Deen.”

  Oh, God, please let the floor open up and swallow me.

  Her heart stopped. She was sure her heart stopped beating for seconds, maybe even a full minute as she stared into the face of the man she expected never to see again.

  Heat infused her body from the inside out as Zachary’s gaze made a slow caress of her form like molasses running down a tree. She now knew how a cherry felt under the fire of a flambé. She regretted her casual at home attire.

  This man was invading her personal space, her life in more ways than one. Her heart was pounding and all she thought about was that she needed to get rid of him. “What are you doing here?”

  His clear gray eyes met hers, the warmth still present. “I’m glad you made it home safe.”

  “Yes, it took me a week to get here.” She wished she could retract the bite in her tone. He would think that she cared that he didn’t call after their night together. Don’t you?

  “When a woman creeps out in the middle of the night it doesn’t give me a sign they are interested in my continued attention.”

  Zing. He got her. There was a shadow in his eyes and a tightness to his brow. Regardless of her reasons for leaving his arms, it had been wrong of her not to at least leave a note of some kind. Refusing to relent, she folded her arms and gave him a hard look.

  His gaze dropped to her breasts and she realized her mistake. The crossing of her arms lifted her unrestrained breasts high beneath her tank top.

  “I ask you again, what are you doing here?”

  There was a twinkle in his eyes now and a tilt to his sexy firm lips. “The contract.” He held up a legal size envelope. “I need you to sign it.”

  “I told you I wasn’t doing it. Cupcakes of Joy is mine. I’m not selling it. I’m not moving it. I’m not negotiating with your company in any way…end of story.”

  “Kourtney, I’m not taking no for an answer.” The corners of his mouth were tight and the texture of his words were practically a growl.

  “No.” She swung the door.

  His smacked the palm of his hand against it, stopping it. “I’m not leaving until you hear me out. My company would pay for moving it. Literally lifting the whole establishment and relocating it where ever you want. Like Arboretum District, it would double your revenue out there.”

  “Hel—” She bit off the word thinking of her daughter in hearing shot. “No. Mr. Powers, it’s not going to happen. My customers know me in this community. I’m a staple, a fixture.” She shoved at the door.

  He remained a solid opposition. “What community? Have you bothered to open your eyes outside your store? Things are changing on the east side.”

  “Yeah, it’s called gentrification.” That was a hot spot button from her. “Big business comes in and decides the people that live there have to go.”

  Zac stood there for a moment just staring at her. “Those homes were dilapidated. Not to mention when we bought out the strip mall there was only four stores in a fifteen space mall.” He stepped into her space, bringing his warm spice smell with him. “Overlin will bring jobs and revenue to the area. How many people are you hiring with your glorified bake sale?”

  Both pissed off and hurt by his words she stepped into his space. “Go to hell.”

  “Mommy.” There was a patting on her thigh. “Are you angry?”

  She gasped. Her heart was pounding now. Shocked that she’d allowed this man to get under her skin so much that she forgot about Zendaya. She had disregarded the one thing she wanted to keep private.

  Frozen in the spot, she wasn’t sure what to do. What she wanted to do was shove Zachary out the door and slam it shut, locking all her dirty secrets inside.

  “Who’s phist?” Never one to be ignored for long, her bold personality daughter, wedged her way between her and Zachary.

  The powerful businessman appeared just as shocked as Kourtney felt. He took a step back and stared down at her daughter.

  She inhaled. First to recover, Kourtney tried to keep control of the situation as she answered her daughter. “This is a business friend of mommy’s. Can you go back to the table?”

  Before her daughter could move Zachary hunkered down before Zendaya. He looked from her daughter then up to her with question in his gaze.

  She was sure that he was wondering why with all the things and personal family matters they had discussed last Thursday night, why she never mentioned her child.

  “Hi. I’m Mr. Zachary. I’m a friend of your mother.” His voice was low and gentle. “What’s your name?”

  Her daughter glance up at her as if trying to get permission to answer the strange man.

  Caught in the set of mirrored gazes, guilt built like bile in the back of her throat. She gave a slow nod of approval as Kourtney bit into the flesh of her cheek.

  “I’m Zendaya Marley Deen and I’m seven,” her daughter announced proudly.

  “Well, Zendaya. That is a very pretty name for a lovely little girl. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Zendaya beamed. “Thank you. I like your eyes.” She reached poked his cheek below one of his eyes. “They look like my phriend Sammie’s kitten. Her phur is gray.”

  “So are yours.” Zachary’s brow creased and he was looking at Zendaya hard as if he were attempting to figure out a puzzle.

  Kourtney needed this moment to end. Quick. She stroked her daughter’s wild curls back from her face. “Say good-bye, button. And go back inside.”

  “Okay.” Zendaya lifted her little hand and waved. “Bye, Mr. Zachary.” Obedient, she turned to go back inside.

  “Wait.” He caught Zendaya’s hand and drew her back.

  She wasn’t sure what had made him stop her daughter from leaving.

  When Zendaya faced him again. “Yes, sir.”

  He didn’t answer her. Instead, still holding the little hand, he lifted his other one and brushed back her hair from the left side of her face.

  Leaning over Kourtney looked to see what had seized his attention. Did Zendaya have cheese on her face?

  Gently he caressed the birthmark on the side of her daughter’s face.

  “My mother has this same mark.”

  Oh, God…

  Chapter Five

  “Mommy said I’m her heart. That’s why it’s shaped like one.”

  Zachary nodded. His throat felt tight, constricted and he wasn’t al
l too sure why. It was as if he was on the cusp of a big moment, but it didn’t make sense. “My dad tells my mother the same thing about hers. She got her mark from my grandmother.”

  The little girl smiled, a toothless grin that warmed his heart. He didn’t spend much time around kids, he figured that was the reason this little one was bowling him over.

  “My mommy doesn’t have one.” Zendaya giggled.

  Caressing the soft little cheek, he barely contained the tremors in his hand. “Can you give your mommy and me a few minutes alone?”

  She nodded, her wild light brown with blonde highlighted curls bounced around her face.

  “To your room and put on a movie for a minute, sweetheart,” Kourtney instructed.

  “Yes, ma’am.” Waving again, Zendaya was off like a bullet.

  He stayed low for a long moment. The situation didn’t make sense at all to him. Looking at the sweet little imp gave him a vision of what a daughter of his could possibly look like. Her hair color was a slightly darker shade than his, making her a sandy blonde, but the eyes and her mark were indicative of his mother’s family traits that were passed down.

  It didn’t make sense.

  “Zachary.” Kourtney’s voice waivered.

  Bringing his gaze up her lithe body: bare legs showed off under short shorts, high, full, firm breasts free beneath a dark tank top. “I’ve always prided myself on being a man of reason. One plus one always equals two.” He rubbed his temple that was beginning to throb. “But…this…it’s not making sense.”

  “Zachary.” His name came out on a wisp of breath.

  He was ready to think his mind was playing tricks on him or maybe he’d stepped into some alternate universe, but the way Kourtney was worrying her bottom lip and the fact her greenish-brown eyes—completely different from her little girl’s—wouldn’t meet his, caused his heart to pound.

  “What am I missing here, Kourtney?” He shoved his suit coat back to set his hands on his hips.

  When she looked at him, there were tears in her eyes. “Come in.” She turned from him and walked away.