The Sweetest Kiss

by Candace Shaw

  “We had a wonderful time. I didn’t even know he was coming until I woke up from a short nap on the plane and saw him sitting in front of me wearing a yummy smile.”

  “I’m so happy for you. Maybe I should find a man to be with in your sense of the term so it’s not a real relationship. I kind of like that. No boundaries. Just be in the moment. And it seems to be working for you. I haven’t seen you this bright eyed since we met, except when you cut the ribbon on the bakery.”

  “Yeah, Broderick is a really nice guy.”

  “Girl, I hear you. I just came by to tell you that I have a little information on the different groups who are vying for the shopping plaza.”

  “Let’s go to my office.” Tiffani grabbed her laptop from the table where she was updating her blog. “Mindy, I’ll be back.”

  Once settled in her office, Tiffani poured some coffee and sat at her desk and Blythe plopped on the couch.

  “Well, I don’t know everything yet. But my source said this guy named Josh Powell who works for some big-time investor has been researching the property history and stats. There’s several different groups but two are in the running and the one this Powell guy belongs to wants to tear down and start over.”

  “Any names?”

  “Nope just Josh Powell’s. The investors don’t want their names known yet for whatever reason, but my source is still investigating. He said that one group has millions and they are willing to pay some astronomical price because they want to make this an eat, work and play type place like Atlantic Station in midtown.”

  “Wow. Do you know how much our leases would be? Out of this world.” Tiffani opened her laptop and clicked on the blog post she had been working on.

  “Girl, who you telling?” Blythe said, shaking her braided hair. “I’ve been sick to my stomach thinking about it. I just started making a steady profit last year.”

  “I barely made a profit this month, but business is really picking up. I’d hate to change locations.”

  Blythe rose from the couch. “I need to get going. I have a paint event in a few minutes with a bridal party. I just wanted you to know.”

  After she left, Tiffani read over her latest blog entry detailing her frustrations of big businesses swooping in and taking over small family-owned ones to make more millions. And although she actually liked the concept of the eat, work and play facility, she also knew the cost. She’d once considered a few of those locations but was unable to afford the lease.

  “I don’t know who you are, Josh Powell, or your millionaire friends, who think they can just take away people’s livelihoods. You just better hope I never have the opportunity to meet you in person,” she read out loud before pressing Publish.

  * * *

  Broderick sat at his desk at BJ Hollingsworth Corporation reading over the final contracts with Supreme Construction. It was one of the most lucrative investments he’d made in a long while and he was looking forward to reaping the benefits. Devin was building a small lakefront gated community with forty mansions. The floor plans started at two million and the properties surrounded a manmade lake. He was even considering buying one of the houses himself. His thoughts drifted to laying on the beach with Tiffani in his arms relaxing and discussing the world, politics or talking about absolutely nothing and simply enjoying each other while basking in the sun.

  She was as close to perfect as possible. Running a successful bakery and raising her son without his father was commendable. She was beautiful on the inside and out and had to be the most loving person he’d ever met. He respected her so-called relationship concept but the more he was around her, he wanted her all to himself forever. That was going to be his next investment project.

  Broderick opened his laptop and typed in the web address for her blog. He really wanted to call Tiffani, but he knew she was busy that day baking sweet potato pies for a large number of businesses having their annual Thanksgiving potluck dinners. He’d even placed an order for ten pies for his party later that week, much to Matilda’s chagrin. To appease her, he’d told her she worked too hard and needed a break.

  Clicking on the newest post, he saw that she’d just uploaded it an hour before. In it she discussed her ongoing frustrations with the shopping plaza possibly being sold and torn down within the next year, depending upon who bought it. He skimmed through it, as it seemed to be a rehashing of a conversation they’d had on the plane on the way home.

  His heart contracted and stopped beating when he read the last sentence. He read it again hoping he was mistaken. Hoping that there were two Josh Powells in Atlanta with the same job. Tiny beads of perspiration formed on his forehead as he pushed away from his desk and stormed out of his office.

  “Mr. Hollingsworth,” Leslie called out frantically.

  “Not now,” he shouted louder than he ever had as he marched down the hall to Josh’s office and flung the door open without knocking.

  “Damn, man.” Josh rose from his desk chair in utter shock and running a hand through his blond hair. “You scared me. What’s wrong with you?”

  Broderick stood in front of the desk and had to keep himself from yanking Josh by the tie. “What is the name of the shopping center in Dunwoody that Carl and Cedric told us about?”

  “Premium Village.”

  Broderick banged his fists on the desk over and over. “Damn. Damn. Damn.” He ran his hands over his head. “I don’t believe this bullshit!”

  “Calm down, man.” Josh strode over to the wet bar and poured two glasses of bourbon. “What’s wrong? Did someone already buy it?”

  “No. I need you to call Cedric right now and take my name off the list of possible investors. We’re out.” He tried to calm down, but his pulse was racing.

  Taken aback, Josh handed Broderick a glass. “Wait. What do you mean we’re out?”

  “Exactly what I just said.” He breathed in and took a sip of the drink. The last thing he wanted was for Tiffani to find out that he was even considering buying the shopping center or, even worse, find out from someone other than him.

  “Why all of sudden? I haven’t even presented you with all of the facts yet.”

  “Just do it.” The anger in him resurfaced as he turned to leave.

  “Broderick, I know you just signed the contract with Devin, but I think you should still consider the shopping center, as well,” Josh called after him.

  Turning back around and stepping into his personal space, Broderick towered over Josh by at least five inches. “Maybe I didn’t make myself clear,” he began through clinched teeth. “Take my damn name off of the list right now.”

  “You’re the boss,” Josh said, holding up his hands in surrender.

  Broderick backed away, mad at himself for shouting at his colleague. He’d been his trusted advisor and business manager since the very first investment and had never steered him in the wrong direction. But this wasn’t business. It was personal this time. The woman he was falling in love with would be heartbroken if she thought he was involved.

  “Call him now and come to my office immediately after.”

  Once settled back in his desk chair, he clicked on a picture of Tiffani on her website. Stirring around the drink in the glass, he sipped the rest and then threw the glass across the room. It shattered on the wall next to the door. A moment later, Leslie entered, saw the mess and shook her head.

  “I’ll clean up.”

  He stood and waved his hands in front of him. “No. No. I’ll do it. Just cancel my appointments for today and call Samuel. Have him meet me out front in thirty minutes with the Bentley. I’m leaving for the day.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said quietly with an empathetic expression before closing the door gently. But it soon opened again with Josh striding in.

  “Well?” Broderick asked, placing his laptop in its case.

&
nbsp; “I spoke to Cedric and told him we were no longer interested in investing with him in the shopping center. He asked about the restaurant chain. I told him he’d need to speak with you.”

  “Thank you. I’m not sure about the restaurant chain...um... I’m considering another option at the moment. For now, email me everything you found out about the Premium Village and the area. Also, if you have any financial information on the owner, I want that, too. If not, find out.”

  “Done.” Josh walked over to Broderick. “Are you going to tell me what’s up or leave me hanging?” he asked in a firm tone.

  “I need to do something first and then we’ll talk.”

  “Okay. I hope you know what you’re doing,” Josh said reluctantly.

  “I hope so, too.”

  Chapter 10

  “Hey, Broderick,” Tiffani said as she answered the phone. She placed it between her ear and shoulder so she could use both hands to pour the sweet potato batter into the pie crust.

  “Hey. How are you?”

  “Better now that I’m hearing your voice.” She couldn’t believe the wide smile that had formed on her face. She hadn’t spoken to him since he had called earlier just to say “good morning, beautiful.” His voice in her ear always took her breath away.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked with concern.

  “Just making pies. The last batch for now. And I saw the order you placed today.”

  “Cool. I wanted to talk to you about something. Are you free this evening?”

  “Yes. KJ is staying with my parents tonight because I’ll be here after closing filling a ton of orders for holiday parties and then I’ll have to come back in the morning. What time were you thinking?”

  “Doesn’t matter. I really need to talk to you about something.”

  She frowned at his tone. Even though he was calm, she heard the same nervousness in his voice that KJ had when he was trouble. “Well, I’ll be here.”

  After they hung up, she finished the pies and placed them in the oven. While cleaning up her mess, Kendall peeked her head into the kitchen.

  “Hey, Blythe is here to see you.”

  “Tell her to come on through.”

  Blythe entered the kitchen, shaking her head with a solemn expression.

  “What’s wrong, hon?” Tiffani asked, setting the bowl down and walking toward her friend.

  “Girl, you’re sleeping with the enemy.”

  * * *

  Tiffani sat on the bar stool icing cupcakes and waiting impatiently for Broderick to arrive. She’d been numb ever since Blythe had informed her that Broderick’s name was associated with the investment group that wanted to tear down her business, among others. She was in utter shock and furious. Had he played her? Was he actually stopping by to see her, or was he really coming by the plaza to check it out? He’d bought desserts from her, painted at Blythe’s place, bought lunch for them at the deli a few doors down and had even ordered the peonies for her from the florist on the other side. She wasn’t aware if he’d visited other places there, but more than likely he had.

  Frustrated, she slammed the icing bag on the counter after messing up two cupcakes in a row. Luckily, she always baked a couple of extra ones, but right now her hands were too shaky to continue. She chastised herself for falling for him and for even thinking that he would be someone she would even consider marrying. She’d fallen for his easy charm, his good looks, manly physique and that damn delicious smile he always bestowed upon her as if he were actually happy to see her.

  Her cell phone vibrated in her apron pocket. She pulled it out to see a text message from Broderick stating that he was outside.

  Breathing in, she headed toward the door. He was standing so eloquently yet authoritatively with a dashing smile that normally would melt her heart. Now she wanted to slap it off his face.

  Unlocking the door, she opened it and moved back inside to let him in.

  “Hey, beautiful.” He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek but she stepped away from him to close and lock the door. A puzzled expression reached his features as he handed her a bag from The Cheesecake Factory. “I brought you dinner from your favorite restaurant.”

  She barely looked at him and he frowned as he set the bag on one of the bistro tables.

  “It smells like sweet potatoes in here.” Tilting his head, he swished his lips to the side. “What’s wrong?”

  She laughed sarcastically. “What’s wrong? Where should I begin?” She grabbed a folder that was sitting on a bar stool and slammed it on his chest. “Seems like you, Mr. Hollingsworth, are trying to destroy what I’m trying to build.” Her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for him to stop pretending he didn’t know what the heck she was talking about.

  His eyes glazed over the content in the folder as he shook his head. He reached out to her but she backed away.

  “Don’t touch me,” she yelled. “How could you just lie to me this the entire time?”

  “No, Tiffani, wait...it’s not...”

  “It’s not what? What I think it is?” Her hand landed on her hip and she marched straight into his personal space and was practically eye level thanks to her wedge sandals. “I can read and it clearly states your name under the CBC Investors Group. I’m assuming the B is for Broderick, or in your case bastard.” Pointing her finger on his chest, she stared coldly into his dark brown eyes. “A lying bastard!”

  “Tiffani,” he began in a calm tone. He then gently removed her finger from his chest and she instinctively took a step backward. “I didn’t know that CBC was considering this plaza until earlier today when I read your blog post and saw Josh’s name.”

  “Are you kidding me?” She ended up in his personal space again. “How do you not know what you’re going to invest in? It’s your money.”

  “Because Josh is my business manager. He gathers all the details and presents everything to me at one time. Not in bits and pieces. Yes, I was aware that CBC was considering investing in a shopping plaza in Dekalb County, two actually, but I didn’t know which ones. Do you know how many shopping plazas there are in this county? Hundreds. I told the other main partners, Cedric and Carl, that I really wasn’t interested, but I’d have Josh do some research and I’d make a final decision if I liked the stats.”

  “How could you not inquire about names of the plazas that they presented to you?”

  “When we discuss business they know to go to Josh with the details. They told me in a brief informal meeting about shopping centers and a restaurant chain I was more interested in.”

  She sauntered away from him and through the kitchen door with him on her heel. “I don’t believe you.”

  He turned her softly around by the shoulders. “Sweetheart, I know you don’t, but I don’t have any reason to lie to you.”

  “You’re a controlling arrogant ass at work. Your words. Not mine. Therefore, I’m sure you know everything that is going on with BJ Hollingsworth Corporation because it’s your name and a brand that you built. Why wouldn’t you want to know every detail up-front?”

  “Tiffani,” he said through clinched teeth, which made her heart jump because she’d never seen him angry before. She wasn’t going to let him scare her, though, so she didn’t back off.

  “I have investment ideas thrown at me every single damn day and not just from brick-and-mortar businesses. Everything from those stupid gadgets you see advertised on television to workout DVDs, music and other stuff, but it doesn’t cross my desk because Josh and Leslie know not to present it to me until every fact is known. Therefore, Ms. Chase-Lake, I’m not aware of every minute detail until it’s absolutely necessary. I just invested millions into Supreme Construction’s upcoming project. That has been my main focus and you know this because we’ve discussed it.”

  Tiffani ran her hands down her face
and breathed in deeply so the tears that desperately wanted to fall wouldn’t.

  “You started coming here right before I found out that Harvey was selling the place. Blythe’s source stated Harvey had been meeting with different investment groups and individuals looking for the best deal months before he told the store owners. So cut the crap, Mr. Hollingsworth. You were only coming to check out the place.”

  He grabbed her to him and held her tight in his embrace. She tried to wiggle free, but he wouldn’t budge. “I only came here to see you. That’s it!”

  “Not true. When we met, you stated your secretary would call and then you showed up. Clearly you wanted to check the place out.” She continued to squirm, but it was no use as his strong muscular arms held her firmly in place.

  “I was coming to check you out.”

  “Liar. And to think I let you meet my son... He likes you a lot.”

  He rested his forehead on hers and inhaled. “I’m not lying to you.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

  “Get out,” she demanded, pointing toward the door.

  “Don’t do this, Tiffani.”

  “You got what you wanted, right? You had sex with the cupcake girl and now pretty soon you’ll own the place. I’ll have to find a new home for Sweet Treats because I won’t be able to afford the new lease.”

  “No, no I won’t. I told Josh to take my name off of the list of investors for the plaza. I don’t know what will happen, but I’m no longer a part of it. I remembered how hurt you were the day you found out that Harvey was selling and you we’re right... If the group I belonged to wins the bid, they’re tearing it down, buying the acres behind it that are for sale and making this a work, live and play place. I saw the preliminary plans today. Yes, the lease is much higher than what you’re paying now.”

  “Can they still buy it without you?”

  “Oh, yeah. There were five of us, but the money that goes in isn’t just to buy the plaza. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. It’s for the expansion. We’re talking tens of millions overall. The investors, and not just CBC, want the property because of the location.”