A Christmas Temptation

by Karen Booth

  Work sucks.

  He grabbed his phone and leaned back in his chair to type a response. It does.

  I wish we were back at the house gorging ourselves on cookies.

  All Jake could think about was what had happened after they’d done their baking, when Sophie started a powdered-sugar fight and they ended up making out in the kitchen. I wish we were doing the things we did after the cookies.

  The blinking dots that meant Sophie was typing her response appeared on his screen. He waited expectantly, all the time wondering what must be going through her head. Was she feeling the same way he was? Or had he pushed it too far? Finally, he got a reply.

  What are you doing tonight?

  Bingo. Nothing. As in I’m available.

  8:30? It’s the earliest I can knock off.

  Sure.

  My place? Bring champagne?

  What are we celebrating?

  The end of the workday?

  Good enough for me. See you then.

  Audrey buzzed Jake’s line, making him jump. “Sawyer Locke is on the line again.”

  Jake picked up, his body buzzing from his text exchange with Sophie. “Sawyer. Did we forget something?”

  “I just got off the phone with my brother. He got his hands on some information about Eden’s. If what he heard is true, we could be in big trouble.”

  * * *

  Sophie was fairly sure she shouldn’t have sent flirtatious texts to Jake, but she wanted to test the waters. Just because he’d said he wanted to keep things quiet didn’t mean he wanted to end things between them. It had been her mistake to assume that yesterday morning. The old Sophie, the version of herself from eight years ago, jumped to conclusions like that. The more seasoned Sophie didn’t want to. It gave Jake too much power. She could steer this ship as well as anyone. She just had to hope it didn’t capsize because of her choices.

  The promise of seeing Jake again made it nearly impossible to focus on work. All she really wanted to do was reread their texts and fantasize about what might happen at her apartment later tonight. She was assuming a lot, based on only a few words that they hadn’t even spoken to each other, but she wanted to go on her gut with this one. Their weekend together had meant something. To both of them. She’d heard the genuine appreciation in Jake’s goodbye, and she’d also felt his hesitation at leaving.

  But what if she was wrong? What if he’d tricked her into thinking they could have more? She wanted to think she could be satisfied with only this second taste of Jake. She was so much stronger than she had been eight years ago. She had more confidence, was more resilient and self-assured. Even then, she doubted it in herself. She would be hurt if and when he called things off. Her marshmallow-like insides were still there, even if her outer shell had hardened.

  As for what that meant for this Eden’s deal that Jake was so desperate to make? The truth was that Sophie had only suggested they stop talking about it in order to give herself a break from saying no. It had conveniently come at a time when all she’d wanted to say to him was yes. Nothing about her plans for the future had changed. She would not sell the store. Not to Jake or anyone else who might come along. She would not let Gram’s memory down. That was the top of her priority list, and she couldn’t envision a reason why that would change. Not even the allure of pleasing Jake could make her set aside her family loyalty.

  Sophie jumped when her cell rang and she saw Jake’s name on the caller ID. Was he eager to chat? Was texting not enough? Or was he calling to cancel? The way her heart skipped and stumbled at the thought of each possibility should have told her that perhaps getting involved with Jake was not the wisest choice.

  “Hey,” she said. “This is a pleasant surprise.”

  “I have something I need to talk to you about.”

  “Oh. How nice.” Just hearing Jake’s voice made Sophie draw her finger along the edge of her desk and lazily lean back in her chair. Dreamy thoughts of what it was going to be like to see and touch him again flooded her brain. She could definitely get used to this feeling. “Do you want to wait so we can talk about it in person?”

  “This can’t wait. I’m calling because the word on the street is that there’s another buyer in the mix for Eden’s and I’m wondering what in the hell happened since I left Eden House yesterday.”

  Sophie sat up so fast her chair made a clunking noise. “Another buyer? What are you talking about?”

  “Sam Blackwell. Wall Street guy. Real shark. He’s going around telling people that the Eden sisters are in the palm of his hand. I thought I had the inside track here, Sophie. We agreed to that much. You wouldn’t lead me astray on that, would you?”

  What in the world had happened while Sophie was away? “Jake. I don’t even know this Sam Blackwell person, so he must have talked to Mindy. You do have the inside track. I told you that. But it’s the inside track on nothing right now. I’ve been nothing but incredibly clear with you. I’m not ready to sell. I might never be ready to sell.”

  Jake grumbled. “You can’t mess around with him, Sophie. Sam Blackwell is a player and he will not hesitate to resort to dirty tricks to get what he wants. We’re talking employee tampering or choking off supply lines to kill your business. He has connections with the city that are downright scary. If there’s a single thing out of whack with your deed to that building or the property, you could lose it.”

  Sophie’s heart was pounding so fiercely she was afraid she might be having a heart attack. Was there really someone out there powerful enough to take the store away from her? “How could someone do that? It doesn’t seem possible. I’ll talk to our lawyers. I won’t let it happen.”

  “That’s not a bad idea. But first, you need to shut down Sam Blackwell. You need to let him know you have no interest in doing business with him.”

  “Are you making this suggestion as my friend or as the person who wants to be victorious when this is all said and done?” Sophie hated that she had to question his motives. Jake made no secret of how competitive he was with other investors, especially other men.

  “Both. Either. I’m both of those people. I do care about you, Sophie. I don’t want you to get ripped off or mixed up with the wrong guy.”

  Sophie sighed and pinched her lower lip. Was that true? Did he really care about her? Or was this all about business?

  Lizzie poked her head into Sophie’s office. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Mindy’s on the line for you.”

  Speak of the devil. “Jake, my sister is on the other line. Let me go so I can talk to her. I have a sneaking suspicion she can shed some light on the Sam Blackwell situation. I’ll let you know what she says. Like I said, this is the first I’ve heard about this.”

  “Perfect. Yes. Call me back.”

  “Will do.”

  Sophie hung up and, for a moment, stared at the phone on her desk. She hated feeling so out of the loop, especially on a matter of which she made up 50 percent of the vested interests. She really didn’t like the fact that Jake had caught her so off guard. Why did she always have to be the last person to find out these things?

  “Mindy. Hey. I need to talk to you,” Sophie said when she picked up the extension.

  “Are you back in the city?” Mindy replied, ignoring Sophie’s request. “I was worried about you. Or should I say I was worried about you guys?” A mischievous snicker followed the question. “How is Jake, anyway?”

  “I got back last night. And it’s not like we were in danger. You know that. It was just some snow and bad roads. It was all clear by yesterday afternoon.”

  “How did things go? Between you and Jake? Was it like old times? Or did he just want to twist the thumbscrews on Eden’s?”

  Any number of interactions could fall under the purview of old times for Jake and her—everything from hanging out like buddies to falling into bed. She was thankful the latter had
happened, at least to know now that Jake was genuinely attracted to her. That wasn’t the reason he called things off all those years ago. Something else had been at play, most likely a case of twentysomething male jitters. “It was nice. We have definitely rekindled our friendship, which is great.” Sophie decided to stop at that. She wanted to keep some things to herself.

  “Did you talk about Eden’s at all? Because I have something I want to discuss with you.”

  “Jake told me there’s another buyer in the mix? He’s not happy about it, and quite frankly, neither am I. It’s one thing to talk to Jake, and it’s quite another to bring someone else in. Starting a bidding war doesn’t do any good when I haven’t agreed to sell in the first place. You’re just going to end up making people mad.”

  “Will you slow down? I didn’t plan for this to happen. It just happened. The guy’s name is Sam Blackwell. I was out with some friends at a bar Saturday night and he approached me. He’s a Wall Street guy. He does some real-estate investments, but it’s not the only thing he does.”

  “Jake told me who he is. He hates him. He says he’s a total snake. I can’t believe you let some guy chat you up in a bar without first finding out who he was.”

  “Well, he is incredibly handsome. Who was I to send away a good-looking guy who wants to buy me a drink? And that’s all it was. A Manhattan and a conversation. Perfectly innocent.”

  “From everything Jake said, there’s nothing innocent about this guy at all. I don’t like the idea of a person like this being within fifty feet of our grandmother’s store.”

  “Hold on a second. Are you mad because I spoke to someone about selling the store and property or are you mad because that someone wasn’t Jake? Did you two cut a deal over the weekend? Without me?”

  “In fact, we agreed to the opposite. No talking about it until after the will is read. I can’t believe you’re even suggesting it.”

  “How am I supposed to know what went on between you two when you were stuck in that big beautiful house with nothing but a fully stocked wine cellar, a roaring fire and complete privacy?”

  “Now what are you suggesting? That Jake and I are involved? Because we aren’t.” Were they? Her text conversation with Jake sure made her think they might be. Sophie buried her head in one hand, holding the phone to her other ear. Right now, she needed Mindy her sister, not Mindy her business partner. “At least I don’t think we are.”

  “Sounds to me like somebody is confused.”

  “That’s just Jake. He has that effect on me.”

  “Even after all this time? You need to get a grip, Soph. He’s just a man.”

  Just a man. Easy for Mindy to say. She wasn’t a hopeless romantic like Sophie. She didn’t have a bad habit of holding out hope forever, like Sophie did. “Do you really not know what it’s like when somebody has your number? When a guy could walk into the room for the five hundredth time and you’re still just as bowled over by him as you were the first time you saw him?”

  “No. I do not put men on a pedestal. If a guy is hot, he’s hot. I don’t sit there and think about how hot he is. I just go up and talk to him if I’m interested.”

  Yet more evidence that perhaps Mindy and Sophie should get their DNA tested someday. Sophie still wasn’t sure they were truly related. “I don’t put all men on a pedestal. Just some. And believe me, I would be much happier if he wasn’t up there. It’s just my stupid brain. I look at Jake and all I can see is everything I ever wanted.” If that wasn’t damning, Sophie didn’t know what was. Jake’s hold on her was just as strong now as it had been the first time. She needed to work harder at not giving him so much power.

  “Wow. Seriously?”

  Sophie sighed for what felt like the one hundredth time. “Yes. I can’t help it. There’s just something about him. Those green eyes and his mouth and the way he makes me laugh, especially at the most inopportune moments.”

  “Oh, my God. You really did sleep together.”

  Sophie’s shoulders dropped. There was no point in hiding it. Mindy was smart. Sophie couldn’t deny it forever. “We did.” Sophie considered calling it inevitable, but it truly wasn’t. Even when Jake had shown up at her door, even when she realized they were all alone, she never assumed he would want her.

  “How was it?”

  “Amazing. Completely incredible.” Sophie didn’t want to get too stuck in memories of her weekend with Jake, but everything was still so fresh in her mind—the way he smelled, the way it felt to be in his arms, the way it erased so much of the hurt and pain of the years spent apart. It was perfect. A little too perfect. Things with Jake and Sophie did not have a habit of working out.

  “I want to be happy for you, Sophie, but this could put us at a huge disadvantage. Are you going to be able to say no to him if there’s a higher bidder?”

  “It’s not a disadvantage because we’re not selling.”

  “And I’m not running Eden’s with you. Nor am I any less financially strapped than I was the last time we talked about this.”

  “You know I’m not in a position to buy you out.”

  “Again, you’re making my case for me. If we sell, you won’t have to worry about it. All of our problems will be solved.”

  Sophie needed to put an end to this discussion. Her head and her heart couldn’t take running in circles with her sister, especially with Jake Wheeler walking around the world, able to pull at her strings. “Look. Nothing can be done until the will is read. Can we just put this entire discussion on a shelf until then?”

  “Only if you’ll promise we’ll have a real discussion then. A real one where you remember that not everything is about what you want.”

  “And you need to promise that you will talk to Sam Blackwell and get him to keep his mouth shut. And I’d like you to remember for just a few minutes that you are a member of the Eden family.”

  “As if I could ever, ever forget.”

  Sophie got off the phone with her sister, but she wasn’t ready to call Jake right away. She needed time to think about everything Mindy had said. Maybe Sophie did put men on a pedestal. Maybe she shouldn’t let him know how willing she was to make him happy. It took away all of her power. She could learn at least that much from her sister.

  Minutes ticked by on her phone. She waited for ten, and then Sophie plucked it from her desk and dialed Jake’s number.

  “What did she say?” he answered right away, sounding desperate for anything but a romantic or flirtatious phone call with her.

  “She said that he approached her in a bar and they had a drink. That was it.”

  “That’s not what I’m hearing.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you. That’s what she told me. I don’t tend to question my sister too much. She’s never lied to me before and I don’t think she has any reason to lie to me now.”

  “Okay.”

  “You don’t sound convinced.”

  “I’m not, but I don’t know what else I can do about it.”

  “Well, think of it this way. Nothing can happen without me, and I promised you that I will not agree to a single thing pertaining to the ownership of Eden’s without first telling you.”

  “I know. And I appreciate that.”

  “That doesn’t mean I’m going to sell to you. But it does mean that you’ll know as much as I do.”

  “That’s all I need for now.”

  Sophie couldn’t help but feel once again that Jake was holding all the cards and she was holding none. How did she end up feeling this way? She was the one who owned half of a $4 billion property, after all. She wasn’t without resources. “Well, good. Guess I’d better get back to work.”

  “Me, too. I’m swamped. In fact...” Ominous silence came from the other end of the line. “I don’t think tonight is going to work. I’m sorry. I’m still catching up from being away on Friday.”

/>   Sophie pressed her lips together hard, fighting back the crush of disappointment. “I’m too busy, too.” She was too busy. But she would have found a way to see him. She would have.

  “Maybe tomorrow?”

  “We’ll see.” She didn’t want to play games. She was simply having a hard time keeping it together.

  “Okay, then.”

  Sophie hung up, immediately launching into a lecture to herself. Don’t be sad. He’s busy. You’re busy. You can’t live and die by his approval or how much he chooses to make himself available. You do your thing. He’ll do his. And what happens, happens. Be a little more Mindy, and a little less Sophie.

  These were all apt and good words for her to internalize, but the truth was that as unsure as she’d been of Jake’s motives over the last few weeks, she felt that doubly now. The instant there was even a glimmer of bad news, a small chance that he might not get his deal, he was no longer fun-and-flirty Jake. He was incredibly busy, noncommittal Jake. Well, two could play at that game.

  Sophie got up from her desk, marched to the elevator and meandered through the store, talking with some of her salespeople and making sure everyone was happy and, most important, full of the Christmas spirit. She helped men choose cashmere gloves for their wives and girlfriends. She helped an elderly woman onto the escalator and accompanied her to housewares to find a set of pots and pans for her niece. She scooped up a young boy who was running through lingerie screaming at the top of his lungs—his mother was relieved someone had found him. With a reassuring pat on the back, she offered him a candy cane from behind the register and wished them both a merry Christmas. She did everything Gram would have done if she was feeling lost and unsure of what to do next. Sophie clung to the one thing she knew she could count on—the magic of Eden’s, especially at Christmas.

  It was past eight when she decided to head back to her office. Her foot, still not fully healed, was aching, and so was her pride. She hated that she was so disappointed she wouldn’t see Jake tonight. As she walked among the flocked trees and life-size nutcrackers, the giant candy canes and swags of pine with wide velvet ribbon, she couldn’t help but wonder what made him dislike these things so much. She wished Jake could see the world the way she did—mostly full of good things and good people. For her, Christmas was a reminder of those things, a time to take stock and be thankful. If only Jake loved it like she did, he might open his eyes and see that a woman who would love to have a chance with him was sitting right under his nose.