Soldier Prince's Secret Baby Gift

by Kate Hardy

  He frowned.

  “I’m sorry.” That hadn’t come out like she’d intended. “I didn’t mean to sound dismissive. I just don’t want to take you away from your guests.”

  “They’ve all gone now.” A smile returned to his very handsome face, making her heart beat faster. “So tell me, what needs to be done?”

  Pepper could fold the cloth herself. She’d done it countless times in the past, but she’d been hoping all evening to have a little of his time.

  “You could help me fold the tablecloth.”

  He moved to the other end of the table and lifted the corners of the cloth. They approached each other. Her gaze caught and held his. Her pulse raced and her knees felt as though they’d turned to gelatin. With concerted effort, she kept putting one foot in front of the other. All the while, she wondered if he could hear the pounding of her heart.

  And when they brought the material together, their fingers brushed. A jolt of awareness had her gaze dipping to his mouth—his very kissable mouth. The tip of her tongue moistened her lips.

  For the longest second of her life, neither of them pulled away. In fact, it was as if time had slowed down. A rush of energy pulsated through her body.

  This was ridiculous. It wasn’t like this wealthy, extremely handsome, very eligible CEO would be interested in her. She was just a baker with a polka-dotted apron and her hair pulled up. And she was his friend. Nothing more. Just someone to occasionally start the day with over a cup of hot coffee—even if those were the days she most looked forward to.

  She moved her hands to lift the fold. “Mr. Ross, I think you had a very successful event.”

  He arched a brow. “Since when do you call me anything but Simon?”

  She glanced around to make sure no one overheard them. “It’s different here. Someone might overhear.”

  “And that would be a problem?”

  He was right. She was getting too worked up about protocol and appearances. Still, she couldn’t resist glancing around again just to make sure no one was watching or listening to them. Satisfied they had some privacy, she began to relax.

  “Congratulations on the new store chain.” She took the tablecloth from him, in order to make the final folds. “Your guests all seemed excited about the plan.”

  “Thanks. It won’t be long now. The first store opens just before Christmas.”

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  He shrugged. “Sure.”

  “If you like animals enough to start up a chain of pet stores, why don’t you own one?”

  * * *

  Simon didn’t want to think about the past and how he’d wanted a puppy so badly. Yet the door to the past had been cracked open and now the memories slithered through, filling his mind.

  He remembered the little black puppy he’d fallen in love with. The neighbor’s dog had given birth. And his best friend, Clay, had offered him a puppy. He’d snuck it home, not wanting anyone to know—if they didn’t know, they couldn’t ruin this for him.

  Except two days later, his father found out and there’d been a high price to pay. Simon absently rubbed his right arm. He slammed the door on the memories. He wasn’t going to open up about his horrific past, not even for the amazing woman standing next to him.

  “It’s not a chain of pet stores. It’s a toy store for pets.”

  “There’s a difference?”

  He nodded. “We won’t be selling food and basics. We’ll tailor our supplies to keeping the consumers’ four-footed friends entertained.” A frown came over his face. “As for me not owning a pet, it’s the way I like it.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep.”

  He cleared his throat. “I think we both had a successful evening. Are all of your business cards gone?”

  “Almost.” She pulled a dozen or so out of her pocket.

  “I predict you’re going to be very busy in the near future.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Trust me. I see a brilliant future for you.” He smiled at her.

  Her stomach dipped. No one had a right to have such a sexy smile. What were they talking about? It took her a second, but then she got her mind back on track.

  Her gaze met his and held, much, much longer than was necessary. Her heart started to beat faster. “I... I want to thank you for hiring me—for hiring the bakery—my bakery.”

  Oh, why am I tripping all over my words? It’s not like this is a date or anything.

  He smiled. “There’s no need to thank me. I wanted the best. And you are the best.”

  Pepper felt as though her feet had just left the floor. He thought she was the best? Her lips pulled up into a big, broad smile as her heart continued its erratic tap-tap-tap-tap. It was like it was beating some Morse code signal or something.

  “Yes, there is. It means a lot that you think enough of my baked goods to want me to serve a party.”

  He continued to stare deeply into her eyes. “Of course, I think your food is amazing. But I didn’t hire you.”

  “You didn’t?” She studied him, not sure what to think.

  He shook his head again. “I have staff that take care of things like that.”

  “Of course you do,” she mumbled under her breath. The blaze of heat singed her cheeks as she glanced away. What made her think he would be bothered hiring a caterer?

  “Not that I wouldn’t have hired you.” His gaze met hers yet again. “It appears I’m not the only one to think you have the best bakery in the city.”

  Once again the heat flamed in her cheeks. She glanced up. “Thank you. I should be going.” When he didn’t make any move to leave, she said, “I’m sure you have other plans.”

  She wanted to ask if he had a girlfriend, but it was absolutely none of her business. And she didn’t want him thinking she was hitting on him—that would be the end of their easy friendship. Besides, a friendship was as much as she was willing to offer anyone. The thought of caring for someone—of losing another person in her life—scared her.

  “For once, I don’t have plans.”

  And so he lingered while she placed the tablecloth in a box with some other items. “You must always be so busy. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to run a company this size. I know that my little bakery keeps me busy from morning until night.” She was running out of things to say, but he still didn’t make any movement to leave.

  “Usually, I spend my evenings in the office.”

  “So you like to stay on top of everything?”

  He nodded. “I do.” He started helping her pick up things. “Just like you do by being here for the party.”

  Heat rushed to her cheeks. He was referring to the fact that she was here in person instead of sending someone from her staff. “The truth is I like to handle these events.”

  He arched a dark brow. “You like to make connections and expand your business. And your staff can’t do that as well as you do. I totally understand. You and I, we aren’t so different. If you ever want to discuss your business model or plans, let me know.”

  Pepper couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Simon Ross, the Simon Ross, was offering to help her with her business. Like he didn’t already have his hands full with a Fortune 500 company that kept rising in people’s estimations. If anyone could help her, it would be him. She’d love to hear what he had to say.

  “Thank you,” she said, carefully placing a stray cake server in the box. “I’d really appreciate it. Right now, I could take all of the help I can get.”

  “Do you have any plans for tonight?”

  “No. I don’t.” The words slipped past her lips before her mind had a chance to catch up. Some helpful business advice would be just what she needed. But she sensed he had more than business on his mind.

  As though he was reading her thoughts, his gaze dipped to her l
ips. Could this really be happening? The girl voted most likely to run away with the circus because of her strawberry blond hair and her colorful clothes. The girl who had never fitted in until she opened her bakery. Within those walls, she could unwind and be herself.

  He picked up her box from the floor. “Are you ready to go? We can grab a late dinner.”

  She had to make sure this thing arcing between them was real—that it flowed both ways. And it wasn’t some sort of misunderstanding. Staring into his eyes, her heart pounding, she asked, “It isn’t business you have on your mind, is it?”

  He stepped closer to her. His voice lowered to a sexy, hushed tone. “No. Is that a problem?”

  He was giving her an out. Knowing they came from totally different worlds, she would be smart to back away. But she was drawn to him unlike any other man in her life.

  Simon didn’t see her as the awkward girl in school that never could manage to be just one of the crowd. Those days were in the past—or so she wanted to believe.

  When concern touched Simon’s eyes, she realized the brief memories of her past had her frowning. She turned that frown upside down and sent him one of her brightest smiles. She was no longer the girl kids would point at and whisper about. Now, she was a confident business owner.

  With Simon standing so close to her, she had to tilt her chin upward for their gazes to meet. As she stared into his dark eyes, she felt as though she could get lost in them. She couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do than spend the evening with him.

  “I’d like to go to dinner with you.”

  His voice lowered even more. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to ask you out.”

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “You intrigue me.”

  A flutter of excitement filled her chest. “So why didn’t you ask me?”

  He placed the box on the table next to them. “It was never the right time. I was busy with plans for this new venture. And you were busy with the bakery.”

  It was true. They were busy people, but she would have made time for him, just as she had in the mornings for coffee over the last several months. It was during those mornings that they’d slowly let their guards down—revealing parts of their lives. But how had she missed that he was interested in her?

  He reached out to her. His thumb gently caressed her cheek. “You are so beautiful.”

  She leaned into his touch. His gaze held hers, as though he needed the connection more than oxygen. And then his gaze lowered just a bit. Her racing heart jolted with anticipation. He was going to kiss her.

  The breath caught in her lungs. As his head lowered, she gave herself over to the moment. Her eyes fluttered shut. And then she melted into his very capable arms. Her hands landed against his muscular chest and moved slowly up to his shoulders.

  The kiss, though gentle at first, picked up its pace. His mouth moving over hers, his tongue probing her mouth and her giving in to the ecstasy.

  Crash!

  Pepper jumped back. Her heart careened into her throat. She pressed a hand to her sensitive lips. All the while, her gaze moved about the conference room, searching for the source of the noise. And then she spotted the box on the floor. They must have bumped into it while they’d been kissing.

  She scanned the room again. There had been no one else around. Their kiss was still their secret. She liked the thought of sharing a moment of passion with Simon—something only the two of them knew about.

  Her gaze returned to the upturned carton. “Oh, what a mess.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll help clean it up.”

  Together they knelt down, Pepper righting the box and the few things that remained inside it. Simon handed her the scattered contents. In no time, the mess was cleaned up.

  When they’d both straightened, Simon leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. It was short, but it left no doubt in her mind that there was chemistry between them—as in the sizzling, smoking, combustible kind.

  She swallowed hard as her heart pounded in her chest. All the while, her gaze followed him as he shifted. She should say something. Yes, she should not let on that his touch had rocked her to her very core.

  Summoning her wits, she smiled at him. She just couldn’t let him see how much he got to her. “What was that for?”

  He smiled at her. It was one of those lazy smiles that showed just a bit of his straight, white teeth. Her stomach dipped. No man had a right to be that handsome.

  When he spoke, his voice held a rich timbre. “I wanted something to tide me over until dessert.”

  He was back to flirting with her and she liked it—she liked him. And the way he looked at her, it was like he was making love to her with his eyes. No longer the social misfit, she’d blossomed into Cinderella.

  Her gaze strayed across the sharp contours of Simon’s face, down to his broad shoulders and muscled chest. Oh, yes, he was definitely her Prince Charming.

  Copyright © 2019 by Jennifer F. Stroka

  ISBN-13: 9781488043925

  Soldier Prince’s Secret Baby Gift

  First North American publication 2019

  Copyright © 2019 by Harlequin Books S.A.

  Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Kate Hardy for her contribution to the A Crown by Christmas series.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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