by Jenna Brandt
“I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Masters in Marketing right here, remember?” she said, pointing back at herself. “Trust me, neither of us want those optics.”
“What else can we do?”
“Well, you did promise to cook for me when we got back to the city,” Vanessa pointed out. “I suppose we have nothing better to do at the moment.”
Samuel made quick work of pulling out several items from the fridge and pantry. He turned on the oven to preheat it, then went over to the counter to prep the food.
Curiosity got the better of Vanessa. She moved over to stand beside him as he chopped the vegetables. “What are you going to make?”
“I have all the ingredients for Colcannon, plus there’s an amazing rack of lamb, so I figured I would make that with it.”
“Sounds delicious. Can I help?”
“Do you mind peeling and chopping the potatoes? I need them ready to boil while I prepare the lamb.”
Vanessa looked from the potatoes to the metal object in Samuel’s hand. She assumed it was used to peel the vegetable. How did she use one of these things? Going from having a live-in chef to the dine-in facilities on Yale’s campus, she’d never had to cook for herself.
She took the metal object from his hand and pushed it down on the potato. Nothing happened. She rubbed it back and forth, again nothing. What was she doing wrong?
“Here, let me show you how to use it,” he offered, placing his hand over hers. The contact was like a surge of lightning, jolting over her. Her eyes darted up to meet his, and she could tell from the desire in his eyes, he felt it, too.
Chapter Thirteen
“You push gently at an angle like this,” Samuel explained, as he guided Vanessa’s hand down the side of the potato. A piece of the skin came off, and they moved onto the next section.
He was grateful for the excuse to touch her. The moment he was pushed into the kitchen by their friends and saw her again, all the feelings he’d been trying to push away the past month came tumbling back to the surface.
She looked amazing in a cream silk blouse and navy blue knee-length skirt. Her chestnut hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, showing off her gorgeous face. It was all he could do to not lean down and kiss her right on the spot.
After a couple of times of peeling a potato together, Vanessa muttered, “I think I got it.”
Samuel reluctantly removed his hand, wishing he could continue to feel her soft skin under his palm. “You know, I never got the chance to explain what happened with Aisling.”
Vanessa shook her head, her hand faltering mid-stroke, nearly cutting her other hand in the process. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I know it’s hard, but I want you to understand that nothing happened with her. I texted her to make plans before I knew you were on the train.”
Her eyes moved up to meet his, and a softness was in them he hadn’t seen since before the night at the promenade. “Nothing happened?”
“Once we started spending time together, there was no one else. There couldn’t be because I’m crazy about you, Vanessa. I should have told you that the moment I knew it, but I was scared.” Samuel knew the words were spilling from his mouth like a waterfall, but he couldn’t help it. He had to make her understand how much he cared. “The last time I let someone get close, they hurt me. I shut myself off from caring, afraid to be vulnerable again. You managed to get through all of my defenses with your wit, kindness, and beauty. You made me want to have something real with a woman for the first time in a long time.”
“I want to believe you, Samuel, but it’s hard for me to trust you left your playboy lifestyle behind. I don’t want to get involved with you again, just to find out you can’t be in a committed relationship.”
“I think you should also know, you helped me see that it wasn’t just my romantic life that was lacking. I had been making bad choices in most aspects. I put making money and being famous above being a good person and honoring the values I grew up with. Since I’ve been back in New York, I started attending church again. I’m volunteering at a homeless shelter now. I even reached out to my brother to reconnect. I’m planning to go visit him in Pennsylvania next month. I’m going to get to meet my nieces for the first time. None of that would be happening if you hadn’t come into my life.”
“Really? Why didn’t I read about any of that in the newspapers?”
“I wasn’t doing it for publicity, I was doing it for myself. Being around you in Ireland made me take a hard look at myself and realize I didn’t like who I’d become.”
“I’m glad to hear the changes you’ve made in your life, Samuel. I’m even happier to hear you did it for yourself. I wouldn’t want you to do it for me. You would’ve ended up resenting me. We wouldn’t have survived that.”
“Does that mean there is a chance for us?” Samuel asked, hope filling his heart as he looked into her eyes. “Are you willing to try again?”
Vanessa nodded. “I was smitten when we were introduced two years ago and fell even harder for you when we kissed that night. When you forgot about me, it hurt. I tried to forget about you, but secretly, I always wondered what would happen if we crossed paths again. I never knew it would lead me to this moment where I could see myself in a relationship with you. I should have trusted in us and what we were building together. I was stupid to believe the worst, but I won’t ever do that again. I promise to never give up on us.”
“I’m so glad to hear that,” Samuel said, pulling her into his arms, his breath coming quicker with every passing second. He let his fingers trail down her spine as his heart pounded in his chest, the anticipation of what was coming next almost more than he could bear.
Slowly, he leaned down and kissed her, showing her how much he cared by the sheer passion behind the gesture. Her lips were soft against his, like a wave of warmth cascading over him. Time stopped around them, nothing mattering but the connection between them.
Vanessa wrapped her hands in the lapels of his jacket, clutching him to her like he was her everything. The kiss deepened, leaving little room for anything other than giving into the desire they both felt. He could feel her trembling as a sigh escaped her lips.
A dinging sound interrupted the kiss, startling them both back to where they were. They drew apart, both of them trying to catch their breath.
“I think the oven’s ready,” Samuel mumbled, then laughed nervously as he ran his hand through his hair. “Nothing’s even ready to go in.”
“I think we were a little too distracted, but no one’s going to care. This was what they all wanted when they shoved us in here in the first place. Maybe we should tell them we made up so we can go out. We can take a rain check on you cooking me dinner.”
Samuel gestured with his head towards the door. “They’re probably waiting just on the other side.”
Vanessa walked over and knocked on the door. “Okay, your plan worked. You can let us out now.”
“Really?” Heather said from the other side. “You’re not just saying that to trick us into opening the door?”
“Yes, really,” Vanessa stated in an irritated tone. “What do you think we were going to do if we weren’t, bulldoze past you when you opened the door?”
“I know how forceful you can be when you’re determined,” Heather countered. “What do you say, Samuel? Is everything corrected between the two of you?”
“Yes, Heather, everything’s good now.”
“That took a lot less time than I expected,” Willa stated with surprise. “I guess we’re better at this than we give ourselves credit for.”
There was the clinking noise of the lock being undone, and the door swung open to reveal the two women on the other side.
“This calls for drinks to celebrate.” Heather gestured behind her. “And I don’t mean iced tea, Nessa.”
“For once, we’re in agreement,” Vanessa said with a smile. “Pop open the champagne.”
“William, you h
eard my sister. Grab a bottle of my best bubbly,” Heather ordered. “My sister has finally met her match.”
Samuel reached out and took Vanessa’s hand, knowing that nothing could be truer. They belonged together, like two unexpected bookends, which upon further inspection, were exactly the right pair.
Epilogue
Six Months Later.
Vanessa watched as Samuel’s final episode wrapped on his show. The audience clapped and cheered as he took a bow at the center of the sound stage, then brought out the rest of the crew to take a bow with him.
As soon as the lights shut off, Samuel made a beeline straight for her. “What did you think of the last show?”
“It was great. The segment with the Girl Scout troop working on their Bronze Award for cooking with you was priceless.”
“That was a great suggestion, by the way. The changes you’ve helped me make to the show over the past few months have jumped the ratings so high, the show’s getting offers from huge sponsors. I also just got word today, the show’s been renewed for another three seasons.”
“How incredible, congratulations,” Vanessa beamed with pride. “You deserve it.”
“No, we deserve it. You’ve not only made the show better, but my life, too. I owe you so much.”
Vanessa’s phone buzzed, drawing her attention down to the screen. “It’s a text from one of the other students from Columbia. I need to respond to this.”
Rather than returning to Yale, Vanessa opted to transfer to Columbia to earn her doctorate. The program was just as good, and that way she could be closer to Samuel while they dated.
He nodded. “I’ll wait for you in the limo.”
Before he could make his escape though, several fans rushed up and asked for his autograph. Kindly, he signed all the cookbooks, laughing and smiling in his trademark charming way.
Vanessa quickly responded to Anna, one of the other members from her group assignment for her international strategic social media marketing class. Once she was finished, she turned around to leave. Not surprisingly, Samuel hadn’t managed to get away. She returned to his side, wrapping her arm through his. “If you’ll excuse us ladies, Samuel and I have plans tonight.”
“Oh, what are you doing? Are you going to a new art gallery opening?” one of the young women asked excitedly.
“Or are you going out with Wade and Tara?” a second fan asked, equally enthusiastically.
“It’s actually our six-month anniversary,” Samuel said with a grin. “I’m taking her out to celebrate.”
“You aren’t cooking?” a third woman asked with clear disappointment in her voice. “If you were my boyfriend, I’d have you cook for me every night.”
Vanessa let out a small laugh. “Believe me, he cooks for me plenty.”
“We have to go, ladies, but I hope you have a wonderful time during the rest of your visit to New York.” Samuel gave a final wave to his fans.
As they made their way to the limo, Vanessa shook her head, saying, “I’ll never get used to you having a flock of admirers the way you do. You’re lucky I’m not a jealous woman.”
“Most of the time. You didn’t seem too happy when that Brazilian model flirted with me last week.”
“What can I say, even I have my limits. Didn’t she tell you she won Miss Universe a couple of years ago?”
Samuel shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. You should know by now, I only have eyes for you.”
They climbed into the limo and a half hour later, they arrived at his apartment building.
“I thought you said we were going out?” Vanessa asked in confusion. “Not that I care, but if we were staying in, I wouldn’t have gotten all dressed up.”
“We’re just stopping off here for a few minutes. I need to get a couple of things really quick. Why don’t you come up with me and pick out a tie that compliments your dress for our anniversary picture?”
They exited the limo and made their way up to the penthouse. What she didn’t expect was all of their friends and family to be gathered together waiting for their arrival.
“Surprise,” everyone shouted as they came through the door.
“What’s going on?” Vanessa asked with a confused look on her face.
“I wanted everyone here for when I do this,” Samuel said, bending down onto one knee. He pulled out a ring box and opened it, revealing a magnificent diamond and sapphire ring. “Vanessa Marie Lewis, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Yes, yes, I want that more than anything else in this world,” she cried out, tears filling the corners of her eyes.
He reached out and took her shaking hand in his. He pulled the ring from the box and slipped it on her finger. “We’re getting married,” she shouted with glee as she turned to face their guests. She raised her hand high in the air for all to see the evidence.
Their friends and family clapped and cheered for them, each taking turns to come up and congratulate them on their engagement. Samuel introduced her to his brother, sister-in-law, and nieces. She, in turn, introduced Samuel to her parents, who for once, weren’t halfway around the world.
Towards the end of the night, Wade and Tara came up and pulled Samuel and Vanessa aside. “I know we already told you congratulations earlier, but there’s something else I wanted to tell you.”
“What’s that?” Samuel asked.
“I’m glad everything worked out with Vanessa. It means my hunch was right,” Wade stated.
“What are you talking about?” Vanessa probed, not understanding.
“I’ve always had a good feeling about the two of you, all the way back to New Year’s Eve over two years ago. I watched you together that night and I knew there was something special going on. Like Samuel usually did back then, he messed it up. I knew he wouldn’t believe me if I tried to tell him about it after the fact, so I did the next best thing. I had Tara contact Simone.”
“You did what?” Vanessa gasped with shock.
“I don’t understand; what did you tell Simone?”
“I told her all about Vanessa and that’s why her sister was sent an invitation to the Billionaire Birthday Club. It just so happened that her birthday was only a couple of days away from yours and she often traveled with her sister,” Wade explained.
“We figured if we could get Heather and Vanessa on the island before you, Simone could arrange a meeting between the two of you. It’s why she had you arrive the day before your trip. She’s the one that let one of the workers slip that you were in the lounge that first night,” Tara added.
“I can’t believe that you’re behind all of this,” Samuel murmured in disbelief.
“It’s like second nature for her to figure out what someone needs before they even know it themselves and to provide it for them. It was what made her such a perfect concierge,” Wade explained about his fiancée.
“I hope you’re not upset with us, but I figured now that you’re engaged, you should know the whole truth about how it all started at the club.” Wade patted his friend on the back. “I just wanted you to be as happy as I was, and I knew if you were left to your own devices, you wouldn’t take the needed leap to find true love.”
“We’re not upset, are we, Samuel,” Vanessa promised with a smile. “Stunned, but we know both of your hearts were in the right place.”
“I guess this makes us even then,” Samuel pointed out with a grin. “I arranged for your club invitation which lead to you meeting Tara. Now you’ve arranged for Vanessa and me to meet during my birthday celebration. It’s hard to be mad over something as wonderful as both of us finding the women we want to spend the rest of our lives with.”
“Agreed,” Wade said, returning the smile.
“If you need any help with the wedding planning, let me know,” Tara offered to Vanessa. “I’ve become somewhat of an expert as our own wedding is in a few weeks.”
“Thank you, I’m definitely going to take you up on that.”
Wade and Tara sauntered off
towards the rest of the group.
Samuel turned to face Vanessa, reaching out and taking her hands in his. “As it turns out, you were the best birthday surprise a man could ask for.”
Vanessa let out a laugh, her face scrunching up in the process. “Glad to hear it.”
“I love you, Vanessa, you know that?”
She nodded. “I love you, too.”
As Samuel gathered her into his arms and placed a tender kiss on her lips, she felt more deeply than she’d ever known possible. She yielded to him, knowing that from now until eternity, she belonged to Samuel Butler.
Sneak Peek of The Billionaire’s Birthday Wish
“Good job, everyone. We’re finished with this segment,” Wade McAllister heard the director shout out from behind the camera. “Let’s set up for the next one.”
Wade moved out of the way, letting the TV show staff scurry around him as they prepared the next part of the episode. The show’s makeup artist rushed towards him, using the pause in filming to touch up his face, while a hair stylist brushed his dark brown hair into place.
“Wade, can you move over to that red mark?” the director encouraged, gesturing to the other end of the counter where the contestants were standing ready to start their soufflés.
The rest of the afternoon sped by as Wade played his part as the host and head judge of America’s favorite baking show competition. He knew his lines and delivered each one with the handsome smile and endearing charm that was expected of him. As the guy-next-door turned pastry chef icon, he had a very specific image to protect. He couldn’t deviate from it or risk destroying the billion dollar baking empire he had built up over the past decade.
“Good job, Mr. McAllister,” one of the new production assistant interns said, as she passed by.
He nodded in return, racking his brain to try to remember her name. Finally, it came to him. “Thank you, Kari. How has your first week been here on the show?”