The Billionaire's Secret
Jenifer Regan
Published by Jenifer Regan, 2020.
© Copyright 2020 by Jenifer Regan. All rights reserved.
No part of this novel may be reproduced, duplicated, distributed or transmitted in either electronic or print form. Neither may it be stored in a retrieval system, database or in any form without prior written consent from the author.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter 1: Candy
Chapter 2: Trent
Chapter 3: Candy
Chapter 4: Trent
Chapter 5: Candy
Chapter 6: Trent
Chapter 7: Candy
Chapter 8: Trent
Chapter 9: Candy
Chapter 10: Trent
Chapter 11: Candy
Chapter 12: Trent
Epilogue: Candy
Chapter 1: Candy
Sweet Surprises
The bakery was filled with people and I stared on in shock as I approached it. The line was wrapped around the corner and it seemed that even more people were coming. I blinked rapidly and slowly approached the door.
“There she is!” someone shouted, and cheers rang out throughout the crowd. “Congratulations on your win!” someone else shouted and that’s when I understood what was happening.
A few months ago my best friend Sasha and I had competed in a baking competition on the Food Network and we actually won. The grand prize was a feature in their magazine as well as a $25,000 prize. Most of it went towards upgrading the bakery and pushing towards more advertising; the rest went right in the bank.
The show had aired last night but I hadn’t expected this sort of reaction. But still, I smiled and thanked everyone for coming.
“Give me a few minutes to check in on my staff and we’ll be open in a bit,” I said, and they again cheered. I laughed as I shook my head and unlocked the front door. The smell of freshly-baked pastries met my nose and I smiled. There was nothing in the world that brought me more joy than the smell of my creations.
“Sasha! We’ve got a big crowd today,” I shouted as I moved towards the back where my bakers were working like busy bees.
“We know!” Sasha shouted back as I turned the corner. “They were lined up when I first got here at six—apparently there are a lot of people in Charlotte that watch the show.”
Sasha’s long dreadlocks were pulled up into a bun on top of her head and a few fell loose as she ran around the kitchen. It was clear she’d been working hard that morning and I made a note to make sure she got an extra-long break that day.
I looked around the kitchen and did a quick inventory of what had already been made as well as what had already been put out on the front display. We were definitely going to need more to last the rest of the day. I was pretty sure that all that we’d made would be gone within the hour.
I went towards the computer and began typing out what we’d need more of and hit enter. I smiled as I looked up at the new computer screen I’d purchased for the shop. It made online orders that much easier because they appeared directly on the screen whenever a pickup order came in. I’d used the prize money to buy it and it had been one of the best purchases I’d ever made.
With a new list up and ready to be made, I called for my cashiers Stephanie and Denise to head towards the front. It was time to open.
The second I unlocked the doors, the customers came rushing in. I greeted them all with a bright smile as I thanked them for coming. I stayed near the entrance to control traffic and it wasn’t long before we had a steady flow going on.
It took over an hour to get everyone in and out and by the time they were gone, we’d been cleaned out. I looked over at Sasha, who was beaming with pride. She knew what this shop meant to me, and she’d believed in my dream three years ago when I took the leap and opened it. Sasha came from a wealthy family and she’d wanted to help me, so she became a partner in my business venture. She’d never had an interest in baking, but she believed in me. It didn’t take her long to fall in love with it though. Which led to now, us standing in Candy’s Delights with a cleared-out counter.
“That was insane,” I said as I moved behind the counter to hug my best friend.
“It was and I’ve got a feeling it’s only going to get better from here.”
We moved back to the kitchen and began helping our staff for the lunch rush. At one point it got too busy for our two cashiers, so Sasha ran to the front to help out. We had pickup orders coming left and right and I eventually had to end online orders for the day. It was the first time in my career that we ever had to do it and I smiled the entire time.
I was sweating bullets by the time the lunch rush ended and I’d never been happier to see four o’clock come. We were only open until five but service usually slowed to a stop by four. I let out a heavy sigh as we finished the last of the pickup orders and waited for them to arrive. I was starving and quickly made a sandwich. I was usually able to leave on a lunch break, but it had been too busy and my staff needed them more, so I worked double that afternoon to make up for their absence while they enjoyed their lunch.
I’d just sat down to eat when the bell over the door rang. A woman dressed in a black pencil skirt and a black and white polka dot blouse walked in. Her hair was pulled up into a high bun and she wore a pair of shades that I knew cost more than my mortgage. She lifted the shades and glanced around the shop until they landed on me. It made me want to check myself over, but I refrained. I was in the kitchen most of the day; it shouldn’t matter if I had flour all over my apron or if my naturally curly hair was sticking out all over the place.
“Hello, I’m looking for the manager,” she said, and I inwardly groaned. I didn’t feel like dealing with complaints and yet I still put on a smile and stood. I held out my hand to hers and we shook.
“Hi, I’m Candace. I’m the manager and owner.”
“Oh wonderful!” she said with a bright smile. “My name is Mindy. I need to place a special order for a cake. My coworkers came from lunch today raving about your treats and I figured it’s close enough to our office that I’d stop by.”
My heart warmed from knowing people were spreading the word about my bakery. I led her over to our design book to give her an idea of the work we’d done on previous orders. She oohed and awed as she looked at them.
“This is perfect,” she said as she pointed at a two-tiered blue marble design with an intricate topper made out of molded chocolate and decorated with macarons. It was a simple cake but also one of my favorites to make.
“My boss Trent is turning forty. He’s trying not to make a big deal out of it, but he should know better when it comes to me. I figured we could have a little celebration at work for him, just to let him know he’s appreciated.”
I smiled because I thought that was really sweet. You could tell a lot about an employer based on how their staff talked about them.
I got the details for the cake and the date of the party before I rang her up.
“Thank you so much. I know this is a bit short notice, so you have no idea how much I appreciate this.”
“It’s no problem at all,” I said before I got more details about delivery. We had a delivery service for our larger cakes but since they were located so close to us, I didn’t see an issue with delivering it for them.
“That would be amazing,” Mindy said with a blinding smile. After setting up a time for delivery we said our goodbyes and I placed the cake order into the computer. I could have left it up to one of my very talented bakers to make the cake, but something told me to make it myself.
So I went to the kitchen and began pulling our eve
rything I’d need to make for the cake. The cake itself was easy enough. I memorized the recipes so it took no time at all to get the batter made and poured. It was the topper on the cake that would take the most time and I’d need to freeze it overnight to make sure it held for the cake in the morning.
So for the next two hours I worked on tempering and molding chocolate. I’d gotten so into it that I hadn’t noticed Sasha and the staff moving around me. It wasn’t until it was closing time did I realize how lost I’d gotten into my work. It wasn’t anything new for me. I loved what I did and often got lost in my creations.
“Girl, that looks amazing,” Sasha said from over my shoulder. I smiled as I looked down at the spiraled chocolate design with the birthday boy’s name stacked on each level of the spiral. It was a very detailed piece and one wrong move, it could break. But I’d done this plenty of time and had no worries.
I finished the last T on his name before I carefully moved it to the freezer to chill. By the time the party started, the mold would be perfectly solid, and I hoped I could stick around to see the look on the guy’s face when he saw it.
Chapter 2: Trent
I Want Candy
I didn’t care much for birthdays. I especially didn’t care for celebrating turning forty. There was something about the number that made me feel...well...old. I felt old and it wasn’t a feeling that I enjoyed very much.
When I got to work that morning, I knew immediately that something was up. It was no secret that my assistant Mindy was a bit over the top. She never failed to forget my birthday and after being with me for almost five years, I knew she wouldn’t forget what day it was.
That was confirmed when I walked into my office and found it filled with balloons.
“Jesus and hell fire,” I groaned as I looked around what used to be my office. It looked like a clown came in and vomited party balloons everywhere.
“Surprise!” Mindy shouted from behind me. I turned to face her and glared but she didn’t seem the least bit deterred. She never did. “How do you like your surprise?” she asked, even though she likely already knew the answer.
“You’re fired,” I said, and she laughed like I’d just said the funniest thing in the world. “Seriously, I’ll give you an amazing pension if you pack your things and leave right now.”
Mindy waved me off and entered my office. She kicked balloons out of the way as she went. “Oh please, you’d be lost without me.” Which was not a lie. She was a bit overzealous, but she was the best damn assistant I’ve ever had, and I had gone through quite a few before Mindy came along. She was the only reason my busy life didn’t overwhelm me, which was why I didn’t complain whenever she decided to do things for my birthday. Even if it meant staring at rainbow balloons all day.
“You have three meetings this morning. I have them on your desk. Fair warning, one of them is Mrs. Millsap.”
I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. Out of all my clients, she was the worst. She was one of the richest women in the world and she used us all the time for advertising and marketing. The problem was she never wanted to work with my very well-trained staff members. She only wanted me. And I mean that in more ways than one. She has never hidden the fact that she finds me attractive. However, I never mix business with pleasure. It gets too messy but that has never stopped her from trying. It became worse after my divorce had been made public a year ago. Harley Millsap was not a woman who liked to be told no and I was pretty sure she was tired of hearing it from me.
“Fair warning, I hear husband number six just kicked the bucket and she’s on the prowl.”
She was also a gold digger and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. There was a reason she was a millionaire and that was before she even started her fragrance company. She was a vulture and she wanted me to be her prey.
So when she came to the meeting dressed in a tight and revealing red dress, I knew it was going to take a lot of patience for me to get through it.
“Trenton, darling, it’s so good to see you,” she said, her French accent thicker and heavier than usual. “I just got off the plane and came straight here, I must look a mess, no?”
It took a lot for me not to roll my eyes at her. She was fishing for compliments and I wasn’t going to play into her game. If she was a woman I’d met at the bar, I wouldn’t have hesitated to take her home and give her what she needed, but she was a client and I could never go there.
“You look fine, Mrs. Millsap,” I replied.
“Ms. Bublé. I have decided to go back to my maiden name since the death of my late husband.” She wiped at a nonexistent tear and I wanted nothing more than to bang my head on my desk. I wasn’t in the mood for this. I wanted this meeting over as soon as possible so I could leave for lunch. I decided not to react to her correction, and she didn’t seem impressed. That wasn’t my problem.
“So, tell me, Ms. Bublé, what are your preferences for this next product launch?”
She licked her red painted lips and said very slowly, “Sex.” I bit down on my tongue as she leaned forward and exposed her very ample cleavage. I was a certified boob man, so I knew hers weren’t real, but her plastic surgeon had done a good job.
“I want it to represent sensuality, carnal lust, and unhinged desire. Do you possess these qualities Mr. Hunter? I feel this campaign would be a lot more understood by someone who actually understands it, no?”
I could smell a trap from a mile away and I wasn’t going to fall into hers. “I have a very vivid imagination Ms. Bublé, so I assure you I can imagine.”
Her eyes narrowed and I knew she’d finally decided to stop the flirting. At least for this meeting. With that out of the way we were able to discuss business and get the details of her campaign plotted out. When we were done, I escorted her out. I didn’t miss the extra sway in her hips as she walked away. I shook my head and returned to my seat before I sent out an email to my top advertising team. They’d come up with some concepts and I’d have final say so. That’s usually how things worked, and I liked it that way.
When lunchtime rolled around, I damn near ran out of my office. But I didn’t even make it to the elevator before Mindy was calling my name. I groaned and turned around to face her. She was standing at the mouth of the hall leading towards the breakroom.
“Where are you running off to in such a hurry?”
“It’s lunch, where do you think I’m going?” I said with a groan. I just wanted to get to the deli and get a steak sandwich with extra spicy mustard. Was that too much to ask?
“Well, lunch is already here, birthday boy. Now, you can come voluntarily, or I will call Mrs. Millsap and tell her you want to take her out on a date.”
I glared at Mindy and for the fifth time that day mentally fired her. She didn’t make false threats and I knew she was true to her word. So I grumbled and followed her to the breakroom.
“Surprise! Happy Birthday!”
I jumped in surprise as I took in the breakroom. It was decorated a lot more nicely than my office had been. Black and gold balloons floated around the room and the snack table was lined with all of my favorite foods. But it was the cake that really captured my attention. I’d never seen anything like it. It was like looking at something out of a magazine.
“Guys, this is amazing,” I said, turning to my staff. “Seriously, I appreciate this so much.”
Mindy walked over and gave me a hug before she whispered, “You’re not old, you’re seasoned. Stop beating yourself up. Forty is a damn good age.” She stepped away and I smiled for the first time that morning.
“Who got the cake? This is phenomenal,” I said as I studied it further. I really loved the details, especially the topper and the way my name was spelled throughout. It really was amazing.
“That would be me, but the credit for this masterpiece goes to that lovely woman standing over there,” Mindy said, and I looked in the direction where she was pointing. Every ounce of breath left my lungs as I took her in.
&nbs
p; I was a good-looking man and I had been with my share of women. Models, actresses, socialites. I’d been with them all but not one of them held a candle to the beauty in front of me.
Beautiful, smooth, milk chocolate skin, and a body that women paid good money for. I could tell from where I was standing that everything on her was natural. Beautifully proportioned. Then there was her face. God, I’d never seen eyes as bright brown as hers. Full, kissable lips that I really wanted to taste. She was the sexiest woman I’d ever encountered, and she was only wearing a low V cut, white T-shirt, with a pair a blue distressed jeans. Her hair was pulled in a high ponytail and yet she looked like she could be on the cover of a magazine.
“Wipe the drool from your chin before she runs from the room screaming,” Mindy grumbled, and I shook my head to try and ease the spell this stunning creature had put me under.
“Trent this is Candace Morris, she’s the owner of Candy’s Delight’s.” I knew the bakery she spoke of. I walked by it whenever I went to the deli. How was it I never noticed her before?
I realized I was still staring like an idiot, so I cleared my throat and stepped towards her as I held out my hand. “Trenton Hunter, nice to meet you and thank you so much for the cake, it’s beautiful.”
“You’re welcome,” she said and sweet heavens her voice was like silk. It was soft and smooth, and I wanted to hear her talk forever. “I’m really glad you liked it. I only stuck around to see your reaction; I always get a kick out of that.”
“And did I satisfy you?” I asked on impulse. It was flirty and extremely suggestive. I cursed myself in my head because I knew within five seconds of meeting this woman that she was not the type interested in meaningless flirting. I was proved right when she raised a brow at me and took a step away.
“I’m glad you liked your cake,” she said before turning to Mindy and giving her a hug. “I’m glad it worked out; you enjoy your day.” She then glanced at me and said, “And happy birthday, Mr. Hunter,” before she waved and walked out the door. I stared after her until she disappeared.
The Billionaire’s Secret Page 1