Mariah was stunned by her mother’s words. “Is that what you all think, too?” She glanced at Chase, who held his head down, and Jackson, who rolled his eyes upward, while her father looked appropriately chagrined.
When no one answered, she threw her napkin on her plate and rose to her feet. “Excuse me, I think I’ll have my dinner elsewhere.” She spun on her heel and fled from the room.
She heard the pleas of her father, “Wait! Mariah, wait!” Tears blinded her eyes. She just had to get out of there.
Once she made it to her car, Mariah let out a long, tortured sigh. She glanced up at the house. Her own family thought she’d been cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs by putting all her energy into trying to have a baby. They just didn’t get why it was so important to her. The need and desire to have someone who would love her unconditionally was so strong, Mariah thought she would die when she’d learned she might not ever conceive. It seemed like a cruel twist of fate. But that was her lot in life and she was going to have to accept it, no matter how much it hurt.
* * *
Everett was exhausted and Friday hadn’t come quick enough for him. He’d just gotten back from an unplanned trip to Vegas to check on one of the Myers Hotels. They’d had an unexpected hiccup with construction at the new location, so he’d had to leave EJ with his parents and fly there to straighten out the mess. He hadn’t intended on staying three days, but he’d had to deal with some city officials to ensure the project got off the ground.
He was happy to be home in Seattle. EJ was so excited to see him last night that he’d stayed up well past his usual bedtime to be with him. Everett had been just as excited to see him and planned to spend some quality father-son time this weekend.
Everett also wasn’t too happy with the fact that he’d gone three whole days without seeing the gorgeous honey blonde. Right when he was starting to make headway and Mariah was getting used to his visits, he’d had to leave unexpectedly. He just hoped he hadn’t lost ground.
Which was why he was surprised when his receptionist informed him that Mariah Drayson had arrived and wished to see him. Everett sat up straight and straightened his silk tie. This was an unexpected surprise, but one that pleased him immensely. “Show her in.”
Several moments later, Mariah strode into his office carrying what looked to be the blueprints he’d given her several days ago. “Good morning.” She offered him a smile. “I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”
He rose from his chair and walked toward her to greet her. “Not at all. It’s good to see you, albeit a surprise.”
She looked scrumptious in a suit with a laced up detail along the side of the jacket and pencil skirt, along with some sexy black pumps. He’d love to unlace every inch of that skirt so he could run his hands over the generous amount of leg she revealed. Had she worn this sexy outfit just for him? If so, he wholeheartedly approved.
Her hair was loosely curled around her face and her eyes were bright. “I’m sure. Usually it’s you coming to me,” she replied. “But I thought it appropriate that I come to you this time, since the offer and design you’ve presented to us is pretty irresistible.”
“Pretty irresistible?” He flashed a grin. “Is that all? I was hoping for fantastic, magnificent and any other adjective you can think of.”
Mariah laughed. “It’s all of those things, with one caveat.” She took a seat on the chair facing his desk.
“What’s that?” he said, leaning his backside against the desk to face her.
“We want 40 percent.”
“That’s a large sum,” Everett said, eyeing her warily. He shouldn’t be surprised that she’d done her homework; Mariah struck him as a savvy businesswoman.
“Yes, but we’re prepared to pay half the costs of the renovation.”
“Considering you’re a start-up in Seattle, I would think you’d need to keep your capital in reserve.”
“True, but this investment is worth the risk.”
“Well said, but I’m not giving you 40 percent.”
She cocked a brow, obviously surprised at his firm tone.
Perhaps she thought she could sweet-talk him into it? And perhaps she could; it would depend on what the lady was willing to give him in return.
“Would you settle for thirty?”
“Hmm...” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “How about twenty-five?”
She smiled. “You drive a hard bargain, but I’m sold. We have a deal.” She offered her hand for him to shake, but instead of doing so, he used it to pull her toward him into his arms.
Everett didn’t know what came over him. He hadn’t intended to act on his impulse, but he’d missed her. A week was too long and he just had to kiss her. He lowered his head and, to her stunned surprise, brushed his lips across hers. He moved deliberately and with expert precision, but slowly and gently until she softened and her body strained to be closer to him, while her lips became more pliant.
When she sighed, he dipped his tongue deep inside her mouth and tasted her with leisurely licks and flicks. He delved deeper, mating his tongue with hers, and she raised her arms to circle around his neck. He growled and cupped the back of her head so he could kiss her more thoroughly.
Eventually, he pulled away, leaving them both panting and breathless.
Mariah touched her lips. “Everett, w-what was that?”
“I was sealing our arrangement with a kiss.”
“A handshake might have been more appropriate under the circumstances.”
“But not nearly as much fun,” he responded, his voice husky.
“I have to go.” Mariah quickly exited the room, much to Everett’s chagrin. He would have loved for her to stay and barter with him. Show him that she was just as affected as he was by that kiss, but she was still fighting the attraction between them. That’s okay, he thought. Because in time she would see that it was inevitable for them to become more than business partners.
* * *
“C’mon, you can’t still be mad at me,” Jackson said later that morning when she finally made it to the bakery. She’d left a message for both her brothers that she’d had business the previous evening and both of them had better be present to open up in the morning.
Both Chase and Jackson had been stunned by her declaration and each had left her several text messages, but she hadn’t responded. She was still furious with them for not standing up to their mother when she went on the attack on Monday night. Mariah had been giving them the silent treatment the last few days. They were supposed to speak up for her, protect her. Instead, they’d let their mother bully her, which was par for the course, but she’d expected more from them. Adding insult to injury was their failure to state they didn’t think Mariah’s infertility or single-minded obsession with getting pregnant was the cause of her divorce.
“Yeah, we’re sorry.” Chase came toward her as she walked into the kitchen and reached for her apron on the hook. “Really sorry. I should have stepped in and stopped Mom from bashing you, and I apologize that I didn’t protect you, little sis.”‘
Mariah glanced up with unshed tears in her eyes and nodded. Chase grasped her in his arms, picked her up and squeezed her in a bear hug.
“I love you, kid,” he said. “Always have, ever since I saw you in the hospital and you came out of the womb bald as an eagle.”
Mariah couldn’t resist a laugh as he lowered her to the floor. “I was not bald.”
“Was too,” Jackson said, coming over to the duo. “Chase and I wondered if you were a boy because you didn’t have any hair, and Dad really wanted a girl to dote on.”
“And he got you,” Chase said, caressing her cheek.
Mariah sniffed. It had been hard staying mad at her brothers for this long. It just wasn’t part of her makeup. She was the forgive-and-forget type. “So, how have you guys
fared without me and Nancy?”
The older woman had been out all week with the flu, so even Chase had had to pitch in, roll up his dress shirt sleeves and help out. He might not know much about baking, but he could mix ingredients, roll out dough and cut it with a cookie cutter. Jackson and Mariah would do all the heavy lifting.
“Where were you, anyway?” Jackson inquired.
Mariah smiled inwardly. First she’d done something for herself and slept in until 7:00 a.m., if you could call that sleeping in. Something she never did. Was it to teach the boys a lesson? Sure, but she had enjoyed the extra hours of shut-eye.
By eight, she’d made her way toward Everett’s office. Given his initial exuberance, she’d been surprised when he’d backed off and granted her some space, a week’s time to be exact, to agree to a partnership between them. His risk had paid off. She’d come to him. She’d taken a chance that he was an early riser and he was. Was he surprised by her visit to his office? Yes, but he’d quickly recovered and stolen a kiss. When he’d drawn her toward him, it had been as if he was pulling her into some sort of force field. The sheer strength and demand of his will forced her to comply, to allow herself to be kissed thoroughly. That’s when everything around them ceased to exist and she could think only of Everett and his searing kisses. Kisses that drove her mad until she’d had no choice but to run.
“Earth to Mariah!”
“What?” she asked, annoyed. She didn’t appreciate having her daydream of Everett’s full soft lips on hers interrupted.
“I asked where you were,” Jackson replied. “No need to get snippy.”
Mariah turned to face him. “I had a meeting with Everett and let him know our demands.”
“And?” Chase stopped kneading the dough he’d returned to.
“He agreed to 25 percent,” Mariah stated.
“He did?” Chase and Jackson asked in unison.
Mariah nodded excitedly. “Sure did. There was some discussion back and forth, but eventually he came around to my way of thinking.”
Jackson’s eyes narrowed. “And exactly what did you have to do to get him to see things your way?”
Mariah rolled her eyes at her older brother. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Jack. Anyway, what does it matter? His lawyer will draft up the agreement and this café will be up and running in no time!”
Chase walked back toward her and extended his hand, which Mariah shook. “I have to hand it to you, sis. I wasn’t sure you could pull this off, but you did. You’re right about one thing.”
“Me?” She placed her hand on her chest. “Right about something?” She feigned scorn.
“Yeah, you were right that we underestimate you,” Chase responded. “But I won’t make that mistake again.”
Mariah grinned unabashedly. Everett had learned the same thing today when he’d thought she would give in, but she’d stood her ground and walked away with a fair percentage for the business. She’d won personally, too, because he had made it clear with that kiss that he wasn’t backing down from developing their relationship. And if she was honest with herself, she was looking forward to him trying.
Chapter 9
“A café inside the bakery?” Lillian Drayson asked over the phone when Mariah, Chase and Jackson shared the news with her and the entire Chicago Drayson clan in a conference call the following Monday morning.
“Yes,” Chase replied. “In addition to selling Myers Coffee Roasters, a well-known brand in Seattle, they’ll be setting up a café inside the bakery, selling cappuccinos, lattes and more.”
There was applause in the background and Mariah looked at her brothers and beamed with pride.
“I think it’s an excellent idea.” Mariah heard Belinda speaking and was happy for her cousin’s support.
“And I second that,” Shari interjected. Coming from the head of operations for Lillian’s of Chicago, it was high praise indeed. “I wish I would have thought of it myself.”
“Perhaps Mariah can convince Mr. Myers to consider expanding his interests,” Jackson said, glancing over at Mariah, who colored with embarrassment. She knew her brothers thought that she’d been the driving force behind Everett’s decision to partner with them.
“And I would certainly entertain the idea,” Shari responded. “As we all would.”
Several minutes later, the conference call ended.
“That went great,” Chase said.
“Yeah, those Chicago Draysons are seeing that they aren’t the only smart ones,” Jackson added.
“Why must you always be so negative toward them?” Mariah inquired.
“I agree with Mariah,” Chase stated. “We need to make and define our own relationship with our Chicago relatives. We can’t let some past beef or grudge with our grandparents over money, a situation we weren’t even part of, affect our business. Can you agree to that much, Jack?”
“Fine.”
“Trust me, starting off a new business isn’t going to be easy and we need all the help we can get,” Chase said.
* * *
Mariah knew the café would be the boost that the bakery needed to increase sales. The development of the Myers Coffee Roasters café was going much faster than she and her brothers thought. Once they’d given the green light, Everett had several general contractors in, quoting on the work. It was a revolving door at the bakery. He’d also had a contract drafted and signed within days.
Each time a contractor came, Everett was right there with him. He made a point of stopping in to speak to Mariah. Not just to introduce her to whoever was there, but to say hello, see how her day was going or grab a pastry and run. Everett Myers was starting to become a permanent fixture in Mariah’s life and she was getting used to seeing him every day. When she didn’t, she was in a sour mood.
Jackson commented on it late one night when they were cleaning up the kitchen.
“What are you talking about?” Mariah demanded, even though she knew exactly what he meant. The contractors were finalizing their bids, so there was no reason for Everett to stop by every day as he had been doing.
Jackson scoured her with a disbelieving look. “You know what I’m referring to,” he countered. “Myers hasn’t been here in a few days and you’ve been sulking around like someone stole your puppy.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Very funny. My life doesn’t revolve around him. If you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been quite busy perfecting a new recipe I’ve been working on.”
Her brother raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah, you have been pretty secretive about it. What’ve you got cooking?”
Mariah shrugged. “I’m not sure. I don’t have a name for it yet, but I’m close. And when I’m done, I think it’ll put us on the map and have Sweetness Bakery quaking in their boots.”
He stepped back. “You’re that confident?”
Mariah nodded excitedly. She’d had the idea for a while and finally started working on the dessert at home during her spare time. Not that she had much of it, since the bakery took up most of her day. “I think I’m on to something, Jack.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense. When are you going to let me try it out?”
Mariah smiled devilishly. “Soon. Soon.”
* * *
“We’re here,” Everett said, when he pulled his Escalade into a parking space outside Lillian’s on Thursday morning. The hotel, the coffee importing business and a chaperoning trip for EJ’s school had kept him away from the bakery for nearly a week, so he was excited to see the progress on construction.
He’d brought his top barista, Amber Bernard, with him from his flagship coffeehouse in Pike’s Market today. Everett had chosen Amber from his current staff to come work at the bakery and wanted her to meet Mariah.
It also helped that Amber wasn’t bad on the eyes, either. She wa
s petite, only five feet two, but her large personality more than made up for what she lacked in height. He felt Amber’s easy and lighthearted temperament would suit the bakery and help build the customer base, just as she’d done at the Pike’s Market location.
She had long brunette curls, big brown eyes and an infectious smile, while her wardrobe was just as colorful as the lady herself. She favored bohemian type outfits—gauzy patterned shirts, floor-sweeping skirts and flat leather sandals—but as long as she could sell coffee, that was just fine with Everett.
“C’mon, Amber,” He unbuckled his seat belt. “I want to show you where you’ll be working.”
“Sure thing, boss,” she replied, and followed him inside.
Mariah was standing at the counter and her smile at seeing him vanished when she realized he wasn’t alone, but had a woman with him. “W-who’s this?”
Everett saw the flash of jealousy that sparked across Mariah’s face when she spotted Amber, and he quite enjoyed it. It meant that she was starting to see him as hers and that secretly thrilled him. “Mariah, I’d like you to meet Amber Bernard, the barista who’ll be on-site for Myers Coffee Roasters. Amber, this is Mariah Drayson, the owner of Lillian’s of Seattle and the best baker in this town.”
He watched the tension ease out of Mariah as she warmly smiled at Amber and extended her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Instead of accepting the handshake, Amber leaned toward Mariah and gave her a hug. “Great meeting you, as well. I look forward to working with you.”
Mariah was obviously surprised by the open display of affection, but returned Amber’s hug. “As do I.”
“I wanted Amber to come by to meet you,” Everett continued, “as well as see where she’ll be working.”
Mariah turned to her. “Would you like a tour of the bakery?”
Cappuccino Kisses Page 9