by Tina Martin
His By Spring
Tina Martin
Copyright @ 2018 Tina Martin
HIS BY SPRING
Smashwords Edition
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His By Spring | Synopsis
A story of unexpected love that blossoms at the right time…
When Zoya Champion takes a few weeks off work to help her pregnant sister-in-law prepare for the baby’s arrival, she never expects that life would throw her a surprise in the form of a tall, ultra-sexy man, Tennyson Tillman, a lawyer for The Champion Corporation. Her attraction to him comes as a shock since she usually doesn’t give men the time of day. But there’s something about ‘this’ man that resonates with her. Tennyson, however, is so intent on presenting himself as perfect, she has a difficult time finding out what that something is.
Tennyson is working on a case for a recent acquisition by The Champion Corporation, but a force completely out of his control diverts his focus to Zoya – a woman who’s caught more than just his eyes. She’s borderline capturing his heart. How can that be when they hardly know each other?
But that’s the thing about love: it just happens, and when one soul drifts towards the other – towards its mate – the unusual becomes possible. Distance is no longer an obstacle. Problems work themselves out and the ordinary becomes extraordinary. Love fills everything else in between.
_____________
New to The Champion Brothers Series?
See the books listed in order below:
(All books are standalone, individual stories and can be read in any order)
Book 1: His Paradise Wife – Dante & Emily’s Story
Book 2: When A Champion Loves You – Dimitrius and Melanie’s Story
Book 3: The Best Thing He Never Knew He Needed – Desmond and Sherita’s Story
Book 4: Wives And Champions – A Family Novel that includes everyone and introduces the half siblings
Book 5: The Way Champions Love – Harding and Savannah’s Story
Book 6: His By Spring – Zoya and Tennyson’s Story
HIS BY SPRING: A CHAMPION SISTER STORY
The Champion Brothers, Book 6
Chapter 1
Zoya dragged her suitcase upstairs to the guest bedroom, all too eager to assist her sister-in-law, Savannah. She promised to come back and help her prepare for the baby’s arrival, and she was making good on that promise, even taking a couple of weeks off work to do so. Savannah was seven month’s pregnant with her first child, and Zoya was eager to live vicariously through her sister-in-law since, at thirty-two-years-old with no prospects, her chances of experiencing this kind of love and happiness were growing slim. She couldn’t wait to aid Savannah with decorating, buying baby clothes – pretty much whatever Savannah needed, she was down to help.
Harding, Zoya’s brother, had already left for work by the time she’d arrived. She couldn’t wait to see him. That’s why when the doorbell sounded, she quickly jogged back downstairs, yelling, “I got it,” to Savannah, thinking that Harding came back to shoot the breeze with her for a while. She smiled. Knowing him, he probably did. She was close with her brother – with all of her siblings – but especially big brother Harding. She admired him and respected the man he’d become, even though they didn’t grow up in the best of circumstances.
With a smile as wide as Asheville’s Beaver Lake, she snatched the front door open without taking a second to glance through the peephole. She just knew it was Harding. However, when she saw the tall, intensely attractive, brown-toned, suited-up man standing there holding a briefcase, the smile drained from her face, replaced by a noticeable frown. It definitely wasn’t Harding. Who was this guy showing up after Harding left for work?
“Hi, can I help you?” she asked.
“I’m here to see Savannah, please,” the man said.
His voice was just as fine as he was, Zoya thought, but why was he here to see Savannah at 8:00 a.m.? Why did he want to see her at all?
With raised brows, Zoya asked, “You’re here to see Savannah Champion?” seeking clarification.
“Yes. I’m here to see Savannah,” the man repeated with a straight face, fighting to hide a smirk. Then, just to build upon what he assumed she must’ve been thinking, he added, “We’ve been seeing each other for the past few weeks.”
Zoya’s frown deepened. Was this man messing with her? “I’m sorry?”
“Savannah and I have some important matters to discuss and it’s best we do that while her husband isn’t here. That wouldn’t be good.” A stiff grin emitted from his throat. “Is she here?”
Zoya watched the man glance behind her, looking around like his need to lay eyes on Savannah was a desperate one. Or maybe he was doing it so she’d invite him inside. Wasn’t going to happen on her watch. Her face was already burning red with madness at the audacity of this buster. Was Savannah cheating on Harding? What on earth was going on here?
“Are you…are you for real?” Zoya asked.
“Am I for real?” He looked down at himself. His arms. His pant legs. His hands. “I look real. Now, if you would, please, go get Savannah for me. I don’t understand what the problem is. She usually lets me right in and we get started on the couch, just the way she likes it.”
She’d heard enough. “Okay, you conniving piece of trash,” Zoya said through clenched teeth. “Savannah is married to my brother and you’re sneaking over here when he leaves for work to see her! Is that what’s going on here?”
“You’re not the sharpest knife in the drawer, are you?” the guy mumbled.
Zoya slammed the door in his face and locked it. Too angry to think clearly, she stomped upstairs, her blood pressure hanging amongst the clouds as she sought Savannah. She spotted her coming out of her bedroom with a towel wrapped around her head like she’d just finished shampooing her hair.
Savannah glanced up and saw the fury on Zoya’s face before she said a word.
Crossing her arms, Zoya said, “Savannah, there’s a guy at the front door asking for you. He said y’all have been seeing each other for the last few weeks...that he waits for Harding to leave so y’all can get started on the couch. What’s going on, Savannah? Are you cheating on my brother?”
Savannah laughed. “I’m going to kill Tennyson.”
“This ain’t funny,” Zoya said. “What’s going on?”
“You’re really upset aren’t you?” Savannah placed a hand on her baby bump. “Zoe, I’m seven months pregnant. If I’m cheating on your brother, it’s with food and sleep.”
“Then who’s this fool at the front door talking about getting started on the couch just the way you like it?”
Savannah was still laughing when she said, “That’s Tennyson. I work
with him. He’s the only other lawyer at The Champion Corporation. He comes over here to work so I don’t have to go to the office. I’m sure whatever he said, he was just messing with you. I told him you would be here, but I completely forgot to tell you he would be coming by. Sorry ‘bout that.”
Zoya shook her head. “No wonder he had a smirk on his face when he was talking. He was playing me.”
“He was. I guess when he realized who you were, he decided to have a little fun with you. That Tennyson, I tell ya,” Savannah said, her laughter subsiding. “Can you do me a favor and let him in? I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Okay. No problem,” she said, although she didn’t want to do it. She was already feeling spells of embarrassment as she headed back down the stairs. She was sure he’d have a good, long laugh at her expense.
Back at the front door, she unlocked the glass storm door and said, “Come in.”
He smiled inwardly. “Oh…I can come in now,” Tennyson said, trying to engage her in conversation before she walked away. He had a chance to see a pair of beautiful legs that matched her beautiful face as she took a few steps away from him.
“Yes, you can come in now. Thanks for making a fool out of me.”
“I was just having a little fun.”
“It wasn’t fun for me,” she said, turning to look at him just steps away from entering the kitchen. “You nearly gave me a stroke. You should’ve been upfront about who you were.”
“Seems you know who I am now, right?”
Zoya rolled her eyes.
“Did Savannah clear everything up? I would hate for rumors to get started and have her husband come looking for me.”
“Yeah. I know who you are now.”
“Well, that’s not fair, is it?”
Zoya gave him a hard, pointed glare. “What’s not fair?”
“The fact that you know me and I don’t know you,” he said, walking near her to close some distance between them. “Judging by the way you frowned at me a moment ago, I would’ve supposed you were Savannah’s bodyguard.”
“Maybe I am.”
“Nah. Bodyguards usually have more muscles and they’re definitely not as pretty.”
Zoya bit back a smile as she looked at the man standing in front of her. His voice was deep and smooth, easy on the ears just like his everything else about him was easy on the eyes. Speaking of eyes, his were burnt coffee brown. His skin tone was the color of warm milk chocolate. The man was blessed with long eyelashes. Thick brows. A nose that gave him the distinction of royalty. A smile that nearly whacked her off balance – not to mention the dimple in his cheek that made her heart skip a beat. Everything about him was astounding from the way he made a black suit look exceptional – to his smooth, precise haircut. His face looked like he’d just shaven this morning and the mustache set above a set of thin lips was the crème de la crème that made this man flawless.
“Hi,” he said, interrupting her trance with him. Well, he thought that’s what he was doing. It didn’t seem to be working.
Zoya was still standing there, staring, consumed by his exceptional good looks – taking him all in like she had never seen a handsome man before. She’d seen plenty – dismissed too many to count – but something about this one had her frozen in her tracks.
Tennyson would’ve been flattered if this didn’t happen so frequently, but he’d grown accustomed to women staring him down exactly like this. Trying a different approach to get her attention, he extended his hand to her and said, “I’m Tennyson Tillman, and you would be…?”
Finally coming out of her reverie, she said, “Um, I’m Zoya. Champion. Zoya Champion.” She accepted his firm handshake, feeling her fingers tremble the moment he squeezed it. Her legs felt weak, and she cleared her throat like the action would somehow assist with the sudden onset of the wobbly legs situation.
It hadn’t.
She only returned to somewhat ‘normal’ when Tennyson released her hand.
He smiled after doing so. He was all too familiar with the kind of effect he had on women and it helped him a great deal to determine a woman’s interest level in him.
“So, you’re Harding’s sister,” he said.
“Yes. Do you work with Harding?”
“I see him around the office from time-to-time, but I work mostly with Savannah and your half-siblings—Dante, Desmond and Dimitrius.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
“When I answered the door, you told me you and Savannah had been seeing each other.”
“I was just screwing with your head. Savannah had already told me you were going to be here, so I figured I’d have a lil’ fun with you.”
“You made my blood pressure go up. That’s what you did.”
He grinned. “I apologize for that.”
“Savannah forgot to mention to me that you would be here.”
“It probably just slipped her mind. She calls it her pregnancy brain, whatever that means.”
Zoya smiled warmly and slowly her guard began falling.
“Don’t listen to him, Zoe,” Savannah said finally coming downstairs with her hair brushed back into a damp ponytail. “Whatever Tennyson said about me isn’t true.”
Tennyson flashed a playful, dimple-showcasing grin. “That’s too bad, Savannah. I told her you were smart and a great addition to the team.”
“Liar.” Savannah chuckled.
Zoya giggled. Seemed Tennyson and Savannah had a good working relationship and something about that pleased her. “Well, I’ll let you two get to it.”
“Zoya,” Tennyson said, his gaze traveling the length of her.
“Yes?”
“It was a pleasure meeting you.”
“Likewise,” Zoya responded before going about her business and entering the kitchen.
Tennyson watched her until she was completely out of sight. He was already looking forward to talking to her again. If those hazel eyes weren’t intriguing enough, she had a nice, tight body to die for. And she looked young with her hair pulled back. Even as he took a seat on the sofa – Savannah’s preferred working area – he couldn’t get his mind off of Zoya.
Weird.
He’d met a lot of women and impressed them with his profession, been on too many dates to keep track of, but there was something about Zoya that captured his interest. Maybe it was the way she frowned when she opened the door. Or it could’ve been her character speaking to him since he found it selfless how she used two weeks of vacation time to help out Savannah. Whatever the case, he was glad to have two weeks to figure out this sudden attraction to her.
Chapter 2
Now, it was time to get down to business…
Tennyson picked up his briefcase, placed it on his lap, then put in the security code to unlock it.
“Okay, where did we leave off?” Savannah asked.
“You know where. It’s all about Blakeney.” Tennyson took out some folders then closed the briefcase back, setting it on the floor.
“Ah, yes. Blakeney,” Savannah repeated, tapping a pen on her notebook. “Let me run through my understanding of this company. So, before The Champion Corporation acquired Blakeney, Blakeney was weaseled into a shoddy deal by Forsyth Investments.”
“Correct. Forsyth didn’t have the manpower to handle the acquisition, nor did they have the capital to make the purchase of Blakeney a success,” Tennyson added.
“But Blakeney was so bitter with Blackstone Financial Services Group, they jumped ship and went with the first company who bat their eyes at them.”
Tennyson nodded slowly. “My question is the same as Dante’s—was there any legal wrongdoing or was this just a case of bad business—of Blakeney not doing their, uh—” Tennyson stopped speaking when he caught Zoya’s hazel gaze from the kitchen. She’d been looking at him. Listening. He cracked a smile when she quickly looked away.
“Due diligence?” Savannah said, offering a completion to his hanging thought.
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“Yes. Due diligence,” he said returning his focus to work. “The problem is, Dante isn’t going to accept that as an answer.”
“Why not? If we’re the ones digging through all of this convoluted mess and we determine there was no wrongdoing, then he has no choice but to accept it.”
Tennyson chuckled.
Savannah lowered her gaze. “Why are you laughing?”
“Because you must not know Dante well enough yet. I’m telling you right now—if his gut tells him there’s an issue, then you better believe he’s expecting us to find it.”
“Sorry to interrupt guys,” Zoya said walking into the room. “Savannah, have you had breakfast?”
“Not yet, but don’t go through any trouble, Zoe.”
“It’s not a problem. Just consider it me contributing to the welfare of my nephew. I already see I’m going to have to shop for groceries, but I did see some eggs and sausage in the fridge. Will that work?”
“Yes, that sounds good.”
“Okay.”
Tennyson cleared his throat and said, “Excuse me?”
“Yes?” Zoya said, looking at him.
“I haven’t had breakfast,” he told her, still rocking a smirk that showcased his dimple.
“Why are you telling me?” Zoya asked. “That sounds like a personal problem.”
Savannah grinned.
“Yeah, one which can be fixed by your kind hospitality,” he said.
Zoya couldn’t help but smile. “Would you like some sausage and eggs, Tennyson?”
“I would love some sausage and eggs, Zoya,” he responded, holding her gaze while his smile widened.
Sure you would. “What would you like to drink, Savannah?”