Resisting the Billionaire

by C. C. Snow

  His driver was waiting for us when we walked out of the building, holding the door of the Lincoln open. I scampered into the luxurious car and tried not to be intimidated. The only time I’d ever been in a limo was when I went to prom and there were four couples in the vehicle. Now the interior felt cavernous. But the space magically shrunk as soon as Jake sat down next to me, and I found it difficult to breathe. His presence seemed to suck all the oxygen out of the air.

  “What do you want to eat?”

  “Um…I’m not picky about food.” I flushed as soon as I realized what I said. My plump figure probably spoke for itself.

  “Good. We’ll go to my favorite Spanish restaurant near Millennium Park.” He gave the address to the driver and then raised the privacy screen.

  The leather gave a slight squeak as he sat back and angled his body to face me. “So tell me Cora. What do you think of the Emerson project?”

  I hesitated. “Jake, I’m not sure I’m qualified to give you any feedback.”

  “Bullshit. Just give me your gut reaction to what you read.”

  “Well…the building will certainly add to the Chicago skyline. And the architect’s renderings of the interiors looked amazing. But…”

  “But…” he prompted, his eyes glued to my face.

  “But, all the amenities seem to be geared toward young, single people.”

  “Yes, most of the residents will be that demographic.”

  My forehead wrinkled. “I thought there were several floors with two and three bedroom units?”

  “Yes, we figured a few tenants may be married or would want to have extra guestrooms.”

  “But married couples have kids. Did you want them to move out of their units or did you want to provide some incentives for them to stay? Wouldn’t lower turnover of units be better for business?” I lost my reluctance to speak out as I worked through the logic, but I clamped my mouth shut at the arrested expression on his face.

  “Um… Of course you would know more about this than I would.” I laughed nervously and backpedaled. “After all, you’ve been doing this for years and I’ve been on the job for four days!”

  Jake grinned. “That’s brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!”

  I inhaled sharply as he leaned toward me until his face was so close I could see the fine grain of his skin. His clean scent teased my nose. Inches away, his eyes were like two liquid pools of paradise and I felt like I would drown in them. They trailed over my face and my insides felt weak and fluttery. A heavy heat sunk into my lower body.

  “You’re beautiful and smart, Cora. I’m lucky to have you as my assistant.” His voice was gruff.

  The reminder of my job shoved me out of my trance. I broke eye contact and looked down at my lap, ignoring the tingles running through my body. He’s just being polite, Cora. He doesn’t really think you’re beautiful.

  “Thank you,” I muttered.

  He sat back and I could breathe again.

  “Will, this is Jake Weston. Can you meet me at the site at two? I want to make some changes to the plans.”

  I realized he was speaking to the architect on his cell phone. Surely he wasn’t going to make changes based on my careless comment?

  “Great. See you then.” He terminated the call and turned to me. “Will Garucci did not sound too happy, but he’ll come around.”

  “Please tell me you’re not going to change the plans because of what I said. I don’t know what I’m talking about.” My voice was unnaturally high. I was horrified that my big mouth could have derailed a multi-billion dollar project.

  Jake looked completely unaffected by my anxiety. “You made an insightful observation and I’m going to run with it. Frankly, I’m disappointed my project manager didn’t see this angle.”

  Before I could argue, the car stopped at our destination. I was in such a daze, I didn’t notice anything until we were seated in the elegant restaurant.

  “Jake, you can’t just arbitrarily change such a big project based off of my opinion. This is crazy.”

  “I don’t want to hear another word about it. It’s done. If you have any ideas of what type of facilities we should add, feel free to share them.”

  My lips pressed tightly together. I didn’t want to say anything else that would make the architect’s life miserable.

  “That’s too bad.” He was clearly laughing at my discomfiture because his lips kept twitching. “Now, have you ever had tapas?”

  I shook my head. On my salary, I could hardly afford to eat out.

  It suddenly hit me that things had changed. With my raise, a night out wasn’t out of the question anymore. I smiled as I made plans to take Marcus to eat out this weekend. Maybe we’d hit a steak house. We hadn’t had a good steak for a long time. It would be nice to not have to eat cheap carbs for once. And afterwards, we could pick up some clothes for him. He was growing like a weed and his jeans were already too short for him.

  “Penny for your thoughts.”

  “What?” I blinked my boss into focus.

  “What put that look on your face just now? Were you thinking of someone specific?” Jake looked hawkish, his eyes hard, and I wondered what had irritated him.

  “Um…I was thinking of taking my brother out this weekend.”

  “Welcome back, Mr. Weston! It’s always a pleasure.” A dark haired mustachioed man beamed at him. Obviously, Jake was a valued customer. He turned to me and although I didn’t think it was possible, his smile grew. “And who is this lovely señorita?”

  Whatever affected Jake seemed to have passed quickly because his face was relaxed again. “Luis, it’s good to see you! This is Cora. Cora, Luis is the owner of La Cocina.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Luis. Your restaurant is lovely.”

  “The señorita is beautiful and smart.”

  Luis’s echo of Jake’s earlier words made my face heat up.

  Jake smiled lazily as he stared at me. “Yes, she is.”

  My cheeks exploded with color at his look. It felt too intimate and I forced myself to glance away. I dug my fingers into my palms, hoping the pain would help me maintain my composure.

  “Would it be okay if I picked a selection of tapas for you today?” asked Luis.

  I nodded my assent. I was too flustered to focus on what to order.

  “That would be wonderful, Luis.” Jake handed the owner our menus.

  “So, you were thinking about your brother. Marcus, right?”

  It took me a moment to recall our conversation. I nodded, surprised he remembered my brother’s name. “Yes. I thought it would be nice if we went out to eat tomorrow. We haven’t dined out since…well, for a long time.” Since before my mom died.

  “How old is Marcus?”

  “He’s twelve. He’s in the eighth grade.” I could tell he wasn’t familiar with school age children and explained. “He’s ahead in school by a year because he’s academically advanced, especially in math and science. He could actually do high school level work, but the counselor said it would be harder for him to fit in socially if the age gap is too large.”

  He looked suitably impressed. “Intelligence runs in the family, then. How did you become a guardian at such a young age?”

  There wasn’t a way to dodge the question without being outright rude. “My mom died from lung cancer eight months ago and we didn’t have any extended family.”

  Sympathy changed his blue-green eyes to dark blue. “I’m so sorry, Cora. That must have been heart-breaking.” His large hands reached across the table and took my hands gently into his.

  Something tightened in my chest at his touch. His palms felt dry and hot and every time the pads of his thumbs brushed the top of my hands, I felt twin currents travel up my arms. I had expected his hands to be soft and manicured, but they were pleasantly rough.

  “It was. But at least I still have my brother. He’s my only family.”

  “Family’s important. What happened to your dad?”

  “He died i
n a car accident. Hit a patch of black ice and spun into a truck coming the other way.” My voice was shaky. My dad’s death was sudden and unexpected whereas I had time to prepare for my mom’s. It wasn’t that my mom’s death was less agonizing, but at least I had time to say goodbye.

  His face etched with sadness, Jake squeezed my hands. “Fuck. I’m so sorry, Cora. You’ve had to deal with a lot of bad shit and you’re only twenty-two.”

  I could feel the prickle of tears and I forced myself to push aside the grief threatening to overwhelm me. Self-pity never helped anybody. “I tell myself there are people who have it worse. At least Marcus and I are together and we’re healthy.”

  I forced a smile and pulled my hands away. His touch was affecting me far too much. “How about your family?

  “Mom and Dad live an hour and a half north of Chicago. When Dad retired, Mom convinced him to move far enough away so that he wouldn’t be tempted to drop by the office to check on things. They really like living in the country.”

  “That sounds like the perfect way to retire. Do you have any other siblings besides Troy?”

  “No. Although my mom would have loved a daughter. But she swore she was too tired after raising too rambunctious boys.”

  “You and Troy seem to be close.”

  “We are. When we were younger, we fought all the time, but things changed when we went off to college.”

  “I guess you grew up.”

  He grinned at my assessment. “I did… but the jury’s still out on Troy.”

  “I guess I spoke too soon,” I teased.

  His chuckle was deep and warm and entirely dangerous. Our easy banter made me feel like we were on a date instead of a business lunch. I dropped my eyes in consternation and bit the inside of my mouth as a sharp reminder to be professional.

  The server’s arrival was a timely interruption. He placed three small plates of food in front of us: roasted potatoes, asparagus with Parmesan cheese, and fried calamari.

  “God, this looks incredible.” I inhaled, drawing in the smells.

  “Let’s dig in. If I know Luis, he’s already sending out the next round.”

  Without ceremony, we both placed a sampling of each dish on our plates. I was never the type of girl who didn’t eat in the presence of a good-looking guy. Even as compelling as Jake was, the food was too good to resist.

  It was all I could do not to moan in ecstasy as the dash of sea salt and Parmesan melded with the fresh taste of asparagus. Jake stared at my mouth and I quickly brought up my napkin to wipe away whatever drew his attention.

  “Tell me about the Emerson project. What will we be looking at today?” My tone was deliberately brisk and cool.

  With the barest hesitation, Jake started to explain what we needed to inspect at the site and the progress he expected to see.

  The staff brought out plate after plate of delicious food and despite feeling uncomfortably full, I ate every bite. Jake seemed unfazed by my healthy appetite and put away his fair share of the spread.

  When Luis returned, I was effusive in my praise and he puffed up proudly.

  The visit to the site was eye opening. Jake patiently described the various stages of the construction process and again, I was impressed with his knowledge of every minute detail.

  When Jake explained to the architect about the reason for the changes, I was concerned Will Garucci would get angry, but to my surprise, Will was on board. His compliance might have had something to do with the force of nature that was Jake Weston, but I saw signs of genuine enthusiasm as Will sketched out new ideas which did not require a total revamp of the project.

  By the time we returned to the office, my head was spinning. I felt like someone had flipped me upside down and shook out all my expectations and preconceptions of Jake Weston and then stood me back right side up. I felt rattled and humbled.

  The reality of being Jake’s assistant was definitely not what I first imagined. Nor did the billionaire resemble the caricature I had in my head.

  Then all my feelings of revulsion returned with a vengeance when I watched him utterly crush Leon Richards and his son in our afternoon meeting.

  DataPoynt was a cyber security company under a hostile takeover from a rival firm. The CEO, Leon Richards, was practically begging for Jake to step in to save the company, but my boss was unmoved.

  Leon was a barrel-chested man in his fifties. Under normal circumstances he was a handsome man, but stress had taken a toll, making him look drawn and tired. His son, Dale, was only a few years older than I was, but he came across as confident and business savvy. Instinctually, I liked father and son on sight. They radiated honesty and old-fashioned values. They greeted me with utmost courtesy, unlike many of the CEOs who treated me like a piece of furniture.

  Leon spent twenty minutes going over the circumstances of the takeover and the current financial state of the company. From his tone, I could tell Leon cared a great deal about the firm.

  Jake interjected with a few questions, but he looked completely indifferent to the other company’s troubles.

  Leon was sweating profusely. Deep lines etched the sides of his mouth and the corners of his eyes. “Weston, I understand this is not normally Weston Enterprise’s industry, but yours is the only company with enough assets to fight off the takeover. Larry Penn doesn’t want what’s best for Datapoynt. He’s just out to make a fast buck. He’s going to gut the company and sell it off. I founded Datapoynt and I don’t want the firm to fall into Penn’s hands. I’m asking for your help.”

  My heart bled for him. Leon was risking his pride to do the right thing for his company.

  Jake did not react to the impassioned plea.

  “Datapoynt might be small compared to other firms, Mr. Weston, but we have one of the best reputations in the industry. We have made a steady profit every year,” Dale added. “We have a few projects in development which could increase our share of the market within three years. My dad is an amazing CEO and he’ll continue to make the company grow. Your management team would not need to get involved.”

  I smiled at Dale, moved by his show of support for his dad. I swung my gaze to Jake. He was staring at my lips and his expression was downright icy. I shivered, wondering what brought on his sudden moodiness.

  “I’m sorry, Richards, but business is business. I don’t have any interest in paying an inflated price for stocks in a company that won’t really add to Weston’s overall portfolio. You’ll have to find somebody else to be your white knight.”

  “There’s nobody else.” The older man looked gutted. “There are hundreds of jobs at stake,” Leon made a last appeal.

  “Frankly, that’s not my problem.”

  The heartlessness of the statement made me flinch. Jake’s coldness was unnerving. I had a hard time reconciling this man with the one who spoke so warmly to his mom just this morning and who teased me during lunch.

  Jake unfolded his tall frame and stood.

  Following his cue, the Richardses did as well. The elder’s face was gray with defeat. “Thank you for your time.” He shook hands with Jake, and gave me a curt nod.

  Dale Richards reluctantly offered his hand to Jake. His face was flushed with anger. When he turned to me, he forced a smile and said, “It was a pleasure meeting you, Cora.”

  My smile was sickly. I felt a surge of pity for him and squeezed his hand in sympathy. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out. I hope things turn around.”

  Dale’s lips twisted wryly and father and son left the conference room. Dale’s hand was on his father’s shoulder in silent support.

  I gazed longingly at their backs, envying their strong familial bond. In spite of their financial woes, I knew father and son would be there for each other.

  After they walked out of sight, I busied myself logging off the tablet I used for taking notes. The meeting left a sour taste in my mouth.

  Jake must have seen some of the distaste on my face because he asked, “Something on your mind, Cora?�
��

  I thought about holding my tongue, but I couldn’t contain myself. Innocent people were going to suffer because of a megalomaniac’s greed. “Why won’t you consider rescuing the firm? It’s obvious Mr. Richards is at the end of his rope and he cares about his employees.”

  “There are no strategic advantages for Weston Enterprises to save Datapoynt.”

  “But there are probably no disadvantages either,” I argued.

  “It doesn’t make business sense. With the cost of the buyout, Weston Enterprises wouldn’t turn a profit for years on the deal.”

  “Not everything has to be about the bottom line. If Mr. Richards was telling the truth, hundreds of families would suffer because of some power game played at the top of the food chain. He and his son seem to be good people.”

  Irritation and some unnamed emotion flared in his eyes. “Are you sure you’re not unduly influenced by Dale Richards’s pretty face?”

  My mouth dropped open in disbelief. I was speechless at the unfair and unwarranted accusation.

  “Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment in business.”

  His sanctimonious tone made me grit my teeth. I was never one for violence, but my palm itched to connect smartly with his cheek. “Better than to have no emotions at all,” I uttered under my breath.

  From the flash in his eyes, Jake heard me, but I didn’t care.

  In one day, my opinion of him had swung from he’s-such-a-sweet-son to he’s-not-so-bad-if-he-respects-my-opinion to he’s-an-utter-and-complete-asshole. His Exaltedness was back.

  I stuck my chin in the air, refusing to be cowed by his disapproval. “You asked me not to hold back my opinion when you hired me. In this instance, I think you’re making a mistake. Saving Datapoynt might not add to Weston Enterprises’ profits at first, but in the long run, you’ll earn the loyalty of Richardses and they’d work even harder for you.”

  He made a derisive sound. “That’s a naïve outlook. The Richardses could also sit back and coast on Weston’s resources once they are under our umbrella. Then I’d have to reallocate resources to reorganize the company.”

  “Maybe you need to have some faith in people,” I shot back, disgusted by his cynicism.