TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Book News
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright ©2019 Krista Noorman
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other - except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the author.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
For Zach
my future editor
ONE
Good morning, Mr. Schultz.”
Sebastian Schultz strolled through the door of the gift shop, just off the lobby of the Schultz Chocolate building, freshly showered after working out with his personal trainer in the private company gym downstairs. “Good morning, Linda.”
“How was your workout?” she asked.
“Intense, as always.”
Without another word, Linda lifted the plate at the end of the countertop filled with Granny Schultz’s Truffles—the signature item that had started it all. Stopping in the shop for a truffle had been his usual morning routine since he was a kid, and Linda had grown accustomed to it in the twenty-five years she’d been with the company.
Sebastian’s mouth watered as he took one from the outstretched plate and bit into it. His eyes closed as they always did when the smooth chocolate center melted in his mouth. There was not a better truffle. None he’d ever tasted could compare. The flavor was enough to take any mundane day and turn it into something special.
He leaned his elbow on the countertop. “How was your grandson’s Little League game?”
“It was a close one, but they won 5-4.”
“Did he get to pitch again?”
“He did. He’s getting better and better every time.”
“He’ll be pitching in the Majors in no time.”
Linda’s cheeks crinkled up around her eyes as she smiled proudly.
“Any visitors this morning?” he asked, wiping a fleck of chocolate from his lip and licking it off his finger.
“You ask the same question every day for years, even though you know we open at nine.” She pointed to the clock on the wall to her right that read 9:05 a.m.
He chuckled.
Just then, the electronic chime above the door sounded, and in walked a petite blonde woman, glancing from one chocolate display to another with a seriousness that caught his attention.
“Well, there ya go.” Linda tilted her head and smiled. “A visitor.”
Sebastian observed the woman for a few minutes as she moved back and forth across the room, whispering under her breath to herself. He glanced over at Linda, who looked as amused as he was, then back at the woman. She seemed focused on whatever it was she was searching for.
Curiosity got the better of him, and he slowly wandered toward where she stood with a box of chocolates in her hands, intently reading the packaging.
She set the box down and picked up another. Her nose scrunched up, and she shook her head. “Cherry? Gross!”
“Did you call those gross?” he asked.
The woman startled and placed her hand over her heart. Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink, and she bit her bottom lip nervously. “Uh … I’m not a fan of chocolate covered cherries.”
“Have you ever tried a cherry truffle?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“The center is made with real cherry juice from up north in Traverse City.”
Her nose scrunched again. “No thanks.”
“Okay, we’ve established that you don’t like cherry. So, what’s your favorite?” He nodded toward a display of chocolate truffles in various flavors beside them.
“I don’t know. I’ve never had one.”
His mouth fell open, dumbfounded. “Never?”
“I know it’s probably weird to get a job at a company whose product you’ve never tried, but what can I say? I needed a job and—”
“You work here?”
“I started last week.” Her gaze traveled up to his still damp hair then moved down to take in his T-shirted chest and workout pants, before she glanced around, surveying the shop. “So, you work here then?” She glanced at his casual attire once more.
He laughed a little that she would think he worked in the gift shop, especially dressed as he was. “Yeah, but not here in the—”
“You’re not going to tell anyone what I said about the cherry truffles, are you?”
He leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
Her lips turned up in an adorable smile, causing his heart to stutter in his chest.
“Can I ask you a question about the company?” She picked up a package again and turned it over, angling closer to him and pointing at the picture of Granny Schultz in the upper left corner.
The scent of her enveloped him, and he slowly breathed in hints of vanilla and coconut.
“Is Granny a real person?” she asked.
His brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”
“There are lots of companies out there that have fictionalized stories of how their company was founded and created fake people to establish a certain feeling for their brand, and I wondered if that was the case with Schultz Chocolate. I just want to know what kind of company I’m going to work for.”
He was surprised and intrigued by this woman. “Schultz Chocolate is an honest and ethical company, and I can assure you Granny Schultz was as real as you and me.”
“Oh, she passed away?” she asked.
“Last year, at the age of one-hundred-and-one.” He missed his great grandmother more than words could express. “If you ask around the office, people will tell you what a wonderful, vibrant woman she was. Even in her final days. And she loved dark chocolate cherry truffles.”
The woman let out a little laugh at that. “She sounds very sweet.” Her eyes returned to the package in her hands.
“So, you don’t know the history of Schultz Chocolate then?” he asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. “Why would I?”
“Because Schultz is a household name. I guess I figured most people would know. Especially someone
who works here.”
“Do you know?” she asked.
“Of course.” He didn’t mention that it was his grandfather who had founded the company, or his father who had taken it from its meager beginnings and built it into an empire, or the fact that he and his siblings ran the business now. He wanted to see how long it took her to figure out who he was.
“So, what department will you be working in?” he asked.
“I’m the new event coordinator for the Schultz Foundation,” she announced proudly.
Sebastian sucked air in between his teeth, which made a whistle. “That’s a big undertaking. Think you’re up to the task?”
She straightened her back, all confidence and resolve, as her eyes narrowed. “I know it’s a big job, but I’ve got plenty of experience, and I’m darn good at what I do.”
Sebastian was distracted by the light brown shade of her eyes with a deeper brown bursting outward from the center, reminding him of melted chocolate.
Dark lashes fluttered as she stared back at him, arms crossed over her chest, and he realized she must have said something while he was getting lost in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Why would you think I wasn’t up to the task? You don’t even know me.”
I’d like to change that. He ignored that sudden thought and replied, “I didn’t mean anything by it. That job is one with a great deal of responsibilities. I don’t think I could handle it. But I have no doubt you’re qualified, otherwise you wouldn’t have been hired.”
That seemed to please her. “I may have grown up on a farm, but I know how to survive in the corporate world, and I’m really excited to work here, despite the fact I’ve never tried a truffle.” She laughed again, and he was really beginning to love that sound.
“Hold that thought.” Sebastian held one finger up as he rushed off to the counter, returning with a truffle on a small napkin stamped with the Schultz Chocolate logo.
“For you.”
She eyed him, then the truffle, but hesitated. “I really shouldn’t.”
“Of course you should.” He lifted it from the napkin and inched his hand toward her mouth. “It’s not cherry.”
The right side of her mouth tilted upward in a cute sideways smile.
He continued the movement of his hand, and when she opened her mouth, as if to allow him to place it between her full, pink lips, he had the sudden urge to find out what those lips felt like against his.
At the last second, she reached for it and popped it into her mouth, snapping him out of that fantasy. And just as his had done earlier, her eyes slipped closed as she tasted the truffle. “Whoa! This is so good,” she said with her mouth full.
He stared at her, completely enamored, until her pretty brown eyes opened and met his again. They were so rich and so lovely, he nearly forgot to speak.
“I’m glad you like it. We’re very proud of our truffles around here.”
“Do you like working here?” she asked.
“I do.” He glanced around. “I don’t actually work in the gift shop, though.”
“Oh.” She finally set down the package of truffles she’d been holding.
“You’ll like it here. It’s a great company to work for.”
“I’m a little nervous. New job jitters, I guess.”
“That’s normal,” he replied.
“I’m also kind of dreading my first big meeting of the day,” she admitted.
“Why’s that?”
“I have to meet with the president of the company, Sea Bass Schultz himself.”
Sebastian laughed in surprise at her insult of him. “Sea Bass?” He was even more curious about this woman now.
“Yeah, you know, like a cold fish.”
His laughter could not be contained. He really shouldn’t have been laughing at all. This woman had just insulted him to his face, and it was obvious she didn’t know who she was talking to. If she did, then she had some nerve saying what she had.
“I’ve heard he’s difficult to get along with,” she continued. “Kind of distant and unapproachable.”
“Is that so?” He wondered what would come out of her mouth next.
“My friend, Karen, who told me about this job, warned me about him. She said he keeps to himself, shies away from the media, and doesn’t like women.”
He stiffened up at her last comment. It wasn’t that he didn’t like women. He just didn’t like women who pretended to care about him, when they really only cared about his money.
“She also told me he’s a brilliant business man. I guess he’d have to be to succeed with a personality like that. Do you know him?”
“Yeah, I know him.” He knew he should tell her who he was, but she kept talking.
“So, is it true then? Is he as horrible as I’m imagining? Because I’m picturing this stuffy ogre of a man. Give me some advice, so I know what to expect when I go in there.”
Sebastian shook his head. “You might be surprised.” She would be if he didn’t fess up. She’d be embarrassed and uncomfortable after what she’d just said, and their meeting would be awkward. He opened his mouth to tell her who he was, but was interrupted. Again.
“I wonder if I’ll have trouble getting him to accept my plan for the fundraiser, seeing as he doesn’t like women and all.”
“He likes women.” It came out a little louder than he’d meant it to, but that was the second time she’d said it, and he wanted her to know it was far from the truth. “He just gets a bad rap because he’s a private person and people misinterpret him. In reality, he’s a pretty great guy. You should give him the benefit of the doubt before judging him so harshly based on gossip.”
She shrugged. “You’re probably right.”
“What’s your name?” he asked, dying to put a name with that beautiful face.
“Genevieve.” She extended her hand.
He took her hand in his, squeezing gently as he shook it, savoring the soft feel of her palm against his.
“And you are?” she asked.
The truth was right on the tip of his tongue, but instead of telling her his real name, he heard himself say, “Kurtis.” It wasn’t a total lie. Kurtis was his middle name, after all.
He wasn’t sure why he’d done that, only that she had made it clear what she thought she knew about Sebastian “Sea Bass” Schultz, and for the briefest of moments, he imagined what it might be like to get to know a woman without his family’s name or the rumors about him affecting the way she saw him.
And there was another part of him that didn’t want to give another woman a chance to hurt him the way he’d been hurt in the past.
A smile spread across her face, making his heart skip a beat. “Happy to meet you, Kurtis.”
“You too, Genevieve.” He couldn’t hide his smile either as he looked at the stunning creature before him.
She checked her watch. “If I don’t go soon, I’ll be late for my meeting.”
But she hesitated as she looked into his eyes. She seemed torn, like she needed to go, but maybe she didn’t want to. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on his part.
“What department are you in?” she asked.
His mind quickly searched for a job that would work closely with fundraising events. “Public Relations.”
Her smile returned. “Maybe we’ll see each other again.”
“You can count on it,” he replied.
“Bye,” she said.
“Good luck at your meeting.”
She looked over her shoulder with a twinkle in her eye. “Thanks for the truffle.”
Once she’d left the shop, Sebastian took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. He’d never been so instantly drawn to a woman before.
“She’s a pretty one,” Linda said from her place behind the counter.
“Yeah.” His eyes were still fixed on the door.
Linda chuckled, bringing him out of his trance, and a sudden panic hit him. She was on her way upstairs. To meet
with him.
“See ya tomorrow, Linda.” He managed a quick wave over his shoulder and heard Linda laugh as he darted out the door, down the hallway, and around the corner to the private executive elevator. He pressed the “up” button and practically pried the doors open before they even had a chance to part. He pushed the button for the seventh floor then jabbed the button to close the doors several times, even though it didn’t help the doors to close any quicker. Why did it feel like the elevator was moving slower than it ever had before? It seriously had to be going half speed.
When the doors finally opened, he bolted down the hallway, sliding across the freshly waxed tile floor as he made a beeline for his brother’s office.
The door was wide open, and Augustus was seated behind his desk, but instead of looking at his computer, he was on his phone.
“Oh, Gus, thank God you’re here today!” Sebastian exclaimed.
“Thought I should make my weekly appear—”
He was cut off when Sebastian abruptly raced around his desk, grabbed the back of his desk chair, and began rolling him around the large wooden desk.
“What the—? Bash, what are you doing?”
“We don’t have much time.” Sebastian didn’t explain, he just kept rolling the chair containing his brother.
“For what?” Gus dragged his feet along behind.
Sebastian stopped by the door for a millisecond and peeked into the hallway before continuing their journey across the hall into his own office. “Lift your feet. You’re slowing us down.”
“Explain.” Gus pushed down harder against the floor, the soles of his Tom Ford oxfords scraping along the tile floor.
“In a matter of minutes, a beautiful woman with the prettiest brown eyes I have ever seen is going to come here for a meeting about the upcoming Schultz Foundation fundraiser, and I need you to pretend to be me.”
“Is this a joke?”
“I’ve never been more serious.”
Gus burst out laughing as he lifted his feet, allowing the chair to move fluidly.
Sebastian abandoned his brother just inside the door and scrambled to his desk, yanking his own chair back, and shoving it out of the way.
“Why can’t you just be you?” Gus stared at him.
Not The Billionaire Page 1