A Christmas Temptation

“I don’t need coffee. I’m wondering if you have any ideas on convincing a woman to call you back.”

“Jewelry. Flowers. Chocolate. A profession of love.”

Jake shook his head. “Not like that. I know that. I mean, in a professional setting.”

“So nothing romantic?”

Jake didn’t have to think about that one. He and Sophie were better off sticking to business. Of that much, he was sure. “Not intentionally romantic, but Ms. Eden does appreciate the finer things in life if that helps.”

Audrey nodded. “Ah, yes. Your unromantic fruit-basket recipient.”

“Precisely.”

“And that didn’t go over well? Who doesn’t love a fruit basket?”

“I have no idea.”

“Flowers?”

“Isn’t that a cliché?”

“Not if you buy a ridiculous amount of her favorites and show up with them in person.”

Jake raised both eyebrows at his assistant.

“That’s what my husband did when he proposed.”

“I’m not proposing marriage.”

“But you are trying to talk a woman into selling her business when it’s been only a few weeks since the family matriarch passed away. You might want to go big.”

“Excellent point.”

“Any idea what her favorite flower is?”

Jake had a recollection of a dinner at a professor’s house and Sophie commenting about the centerpiece. “The ones that look like roses, but aren’t actually roses. I think it starts with a p.”

“Peonies?”

“Yes. That’s it. Pink would be good.”

“I’m on it.”

“Thanks, Audrey.” Jake sat back in his chair and turned his sights to the city again. The sky was dark, snow flurries starting to fall. Could it be as simple as flowers? Jake doubted it highly. Nothing was ever simple with Sophie. But he needed to mix things up or he would lose ground. He knew for a fact that other investors and developers were courting her and her sister. His pitch would work so much better in person, especially if he could get Sophie alone. She’d always dropped the tougher parts of her veneer when it was just the two of them.

Visions of Sophie flashed in his head—her lush red hair, her full lips, the way her brown eyes flickered with gold when she smiled. Each thought of her was more beautiful than the last. They’d been drawn to each other from the moment they met at a business school mixer. She laughed at his jokes and flirted like crazy with him, touching his arm and flashing her gorgeous eyes. They shared an immediate chemistry that was off the charts. In any other scenario, Jake would have taken her home that very first night.

But he made a point of keeping their relationship platonic, even when there had been days where that required superhuman strength. He wanted her. There was no question about that. But he knew how brutal those two years of school were going to be. He couldn’t afford to have a fellow classmate royally pissed at him for seducing her and then calling things off before they got serious, which was what Jake did every time. The panic when a woman started to get close to him was real. There was no erasing the part of his history that made him feel that way.

Still, the night they both gave in to their attraction had been magical. He couldn’t deny that. Two years of waiting and wondering and resisting can make giving in that much more delicious. They’d been studying at the library for hours, preparing for one of their final exams. Exhausted, Jake had asked Sophie if she wanted to go get a beer. She then realized how late it was, and in a panic asked Jake back to her apartment.

“My roommate is out of town and I’m supposed to feed her cat. The poor thing is probably starving. Come to my place. Okay?”

“Yeah. Sure. I just can’t study anymore.”

When they got to Sophie’s, after the cat had been fed, they sat on the couch and had a drink. To this day, he could remember the moment when he’d decided to finally kiss her. She’d put her gorgeous red hair in a pile on top of her head, and she’d laughed at one of his goofy jokes, quite possibly a little too hard, and her hair slumped to the side. She’d pulled at the tie, and it tumbled down onto her shoulders. Maybe he’d been tired. Maybe it was the beer. He only knew that after nearly two years of waiting, he had to kiss her.

So he did.

No woman had melted into him the way Sophie did. Her lips were pillow soft, her sweet smell truly beguiling, and her hands were everywhere. Before he knew what was happening, she was tugging his shirt up over his head and pushing him down on the couch, her body settling between his legs and driving him crazy with desire.

The moment when she sat back up, took his hand and led him to her bedroom was one of the most surreal. He’d fantasized about Sophie plenty, but she was also one of the only female friendships he’d managed to not only build, but maintain. He’d thought about it for a second that night, considered telling her it wasn’t a good idea for them to go to bed together, but once she took off her top and her stunning red hair tumbled back onto her shoulders? He was a goner.

They’d made love three times that night. They even took a shower together in the morning, which should have been enough to convince him that Sophie might be the one worth trying for more with. But when the time came for him to think about going back to his place, and it was clear that there were expectations for the two of them to discuss where this next went, Jake panicked just as he always had.

“You know, Sophie, last night was amazing, and I will always remember it. But we’re such great friends and we both have so much we want to do in our careers. I think it’s best if we chalk this up to two friends blowing off a little steam together.”

He knew the instant he’d said it that she deserved better. Sophie had wrapped her robe around her tight and nodded, forcing a smile. “Oh, yeah. Of course. A couple of friends hooking up, right? Happens all the time.”

He’d heard the hurt in her voice, but he told himself that with time it would go away. Sophie was too special—too smart, too funny, too beautiful. Some amazing guy, somewhere, would meet her and snatch her up and treat her the way she deserved to be treated. Jake wasn’t that guy. He didn’t possess the trust to let someone in like that. He’d tried and failed. He was self-aware enough to understand this particular shortcoming.

After their one night together, his friendship with Sophie quickly returned to its previous state, or at least close to it. Neither of them mentioned what had happened, they helped each other study, and soon enough, it was time to graduate. They’d hugged for a very long time that day. They’d wished each other luck. It was all perfectly normal and uncontroversial, except for Sophie’s parting words.

“I love you, Jake.”

Stunned, he ignored what she’d said and simply let her walk away. A few times during the eight years since then, Sophie’s words had resurfaced in his memory. He always fought them back. I love you was something a woman said right before she left forever. And sure enough, that was exactly what Sophie Eden did.

Two

Once again, Sophie had to start her workday by rushing through the shoe department, but she didn’t make it far before she stopped dead in her tracks. A stunning pair of chartreuse-green Blahniks had appeared since yesterday. Perched on a tall pedestal, with small bundles of sparkly beads and intricate lacing up the front, they were like a phoenix rising from the ashes of the other, lesser shoes. They stole her breath. She had to have them. They were sexy as all get-out. If only she had a man to test them out on. Her dating calendar had been tragically light since coming to work at Eden’s.

“Marie,” Sophie called out to the department head. She was training a new salesperson. “Can you set aside a pair of these for me?”

Marie smiled generously. “I thought those might catch your eye. They’re already in your office, sitting on your desk. Just have Lizzie buzz me if you don’t like them and I’ll have someone come by to pick them up.”

“Do you really think I might not like them?”

Marie shook her head. “Not a chance.”

Sophie grinned. Her job was sometimes overwhelming, but this was one of her favorite perks. Without another second to waste, she rushed back to the elevator and up to the top floor.

“Morning, Lizzie. What’s the gift-basket count today?”

“Five, I’m afraid. I think people are trying to outdo each other now.”

Sophie trailed into her office and set down her things, bypassing the baskets and zeroing in on the beautiful heels nestled in a box and tissue on her desk. She sat down and removed her pumps and worked her feet into the new shoes. “Did we at least get anything good?”

“How do two dozen gourmet caramel apples slathered in chocolate and sprinkles sound?”

“Like I need to skip lunch. Which is perfect because today is crazy.” Sophie stood up and took the new pumps for a spin around her office. “What do you think?”

“Honestly? Sexy. Super sexy.”

Sophie admired her feet again. Sure her toes were pinched and her arches would be screaming by the time the day was over, but she didn’t care. Right now, beautiful shoes were the only things that were making her happy. “If Marie comes by, tell her I’m keeping them.”

“Will do. Now, back to your crazy day. There’s a long list of fires that need putting out all over the store.”

“Great. Can’t wait.” Sophie gave the statement all the sarcasm it deserved.

“All six employees of the coat check have come down with the flu. We got someone from housewares to fill in, but you know how people feel about working the coat check. The ladies’ lounge on the fourth floor flooded at some point late yesterday and nobody noticed. There’s some water damage on three, but I have maintenance on it. Lastly, the perfume counter somehow managed to run out of Chanel No. 5, which seems like a problem at Christmas.”

“A huge problem.” Gram would’ve been horrified.

“Unfortunately, the distributor can’t get us anything for a week.”

“I’m on it. Can you call a temp agency to see if we can get somebody else to cover the coat check? People stay a lot longer in the store if they don’t have to carry around their winter gear.”

Lizzie left and Sophie wasted no time getting to work, first taking care of the more urgent matters, like the critical depletion of the Chanel No. 5 supply. After that, she pulled up the previous day’s sales numbers, which, although good, weren’t where they needed to be. This was one of those instances where she really needed Mindy to help her brainstorm on new marketing and store ideas for next year. But, of course, Mindy hadn’t merely expressed her disinterest; she’d said she absolutely refused to help out.

Lizzie rapped on Sophie’s door. “It appears that Jake Wheeler has taken things to the next level.”

“What now? Giant gourmet fortune cookies?”

Lizzie shook her head. “No. He’s here. With flowers. Lots and lots of flowers.”

“Here? He’s here?” Incomprehensible excitement rushed through her, followed quickly by a dizzying dose of jitters. She hadn’t seen Jake in eight years. It had taken three of those to get over him, and even then she wasn’t totally sure she’d managed to get him completely out of her system. Knowing what the mere mention of his name did to her made it seem that much more unlikely she’d accomplished the task. “What did you tell him?”

“He knows you’re here. Sorry, but Marie stopped by to check on your shoes and he heard me say that you were wearing them right now.”

“Lots of flowers?”

“Lots and lots.”

Sophie sucked in a deep breath and decided it was best to just get this over with. She couldn’t hide from him forever, even though she desperately wanted to. “Okay. I’m coming out.” She straightened her clothes, admittedly happy she’d worn a sleek, curve-hugging black dress. Jake didn’t need to know that it was one of the more comfortable work outfits she owned. All he needed to know was that she looked amazing in it, and unless he’d lost some visual acuity in the last eight years, he should have no trouble seeing that.

The problem was she wasn’t prepared to see him, especially not as she marched into the reception area and was confronted by his face, somehow more handsome eight years later, poking out above an armful of her favorite flowers—pink peonies. It was as if her subconscious had constructed this scene to disarm her. To leave her as a puddle on the floor. Between the heady smell of the flowers and the mind-blowing sight of Jake, she was surprised she could still stand.

His dark hair was just as thick and unruly as ever. Good God, she’d spent an embarrassing amount of time fantasizing about running her fingers through it. And when she’d finally had the chance, it was even better than she’d imagined. “Hi, Sophie. It’s been a long time.” His penetrating green eyes broke her down as he unsubtly checked her out from head to toe. His unforgettable mouth pulled into a self-assured grin, one that said he was greatly enjoying the fact that he’d made it into her office. They were finally face-to-face.

“It has been a long time, hasn’t it?” Sophie stood a little straighter, but it was just a defense mechanism. She’d forgotten how vulnerable it made her feel to meet his appraisal. Aside from a beautiful pair of black leather wingtips and the hem of charcoal-gray trousers, every other part of Jake was obscured by the flowers. The war that raged inside her whenever Jake popped into her head, or now, her world, was reignited. He knew what he was doing. He knew exactly how weak she was for sweet gestures and sentimentality. This wasn’t about expressing his feelings. This was about Jake Wheeler getting what he wanted—his hands on Eden’s Department Store.

“I brought flowers.”

“So I gather. First fruit, now this?” Sophie planted both hands on her hips, wanting to come off as powerful. Invincible. Certainly as someone who could never be hurt. She dug the heel of her shoe into the office carpet, noting that he couldn’t resist the chance to look at her legs. Once again, Mr. Blahnik had done his job.

Jake laughed. “I’m working my way through all the best gifts that start with the letter f. Not sure I’m prepared to invest in a Ferrari, though, judging by your reaction to the flowers. I might just go with a ferret.”

Sophie was trying to contain her smile. His quick wit had always gotten to her, but it was yet another of his considerable assets, one that he would likely use to soften her defenses. “You’re terrible. You think you can just show up at my office with the world’s largest arrangement of my favorite flowers and I’ll just talk to you?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

The heat was rising in her cheeks, making her all the more determined to keep this a short visit. She had a million things to do and Jake was nothing but trouble, however nice it was to look at him. “Ten minutes. That’s all you get.”

“How about ten minutes to catch up and ten to talk business?”

“This isn’t a negotiation. We’ll spend ten talking business and then you can leave.” She wasn’t interested in catching up or reliving old times. It was too painful to think about how over-the-moon she’d been for him and how effortlessly he’d rejected her.

“Okay. But what about the flowers? It would be nice to put them down somewhere. Or at least feel like you appreciate them. Peonies are not available in Manhattan in the winter. I had to have them flown in.”

His words hit her in one fell swoop. This man she had once cared about deeply had been jumping through considerable hoops to get to her. His motives might be questionable, but perhaps she needed to stop being an ice queen about it. “I’m sorry. I do appreciate them. They’re beautiful.”

She took two careful steps toward him, not sure whether she should look at him or the peonies. With every inch closer to Jake, she felt herself fall under his spell a little more. She reached for the flowers, but they were so bulky that he had to lean unimaginably close to lay them in her arms. The penetrating gaze of his green eyes left her wondering if this was a dream. Somewhere behind the veneer of expensive gifts and grand gestures, the well-made wool coat and tempting five o’clock shadow, this man who had once been her entire world was still living and breathing.

“Thank you,” she muttered. “They really are gorgeous.”

Jake didn’t step away. He didn’t break the connection between them either, his warm hand on her bare elbow, his lips just as kissable as they’d always been, maybe even more so. “They’re nothing on you, Soph. I have to say you look amazing. All this time apart has done you well.”

Sophie’s knees wobbled. His voice caused a deep tremor that resonated through her entire body. “You look great, too. But you were always handsome. You know that.” Handsome was such an inadequate word for Jake, it was ridiculous. Perhaps it was because he was so much more than good-looking. There was the swagger. The easy confidence. The glint in his eye that made you feel like you were the only woman in his orbit.

“Doesn’t mean I don’t like hearing it.”

Sophie held her breath. If this were a movie, this would be the part where he’d throw caution to the wind, take her into his arms and kiss her, crushing what might be a thousand dollars in flowers between them. She couldn’t let herself get carried away with that particular mental image, so she cast her sights down at the arrangement in her arms and gave them a sniff. “I’d better get these in some water.”

She hurried over to Lizzie and deposited them on her desk. “If you could put these in some water, that would be great.”

“Absolutely.” Lizzie looked past Sophie and eyed Jake. It was easy to see how much she was appreciating the view. “Would you like me to hold your calls?”

A good interruption would make for an easier escape if she started to feel overmatched by Jake, but she had to get through this. She had to listen to his pitch, try not to let the past creep in and send him on his way. “I think I’ll be fine.” She waved Jake on to her office. “Come on. We’ll meet in here.”

A certain sense of pride hit Sophie when she stepped inside. Yes, this job was her birthright, but she worked hard and her office was impressive, especially now. Reginald and his team had really gone all out. Each of the six windows in her corner office had its own fresh wreath decorated with flocked pinecones and berries, tied with a wide white velvet bow. Sparkly white and silver garland framed the views of the city beautifully. But the tree was the real showstopper, decorated with silver glass balls, tiny white-and-red birds wired to the branches and more twinkle lights than Sophie had ever seen in a single application. Every time she looked at the holiday iteration of her office, her heart swelled.

“Please. Have a seat,” Sophie said, offering one of the two upholstered chairs opposite her desk.

“It looks like Christmas exploded,” Jake said, sounding a bit stunned.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Sophie stepped behind her desk, surveying the room and ignoring his poor choice of words. Surely he didn’t mean it in such a crude way.

“Who did this to your office?”

“Reginald. Our creative director. He really outdid himself. I don’t know how I’m going to get any work done at all. I just want to stare at it.” She folded her hands in her lap, deciding it was no longer time for small talk. “Now, why don’t you say what you came to say.”

He slowly unbuttoned his coat and draped it over the back of one of the chairs, still admiring the room. Meanwhile, Sophie was trying not to stare at how incredible he looked in his impeccably tailored suit. He cleared his throat, crossed his leg and sat back in his chair, nothing less than pure, casual confidence. “As you know, you and your sister are in a very unique situation. You are not only set to inherit one of the largest commercial buildings in Manhattan, your grandmother had the foresight and the means to purchase the land, as well. You don’t come across that every day. I’d like to buy the property. I’ve already told your sister that I’m prepared to pay 4.5 billion for the land and the building.”

Sophie worked with a lot of numbers every day, but that one was a doozy. She knew how much the property was worth, and Jake had clearly done his homework. The offer was in line with market value, but just sweet enough to make her have to think twice. She drew a deep breath through her nose to calm herself enough to deliver her answer. “Thank you, but no.”

“You can ask any appraiser in the city. It’s a very generous offer. I’m willing to move quickly. I have a small group of partners on this deal and we’re prepared to do an all-cash sale.”

Sophie found a lump in her throat. That was more money than she could likely ever spend, but this wasn’t about cash in the bank, at least not for her. This was about carrying out Gram’s wishes. Still, it was a good thing Mindy wasn’t here right now because she would strangle Sophie for what she was about to say. “Again, no. But thank you.”

Jake smiled and nodded as if she’d just agreed to everything he wanted, a tried-and-true negotiation tactic. She wasn’t surprised he was resorting to it. “Maybe it’s best if I just let you think about it for a few days. Let that big, fat, delicious number tumble around in your head. Because I can guarantee you that any of these other companies and developers are not in a position to pay what I’m willing to pay.” His voice held an edge of determination that betrayed the pleased look on his face.

Still, Sophie had to be firm. “I understand what you’re saying, but the answer is no. My grandmother worked too hard for me to simply walk away from it.”

Jake nodded slowly again. “I know. She was a legend. At one time, she was one of the most successful businesspeople in the city.”

“In the country,” Sophie interjected. “Quite possibly the world. There were seventy-six stores in twelve countries at the height of Eden’s.”

“Yes. And now you’re back down to this one store. It was the 1980s. It was a different time. Retail isn’t what it once was. Frankly, owning a store this big, at this time, is a disaster waiting to happen. You’re going to die a very slow, painful death.” He was no longer trying to butter her up. Now he was resorting to cold, hard facts, and Sophie didn’t like it at all.

“Always the pessimist, aren’t you? You know, I think I’ll do just fine on my own. And if I don’t, I’ll just have to die trying.” Sophie pushed back from her desk and stood, sucking in a deep breath. This wasn’t how she wanted things to end between them, but end they must. She had to put him on notice that she would not waver. She would not sell to him. She would not allow herself to fall under Jake’s spell. “Thanks for coming by. And thank you for the flowers.”

He cocked his eyebrows and stood. “And the fruit.”

“And the fruit. But none of that was necessary, nor is it necessary in the future. I don’t need to come into my office to find a flamingo or feather boas.”

Jake stood there looking at her, hands in his pants pockets. It felt like he was trying to tear down the invisible barrier she’d tried to build between them, and she didn’t like it. “You know, Sophie. I have the distinct impression that this is about far more than your grandmother.”

“What? My refusal to do the deal?”

“That and your general distaste for having me share the same air as you.”

Sophie froze. All she could hear was the thunder of her own heartbeat in her ears. So this was how he was going to play this. He wasn’t going to politely ignore their history as she’d done. He wanted to dredge it up. Sophie could do that. She didn’t have to let him off so easy anyway. “The way things ended between us is difficult to ignore if that’s what you’re suggesting.”

“The last time I saw you was on graduation day. I thought things were fine. We hugged. We wished each other well.”

That moment was such a permanent part of Sophie’s memories it was as if it was tattooed on her brain. It was still a bit raw, even after all this time. She could still feel the deep longing for him, a tug from the center of her chest that told her he was all she ever wanted or needed, but she’d never have him. With my very beaten-up heart, I told you that I loved you, and you acted as though I hadn’t said it. “That’s not quite how I remember it, but I’m glad you can look back on it so fondly. I was still pretty hurt about the way things played out after our one night together.”