A Christmas Temptation

Sophie shook her head. “Of course you felt as though it was up to you to save us from each other. No need for discussion or a conversation. Just a few parting words to get you off the hook, right? It might take two to tango, but only one person has to call it off.”

“If it upset you that much, you should’ve said something at the time. You seemed completely fine with it.”

“I didn’t really have time to absorb it. You practically broadsided me.”

“Trust me. You’re a happier woman right now than you would’ve been if things had continued.”

Anger began to bubble under Sophie’s skin. He had no way of knowing things would have ended badly between them. If he’d just given them a chance, they could have been happy. They could have had it all. “Ah, well, apparently your crystal ball works great. Mine is off at the shop. But thanks for watching out for me.”

Again, he only looked at her, his mind clearly working hard. “You know, if it wasn’t completely inappropriate, I would ask if I could kiss you right now.”

Sophie’s heart seized up in her chest. A kiss? Was he insane? “I thought you were supposed to be saving me from being hurt.”

“I know, but I’m just thinking that the first time I kissed you, you melted right into my arms. That was the moment I knew I could convince you of anything.”

She dared to peer up into his dangerous green eyes. They swirled with such intensity it was hard to know whether she’d be able to remain standing or if they’d simply sweep her away. She couldn’t believe he would so brazenly use her weakness for him against her. “Get out. Get out of my office right now.”

“You won’t kick out the guy who brought you a bushel of your favorite flowers.”

“I’m serious, Jake. Don’t make me call Duane from security. He’s six foot six, three hundred and fifty pounds, and has a very short fuse.”

“Soph, come on. I’m just kidding. You know me. I’m a kidder.”

With a jab of her finger, Sophie directed him to her office door. The exit. “The problem, Jake, is that I do know you. I know exactly what you’re capable of, which is the reason I have to ask you to leave.”

* * *

In a daze, Jake stepped off the elevator on Eden’s ground floor. He felt a bit like he’d been run over by a truck. His meeting with Sophie had not gone well, but even more than that, he’d forgotten what being around her did to him. Her sleek black dress was enough to make him sign over his entire business, hugging every gorgeous curve of her body, reminding him of everything he’d had and given up. And that was only the start—her trademark red tresses tumbling over her shoulders, her deep brown eyes blazing and her full cherry-pink lips tempting him into making an admittedly bold remark. It was a business meeting and he shouldn’t have brought up kissing. But everything he’d said had been the absolute truth. She had melted into him that night. They were on the same wavelength, completely.

He’d really thought the flowers might do the trick. Sophie was sweet and sentimental. What woman like that doesn’t appreciate that sort of gesture? He hadn’t expected an immediate yes to his proposition, but he had hoped she would at least consider it. Instead, she’d done nothing more than try to create distance between them. If she’d been any more successful, she’d have had him on the other side of bulletproof glass. It was a real shame. There had been a time when Sophie would come running to him. Not anymore.

He met David, his driver, at the curb and jumped into the back of the black Escalade, his mind a jumble of thoughts of Sophie and business as the sights of the city whizzed by in a blur. He had to turn this around. His killer instinct, the one that had brought him success that surprised even him, wouldn’t allow him to back off simply because of one bad conversation. His fellow members of the War Chest were eager to get the jump on this deal, and with each day closer to the reading of Victoria Eden’s will, the more unlikely it would be that Jake’s plan would work. Everyone in the city with a fat bank account would be pursuing Sophie and her sister by then. If Jake was going to bring this deal to fruition, he had to do it now. Wait and lose out. That was all there was to it.

By the time he reached his office, Jake knew that flowers and fruit baskets had been the wrong approach. He needed to go with reason. She and her sister were sitting on a fortune. All they needed to do was cash in their golden ticket. He needed to show Sophie on paper, in hard numbers, why it was in her best interest to sell. Eden’s future was indeed grim. He was certain of it.

“Unless I get a call from Sophie or Mindy Eden, I’m in a meeting,” he said to Audrey as he strode past her desk.

“Yes, sir, Mr. Wheeler.”

He sat at his desk, pulled out a fresh legal pad, grabbed the folder of background materials Audrey had pulled together on Eden’s and opened up a new browser window on his laptop. “Time to figure out just how bad things look for Eden’s Department Store.”

Hours later, Jake had pages and pages of numbers and notes. He’d read two dozen articles about the future of retail, made estimates as to how much space Eden’s was using and wasting with some of their departments. Unfortunately for Jake, the most profitable department, women’s shoes, only stirred up thoughts of Sophie in the ones she’d been wearing today. They were some of the sexiest shoes he’d ever seen. For a moment, he had a vision of them on his shoulders and Sophie at his mercy, an idea he immediately wrenched from his mind, although he might be forced to revisit it later.

He moved on to analyzing Eden’s online presence and the amount of company resources they were devoting to everything from marketing and advertising to store security and, yes, decorating executive offices like the inside of a snow globe.

This was a bit like reading tea leaves, but he had to make do with what he had, and there was a great deal of satisfaction to take from the knowledge that no other money guy or investor was putting in this kind of work. Sophie would see that he was just looking out for her. He had her best interests at heart.

And himself, of course. This deal would be the talk of developer circles for years. Decades even. And he’d grow his bank account considerably.

But first, he had to call the one person who was on his side—Mindy Eden.

“Jake, I told you the last time we talked, I’m not the one you need to convince. It’s all Sophie. I have zero interest in anything having to do with Eden’s. I have more than enough on my plate.”

Jake tapped his pen on his planner and looked out his office window. The holiday market down in the park was again bustling with people. He’d never understand some people’s obsession with Christmas. “Okay. So then tell me how I get through to her. She’s not only digging in her heels about the store, she refuses to have a conversation with me.”

Mindy laughed. “You do know you broke her heart, right?”

Jake froze as Mindy’s words worked their way through his head. “I did not break her heart. Sophie and I had a little too much to drink one night, we had some fun, and I ended it the next day so she didn’t have to. Believe me, I was looking out for your sister. Any other guy would’ve strung her along for months.” Did Sophie truly feel as though he’d broken her heart? He’d only tried to protect her.

“Or he might have fallen in love with my perfectly smart and beautiful sister and lived happily ever after.”

Not this guy. Jake swallowed hard to stuff those words back inside him. It was one thing to get personal with Sophie, and quite another to talk about subjects like this with Mindy. “Something tells me she would’ve gotten tired of me real quick.”

“Hmm. I don’t know about that.”

“Do you think it would help to try to talk to her outside of the office? Maybe catch up with her on the weekend when she’s more relaxed?”

“You must know that Sophie doesn’t relax. I’m not sure a weekend will help you. Plus, she’s gone this weekend.”

“To where?”

“Our grandmother’s house in Upstate, near Scarsdale. It’s where the family spends Christmas. She’s heading up tomorrow morning.”

The wheels in Jake’s head were turning. Opportunity was in the air. “Is that the house where you and Sophie spent your summers?”

“That’s the one. Eden House.”

“Sophie used to talk about it all the time. She seemed to have a lot of great memories from being there.”

“We both do, but yes, Sophie loves it. She goes every chance she gets.”

“Are you going up this weekend, too?”

“I told her I’d drive up Saturday night. The weather’s not looking good, but I think she’ll kill me if I don’t show up.”

This might be perfect—drive up Friday and convince Sophie, Mindy arrives Saturday and they would work out the rest of the deal. The commotion of Eden’s wouldn’t be a distraction, and hopefully Sophie would be more relaxed and open to the things he had to say to her.

Also, it was clearly time to smooth her ruffled feathers. He hated that she might have been harboring ill will toward him all these years. He’d truly had her best interests in mind when he’d called off their romance before it had a chance to start. He wasn’t about to delve into specifics or dig up his own past. There were too many unhappy memories to be found. But he could at least remind Sophie that they had once been very close. He could at least show her that they could, in fact, get along and find a way to help each other.

“So, Mindy. I’m wondering if you can help me with something.”

“Sure. What?”

“I’m going to need the address for Eden House.”

Three

The instant Sophie turned onto the winding private drive leading to Eden House, she felt more like herself. Her Bentley Bentayga SUV crept silently ahead as the family estate came into view—graying cedar shakes trimmed in crisp white, with three stone chimneys poking up from the gable roof, all of it surrounded by a maze of manicured hedges. Sophie had nothing but the happiest of memories here—endless sunny summer days in the pool, leisurely morning strolls through the rose garden with Gram, rainy days of gin rummy and evenings spent roasting marshmallows over the fire pit on the backyard terrace. Soon this house would be hers, bequeathed to her by her grandmother. Would it ever again be filled with love and laughter? This Christmas was the first big test, and she was terrified that she’d fail.

Sophie and Mindy had spent every Christmas of their lives at Eden House. The family tradition went back to Gram’s childhood when her parents had built the house, although it wasn’t given the name Eden until Gram inherited it years later as a married woman. Her parents had done well for themselves in the 1950s, importing and wholesaling fabrics for the garment industry. The entire country was booming then, and if you were somebody, you had to have a vacation home. It was simply what you did to show the world that you were a success.

Sophie pulled around to the side entrance and parked her car under the porte cochere in order to ferry the groceries straight into the kitchen. As soon as she opened her car door, she was hit by a bracing cold, the wind whipping past her, picking up the tails of her coat and tossing her hair into disarray. The clean but icy smell of snow was in the air. The forecast was for a fast-moving system that would leave behind one to two inches. Sophie wasn’t too worried. In some ways, it would be a dream to get snowed in at Eden House. The power lines were buried, so the electricity rarely went out. She had her cell phone and internet if she needed to get any work done, and there was more than enough wine in the family cellar. A day or two where she was forced to stay away from the store might do her good.

Sophie struggled with the house key, her arms loaded down with shopping bags and her fingers freezing from the cold. She nearly fell through the door and into the kitchen when the lock finally turned. She plopped her bags down on the large center island and opened the Sub-Zero fridge to put away her perishables. That was when the tears started.

The refrigerator was nearly empty, but there on the second shelf were three bottles of Krug champagne. Gram adored champagne, especially Krug. She would’ve sipped it morning, noon and night if it were in any way socially acceptable. Sophie took one of the bottles from the shelf and smoothed her fingers over the familiar gold foil label. This was an iconic image from her childhood, when champagne was an exotic drink meant only for grown-ups. Gram had brought these bottles up in early October in anticipation of the family’s Christmas celebration. And now she wouldn’t be there to enjoy them.

Sophie carefully slid the bottle back into place, wiped her tears from her cheeks and put away her groceries. Countless memories of her grandmother would crop up this weekend, and she needed to pace herself. Gram would want her to unwind and not dwell too much on sadness. She’d had an unwavering belief in the power of positive thinking. Life was so much more enjoyable if you could just find a way to be happy. Bad things would happen, but the sun always came up the next day and, somehow, life went on.

Sophie grabbed her suitcase out of the car and lugged it inside. It was snowing now—fat, fluffy flakes. She’d better call Mindy. Her sister was not the type to pay attention to the weather.

“Are you there?” Mindy asked when she answered her phone.

“Just got here, and it’s snowing. I checked the forecast and now it’s saying at least four inches. Maybe more. I really think you should consider leaving earlier than tomorrow morning. I’m worried the roads won’t be passable.”

Several moments of background noise filtered through from her sister’s side of the line. “There’s no way. Things are crazy busy here.”

“But you’re the boss. You have to take a break sometime, and this is the weekend to decorate the house. There won’t be another one.” With every new word from Sophie’s mouth, she started to feel a bit more panicked. She cared deeply about following through on the family tradition. “I can’t do it by myself. I don’t want to do it by myself. It’s not right.”

“First off, I have no doubt that you can do it yourself. Second, there’s a chance you won’t have to.”

“So you’ll knock off early and get your butt up here?”

“No. I’m sticking to my plan to leave tomorrow. But there’s a chance you might run into Jake.”

“Run into him? Where?” Sophie’s heart leaped into her throat.

“I don’t know. The kitchen? The sitting room?”

“What did you do? Did you send him after me?”

“As serious as you are about not selling, I’m just as determined to change your mind.”

A swarm of conflicting emotions buzzed in Sophie’s head—anger, frustration and the familiar flutter of anticipation that had become synonymous with seeing Jake. How Sophie wished that part of her brain would stop being so hard on her. “I can’t believe you would do this to me.”

“I wouldn’t if it was a stranger. But you know Jake. You’ve known him forever. I just think he wanted the chance to talk to you alone.”

The word echoed all around her—alone, alone, alone. “He won’t come. He has too much pride to grovel.”

“He showed up at your office with dozens and dozens of peonies, didn’t he? Sounds to me like he’ll do anything to make a good impression on you.”

Sophie shook her head and started down the center hall, with its herringbone brick floor and wide white baseboards. She could already smell the fresh pine of the Christmas tree she’d asked Barry, the Eden House caretaker, to deliver. The fragrance alone lifted her spirits, all while the idea of Jake trying to make an impression aggravated her. He’d never really tried before now, certainly not eight years ago when she’d wanted it more than anything. So what had changed? The promise of a big deal. That was all Jake cared about. Any overtures he made were not only designed to manipulate her and pull at her heartstrings, they were solely prompted by money. She couldn’t let him play with her like that. “I have to go.”

“Are you mad, Soph?”

“Of course I’m mad. You put me in Jake’s crosshairs. You know how badly he hurt me. He broke my heart.”

“I know that. I reminded him of it when we talked.”

“You did?” Sophie stepped into what Gram had always called the sitting room. The tree was in the corner, waiting to be trimmed, all while Sophie was overcome with the sort of embarrassment that haunts a teenage girl forever. “He already doesn’t take me seriously as a businesswoman. Why did you have to bring our romantic past into it?”

“Because he’s a clueless man. He couldn’t figure out why you were giving him such a hard time.”

“I don’t want to sell. This has nothing to do with romance.”

Mindy tutted as if she was scolding Sophie. “You really expect me to believe that? Because I don’t. Your history with him is clouding your judgment, and you need to get past that. Not just for my sake, but for yours. I think it’ll be good for you two to finally talk things through. Clear the air.”

Sophie trailed over to one of the tall leaded-glass windows overlooking the sprawling yard. What she could see of the grounds was already covered in a thin blanket of white, with the storm steadily adding more layers. In the spring and summer, this was a lush green vista that had always seemed to go on forever—much like her feelings for Jake, the ones that she desperately wished would just end. “There’s nothing for Jake and me to talk about. I already know how he feels about me.”

“And how is that, exactly?”

“He sees me as sweet, gullible Sophie. The woman who would do anything for him. I’m not that girl anymore. I won’t let him trick me into being her, either.”

Mindy grumbled. “Just listen to him if he shows up, okay? That’s all I ask.”

“As long as you promise you’ll still try to come up tomorrow.”

“I’ll do my best. I’ll give you a call in the morning with an update, okay?”

“Fine.”

“Love you, Soph.”

“Love you, too.” Sophie hung up and drew in a deep breath, blowing it out through her nose. She considered calling Jake and telling him to not come, but maybe Mindy was right. Maybe it was time for the two of them to really hash things out. Maybe that would finally let her forget him for good.

In the meantime, Sophie didn’t dare start the decorating until Mindy arrived tomorrow. Plus, after her long drive, and her hellish workweek, she was simply exhausted. A nap wasn’t merely in order; it was a necessity. She grabbed her suitcase and headed upstairs.

Eden House slept twenty people comfortably, which meant that Sophie and Mindy had always each had their own bedroom. Sophie’s was the second on the right in the upstairs hall, directly across from Gram’s master suite. It was beautifully decorated in white and soft tones of gray and pink, with a cloud-like four-poster bed and the most picturesque view of the backyard and woods beyond. Sophie changed into comfy lavender silk pajama pants with a tank top and climbed under the fluffy comforter. Not bothering to set the alarm on her phone, she closed her eyes, let her head sink into the feather pillows and tried as hard as she could not to think about whether or not Jake was going to turn up on her doorstep.

When Sophie woke, the room was much darker. From somewhere beyond her door, she’d heard a banging sound. Bang bang bang. She bolted up in bed and clutched the covers to her chest, her brain slowly whirring to life. How long had she been asleep? She fumbled for her phone. Her nap had lasted for hours. Bang bang bang. Sophie jumped. Then she heard the more pleasant ring of the doorbell and she realized what all that banging was. Jake.

She grabbed a thick cream-colored cardigan, tucked her feet into her boiled-wool slippers and hurried down the hall. As she descended the staircase, clutching the banister, she craned her neck, trying to see through the sidelight. The snow was coming down so fast now it was impossible to make out much more than a dark jacket and a tall figure.

Was it Jake? Logic said yes, but what if it wasn’t? Sophie was not a paranoid person, but if that was a strange man out there, she’d better be prepared. She was all alone in this house, practically a sitting duck. Frantically, she scanned the foyer for something to defend herself with. Nothing too scary. She just needed a little insurance. Unfortunately, everything her eyes landed on was too bulky, like a lamp, or useless, like a book. Then she spotted the cast-iron fleur-de-lis doorstop next to the front door. It was heavy but fit into her hand nicely. It would have to do, although she couldn’t imagine having the nerve to ever hit anyone with it. The threat was most important, she decided.

Gripping it tightly in one hand, she held it flat against the side of her leg. With her other hand, she flipped the dead bolt and unlocked the door.

Icy cold rushed in with a gust so fierce that she fell back on her heels. Before her stood the most handsome mirage she’d ever seen. Jake. In a puffy black coat and a gray stocking cap that made his eyes look even more intense, like he was seeing right through her. “Jake? What are you doing here?” Of course, she knew the answer. She just wanted to hear it from his mouth.

His shoulders were bunched up around his ears. The wind whipped, sending snow flying past him and into the foyer. “Can I come in?”

Her heart pounded in her chest. “Yes. Of course.” She opened the door wider, watching as he stepped inside and stomped the snow from his feet. “What are you doing here?” Again, she waited for the answer. Jake was here because there was no way he was going to give up after their one conversation in her office. He had no problem walking away from Sophie the woman, but he couldn’t leave Sophie the business deal alone.

Her hand dropped to her side. The doorstop plummeted, landed square on her foot and tumbled to the floor with a thud. “Ow!” Sophie’s foot crackled with unimaginable pain. She jumped and raised her injured foot, hopping her way over to the staircase. Jake mercifully shut out the cold behind him.

“Soph. Are you okay?” He rushed over to her. His voice held enough true concern to make her feel light-headed.

Sophie wasn’t sure where to look. At her injured foot or at Jake. “Why did you have to show up and make me drop a doorstop on my foot?”

“Why are you walking around the house with a lead weight in your hand?”

“If you were an intruder, I was planning to knock you out with it.”

“I guess I should have called first, huh?”

“That would’ve been nice.”

He dropped to his knee and tugged off his gloves, setting them on the stair tread. He reached for her foot. He was so close now, his cheeks bright pink from the cold, but the rest of his face had its normal tawny tone, the one that looked so perfect with the dark scruff on his jaw. She had an irrational desire to touch it.

“Can you take off your slipper so I can look at it?” Impatient Jake didn’t wait for her; he simply removed it himself.

“You still haven’t told me what you’re—Ow!” She recoiled from the pain.

He held his hands up in surrender. “Sorry. I just... I think we need to get some ice on this and get it elevated. There’s a chance you broke your foot.” He stood, tugging off his hat and rolling his broad shoulders out of his jacket. To her horror, he tossed them onto her grandmother’s upholstered settee.

“Jake. That’s velvet and there’s snow on your jacket. The water will leave a mark on the fabric.” She knew she was being a pain in the butt, but she couldn’t help it. He was being thorough, determined Jake—the guy who never gives up on what he wants, no matter what it takes. She had to remind him that he was on her turf. If there was an upper hand to be had here, it was hers.

“We need to get your foot elevated. Can I carry you somewhere so you can lie down?”

The idea of lying down near him had her thinking all sorts of crazy thoughts—she nearly answered that her bedroom was right upstairs. Nearly. She needed to retrain her brain to stop thinking about him that way. There had been a time when she was skilled at keeping herself in the friend zone, but she was out of practice. “I can walk.” She had no idea if that was true. Her foot was throbbing like it had its own heartbeat.