Page 17 of A Taste of Trouble

She eyed her condo, proud of what she'd accomplished. Even though she lived on her own, her place was fully furnished, comfortable, and inviting. Her decor was minimalistic. Her clothes were draped over anything they could, and stacks of books lay everywhere, despite having one entire wall lined with bookshelf after bookshelf. Reading took the place of relationships. It was a way to escape.

She took a few s

teps into her sanctuary and detoured left into her kitchen. Her cupboards were full of nothing but flour and sugar, her fridge bare except for beer, butter, eggs, and several Tupperware containers of cupcakes and leftover icing.

She grabbed a beer from her fridge and popped the cap with a bottle opener. Heading over to the couch, she settled into the soft, white cushion and took a long swig from the bottle. The book she had started yesterday waited for her on the wood coffee table. For tonight, she would drown herself in romance. Her heart couldn't get broken reading a book.

Tomorrow was a new day. She'd worry about advertising options, furniture orders, and her budget when the sun came up. Now that she had been denied her loan, she was going to have to account for every penny. She couldn't afford mistakes or unexpected events.

The flurry of items bouncing around her brain didn't stop her from thinking about Jake—his sweet smile and hard chest. She gave herself permission to recount their meeting, every last detail, in slow, embarrassing motion.

Yes, tomorrow was a new day. And who knew what the world had in store for her? But she knew with great certainty that it could not involve Jake Miller.

…

Jake wandered through the revolving door of his office building in a haze.

The sun reflected off the hundreds of glass panels that made up the walls of the main lobby. On a usual day, the sun wasn't an issue. But today, after that heart stopping experience with Liv, the sun was blinding.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the elevator and knuckled the button to his floor. He'd stopped to get a coffee, but even that was no match for the war waging in his brain. The image of Liv's soft, fresh skin, rosy from the cold morning air, was too hard to shake. The cuteness of her fidgeting, the way she tried her best to get her appearance together to make an impression. But none of that topped the feel of her. Her electric touch that sent him hurtling back to his childhood, a sentimental moment too hard to ignore.

Jake had taken his grandmother's death hard, but his grandfather had taken it harder. Especially during the last year of her life, when she didn't even recognize her own husband's face. From that moment on, the old man wasn't the same, as if she'd taken a piece of his soul, taken the light out of his eyes.

He knew right then and there that he wouldn't settle until he found the one who put that same look in his eyes. That he wouldn't settle for anything less than his soul mate. Sensing Jake's conflict, his grandfather had left him with words of wisdom.

“Don't run away from love, Jakey. Sometimes it can be the only thing that gets you through the day. Your grandmother may be gone, but I wouldn't change a thing. The moment she stumbled into my life, I was taken. There was a spark between us that could be felt from miles away. Six months later, we were married. You're young. Have fun. The right woman will come along, and when she does, she'll shock the hell right out of you.”

When Jake touched Liv, he understood what his grandfather had tried to explain. He just never expected it in the literal sense. All these years, Jake moved from woman to woman, hunting for that spark. And until this morning, his search had turned up empty-handed. But his grandfather forgot to tell him the most important thing—what did he do when he found it?

He'd dropped the ball this morning when she freaked out and ran. Granted, she'd had a crisis, and whatever it was, she needed some space. He had no problem giving it to her, but allowing Liv to blow him off wasn't going to get him any closer to solidifying his dream.

He was getting sloppy, letting his libido take over whenever she was near. There would be plenty of time for sex after he set up the meeting with Shelton.

He stepped off the elevator and made the quick walk to his office. He stopped at his assistant's desk and placed the bag of goodies on the end.

Her fingers moved over the keyboard quickly as she said, “Good morning, Jake,” without even looking over from her screen. “Your meeting with Mr. Shelton is at ten and you're a little late, but…” She finally noticed the bag. “What's this?”

Maggie Shane was a middle-aged woman who had worked at Weston for almost twenty years. When she wasn't coddling and fussing over Jake, she was desperately trying to set him up with one of her daughters. But he couldn't ask for anyone better.

“I stopped on my way in and bought some cupcakes.”

“This is so sweet.” She peeked into the bag. “And so uncharacteristic.” She cocked her head and stared at him long and hard. “Are you feeling all right? You don't look so good.”

“I'm feeling great.” He turned and meandered into his office and Maggie was right on his heels, huddling in the doorway with a folder held tight to her body.

“You do look a little under the weather.” She eyed the paper coffee cup in his hands. “You shouldn't be drinking coffee if you're sick. You need some tea. I'll have some ready for you after your meeting.”

“I'm fine, Maggie, really. You don't have to do that.” He knew his words wouldn't be acknowledged.

“Nonsense. That's what I'm here for.”

“You're not here to be my servant.” Many of his coworkers took advantage of their assistants, especially assistants who had as much experience as Maggie. They were old school, believing that coffee runs—or in this case, tea—were part of the job description. Jake never took her generosity for granted.

“I am no one's servant, young man.” She braced herself, legs shoulder-width apart, hands on hips. “But I am here to make sure you get your job done. And if that means bringing you tea, so be it.”

“Fair enough.”

Maggie stepped through the doorway. “Here are your messages. I've copied your presentation to this flash drive, and here are the most recent details for the venue. Caterer and equipment rentals are also in there for your review.” She placed the items on his desk.

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