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
