Sophie’s reaction was much the same. And no matter how hard he tried he could not get her to show the offer to her grandmother. It all came down to unnecessarily upsetting her grandmother. Eliot didn’t think Mae was nearly as fragile as her granddaughter thought she was.
So he happened to mention the two new offers to Mae when he saw her alone. But Sophie was right—Mae wasn’t the slightest bit interested, even though the offer would mean a generous legacy for her grandchildren.
The clock was ticking, and Eliot could not seem to find a way to break through their shells of resistance. And he wasn’t sure how many more trusting smiles from this pair of women he could stand. He knew he was coming to care more and more about Sophie and her grandmother, and the idea of leaving them devastated was not an option he was willing to accept.
He had to find a way to get them to sell and prove to his uncle that he was strong enough to take over the company at the same time. Then there was the whole I want you, I don’t want youvibe he was getting from Sophie.
One minute, she was stroking his arms and telling him how much she appreciated his help, and the next she was practically ignoring him. One minute she was rubbing against him, giving him a hard-on that felt like a steel rod in his pants, and the next she was looking at him as if he were an alien just landed from another planet. Most days he didn’t know if he was coming or going.
The combined pressure of living two lives was becoming too much, and what had started out as just a bad idea was rapidly becoming one of the most disastrous decisions of his life. He hoped he could find a way out of it before it was too late.
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Eliot paced the floor of his condo that evening. He couldn’t go on like this. Despite what Uncle Carl said, these were good people. They were not the enemy. He stopped in front of the window and looked out over the city. How could something as soft and sweet as Sophie Mayfield ever be his enemy?
But what choice did that leave him? He’d spent his whole life working to take over Fulton Foods. All the long days and nights working in the kitchen, even as a teen, learning everything he could. He’d even designed his degree program around what he thought he would need. A combination of business and marketing. Instead of going away on spring break like his friends, he’d always returned to Memphis, spending not only breaks but summer vacations on the floor of the plant. He was so close to taking over the reins of the company. He’d made connections at all levels of the business, and all he had to do was put this competitor out of business. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t done before.
He started pacing again. The problem was he’d never gotten this close before. He’d never taken the time to meet the people involved before, to see the effects of his machinations. He’d never fallen for a woman like Sophie before.
How was he suppose to continue to go in there every day for however long and look them in the face, knowing what he was planning? On some level, it would be easier to simply take the book and be done with it. That would satisfy his uncle, and eventually the little bakery would recover.
He stopped suddenly. That wouldsolve everything, wouldn’t it? Just take the book. Then he’d never have to see Sophie again, and eventually he’d be able to forget her. Wouldn’t he? It would crush Mama Mae, but so would watching her bakery be taken apart brick by brick.
Before he could talk himself out of it, Eliot grabbed his keys and headed out of the condo. Forty-five minutes later he was pulling up in front of the quiet bakery. It was dark, but Eliot knew Sophie was in the back.
He sat for a moment, thinking and planning, working out the details in his head. The office and her sleeping quarters were both in the back part of the store. But the office was on one end and the small apartment was on the other. This time of
So he happened to mention the two new offers to Mae when he saw her alone. But Sophie was right—Mae wasn’t the slightest bit interested, even though the offer would mean a generous legacy for her grandchildren.
The clock was ticking, and Eliot could not seem to find a way to break through their shells of resistance. And he wasn’t sure how many more trusting smiles from this pair of women he could stand. He knew he was coming to care more and more about Sophie and her grandmother, and the idea of leaving them devastated was not an option he was willing to accept.
He had to find a way to get them to sell and prove to his uncle that he was strong enough to take over the company at the same time. Then there was the whole I want you, I don’t want youvibe he was getting from Sophie.
One minute, she was stroking his arms and telling him how much she appreciated his help, and the next she was practically ignoring him. One minute she was rubbing against him, giving him a hard-on that felt like a steel rod in his pants, and the next she was looking at him as if he were an alien just landed from another planet. Most days he didn’t know if he was coming or going.
The combined pressure of living two lives was becoming too much, and what had started out as just a bad idea was rapidly becoming one of the most disastrous decisions of his life. He hoped he could find a way out of it before it was too late.
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Eliot paced the floor of his condo that evening. He couldn’t go on like this. Despite what Uncle Carl said, these were good people. They were not the enemy. He stopped in front of the window and looked out over the city. How could something as soft and sweet as Sophie Mayfield ever be his enemy?
But what choice did that leave him? He’d spent his whole life working to take over Fulton Foods. All the long days and nights working in the kitchen, even as a teen, learning everything he could. He’d even designed his degree program around what he thought he would need. A combination of business and marketing. Instead of going away on spring break like his friends, he’d always returned to Memphis, spending not only breaks but summer vacations on the floor of the plant. He was so close to taking over the reins of the company. He’d made connections at all levels of the business, and all he had to do was put this competitor out of business. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t done before.
He started pacing again. The problem was he’d never gotten this close before. He’d never taken the time to meet the people involved before, to see the effects of his machinations. He’d never fallen for a woman like Sophie before.
How was he suppose to continue to go in there every day for however long and look them in the face, knowing what he was planning? On some level, it would be easier to simply take the book and be done with it. That would satisfy his uncle, and eventually the little bakery would recover.
He stopped suddenly. That wouldsolve everything, wouldn’t it? Just take the book. Then he’d never have to see Sophie again, and eventually he’d be able to forget her. Wouldn’t he? It would crush Mama Mae, but so would watching her bakery be taken apart brick by brick.
Before he could talk himself out of it, Eliot grabbed his keys and headed out of the condo. Forty-five minutes later he was pulling up in front of the quiet bakery. It was dark, but Eliot knew Sophie was in the back.
He sat for a moment, thinking and planning, working out the details in his head. The office and her sleeping quarters were both in the back part of the store. But the office was on one end and the small apartment was on the other. This time of
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