1. Leah

CHAPTER 1

LEAH

" L eila!" the barista calls as he puts the iced latte on the bar.

No one responds.

Clearing my throat, I step off the stool I've been perched on for the last few minutes while checking my email. "Is it Leah?"

His eyes lock onto mine, and we share a quick moment. "I guess." He shrugs.

And then the moment's gone.

Actually, it was never there.

"Thanks." Suppressing a sigh, I pick up my drink and exit into the bright morning. As I step onto the curb, a handsome man across the street looks right at me and waves.

Heat rushes through me. Lifting my arm, I wave back.

His smile broadens, and he crosses the street, heading right toward me.

I blink, confused but not displeased. Okay, so this must be the universe giving me a present after the botched moment in the coffee shop. This cute guy has noticed me and is coming over to say hello!

Oh, God. Why didn't I put on any makeup this morning? And my hair! It was damp when I fell asleep last night, and now it's in a messy bun.

But this guy noticed me. Obviously, he likes what he sees and wants to meet me.

He steps onto the curb, and I smile big, about to say hello, when he walks right past me.

And up to a woman standing behind me.

The smile drops off my face as my heart plummets.

I watch as they embrace, their bodies fitting together perfectly. He kisses her neck, and she laughs, throwing her head back. They're in love; it's obvious from the way they look at each other.

I can feel the tears threatening to spill over, but I blink them back. I won't let them see me cry.

The man catches my eye, and I quickly look away. I don't want him to see the hurt in my eyes. He doesn't know me, and he's probably confused as to why I'm looking at them anyway.

I turn and walk down the street, trying to shake off the disappointment. It's not like I was expecting anything to happen with the barista or the handsome stranger, but sometimes, it's nice to imagine what could be.

Crossing the street, I dodge hordes of early morning traffic. Downtown Olympus City is crazy this time of morning, and you're liable to get trampled if you're not careful.

Reaching the high-rise my office is in, I open the door and enter the elevator with a few other people.

Home Sweet Home.

That's what I like to call this place, anyway, since I spend more time here than in my actual apartment.

And maybe I should change that. Obviously, I'm lacking something in life if I mistakenly thought two men were flirting with me in one morning.

But I haven't been on anything even close to a date in over a year. I'm so out of practice that I'm worried I wouldn't even know how to talk to someone in that context.

And could I really maintain a relationship? Here in Olympus City, half of the people are married to their jobs. Myself included.

"Hey," a familiar voice says right next to me.

I blink at Taylor, my Mobile App Lead. Like always, she looks amazing, her makeup perfectly applied and a tight skirt and flowing blouse hanging perfectly off her curves.

But when did she get in the elevator? Was she here when I walked into it?

"Good morning," I slowly say.

She gives me a funny look. "You okay?"

I shake off my thoughts and force a smile. "Yeah, just a little distracted this morning."

Taylor nods, not completely convinced. "Well, we have that meeting with the investors in an hour, so try to focus."

Right, the meeting. I take a deep breath and straighten my posture. I can't get distracted.

Not when my app needs all the help it can get.

Even though we started off strong at GourmetGlobal, a few years ago I had to sell off some shares of the company. Things haven't been great since then.

I'm not about to give up, though. Startups go through ups and downs, and I'm in this for the long haul.

The elevator stops on our floor, and Taylor and I get off.

"So," I say as we walk down the hallway to the few rooms that house our offices. "How was your weekend? What did you do?"

She grins. "I went to Juice Spot. It was amazing."

"Oh, there's a new juice bar? Is it near here?"

She laughs. "It's a club. It opened on Friday."

My face warms. Obviously, I'm not with it at all. Taylor and I are the same age and we've known each other since college, but we live opposite lives outside of work.

She's always posting pics of her doing amazing things like extreme sports and hanging out with pro athletes at parties.

Meanwhile, I can be found on Saturday nights either working on my laptop at the corner coffee shop or doing something like reorganizing my closet.

At GourmetGlobal's front desk, I stop at the sight of a vase of red roses. "Who are those for?"

Apparently, someone in our office has a secret admirer. I gently touch one of the petals, trying not to be jealous.

"They're for you," Lake, our receptionist, says, handing me the card. "From the CEO of Leadsom."

Taylor's eyes nearly bug out of her head. "You're dating Jack Leadsom?"

I bark out a laugh and throw the card into the trash without reading it. "No. He's been trying to acquire GourmetGlobal for months. The answer is no, though."

Taylor follows me into the open space where all of our desks are, and we wave at the rest of our twelve-person team as we pass them by.

"Really?" she asks. "That kind of money…"

I put my purse on my desk. "It's not about the money, Taylor."

She's quiet, and I can almost hear her thoughts. If it's not about the money, then what is it about?

It's about my dream. My vision for GourmetGlobal. It's about building something that people can use to make their lives better. It's about creating a legacy that will outlast me.

Right now, the app is completely in my control. It connects users with local and worldwide gourmet food distributors and restaurants, and I've worked hard to make sure the whole thing has a personal touch.

If I were to turn it over to someone else, everything could change.

And I know that's some people's dreams: to sell their startup and then move on to something else, but that's just not it for me. This project is my baby. I'm not going to hand it over to some stranger.

"We're on the cusp of greatness." I give Taylor a pointed look. "GourmetGlobal will not become part of some watered-down corporate umbrella, okay?"

Taylor finally looks convinced. "Okay." With a nod, she retires to her desk.

Sighing, I close my eyes for a second. The day has only just begun, and already I feel stressed. It sucks feeling like I have to defend my vision to people, but honestly, what did I expect? That's just part of the territory.

My desk phone ringing makes me open my eyes.

Seeing the front desk number, I pick up. "Yes?"

"Jack Leadsom is on the line for you," Lake says.

I feel my eyebrows rise. "Let me guess. He's checking to see if I got the roses."

"I don't know. Can you take his call now?"

I hesitate. I have no interest in handing over my company, but I also can't afford to be rude to one of the biggest tech billionaires in the world.

And the fact that Leadsom himself is calling is pretty flattering. I'd have to be insane to not take the call.

"Put him through," I tell Lake.

An image flashes through my mind: that of the last photo I saw of Jack Leadsom. It was on the cover of a tech magazine, and when I saw it at the grocery store, I was tempted to buy it.

And not for the article.

Nope. For the pictures.

Because the man is sexy as hell, and everyone knows it. Forty-five years old. A self-made billionaire. Dark brown hair. A strong jaw. Hazel eyes. Muscles for days.

The man seems to have it all.

Swallowing hard, I suddenly realize how nervous I am to speak with him. There's no time to prepare, though, because a deep, smooth voice is coming through the line.

"This is Jack."

I take a deep breath, steadying myself. "This is Leah. It's a pleasure to speak with you, Mr. Leadsom. What can I do for you?"

"Jack," he corrects. "Please."

I bite my lip. "Jack."

"I have to admit, Leah, I'm surprised you even took my call. You're a hard person to get in touch with."

"Only when I don't want to be gotten in touch with." I lean back in my chair. "I know what you're calling about, Mr.— Jack. And I'm flattered, but my answer is still no."

There's a pause. "I would like to talk about this in person."

In person? Honestly, what's the point? Nothing will make me change my mind. I'm not handing over control of my company.

Still. This isn't the first time Leadsom Inc. has gotten in touch with me, but it is the first time their CEO has.

If Jack Leadsom wants to meet with me in person, that means he's determined. So perhaps the only way to put an end to this is to have the meeting.

"Sure," I say, trying to sound casual. "When were you thinking?"

"How about dinner on Friday night? Do you like Italian?"

Dinner? He wants to meet outside of regular work hours?

Okay. This feels odd.

And, as much as I hate to admit it, flattering. He must be really interested in GourmetGlobal.

"Let me check my calendar," I say, already knowing I'll find a big empty space there.

Just for show, I check it on my computer anyway. "How about seven?"

"Seven is great. I'll send a car to your apartment."

I can't help it. I laugh. "That won't be necessary, Mr. Leadsom. Just let me know the restaurant and I can get myself there."

"Jack," he corrects yet again, and this time there's something in his voice that sends a sweet shiver through me. "And as you wish. I'll send you the address. I'm looking forward to our talk."

With that, he hangs up before I can say anything else.

Taylor stares at me from her desk. "You're meeting with him?"

I nod, still in shock. "Yeah, I guess I am."

She raises an eyebrow. "And you're not freaking out?"

I shrug. "I mean, I am a little bit. But I figure, what's the harm in meeting with him? It's not like I'm going to change my mind about selling. And maybe meeting with him in person will finally get him off my back."

Taylor grins. "I'm a little jealous."

I try to keep my composure and act like I don't know what she's talking about, but Jack Leadsom's handsome face keeps coming into my mind.

His voice is so smooth and deep. I can only imagine what it's like to be in his presence, what it's like to sit at a small candlelit table together, our knees nearly brushing…

My heart does a flip, and I shake myself out of the fantasy. This dinner will be purely business. Nothing else.

Just like my whole life.