Billionaire by Design (A BWWM Romance) Read online

  Two weeks after the whispers started circulating, she arrived to find a meeting had been called in the firm’s small conference room where all twenty employees had gathered to hear the announcement they’d already anticipated. The small company had been sold, and the buyer would be introducing himself shortly. After a brief rundown of the restructuring, management stepped back to let the new owner greet the team. Jenna’s mouth fell open in disbelief as Zane Talbot, looking every bit as breathtaking as she remembered him, entered the room to a round of light applause. He spotted her immediately, flashing her a wink and a small smirk as he made his way to the front of the room to present himself.

  After expounding on the buyout and explaining that the firm was now a division of Enterprise Marketing, Zane shared a bit of information about himself before making his way around the room to politely shake hands with his new employees. His blue eyes lit up when he felt her touch, and her heart immediately began to flutter in his presence. Months had passed since she’d seen him, yet she felt as giddy as she had almost one year earlier when they’d first met. Her pulse raced as they silently stared into each other’s eyes with a warm smile for a long moment before he moved on the next employee.

  Zane took the time to assure everyone that the changes meant better job security and an increased salary, and to respond to their individual questions and concerns. He made a powerful first impression, leaving the crew elated with the direction the company was headed. Jenna wasn’t surprised that everybody took an instant liking to the charming man she’d once called a lover.

  None of them knew of their history, as she hadn’t felt the need to share it with anyone. She knew talking about him would only make her miss him that much more, and she didn’t need her emotions affecting her work again.

  With the meeting reaching its end, the team dispersed back to their designated departments while Jenna and Zane lingered behind in the conference room. He closed the door to give them the privacy they needed before turning to her with a nervous grin.

  “So…” he began cautiously, “surprised?”

  “Um, yeah,” she answered with a slight chuckle. “You could say that.”

  “Not as surprised as I was when I saw your name on the payroll!” Zane laughed in relief as he wrapped his arms around her in an affectionate embrace. “I’ve missed you,” he sighed as he took a step back and placed his strong hands on her shoulders. He stood looking deep into her eyes, and she sensed he may be fighting back tears. She knew she certainly was, and it was a battle she didn’t think she could win. She felt her eyes beginning to well and her lips beginning to tremble as old feelings rushed to the surface.

  “So, wait, you didn’t know I worked here?” she asked as she attempted to gain control of herself.

  “Not initially, no,” he shook his head. “I was in the middle of the purchase when I glanced at the employee roster and spotted your name. It was a pleasant surprise. I took it as a sign that I was making the right move.”

  “I can’t believe you bought the entire company!” she blurted in amazement. “How did you—”

  “I know, I know,” he stopped her, knowing what she was going to ask. Although Regency Advertising was a small firm, it had been doing quite well and the purchase hadn’t been cheap. “After you left, I used work to fill the void. I refocused all of my attention solely on business and snagged a few high-paying clients. Phil’s replacement has been a big help, too. You’d like her.”

  “That’s great,” she smiled. “But those new clients were enough to buy out Regency?”

  “Well, not exactly…” he trailed off and cleared his throat as he fidgeted with his necktie.

  “Oh, no. Zane, what did you do?” she asked in concern. It was quite obvious that he was holding something from her.

  “I sold the estate,” he confessed.

  “Wait, what? You sold the house?” Jenna questioned in shock. She knew how much he loved that home, and how hard he’d worked to have it built to his exact specifications.

  “Eh, it wasn’t the same without you anyway,” he told her. “Everything just reminded me of you. It was just too depressing.”

  “I can’t believe you sold it. That’s… wow. Where are you living now?”

  “Here, now,” he replied. “I rented a nice loft downtown. I finish moving in this week. It’s a one-year lease, so I’ll be here for a while. It’ll give me time to oversee the transition and get things running smoothly.”

  “Then you’re heading back to Tucson?”

  “More than likely,” he shrugged. “Phil’s replacement says she’d have no problem moving here to manage this branch.”

  “Well,” she sighed, “looks like we’ll be working together again.”

  As the reality set in, she wasn’t sure how she felt about the situation. She would now be working for her ex-lover, the man whose baby she’d lost, and the man who she was still very much in love with. Intuitive as always, he picked up on her apprehension and realized his surprise wasn’t as well received as he’d hoped.

  “I’m sorry,” he said apologetically in the deep voice she‘d missed so much. “I should have told you sooner. I shouldn’t have sprung it on you like this.”

  “It’s okay…” she muttered, breaking eye contact to nervously look around the room.

  “No, it’s not. I don’t know what I was thinking. I just missed you so much,” he replied, his cool composure beginning to crack, revealing the emotions swirling within him.

  “You did?” she asked with a hint of skepticism.

  “You have no idea,” he choked as his eyes began to water. For the first time, he was showing a vulnerability she’d never seen before, and the sight of his aching heart brought tears to her eyes as well.

  “I thought you hated me…” she admitted.

  “What?” he gasped at the absurd notion. “Jenna, I could never hate you.”

  “But the whole abortion thing,” she paused as the painful memory stabbed her, “and the expansion which I totally screwed up…”

  “Babe,” he took her hand in his and spoke earnestly into her big, brown eyes, “You don’t get it, do you?”

  “Get what?” she swallowed hard as she looked back at his intent face.

  “I’m in love with you,” he burst as a tear streamed down his cheek. “I’ve been in love with you since the first moment I saw you.”

  “You… you are?” she stammered, taken aback by his spontaneous admission.

  “I’m so in love with you, Jenna Parker, and I should have told you sooner. Hell, I wanted to tell you after the first week,” he chuckled anxiously. “I don’t know why I waited so damn long. I was just scared, I think. I’ve never said those words before.”

  “I love you, too,” she sobbed in the elation of finally speaking the words she’d been holding back for so long.

  “Yeah?” he asked as the widest smile she’d ever seen stretched across his face. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and quickly pulled her close.

  “Yeah,” she giggled, and echoed his confession as she wiped his tear away, “since the first moment I saw you.”

  Their lips met in a long, passionate kiss, with total disregard for anyone who may oversee through the door’s small window. In this moment, they were completely lost in each other and nobody else existed but them.

  “The way you left so suddenly…” he whispered when their lips finally parted, “I assumed you just wanted to be left alone.”

  “Silly man,” she smiled as she ran her long fingers through his dark hair. “I’ve thought about you every day.”

  “I knew you needed some time, but I thought you might not want to see me again,” he explained.

  “I just felt so guilty about everything…” she muttered as she lowered her head.

  “Don’t ever feel guilty, not for a second,” he insisted as he lifted her chin to kiss her again. “Turns out pushing the expansion back was a blessing in disguise anyway,” he assured her.

  “Oh?�
�� she questioned with her brow raised in curiosity.

  “Remember that cheap office space I told you I found a few months ago?”

  “Yes?”

  “Turns out there was a reason it was so cheap. Huge rodent infestation. I found out the whole building was condemned,” he laughed.

  “Jesus,” she gasped, the news already alleviating some of her guilt.

  “Thanks to that delay, I was able to come up with the money to just buy out Regency,” he grinned. “Expanded and knocked out some competition all in one blow, see?”

  “Maybe everything does happen for a reason,” she smiled. He leaned in for another kiss but stopped short when he noticed the chain around her neck.

  “Is that what I think it is?” he asked as he pulled the necklace out from her sweater, revealing the diamond drop pendant he’d given her moments before their world fell apart.

  “It is,” she blushed as he held the pendant in his hand.

  “I’m so glad you kept it,” he sniffled as another tear escaped his eye.

  “I wear it every day,” she stated proudly as she wiped his tear away again with her thumb.

  “It doesn’t remind you of…”

  He stopped himself from mentioning the horrific incident. He didn’t need to speak the words for her to know what he meant.

  “No,” she answered truthfully. “It reminds me of you. And I still want to hand it down to my granddaughter.”

  “Our granddaughter,” he corrected her with a playful smile.

  Speechless and overcome with joy, she placed her hands on his cheeks and pulled his lips to hers again.

  “I love you,” she purred as they exchanged another long, heated kiss.

  “I love you, too,” he breathed, tightening his arms around her waist and bringing her closer to him.

  They’d found each other again, their love reignited with a flame that would never be extinguished. This time, nothing would keep them apart.

  Epilogue

  The years to come saw Enterprise Marketing become a publicly traded corporation. When it landed in the Fortune 500, Zane Talbot ascribed its success to his wife, Jenna Talbot, whom he’d wed in a lavish ceremony in the foothills of Tucson, Arizona. The couple had returned there to build a life for themselves, collaborating together on the design of a new home they’d go on to raise their two children in.

  Zane Talbot, CEO of the powerhouse that Enterprise Marketing had become, continued to credit the company’s prosperity to his wife, citing her creative genius as the key component in their award-winning campaigns. He also made sure to thank the rest of his hard-working staff, rewarding them generously for their contributions and earning the nickname “World’s Best CEO” by Forbes magazine.

  Upon his release from Maricopa County Jail, Phil Miller returned to a life of alcohol, quickly blowing the money he’d embezzled on booze and prostitutes. He was struck by a car and killed in his attempt to cross a busy street while stumbling drunk. Zane and Jenna read of his death in the Arizona Daily Star newspaper. Both refused to attend his funeral.

  Jenna cried when handing the necklace down to her granddaughter.

  THE END

  About The Author

  Tiana's a young writer who only recently began having her stories published. At only 30-years-old, Tiana plans to continue her writing for many years to come and seems to have a never ending stream of unique story ideas.

  Tiana was raised in New York City and currently resides in a small apartment house in Philadelphia with her two adorable cats. She's yet to meet Mr. Right, but in the meantime enjoys depicting him in her various interracial stories!

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  Also from Tiana Cole:

  The Doctor's Fake Nanny

  Which Baby for the Billionaire?

  A Gambling Heart

  Love Games

  Southern Charm