A Moment Like You (The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers #2) - Claudia Burgoa Page 0,5

dark blue pin striped suit. His dark brown hair is longer than usual; it almost touches his expensive sunglasses. He gives me a slight smile, which is uncharacteristic of him.

“Sophia,” he greets me with that thick, raspy voice that makes any woman who listens to him fall at his feet.

Not me.

“Henry,” I answer, nodding slightly toward his luxurious car. “I thought we were flying.”

“I chose to drive so I could pick up Blaire’s package before you arrived. Did you have a good trip?”

“As usual,” I confirm.

“What’s on your mind?”

“What?”

“Something is bothering you,” he states.

You?

There’s something so annoying about him. He’s so hot, but then, he’s…well, him. I can’t deny I’m physically attracted to him but also repelled by his personality. I blink away deliberately trying to avoid staring at him.

“I could’ve packed your things and have them shipped. You don’t need me,” I explain.

He smirks. “Funny, that’s for me to decide, Ms. Aragon. What bothers you? Traveling or sacrificing your weekend?”

Both. I glance at him and roll my eyes. “I refuse to work all weekend,” I warn him.

He opens the passenger door and closes it once I’m inside the car.

“Don’t worry. I promised your friend that we’d be done by tomorrow afternoon, since we’re celebrating Hayes’ birthday,” he states once he takes a seat and turns on the engine.

“Woohoo,” I say sarcastically. “I’m only working twenty-four hours of overtime.”

“I don’t care for your sarcasm.”

“I don’t care for many things, and yet, here we are,” I answer with the phrase he hates the most.

To push his next button, I pull out my noise canceling headphones and make an entire show of setting my music and tuning him out.

Two

Henry

It’s said that we all start off in life with a dream. Like making a million dollars, traveling around the world, or having a career that fulfills us.

I don’t have any dreams. At least, I don’t think I do.

My life was decided way before I was born. I’d be the heir of two wealthy and powerful families. Here’s the kick: Mom chose the wrong man. William Aldridge, my sperm donor, was wealthy but not single. He was a philanderer, not a philanthropist. He cared about women—all of them.

I was born with a silver spoon, bred to become one of the most powerful men in the world, and taught that there’s nothing more important in life than to close a deal. Not even family. It comes as no surprise that my life is just a sequence of meetings, business deals, and mergers. My only goal is to ensure that Merkel Hotels & Spas are the best in the world. The only thing worth celebrating is when I buy a new lot, an old hotel, or a business that can benefit me in the long run.

I was raised to win.

For some, owning their own business is just a dream that they never accomplish. For me…well, lately it has become a process as similar as breathing. I can do my job with my eyes closed. Unlike my brothers, what I do is meaningless. It doesn’t enrich my life. It’s as simple as tying the shoelaces of my thousand-dollar oxford shoes.

You know what thrills me?

Looking at the beauty next to me chasing a deal, fixing an old hotel, or just being infuriated with me.

Sophia Aragon makes everything more…vivid. She brings life to everything she touches. Which is refreshing and maddening at the same time. How can someone so beautiful, smart, and sassy, invoke so many emotions in a matter of seconds?

She’s a puzzle, and maybe that’s why I haven’t fired her yet. Every single day we spend together, she surprises me. After so many years working for me, I can’t afford to lose her. She knows my business better than I do. The entire company depends on her.

By now, I’m just the guy who closes deals and signs the memos.

Her new venture is Aldry’s Sweets. Having her in charge of the factory is the smart thing to do; I know it. It scares me that she’ll be concentrating most of her time on that project. She’s now the brain of my company—and the heart. But I am sure everything will work out the way I planned.

I hoped we could discuss what’s to come during the drive, but it’s obvious that she’s not having it. Maybe later today or on Sunday we can discuss what I plan on implementing within the next couple of weeks. I expect some backlash on her part. She never takes change without a protest