Romancing a Chocolate Heiress

Romancing A Chocolate Heiress

By

JT Schultz

ROMANCING A CHOCOLATE HEIRESS

Copyright © 2014 JT Schultz

Cover Art by JT Schultz © 2014

Edited by Annie Kelly 2014 – No Copyright Assigned

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system-except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine, newspaper, or on the web -without permission in writing from the author. For information, please contact the author via the contact form at:

http://jtschultz.com/Contact.html

All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

ISBN: Not Assigned.

ASIN: B00PF91H1C

License Statement 

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please download an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Praise for JT Schultz

JT Schultz is an author to watch!!! She packs action, humor and heat between the pages!!!

~Author Karen Kelley

JT has a way of combining humor and sensual delights to keep the reader entertained from start to finish! I’m positive you won’t be disappointed at any time!

~Joni – Twolips Reviews

JT Schultz has a style that grabs you and drags you in.

~Rachel C. - Fallen Angel Reviews

I love Ms. Schultz’s writing style and I would highly recommend her stories to others. You won’t be disappointed.

~Diana, Night Owl Romance Reviews

Also Available By JT Schultz

Short Stories

Her Wolf Guardian

Un-A-Were of You

Coming Home

Wolf Moon

Blind Date

Novellas

More Than Illusions

Tinsel & Takeovers

Cowboy's Wish

High Stakes

Laws of Love

Rescued By A Vampire

Her Wolf Soul Mate

Mid-Category

Laws of Love

Rings & Ravioli

Crazy For Cupid

Cowboy Wedding Mix-up

Novels

Frog Tale

Irresistible

Tickled Pink

Little White Cowboy lies

Sinfully Yours

Romancing A Chocolate Heiress

Coming Soon

Rocking Christmas

Friends With A Cowboy

Getting Lucky

Behind Deceitful Lives

Dear Reader,

Thank you for purchasing my book, I really hope you enjoy the story of Candace and Randal. This book was originally released back in 2008 as Bombshell 2 Boardroom. However, I decided to make some changes and I’m now pleased to give my readers both my new readers as well as my regulars, Romancing A Chocolate Heiress.

Candace Charming is heiress to the Charming Chocolates company. All she ever wanted was to work at her family’s legacy. Too bad her father has run the company in the ground by trusting the wrong people. A simple bet with Randal, is her opportunity to prove to her dad, she’s anything but a bimbo blonde.

Randal Stevens has been with Charming Chocolates for years, the company has gone stale and losing market shares. He knows there needs to be a fresh approach taken if he is going to help save the company, and Candace, just might be the solution. Never though did he think he’d fall in love with her.

Please enjoy, as much as I did writing this romantic comedy.

~Best,

JT

www.jtschultz.com

Chapter One

What the hell were you all thinking? Bernard Charming’s voice boomed through the nervous silence of the Charming Chocolates’ boardroom.

Randal stared at his boss and tuned out the rant Bernard had thrown for the last five quarterly meetings. Sales are down, blah, blah. Who is to blame? How are we going to fix this? Blah, blah, blah, I want answers and I want results, people, blah, blah, blah. It may be a different quarter, but the speech remained the same.

Randal! Bernard’s baritone rumbled.

Randal snapped his attention back to the conversation and away from his inner commentary.

Sir. Randal stared at Bernard and nodded, presenting the façade he’d been hanging on Bernard’s every word.

I have received the reports and according to market research, our ad campaigns are not appealing. ‘A touch vanilla’ is what I have been told.

Vanilla is the most popular flavor of ice cream.

Bernard’s face scrunched up and his pallor changed to crimson. That would be great if we sold dairy products, but we sell chocolate!

He forced a smile. I’m well aware of that, sir.

Bernard grumbled and rose from his chair to pace the floor as Nancy, an uptight woman from outside sales, snorted. A bitch with a cold and often bitter outlook on life perfectly described Nancy.

Randal turned to Nancy who smirked at him as if he were an idiot. He quickly ran a hand through his hair and flashed her one of his lady-killer smiles. Her glare changed to a scowl, validating Randal’s suspicion that she most likely preferred women named Gertrude who resembled linebackers. After all, no heterosexual woman could resist one of his smiles.

Bernard continued his tirade. The company is in trouble, people, and if we don’t pull off a quarter that at least covers our budget, I will be forced to sell out. He placed his large hands on the back of his chair. Times are changing, and for a company selling world-class chocolates, we’re not even covering our costs. Young people want something more than a name of quality and elegance. They want—

The heavy oak door opening interrupted the hard-nosed, fearless leader of the company.

Daddy, I’m so glad I caught you. I don’t mean to interrupt, but they had this great sale today and I picked up this amazing tie for you.

Randal glanced at his colleagues then followed their gazes to the doorway where Bernard’s blonde daughter and heiress had just swept in like a tornado with a swoosh of shopping bags and designer perfume.

Candace Charming glanced at the people in the room. Her gaze lingered on Randal, and she smiled before focusing on her father. I didn’t realize you were busy.

Candy, honey, I am. That’s why Daddy is in here and not in his office.

She nodded. Well, this will only take a minute. I wanted to take you for lunch.

I’m in a meeting, Candy, and there’s pizza on the way.

Candace gasped, her full lipstick-covered lips opened in shock, and she moved closer to her father. Are you nuts? Doctor Morrison will never tolerate that with your cholesterol count. She opened her designer purse with a slender, perfectly manicured hand and started rifling through it.

That lady is something else. Randal smirked and raked his gaze over her.

She stood in the stuffy boardroom in a denim skirt that barely covered her assets and flaunted her long, tanned legs. She wore a pink fitted tee that curved over round, firm breasts as though made just for them. Decked out in pink perfection, from her purse to her toenails, her strappy heels to the rhinestone print on the front of her shirt. Every strategically placed item on her body matched and Randal would bet, all in style, including the ridiculous Siamese cat sticking out of her purse. Mr. Sweetums, the cat from hell.

Randal lifted his brows as she pulled a can from her purse.

It’s a health shake, low in sugar and better for you than a nasty pizza. She set the can on the table and turned back to her father.

Nancy cleared her throat. We’re a little busy. Don’t you have a mall to be at or a spa session to attend?

Candace blinked at Nancy in surprise. My spa session isn’t until three, but with hair like yours, I’m sure they can fit you in. Man, 1986 is gone but you’ve kept it alive.

He suppressed a laugh; Candace obviously had as much sass as she had class.

Candy, honey, please let Daddy get back to his meeting. We’re trying to solve a problem.

The doll woman got excited. Oh! I love to solve problems. Maybe I can help. This one time when I shopped in Macy’s, this woman couldn’t decide if she should...

Randal darted his eyes around the room to his co-workers, all either muffling laughter or wearing displeased expressions.

Candy, this isn’t shopping; this problem is with Daddy’s business. You and I can do lunch another day, and I will see you tonight at home, Bernard informed her impatiently.

The sexy blonde frowned in disappointment, but nodded that she understood.

Interesting.

An idea began to form in his mind. Candace Charming happened to be among the upper crust of money, being young, rich and despite having the world handed to her on a chocolate dipped platter, she very much represented the generation and demographics of the clientele they wanted to reach. The rich, young and spoiled. Also, some of the richest people with the best paying jobs were only a few years older than Candace. Often self-made and new money, they wanted elaborate toys and had ostentatious spending habits.

Steve from accounting reached up to pet the Siamese cat, only to be greeted with a loud hiss and an extended paw with claws unsheathed, ready for a full assault.

Candace turned and smiled at Steve; both stunning and beautiful, she had a body built for sin. Mr. Sweetums isn’t fond of strangers. He’s very sensitive; his pet psychiatrist thinks he suffers from abandonment issues because his mother left him at four weeks old. It’s very sad.

Withdrawing his hand, Steve looked at his fingers, no doubt to make sure he still had them all.

Wonderful. Shouldn’t you and the cat be going? Nancy chirped. Maybe out to get a friendly dog.

Candace turned to Nancy and shook her head, her hair swung from side to side, the movement very sexy. No, I’m not a dog person. They bark and I can’t understand them.

Nancy digested Candace’s response then looked as confused as she did stunned. However, you do understand cat?

Candace smiled and laughed. Yes, because they don’t bark.

Randal had to bite his lip to suppress his chuckle. However, in some small, twisted way, her answer held some sense.

Okay, Candy, that’s enough. Bernard nudged his daughter to the door. Time to go. Maybe you can get me a shirt to go with the tie you bought.

Candace nodded again then looked right at Randal, casting him a smile. Randal’s heart stopped and the temperature in the room shot up. Hot Candace Charming affected his libido. She usually did when they passed in the hallway or in her father’s office on one of her many visits. Both the sight and smell of her were seductive. She broadened her smile and walked out of the room.

Nancy sighed in frustration. Sir, I thought you had asked her not to stop by the office anymore, since she’s a distraction to business.

His boss merely nodded at Nancy. I did. He blew out a long breath. She is extremely smart but has as much common sense as a chocolate-covered apple. I wanted a son to take over this company, instead, I got a daughter who will never be able to, despite her Yale education. Her lack of common sense would be Charming Chocolates’ destruction.

Candace went to Yale?

My daughter is a shopaholic with a flare for fashion—not for business, Bernard added.

I disagree. Randal’s inner thoughts fell into the room by way of his tongue. He narrowed his gaze on Bernard. She might be the answer we’re looking for.

Maybe what you’re looking for in your next conquest, but not for this company. For sure we’ll lose sales and be subjected to a sell out or a merger. Nancy snorted.

Does she realize she sounds like a dog when she does that?

Candy is sassy but not business savvy, his boss answered.

Randal couldn’t make out all the pieces to the puzzle, but again thought of his earlier idea. I think she could be.

Bernard chuckled loudly. I would like to see that. Hell, I would even pay to see it.

The gears in his head started to turn. If sales were what they needed, along with a fresh outlook in advertising, why not ask a shopaholic with apparently more money than brains? How much would you pay?

Bernard’s brows lifted. Are you asking me in all seriousness?

Yes. Give me a number. How much is it worth to you?

Bernard pursed his lips in thought. Budget covering sales, and my daughter from lovable cat-carrying blonde to a boardroom executive, impossible to do, so much that I would pay one million dollars to see it and hand you the position of CEO. Tell me, Randal, what would you be willing to put on the line to prove that you can turn Candace and sales around?

Randal smiled. What do I have to lose? My job as advertising director.

Bernard grinned. I like a betting man, one who is willing to take a chance. You, my boy, have a bet and three months to prove your point.

What could he say, but, Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down.

Candace Charming sighed and picked up a piece of tuna sushi with her chopsticks and held it up to Mr. Sweetums, still in the Louis Vuitton bag and seated on the wooden chair next to her. The rhinestones in the Siamese cat’s collar sparkled as he nibbled at the treat. He treats me like I’m stupid, she confided to the cat. If I’m so stupid, then how did I get accepted to Yale?

I would love an answer to that question myself, a rich baritone stated.

She glanced up at the expensive suit coat to the broad shoulders it covered then onto the strikingly handsome face of Randal, one of her father’s lapdogs. A shame the man worked for her father because Randal had to be every woman’s fantasy, from dark warm eyes to jet-black hair with a frame that hinted at a muscled body beneath it. Even the dimple in his left cheek, giving him a boy next-door look, sexy and a definite turn-on.

Don’t you have a board meeting with my dad to be sitting in on?

Randal’s smile broadened as he pulled out a chair across from her and sat down. Nope, excused for good behavior. Now, about the question of Yale, truly my curiosity is piqued.

I said that to my cat, she told him coolly. Damn, he is hot and way too good-looking. His voice the type she dreamed of whispering in her ear during the throes of passion.

Well, I don’t think Mr. Sweetums will mind if I join the conversation, do you?

Do I think he’ll mind, or do I mind if you join us? She tried not to blush at the erotic images of him in her bed which danced through her mind’s eye.

His smile broadened as he tilted his head to the side. The heat in his eyes went straight through her and dampened her thong. She started mentally counting how many months it had been since she’d had sex. Right, six, not good with a hot man sitting across from her, one she would love to strip naked, dip