Free The Sweet Shoppe: Tempting Prudence by Melissa Schroeder Page B

voice was heavily accented, something old-worldly.
    “Yes, I do want them. Do you have a special box for gift-giving?”
    Her eyes sparkled and she nodded. “Yes. Zis is for a friend?”
    He couldn’t help smiling when he thought of Prudence. “Yes, a ... ah ... lady friend.”
    “Ahhh.” She turned and hobbled over to her counter. He followed in her wake. “I will haf zem ready for you by five, good?”
    No, he wanted them for their meeting. “Well, I thought you could box up the ones in the window.”
    She stopped abruptly and spun around, amazing him with her speed, considering her age. “Non. I will make new. Fresh. Zese have been setting in zee air, not good. Five o’clock.”
    “Do I pay you now?”
    “Non.” And with that, she disappeared behind the counter and through a red curtain. He shrugged and headed out the door, contemplating all the ways he could get Prudence to eat those treats.
    For some reason, every one of them had Prudence naked. And in his bed. Or on his desk. Or anywhere —as long as she was naked. He stifled a curse when his pants drew tight over his cock. If he didn’t have the woman soon, he was going to go out of his ever-loving mind.
    Somehow he had to convince her to come to dinner tonight, and then he could give her the cherries. If she didn’t accept, there was a good chance he would pass out from lack of blood in his brain.

Chapter Two
    Prudence tapped her foot to the junky elevator rendition of a Beatles’ tune while she waited to reach the thirty-second floor. She really didn’t want to go to this meeting. In fact, she had been dreading it since her company had hired Jonas Smith six months ago. Turner Texas Technologies, or Triple T, as it was known in the biz, required the accounting department to meet with department heads about last year’s figures. They believed that it opened up the line of communication for sounder fiscal policies. In her practical little accountant heart, she agreed. Prudence just wished someone else would handle the plastics division.
    The doors slid open and she walked slowly down the hall to his office. She smiled and waved at several coworkers who’d left their doors open. Guiltily, she con templated stopping by someone’s—anyone’s—desk. It would cut her time with Jonas, since she had meetings scheduled back-to-back today. Normally she could sit and gaze at Jonas all day, but in this case, they expected her to think. With the big, bronzed Adonis staring at her, she knew it was going to be hard to breathe, let alone talk.
    Dragging her feet, Prudence reached his outer office door. As she reached for the knob, the door flew open. Jonas’s secretary practically ran into her. The usually competent woman looked harried. When she saw who she almost ran into, Christine gave Prudence a distracted smile.
    “Oh, Ms. Merriweather, I tried to contact you. Mr. Smith had something come up. He wants to reschedule but—”
    Jonas materialized behind his secretary. “I’ll take care of it, Christine.”
    She glanced over her shoulder. “Oh, good, there you are. Well, I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
    He nodded, and Prudence stepped back to allow enough room for the woman to pass. The moment she slipped past, Prudence realized she’d been left alone with Jonas. She could already feel her palms getting sweaty.
    “Ms. Merriweather.”
    She looked at him and her heart flip-flopped. Why did the man have to look and smell so good? “Yes?”
    “We had a situation arise with production, and I was wondering if we could reschedule the appointment?”
    “Ahh ... well, I’m sure I can find something next week.” She moved to pull out her Blackberry, when he stopped her with a comment. “I thought we could get together tonight.”
    Her head shot up and she smacked him in the chin. She rubbed her head and wondered if he snuck up on everyone that way. “Sorry. Tonight?”
    He moved his jaw from side to side. “I know it’s Friday, and if you have plans, I