Free Sweet for You: A BBW Billionaire Romance by Harper Ashe Page A

arrived fashionably late, the party was in full swing and the sprawling lobby was packed with the guests, reporters, and photographers.  By the time Abby was able to spot him in the crowd and catch his eye, he had already given a very brief welcome speech and the party was more than half over.
    She waved at him from across the room and he strode toward her, looking especially dashing in a navy blue suit and the signature pink Sweet for You tie she had given him the night before. Since he wasn’t exactly overjoyed when he opened her gift, Abby thought he was probably wearing it out of obligation. Even so, she thought it looked great on him. 
    “Nice tie,” she said when he was close enough to hear her through the ambient noise of the crowd.
    “It was a gift from someone special,” Stephen responded.
    Abby grinned, her stomach fluttering at his words. “Great turnout, don’t you think?”
    “Excellent turnout,” he agreed. “You’ve done a fabulous job on this launch party, Abby.”
    “I’m glad you think so.”
    “Speaking of fabulous, I must say you look as delicious as the desserts display.”
    “Thank you.” Abby blushed, but she wasn’t sure if it was due to his compliment or the way his heated gaze caressed her curves. “Stephen. I, uh...”
    He took a step closer so he could hear her better, but before Abby could ask him to meet her in his office after the party so they could talk in private, a leggy brunette in four-inch heels interrupted their exchange by draping herself around his shoulders.
    Abby recognized the brunette as one of the Victoria’s Secret models...Lola something-or-other. If she was remembering correctly, Lola had been featured in a Blake Foods advertising campaign a few years ago, right before she struck it big in the modeling world.
    “I’m sorry I’m late, darling. Did you think I was going to keep you waiting all night?” Lola cooed in Stephen’s ear before nibbling on his lobe with an air of familiarity.
    Darling?
    The color drained from Abby’s face when she realized that the brunette must be his date for the launch party. Lola was everything Abby wasn’t: young, tall, thin, and glamorous. How could short, fat, and frumpy Abby hope to compete with six feet of lingerie model sexiness?
    Forcing a smile, she said, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to powder my nose and get back to the guests. Enjoy the party.” Turning away from the beautiful couple, she rushed toward the ladies room. Locking herself in the last stall, she blinked her thick, mascara-coated lashes rapidly while dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a square of toilet paper.
    Please don’t cry. Please don’t cry. Please don’t cry.
    The blinking and internal begging didn’t work. Tears trickled silently down Abby’s face as her heart – and hopes – shattered into a thousand pieces.
    She was foolish to think that the chemistry she felt with Stephen was something more than a silly flirtation borne from spending so much time together at the office. Or that one drunken kiss and a sexy dessert tasting meant as much to him as it did to her. Or that a handsome billionaire who could have any woman in the world would choose the curvy girl. Grateful that she discovered Stephen’s girlfriend before blurting out her feelings for him, Abby knew she couldn’t bear to watch them together. She had to get out of the Blake Foods building. Fast.
    When her tears were temporarily spent, she blotted her red, puffy eyes and sent a text message to Jenna.
    I need to leave. Family emergency. The event planners will clean up after the party, but if you could stay to make sure they take care of everything, I promise I’ll make it up to you.
    Next, she sent a text message to Martha.
    Something’s come up and I need to go to my parents’ house for a few days. Jenna will stay and supervise the cleanup after the party. Please make sure that Mr. Blake thanks everyone for coming and smiles for the media.
    She waited until the