Sweet for You: A BBW Billionaire Romance by Harper Ashe

best idea you’ve had in years, Mr. Parker. Martha, please escort Tom out of the building. If he gives you any trouble, call security.”
    “I can’t believe this is what I get after ten years of loyalty,” Tom yelled as he stood up and gathered his things. “Fired over a fat piece of ass!”
    When Tom was gone, Stephen addressed the remaining team members. “Does anyone else in the room feel the same way as Tom Parker?” His pause was met with absolute silence. “Good. Now that that nasty business is settled, let’s take a short break and reconvene in 20 minutes.”
    ~~~
    S tephen Blake sat in the empty conference room, trying to figure out what had just happened. He had never chastised an employee so publicly before, but he simply couldn’t allow this type of insubordination to go unchecked. Tom Parker had been completely out of line. Not only had he questioned his judgment as the company’s CEO, he had cruelly lashed out at Miss Branson in the process.
    Stephen wasn’t exactly known for being protective, but seeing the pained look on Abby’s face after Tom’s callous remark triggered something raw, protective and primal inside of him. Something he hadn’t felt since he was a young boy holding his dying mother in his small arms after the car accident. Something that felt suspiciously like...love.
    Nonsense! He was definitely attracted to Abby Branson; there was no doubt about that. But he barely knew the young woman; how could he be in love with her? This was Martha’s doing. All her talk of needs and emotions was clouding his thinking – and his judgment.
    “Speak of the devil,” he muttered when she entered the conference room.
    “That was certainly a pleasant, yet unexpected, turn of events,” Martha said. “I never cared much for Tom. Always found him to be a bit crude.”
    “I could have handled the situation better,” he replied.
    “I thought you were quite gallant, Stephen. I could tell that Abby thought so, too.”
    “Gallant? Please! I was merely removing a rotten banana before he spoiled the entire bunch.”
    Martha laughed in delight. “Oh, Stephen, if that were true, you would have gotten rid of Tom a long time ago. Why don’t you just admit that you’re sweet for Abby Branson? Then you can get on with the business of courting her.”
    “Courting her? What is this, the middle ages?”
    “It might as well be, the way you’re acting. Why must you be so prim and proper all the time? We both know you want to throw her over your shoulder like a barbarian and carry her off to bed.”
    Mr. Blake couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the primitive, yet tantalizing, visual Martha painted, although his amusement was short lived. “But I’m not a barbarian, Martha. I’m the owner of a multi-billion dollar company and I have a job to do. I can’t afford to let my infatuation with a pretty blonde get in the way of my responsibilities.”
    Martha’s own smile faded away. “The way I see it, Stephen, I’m not sure you can afford not to.”
    ~~~
    W hen the product team reconvened, nervous energy filled the conference room. After the uncomfortable outburst where Abby was the target of Tom’s wrath and Stephen came to her rescue, she wasn’t sure what to expect. But he looked just as cool and composed as ever.
    Does anything rattle that man?
    She was glad that Tom was gone. He was the kind of insecure guy who thrived on making other people feel bad. From their first meeting, Abby could tell that he viewed her as a threat. In the end, maybe he was right about that.
    “Welcome back, everyone,” Stephen said, getting back to business. “With Mr. Parker out of the picture, I’ll be taking over as team lead. From this point forward, all decisions go through me. Miss Branson has presented me with some very innovative ideas for improving this product line.” He turned his attention to Abby. “Miss Branson, would you care to share your ideas with the team?”
    Abby was taken aback. “Me?