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

Really? Sure. I guess.” Although she knew her ideas front and back, she stalled for time by shuffling the papers in front of her while she gathered her courage. This was the kind of professional opportunity she had always wanted, and she didn’t want to mess it up.
    “As Tom so eloquently pointed out, I am the target demographic for Blake Foods’ diet desserts line,” she said with a wink. Her statement was met with grins and chuckles, and she hoped the team was laughing with her rather than at her. “From my experienced dieter’s perspective, the company has been approaching this desserts concept all wrong.”
    Abby stood up and began pacing the length of the conference room, thinking through the words in her mind before speaking them out loud. “No woman wants to be reminded that she is – or should be – on a diet. And eating something that tastes like, well, diet food, is exactly the kind of reminder that we want to avoid. Women, large and small, want real food that tastes amazing because it’s made from quality ingredients. So how do you reconcile the issue of diet and taste?”
    She turned dramatically and clapped her hands on the conference table for emphasis. “Portion control! That’s right. I propose that we do away with the concept of diet altogether and produce high quality desserts made from real ingredients that are portioned to fit a dieter’s calorie restrictions. Let’s give our customers a taste of sweet, gourmet heaven, which is exactly what they’ve come to expect from Bake Foods. They will appreciate the taste and if we scale down the portions, it won’t make them feel bad when they eat it.”
    Chef Laurent jumped up from his seat, clearly caught up in Abby’s excitement. “We can use healthy ingredients like coconut oil, agave syrup, and all-natural colors and flavors to pack each bite-sized dessert with nutrition!”
    “We can have our graphic designers work up some concepts so the desserts will look as good as they taste,” Molly Adams, the product team’s marketing lead, added.
    “Yes!” Abby exclaimed. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”
    “Our product line still needs a name and tagline,” Molly added.
    “You’re right,” Abby said thoughtfully. “I think it should have ‘sweet’ in the name somewhere.”
    “Sweet Tooth?” one team member suggested.
    Abby shook her head. “Makes me think of the dentist.”
    “Sweet Nothings?” Chef Laurent said.
    “Too negative,” Molly responded.
    “Sweet for You,” Mr. Blake said quietly. A hush fell over the room.
    Abby smiled, nodding slowly. “The only dessert you’ll ever desire, now and forever,” she said softly, her eyes meeting his.
    “Sweet for You: Now and Forever,” Molly restated for emphasis. “I can’t think of a more fitting name and tagline. Is everyone in agreement?”
    Abby hardly noticed when the entire team nodded in unison.

Chapter 9
    S tephen sat in his office, answering emails and planning the rest of his day. He marveled at the progress of Sweet for You. After that initial meeting, everything just seemed to fall into place. As soon as the final desserts were tasted and approved by Abby, he would set and announce an official launch date. To get around the shelf stability issue, the desserts would be flash-frozen. The thaw-and-serve preparation would deliver fresh desserts free of preservatives and other unfortunate additives.
    As soon as the Blake Foods diet desserts line had a name, tagline, and new direction, the product development team had sprung into action.
    Chef Laurent experimented with new recipes and, with Abby Branson leading the way, each tasting was a delicious experience. Her unrestrained enthusiasm was contagious. On several occasions, Stephen was surprised to realize how rewarding it was to have a business partner he could bounce ideas off. A partner who challenged him to reach beyond his confined world. A partner who invariably made him laugh at himself and at