How Sweet It Is by Bonnie Blythe Read Free Book Online

fight to drain out of her.
She put a hand to her head and sank onto the sofa. “I’m sorry, Mr.
Larsen. This hasn’t been a very good day.”
    Brad came to her side, seating himself next
to her on the loveseat—so close she could smell the citrusy scent
of his cologne, feel the warmth from his body—his strong, masculine
body. Every absurdly weak, feminine atom within her screamed to
lean into that strength.
    She clenched her hands together in her
lap.
    “Delphine,” Brad said gently. “I had no
business snooping like that. Please forgive me.”
    She made a Herculean effort
to compose herself. Swallowing, she raised her gaze to his. “You
were right. I was upset. All my plans, everything depended on that
loan. Since I don’t have the proper credit to go through the bank,
the SBA was my only hope.” She gave a nonchalant shrug, belying the
turmoil roiling within her. “ C’est la
vie , eh?”
    Brad took one of her hands. This time
Delphine didn’t have the willpower to yank it away. His grip felt
warm and soothing, like a sedative seeping through her veins.
    “I have an idea, but please don’t take this
the wrong way. My dad has helped a lot of entrepreneurs get their
start. Would you consider putting together a business proposal for
him? I can’t guarantee anything, but it might be worth a try.”
    “I couldn’t take anything else from your
family.”
    Brad shook his head. “Not take. Borrow. This
would be a business proposition, and my dad is always looking for
new ways to make money. If he were to give you a loan, you would be
expected to pay it back with interest. Same thing as a loan through
a bank.”
    Lowering her gaze from his
compelling one, she took a moment to consider his words. At first,
they sent her heart pounding with new hope. In the next instant,
reality raised its insistent head. Why
would this guy want to help me? What’s in it for him? A sudden suspicion clouded her thoughts. She
looked up at him. “How would I know this isn’t a scam? Who’s to say
your father is trustworthy?”
    Brad’s mouth opened. He closed it and smiled.
“I suppose I deserved that.” His grip on her hand tightened. “Put
together a proposal and if my dad accepts it, take any paperwork he
gives you to an attorney and get it checked out.”
    Looking down at their hands, Delphine could
feel her pulse jump. The temptation to take Brad’s advice was
strong. The trip to Europe would be an utter waste unless she could
begin a business. With her savings account drained, she needed
money, plain and simple.
    Delphine also knew a loan from Brad’s father
would bring her into Brad’s sphere. Could she bear to see him and
know he’d only see her as someone to flirt with? Or worse than
that, like a stray dog in need of a handout? God forbid, she didn’t
want his pity.
    Well, what do you want?
    She peered up at Brad through her lashes,
annoyed that attraction warred with common sense. Those blue eyes
of his seemed to promise blue skies—while the possible solution to
her problems tantalized her beyond belief.
    She felt herself swaying in his
direction.
    Clarice erupted into the
room. “ À table! Time for dinner, mes
enfants . Tonight we have Blanquette de Brochet .”
    Catching her breath, Delphine tugged her hand
free from Brad’s clasp and got to her feet. “I’ll think about it,”
she said in a husky voice that sounded odd to her ears.
     
    ****
     
    Delphine arose at four the following morning,
readied for work, and checked on her parents before leaving the
house. Catching a bus from the street corner, she sat on the hard
seat and gave in to her relentless thoughts.
    Since Brad had put the idea of a loan from
his father in her head, she’d barely been able to sleep. Her mind
had been in a whirl, her heart daring to hope. Could it be possible
that she had another chance at success? Or was it the beginning of
just one more disappointment?
    God, are You there? I’m so confused!
    As the bus lurched from