Resisting the Billionaire by C. C. Snow Read Free Book Online

good to
resist.
    It was all I could do not to moan in ecstasy as the dash of
sea salt and Parmesan melded with the fresh taste of asparagus. Jake stared at
my mouth and I quickly brought up my napkin to wipe away whatever drew his
attention.
    “Tell me about the Emerson project. What will we be looking
at today?” My tone was deliberately brisk and cool.
    With the barest hesitation, Jake started to explain what we needed
to inspect at the site and the progress he expected to see.
    The staff brought out plate after plate of delicious food
and despite feeling uncomfortably full, I ate every bite. Jake seemed unfazed
by my healthy appetite and put away his fair share of the spread.
    When Luis returned, I was effusive in my praise and he
puffed up proudly.
    The visit to the site was eye opening. Jake patiently
described the various stages of the construction process and again, I was
impressed with his knowledge of every minute detail.
    When Jake explained to the architect about the reason for
the changes, I was concerned Will Garucci would get
angry, but to my surprise, Will was on board. His compliance might have had something
to do with the force of nature that was Jake Weston, but I saw signs of genuine
enthusiasm as Will sketched out new ideas which did
not require a total revamp of the project.
    By the time we returned to the office, my head was spinning.
I felt like someone had flipped me upside down and shook out all my expectations
and preconceptions of Jake Weston and then stood me back right side up. I felt
rattled and humbled.
    The reality of being Jake’s assistant was definitely not
what I first imagined. Nor did the billionaire resemble the caricature I had in
my head.
    Then all my feelings of revulsion returned with a vengeance
when I watched him utterly crush Leon Richards and his son in our afternoon
meeting.
    DataPoynt was a cyber security
company under a hostile takeover from a rival firm. The CEO, Leon Richards, was
practically begging for Jake to step in to save the company, but my boss was
unmoved.
    Leon was a barrel-chested man in his fifties. Under normal circumstances
he was a handsome man, but stress had taken a toll, making him look drawn and
tired. His son, Dale, was only a few years older than I was, but he came across
as confident and business savvy. Instinctually, I liked father and son on sight.
They radiated honesty and old-fashioned values. They greeted me with utmost
courtesy, unlike many of the CEOs who treated me like a piece of furniture.
    Leon spent twenty minutes going over the circumstances of
the takeover and the current financial state of the company. From his tone, I
could tell Leon cared a great deal about the firm.
    Jake interjected with a few questions, but he looked
completely indifferent to the other company’s troubles.
    Leon was sweating profusely. Deep lines etched the sides of
his mouth and the corners of his eyes. “Weston, I understand this is not
normally Weston Enterprise’s industry, but yours is the only company with
enough assets to fight off the takeover. Larry Penn doesn’t want what’s best
for Datapoynt . He’s just out to make a fast buck.
He’s going to gut the company and sell it off. I founded Datapoynt and I don’t want the firm to fall into Penn’s hands. I’m asking for your help.”
    My heart bled for him. Leon was risking his pride to do the
right thing for his company.
    Jake did not react to the impassioned plea.
    “ Datapoynt might be small compared
to other firms, Mr. Weston, but we have one of the best reputations in the
industry. We have made a steady profit every year,” Dale added. “We have a few
projects in development which could increase our share of the market within
three years. My dad is an amazing CEO and he’ll continue to make the company
grow. Your management team would not need to get involved.”
    I smiled at Dale, moved by his show of support for his dad. I
swung my gaze to Jake. He was staring at my lips and his