The Billion Dollar Deal [#2]

Chapter 1

Athena sighed into the empty blackness of her bakery that had been unoccupied since its opening two weeks ago. Even after her parents' attempts to advertise her success through their business in Washington, she hardly drew more than one customer a day.

Truthfully, that one customer was only there to make her feel better about her miserable decision to make something of herself. And he was walking up the steps of her bakery with a broad grin on his face.

"What?" he questioned, dressed in his expensive Armani suit which was practically his casual attire. "No fresh apple pie for me tonight?"

She sadly shook her head and dropped it into the palms of her hands. "I was an idiot to think this would work."

"Athena," he said almost scoldingly, "you'll get your dream bakery with lines down the block. Do you know how long it took me to get clients for my business?"

"One week," she said with a sigh. "You bragged about it for a year after we got out of college."

He smirked. "My point is that good things happen with time. People will come, sweetheart."

"Easy for you to say," she pouted. "You're Isaac Wayne, the god of modern medicine and technology."

A grin found his lips as he took his best friend's hand in his. "Tristan is the god of modern medicine. I just recently got him to let me be his business partner with my computer skills."

Despite her foul mood, she smiled at him and got up from her stool behind the counter. "Take me home. I don't want to look at this place anymore."

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her out the door and to his car. "Athena Presley, you have been miserable for too long. I'm taking you home to change then you're going to be my date to the banquet."

She sighed in frustration and didn't bother fighting as she got into the car. She could never disagree with Isaac, and her inability to do so was because he just simply had power over her. She couldn't deny that.

Once they reached her little apartment, she ran up to the top floor and quickly changed into a dress he bought her two years ago for his award ceremony.

Isaac watched her dress with intense gray eyes and sucked in a sharp breath at the beautiful sight of her. She was blessed with gorgeous golden blonde locks running down her back and exceptional legs that held her up. Her bright blue eyes locked with his through the reflection of the mirror, and her pink lips offered him a smile.

Isaac instantly dropped his gaze. The two of them had been friends since their junior year of high school, but he couldn't deny he always felt she was more than his best friend. As much as he wanted to drag her to bed and have his way with her, he restrained from doing so for the sake of their friendship.

Clearing his throat, he stepped toward her and zipped her dress all the way up, his fingers lingering on the back of her neck. "Enjoy this tonight for me, sweetheart. You're going to be the most gorgeous date there."

She blushed. He always had a smooth mouth since he hit on her in high school. But they always stayed strictly friends ten years later.

"Isaac," she whispered, her voice rising in a question.

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"Is there something wrong with me?" she bravely asked, frowning at her reflection in the mirror.

His mouth slightly fell opened as his hand slipped to his side in a fist. "Why would you feel the need to ask me that? There's nothing wrong with you. You're beautiful."

She smiled, but it instantly fell again. "Thank you. I'm sorry for... sounding... like this."

She quickly turned to her bedroom door but was just as quickly pulled back against Isaac who wrapped his arms around her.