Recipe for Love

By Cristina Grenier

Julian West has appeared on every '30 Influential Men Under 30' list since his twenty first birthday. Arrogant, brilliant, and filthy rich, he travels in the best of societies circles, but works hard at his job and his marriage. At least until he splits up with his wife and becomes headline news for something other than his business sense, causing him to bury himself in his work as CEO of one of the most affluent tech companies in the world. 

Cecelia Hamilton has appeared on no magazine covers, but she works just as hard, running her own catering business. She's more interested in saving money and growing her business than finding love, but of course, things don't always go to plan, do they? When her company is hired to cater the retirement party for one of the senior members of Julian's staff, their paths collide, and they're drawn to each other instantly. Julian likes that Cecila isn't flustered and fawning, and Cecelia can look past Julian's arrogance to see that there's more to him than meets the eye. But with the combination of Julian's ex-wife's antics and demands for money, the media hounding them relentlessly, and a sudden slip up that could change both of their lives forever, will they even have a chance to see what could come from the chemistry between them? 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Monster Media LLC
• Release date: Mar 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386896142

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Recipe for Love

Cristina Grenier

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Prologue: Meet Julian

At twenty years old, Julian West knew exactly what he wanted from his life. He wanted to finish his degrees in Business and Engineering. He wanted to own his own business. He wanted to live in a big house with his family and have enough time on the weekends that he could take his kids to the park and take his wife out to dinner spontaneously. He wanted to be different from his father. He wanted to be happy.

He thought he was well on that path, actually. He was the youngest student at Brisker University who was currently getting a Master’s degree, and he was doing well in all of his classes. He had plans for his company and how it would take shape, and all he needed was a little help from his father to get things going. His trust fund would cover some of the expenses, but an investor never hurt anything.

Julian had a plan to sit down with him over Christmas and hash everything out. If nothing else, his father would be proud of him for being proactive.

He didn’t have a family just yet, but that was something else that he was in good standing to get because that very night he was planning on proposing to his girlfriend.

Vivian McCall was probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen with her heavy curtain of red hair and startling green eyes. When she smiled, her whole face lit up and her eyes crinkled at the corners, at the mere thought Julian’s heart gave several approving thumps in his chest.

There was no doubt that he was in love with her. They’d been dating for almost a year now, and when he pictured his future, she was right there with him in it. The Queen of his castle, his partner in all things. He would come home from a long day at work, and she’d be there for him, ready to take all his cares away with her smile and her lovely voice and her gentleness.

And he was sure that she loved him, too. As beautiful as she was, she could have anyone, but she chose to stay with him, and he loved her for her loyalty.

So he was going to pop the question.

They had reservations and one of the nicest restaurants in town, and he’d told her nothing but that they were going out for a nice to dinner to celebrate midterms being over. She’d sounded excited over the phone when he’d called, and he was excited, too.

***

Absolutely not!

But, Father, I-

"I won’t hear of it, Julian! She’s a nobody, and you know why nobodies choose to partner with people like us."

Julian ground his teeth together and folded his arms, refusing to back down. No, Father, I don’t. Please enlighten me.

Laurence West looked at his son with narrowed eyes. You aren’t that naive.

Apparently I am! If it’s naive to think that there are still people out there in the world who marry for love. Who want to have something in their lives that doesn’t have to do with money for once.

His father snorted, shaking his head and sitting back in his chair. They were in his office at the family estate, and Julian had come over to tell his parents that he was getting married. He’d been so excited ever since Vivian had agreed to his proposal, and now he was just angry.

Everything has to do with money, Laurence said. Everything. And you know that. Even if this woman claims to love you for you, she knows you have money, and she knows that marrying you will give her access to it.

You don’t know anything about her! Julian shouted.

"What’s going on in here?"

Both of the West men looked up to see Arianna, Julian’s mother, standing in the doorway of the office looking perplexed. She looked from her son to her husband and folded her arms.

Your son is engaged, Laurence said, pinching the bridge of his nose with his hand. "To an actress."

Arianna’s face, which had lit up at the word ‘engaged’, turned to a frown at the word ‘actress’. Has she been in anything we would have seen? she asked, clearly trying to be diplomatic about it.

Laurence looked downright gleeful. "Oh no, dear. Not a movie actress. She does community stage productions."

Condescension dripped from his tone, and Julian seethed at the way he was so easily dismissing Vivian and her art without knowing anything about either of them. He was unbelievably proud of Vivian for what she did and how hard she worked, and just because she didn’t have as much money to show for it didn’t make her less of a person than they were.

Julian, be serious, Arianna said, appealing to her son. What kind of future could you have with this woman?

Her name is Vivian, he spat out, and I could have whatever future I wanted with her.

Once she got most of your money, you mean.

And just like that, he’d had enough. Straightening his back in the way his father had taught him when he was younger, he squared his shoulders and held his head high. The fact of the matter is, he said, letting his voice ring out firm and defiant in the office. I don’t need your permission to marry her. I had come here for your blessing, but I don’t even need that. If you can’t support me and the fact that I love Vivian and want to be with her for the rest of my life, then I don’t want your blessing anyway.

Both of his parents were silent for a moment following his outburst, his voice ringing as it died away. Finally his father sighed, flicking his fingers in a hand gesture that surely meant the conversation was over. Do what you want, Julian. But we won’t pay for it.

Fine, Julian snapped. I don’t need you to.

Julian, his mother tried, holding out a hand to him. I wish you’d think about what you’re doing.

And I wish you weren’t such a snob. I guess we can’t all have what we want.

***

Are you sure about this? Vivian asked as they laid in bed together later that night, curled up in each other and the sheets. She was naked, and there was moonlight spilling over her skin from the window, and to Julian it felt like something out of a movie. There was still that warmth between them from when they’d had sex earlier, and Julian knew that if he buried his nose in her hair, she’d smell like sweat and him, and it was a heady thought. Almost enough to make him want to roll over and pin her to the bed for a repeat performance, but her bringing up the subject of the issues with his parents was enough to kill that mood.

Yes, I’m sure, he replied, trying not to sound too terse. It wasn’t her he was angry with, after all.

I just… Vivian trailed off and slid a hand down his arm. They’re your family, Jules. I know how much they mean to you.

He clenched his jaw tight, remembering the way his mother had looked at him and how his father had talked to him and the way he’d felt when he’d walked out of the house to sit in his car. You mean more to me, he said.

Julian…

No, Viv. They’re my family, you’re right, and somehow they can’t find it in themselves to be happy for me about this. They can’t just...enjoy the fact that I’ve found the love of my life and want to be with her forever. They have to throw things like money into this because money is the only thing that matters to them, and I don’t want any part of that, alright? I want to be with you, and I don’t care if they aren’t at the wedding. I don’t care if they don’t approve. I love you, and they can’t do anything to change that.

She was quiet for a moment and then she smiled, reaching up to cup his face. The kiss they shared was deep and a bit messy, and Julian felt like he was desperate for it, pulling her closer and kissing her with all the feeling within him.

This was going to work, he knew it. His parents didn’t know anything about them. They had their ideas about people and the way the world worked, and for the most part they were right, but not when it came to this. Not when it was about Julian and Vivian and the way things were simple and uncomplicated between them. The way they were young and happy and had their whole lives ahead of them. The way they were so deeply in love that things like money didn’t matter. If Vivian needed help, Julian would provide it because that’s what married people did. They helped each other no matter what.

It would be fine.

***

Julian looked from the clock on the wall to the front door and tried not to worry. It was after eleven on a Tuesday night, and Vivian still wasn’t home. He knew that rehearsals for her shows ran long sometimes, with choreography needing to be learned and scenes that needed to be practiced again and again. Community theatre or not, her productions were always amazing, and Julian was prouder of his wife than he knew how to say, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

The last show had wrapped a week before, and there hadn’t been another one announced yet, so there wasn’t really any reason for her to be out this late. Sometimes she went out and got drinks with her cast mates or the director, but she always told him beforehand.

He’d told her that he would be a bit late getting back from the office that night, but he’d fully expected her to be home when he walked in at eight forty five that night, since she hadn’t given any indication that she wouldn’t be.

His texts to her phone had gone unanswered for the past two hours, and Julian made a deal with himself that if she wasn’t back by midnight he was completely justified in going to look for her or calling the police.

Regardless of where she’d started from, Vivian had taken to being his wife well. She was charming and charismatic and had no problems mingling with the sorts of people that Julian tended to do business with.

While community theatre was her first love, she’d had roles in two movies in the five years that they’d been married, and while she wasn’t a household name yet, she was definitely getting the recognition Julian thought she deserved. Vivian was beautiful, and she always dazzled on his arm, the somewhat shy young woman he’d met in college blossomed into an accomplished, glamorous woman who people tended to gravitate to.

Even his parents had been forced to eat their words to some extent, though Julian knew that they still watched Vivian with distrust.

But things were good. Things were working for them. His business was growing by the day, Vivian was following her dreams, and they were happy.

So why couldn’t he shake the feeling of impending doom?

At eleven fifty-one, the front door opened and Vivian stepped in. She was wearing a shiny green dress that showed off the expanse of her smooth, shapely legs and hugged her slender frame. Her hair fell over her shoulders in disheveled red curls, and her makeup was smudged. She was grinning until her eyes fell on Julian, sitting in the arm chair closest to the door. Honey, you’re here, she said.

Yes, Julian said slowly. I live here. Where else would I be?

I thought you were working late.

I did work late, he replied. I didn’t get home until nearly nine.

She blinked and then laughed. "Oh. I thought you meant late late. Like in the old days."

While it was true that when he was first getting his company off the ground, there had been some nights when he hadn’t made it home until one or two in the morning; coming in to find Vivian already curled up in bed asleep. It had been years since that had happened, and they both knew it.

Nope, he said. Not that late. Where were you? I texted you, but you didn’t respond.

Someone who didn’t know Vivian as well might not have noticed the flicker of hesitation on her face. The way her eyes darted to the side for a second before that smile bloomed again. It wasn’t her real smile, either, and Julian was in a position to know. He knew the difference between her acting smile, meant to dazzle and charm, and her real smile, and the fact that this wasn’t her real smile put him on guard instantly.

I didn’t have service where we were, she explained, shrugging a shoulder. Abby found this new bar she wanted to try, so we got dolled up to go out.

Ah, Julian said. Did you have fun?

Oh sure. The drinks were a tad on the expensive side, but the music was good, and it’s always good fun to watch Abby turn down offers from men who can’t see past her chest.

Abby’s surgically enhanced breasts were something of legend to those who knew her, and Julian wavered, unsure of what to believe. The scene his wife was describing could easily have happened, but it seemed too neat somehow.

Maybe he was just paranoid.

Well, I’m glad you had fun. Julian levered himself out of the chair and stepped in for a kiss.

I’m going to head up to bed. Maybe next time you could let me know you’re going out so I don’t worry about you?

Of course, darling, Vivian said, kissing him back and lingering for a second with her hand on his chest. It must have slipped my mind tonight. I’m sorry.

No harm done. He smiled at her and tried to put it out of his mind.

***

Text to Viv (sent at 5:34 pm): Probably going to be a late night. Meeting w/investors tomorrow.

Text from Viv (received at 5:43 pm): Alright, love. Kara wants to go out tonight anyway. See you at home later <3

I guess she changed her mind about going out, Julian murmured as he parked his car in the garage next to Vivian’s. He frowned when he saw a car he didn’t recognize parked behind the house. Or had the girls over?

There was that feeling again. Work hadn’t run as late as he’d been expecting, and he was looking forward to a long shower and eating some of the Indian food he’d stopped for on the way home. If Vivian had friends over, he’d retreat to his study with the food and let them get on with it.

He unlocked the front door and stepped into the house just in time to hear a familiar voice echoing from upstairs.

"Viv, god. Yeah, just like that."

Julian had seen enough of Vivian’s productions to recognize the deep voice of one of her usual cast mates. The one who was always cast as her love interest.

Fingers gripping the handle of the bag of takeout hard, he climbed the stairs. Heart pounding, he rounded the corner to the bedroom. The door was cracked enough for him to be able to see his wife on her knees, naked with fingers tangled in her hair and another man’s cock down her throat.

That was all he needed to see.

Prologue: Meet Cecilia

Baby, can you peel those sweet potatoes? Althea Hamilton asked, one hand on her hip, the other holding a rolling pin.

Pie or casserole? ten year old Cecilia wanted to know, dark eyes bright as she pulled the basket of sweet potatoes towards her, hunting in the dish rack for the vegetable peeler. Ever since she was old enough to hold one properly, peeling the potatoes had been her job, and she loved it.

Reviews for Recipe for Love

[Tara Johnson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Love reading this author books always full of emotion, humour,and realistic life struggles.