Hot Coffee: A Hemingway Industries Novel

By Donna Mercer

Roman Fitzgerald Hemingway the Third needed to clean up his reputation and fast.
Coffee and Beautiful Women. Hemi’s two favorite things in life. Except, for now, one of those things was about to cost him the other.
Hemi’s life as a playboy was catching up to him. Too many nights of Bourbon, woman, and song were now threatening his future as CEO of Hemingway Industries. He had to find a “nice” girl the board of Hemingway Industries would approve of, get married, and start a family all before the new year. Can you order a nice girl off the internet?
A blast from the past.
Kamiya Anderson’s life comprised of one goal to help homeless teens. It was a goal she thought Hemi shared with her, but she quickly learned that Hemi’s priorities were in a different direction involving long legs and huge ta-tas. She didn’t possess either of those things.
Kamiya was just the woman that Hemi needed. Her wholesome living was just the sort of thing to win over the board of Hemingway Industries. Hemi needed her. Hemi would not let any obstacle stand in his way of having her.
Now if only he could convince her they had a future together. Hemi experience lay in wining and dining not so nice girls, but how did you win the heart of a woman who could see right through your antics. Hemi had no idea, but he was going to keep trying until he succeeded.

**** Hot Coffee | Hemingway Industries Novel | HEA | BWWM ****

Also Part of the Hemingway Industries Series

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Donna Mercer
• Release date: Dec 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463107225

Donna Mercer

Hi Everyone and thank you for stopping by my page. A little bit about myself. I have been married for over 20 years which is totally amazing to members of my family who had a bet on my wedding day that it would not last beyond two years. Suckers!! I have two kids that have made it to the age of 18. Yeah me!! I have been writing all of my life, but have never shared any of my writing with anyone beyond my family. I wrote my first romance novel when I was in junior high school and gave it to my English teacher to read. She told me to stick with something I know. Ever since then I have kept my writing to myself. What changed? When my oldest was going to graduate from high school one of the things I did was to write a letter to her future self. I just wrote what I felt, but it was so liked by her teacher that she stated that I should become a writer. I decided to stop hiding my desire to write and to just go for it. So congrats on joining this adventure with me I am glad you are along for the ride.

Book preview

Donna R. Mercer

Hot Coffee

First published by Sassy Writer Publishing 2019

Copyright © 2019 by Donna R. Mercer

Hot Coffee

Hemingway Industries Novel

Copyright

All rights reserved. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this book is prohibited. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by information storage and retrieval system or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author. This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication’s use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owner.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and didn’t purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

First edition

ISBN: 9780463107225

Cover art by Infinity Book Covers

Typesetting by Infinity Book Covers

Editing by Phoenix Pen

Editing by Crystol Wiedemen

This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Epilogue

About The Author

Titles available from Donna R. Mercer

Chapter One

Looking out the window on a beautiful, Colorado winter day, he had only one thought: skiing. Maybe he could sneak out of the office early and hit the slopes. Though ski season was coming to an end, there was still enough powder to get in some good days of skiing, especially on a nice day like today. If he left now, he could get in a run or two before the sun went down.

He looked over at his administrative assistant, Dolores. She was an older woman, more like a mother hen with the way that she took care of him. She had no problem calling him out on his shit when she thought he was an ass. Nothing ever discombobulated Dolores. She was a professional, no matter the situation. Dolores was indispensable to Hemi after all of these years of working together. He was glad she agreed to stay on with him as he transitioned to the job of CEO.

Screaming ex-girlfriend making a crying scene in the front office, Dolores handled it quickly and efficiently. The Chief Financial Officer hysterical at the state of the stock market, Dolores was on scene with coffee and a copy of HI’s financial portfolio, pointing out how his deft planning had given HI the financial stability to handle such fluctuations in the market.

Dolores was a superwoman in sensible shoes and pearls.

Hemi.

Yes, Dolores? He put aside the pile of paperwork, turning him cross-eyed. It was time to update the compensation schedule for their employees. They worked hard for Hemingway Industries, and they needed to keep the best of the best workers. To do that, they needed to attract them with a competitive compensation plan. He had several ideas that he wanted to present to his father and the board about retaining their bright and eager workforce.

Deuce wants to see you in his office right away, she informed him.

He gave her a slight frown. Do you know what it is about?

Nope, not a clue, she cheerfully responded. Also, I’ve scheduled the next couple of Charity Pitch Days. They filled up faster than I anticipated. Your team’s been notified, and the time blocked out on your schedule.

Thanks. He flashed her a smile. She just rolled her eyes at him as she exited his office.

Yep, heading to the slopes sounded like a far better plan than being trapped in his father’s office waiting for a lecture.

Lectures, the reason he was forever summoned to his father’s presence. Even now, he was having flashbacks to his teen years.

Roman Fitzgerald Hemingway, the third. His father’s tone competed with the winter frost curling up the windowpane. Hemi cringed. He touched the tip of his nose to feel if an icicle had formed on it.

Yep, there it was. The tone caused his balls to crawl up inside of him, looking for warmth. After all this time, it still managed to make him feel like a little boy caught being naughty.

Many things improved with age; this feeling wasn’t one of them.

Wistfully, he looked at the fantastic view of the mountains outside the window, stepping into the office instead of heading for the slopes as he wanted to. Snowshoeing in the backcountry called to him. Hell, being trapped in an avalanche would be preferable to being back in this office.

One question rang through his head: What did I do now to upset my father? Breathing?

Roman Fitzgerald Hemingway, the second, he responded in an equally cool-tone meandering across the huge expanse of office space to slouch in a chair in front of his father’s desk.

The corner of his mouth twitched upward as his father’s scowl. Hemi idly wondered if anyone had told his father if you keep that expression, it would freeze that way? Would he react if he told him? It used to be more intimidating, his father’s expressions until he passed him in height. Somehow, he just couldn’t fear someone trying to glare up at him.

Height did have its advantages.

His father successfully used subtle power plays on people who sat in the negotiating seat across from him to gain some advantages. The same seat Hemi currently occupied. He had it down to an art; even the chairs were designed to intimidate and make the person sitting in them feel vulnerable. When Deuce hit them hard for whatever concession or trade negotiation, he was after, they would be predisposed to giving it to him without a fight. It was a tactic he used to keep Hemingway Industries strong. A tactic that worked on everyone except for Hemi.He knew, that underneath that tough exterior, was a caring person who was concerned with the wellbeing of everyone at HI. Anyone who sat in these chairs would be approximately two inches shorter than Roman Fitzgerald Hemingway, the second. This usually benefited him with everyone, except Hemi.

Hemi’s father was a shrewd businessman. He never shirked teaching Hemi the ins and outs of the business founded by their family. It just piqued him that his stubborn son took the knowledge and crossed any boundaries in his way. Deuce taught Hemi how to swim, and then, Hemi turned the lesson into a midnight swim after everyone had gone to bed. He took the knowledge of his father teaching him how to change a tire as an opportunity to take his Porsche out cruising with his cousin Brad using it to impress the girls at sixteen.

Hemi was anything but a traditionalist. With their history, the frown on his father’s face was a familiar one. He grew up causing its appearance on any day that ended in ‘y.’

Growing taller than Deuce was just an event in a long list of misdeeds and adventures responsible for the frown lines on his father’s face. It irked Roman Fitzgerald Hemingway, the second that Hemi was taller. Deuce considered being shorter than his opponent a distinct disadvantage.

Sometimes in life, Hemi and Deuce were just that—adversaries.

He remembered emulating his father when he was younger. Standing in front of his mirror, practicing frowning at himself with that stern expression on his face. To this day, he still wasn’t able to get the expression right, no matter how many times he tried.

This is an example of why we are having this talk, his father started. This wasn’t new. In thirty-two years, he experienced many of these lectures. He didn’t even fight it. Instead, Hemi settled in for another one. He admitted, his father’s chairs were comfortable.

Do you know why I asked to speak to you?

Hemi didn’t make the mistake of answering the rhetorical question.

Oh goodie, the lecture was beginning.

He learned that lesson long ago. Hemi glanced into his father’s eyes, then back down. Maybe he should twiddle his thumbs and really get Deuce excited. He looked at Deuce’s forehead, at the vein throbbing there.

Better not.

His mother would kill him if he gave his father an aneurysm.

I called you to my office to discuss your future.

His eyes never left his father as Deuce started pacing in front of the giant window. It was a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains. Snow still capped the highest peaks, framed beautifully against the deep blue of the sky. Fluffy clouds lazily hovered around the tallest of peaks. The sun reflected off the whiteness, beckoning Hemi to come out and play.

Snowboarding. Hemi’s mind drifted. I ought to hit the slopes this weekend. Pick up a snow bunny or two.

Hot coffee and snow bunnies—heat and spice. What a combination. Two of his favorite things in life.

Hemi at some point, I am going to retire. When that happens, you will be in charge of the business. Hemi’s attention returned to his father. That means every person we employ’s future will be in your hands. Frankly, I don’t know if I can trust you with the responsibility.

His father stopped pacing, turned, and looked back out the window at the view.

Hemi studied the strong back of his father. Hemi and Deuce resembled each other in more ways than just name. Deuce’s thick, brown hair was streaked with gray while Hemi’s was still thick and brown. They both were broad-shouldered with trim waists. Their muscular frames highlighted by the excellent cut of their suits. It was obvious Hemi took after his father, right down to his dark eyes, gleaming with intelligence.

Despite the ups and downs of his relationship with his father, Hemi loved and respected him. Though the thought of him retiring bothered Hemi, Deuce had been the head of Hemingway