Page 11 of Garnish with a Candy Cane
If I’m not mistaken from the stunning expression on her face when she looks up, she’s actually happy I’m not giving up. I need to remember how damn gorgeous she is when I amaze her and swear to myself to make sure I surprise her more often. Everything I do for the next eight hours while she works her last shift will definitely be unexpected.
I need a taste though to keep me going until I see her again. A shuddering breath blows across my cheek when I dip down and nuzzle into her neck for a long, last inhale of her sweet-tart scent before I brush my lips against hers. Her mouth slightly opens inviting me inside, and I plunge deep and greedy rather than the gentle peck I planned. With her permission granting me admittance, I can’t control myself. Especially when her small hands ball the fabric of my shirt, holding me in place. I tumble her chignon with my fingers driving through the flowing strands still damp in the tight twist, demanding to claim her. Prove to her how much I want her. Demonstrate to her how I’m not letting her escape from my grasp either.
Any will power I thought I had vaporizes from her moan, and I back her against the wall so her small but ripe tits can torpedo their taut nipples into my chest. The scrape of rough texture against my wrist brings me back to reality. I refuse to fuck my future wife in the alley despite how desperate I am to be inside her.
The mess I’ve made of her makes me harder than I imagined possible. With her disheveled hair, glassy eyes, swollen lips, she’s the most magnificent I’ve ever seen her. I groan and rub my thumb across her searing skin. “You’re making me lose my mind, Duchess.”
“Same.”
Fuck if I didn’t know better I’d think she wants me to yank up her dress and fuck her right here. Until an innocent blush slowly creeps across her cheeks and she looks in both directions, worried someone saw us. Anxiety steals her enjoyment that I can’t allow to happen. I need her as high as I am to get me through her shift. “I’ll see you at six.”
I kiss her cheek and step back as she nods. Relishing her smile as she scurries off. With one last glance back before she turns the corner, she’s flushed and breathless which is exactly how she’ll be tonight in my bed.
“Oh my god! Are you okay?”
I can’t help but laugh from Heidi’s melodramatic voice shrieking behind me as I bundle bagels for the afternoon half-price sale. No wonder she always earned the lead role in every school play. Her gaze darts from my face to my body to my feet before jerking back up to my eyes again with a terror that’s unwarranted. “Of course I’m okay. Don’t I look it?”
She shakes her head, ignoring my teasing. Not the reaction I want from my best friend, who’s supposed to tell me I’m good no matter what. I know my hair is kind of tousled in my haphazard bun after Duke demolished the original twist, but my dress is presentable underneath my apron.
“How come you didn’t call me?”
This screech is sharp enough that Jana pops out from the back. A frown covers the woman’s face from my best friend’s theatrics. She’s used to Heidi but that doesn’t mean she likes her hysterics ruining her shop’s laidback atmosphere.
I toss my head toward my boss as a reminder to Heidi to settle down. “I’ll get you a scone and some coffee.”
Luckily, Heidi takes the hint and silently skulks over to the closest empty booth while I label the last bag of chocolate chip. While she studies me, I whip up her favorite turtle latte to match her caramel dessert. Luckily, the preparation affords me time to figure out how to try and explain the unexplainable.
As expected, she digs right in when I hand her the treat, giving me the chance to slide in while she moans around the delicacy. “I didn’t call because you have my phone. I was running late so we went straight from Nana’s to here and we’ve been busy.”
With a sheepish look, she glances at her purse and nods unable to speak with a mouth full of pastry. I accept my cell back from her, ignoring the slew of texts from Tristian. There’s nothing else to talk about so I don’t know why he keeps arguing otherwise.
“We?” Anxious to get the details she attempts to talk after a few quick chews and sprays the table with tan flakey crumbs. “You spent the night with a mobster?”
Thank goodness her whisper is garbled so no one around us can understand her accusation. The answer isn’t as bad as it sounds. Sort of. I lean close and keep my voice low too. “We didn’t sleep together. I mean we did sleep but not together. More like side by side on his sofa in his office.”
My voice must get louder as her eyes get bigger, and the woman behind us eavesdrops without any shame. I give her a weak smile to downplay my blush. Even though she’s a stranger and I shouldn’t care what she thinks, I still do. I try to be a good person and don’t want to my grandmother to ever think otherwise. “We slept simultaneously with our clothes on and that’s all.”
I guess the truth is more boring than the lady’s imagination, and she goes back to reading her book. Heidi, on the other hand, doesn’t give up as easily.
“Did you kiss him?”
More embarrassment heats my skin when the memory of where his lips touched comes back to me. Oh god.
“You did!”
“Well…you left me…and…I…” My defense dies away along with my words. She dragged me out to party, but I’m the one who drank too much. I’m the one who thought I needed to follow her advice and loosen up. I’m the one who thought it wouldn’t hurt to have some fun. Now because of all that, I have Duke. He’s definitely fun among other things. “He kissed me but I let him. I…” Now I really do whisper to hide from the snooper behind us. “I liked it.”
Heidi swallows down a huge bite and a dreamy expression softens her worried features as she smiles. “I can see why. He’s sexy as hell. Did you see him last night on one of the balconies? He looked so powerful as he watched over the crowd. Like he could eat you up and you’d definitely want him to.”
I definitely want him to. The description fits Duke perfectly. I shake my head at myself and my psycho friend. “I didn’t see him up there.”
“He’s yummy!” She blows on her mug and a deep frown steals all of her reminiscing. She glances up before returning her gaze to the whipped cream. “I looked for you. You know that, right? I wouldn’t just leave you. I was really scared when I couldn’t find you. Then when this enormous guy with a gun bulge under his expensive suit said you were with…” She looks around as if concerned we’re being spied upon, unaware of the nosy nelly three feet from the back of her neck. “…him, I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or terrified.”
Funny how memories of the night flash back into my mind with every related discussion. “I know you would never abandon me. I was kind of scared at first too when I woke up and didn’t know what was going on. But, he took good care of me. He was surprisingly nice. He said he made sure you got home safe so I knew that was a good sign.”
She scans me again. “He really didn’t hurt you?”
I shake my head and her body relaxes completely. I forgive her completely too. It wasn’t her fault we got separated. Besides, I ended up with quite the adventure. I grab a napkin and swipe across the Formica to keep my hands from shaking with the admission. “He said he wants to take care of me all the time.”
