Craving Candy ad-4 Page 7

  Candy smiled at the other woman, already intrigued by the idea of shopping for something special to wear for her date. She was darned lucky to have as supportive and understanding a friend as Missy. “Here.” She pushed the white bakery box closer. “Take one for the road.”

  Missy squealed with joy, snagged a brownie and was out the door in a flash, obviously not about to give Candy the chance to change her mind. Her “see you later” drifted through the door. The sound of her heels tapping quickly as she hurried back down the hall to her office faded in the distance.

  Candy pulled out her file on Lucas’ book and her calendar, opened them and tried to pick out the best ten promotional opportunities. She didn’t think he’d agree to more than four or five, but she wanted to be prepared. Her eyes strayed to the phone, but she forced herself to look away. “Stay strong,” she muttered as she snagged the last brownie from the box. Lucas had made her wait. Now it was his turn.

  “Fuck!” Lucas swore as he bashed his thumb. Tossing the hammer to the floor in disgust, he glared at his throbbing hand.

  “That’s no way to treat good tools.” The male voice was filled with amusement.

  Lucas grimaced, his thumb throbbing, as he offered his friend a wry smile. T. S. MacNamara, general contractor and longtime friend, was leaning against the doorjamb, shaking his head. “Obviously, it’s not safe to put a hammer in your hands today. What’s up?”

  Lucas hesitated. T. S. was his oldest friend and knew him better than anyone else, even Katie. He and T. S. had been in prison together when they were in their late teens and early twenties. Their very youth, and the fact that they weren’t considered to be hardened criminals or high-risk inmates, had resulted in them both getting jobs in the kitchen. They’d banded together for safety’s sake and had become close friends. They knew things about each other that no one else did. In fact, Lucas was sure that nobody else knew T. S.’s real name.

  “Ah.” His friend nodded sagely. “It’s either money or women, and I know it’s not money.” Pushing away from the doorjamb, he sauntered into the room. “Or maybe it is money. I know for sure that this place is putting a dent in your pocketbook. Your contractor is a little pricey, but you get what you pay for.” He flashed a roguish grin. “Should I worry about my next payment?”

  Lucas laughed, something he rarely did. His friend had always been able to do that for him, even when they were in prison. T. S. showed an easygoing, humorous side to the world, but behind it, Lucas knew, lay a man who fought his own share of nightmares and demons.

  They’d both made something out of their lives, though— Lucas with his coffee shop and T. S. with his carpentry skills. When Lucas had purchased the building, he knew there was only one man he’d trust to do the renovations. Yes, he was a little expensive, but the work was first-rate quality. And Lucas didn’t have to worry about his contractor fleecing him or running out on him. That counted for a lot.

  “What would you say if I told you it was money?”

  This time it was T. S. who laughed. “Send my work crew to another job site and then roll up my sleeves and teach you how to use a hammer properly.” Leaning over, he picked up the tool, examined it and laid it in the nearby toolbox. “Seriously though, is it money?”

  “No, it’s not money.” Lucas rubbed a hand across the base of his neck, trying to loosen the stiff muscles. As every hour went by, the tension in his neck and shoulders got worse. It was midafternoon and Candy still hadn’t called. He knew because he was carrying his cell phone in his pocket and checking the damned thing every half-hour or so to make sure it was still working.

  T. S. ambled over to a cooler in the corner, lifted the cover and pulled out a couple of cans. He opened one and took a swig before heading back over to where Lucas was still standing and offering him the unopened beer. “If it’s a woman, then you need this.”

  Taking the proffered can, Lucas opened it and took a swig, grateful to get the taste of dust out of his mouth. He’d thought that doing some work on his own building might help, but he hadn’t been able to keep thoughts of Candy from intruding.

  T. S. strolled over to the makeshift desk in the center of the room that consisted of two sawhorses with a piece of plywood laid on top and settled himself on one end. Lucas knew the man had the patience of a saint and would wait as long as it took for Lucas to start talking. The image made him smile.

  The sinner and the saint, or the devil and the angel— that’s what they’d been nicknamed in prison. Lucas with his blond hair and fair skin had been the angel and T. S. with his black hair and olive-tone complexion had been the devil. He shook his head at the memory. Together they watched each other’s backs. In those days, you didn’t mess with one without incurring the wrath of the other.

  Sighing, he carried himself and his beer over to his friend. “Her name is Candy.”

  “Sweet.” His friend saluted him with his can before taking another swallow. Lucas laughed. “Yeah, she is that. But she’s prickly too.” Oddly enough, he liked that about her. “She wears these boxy suits two sizes too big, she’s bossy and has the tenacity of a bulldog.” He’d learned that over the past few weeks as she doggedly continued to try to track him down. Now that it was his turn, the little vixen was making him wait. Darned if he didn’t admire her for that.

  “And you really like her,” his friend interjected.

  “I do,” he confessed. “She’s not the usual kind of woman I date.” He hesitated. “She’d mean something. Maybe too much.”

  T. S. nodded in understanding. Neither of them had ever settled into a serious relationship. They both had too much of a jaded past filled with too many horrific memories. “A woman like that is definitely trouble. Maybe you should just walk away.”

  “Too late for that.” He’d already come to that conclusion as he waited for his phone to ring. There was something between them that neither one of them could deny.

  “Then you, my friend, are seriously screwed.” Finishing off his beer, T. S. plunked the empty can down on top of the piece of plywood.

  “Maybe.” He wasn’t willing to admit that to himself. “We’re both adults. Nothing wrong with having a good time for as long as it lasts.”

  “You keep telling yourself that.” Pushing himself off the plywood, he slowly turned in a circle with his arms spread wide. “You finally decide what you want to do with this space?”

  That was the great thing about having a friend who was as close as a brother. He knew when to back away and let things lie. The subject was closed for now, but Lucas knew that T. S. would bring it up again if he thought that Lucas needed to talk.

  Standing, he fished a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket. Opening it, he laid it atop of the plywood. “I want to put in office space here. I figure the rental property will bring in a good secondary income.”

  “Plus, you won’t have any neighbors.” T. S. leaned over and stared at the paper that held a rough drawing.

  Lucas fought back another grin. “There is that.” His friend did know him well.

  Hauling a pencil out of his shirt pocket, T. S. began to sketch on top of the plywood. “I see what you’re going for, but this way would maximize your space.” He continued to draw and within minutes the two men were immersed in construction plans.

  Then his phone rang.

  Candy tapped the toe of her shoe impatiently as she held the telephone receiver to her ear and listened to the shrill ring. She glanced at her watch, wincing slightly. She really hadn’t meant to make him wait this long, but she’d gotten buried in her work and had lost track of time. She counted three rings and was getting nervous when the phone was finally answered.

  “It’s about damned time.”

  She smiled at the aggravation in his voice and couldn’t help coming back with her own dig. “Now you know what it’s like.”

  “I figured you’d make me wait.” She could hear the humor in his voice and was relieved that he was taking it so well. It said a lot about the
man.

  She sat back in her chair and crossed her legs, just enjoying the sound of his voice. Low and slightly rough, it sent shivers down her spine. “I didn’t really mean to make you wait quite this long.” She figured she owed him that much honesty. “I got tied up with work.”

  “Doesn’t matter. You’re calling now.” He paused. “Well?”

  She didn’t make him wait any longer. “I’d love to have dinner with you.”

  “Tomorrow night?”

  Candy sucked in a deep breath and took the plunge. “Tomorrow night.”

  “About seven?”

  “That would be good.”

  “I’ll pick you up then.” His voice lowered to almost a whisper. “And Candy, don’t worry. Nothing will happen that you don’t want to happen.”

  That’s what she was afraid of, but she was no coward. She wanted this. “Okay.”

  He continued on, briskly now. “I’ll see you at seven.”

  The line went dead before she could respond and she hung up her own phone. A man of few words was Lucas. Dialing her phone once again, she waited until Missy picked up on the other end. “Want to go shopping tonight?”

  Chapter Eight

  Candy stared at herself in the mirror, not quite able to believe the transformation that she and Missy had wrought in just under twenty-four hours. She’d never realized just how ruthless her friend could be.

  Her lips curved up in a smile as she relived last night’s shopping trip. Missy had poked, prodded and threatened her until finally she’d shoved Candy in a dressing room and brought her outfit after outfit with orders to try them on. Like a general commanding a battle, she’d gone on the offensive, not giving Candy the opportunity to object or to run.

  It had been so much fun to shop for something sexy rather than something work-appropriate. She hadn’t done anything like this in far too long. They’d practically closed the stores last night, they were out shopping so late, but it had definitely been worth it.

  Turning sideways, she viewed her image in the mirror. This dress was nothing short of spectacular. Falling to just above her knees, it was a deep burgundy in color, and its crushed velvet fabric felt luxurious and sensual. The sleeves were long, coming all the way to her wrists, and the neckline was high. There was a spectacular cutout in the front that showed off her cleavage to advantage. But that wasn’t the best part of the dress.

  Spinning around until her back was to the mirror, she glanced over her shoulder. The dress hooked at the neckline with five small fasteners. Other than that, her entire back was exposed. She’d never worn something quite so revealing before. It was cut so low in the back that several inches of flesh below her waistline was showing. She’d had to buy new underwear to wear under the dress.

  The trip to the lingerie shop had been almost arousing. She’d felt decadent and scandalous trying on the skimpy garments, imagining Lucas’ reaction when he saw them. And there was no doubt in her mind that he would definitely be seeing them. After much deliberation, she’d settled on a thong in a rich, creamy beige. It was part of a set and came with a pushup bra, and even though she couldn’t wear a bra with this dress, she’d bought it anyway. In fact, she’d liked the set so much, she bought another one in black. She hoped she’d have another opportunity to wear them.

  She’d never worn a thong before, but she’d wanted to be daring. The thin string had settled between the cheeks of her behind and the small patch of fabric on the front barely covered her pubic hair. She felt half naked in the underwear, but she felt sexy too. Laughing, she spun around and faced the mirror once again.

  Thigh-high stockings and a new pair of black velvet four-inch heels completed the ensemble. She’d spent a small fortune on the entire outfit, even though they’d bought the dress and shoes at discount warehouses. But the results were worth it.

  She hadn’t been sure about the dress at first, but Missy’s enthusiastic response to it had finally won her over. The fabric of the dress hugged her body, emphasizing her large breasts and hips, making her slightly uncomfortable, but her friend had assured her that she looked spectacular in it.

  In the end, she hadn’t been able to leave the dress behind for something more sensible and less showy. This was about having an adventure and she was determined to embrace every moment of it. She’d even run out on her lunch hour and had her hair trimmed and her nails done to match her dress. She had toyed with several hairstyles, but had ended up piling the curly mass on top of her head and anchoring it with a black rhinestone-studded hair clip. Rhinestone studs adorned her ears and were the only jewelry she wore. Now she was ready and getting more and more nervous by the moment.

  Placing a hand over her stomach to quiet the butterflies dancing there, she took a deep breath. She was as ready as she’d ever be. Grabbing her purse off the bed— another purchase from the night before that Missy had convinced her she just had to have— she made her way into the living room to wait. Opening her bag, she checked the contents and closed it again. She had her keys, wallet, cell phone, tissues, lipstick and condoms— another purchase from last night. She assumed Lucas would have some, but she wasn’t taking any chances. A smart woman took care of herself.

  Glancing at the clock on the stereo, she went to the closet and pulled out her coat, slipping it on. She didn’t want Lucas to see the dress until they arrived at the restaurant. She wanted to surprise him and, she admitted to herself, she wanted to make a dramatic entrance and gauge his reaction.

  Truthfully, she wanted to knock his socks off.

  She heard one hard, sharp knock on her front door and she jumped even though she’d been expecting it. Even though she knew it was Lucas, she checked the peephole. Unlocking the door, she opened it and promptly lost her breath. In jeans and a T-shirt, the man was gorgeous. In a suit and tie, he was devastating.

  A black wool overcoat was open to reveal his suit. A tailored black jacket molded his upper body to perfection. She knew it had been made especially for him because there was no way with his muscular build he could buy something off the rack that would fit him so well. Underneath it, he wore a white shirt with a dark burgundy tie.

  Candy knew she should say something, but she was honestly at a loss for words. The silence thickened the longer they stood there staring at each other. Finally, it was Lucas who broke it. “You look amazing.”

  Swallowing past the lump of nerves in her throat, she managed to croak out a “thank you”. His eyes were glued to the cutout in the front of her dress as he spoke. Some of her nerves abated and confidence filled her as she realized that he was as enthralled with her as she was with him. She bit her lip to keep from laughing, wondering how he would react to her little surprise when she slipped off her coat. Suddenly, she was in a hurry to find out.

  “I’m ready if you are.” Remembering her manners, she quickly added, “Unless you’d like to come in for a moment.”

  Lucas shook his head and offered her his arm. “No, we’ve got reservations and I don’t want us to be late.”

  Candy stepped out of her apartment, locking her door behind her before taking Lucas’ arm. She could feel the muscles flex and ripple beneath her fingers. It was arousing to have all that leashed power just beneath her hand. As they walked to the elevator, Candy knew for sure that this night would change her forever. The next time she returned to her home, she would not be the same woman she was now. Ready to embrace the experience, she boldly stepped into the elevator with him and ignored the shiver that ran down her spine as the door closed.

  The restaurant was elegant and Candy was very glad that she’d sprung for the new outfit. Any of her older dresses would have left her feeling uncomfortably underdressed. Lucas guided her to the coat check area and began helping her out of her coat. As the fabric slid down her arms, exposing her back, he froze behind her.

  He sucked in a deep breath before he continued to remove her coat and handed it to the woman running the coat check. As he slid off his own overcoat and waited for their
tickets, she tried to squelch the disappointment that he hadn’t responded to her dress. She bit her bottom lip, turning away to compose herself.

  A large, muscled arm slipped around her waist, pulling her back tight against a large, very aroused male body. She could feel Lucas’ erection pressing into her behind as he lowered his head to whisper in her ear. It seemed to burn into her flesh through the barriers of their clothing.

  “You look good enough to eat.” He nipped her earlobe and she shuddered. “In fact, I think I’ll have you for dessert.”

  She could feel herself creaming at his words and swallowed hard as she tried to concentrate on the here and now. They were in the foyer of a public restaurant, for God’s sake. She’d thought he hadn’t been affected by her dress, but obviously she’d been wrong. His reaction was everything she’d hoped for and more, but what she hadn’t counted on was her own reaction to his reaction.

  Keeping her slightly ahead of him, Lucas placed his hand on her back and led her toward the dining room. The maitre d’ seemed to know Lucas on sight and assured him quickly that his table was ready. The walk across the room seemed to take forever and she felt as if every eye was on her, somehow knowing just how aroused she was. She wished she hadn’t worn her hair piled on top of her head. Right now, she’d be grateful to have the extra hair covering at least a part of her back and exposed chest.

  She was concentrating so hard on putting one foot in front of the other, Candy was surprised when Lucas caught her by the crook of her arm, halting her progress. The table they’d stopped in front of was in a quiet corner of the room. As Lucas seated her, he leaned down, brushing her temple with his lips. “Breathe, sugar.”

  Candy laughed and felt some of her earlier apprehension disappear. Now that she was seated at their table, she didn’t feel like she was on display. While Lucas took his own seat, she surveyed the restaurant with interest. The hardwood gleamed beneath tables set with fine linen tablecloths that fell all the way to the floor, delicate china and heavy silverware. Thick, white candles sat in silver holders on every table, their glow creating a muted, romantic atmosphere. A low, jazzy music played in the background as potted plants, strategically placed, created an air of intimacy about the place.