Craving Candy

Chapter Five

Candy stormed into her apartment and slammed the door shut behind her. She thought about opening it again, just so she could have the satisfaction of slamming it shut a second time, but she resisted the childish urge. Barely. She was desperately trying to hold on to her feelings of anger because, if she didn’t, she feared she would break down and cry and that just wouldn’t do.

Tossing her purse onto the table just inside the door, she bent over to unzip her boots. “Stupid things.” She glared at the offending footwear as she hauled them off and tossed them aside. That’s what she got for buying something on sale. The reason they’d probably been marked down was because they were so darned uncomfortable. The problem was they looked fantastic and made her legs look really good. She was vain enough to admit that she liked that about them, plus the extra four inches in height didn’t hurt either. She just wished they didn’t make her feet ache so much. At five-foot-four, she felt she needed the extra height advantage. People didn’t always take a smaller woman seriously, especially with a name like hers.

Limping slightly, she made her way to the closet and hung up her coat. When that was done, she leaned back against the closet door and closed her eyes. She thumped her head repeatedly against the door. What had she done? Not only had she almost had sex with a stranger, that stranger had turned out to be the elusive client she’d been chasing for weeks now. “Way to make a professional impression, Candy,” she muttered. “What were you thinking anyway? Okay, so actual thinking had very little to do with it. It’s all Missy’s fault anyway for putting the idea that I needed to get laid into my brain.” Sighing, she realized there was no one to blame for this debacle but herself. Nobody had made her do anything and she was responsible for her own actions.

Finished berating herself for the moment, she opened her eyes, pushed away from the door and headed to the kitchen. After the day she’d put in, she deserved a glass of wine and a long, hot bath. She turned up the heater as she passed through the living room, rubbing her hands over her arms. It was cold, but she was always trying to save money, and that meant lowering the heat when she wasn’t home. Still, she hated times like this when she felt so cold. Well, a hot bath and her flannel nightgown would warm her up in no time.

Opening the refrigerator door, she pulled out a bottle of white wine she’d opened last weekend when Missy had joined her for a girls’ night of pizza and “chick flicks”. There was just enough left in the bottle for her to have a glass. Perfect. Yanking open the cabinet door, she pulled down a wineglass, uncorked the wine and poured it all into the glass. Thumping the bottle onto the counter, she started to reach for the glass and then stopped.

“How dare he?” Practically quivering with anger, her hands fisted at her sides, she began to pace the tiny kitchen. Five steps one way, turn and five back in the other direction. Every step she took emphasized the fact that she wasn’t wearing any underwear at all. He had her panties and her bra was in her purse. She could feel the sticky wetness between her thighs and her breasts still ached.

How dare he give her the best sexual experience of her life and then turn out to be her nemesis! Coming to a dead stop in the center of the room, she realized that was the crux of the problem.

For once in her life, she’d done something wild and crazy and it had come back to kick her in the teeth. How was she ever going to face the man again? How was she ever going to face her new friend, Katie? Candy bit her lip as she mulled over those questions, but right now she couldn’t come up with any answers.

“I told Missy I was no good at this kind of thing,” she muttered. As if in answer, the phone began to ring. Snagging her wineglass off the counter, she padded back into the living room and slumped down on the sofa, grabbing the phone. “Hello.”

“Hey, little sugarplum.”

The glass of wine slipped out of her nerveless fingers. It hit the edge of the coffee table on the way down, shattering and sending wine and shards of glass showering to the carpet. It was a voice she’d never thought she’d hear again. One she’d hoped she’d never hear again.

“You there, Sis?” The voice, low and deep, now held a hint of concern.

Candy swallowed hard. “Justin?” She hadn’t heard her brother’s voice in more than a decade. Two years her senior, he’d spent his younger years in and out of trouble, having minor brushes with the law and spending time in juvenile detention before finally disappearing just before his seventeenth birthday.

“Yeah, Candy. It’s me.” He paused. “I know it’s been a long time.”

“A long time?” she practically yelled into the receiver. “It’s been years.”

“Fifteen. It’s been fifteen years,” he quietly replied.

She thought she detected sadness in his voice, but she couldn’t be sure. Nor was she willing to fall into the same pattern her mother had lived by for years. Candy’s father had been a petty criminal, in and out of jail his entire life until he’d finally died there, caught in a prison riot and stabbed to death. Her mother had always taken her father back the moment he was released from prison, always believing his empty promises that “this time will be different”. Candy was afraid that Justin had followed in their father’s footsteps. “So where have you been? Prison?”

The silence on the other end was almost deafening. Then came a sharp bark of laughter. “I guess I deserve that.”

Candy said nothing. She really didn’t know what to say to the virtual stranger on the other end. He might be her brother, but she really didn’t know him. He sighed deeply and she could practically picture him running his fingers though his shoulderlength hair. It was a habit he’d had, something he’d always done when he was frustrated.

“Look, Candy, I want to talk to you.”

She couldn’t think. As horrible as it sounded, she wasn’t sure she wanted to see her older brother. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

“I’ve already talked to Mom.”

“When?”

“A week ago.”

Those three words made her stomach clench and she grabbed a pillow and held it tight to her belly. Her mother had talked to Justin and hadn’t told her. Candy felt betrayed right to her very core. While her father had disappointed them and Justin had abandoned them, Candy was the one who had stood by her mother. It was Candy who’d taken extra years to finish college, not only because she had to pay her own way, but because she’d always given her mother money to help her get by. In fact, she still sent her mother money every month to help make things easier, skimping and doing without things herself. And this is what she got for it.

She felt sick to her stomach. “I have to go.”

“Just think about it, okay? I’ll call you again in a few days.”

She closed her eyes to try to push back the tears that threatened. Part of her wanted to tell him to come over now just so she could see him. She’d loved her older brother. Desperately. The lonely child she’d been had soaked up all the casual care and concern he’d lavished on her when they’d been growing up. Justin had always slipped her extra lunch money, taken her places like the museum and the movies and always made sure she had something special for her birthday. His leaving had cut her to the core and the betrayal that she’d felt then was once again bubbling to the surface.

“I can’t talk anymore.” She pushed the words past her tight throat, barely swallowing back a sob.

She heard his whispered “I love you” as she hung up the phone.

Candy didn’t know how long she just sat there staring at the phone, but gradually she became aware of the shivers racking her body. She was so cold. Dragging herself off the sofa, she jerked and cursed as she stepped on a shard of glass. She’d forgotten all about the shattered wineglass. She lifted her foot, grateful that the glass hadn’t been driven in. Instead, she had a half-inch cut that was seeping blood.

Feeling much older than her thirty years, she got some paper towels from the kitchen and went back to clean up the mess. Gathering as many pieces as she could, she sopped up the wine and deposited the mess in the garbage. That was the best she could do for now. She’d vacuum and scrub the carpet tomorrow.

Stumbling toward the bathroom, she flicked on the taps and began to run a hot bath. Turning, she placed her hands on the vanity and stared at the wild-eyed woman in the mirror. The brown eyes staring back at her looked slightly bruised and haunted. Her hair was a tangled mess, reminding her of what had happened earlier in the evening.

She laughed, but it wasn’t a pleasant sound. At least the phone call from her brother had accomplished one thing— it had certainly taken her mind off her problem with Lucas Squires. Staring at the woman in the mirror, she shook her head. “What the hell did you do? Walk under a ladder? Smash a mirror?” There had to be some reason for the cosmic bad luck she’d had today.

Her life had changed irrevocably since she’d awoken this morning. This morning, she had still been excited about her new project and optimistic that she could get her client’s cooperation. She’d felt she’d had a good relationship with her mother— not stellar, but good. She and her mother didn’t really understand each other, but at least they’d had something. Or so she’d thought. And her brother… well, sad to say, but she hadn’t thought about him in a long time. Not really. He’d always been more of a passing thought, a memory that had faded over time.

Now look at her. She’d had the best sexual encounter of her life with a complete stranger and even though they’d never finished, she felt branded by his touch. His hands and mouth had been like magic on her body. She shivered at the thought and a deep, throbbing need began to pulse low in her belly.

Pushing away from the mirror, she yanked off her clothing and peeled off her stockings, letting them drop to the floor. Usually, she was careful with her belongings, but tonight she really couldn’t bring herself to care. Stepping into the tub, she ignored the stinging in her foot as she sat down and let the hot water envelop her. When the tub was full, she turned off the taps and sat back, her mind still reeling.

Okay, so she’d had a sexual encounter with a stranger who just happened to be her new client. She was a professional— she’d deal with it. Starting tomorrow, she’d go and see him and set things back on the right course.

Picking up a facecloth, she soaked it in the water, wrung it out and draped it over her face. She’d have to deal with her mother too. She still couldn’t believe her mother hadn’t told her she’d heard from Justin. The betrayal sat like a lump in her stomach. But she could deal with that too.

As for Justin… well, she didn’t know what she was going to do about that. Did she really want to see him? What did he want? Probably money, the cynical side of her nature replied. If he didn’t want something, why did he wait all those years to contact her? On the other hand, could she live with herself if she didn’t see him?

Her thoughts went ‘round and ‘round until the water in the tub cooled and she thought she would scream. Pulling the plug, she stood and stepped out of the tub. Grabbing a towel, she quickly dried herself, gathered her clothing and padded to the bedroom. Her stockings were ruined, so she tossed them into the trash before she hung her suit in the closet. Her blouse went into the clothes hamper. As she tossed it in, she caught a whiff of soap with a tinge of sandalwood.

Lucas.

Slamming down the lid of the hamper, she dug out a clean flannel nightgown and pulled it over her head. She knew she should clean and bandage her foot, but she just didn’t have the energy. The soap and water would have to suffice for now. Crawling into bed, she hauled the covers up tight around her face. She glanced at the clock and was mildly shocked to realize that it wasn’t quite eight o’clock.

She jerked when the phone rang, but made no move to answer it. Instead, she lay in bed and stared at the phone on her bedside table. She knew the answering machine in the living room would pick it up. When the message finished and the beep sounded, a familiar voice filled the room. “Pick up if you’re there. It’s me.” There was a slight pause. “Candy, where are you, girl? I’ve been waiting to find out what happened. Did you crash the party and make contact with Mr. Squires? Call me.”

Candy snorted. Missy had no idea just how successful she’d been at making contact with Lucas Squires. She almost took her friend’s call, but she knew she couldn’t talk without crying. Not yet. The lump in her throat was huge.

The phone rang again, its shrill sound seeming unusually loud. Once again, she stared and waited. This time the voice was male and deep. “Candy, it’s Lucas. I was just calling to make sure you got home okay.” He paused, but finally sighed and continued. “I want to see you tomorrow. We definitely need to talk.” His tone lowered, becoming more intimate. “Sleep well and dream of me. I know I’ll be dreaming of you.”

With a click, he was gone and Candy was left staring at the phone. How could he? If she dreamed of him, it would be a nightmare. Suddenly the tears she’d been forcing back for the last two hours poured out. Burying her face in her pillow, she sobbed until her chest hurt and she thought she might throw up. Sitting up in bed, she grabbed a handful of tissues from a box on the bedside table and blew her nose before taking a deep breath.

She hadn’t felt this bad in a long time. In fact, not since she’d accused her exboyfriend Gary of cheating on her and he’d stormed off, slamming her for not trusting him. She had absolutely no luck with men. Lucas was just another shining example of that.

Curling back up in bed, she punched her pillow until it was comfortable and then she yanked the covers over her head, willing herself to sleep. She’d get over Lucas and everything else. She’d do what she’d always done. She’d put her head down and work. Rolling over, she closed her eyes, shutting out the world.