Craving Candy

Chapter Six

Lucas stared at the closed door in front of him. He contemplated turning around and just walking away. After all, he certainly didn’t need the hassle. He’d been arguing with himself ever since he’d rolled out of bed. He glanced at his watch. That was over four hours ago. It was just past nine and he’d already put in three hours in the kitchen. But there was still time to walk away, go back home and get on with his life. He could pretend that yesterday had never happened.

Shifting the box he was holding, he tucked it carefully in the crook of his arm before raising his free hand to knock. It was too late to turn back now. The memory of Candy’s face, one minute filled with sexual longing and pleasure, and then filled with disappointment and anger had kept him awake all night long. Without giving himself any more time to question himself, he gave two hard, sharp knocks.

“Come in.”

As her voice drifted through the closed door, his cock stirred. He glanced down at the growing bulge in his jeans. It was ridiculous that a woman he’d just met could have such an effect on him. Shaking his head in disgust, he opened the door and stepped inside her office.

Her chair was turned away from the front of her desk, facing her computer, which sat at a right angle to her main workspace. She was currently absorbed in whatever was on her computer screen, staring at it intently. She held up one finger and then furiously continued to type. “Be right with you.”

Lucas quietly closed the door and leaned back against it, content just to watch her work. Nope, she hadn’t been just a figment of his imagination. She’d obviously made an attempt to subdue her curly hair, but several locks had escaped and were hanging down in front of her face. As he watched her, she absently swiped at one of the rogue locks, tucking it behind her ear before continuing her work. It was such an automatic gesture, he knew that she’d done it many, many times before.

He took the opportunity to survey her office. You could tell a lot about a person by their surroundings. The office was small but neat, painted a subtle shade of yellow. Two armchairs, covered in a dark green fabric, were strategically placed in front of her desk. Several prints hung on the wall and he was surprised but pleased to see one of Katie’s smaller watercolors displayed prominently in a place where Candy could see it from her desk. A few fairly large plants were strategically scattered around the room. All in all, the effect was one of comfort and efficiency.

Her desk was another matter. There were stacks of files, magazines and papers. Pens, pencils, notepads and an appointment book were scattered across the top of her workspace, but right in the center of it all sat a large canary-yellow coffee mug that was half full. Candy obviously liked her coffee.

The furious tapping captured his attention again and he studied her carefully as she continued to work, taking in the curve of her cheek, the long line of her neck and the graceful way she held herself as she worked. She chewed on her lower lip and then typed one last line before hitting the save button. Obviously pleased, she sat back in her chair and swiveled it around to face the door. The greeting died on her lips as she realized it was him standing there. Not exactly the reaction he was hoping for. But at least she wasn’t screaming at him to get out.

Lucas sauntered forward to stand in front of her desk. “Morning, Candy.” The color drained from her face only to be replaced a moment later by a dull shade of red that crept up her cheeks. Lucas eyed the open v-neck of her blouse, wondering if her blush continued on down to her chest. She was once again wearing a suit. This one was a deep chocolate brown and matched her eyes nicely. He couldn’t really see much of it because she was sitting down, but he’d bet good money that it was just as shapeless as the one she’d worn yesterday and probably a size or two too big.

“What are you doing here?” Her hand went to her throat in a nervous gesture.

“I told you yesterday that we weren’t finished.” Sauntering around the side of her desk, he kept his gaze locked on hers.

Her eyes widened as she swiveled her chair to face him. “What do you want?” Her voice squeaked. He could see her struggling to maintain her composure and was surprised by how badly he wanted to soothe her.

“I brought you something.” He laid the plain white bakery box on the top of her desk. Placing his hands firmly on the arms of her chair, he leaned down and kissed her. He kept it light and quick, and before she could even think to protest, he pulled back and smiled at her.

She cleared her throat and licked her lips nervously. “What did you bring?”

Lifting the white box, he opened it. “Close your eyes.”

Her eyebrows came together as she frowned at him. “Why?”

“Because it’s a surprise.” He could see the indecision on her face before she finally heaved a huge sigh and closed her eyes.

“I’m too busy to play games,” she muttered.

Lucas ignored her grumbles and waved the box in front of her face, allowing the scent to waft up in front of her. She sniffed cautiously and her eyes popped open. “No peeking,” he admonished as he pulled the box away so she couldn’t see what was inside.

Curiosity filled her face, but she closed her eyes again. He kept his eyes on her as he laid the box on the desk and drew out one of the treats he’d baked earlier this morning. “Open your mouth.” His voice was husky as memories of his erotic fantasies filled his head. His erection was straining hard against the front of his jeans as he watched her tentatively open her mouth.

Swallowing back a groan, he placed the chocolate treat to her lips, all the while wishing it was his swollen cock that she was so eager for. When her tongue came out to lick the chocolate, he almost came. He was sweating beneath his leather jacket and Tshirt. His balls tightened painfully as she finally bit off a small piece and began to chew.

Moaning with pleasure, she rolled the offering around in her mouth before swallowing. Her eyes fluttered open as she stared first at him and then at the brownie he was still holding. “That’s absolutely incredible.” Her husky tone made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

“I’m glad you like it.” He offered her another bite, which she quickly accepted. Lucas was surprised that she actually let him feed her. It was such an erotic experience to watch her devour the chocolate treat he’d baked especially for her.

As she took the last piece, her tongue flicked his finger and they both froze. He could see the recognition come to her face as she realized what she was doing. Pushing him away with one hand, her chair rolled a few inches away from him. “What am I doing?”

Although he knew it was a rhetorical question, he answered her anyway. “Enjoying a brownie.”

Her gaze immediately sharpened as she reached over and snagged the box off the top of her desk. “These weren’t in the cookbook.” She sent him an accusatory stare. “Why weren’t these in the cookbook?”

Lucas chuckled slightly. “I take it you liked it.”

She stared down at the box in her hands, an almost reverent expression on her face. “These are phenomenal.” There was a shy, almost hesitant look on her face when she gazed back at him. “You made these for me?”

He could tell the idea pleased her and he was glad he’d given in to the urge to make them. “Made them fresh this morning.” He could see the question forming on her lips again. “And they’re not in the cookbook because I didn’t want them in there.”

He saw no reason to tell her that the real reason his special brownie recipe wasn’t in the cookbook was because he’d sold it to a giant food manufacturer. Katie’s husband, Cain, had helped him with the negotiations. In fact, Cain had actually been the one to suggest the idea after he’d tasted some of them. The deal was very lucrative, not only giving Lucas money up front, but making sure he obtained a percentage of the profits as well. It was the main reason he’d been able to afford the new building he’d just bought.

“But they’re fantastic. They should have been in the book.” Her eyes darkened as she became more impassioned about the subject.

“Be thankful there was a cookbook. I didn’t even want to do the damned thing.” He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, reminding himself again why he’d bothered to come all the way over here this morning.

“Then why did you do it?” she snapped back.

“Because Katie asked me to.” The memory of how Katie had come to him after the deal was all but done, cajoling him to do it made him angry all over again. The only reason he’d even agreed to it was because she’d said it would be a good way to publicize her artwork. And she’d also reminded him that he owed her for selling her first painting without her permission. The little minx had him on that and she knew it. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth at the memory. That action had been responsible for Katie and Cain meeting.

“I hadn’t realized that you and Katie were close.” The way she said the word close made his hackles rise. “I thought she was married.”

“Katie is like a sister to me.” As hard as he tried, he couldn’t keep the anger from his voice. “And you obviously don’t have a very high opinion of me.” He paused. “Or Katie.” This had obviously been a waste of time. Sighing, he turned away.

Candy scrambled out of her chair and grabbed his arm, stopping him cold. “I’m sorry, Lucas. That was uncalled for.” He could hear the sincerity in her voice. “I had a really bad night last night and I’m taking it out on you. Please, let’s start over.”

He took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”

“Sit down and tell me why you came here this morning.”

He knew she expected him to go around the front of her desk and sit in one of the chairs. Instead, he propped himself against the edge of the desk, crossing his arms over his chest. “I came to make sure you were all right after last evening. You left so abruptly after we were interrupted.”

“Yes, well,” she began. She met his gaze squarely as she slowly sat back down in her chair. “I don’t do things like that, Lucas.”

“Like what?” He kept his tone even and unthreatening when all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and hug her.

“Like what?” She stared at him as if he were nuts. She raked her hand through her hair, dislodging a few more locks from the barrette in the back. “Like practically getting naked with a man I don’t even know.”

“Candy.” He leaned forward and hauled her chair over in front of him. With his hands locked around the arms of the chair, he effectively had her caged in. “For the record, I didn’t think it was something that you usually did.” Taking one hand off the chair, he carefully tucked a curl behind her ear. It sprang back immediately, making him grin slightly. Her hair was as unpredictable and untamed as she was. “And as long as we’re on the subject, it’s not something that I do either.”

She cleared her throat. “Okay. As long as you know that and understand that there won’t be a repeat performance.”

That made him scowl. “Why not?”

“You’re a client, Lucas.” She laid her hand on his forearm and he wished he wasn’t wearing his coat so he could feel her fingers brushing against his skin.

“You don’t work for me and I don’t work for you. There is no conflict. Besides which, that’s what I’m here to talk about.”

He could tell he’d aroused her interest, but she leaned back in her chair and eyed him coolly. “Oh?”

He’d give her credit— she didn’t jump at the bait, but waited to see what he’d offer. He admired her for that. A lot of other people would have started demanding an explanation, but she obviously had patience. “You want me to do some promotion for the book.”

“Yes. It’s the reason I’ve been trying to track you down for the past few weeks.” She tried to reach around him to snag her calendar off her desk, but gave up when she realized that he wasn’t moving. He caught a haunting whiff of vanilla-scented lotion as she shifted closer to him.

Leaning forward, he cupped her chin in his hand. “I’ll agree to do a select few promotional interviews. But,” he continued before she got too excited, “only if you agree to have dinner with me.”

“That’s blackmail.”

“The brownies were blackmail to get you to talk to me. Okay, technically they were more of a bribe than blackmail, but you ate one of them,” he pointed out.

“That’s different,” she sputtered. “I didn’t even know you had brownies. And this entire conversation is absurd.”

“That may be, but the offer stands as is. You want me to do some promotions, then you’ll have dinner with me.” He rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip. It was lush and full and moist. “Besides.” He angled closer to her, bringing his mouth nearer hers. “I’m not asking you to have sex with me. Just dinner.” Giving in to temptation, he licked her bottom lip, tasting the chocolate from the brownie she’d eaten mingled with her own sweet flavor.

“Just dinner?” she whispered as she shifted forward until their lips were barely touching.

“Hmmm,” he agreed as his lips skimmed across hers. “That doesn’t mean I won’t try to convince you to have sex with me, Candy. I want to finish what we started. We’d be so good together. You know it as well as I do.” He slid his tongue past her lips and tasted the warmth of her mouth before retreating. “I want to fuck you until you scream with pleasure. I want to lick every inch of your body until you beg me to fuck you again.” He slipped his tongue into her mouth again, mimicking the sexual act.

Both of them were breathing hard now. Candy’s hands had moved at some point and were now gripping the sides of his neck as she pulled him closer. He forced himself to retreat once again. “Have dinner with me, sugar. You won’t regret it.”

She let out a whimper as he captured her mouth again. This time there was no holding back. What was it about this particular woman that made him lose all control? At his age, he thought his days of being led around by his dick were long over. But Candy made a mockery of his self-discipline. His entire body was clenched tight with need and he was so incredibly close to shoving everything off her desk, spreading her across the hard surface, flipping up her skirt and driving himself into her waiting warmth.

And she would be wet for him. He knew she would.

Without breaking their kiss, he hauled her out of the chair. Pulling her between his spread thighs, he cupped her ass in his hands and rubbed her mound over his erection. Tugging at the fabric of her skirt with his fingers, he yanked it upward until he could slip his hand beneath it. Once again, she was wearing thigh-high stockings. He promised himself that one day he’d fuck her while she was wearing nothing but a pair of those ridiculously high-heeled shoes that she seemed to favor and these fabulous stockings.

The image made his cock throb, so he yanked open his jeans, allowing his erection to spring forward. At the same time, he pushed her skirt upward in the front and pulled her closer so that his aching flesh was pressed tight against the heat of her silk panties. He almost yelled with pleasure as she rotated her hips, grinding her pussy against him. Clasping her silk-covered behind with his hands, he silently encouraged her.

Slanting his lips over hers, he devoured her mouth, fucking it with his tongue, claiming it as his. He pushed one of his hands lower over her ass, slipping it between her thighs. She widened her stance, letting him touch her, moaning her pleasure as his fingers slid over the slick, wet fabric. Skimming the edge of the fabric, he slipped his fingers beneath.

His breath was coming so hard now that he was afraid his chest might burst. She was hot and wet, just as he’d known she would be. Damn, she was so naturally sensual and giving, she drove him wild. He had to have her.

There was a loud knock at the door.

They pulled apart and stared at each other. Lucas swore as he gingerly removed his hand from inside her panties. Candy hurriedly pushed her skirt down and stared at his groin as he carefully zipped his jeans over his erection. Even though he was clenching his teeth against the pain, he almost grinned at the look on her face. Part hungry, part appalled, it made him feel better to know that she was in this just as deep as he was. “Sugar, you’re not helping.”

Her head jerked up and she gasped, her cheeks turning pink.

The person on the other side of the door knocked again. “Candy, are you busy?” The doorknob turned and a woman walked in. Lucas managed to seat Candy back in her chair and take a step away from her before the new arrival realized that there was someone else in the office. She looked startled but recovered quickly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know Ms. Logan was busy. I’ll come back later.”

“That okay. We’re done… for now.” He left those last two words hanging in the air. It was up to Candy now. She knew his terms. The last thing he wanted to do was leave her, but he forced himself to walk across the room. It was surprisingly difficult given the tightness of his pants. He saw the other woman’s eyes widen in surprise, but thankfully she refrained from making any comment.

When he got to the door, he turned back. Candy was still sitting in her chair, looking slightly stunned. Her lips were swollen, her cheeks were rosy and her hair was a bit more mussed. But other than that, she appeared almost exactly as she had when he’d arrived. “Enjoy your brownies.”

As he turned to walk out the door, he tossed one parting challenge over his shoulder. “I’ll wait for your call.”

Feeling much better in spite of his unrequited sexual desire, he sauntered toward the elevator, already planning what he’d make Candy for dessert.