“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
“I’m not just enjoying the food,” Mariah admitted. “I’m enjoying your company.” She hadn’t thought it was possible to feel this way again after Rich. Their breakup had been devastating to her self-esteem as a woman. Everett, however, was quickly boosting it in a big way.
He grinned, showing a flash of white teeth. “So am I.”
Mariah’s heart swelled in her chest. He didn’t need to touch her to have her completely mesmerized. All he had to do was pin her with his razor-sharp gaze and she melted. She could easily be putty in his hands if she wasn’t careful with her heart.
* * *
Everett stared at Mariah. He’d been watching her all night and he couldn’t get enough of her. They’d just finished a decadent dessert of bananas Foster, which they’d both devoured. Mariah ate with passionate relish. She wasn’t one of those women who picked at her meal. She wasn’t afraid to be completely herself. There weren’t any airs about her. What you saw was what you got. And it was refreshing.
He gave the maître d’ a nod that it was time for the pianist to come in. “How about a dance?” Everett said, rising to his feet.
“There’s no music.”
“I’m sure we could make our own,” he replied. At Mariah’s surprised look, he inclined his head toward the man who was sitting down at the piano.
“I would love to.” She rose to her feet just as the pianist began singing Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable.”
The lights from the city and candlelight illuminated the room, bathing Mariah in a soft glow. Everett held out his hand for her to join him on the dance floor.
He felt as if he’d waited a lifetime to finally have a legitimate reason to touch Mariah. He slid his arm around her slender waist, bringing her soft body into contact with his hard one. To her credit, Mariah tried to keep a respectable distance between the two of them, but Everett was having none of it. He wanted to feel her and he wasn’t going to let her hesitancy get in the way.
At first, she was a little stiff when his other hand grasped hers, but eventually she gave in and moved her body closer to his. He dipped his head and placed it against the side of her face. Not only could he smell the fragrant sweetness of her perfume teasing his nostrils, but he could feel the heat emanating from her.
And from him. He was scorching hot for her. He could feel the rising bulge in his pants and couldn’t resist crushing her body firmly to his. He thought Mariah would push him away as she felt the evidence of his arousal, but she didn’t. He heard her breathing hitch and become labored. Was she feeling as turned on as he was?
Without thinking, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Then he lowered his head so he could trail hot kisses down the side of her face as he inched closer to her lips. He hadn’t meant to do it and thought she might pull away, but she didn’t. Instead, she looked up at him through sooty, mascara-covered lashes and he had the answer to his question. Desire gleamed in her eyes, just as he knew it did in his.
He bent down and brushed his lips softly over hers.
* * *
Mariah had known Everett was going to kiss her when she’d looked at him. His pupils had dilated and he’d stepped even closer to her, allowing her to feel the hard, unyielding pressure of his arousal against her middle. She was powerless to resist the pull, and her arms involuntarily moved up and over Everett’s shoulders as he laid hungry siege to her lips. When he deepened the kiss, raking his tongue across her bottom lip, her lips parted of their own volition. The touch of his tongue on hers sent a jolt of electricity sparking inside her. Her entire body awakened at the contact and she knew that he wanted her.
Right here.
Right now.
His hands moved caressingly down the length of her spine and rested on her hips. She suspected he was going to cup her bottom, but given that they had an audience, thought better of it. That’s what jolted her out of the kiss, and she wrenched her mouth from his. She tried unsuccessfully to pull out of his arms. His hold on her was too tight. “Everett...”
“Hmm...?”
“There are people here,” she whispered into his ear.
“I’m aware of that. Why else do you think I haven’t ravished you on the spot?”
She glanced up at him and saw the devilry in his eyes. He was teasing her. “Perhaps we should...”
“Stop?” he asked, his gaze hooded. “That’s a negative. If I promise to be good, will you let me hold you?”
The sexual potency Everett had just wreaked on her body told Mariah it wasn’t a good idea, but it felt so good to be in a man’s arms again. And not just any man’s, but Everett’s. She couldn’t say no even if she tried to. “Okay.”
They continued dancing to several songs, until Everett took a step backward. “Thank you.”
She nodded. Had he known what that had cost her? To not retreat and run at the first sign that their relationship had taken a sudden shift in direction?
“How about we go to the observation deck to finish off the evening?” Everett offered.
“I’d like that.”
Several minutes later, they were looking out over the city of Seattle, standing hand in hand. They were both silent as they took in the lights and the stars overhead. Mariah could still feel the current of sizzling chemistry passing back and forth between them. It was so palpable that her heart was hammering in her chest. Was it taking as much restraint on Everett’s part as it was on hers for them not to kiss again?
But he kept his word and didn’t kiss her. Instead, after a short time on the observation deck, he took her to the limo and they drove back to her apartment.
Mariah appreciated that Everett was respecting her wishes and doing the honorable thing, but had to admit she wouldn’t have minded if he’d been a bit of a bad boy and stolen another kiss.
When they reached her place, he kept the limo idling as he walked her inside and up the stairs to her second-floor apartment. “Thank you for a lovely evening,” she said in her doorway.
“I aim to please,” he said with a bow.
She laughed. He truly was a remarkable man, and maybe in another life things might be different, but she doubted there would ever be more than this moment. She couldn’t let it. She couldn’t afford to get close and let another man in, only to have it not work out after he realized she wasn’t a whole woman.
“We’ll talk soon about the café...” She left the sentence hanging and turned toward the door.
That’s when Everett surprised her and reached for her once more. And this time they didn’t have an audience. He backed her up against the door, cupped her bottom and pulled her firmly and snugly against the pulsing length of his rock-hard erection. Mariah gasped and Everett used her shock to insert his tongue deep inside her mouth. Then one of his hands came upward to cup her breasts over the softness of the chiffon material. He brushed his thumb over her nipple and it hardened on the spot. Everett groaned and shifted the hardness of his shaft even closer into her core.
Mariah knew her panties were damp with moisture as he fully explored every inch of her mouth before tangling her tongue with his. His tongue continued to stroke hers over and over with such achingly slow flicks that she thought she’d die on the spot from so much pleasure. She was no expert in the lovemaking department, but she reciprocated his movements and hoped he was enjoying the kiss as much as she.
When he lifted his head, his eyes were dark with desire. “I wish I could say I was sorry about that, but I just had to have another taste of you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Seconds later, he was gone, leaving Mariah breathing hard and desperate for more.
* * *
Everett wasn’t sure how he made it back to the limousine, given the painfully hard erection he was now sporting. If he hadn’t left, he would have taken
the keys from Mariah’s hand and backed her up into her apartment, invitation or not. Then he would show her exactly how much he desired her, and vice versa.
He wasn’t sure of much, but he was certain Mariah had wanted him to kiss her again. He’d felt her yearning, her craving to have his tongue in her mouth in the limo, and he’d had to oblige. Now all he had to do was figure out how he was going to pull back. Tonight, he’d shown Mariah his romantic and passionate side, but he also wanted her to see his restraint and that he could wait until she was ready to invite him into her bed.
During the evening, he’d sensed that she didn’t have much experience in the dating department. Not that he’d had tons himself, but he’d sensed her nervousness even though she’d tried to mask it with conversation. Despite her nerves, she’d responded to him with abandoned enthusiasm, which made him even more of an admirer. He couldn’t wait to see where their relationship would go next.
Chapter 7
“Well, look who the cat dragged in,” Jackson said, when Mariah arrived late to the bakery on Saturday morning.
“Not today, Jack,” Mariah cautioned. She’d slept fitfully the night before, all because of one man. Everett. How dare he get her so turned on and then just leave? Not that she’d ever be one for casual sex—heck, her ex-husband was her first and only lover—but she certainly didn’t like being left high and dry!
Last night, Everett had kissed her senseless and turned on every dormant hormone in her body, so much so that she’d dreamed of him and awoke with an ache between her legs that only one thing could satisfy.
“What’s got you in a huff?” Jackson asked.
“Nothing!” She grabbed her apron and tied it around her neck and waist, then began clanging pots and bowls as she prepared her station.
“Doesn’t look like nothing to me,” her brother responded. “It’s not like you to be late or ill-tempered. That’s my department.”
“Well, you don’t have the lock on being a jerk,” she said, finally offering him a smile.
“Ah, now there’s the Mariah I know.” He continued kneading the dough he was working on. “I’d think you’d be on cloud nine since you convinced your admirer to invest in our bakery.”
Mariah thought about Everett and then her mind wandered to his lips and how his bottom lip was fuller than the top. She remembered how she’d sucked on it last night with fervor. “I am happy.”
“Coulda fooled me. What did lover boy say about our café idea? Was he on board?”
Mariah nodded. “He loved it, but insisted that he would be heavily involved with the concept from start to finish.”
“Sounds reasonable. His name is on it.”
She turned her back to grab some flour out of the pantry and added, “He wants to work exclusively with me on the project.”
She didn’t hear Jackson sneak up on her until he spun her around. “Are you sure you’re not in over your head on this?”
Mariah pulled away from her brother. “Of course not. I can handle this expansion and Everett.”
Jackson held up his hands. “All right, as long as you’re sure, because Myers isn’t interested in just the café.”
Mariah tried grabbing the large bag of flour, but Jack took it out of her hands and carried it over to her station.
“Thank you, and I’m aware of Everett’s intentions.”
“It’s Everett now?” Surprise laced her brother’s voice.
“Yes. We went to dinner last night and—”
Jackson held up his hands. “Wait a second, you and Myers went to dinner and you didn’t lead with that? Is that what has you in a mood today? Did something happen last night? Did he do something untoward? If so, I can go over to his office and knock his block off.”
Mariah suppressed a soft gurgle of laughter. “As much as I appreciate this brotherly affection, it’s not necessary. I’m capable of taking care of myself. Furthermore, nothing happened that I didn’t want to happen.”
Jackson’s eyes grew large like saucers. “So, something did happen?”
“I don’t intend on discussing my love life with my brother, so drop it, okay?”
“Now he’s part of your love life? Oh, Lord!” Jackson threw his hands up in the air again. “All I can say is be careful, since I don’t want anything to get in the way of this project. It’s too important for Lillian’s.”
“And it won’t. I’ve got it covered.”
“All right.”
It sounded to Mariah as if Jackson didn’t believe her, but she didn’t care. She would deal with Everett in her own way. First by keeping their relationship on a more businesslike footing while the café was in process. Jackson was right about that. She couldn’t afford for anything to jeopardize this opportunity, not even her interest in the man behind it.
* * *
Everett woke up with a smile on his face. He had finally sampled sweet Mariah and the taste had stayed with him all weekend. So much so that when he’d turned over he’d fully expected her to be lying beside him on the king-size bed. She hadn’t been, but now Everett knew with certainty that he and Mariah would become lovers.
For days she’d tried to act as if she was unaffected by him, but Friday night she’d given in to her own desires. And when he’d kissed her, she’d kissed him back. And it wasn’t a demure kiss, but one full of fire and passion and a hunger like the one that had been building inside him from the moment they’d met.
When he’d cradled her in his arms in front of her apartment and his shaft had cocooned itself in her softness, he’d felt as if he was home. It had taken every bit of self-restraint for him to refrain from acting on his deepest desires, but he had to. Despite how responsive she was, Everett knew he had to tread lightly. If he came on too strong again, she’d retreat, and he didn’t want that. It’s why he’d decided not to visit today, but give her time to absorb everything that had happened between them.
Keeping his distance while working with Mariah on the Myers Coffee Roasters café was going to be extremely difficult, but he had to. He would visit the bakery every day as he’d done before, or whenever he could. He wanted Mariah to become comfortable with having him as a part of her life, so the transition from business partners to lovers would feel seamless.
“Penny for your thoughts?” His mother was standing in the doorway of his office on Monday morning.
“Mom, this is a pleasant surprise,” Everett said, rising to his feet. “What are you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood for a charity meeting and figured I’d stop by and check in on you. How are you? And how’s my darling grandbaby?”
Everett glanced at his mother. Gwen Myers was still stunning at fifty-eight. Her smooth café-au-lait skin showed no signs of aging and was expertly made up to go along with the Dior suit she wore with matching pumps.
“I’m doing great and EJ, well, he’s had a bit of a tough week at school, and especially at this time of year. But he’ll pull through.”
She sat down on the sofa along one wall. “What’s going on?”
Everett sat beside her and filled her in on the bullying at school and EJ’s response to not having a mother.
Gwen touched her chest in horror. “Oh, that poor baby. Everett, what can I do?”
“I’m sure a visit from Grandma would help tremendously and give him a bit of the mother figure he so desperately craves. Other than that, I’m not sure what else would help.”
“I so wished you would have remarried after Sara.” When she saw the stricken look on his face, his mother quickly added, “More so for EJ than for you, my boy.” She patted his thigh. “Then he would have a mom.”
“He has one.”
“You know what I meant.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.” Everett rose from the couch, walked over to the window and stare
d at Elliott Bay. “I’ve always wondered that myself. Did I do him a disservice by shunning all those women? But the thing is—” he turned to face her “—I never really felt like any of them were genuine, but now...” His voice trailed off as he thought of Mariah Drayson.
His mother was perceptive and asked, “And now what?”
“Excuse me?” He turned around.
“I asked now what, but you looked a million miles away. Like you were thinking of something, or should I say someone?”
Everett tried to smother a smile, but his mother rose from the sofa and reached for both his hands. “Have you met someone?”
He nodded.
“You have?” Her voice rose slightly. “Oh, Everett, I’m so happy for you. Who is she? When can I meet her? What does EJ think of her?”
“Mom, slow down,” Everett said, releasing her hands. “We haven’t gotten that far yet. We only just met, but there’s something about her that’s different from the women I’ve met since Sara. She’s special.”
“Don’t leave me in suspense. What’s her name?”
“Her name is Mariah Drayson.”
“Of the Seattle Draysons?” his mother inquired. “I’ve heard of them. Nadia Drayson sits on one of my charities and she’s having a ball at the Myers Hotel later this summer, while your father has had some real estate business dealings with Graham Drayson.”
“Yes, the same Draysons,” Everett responded. “Mariah recently opened a bakery called Lillian’s of Seattle.”
His mother obviously didn’t recognize the name, just stared at him blankly. “Lillian’s is a popular bakery on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile and they won a television competition a few years ago.”
“That’s excellent, darling. At least she comes from a family of good standing. Having a store on the Magnificent Mile is very exclusive.”
“Mom, you realize you sound very snobby.”
She looked chagrined. “I only want the best for my son.”
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