“Everything okay?” he demanded, once again doing exactly what Brody had accused him of, sticking his neck out to offer help before it was asked of him.
“Yeah, that was weird.” She looked out the window to where Brody was getting in his car. “Does he know something that I should know?”
A small chuckle escaped as Dave thought over his own conversation with his brooding friend. “Brody always knows something us lesser beings don’t. The true question is, do we really want to know? I tend to go with the theory of if I needed to know, he’d tell me. Until then, why worry?”
She chewed on the side of her lip, staring out the window. “If you say so.” Turning back around, her full focus took in Dave from head to toe, leaving him with a feeling of inadequacy. “Are you done here? Our appointment with the baker is in forty-five minutes.”
“I’m all yours, darling.” They headed out the door, and as Dave locked up he took in her hot pink dress, black jacket, and killer heels. He glanced down the front of him at worn, faded-out jeans with one knee ripped and both the pants and shirt covered in dust and cobwebs. Shit, should have grabbed a change of clothes that morning. Too late now. If they missed the appointment, Cherry would kill him, or worse, cry. “How’s your boss doing?”
“Funny you should ask.”
Dave gave her a quizzical look.
“He’s out of the woods and at home recovering. He’s very grateful to you. As a matter of fact, the entire company is, and they’ve sent a few gifts to show their appreciation.”
She opened the back door of her Mini Cooper and Dave’s eyes popped wide. The last time he’d seen a spread like that, Brody’s old man had died.
“That’s all for me?”
“Yep, every last pie, cake, and batch of cookies. Maybe we should stop by your place and drop it off first. It’s pretty hot out and you wouldn’t want any of it to spoil or melt.” She closed the door and headed around the toy car.
“Good idea. I can get out of these grubs, and after we’re done doing whatever for the lovebirds, I can buy you a drink to celebrate your first week.”
After making two trips from Tawny’s car up to his second-floor unit, Dave hit the shower and grabbed the first clean shirt he spotted in the closet. He pulled on a pair of relatively clean jeans—hey, they weren’t covered in paint stains, dirt, or oil and didn’t stink, that qualified them as clean in his book—and sauntered into the living slash kitchen. Tawny had put all the food away and stood looking out the window. Strolling across the room to join her, he looked around. She’d picked up. His sneakers, which were kicked off last night in the middle of the room, were now set by the wall, the mail was in a neat stack on the table, and the dish towel hung on the oven door.
“Thanks for straightening the place up for me. Long week.”
“No prob, just keeping busy while I waited. I let the dogs out too and filled their water.” Her body language and casual tone could have fooled most, but not Dave. Over the past few months he’d learned to read her. When Tawny got nervous, she didn’t make eye contact and she had a habit of scratching her neck. Just like she was doing now.
Dark, angry red lines marred her creamy cocoa skin. Before he could follow through with his thoughts to kiss every mark until they faded away, Tawny spun around and headed out the door.
“We better get going before we’re late.”
She refused to let him drive, but insisted they take her toy version of a car. Not that he minded a woman who took charge every now and then. Folding his six-foot frame into the sardine can was another thing. If they got hit, he’d fly through the front window because there was no space between him and the dash.
“Hey, are you doing anything next Saturday? Say around six.” Her eyes never left the road. Hands gripped at ten and two.
“Are you asking me on a date, darling?” Hot damn, he’d finally worn her down.
“No. Yes.” She whipped her little car into a parking space in front of the bakery. Dropping her head onto the steering wheel, she murmured something that sounded like what am I doing. After a few minutes she lifted her head and looked him straight on. “Look, here’s the thing. I had a great week at work. Monday I start working on a high-profile event and the boss, Mr. Spinelli, has invited me . . . us to the Pawtucket Red Sox game. Only a select few have been asked. Please, come with me? I don’t want to blow it.”
Not quite what he’d had in mind. But hey, he could work with it. “Sure, I’d love to. Come on, it’s baseball. You don’t have to give me the hard sell.”
There went that hand scratching away at her pretty skin, making him want to kiss the welts away. And then she went and ran her tongue over her bottom lip. It took everything Dave had, every ounce of willpower and manners drilled into him by his mom and Brody’s, not to haul her over the shifter and devour her mouth.
“You might think twice when you hear the rest. I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend a little longer. I’m sorry. I figured it’d be a one-time deal. But you had to go and play hero and I can’t break up with you now.” Her hands shot up in front of her faster than the man of steel. “I know it’s asking a lot, but it will only be for a few weeks, you know, until I’m settled in and they can’t live without me. Then we can break up and everything will be fine.”
“I don’t know. It’s a lot to ask,” he teased.
She sat back in a slump. “I know I’m overstepping the friendship line. It’s just that if I tell them we’re not dating, I’m afraid they’ll think I misled them to get the job. Then I’ll get canned and have to go to work for my brother. Please, David?”
Hell yeah, he’d do it. What red-blooded male would turn down a chance to romance Tawny Torres? Not to mention, get to put his hands on her succulent body. “When do I start?”
The sigh of relief as she slipped her arms around his neck and thanked him sent warm air scurrying down his shirt. The hardest thing he’d ever done—keeping his hands where they belonged.
Sitting back in her seat, she blinded him with her smile. “Now. This town isn’t really that big, and who knows where we’ll run into someone. Sorry to put a crimp in your nighttime activities for a while.”
What a joke. The only companion he’d had for months had been his right hand. “No worries, I’m not seeing anyone right now, and hey, I get a free baseball game out of it. It’s like the mondo prize from the cereal box.”
“Hope you still say that after the first pretty girl throws herself in your arms and you have to turn her down.”
They exited the car and he held the door open to the bakery. “That rarely happens these days. I swear.”
A loud squeal pierced his ears and probably every living being within a five-mile radius as they stepped inside.
“Snooky-bear! OMG, I’ve missed you sooo much and you’ve been such a naughty boy not calling me back. But I forgive you, or will after you show me how sorry you are.”
Great. Fucking great. Mandi. He was lucky the last time he’d seen her and broken things off to get away with his balls intact. He pried her octopus-like arms from around his neck, noting a steady, loud tapping.
Glaring at him from no more than a foot away stood Tawny, toe tapping, hand on hip, and a look that said she wouldn’t need a sharp instrument to cut off his manhood.
He was so screwed.
Unbelievable. Five minutes. They’d been pretend dating for five minutes, and already, he had another woman in his arms.
This farce would never work. Not if David went around groping women everywhere he went. Thank goodness the only other person in the bakery besides Miss Perky Blonde with the big boobs was the baker, who stood patiently waiting for them.
Making eye contact with her, Tawny rolled her eyes and gave a little nod toward the long-lost lovers.
“Hi, welcome to Sin, where we encourage you to be wicked. Are you Tawny and David, perhaps?” The petite woman came out from behind the bakery case, dressed in white pants, a hot pink shirt and an apron that read eat wicked e
very day.
Worked for Tawny. “Yes, we’re here for the wedding cake tasting.” she let her voice rise and emphasized the word “wedding,” which had the desired effect.
Big boobs stepped back from David. Her gaze shot back and forth from the object of her desire to the object of her hatred, Tawny. “Snooky-bear?” She laid a possessive hand on David’s arm. “You’re getting married?”
Tawny felt a small ping of sympathy at the hurt in her voice. She now recognized her as the woman he’d been dating when they first met.
David reached a hand out to clasp Tawny’s hand. Firmly caught in his grasp, Tawny had no choice but to move to his side as he pulled her up close. To keep her balance and hold some distance between them, she splayed her hand against his chest. It didn’t work. Her breasts framed his arm. David glanced down before meeting her look. The sides of his mouth lifted, heavy-lidded eyes burned with fire while his heart beat an erratic rhythm beneath her palm.
“This is the love of my life, Tawny Torres.” His voice came out all raspy, slow and deliberate, sliding like liquid love over her skin. Calling her the love of his life might have been laying it on a little thick, but Tawny saw the baker pat her own heart at David’s words.
Well, if anyone from work were to stop in—and as this was one of their preferred bakeries, chances were high—they would, no doubt, hear the story.
“Sweetheart, this is an old friend of mine, Mandi.”
Awkward silence filled the air as the woman’s jaw flapped open and closed. Tawny murmured some polite greeting before turning back to David. “Honey, the baker has our cakes ready to taste. We shouldn’t keep her waiting.” She gave Mandi an apologetic look and was thankful the other woman left without causing a scene. After the way she greeted David, she hadn’t been expecting a quiet exit.
To David’s credit, he didn’t watch his ex leave. Didn’t stare longingly after her. Nor did he act anything except the faithful boyfriend to Tawny. Maybe this would work after all.
Laura, the baker, introduced herself and led the couple over to a table set for two and invited them to have a seat. “Normally, our tasting consists of six flavors. However, your friends, Cherry and Jason, couldn’t agree on a flight.” Pretty sure David wore the same expression of confusion she did, Tawny looked up at the woman, who explained a flight was what they called their combination arrangements. So instead of sampling six flavors today, they would have double to select from.
An assistant brought out a tray and set it on the table in front of them. She lifted off the silver dome to reveal eleven beautiful mini cakes. Five and half bites of wicked goodness for each of them, or in Tawny’s case, a good addition of an inch on the hips.
“It’s a good thing I haven’t bought my maid of honor dress yet, or the seamstress would be letting it out.” She perused the table, checking out the decadent desserts. Next to each plate stood a tent card with the flavor. “They all sound too good. Do you have any recommendations on what order we should sample them?” she asked Laura.
The woman beamed with pride. She waved a hand over the left side. “Over here we have our classic cake flight. It’s your carrot cake, chocolate, chocolate chip, lemon, vanilla, and red velvet with the appropriate fillings. On this side, we have the white cake flight. Vanilla with lemon instead of chocolate, white chocolate with raspberry, silver pound cake with apricot, champagne with strawberry, and my personal favorite, coconut with lemon curd. The lemon with strawberry actually falls into both flights, which is why you only have eleven to sample instead of twelve. Start where you like, but make sure to drink water between flavors.” She stepped back from the table. “I’ll give you some time to enjoy, and if you have any questions, I’ll be within hearing range.”
“Which one do you want to taste first?” David’s hand hung over the plates, waiting for her.
“Why don’t you take the classics and I’ll start with the whites and we can meet in the middle with the lemon and swap.” Her mouth watered as she took the first plate. Sinking her fork in, she cut the cake in two. Dense white chocolate melted on her tongue with just a hint of tang from the raspberry filling. Oh. My. Almost better than sex.
“Oh man. You’ve got to try this.” David pointed to the cake left on his plate.
Tawny reluctantly rinsed her mouth. She swooped in to fork a taste but David lifted the cake with his fingers, holding it to her lips. She arched her brow at him. If he so much as even tried to follow through with the time-honored tradition, his lap would become a pool. When she opened her mouth, he gently laid the dessert against her lips. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and the sweet taste of carrots exploded in her mouth. Rich, yummy cream cheese followed and Tawny groaned. The place was aptly named, for every bite was wicked sin.
“That’s good, but you’ve got to try this.” She watched his eyes roll back in his head and laughed at his groan. “I know, right? If the rest of these are this good, we’re in trouble.”
Back and forth they went, sampling and feeding each other wedding cake. Moaning in ecstasy over the culinary orgasms taking place in their mouths.
They debated over which to try next, the vanilla with chocolate or the pound cake. “Damn, only two left.” Then it hit her. She wasn’t so much disappointed that they didn’t get to continue this food fest as she didn’t want the time with David to end. When was the last time she’d laughed this hard? Or simply let herself enjoy the moment and not worry that she was wasting time better spent on getting ahead at work or making progress on her life plan? Even the picnic, which she had enjoyed tremendously, couldn’t beat the past thirty minutes. Sinful desserts and an equally sinful smile aimed in her direction were hard to top.
The pound cake with apricot filling went first, but Tawny couldn’t quite picture it for her wedding cake. No, not your wedding cake. Cherry’s. Remember? her brain whispered.
Lost in the pleasure, reveling in David’s attention and rich, deep laugh, Tawny had forgotten why she was there. Back on track, she thought of her best friend. Chocolate. Cherry was a chocolate kind of girl through and through, she just wasn’t sure about Jason’s taste buds.
“Last one.” David held up half of the vanilla with chocolate buttercream. A twinkle in his eyes along with the oh-so-serious line of his mouth had Tawny holding her breath as he lifted the cake to her lips. His hand hesitated, his brow shot up, and she bit into the cake before he had a chance to do what his eyes promised.
He went for his share and Tawny’s hand snaked out, stopping him. “Uh-uh, my turn. It’s only fair, you fed me half of the sample.” Delicately she snagged the waiting piece, trying to avoid sticking her fingers in the frosting or filling.
David grinned as she brought the cake to his mouth. The twinkle never left his eyes. With his attention fully on Tawny, she couldn’t resist. At the last moment before she shoved the cake in his mouth, she shifted so that part of the cake met her target and the rest (the lickable frosting) decorated his face.
Shock ran through her. What did I do? Never in all her life had she dreamed of doing such a thing. A ridiculous and outdated tradition, in her opinion. That is, until this moment as she gazed into David’s squinty eyes, saw his own surprise and a touch of humor staring back at her. What was it about this man that allowed him to bring a long-forgotten side of her to the surface? Responsibility, caution, common sense thrown to the four winds with a fond au revoir as they sailed out of her mind and life.
The woman she’d fought to become, one who would succeed in business and make her parents proud, was replaced by the brash teen she’d long ago locked away.
One she needed to lock back away. The lesson that girl had taught her must never be forgotten or repeated. “I’m so sorry.” Clapping her hand over her mouth. Shaking her head as David reached for a napkin. “Honestly, I have no idea why I did that.”
Silence. Not a word, a smile, nothing to show he accepted her apology. Who knew Mr. Laid-back had buttons to push? She kept murmuring “sorry,” over and over again. Internal
ly, she called herself every kind of idiot on the planet. Why did she have to go and ruin the easygoing atmosphere? She reached for her own napkin to clean the gooey confection off her fingers, and David’s hand shot out. Strong fingers bound her wrist.
“Let me,” his voice rasped.
Her toes curled.
Slow and deliberate, he brought her fingers to his mouth. His tongue wrapped around her finger, dragging it into the wet, warmth of his mouth as he sucked off every last drop.
Every muscle south of her neck clenched.
He moved on to the next digit. His gaze locked onto hers, nailing her to the chair.
Her head fell back as her eyes drifted closed and a soft moan slipped out.
“Oh!” A startled squeak shattered the brittle air surrounding them.
Tawny’s eyes shot open and she met the flushed baker’s assistant.
“Did you need any more water?” the young girl stammered. “Laura will be out in a moment. She had to take a quick phone call.”
They thanked her while she filled their glasses before scampering away to the back.
“I like the chocolate buttercream. What about you?” David’s gaze dropped to Tawny’s hands, clasped tight in her lap.
“It has potential.” She struggled to keep her breathing even as her eyes strayed to his lips.
“Definitely.”
Quick footsteps alerted them to Laura’s arrival. “Ginny tells me you’re done sampling. Have you made a decision?”
Boy, had she. David Farber was bad news.
Not that he was the problem. Oh no, it was her and her lack of willpower around the man.
Tawny stood, putting distance between her and David. “Yes, for the bride and groom’s cake, we’d like to go with the white chocolate with raspberry filling. David, don’t you agree?”
He stood and closed what little space she’d created. “Personally, I’m fond of the chocolate buttercream. But yeah, for Jase and Cherry, that’s perfect.”
They also put in an order of cupcakes. The guests were going to die for the champagne with strawberry filling, red velvet, and Tawny’s second favorite, the coconut with lemon curd. She’d have to starve for a week before the wedding, but who cared. Every bite would be a mini orgasm, and well, she wasn’t getting any other kind, so she planned to take full advantage.
Boyfriend for Hire Page 9