“Then we’ll make sure you get what you want. She’ll be yours, even if it means taking her out of there for a while and setting her straight,” Butch said then winked.
Vince could hear his uncle talking in the background. He was setting something up. Antoinette would call Vince for help. She would give up, because she was a woman, and women were weak.
* * * *
“What are you so engrossed in right now that you are slacking in your responsibilities?” Toni teased as Tina scanned through pages in the book she was reading.
“Hold your horses, woman. I’m getting to the juicy part.”
“The juicy part of what?” Toni asked.
“The part where the woman gets made love to by more than one guy,” Farah stated, and Toni gasped. “Get out. No way.” Toni leaned over to try and peek past Tina’s shoulder to the pages of the book.
“Get this part,” Tina said then began to read part of the story aloud.
“Blade’s hands were gentle as he maneuvered between her creamy thighs. The way her face tilted up, her lips parted as she closed her eyes and relished in his touch, inspired him to see and feel more of her. Blade glanced at his brother, who joined in beside him, and cupped her breast then tweaked her nipple.
“‘Oh,’ she stated aloud, but widened her thighs, wanting to feel more of their touch. He adored her and the swell of her breasts, the softness of her skin, and her eager response to their touch. They would make love to her together. They would bind their hearts, their souls forever.”
A series of sighs went off around Toni and them. She felt her own cheeks blush and her heart rate increase. Could she ever be loved like that? Did men like this, so gentle, so appealing, even exist?
“Now that was hot. Read more,” Farah demanded.
“Please don’t,” Charlie stated from the counter as he stood there with his hands on his hips. “The orders are piling up. Save that pornography for later,” he stated, sounding annoyed.
“Huh! Pornography my ass. You know that you enjoy this stuff. I have friends in ménage relationships and they are very happy,” Tina stated.
“Sure they are. They’re getting some all the time. How can a woman keep up with that, or a man? There would always be competition,” he replied.
“No. In a true ménage relationship, the woman and the men share equally. There isn’t any room or tolerance for jealousy. They cater to their woman, and her every whim and need.” Tina winked at him and caressed her hands down her sides.
“Whatever. Just get back to work,” Charlie said, but his eyes remained on Tina’s body. She blew him a kiss then walked over toward him and tapped his ass.
“Hey!” he exclaimed and jumped out of the way.
“I know you like what you see. And so does your brother,” Tina told him then picked up an order of mini éclairs and walked out of the kitchen. Farah and Toni chuckled, and then Toni began to gather some of the other orders to take with her to the coffee bar.
“Guess who’s back to see you, Toni,” Farah stated.
“Who?”
“The sexy hunk in the suit. He asked for the barista with the gorgeous smile and the big brown eyes.”
“No way.”
Tina entered next.
“Holy hunk of one sexy male is out there looking for you. I told you that he would be back. If he asks you out, go for it.”
“I don’t even know the guy. And he probably just wants to try some other dessert or something.”
“He wants your cream, not the éclair’s,” Tina teased, and Toni gasped then gave her friend a quick smack.
“Hey, you cut that dirty talk out or you’re going to answer to me,” Charlie stated firmly, and Tina gave him a wink. “Promises, promises.”
Toni took a deep breath before she headed out to the coffee bar.
She delivered the platters of goodies to a few patrons on her way, and hoped that Tina and Farah hadn’t mentioned her name or that she was the owner of Bliss. That was all she needed. She didn’t trust men in general, and since there had been some threats lately, she was always on guard, no matter how good-looking a man was. As she approached, she caught sight of him immediately. He was dressed in a more casual suit, less expensive in appearance than the one from last week.
But the man was so fine that he would look good in anything.
“Hey, there’s my barista now.” He gave her body the once-over.
His barista? God, he’s too cute. Guard yourself, Toni. He could be a charmer.
“The businessman who liked my raspberry brownie bites.” She smiled.
“I sure did, and so did my good friend I share an office with.”
“Great. Has he been here before?”
“Nope, I came in to try something else. If I like it, and things go as planned, then he’ll come with me the next time.”
“Sounds like a challenge.”
He leaned forward in his chair and held her gaze. She locked gazes with him, and those incredible eyes of his. He reached his hand out.
“My name is Emerson. I didn’t introduce myself the last time I was here.” She reached for his hand and shook it. The moment their hands touched, she felt something. Whatever it was, it had her pulling away fast and trying to pull off nonchalance at his flirty style.
Emerson just smiled in acknowledgment. God, this man unnerves me.
“Well, Emerson, the name is Antoinette. And you wouldn’t have introduced yourself the last time because it was your first time here and there was no need for formalities.”
“Ah, formalities, is it? Perhaps I came back for more than just your bite-sized little treats of pleasure. Or should I say ‘Bliss’?” he teased her and winked.
“What else would you be interested in?” she asked as she wiped down the counter. He held her gaze and just stared at her a moment. She felt a bit off kilter from his perusal, yet completely sexy at the same time to have snagged this eye candy’s attention.
She was having fun flirting with him. The man was sexy, but she didn’t want to come off too easy.
“How about a cup of my favorite coffee, and you and I can talk?”
“I’ll grab the coffee, Emerson, but the talk will cost ya,” she said then turned around and walked to the coffee station a few steps away. She couldn’t believe how brazen she was being. His underlying questions and statements should be causing her to feel unsure and suspicious. Yet, here she was making his café au lait with the espresso as silly butterflies fluttered in her gut.
When she turned around, he was watching her. He looked like some sort of specialist. A person who knew what he wanted when he saw it and didn’t fuss or fumble over the decision to get it. He seemed hard though, almost reserved, yet his eyes told a thousand tales. He was hiding something. But what? Was it her fear and distrust, or perhaps her gut, which never steered her wrong, forewarning her?
“So, Antoinette, how long have you been working here?”
“Oh, forever. How about you? What do you do?”
“I work for a business in Manhattan. They buy and sell things, fix up broken companies, things like that. I’m working my way up, slowly but steadily.”
“Sounds interesting. So what are you doing in SoHo?”
“Talking to you.”
She smiled.
The man sure did know how to get her excited. She nibbled her bottom lip and his eyes watched her. The man was so interested. It made her feel excited and a bit worried. She didn’t know him at all.
“I mean, did you have a business meeting or something?”
“Yes, just around the corner at Bradford and Elwood. That’s one heck of an office building.”
“Yes, there are a lot of big shots coming in and out of there. I heard the building is owned by two billionaires,” she stated, and he looked back up at her as he swallowed his first sip of coffee hard.
He cleared his throat. “So what do you do when you’re not working here?”
She hesitated a moment and knew she would need to fib a littl
e in order to be safe with her secret of owning Bliss. “Oh, it feels like I work here all the time. I’m trying to save money, so I work a lot.” Not a total lie.
“You mean for college?” he asked, looking at her over the rim of the red mug as he took another sip of coffee.
“College? No, I finished college two years ago. It wasn’t for me.”
He smiled wide. “You finished college. What was your major?”
“Restaurant management, with a minor in business and accounting.”
“So you want to own your own place someday?” he asked as he looked at her as if he were the one interrogating. She needed to steer the questions back at him and find out what this man was after.
“Yeah, maybe I’ll meet a billionaire and he’ll buy me a place of my own.”
Emerson nearly choked on his coffee.
“Hey, I was just kidding. I have a lot of money saved. I don’t need someone to buy anything for me. I like working here. The pay is good, the hours are steady, and I’ve learned a lot.” She wiped down the counter out of nervous habit.
“That’s great. So do you know the recipe for the brownie bites?” he asked, as he leaned forward.
“Maybe I do. Why?”
“Well, I was thinking that perhaps we could bake them up together. You know, a date or something?”
She felt the instant panicky feeling. She stepped back a little from him and the bar.
“I don’t really know you, Emerson. You seem nice, but I really don’t date people I don’t know.”
“Then get to know him,” Tina said as she passed by and gave Toni a smack to her ass. Toni swatted at Tina’s hand but missed. Emerson chuckled.
“Take your friend’s advice. I promise I won’t bite. It could be fun.”
“I don’t know.”
“Okay, how about I visit a few more times? You can ask me anything you would like. I’ll also bring my friend and business partner with me. Maybe we can go out together? Someplace around here, so you feel comfortable,” he suggested.
Bring his friend, too? What does he mean, and why are my nipples so hard and my pussy feeling aroused by his words? A fantasy come true? A bad idea? I just don’t know how to react to him.
Now thoughts of a ménage experience instantly popped into Toni’s head. Damn Tina and her sexy erotic romance novels.
“Hey, if she’s not game I’ll take you up on it. Is your friend as hot as you are?” Tina asked.
“Tina!”
“Sorry, boss.”
“Boss?” Emerson asked.
“Oh, just ignore her. She likes to call me that because I always find her slacking off and warn her that the boss might catch her,” Toni said, and then gave Tina a dirty look. Thank goodness her friend didn’t say a word.
“Nice. You’re the responsible one, huh? Who owns this place anyway?” he asked her.
“Oh, an older guy. He’s usually around on the weekends and on Mondays.”
“Oh, well, what do you say about going out with me.”
“And your friend?” she asked, wanting to be sure what he meant.
“Well, like I said, we can come visit you here tomorrow. If it makes you feel better, we’ll talk a few more times and you’ll see I’m trustworthy,” he said then winked.
“Okay. But it’s a ‘no’ on the brownie recipe. It’s a family secret of the owners.”
“Oh, we wouldn’t want to get in trouble then.”
He looked at the menu and then on the specials list that showed all the new little recipes she had introduced last week.
I can get into a lot of trouble with you. Oh God, he is so good looking. What is his deal?
“I think I’ll try the strawberry shortcake muffin, and put in an order of those raspberry brownie bites, to go, for my friend.”
“Oh, you mean you shared them with him?”
“I didn’t have much of a choice, He sniffed them out immediately. Our office is small, and like I said, we share it.”
“You share a lot of things with your friend?” Tina chimed in over Toni’s shoulder, and Toni felt her cheeks warm. She swatted the towel at Tina as Tina winked at Emerson then chuckled as she walked away.
Emerson leaned forward and held Toni’s gaze.
“We like to share a lot of things. We’re best friends. Have been since elementary school. He’d like you. We have similar tastes, and you fit the bill as perfection.” He eyed her lips then held her gaze. She felt speechless. She totally got the undertones of his statement and knew she should run. But instead, she just stared at him.
“You’re very brazen, Emerson. I don’t think I’ve heard such a line before from a man.”
His eyes almost appeared darker at her statement. “It’s not brazenness, and perhaps you’ve never really met a real man who knows how to cater to a woman’s every need. I liked you the moment I saw you here. You’re sweet, you’re truthful, and I’d like to get to know you better. I’ll give you time if you need it. But be warned, I’m not a patient man, Antoinette.”
“Oh. Let me just put that order in for you.”
“Great.” He smiled as she walked away.
As soon as she walked into the kitchen, Tina grabbed her.
“Holy shit, two men. You know that he wants you. He is so fine. I bet he comes from money.”
“It sounded like he is struggling to make it up the corporate ladder. I don’t know if he meant what you’re thinking.”
“Why not? He said a date with him and then added bringing his friend along.”
“Maybe they’re gay,” Farah chimed in.
“What?” Toni asked.
“No way. I can tell that the man is not gay.”
“Which man?” Charlie asked. Toni was so embarrassed. She was close to her employees and she cared for each of them, but right now she didn’t need them pressuring her to make a move with some stranger. Especially one who may be into things she knew nothing about.
Charlie peeked through the opening in the kitchen to the coffee bar.
“Not gay. In fact, he’s a boss. That guy is resourceful,” Charlie said then looked at Toni.
“You be careful. You had to deal with one abusive asshole. You don’t need another guy to treat you badly,” Charlie said then walked back to the counter where he was rolling out more dough.
“Abusive? Do you think he could be abusive?” she asked.
Charlie stared at her. “Some men are good at acting and pretending to be everything a woman wants, and then they pounce. Watch your ass,” Charlie ordered.
She knew her staff were aware of the incident with Vince. She had been sporting a black eye and bruised cheekbone for a few weeks. Her story about being mugged was for the patrons, not her staff. They had been very supportive. To this day, if Vince came to Bliss, they were all ready to throw him out.
“Hey, don’t let Charlie scare you. This guy seems nice and legit. Let him stop in a few more times. Then go out somewhere locally so you can meet him and maybe his friend. Meet them both and then see,” Tina told her.
“Yikes. I don’t believe that I am having this conversation.”
“Orders up,” Charlie stated, as a few other kitchen staff placed orders on the counter.
Toni packed up the brownie bites then brought the strawberry shortcake muffin out to Emerson. This was so insane. She had to be reading into this.
* * * *
Emerson smiled at Antoinette as soon as she returned carrying his muffin. It was on a large white plate and contained a small pile of fresh raspberries and strawberries, with something drizzled over the top. But his main focus was on Antoinette. She was gorgeous, and actually looked adorable in the hot raspberry-pink apron she wore. It was trimmed with lace around the edges, and made him think of home-cooked meals and family traditions. Those were things he hadn’t had or thought about in over twenty years.
He swallowed hard and absorbed the sight of her smile as she placed the plate down in front of him. Emerson could see the excitement in her ey
es as she delivered the treat. He wished she had that expression of excitement and desire for him. He never analyzed a woman like this before. He felt odd and a bit worried.
“Another beautiful masterpiece. I’m almost afraid to dig in and take a taste.”
“Oh, please do. Presentation is everything, but ultimately the taste seals the deal. Enjoy it, Emerson, while I go get those brownies to go, for your friend.” She turned to walk back toward the kitchen, and one of the waitresses stopped her. She talked with them and her expression looked serious, and then she smiled and patted the waitress’s shoulder. It appeared to him that Antoinette was indeed in charge of the place in the owner’s absence. As he took his first bite, he shook his head in disbelief. This place, these treats were incredible.
He continued to enjoy the muffin and took in the atmosphere of the place as well as Antoinette’s role there. Finally, when he was all finished, Antoinette returned, and she was carrying a larger box with her than the last time he took brownie bites to go.
“What’s in there besides the brownie bites?” he asked, as she placed the box with the pretty pink bow and the word Bliss onto the counter. “Oh, you’ll see when you’re back at the office and unwrap it.”
“Well then, I look forward to seeing you again, Antoinette. Saturday, I’ll return with my friend. It’s our day off from work. What days are you off?” he asked her.
“Oh, I work all the time. Saving money, remember?” She turned away and smoothed her hands down her apron. So badly he wanted to touch her. He imagined that her skin would be soft, but her body firm. She worked hard. That was obvious. If she worked that many hours, he hoped that the owner was paying her well.
“Okay. See you Saturday.” He stood up, took the box, and looked her over one last time before leaving. He wanted an image to dream about tonight. Antoinette fit the bill just fine.
Chapter 4
“I can’t believe you guys talked me into this. It’s the middle of the week. I have to get up early tomorrow for work and so do the three of you,” Toni reprimanded her friends as they sat by the bar in a club called The Phantom. Mia, Giselle, and Farah were laughing and ordering drinks while Tina was flirting with two guys at the bar. “It’s no use. Here, have the martini and lighten up. It’s the purpose of tonight,” Mia said and then handed over the drink.
Their Sweet Desire [Power Surge: The Billionaire Club 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4