Sugar

by S. L. Jennings

  Marco chuckled. “Okay, so, is this to say, with all of the information that was given to me about you, that you didn’t get the chance to tell me you were versed in the Krav Maga?”

  “A girl has to have her secrets sometimes,” she remarked as they made their way to the door. She turned back to address Dane, who was still trying to recover. “Consider your proposal rejected, Mr. Jeffers, Uncle Bilal, or whoever the hell you are. Good luck trying to explain to your board why you were unable to land such a high-profile partnership.”

  She started to make a move to kick him, stopping in mid-motion. “And as for my father, I’ll make sure he sends you a postcard in prison. I’ll also make sure you rot for what you tried to do to me!”

  Marco summoned his team to corral Dane and send him to the Belgian authorities discreetly, so as to not disturb the flow of the party. He escorted Caressa from the area, keeping alert for anyone else who might have been with Bilal Sidaná.

  The moment they left the room, Caressa stopped him, so she could catch a breath. Marco propped her against the wall to figure out what was wrong with her. “Talk to me, Caressa, tell me what you need.”

  “I need to head back to the suite, Marco. Take me there now so I can calm down.”

  She took a few more breaths before she gestured that they start walking again. “We can catch up with Seth later and debrief there. Please make sure he’s there.”

  Marco was a bit confused over the request. “I’m sure there’s no need to pull him out of negotiations, Caressa. Are you sure you’re alright?”

  “Tickety-boo, alright? I’m fine.” Her curt answer was wrapped in a panic attack she did her best to suppress. “Just make sure he’s in my suite.”

  Chapter 13

  Seth was confused about why he had to leave Chelsea during their meeting to take a car back to the hotel. He was making headway on more than a few fronts and was thankful she was understanding of his boss giving the directive to cut things short. The whole situation left him uneasy, but he texted with Chelsea during the car ride, smiling at the way things flowed between them. He was hard-pressed to give Caressa a piece of his mind when he arrived, but one look at her face and he knew something had gone awry.

  “What happened?”

  “Mr. Jeffers tried to take personal liberties with regard to the negotiations,” Marco recapped. “It wasn’t pretty by the time I got to them.”

  “Did he hurt you? I’ll go to the police and have a report filed immediately.” Seth’s emotions had kicked into high gear until Marco held up his hand to slow him down. He took offense to the gesture, tipping him past his boiling point. “Look, my dude, I get that you’re supposed to be Caressa’s personal bodyguard and such, but where were you when this was all going down?”

  “Against my wishes, she asked to be left alone with him. I still had audio contact with her, so I knew the moment she was in danger,” Marco retorted. “She is the boss and her orders must be followed. You do know what that entails, since you cut your meeting short to see what she needed, yeah? Why don’t you stick to what you do best and leave me and my team to what we do best and everyone will be fine?”

  “Are you telling me to stay in my lane?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m telling you, mate,” he growled. “You don’t see me telling you how to handle your business, do you?”

  “Boys, settle down, there’s no need to go all Clash of the Titans over this. Besides, I handled him before Marco could get to me.” Caressa focused the conversation on the matter at hand. “Seth, give me the rundown on Chelsea. Is Quelle Series worth Sidaná’s time and investment?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Good, I’ll call the department heads in the morning and have them put everything in motion.” She stared in Seth’s direction for a few moments before she turned her attention to Marco. “I need to speak to Seth, alone.”

  Marco’s expression switched from irritation to quietude. He made his way to the door, picking up a stack of paperwork on the way. “Understood. I will be in my suite if you need me.”

  Chapter 14

  Caressa sat on the couch in the living area of the suite, trying to figure out the events of the evening. The eye-opening revelation had her mind swirling. She needed to have a conversation with her father as soon as she had the chance. There were things she had been shielded from, which required full disclosure. It was the only way she would be able to run the company without hitting any sociopolitical landmines.

  She glanced at Seth, who sat across from her, trying to get some sort of understanding of where her state of mind might have been. The way he looked at her—she wasn’t oblivious to how her Number Two felt about her. If she were in a different headspace, perhaps she would have entertained the idea of them being together. Marco was expendable; he was not.

  She shook from her haze long enough to ask the questions to resolve the business end of things. “Are you okay with the arrangement with Quelle Series as it stands? I have a feeling Chelsea has developed quite a fondness for you, based on our conversation. She could be good for you as a point person with our new relationship.”

  In Caressa’s mind, Seth would be the liaison to Quelle Series for the truffle production and distribution, and the burgeoning affair between them would keep his libido occupied—until Mrs. Parsons decided to change the arrangements. She would work out the details with Chelsea in other private meetings, to help her understand the delicate nature of what she’d put into motion. After all, she did have a husband to consider, despite the fact that he spent more time away from the country than she did. As she determined through follow-up conversations, it was a marriage of convenience, made to help her husband ascend to a post as a senator in the Council of States. It was a perfect arrangement for them.

  Seth shrugged. “I’m more concerned with your state of mind, Caressa. There’s something off-key with you. You’re deflecting by throwing all the work in front of the fact that Dane tried to assault you.”

  She managed a weak smile. “I really don’t want to think about it.”

  “Fine, then I have something else you can think about.” He leaned forward and laid a portfolio on the coffee table between them. He gestured for her to pick it up. “I took the liberty of bringing this with me in case we needed to have this conversation. Go ahead, I’m sure you’ll find the contents inside enlightening.”

  She hesitated before picking up the folder and sliding the papers out onto the table top. As she read its contents, her heart soared. There, in black and white, was a stock portfolio for the same companies in which she had quietly bought controlling stock. The entire time she had been snatching up stock to ensure Sidaná was protected from hostile takeovers, Seth had been doing the same thing. Between the two of them, they had controlling interest in both Quelle Series and Bernard Louiseau.

  “Why?”

  “You saw both companies as threats a couple of years ago, even before you realized how much of a threat they truly were,” he replied. “I understood that, and when you laid out your plan, I believed in you, so I put my own plan in place to help strengthen your position.”

  “You could have easily given this to my father. He would have handled this without a moment’s notice.” Caressa continued to read the rest of the information inside the portfolio. “Why did you hold on to this for so long?”

  “I knew if anyone would take this seriously, it would be you. Your father is a great man, but he was tired of having to deal with any of this anymore. He didn’t realize how unscrupulous either company was because he wasn’t aware that his estranged brother was at the helm of one of them.”

  “Wait…you knew my uncle was the head of Louiseau? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t have confirmation that he was, Caressa. It didn’t make sense to come to you with unverified information.”

  Caressa tried to understand his point of view, but her emotions were all over the place. “You threatened to leave the company, despite the fact that
you had this information at your disposal. Why would you do that?”

  Seth let out a frustrated sigh. “I refuse to let you toy with me like I was of lesser importance when you and I both know I’m not.”

  He slipped into her space, coming so close she felt the heat from his body. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for you, but I expect reciprocity. I’ve earned it and then some, and my proof of that is in your hands.”

  Caressa nodded, taking his hand in hers. “I would have never made you my Number Two if I did not respect you. I want you to understand that. So much has happened over the past couple of days, I feel like things are out of my control. The things I found out tonight was the icing on a nightmare of a day. I want to scream.”

  “What do you need? What can I do to take your mind off what happened?”

  She paused for a few moments, avoiding eye contact as she struggled with her emotions. “Could you just hold me tonight?”

  “Caressa, I—”

  She led him to the couch, gesturing for him to lay across the cushions. She spread his legs so she could lay between them, wrapping his arms around her. She snuggled against his chest, not giving him any time to protest or deny.

  As much as she tried to avoid kissing him, she rose to meet his lips, planting a series of pecks and caresses against his skin. She felt his arms close around her waist, closing the distance between them. Her eyes met his, searching for the safe space she desired, and was relieved when she found it. Everything she’d needed in that moment was wrapped in a man whom she’d always been attracted to, but the timing was never right.

  Seth lifted for a moment when she squirmed in his lap. “Are you uncomfortable? Do you need me to adjust so you can rest?”

  Sleep found her faster than she’d anticipated, and she realized the exhaustion from the day’s events had taken their toll. Caressa wanted to answer, but the soft snores took over for any response she would have given. She slipped her arms around his, falling deeper into her slumber, knowing that when she awoke in the morning, he would be there to ensure she was alright.

  Chapter 15

  She awoke in the same place she’d fallen into slumber the previous night, in Seth’s arms. He was snoring, too, the exhaustion of the day getting to him as much as it had for her. “Good morning.”

  “Morning,” he replied. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes, I’m alright. Thank you for last night.” She lifted from his chest, caressing his cheek as she got her bearings. “It was perfect.”

  A series of text messages caused Seth’s phone to vibrate across the coffee table. He grabbed it before it fell off, but Caressa managed to note that the texts were coming from Chelsea. She smiled as she watched him answer with a text before he placed the phone back on the table top.

  “It seems Chelsea really is quite fond of you,” she commented. “Did I interrupt anything promising between you two?”

  “I’m looking forward to working with her to get everything up and running.” Seth grinned, thinking of the possibilities that lay ahead for him. “And no, you haven’t interrupted anything that can’t happen in the future.”

  As much as she took pleasure in the way things would happen between Chelsea and Seth, one look in his eyes and she realized no one else would satisfy him. There was nothing she could do about that. At least, not right now. The one she wanted had sworn to protect her, and he was the one who would have her—for now.

  “So, are we done here? Is there anything more you need to disclose before I make the calls to the production and design teams?” Caressa asked.

  “No, there is nothing further to disclose.”

  “Good. I’m leaving you to run things for the next few days. I need to take a short vacation or I’m taking a short vacation before we take this public. Please give Chelsea my best, yeah?” Caressa suppressed a smile that threatened to warm her body as much as she could, but there was someone else on her mind. I have a few confections of my own to sample and enjoy for a few days.

  Caressa took Marco’s hand as the company jet accelerated down the runway, giving it a tight squeeze once it began its ascent into the air. She always hated this part of any flight, and this time would be no exception. At least there is something worthwhile waiting, she thought. On the tail end of this four-hour flight was their intended destination: Santorini, Greece for some much-needed recharge for the better part of a week.

  She closed her eyes as they leveled off, visions of traversing down the cobblestone walkways, the view of their villa overlooking the Aegean Sea, the warm, Mediterranean breeze, and the delectable cuisine all filled her mind. She imagined them sitting on the shores of Kamari Beach, sipping the wine known for its distinct taste due to the ingredients being grown from the volcanic soil, and traveling to the nearby town of Ola to catch the spectacular sunsets.

  A sudden jolt of turbulence broke her from the vacation planning in her mind. She jumped, gripping Marco’s arm as the plane dropped.

  “Sorry, Ms. Sidaná, we’ll have to climb a few thousand feet to avoid the choppy air up here,” the pilot announced, trying his best to reassure her, but it was difficult to calm her nerves. She trusted her flight crew; they’d been with her for the past few years, and they’d never disappointed her, even at times like this where turbulence couldn’t be helped.

  Caressa nodded, keeping her eyes closed, barely noticing the appreciative smile coming from her personal bodyguard and paramour. As the jet continued its descent, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s almost over, querida.”

  She peered out of her window, watching the clouds change from black, to grey, to a billowy white as they burst through the sky. The sun was already low in the sky, giving the cloud tops a deep pink hue. After the flight attendants informed them to fasten their seatbelts, Caressa and Marco snuggled and watched the sun as it crept below the horizon. The incredible kaleidoscopic range of reds, purples, and oranges were truly a sight to behold.

  “It’s so beautiful.”

  “Not as beautiful as you.”

  “Keep that up, Sir, and I may have to keep you around.”

  Marco chuckled, giving her ass a smart smack. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m enjoying where this is between us, in this moment. Whatever happens from here will be beyond my wildest dreams.”

  She kissed his lips as the jet touched down. She stared into his eyes for a few more moments, savoring kisses before they had to unfasten their seatbelts and deplane. “Then we’ll live in the moment, and whatever happens next, we’ll enjoy that, too.”

  An hour later, they found themselves inside their villa. The deep, clear blue hue of the Aegean Sea was breathtaking, stretching out like a soft blanket of cobalt as far as the eyes could see. The lights of the buildings along the cliffs dancing against the water was spellbinding, lulling them into a deeper sense of relaxation.

  “So, what do you want to do now?” Marco asked.

  Caressa straddled his waist, kissing his neck as she continued to enjoy the warm breeze flowing over them. “Wherever the wind takes us, I’m content to enjoy the ride.”

  A knock on the door interrupted their interlude. Caressa sat up for a moment, pressing a finger to Marco’s lips. “It’s probably the concierge, give me a moment.”

  She padded to the front door. To her pleasant surprise, Seth stood in the doorway. “Seth! What are you doing here?”

  Marco huffed, coming up behind her. “Yeah, I thought no one was supposed to know where we were for a couple of days.”

  Seth placed a sealed envelope in Caressa’s hands. “Well, I happened to be traveling in the region, handling a side deal for Caressa. I believe everything you required is in order.”

  Caressa beamed as she opened the contents of the package. “This is wonderful news! I’m absolutely thrilled she agreed to the terms.”

  “And whatever you were waiting on couldn’t have waited until we got back?” Marco raised an eyebrow. “And why did he have to be the one to personally deliver it?”<
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  Caressa didn’t miss a beat in her response. “He’s my Number Two, which means he stays in the loop, period.”

  She placed a calming hand against his chest. “You already know I am attracted to him, too, and honestly, I want you both. So, we’re going to have to find a way to coexist without all the microaggression. If either of you can’t handle the way things are set up, speak now.”

  Marco shrugged, placing a possessive arm around her waist. “I’m good right where I am.”

  Seth shook his head in disbelief. “It’s the first time you’ve expressed that out loud.” He stood silent, as though pondering his choices before he nodded. “Works for me—for now.”

  “Good, that’s more like it,” Caressa replied as she pulled him inside the villa. “I’m in the mood to celebrate.”

  The Confection Assignment

  Nib Sugar

  Karen D. Bradley

  Chapter 1

  Mia Jakob had put her life in danger. She only had two things to focus on—protect a box that contained a project called The Emperor’s Suit, and Calvin Atwood, the man responsible for its creation.

  Several attempts had already been made to capture him and his digital and paper documentation for the prototype. She was now in place to make sure the threats against the privately funded project were unsuccessful. Calvin had opted for a single protector instead of a three-person team. Minimizing his visibility was also an integral part of the plan.

  “I won the bet.” Mia crossed her arms against her bosom, glancing at the sunset beaming in from the bulletproof glass before putting her focus on him.

  Calvin’s face, the color of Georgia pecans, lifted from the notebook as he checked the time on his Rolex. “A little over three hours late.”