Worth the Risk: (A Contemporary Bad Boy Romance)

by Weston Parker

  Lila delicately picked at her food, sampling a bite here and a bite there, closing her eyes to take in the full flavor of a dish. Alex would have groaned if he could have, especially at the tightness in his pants. He imagined her eyes closed in ecstasy as she lay beneath him while he drove into her.

  Alex took a drink of water and tried to force the images away. He watched as she devoured the barbeque pork, finishing off the five feeble scraps on her plate and licking her lips. Lips that he'd tasted, and that mouth...Dammit!

  "Good, isn't it?" he asked, and when she nodded he pushed his own barbeque pork plate toward her. "Have some more."

  "I shouldn't."

  "Why not?" he asked around a bite of shrimp ball.

  "All this is probably going to cost a fortune."

  Alex chuckled. "I can afford it."

  Lila's lips twisted up into a wry grin. "Then I should be watching my figure."

  "Why?" he asked again. "It looks fine from here, cupcake."

  Lila frowned. Shit, he'd fallen right into that one. But she picked up another piece of pork and popped it into her mouth, and he considered it a victory.

  Alex sat back and patted his stomach, smacking his lips audibly. "The only thing they're missin' is squirrel dumplings."

  Her expression was part horror, part interest. "Squirrel dumplings?"

  "Sure. Only we called them boomer dumplings. Ma used to make them. We didn't have a lot to eat, growin' up poor like we did. So I'd hunt to bring in extra meat. Squirrels were always plentiful. Tough little buggers, though, so you had to boil them in a pot to soften them up. Then Ma would wrap it up in dumplings and simmer it in the broth. They were delicious."

  Lila grinned. "My mom used to make meat pies with elk. I thought it was an exotic meat, until I heard about squirrel."

  Alex laughed. It felt good to have someone interested in what he was saying, someone who wasn't paid to be there.

  Then he sobered, remembering that he was paying her.

  "All right," she said after a moment, pushing away the collection of empty plates in front of her to set down her pad and pen. "Let's talk catering."

  Alex took another drink of water and nodded. "I've capped the guest list at 200, or Alana would have half the city there. I was thinking a three course dinner, with a full dessert table, of course. Think you can handle that?"

  Lila rewarded him with a determined grin. "I think so. Have you talked about a date yet?"

  "Alana's got her heart set on December 21st. Then she can spend the holidays on the beach in Bali."

  "Sounds nice," Lila murmured, and he wondered how their conversation was affecting her. Hearing the gory wedding details of the man you'd been intimate with and the woman he'd chosen over you couldn't be easy. Still, her expression was blank as she continued. "It doesn't give her much time to plan."

  Alex shrugged. "She knows what she wants, and with my money to finance it, she doesn't have to wait."

  "Of course. Well, that means we should settle on a menu soon, to give me the most time to prepare. December 21st is only two months away, so that doesn't leave room for error."

  "I have every confidence that you'll come through with flying colors." He did. Her food was fantastic. And so was she. Every bit of her. Fucking fantastic.

  She passed him a few sheets of paper, each detailing possible dishes for the reception. "I've given you several options, and you should be sure to consider any vegetarians, vegans, or special diets among your guests."

  "Of course," he replied, scanning the pages and then glancing at his watch. Shit, it was two o'clock already.

  She saw him look at his watch and gave a small frown. "We don't have to decide anything today. In fact, why don't you take those with you and get your fiancée's opinion?"

  "Sure," he said, appreciating her politeness. Damn his tight schedule. Alex gestured toward the waiter who hurried over and gave a short bow. Holding out his credit card, Alex watched as the waiter took it and scurried off.

  "I apologize for rushing out," he said, his heart beating harder when her hazel eyes met his. "I have another appointment this afternoon."

  "I understand," she said in that soft voice. A voice he'd kill to hear in his ear while he plunged into her tight heat over and over again. He was glad when the waiter returned with his card to distract him from his painful erection.

  After adjusting himself once more under the table, Alex stood. "Please, finish your lunch," he said, picking up the papers. "I'll take these home, and then set up another appointment with you."

  Lila nodded, her eyes wide. He wished he could puzzle out what her expression held. Regret? Anxiety? Nothing but professional interest?

  With a small wave he departed, back onto the busy streets. As he walked he made sure to keep his pants loose so that his cock wasn't noticeably pushing against his zipper. What was it about this woman that made his dick harder than diamonds?

  During the short walk back to work he considered the question. Her body was perfect for him. Round curves, huge tits, and a supple ass. Nothing like Alana, who'd been happy when a well-known designer had referred to her as a clothes hanger on legs.

  Very few people knew this about him, but Alex Drake liked big girls.

  It had started in high school when he'd dated his first love. Cherry Chatworth had been a cheerleader, one of the most popular girls in school. And she'd been about Lila's size, but with an extroverted personality that had drawn in almost everyone around her. Cherry had had no qualms about embracing her body, and the world hadn't fought with her about it. At least not the world of Trouble Hollow, Tennessee.

  Cherry had seduced him on a church picnic. They'd snuck away to go skinny dippin' in Trouble Crick and afterward she'd laid him down and climbed on top, riding him like a pogo stick until he'd come with a shout of glory.

  Cherry had been his first, but she wasn't his only. She'd dumped him senior year to date the quarterback, but Alex hadn't mourned the loss for long. He'd made his way through Sheila McMannis (wide hips, great ass), Crystal Gardner, (big, bouncy breasts), and even sisters, Jill and Jane Jacobs, the pair of which the boys had affectionately called "Double Trouble."

  Things had changed in college, though. He'd gone in with the notion of joining the most exclusive fraternity on campus. Alex knew the benefits of networking, and that the members of Alpha Epsilon Pi would be his most advantageous contacts. The most affluent fraternity on campus, Alex had had to work nights to make enough to afford their dues. But it was sure to be worth it.

  Still, adjusting to the fraternity hadn't been easy. And members like Brice Masterson and his cronies had delighted in making it even harder for him. Crandell Hendsworth and James Forth the Third had at times seemed worse than Masterson.

  Dell and Jimmy, as they required new pledges to call them, had hounded him for years after he'd shown up at a kegger with Janice Engleton on his arm. Janice was a nice girl with a lovely smile and big thighs that he'd enjoyed having wrapped around him. But she'd been out of place among the underweight sorority girls who'd been the others' dates. Dell and Jimmy had circled around the two of them when they'd been on the dance floor, pushing their noses up with their index fingers and snorting, then calling out in sing-song voices, "Piggie Piggie!"

  Janice had been humiliated and Alex had swung on Dell, knocking him to the ground before the other pledges could hold him back. He'd narrowly avoided being kicked out of the fraternity, and it still gnawed at him that Brice Masterson had been the deciding vote. Masterson had heard about his friends' behavior and chastised them for hurting the girl's feelings.

  Still, it had been a wake-up call for Drake. If he wanted to fit into the world of the rich and successful, he'd have to have more than money. His entire lifestyle would need to change. That meant girls like Janice Engleton were replaced by women like Alana Morgan. Beautiful. Cultured.

  Meaningless.

  He'd taken almost savage pride in his revenge as he set out to steal away every girlfriend his frat cr
onies ever had. He still felt a warm rush of righteousness when he remembered that Brice Masterson had been his first and most successful victim.

  Alex noticed that he'd passed his building and turned around, dragging his mind out of his past. He stood outside the shining edifice, looking up at what he'd built. His corporation owned the building, that and a half dozen others scattered throughout the globe. And he'd done it by playing their game. It would be best to remember to follow their rules.

  Even if that left women like Lila on the bench.

  Chapter Ten

  Weeks had passed since their first lunch meeting, and Lila had met Drake a couple more times to hammer down a menu. Things were progressing well, and she was at last ready to tackle one of the most delicate elements of the reception, the wedding cake.

  Alex had narrowed it down to four cakes, saying that his fiancée had been little help in the selection. "She just wants to make sure it's pretty. I don't think she gives a shit how it tastes."

  "Well, I'm sure she'd care if it tasted like shit," had been her retort, and they'd both burst out laughing, making the other people in the upscale downtown eatery shoot haughty glances at their table.

  The lunch meetings with Alex had been both pleasure and pain. He'd acted like a gentleman, even if she couldn't exactly say he'd been professional. He was too fond of swearing for that. And as time passed he slipped more and more often into that slow southern drawl that had her panties dripping without even a touch.

  They'd talked about the wedding, about the appetizers and entrees, but also about their lives. Lila had opened up about working her way through culinary school and saving up to pursue her dream in the big(ger) city. Alex had not chosen to bore her with stories of his business prowess, perhaps surprisingly, and often shared anecdotes about his childhood. She'd begun to build little pictures in her mind of the people of his small hometown in Tennessee, letting his deep voice lull her into a near trance.

  The cast of characters was large. There was Cooter, the old man who taught Alex to handle a bow and had carved one himself for the boy. Jolene ran the general store, and Lila had no problem picturing her bleached-blond finger waves and bright red lipstick. Though her brain did scramble to keep up with the names of his many sisters, and Lila didn't think she'd ever be able to keep them all straight.

  He'd told her about learning to sew, and about the first outfit he made for one of his sisters. She'd ordered him to make her a white dress for church, and he'd worked so hard on it, not finishing it until Sunday morning, and then he'd been too tired to attend services. Instead he'd woken up to a giggle and the sight of Darlene, her white dress gray with mud, the lace he'd so carefully sewn at the hem torn and ruined.

  "Thank you for my pretty dress," she'd crooned into his shocked face, and his mimicking of his little sister's voice had forced Lila into a fit of giggles.

  She found herself having such a good time during their lunches that she forgot to keep her guard up around Tall, Dark, and Dangerous. Instead she relaxed, enjoyed their time together, and slowly but surely she felt emotion creep into her heart.

  His conversation was always interesting, betraying not only his intelligence but his integrity. And perhaps surprisingly, his kindness. He'd enjoyed a Sunday brunch they'd shared at the Screen Door, and the server had teased him about smacking his lips after the meal.

  "It's a compliment, of course," he'd told her. "The ham gravy reminded me of my mother's recipe. Just needed to be a tad thicker." The server, a sassy older woman with a tattoo of a colorful pinup girl peeking from beneath her cap sleeve, had laughed and told him their gravy had won awards.

  "Still needs to be a little thicker." He winked at her, and Lila watched as a blush spread across the woman's face. She couldn't blame her. Alex made her blush near constantly.

  Turned out the server agreed, and when she'd made the recipe at home for her own son, hers had been thicker. "And more delicious, I'm sure," Drake said, flashing another heat-inducing smile. Their conversation wandered, and before the server left, Alex had not only left a 1000% tip, but his business card, encouraging the woman to give him a call if her son was interested in an internship when he finished school.

  Incidents like these chipped away at the walls around her heart, walls she frantically tried to rebuild when they were apart. But she couldn't seem to build fast enough.

  When they'd come together before, she'd felt pure lust, fierce desire. But then she'd barely known him, even if her body swore that they were old friends. Now that she'd actually gotten to know him, since she'd seen what a good man he was, things had moved beyond lust to a stage she hesitated to label.

  Friends? Is that what they were? She felt friendship toward Alex, yes, but that didn't explain the heat that suffused her whenever he was nearby. Even the thought of him caused her pulse to race. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she thought that if Alex wasn't engaged, if he were a free man and she a free woman, she'd probably encourage him, succumb to his advances.

  Except he hadn't made any advances. Not since that night before his engagement party. It seemed it was truly over, whatever the fling between them had been. Finished before it started. She didn't want to hurt at that thought, but she did.

  Still she felt a thrum of excitement every time she saw him. She felt the unmistakable weight of tension whenever they were in the room together. Maybe it was entirely one-sided. But it felt heavier each time, like storm clouds that keep building and building before a vicious thunderstorm.

  And now it was time to make another appointment with him. With them. For the cake tasting. And the most logical place to taste the cakes would be here, in her kitchen. The thought of Alex in her kitchen again gave her goosebumps, and she ran her hands up and down her arms to soothe herself.

  Stop it! He'll be bringing Ms. Alana Morgan, and she'll ice out any flare ups you might experience. Lila grinned wryly.

  She dialed Drake's office and greeted Helen politely. "I'd like to set up an appointment for the cake tasting."

  "Hold the line one moment."

  Lila frowned. Helen didn't usually put her on hold. Must be a busy day.

  "Alex Drake."

  Lila's mouth dropped open, and she swallowed quickly. "Uh, hi. Helen must have transferred me. It's Lila Johnstone."

  "I'd recognize your voice anywhere, cupcake."

  His southern drawl made her shiver and she bit the inside of her mouth to get a hold on herself. "Mr. Drake, I'd like to set up a time for the cake tasting. If there is an evening this week that works for you and Miss Morgan, we can make it happen."

  "Lila," he said, then silence.

  "Yes?" she said after a moment.

  "I told you to call me Alex." His voice was low. Deep. Panty-moistening.

  "And what evening might work for you, Alex?"

  Was that a growl? "Tonight."

  Lila laughed. It came out low and throaty, and she was instantly ashamed of herself. "I have to bake the cakes, you know."

  "Tomorrow night?"

  "I appreciate the rush, Mr. Drake--"

  "Alex."

  "--But I think we have plenty of time to reach a decision on the cakes--"

  "So tomorrow night it is?"

  Lila couldn't help laughing again. "Yes, tomorrow night is fine. Let Miss Morgan know that she'll be sampling four cakes, as well as a few signature desserts for the dessert table."

  "Can do."

  "Thank you, Mr. Drake."

  "Alex!" That was a growl.

  "See you tomorrow."

  * * *

  Alex Drake rang the bell promptly at seven. He stood outside, sweating under his light jacket, almost jogging in place with nervous energy. He forced himself to still when he heard the lock click.

  She opened the door, standing aside to let him enter. "Where's Miss Morgan?"

  "Can't make it," he said with what he prayed was a convincing smile. "Last minute photo shoot." In New York.

  And I didn't invite her.

>   "Oh." Lila blinked, silent for a moment. "Well, I suppose we could reschedule."

  "No need," he said, starting toward her kitchen. "She probably wouldn't eat the cake anyway."

  "Well that's too bad," Lila said, coming up alongside him as he entered the kitchen.

  "Because my cakes taste damn good."

  Alex laughed. "I bet they do, cupcake. They look stunning."

  Arrayed on the island before him were four small cakes, little miniatures of what he imagined the finished product would be. Two tiers, and atop each a miniscule bride and groom.

  Alex swallowed and looked away, his gaze catching hers. "You've outdone yourself."

  A pleased glow rosied her cheeks. "Taste them first, then compliment me."

  She motioned him over to the table and he took his seat. His eyes glued themselves to her bottom as she turned away from him to slice into the cakes. What the woman did for those jeans was almost criminal.

  "Try this one first," she said, setting down a slice of rich, dark cake. A light was in her eyes as she described the flavors. "It's chocolate-almond, with chocolate ganache and mocha buttercream filling." She held a fork up to his mouth and he opened it, letting her slide the cake onto his tongue.

  "Mmm..." he moaned around the mouthful of rich dessert. He watched her blush, as if she'd just realized she'd fed him a bite of cake herself.

  She dropped the fork and moved away, toward the island. "Next up, white cake with lemon buttercream and local raspberries." Lila set the next cake piece down and took a step away. With a smile Alex lifted a bite of cake to his mouth. It was just as good as the last, moist, and delicious.

  "And now we have the coconut cake with lime buttercream."

  A new plate appeared next to the others, and he reluctantly put down his fork, promising to return to the other slices when he'd finished tasting this one. He picked up the clean fork and cut into the cake.

  "This one is a little on the fringe, but I thought a light cake might fit the holiday atmosphere, and the coconut and lime could be a nod toward your tropical honeymoon."