Southern Seduction ; Pleasure in His Arms

by Carolyn Hector

  Maggie licked her lips and grinned. “You’re not the first person to say such a thing.”

  “Now what do we do?”

  “Now I transfer them to the fair and pass them out.”

  “We.”

  Maggie lifted the tip off the creamy icing. “Are you speaking French?”

  Caden leaned over to rest his elbows on the counter and look up at her. How was it even fair for a man to have lashes as thick as his? “I am committed to seeing this project through.”

  She stared at him, not sure why.

  Straightening, Caden came to his full height. Maggie gulped but followed his lead. She wasn’t sure she could handle any more time with him. “It’s weird hearing you say the word committed.”

  “As we’ve stated before we finished baking, you’re not the same,” Caden said with a heavy sigh, “and neither am I.”

  A smirk threated the corners of her mouth. Maggie shook her head a tad. “Well, then.” She pressed her lips together, hoping the flash beating of her heart didn’t expose a genuine smile. Life did not call for a man right now.

  “Where did you learn to bake?” Caden leaned his narrow hip against the counter.

  “I don’t know,” she replied with a shrug. “Miss Vonna, I guess. She always let me hang around her back here as a kid and whenever I came home.”

  Caden nodded. “When you disappear from social media once a year?”

  Maggie blinked and twisted her lips to the side, debating how much he followed her on social media. “What do you know?”

  “I know you had a strong social presence, but lately it has been limited.”

  Grounded, Maggie thought with a frown. “I decided to post only when I have something to show.”

  “Like independent testimonials?” Caden cocked his head to the side.

  Heart beating, Maggie licked her lips. “Exactly.”

  “Wow.” Caden blew out a breath. “I’m impressed. It is quite the change from the girl I’ve seen spotted at fashion week and award shows, sometimes both at the same time.”

  Ah, the hologram, she thought with a fond memory. A piece of Maggie’s heart broke for her former life. A year ago this time, Maggie would just be teetering in from a night of partying. Since working at the bakery, the idea of not getting to bed before eleven scared her. The Cupcakery might not open until eight, but baking started at four. A hologram wouldn’t work here. This was a hands-on job, and failing affected Vonna.

  “It’s been ages.”

  “This must pay the bills,” Caden mused. “I’ve caught a few of your how-to video blogs. Teaching socialites to be independent—quite the market you’ve got there. I’m impressed.”

  Heat filled her cheeks and added to the trickle of sweat rolling down her spine. Caden knew about Maggie’s former life. What would he think of her if he knew she was doing this because of her father’s ultimatum?

  “How much of my vlogs have you watched?”

  “Enough,” Caden began, “to know you have been showing your masses what to do with leftover bananas. And here you are selling hummingbird cupcakes and posting them to the web. I see some things haven’t changed.”

  “Not just selling,” Maggie boasted. She reached over to the rack of already decorated cupcakes and plucked a dessert. “I created this.”

  “You did not create the hummingbird cupcake.”

  “Okay, fine,” she corrected. “I perfected it. And the plan, before I was deceived by time, was to post it to this website so Vonna can get more notoriety.”

  “And Vonna is the owner, you said?”

  “Vonna,” Maggie said with a nod, “owns The Cupcakery. It’s a rite of passage for teens in Southwood to work here.” She didn’t miss the fact that Caden’s thick brows shot up with amusement. In her former life, access to unlimited funds meant buying straight off the runway, but it also meant picking up an undeniably cute dress from Forever 21 if the time called for it. “I know I’m not a teen, but I love coming back here.”

  “I have a girl cousin who taught me not to question a woman,” Caden said with a chuckle, “I wasn’t going to say a word.”

  The Archibalds weren’t known for their compassion. At least their men weren’t. Kit was a different case. Present company excluded, Caden’s brothers were crude. The jury hadn’t been out on Caden, either, when they first met. But by the time she realized he was an Archibald, it was too late. She’d already had her sights set on him. Did that make her equally crude? Maggie pressed her lips together and pushed the thought of them together out of her mind. Or at least the thought of when she agreed to go back to the room with him eleven years ago. Today he seemed to be a completely different man.

  “Anyway.” Maggie blew out a deep breath. “I need to load these up and get them over to the fair.”

  “We need to get these to the fair.”

  In order to sigh again, Maggie took a deep breath and let it go. At least Caden hadn’t brought up the trip to see his mother while they baked. She guessed she owed him a few minutes of her time to listen. “Why are you so gung ho about me coming to Savannah?”

  “You want to do this now?”

  “As opposed to what?” Maggie shrugged. “You seducing me with kindness and getting me there?”

  “Hey, this morning was about human compassion,” Caden said. “You needed help, and I was here.”

  “Which I am suspicious of,” Maggie had to add in.

  Caden untied his apron. In the process she admired the veins bulging from his biceps. If she licked her lips once more, she might need to break out the ChapStick.

  “Do I look like I’ve been lurking in the dark?”

  The reflective stripe down the side of his nylon shorts drew her eyes to the way the material clung to his backside. The thin black material of his runner’s shirt hugged the sculpted abs and broad chest. Parched, Maggie blindly reached for the bottled water she remembered setting down earlier.

  “I am here because I went for a jog this morning with some of my clients. If you recall, I do have a reason to be in town other than to sweep you off your feet.”

  “To Savannah,” she added, ignoring the way her heart slammed against her rib cage.

  An unmistakable red hue touched his square jawline as Caden nodded. “Of course. I need you to come with me for Kit’s meeting on Saturday.”

  “Why me, and what’s the meeting about?”

  Caden shrugged. “This is a commemorative year for the Southern Style Glitz Beauty Pageant, and she wants to bring in all the standouts along the way.”

  “I’m a standout?” Maggie’s heart fluttered. How much of a standout would she be if Kit found out about her brief affair with Caden?

  “The hologram thing was quite a hit,” he said.

  “I can’t be the guest of honor because of coding?”

  “You have to admit that was pretty cool.”

  At least Caden and Kit thought it was cool. His brothers didn’t seem to think so. But then again they also hadn’t thought she would read their email accounts and find out what they were saying behind her back. If Kit planned on having a reunion of sorts, then that meant the boys would be there. And they were the last people she wanted to ever see again. She still smelled Jason Archibald’s sweat from the time he cornered her coming down the hallway, assuring her he was aware of how much she wanted him. Ugh.

  “Your mom did give me the chance to break out my coding skills,” Maggie pondered. “I appreciate her including me as part of the pageant’s success, but I can’t.”

  “May I ask why not?”

  Because she planned on being in a secure full-time job soon to appease her father so she could get her trust fund. But Caden didn’t need to know that. “No, you may not.”

  “All right then.” Caden sounded as if he was satisfied with her response, but the mischievous twinkle
in his chocolaty-brown eyes told her something else. “Let’s get these cupcakes onto the...what? Truck?”

  “That’s the tricky part. Vonna doesn’t have a truck. Just a delivery person who apparently is me today, since all my help called in sick.”

  “On the day of the fair.” Caden glanced around the bakery. A gurgle of laughter came out as if he finally understood her frustration. “On a day like today.”

  “I have my Jeep,” said Maggie. “I’ve got to get them in the back.”

  Cade shook his head from side to side. “Why don’t you let me load them?”

  After all he’d done, Maggie didn’t see why she couldn’t let him. She could at least take a shower and be ready for the fair. Twisting her lips, Maggie eventually sighed and nodded her head. “I can jump in the shower really quick.”

  “There’s a shower?” Caden wiggled his eyebrows.

  Maggie responded with an eye roll while digging into the front of her jean shorts. “Here are the keys to my Jeep.”

  “Vrroom.” Caden sounded off then did a hand-gesture dance. She gave him a scowl. “Not a fan of Missy Elliott?”

  “Let’s have her sing it,” Maggie laughed. Her shoulders relaxed, knowing the hard part of her day was over and she’d survived. A hot shower and an even hotter cup of coffee called her name. It would take Caden a good twenty minutes or so to get loaded and give her enough time to enjoy a moment of silence.

  “All right,” said Caden, bringing her out of her train of thought, “when I go off in concert with her...”

  “Save yourself the embarrassment.” Maggie gave him a wink. “I’ve already done it.”

  “Damn hologram, wasn’t it?”

  Maggie moved toward the double French doors. “I’ll never tell.”

  Turning her back to him, Maggie smiled into the dining area. She moved behind the counter where the red light of the coffeepot drew her.

  “A smile like that—”

  “Jesus!” Maggie exclaimed, fumbling to hit the light switch. “Auntie Bren?”

  “—should come from a woman who just had an orgasm, not a conversation.”

  With the light on, Maggie found her aunt perched at a booth, sitting alone with a black-white-and-pink-checkered mug steaming in front of her. As usual, not a red hair was out of place, and her purple lace collar was buttoned up to her neck. The rock on her ring finger gleamed in the sparse morning light spilling through the closed hot-pink blinds.

  “Why are you here?” Maggie asked someone for the second time this morning. “Or better yet, how did you get in here?”

  “Vonna and I have an understanding.”

  “Meaning you own a front door key.”

  Auntie Bren turned to face Maggie with a coy look upon her face. “Are you going to go to Savannah and see Kit Archibald?”

  “How—?” Maggie’s question died on her tongue. “It is rude to eavesdrop.”

  “However it may be, you need to visit Kit.”

  “I’d love to, but when Vonna gets back, I’m sure she’s going to let me go from here after the fiasco yesterday.” Maggie reached for the pot of coffee and grabbed an upside-down mug from the drying rack and a spoon before heading over to Auntie Bren’s table.

  “I’ve never been wrong in my advice,” Auntie Bren began.

  “Or one to hold it back and shove it down our throats,” Maggie mumbled under the clinking of her spoon as she stirred in sugar from the glass container against the wall.

  “Listen up, girl,” Auntie Bren snapped with a polite smile.

  The two of them had a love-hate relationship. Auntie Bren loved to offer her sage wisdom and views on life. Maggie hated to hear it. Instead of denying the older woman her presence, Maggie stopped biting her tongue around her. “What’s going on, Auntie Bren?” Maggie asked. “Why are you here instead of with Oscar?”

  Oscar Blakemore and Auntie Bren were going to get married next Saturday; it was still too early for the tradition of the bride not seeing the groom the night before the wedding to kick in. “Oscar is working out.”

  “Okay.”

  “You need to meet with Kit. Rumor has it she’s going to retire soon. She’s looking for someone to run the pageant, to be her successor and keep her legacy alive. And it doesn’t have to be a family member.”

  “Is this through the granny grapevine?” Maggie laughed at her own joke until Auntie Bren repositioned her crossed legs and kicked Maggie in the shin.

  “Ouch.” Maggie winced.

  The lack of empathy didn’t reach Auntie Bren’s eyes with her tight smile. “If you want to prove to your father you’re a responsible adult, you will at least see Kit. Put your name in the running.”

  “Kit is just gathering people for her anniversary,” Maggie explained.

  “And what better way to announce your retirement than to go out with a bang?” Auntie Bren asked.

  “While you were eavesdropping, did you not hear the part about where the party is this Saturday? I’d miss your wedding.”

  “That’s a part of being an adult, Maggie. You need to trust me on this. Kit has no grandchildren right now. What better time to travel and enjoy your retirement before you feel obligated to come home and babysit?”

  “Auntie Bren,” Maggie gasped and hooked her thumb around the handle of the mug.

  In an attempt to feign innocence, Auntie Bren clutched the pearls beneath her collar. “By heavens, did you think I meant you?”

  “Whatever.”

  “Keep in mind, you becoming president of the Southern Style Glitz Beauty Pageant, which is at the beginning of August, would certainly be a secure full-time job for a full six weeks just before your trust fund deadline.”

  Maggie chewed on her bottom lip. She could run that pageant in a heartbeat. She knew that world like the back of her hand, knew what worked and what didn’t, what was worth pursuing and what was better left on a list of ho-hum ideas. If what her aunt said was true, Maggie couldn’t think of a better person more deserving of the honor of pageant president than herself. The pageant came around once a year, which would give her at least 363 days to still travel and socialize. Another benefit? If she was in charge of the pageant, Maggie could get rid of Caden’s brothers on staff.

  And as for Caden? She leaned back to catch a glimpse of him lifting a tray of cupcakes over his head. A ripple of wantonness rolled through her. She’d need to work out all her desires before she accepted the position, now that she’d mentally claimed it. It wasn’t like they hadn’t amicably separated before after a night of heated passion.

  Chapter 4

  Something about the smell of the fair brought back old, fond memories of Caden’s youth. On Caden’s way back to Maggie, a disappointed kid ran in front of him with tears in his eyes. He glanced around and deduced the red height line for rides was the problem. He shook his head and remembered that happening to him once, maybe around the time he was eight. When the fair rolled around the following year, Caden rode every ride several times over. Had the kid stopped for a moment, Caden would have offered some words of comfort and a cupcake and sent him on his way. Odd how being in Southwood for a few days unearthed this sage fatherly wisdom in him, Caden thought to himself.

  Caden returned to their kiosk from dropping off the bakery’s empty portable display cases back at Maggie’s car. Thankfully they were almost sold out. The stands didn’t offer much space between the two of them. Every time Maggie reached for a different cupcake on his side of the small area, her body brushed against his. Thank God for the apron she made him wear, because when she bent straight over earlier today to tie her shoe, Caden had experienced a rush to a part of his body he was glad was covered from view. Her innocent act would forever be singed in his brain.

  Just as he returned, Caden caught a glimpse of Maggie, and his heart swelled. She’d finished handing a small child the last cupcake
from a tray. After taking off her gloves, Maggie must have gotten a slather of frosting on her thumb. Instinctively she licked it off. Their eyes locked. Kids screaming with laughter hurried by at the Ferris wheel near the cupcake kiosk. He had to hand it to Maggie or whoever it was who’d decided to set up this stand right here. They were almost sold out of every cupcake by the fifth round of riders.

  Why was he here again? Pure torture?

  Approaching the cupcake stand, a group of girls began to count down the number of baskets their friend made at one of the game kiosks. Fifteen shots made before the buzzer went off. Impressive, Caden thought. Kofi would sign the girl up in a heartbeat. Hell, maybe this was why God had placed him in Southwood. Caden did a quick read of the basketball player’s T-shirt—Southwood High Grad Done Good. So she was at least out of high school. He wondered if she was done with college. Without coming off like a creep, there was no way Caden could lean forward and see if her shirt said what year she graduated.

  “Her name is Becky and yes, she is single.”

  Caden stopped in his tracks and blinked in disbelief at a few things. For starters, Maggie stood on the outside of the kiosk with her hands at the hips of her hourglass frame. Apron off, the black shorts and black-and-white-striped T-shirt hugged her curves. There was also no mistaking the jealous tone in her voice. Sure, women swore they didn’t have a tone, but they did. Caden heard it. He couldn’t help but smile knowing he was not the only one affected by working close together. This summer heat brought out something between them.

  “It’s not what it looks like,” Caden began to explain with his hands up, as if trying to halt her thoughts.

  “Sure,” Maggie said with a sudden jolt of sweetness. “I can introduce the two of you.”

  “Now you know you’re the only woman for me,” said Caden. She rolled her eyes in response. “I’m flattered, though.”

  “By what?” Maggie choked out a laugh. “We are nothing,” she said, wagging her finger between them, “other than friends.”