Casey shivered in her thin jacket. She had lived in Florida for the last ten years and her blood had thinned considerably. It hadn’t occurred to her that Colorado in March would still have cold and snow. After so many years away, she had forgotten that spring came late to Spirit. Not that it would have mattered much. She didn’t own a winter coat.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked briskly down the street, checking out the storefronts. The store should be just down the street. The attorney had told her the store was located on prime real estate in town. It was also extremely profitable. If Casey could sell it, and the attorney assured her she could get a good price, she could use the money to return to Tampa and start her own public relations firm. Her dream was finally going to come true, thanks to Aunt Mel.
Casey passed a hotel, another storefront, and then stopped in front of a building painted a subdued ivory with a sign that said “Miss Melanie’s Spirit Emporium.” It was the sign that grabbed a passerby’s attention. At least five feet long and three feet tall, the sign was decorated in fiery shades of red, orange, blue, purple, and pink. Even in the bright sunlight of midafternoon the sign stood out. On the other side of the door was a large store window with a display of costumes—a French maid, a nurse, and a schoolgirl. Casey smiled at the selection. She loved Halloween.
How did the store stay in business when Halloween was only once a year? Did the residents buy that many costumes each year? Deciding she wouldn’t find the answers on the sidewalk, and freezing her fanny off anyway, she pushed open the purple door to the shop. A bell above the doorway tinkled, and Casey shivered again as the heat of the store began to seep into her cold bones. She really needed to get a coat.
A smiling, grandmotherly woman came from behind the counter to greet her. “Welcome to Miss Melanie’s Spirit Emporium! How may I help you?”
Casey was just about to answer when a product display caught her eye. It appeared to be a shelf full of penises. She blinked, but the sight didn’t go away.
“Can I help you, dear?”
Casey turned back to the woman. “Um, I’m Casey. Casey Charles. My aunt—”
Before she knew it, she was enfolded in a hug. “My goodness! You’re little Casey! Mel talked about you all the time. I see the resemblance now. I’m Lorna. I helped Mel with the store.”
Casey was finally released from the hug so she could catch her breath. She really needed to check out that shelf again. There couldn’t be penises there. Two old women wouldn’t have a shelf full of penises.
Casey looked the shelf straight on. Yep, it was a shelf full of penises. Cocks. Dicks. Johnsons. Man meat. Holy shit.
Casey liked to face life head-on. “This isn’t a costume shop, is it?”
Lorna smiled. “Sometimes it is. But you’re right, not today.”
“When is it a costume shop?”
“At Halloween. We put the stock in the back room and fill this main room with costumes.”
Casey let her gaze drift around the store. “Any particular reason for the subterfuge?”
Lorna chuckled. “The usual ones, my dear. Let’s get you something hot to drink and warm you up. You look blue. Look around while I make you some hot chocolate. Marshmallows or whipped cream?”
“Both.” Casey could really use a shot of whiskey, but if the offering was only sugar, she’d take a double dose.
Lorna disappeared into the back room while Casey prowled the store. To the left was the lingerie section. It appeared to have everything from expensive and classy to expensive and trashy. The back area could only be described as dungeon-chic. Implements of pleasure and pain hung from the walls, and the shelves were filled with items designed for restraining a loved one. The front of the store featured a myriad of sex toys that boggled Casey’s mind. She wasn’t a prude by any measure, but she had no idea that there were this many types of toys. The inventory of cocks alone was immense. The front counter was by a small fireplace with two winged-back chairs close and cozy. The whole place was warm and comfortable but quite run down. The shelves and cabinets bowed from years of wear and tear.
“What do you think, dear?”
Casey turned back as Lorna held out a steaming mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. Casey assumed the marshmallows were already starting to melt underneath.
“I think my aunt kept a bunch of secrets from me. No wonder she never wanted me to come visit. She only wanted to visit me.”
Lorna gestured to the chairs by the fireplace. “Have a seat and I’ll explain. You’ll get warm by the fire.”
Casey sat in the comfortable chair and let the warmth from the fire and the cocoa take the chill from her. She really wanted to hear the explanation for all this. She had apparently inherited a sex shop. A sex shop that looked more like a tea shop, albeit a very run-down tea shop, than an adult toy store.
Lorna settled herself in the other chair. She was an older woman, perhaps around sixty, with light-brown hair shot with silver. Her figure was still slim and her face still pretty. Casey imagined that Lorna had plenty of gentleman callers, if she wasn’t already married. A quick glance at her ring finger showed a gold band.
“Your aunt wanted to tell you when you got older, but she really didn’t know how. She didn’t own the shop when you lived with her, did she?”
Casey shook her head. “No, she was teaching school then.”
Lorna nodded and sipped at her hot chocolate. “Your aunt bought the shop about twelve years ago. The last owner moved to Arizona to retire, and Mel took over. She was bored with teaching. She asked me to help her run it. I was also bored with my job at the bank. This seemed like much more fun.”
Lorna looked very far away as she remembered. “The shop opened in the early 1900s. It was originally Miss Meredith’s Spirit Emporium. Miss Meredith was ahead of her time. She felt that sex was a gift from above that should be cherished and nurtured. She opened this store, under the guise of a costume shop. The town appreciated her discretion, while making it one of the most successful businesses in Spirit. The store has had many owners in the past one hundred years, but the idea is still the same. And it is still one of the most successful businesses in Spirit.
“She didn’t tell you at first because you were too young. Then, time just slipped away. If Mel had known she was going to go that day, I’m sure she would have told you first.”
Casey’s heart clenched. “That day? Did she…suffer?”
Lorna smiled kindly. “No, dear. She went to sleep and never woke up. Her heart just stopped. She had always had a weak heart. I miss my friend, though. She was a wonderful woman. You look so like her.”
“I do? I never noticed, I guess.”
“Oh yes. When Mel was younger, she had the same dark hair and sky-blue eyes. You’re smaller than her, but you have the same determined chin.” Lorna set her cup on the small table between them. “Have you told your people, dear?” Casey gave Lorna a blank look. “My people?”
“Your family. Have you told them?”
Casey sighed at the mention of her family. “Yes, sort of. My mother, father, and sister are living on a commune in North Dakota. The commune only has one phone. I left a message for them. I haven’t heard back.”
Knowing her family, she wouldn’t either. They were probably busy protesting something. These days, both political parties were giving them lots to protest about.
“Oh yes, Mel mentioned they liked to live on the edge of society. Well, no matter. You were the real family for Mel.” Lorna gave her a shrewd look. “So, Casey, what’s the plan?”
Casey gulped her chocolate at the look Lorna gave her. “Plan?”
“Yes, the plan, dear. Will you be staying in Spirit, or are you just passing through?”
Apparently, Lorna liked to face life head-on, too. Casey wouldn’t beat around the bush, then.
“I’m planning to sell. I’m in PR back in Tampa. The money will help me open my own firm. Did you want to buy the store?”
Lorna
laughed and waved her hand. “Hell, no. I liked helping out, but I don’t want the responsibility. I just wondered what you planned on doing.”
“I’ll put it in the contract that the buyer has to keep you on. I don’t want you to lose your job because of me.”
Lorna reached over and poked at the fire. “Don’t need to work, dear. I just do it to get out of the house. You don’t need to worry about me. Mel was always proud of you. I’m sure you’ll do the right thing.”
Yes, she would make Mel proud of her. Casey would become a big success in Tampa and show Mel that her efforts hadn’t been wasted.
* * * *
Evan Parker let his gaze wander down the boot aisle at Martin’s Sporting Goods. His best friend, and brother from another mother, Sinclair Parker, was trying on a new pair of boots. His last new pair had been chewed to pieces by the chocolate Labrador puppy they had recently adopted. Hershey, as they had named him, had been found hungry and shivering in the snow. Sin, the more softhearted of the two of them, had immediately bonded with the pup. Evan liked the dog, too, but wasn’t willing to give up a new pair of boots a week to the canine. Luckily, Sin didn’t seem to mind.
Sweet Mary and Joseph. Evan’s gaze came to rest on the finest ass he had seen in a very long time. Make that the finest ass in maybe forever. If her front looked half as good as her rear, Evan was in love. The young woman was bent over trying on snow boots, pulling her jeans tight until they hugged the curve of her ass. Her long, dark hair was flipped to the side, revealing her heart-shaped face and full, sensuous lips. Evan’s cock came to life, pressing against his zipper. It had been a long time since just seeing a woman had affected him like this. He nudged Sin, who was trying on a pair of butt-ugly brown boots.
“Check that out, man. Have you ever seen her before? She’s fuckin’ gorgeous.”
Sin looked up from the ugly boots and followed Evan’s gaze before shaking his head.
“Never seen her before. A man would remember a woman like that. Maybe she’s in town to ski. Why don’t you go talk to her?”
Sin would never approach a woman himself. He wasn’t a man for small talk, Evan knew. Of the two of them, Evan was the one who chatted up a woman and asked her on a date. After that, they were firmly in the game as a team. Evan and Sin had been dating, and pleasuring, women together for many years now. They could bring a woman double the pleasure, and it made it twice as exciting for them. So much so, they didn’t date separately any longer. If a woman wanted one of them, she had to want both of them.
Evan grinned. “Hmmm, what would you like me to say? Welcome to Spirit? We were admiring your very fine ass?”
Sin grinned back. “Might get her attention, that’s for sure. Damn, she’s pretty. I wonder what her name is?”
The young woman tugged on the second boot, and it was at that moment her gaze collided with Evan’s. Her cornflower-blue eyes made a striking contrast to her dark hair. Evan was rooted to the spot, his breathing becoming shallower. She was off-the-charts gorgeous. She was also giving him an irritated scowl. Apparently, she had noticed his and Sin’s lustful expressions as they stared at her ass. She was clearly not amused. She broke the connection with one last scowl in their direction.
Smooth, very smooth. She thinks you’re a pervert.
They watched as she straightened and walked a few steps in the boots as she chatted to Cal, the store owner. She nodded and headed to the cash register. It appeared her shopping was complete. They watched as Cal completed her purchase and escorted her out of the store. She had barely turned the corner on to High Country Boulevard before they were pulling Cal aside.
“Details, man. We want details.” Evan crossed his arms over his chest.
Cal laughed and headed behind the cash register to put away some receipts. “I guess you’re interested, huh? According to her credit card, her name is Casey Charles. I helped her pick out a coat, boots, gloves, and scarf. She arrived in Spirit this morning from Florida. She’s Miss Melanie’s niece. Came to take over the sex shop.”
“Casey.” Evan tried out her name. It fit her.
Sin gave him a twisted smile. “Poor thing was cold, huh? We should offer to keep her warm, Ev. Seems like the neighborly thing to do.”
Evan laughed. “We are definitely going to cuddle with that girl. Watch out, Casey. You’ll never be cold again.”
Chapter 3
Casey snuggled under the bed covers, pulling them almost to her nose. She hoped she would get used to the cold soon. As it was, she felt like she would never be warm again. Her aunt’s apartment over the store was roomy and comfortable and warm now that Casey had hiked the thermostat up. Aunt Mel had lived in a rented house on the edge of town years ago but according to Lorna had been living here for the last ten years.
All in all, it had been a pretty shocking day to find out she had inherited a sex shop, of all things. She wasn’t all surprised her Aunt Melanie had run a sex store. Aunt Melanie had been down to earth and very no nonsense. She also never got flustered when discussing sex. The more Casey thought about it, the more perfect it seemed that Aunt Melanie had been the proprietor.
Casey wanted to make her aunt proud of her and in some way pay her back for all she had done for her. She would take good care of the store until it was time to sell it. She wasn’t sure she could help someone select a vibrator or flavored condom, but she was determined to try. Aunt Melanie deserved no less than Casey’s best effort.
Casey giggled at the image of a sign on the front of the store saying something like “Miss Casey’s Spirit Emporium.” She didn’t even own a vibrator. She needed to get used to the idea she now owned an entire inventory of cocks. In all shapes and sizes, no less.
She wasn’t a prude. She had often fantasized about trying sex toys, but she had never met a man she was comfortable enough with to suggest it. Perhaps she would stock up on a few things before she sold the store.
Inheriting the store may have been the best thing that ever happened to her. It got her away from her job and Brett, brought her back to Spirit, gave her the chance to own her own PR firm, and would educate her on a myriad of pleasure pieces. She found herself looking forward to educating herself. She was going to put an end to her boring sex life once and for all.
It would probably need some TLC before Casey could get top dollar for it. The shelves and showcases were showing their age. She had asked Lorna about calling someone to come in and do the renovations. Heaven knew she wasn’t handy in the least. She knew the difference between a hammer and a wrench, but that was about as far as her skills went. She would call in professionals to help her get the store in shape.
She had spent part of the afternoon doing a walking tour of the town. It was just as friendly and charming as she remembered. Lorna had urged Casey to visit Imelda’s for a psychic reading, but Casey already knew her future. She would stay here long enough to fix up the store, sell it, and then head back to Tampa to open her own PR firm. She was determined to make something of herself. That’s why she worked so hard.
She had purchased an armload of winter supplies at Martin’s. At one time in her life, that wouldn’t have been possible. Her parents would have visited the nearest church or thrift store looking for her clothes. Her new coat had kept her snuggly as she had walked around town. Her new boots were fur lined and extremely warm. She could easily wear them in the snow that still blanketed the ground.
Her smile turned to a scowl as she remembered the two men in the store that had been staring at her ass. She wasn’t ugly and had received her fair share of admiring looks, but the way they looked at her was something completely different. She likened them to panthers and she was the prey. So different than what she was used to. The men in Tampa were all glitter and show. She could tell these men were as real as they come. If they wanted something, they just went after it.
A big yawn had her cuddling deeper into the covers. She finally fell asleep with swirling thoughts of snow, sex toys, and panther-like men running th
rough her dreams.
* * * *
Casey had pulled every vibrator from the display shelves. They were now piled around her like a tiny fortress. It was only her second day in Spirit, but she was ready to get to work. She wanted the store spotless, and these shelves were first in line. Lorna had called in two local carpenters, and they were due any minute. Casey had a long list of renovations she wanted done. She just hoped the price would be reasonable. Every dime she sunk into the store cut into the profit she would ultimately make.
“Do you want some hot coffee, sweetie?”
Lorna knew that Casey had yet to acclimate to the cold. Casey shook her head.
“That’s sweet, but I don’t drink coffee. Maybe when I finish these shelves, I’ll get some hot chocolate.”
Lorna headed for the back room. “I’ll make it for you right now. We have a moment of peace. Won’t stay that way for long. Once word gets around town the new owner of the Emporium is here, everyone will be stopping in to meet you and to shop.”
Casey hummed as she scrubbed down the shelves. Luckily, they weren’t dirty with grime, just incredibly dusty. Lorna had said that Aunt Mel had been tired the last six months and hadn’t put much time into the store. Casey had noticed her aunt’s exhaustion when she had visited in January, but Mel had simply said she was getting over the flu. Casey wished now she had questioned further. Perhaps a well-timed visit to the doctor might have prevented or at least delayed Mel’s passing.
The tinkle of the bell over the door surprised her, and she swung around, losing her balance as she did so. There was nothing to grab on to as she went down hard and landed in a heap of vibrators. She groaned as she moved her arms and legs slowly, trying to see if she had hurt anything seriously. Everything seemed to be in working order, albeit probably bruised.
Her Colorado Pleasures [Spirit, Colorado 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2