by Morgan Henry
She exited the cupboard and turned to him. “I think we’re done with the order for now. I’ll double-check again on Monday and call some suppliers then.”
“Okay. What next?”
She pursed her mouth as she thought. “I’ll check the ice cream stores and the chocolates to see what needs topping up.”
“Maybe I can spill some ice cream on you.”
Karen shot him a look that was part surprise, part embarrassment, and part lust. He gave her a smile that was his best attempt at pure innocence.
She narrowed her eyes. “Turkey.”
Now he widened his eyes and pulled his shoulders back. Who me? his body asked. He laughed as Karen huffed and strode to the ice cream counter. She peered inside and then made her way to the freezer in the back.
“Start another list and add strawberry, blueberry cheesecake, and rhubarb ice cream to it,” she called from the walk-in freezer.
He dutifully added them and snuck a peek inside. There were about a dozen tubs of ice cream and bags of frozen local fruit stacked on shelves. Karen slipped past him and shut the door.
“Can we have some raspberry almond tonight?” Zander asked hopefully.
“Are you going to keep it in the bowl?” Karen shot back.
“Do you really want me to?”
Zander loved to be able to tease her. He’d never felt secure enough in any of his relative’s homes to be able to tease. Allan taught Zander how good-natured teasing worked.
Karen didn’t answer him, instead heading back out to the store and making her way to the chocolate counters. Marg was creating an assortment for a customer and Karen was inspecting the shelves, so Zander hung back, clipboard in hand.
“No spicy chili ones today?” asked the lady purchasing the assortment.
“I don’t think so, but I’ll check the cooler,” Karen assured her and walked quickly back to the storage area of the store. She returned with two chocolates on a tiny tray.
“I’m afraid that’s all there is. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to make more.” She shrugged and lifted her splinted hand slightly as she passed the chocolates to Marg.
“Oh my! You’re Karen then. I’ve been in here a couple of times but didn’t realize you were the owner. You make the chocolates, too?” The woman looked at Karen’s hand.
“Yes, I make all of them here, but I’ll be a bit delayed until I can figure out a way around this.” Karen waved her hand and smiled professionally at the woman. “If you like the spicy ones, you might enjoy the cinnamon. Why don’t you give her one to try, Marg?”
Zander added spicy chili chocolates to his list and listened as Karen made suggestions to the woman and subtly taught her a little about why her quality chocolates were better than anywhere else. The lady ended up buying a larger box than she had intended and seemed quite happy about it. He made a guess on some of the other chocolates that were low and added them as well.
Karen came over and looked at his list. “You got all the ones I was going to tell you.” She was obviously pleased and sounded a bit surprised, too.
“My pleasure. What next?”
“Lunch, I think.” Allan’s voice came from the back room. “I brought enough for everyone.”
Allan had an assortment of salads and sandwiches from The Cottage. Karen was about to go upstairs and get plates, but Allan had already done that. He wordlessly handed her one and placed half of her favorite sandwich on it, a salami and provolone on multigrain. “What salads do you want?”
Zander watched Karen give Allan a blank look and fumble with her plate and bum hand. She was clearly used to serving everyone else first, but Allan was determined to look after her instead. He had a spoon in hand and the set of his shoulders told her she would not be taking charge of the utensil. The little crease between her brows smoothed as she gave up and sweetly requested the Greek salad.
Zander slipped out and asked Marg to go eat. He offered to help Sara for a bit until she finished.
He liked helping out the customers. Sara did most of the work, and Marg when she finished her lunch, but he certainly wasn’t idle. This was so different for him than working with the trees. Much less physical, but far more interactive. He was a physical enough guy that he knew he couldn’t do this as a permanent career, but it gave him such satisfaction to help Karen this way.
This was what family did for one another.
Chapter 11
On Sunday evening Karen watched Zander load the last of the ice cream tubs in the walk-in freezer. She had made both men wear the store’s red aprons along with the required hairnets when making edibles, hoping to scare them off. It didn’t work.
She couldn’t believe it. They were such jokers sometimes but didn’t once offer to do something silly while making the ice cream. Oh sure, they had plenty to say about what they would do with it, making her face heat. Yet, when it came to measuring, mixing, and working the machines, they were all business.
“That was actually fun,” observed Allan. He stood tall and had a look of pride on his face. “I had no idea there were so few ingredients in ice cream.”
“As I said, it tastes great, but the flavor won’t last forever without all the other stuff that’s in the commercial tubs. And to make small batches like this is far more expensive. I won’t ever compete with the supermarket, but that’s okay.” She really served a different clientele, anyway.
“So do we get to make chocolates now?” Zander was eager to try his hand at the craft.
“No, it’s too hot and humid now.” Another thunderstorm was shaping up. It was unbearably hot outside and the humidity felt like it was about two hundred percent. Humidity was no friend to cocoa and having two novices try to make chocolate in this weather would likely be disaster.
The ice cream had been sorely needed or she wouldn’t have made it in the heat either.
“Let’s go home then.” Zander couldn’t hide the eagerness in his voice. Not that he had been able to keep his fidgety enthusiasm hidden for the last hour or so, either.
“Okay, okay. I shouldn’t be such a slave driver.” Karen had agreed to go home with them.
She was tired of the three of them falling all over each other in her little apartment. She had packed a bag for a few days, and Zander had taken it and the men’s things over to their house earlier.
“How’s your hand?” Allan asked as he placed his hand on the small of her back to escort her out the door.
“Not bad at all,” she said. Yesterday she had done far too much and by the end of the day it was back to the cartoon-like throbbing. She had felt ill and didn’t eat much dinner. The men tucked her in her own bed with a big dose of pain pills and an icepack for her finger. She had been much more careful today.
Zander helped her into Allan’s truck and belted her in. She sighed. She could have managed the seatbelt, but she gave up and made Zander happy.
“I’ll be right behind you,” he promised as he left to get his own vehicle.
The drive to their home took no time at all, it was only a few blocks away. If they had walked, then they would have had to climb a huge hill. The hundred-year-old Victorian mansion sat atop the escarpment that cut across the edge of town, looking down over Hardwick Bay. It had a stunning view of the town, harbor, and lake from the front, and plenty of privacy in the back.
“Holy crap, I had no idea how much you had done to the place,” said an awed Karen as they got out of the vehicle.
“Yeah, it was a mess, but it’s getting better all the time.” There was quiet pride in Allan’s voice as he looked fondly at the old house.
“Can I have the tour?” Karen asked as Zander joined them.
“Definitely. You should have Allan show you around. He’s the planner of all the renovations. I’m just the grunt work.” Zander clearly had pride in both the house and his friend’s efforts.
Allan showed Karen around the home. They had preserved the beautiful old architecture on the outside. The peaked roof, restored widow�
�s walk, and second-floor balcony looked almost new. Inside, they had kept many of the fine features but changed enough that it felt much more modern. And was much more functional.
Instead of the separate small rooms of parlor, dining room, living room, and study, they had taken out most of the interior walls to make a large modern kitchen and dining area. New appliances and a gas stove gleamed in the slowly fading daylight. There was a walk out onto the back patio they assured her she could see in the daylight tomorrow. The living room had been enlarged, with the original large fireplace restored and made safer with a gas insert. The furniture was comfortable and stylish, with their large TV and media hidden in what looked like an antique, but was a custom-made piece to fit with the house.
The second floor held their home office and three guest rooms. One of the rooms had its own bathroom, and the other two shared in a Jack-and-Jill arrangement. Again, the rooms were done in a way that made them seem airy and modern, without losing the charm of the original architecture.
They had converted the entire third floor into the master bedroom and bath. The peaked roofline had made some of the arrangements difficult but they turned the difficulties into pluses. They had clever storage spaces in awkward spots, utilized the windows for built-in seating, and added skylights for additional natural light. Another gas fireplace was tucked into a corner.
The bathroom was generously sized with both a glassed-in shower and separate, giant freestanding tub. The bath was done in a lovely blue-and-white theme, and the blues carried over into the bedroom with some soothing grays mixed in.
The king-size bed was low to the floor, which kept it from feeling like it completely took over. The rich blue comforter with gray and white accents was not the bold color Karen was fond of, but she liked it. It was strong enough to appeal to her aesthetic.
The men had clearly installed new amenities like air conditioning and, she suspected, an updated furnace. The upstairs was pleasantly cool, despite the oppressing heat and humidity outside. She could see the darkening sky in the distance out the windows of the bedroom.
“I put your clothes in the dresser, here,” Zander informed her, opening one of the drawers. “I noticed you packed only plain underwear. Pretty, though,” he added hastily.
Karen tilted her head at him and gave him a wry smile. She had carefully chosen her underwear, not wanting to get caught with anything a bit more unconventional again.
“Are you tired?” Allan asked, rescuing his friend.
“A little,” she admitted. Karen hesitated then just decided to ask. “Can I have a soak in that magnificent tub?” she blurted out.
“Of course,” Allan said, as if she had asked a silly question. “Hanna told us your favorite bubble bath, so there’s some beside the tub for you.”
“I’ll get it started.” Zander popped into the bathroom and she heard water running.
“I’m going to go make sure things are closed up downstairs. Do you want a snack before bed?” Allan asked.
“That would be nice,” Karen replied absently as she wandered back into the bathroom. She was already thinking what a nice soak she could have.
“How hot do you want it?” Zander asked, a little frown on his face. “If it were winter I’d make it scorching, but it’s so hot outside…”
“Just warm is fine.” She tested the flow from the tap. “That’s perfect.” He had added a generous amount of the rosemary bubble bath she liked and the scent of it filled the room with the refreshing hint of green foliage.
Karen looked at Zander, then at the door. He looked back at her. She did it again.
“I’m not leaving until I get you safely in the tub.”
“Oh, for pity’s sake, Zander. I can use the tub by myself.”
“You might slip and bang your hand. Humor me, Karen. Please?” Zander tilted his head to the side and the patient, pleading look in his eyes was more than she could take.
“Fine.”
“Oh goody, now I get to undress you.” Zander approached her, his hands out and fingers twitching. The comic expression of lust and dopiness on his face was more than Karen could take and she burst out laughing.
“C’mon, Zander, just let me get in the tub,” she pleaded.
He sobered up and managed to remove her shorts, T-shirt, and underwear with only a moderate amount of intimate touching. Even so, she couldn’t help but be aroused by his strong, deft hands on her. He carefully helped her in the tub, shutting off the water for her.
“Do you want a bag on your hand?”
“No, I’ll be careful.”
“Call us when you want to get out. We’ll make sure you don’t slip and get it wet, okay?”
“Okay.”
Karen was already leaning back in the water, her eyes closed. Someone had put a bath pillow at just the right spot for her neck. She could feel her muscles going limp as the water caressed her.
She lazed in the water for a while. It was just the right temperature, not hot enough to make her sweaty again, not cool enough to chill her in the air conditioning. She used the bath scrunchie to lightly cleanse her skin with the bodywash that was the same scent as the bubble bath. It was wonderful to wash away the sweat and grittiness of the day.
She heard the whisper of the door opening. “Shall I do your back?” Allan’s deep voice came softly from the doorway.
“Mmm. Okay.”
Allan knelt by the tub and picked up her scrunchie. He added more body wash and lathered it up. At his touch, Karen obediently leaned forward. He scrubbed circles on her back, working from the top to her bottom below the water. He rinsed her off, cupping his hands and sluicing water down her back.
“Are you ready to get out or do you want to relax a while longer?”
“I’ll get out.”
She pulled the plug and moved to stand. Allan quickly supported her and he wrapped her in a towel as she stepped out. Using long, firm strokes, he dried her off, paying attention to every bit of her skin. The towel was soft but it created a delightful friction that continued the arousal Zander had started when he helped her out of her clothes.
He slipped her silky nightgown over her body. It had spaghetti straps and fell to mid-thigh as it skimmed her curves. It was cream, but covered with bright flowers.
“I’d prefer you naked,” he murmured as he smoothed it into place.
Allan tugged her by the hand into the bedroom. He and Zander were in their boxers and appeared to have showered. Allan’s hair was still damp. Zander’s shorter locks were dry already. Karen couldn’t help but admire their beautiful bodies.
They had dimmed the lights in the room and the comforter was folded at the bottom of the bed. A tray on the bench at the end of the bed held cheese, crackers, grapes, and some sparkling water.
Zander grabbed the tray as Allan helped Karen onto the bed. He settled her in the middle of the giant bed. Zander handed her a glass of water and Allan loaded a cracker with goat cheese. They both fed her and snacked themselves, talking about the day at the shop, the house, and the coming storm.
They could hear thunder rumbling in the distance and the light had faded more quickly than usual with the clouds rolling in. The room was fairly dark now but lightning began. Flashes would briefly illuminate the bedroom, casting strange shadows, followed by loud, crashing booms.
Karen should have been drowsy, but she was keyed up from the storm and the sexy men next to her. Feeding her with their hands had been strangely erotic and comforting at the same time. It was the best combination, sexual heat and a feeling of safety.
Each time one of them had placed a morsel in her mouth she felt cherished. They seemed to do it as if it were as easy as breathing, like taking care of her was part of them. Sexual heat, safety, feeling cherished—it was a mix that set her body humming and her emotions churning.
Zander set her glass aside and kissed her. His mouth slowly plundered hers, tasting, exploring, and inviting her to do the same. He cupped her face in a gentle hold, while
Allan cradled her injured hand, ensuring it wasn’t accidentally bumped. Allan’s other hand wandered up and down her thigh.
Zander let go of her as the kiss ended and Allan took over. Allan was more urgent, his fierce kiss stirring her blood and sending sparks of heat from her lips directly to her pussy. She could feel her slit dampening and clenching on nothing as he took all that he wanted from her mouth.
They slipped her nightgown off and laid her back. Zander strummed her nipples. He licked and nipped her belly. Lick, nip. Lick, nip. The tiny stings had her gasping and involuntarily jerking, but toward him, not away.
Allan pulled from her mouth. He kissed and sucked the area where her neck met her shoulder. When he had his fill of that area, he moved down to the crease of her elbow. She had not expected that as a spot to make her juices flow, but with a swirl of his tongue, she gushed.
Thunder crashed again and the low bedside lamp that was lit went out. The house went dead quiet at the loss of power. The muted blowing from the air conditioning stilled.
“I’ll get the candles.” Karen felt Allan move off the bed in the darkness.
A pager went off, abysmally loud in the silenced house.
“Well, shit.” Zander reached for the pager and shut it off.
“What does that mean?” asked Karen. Why did Zander have a pager?
“It means,” Allan came back in the room, lighting a candle, “that we have to go to work. There must be a tree down on a line somewhere.”
“Well, yeah, our power is out. But how would they know so fast?” Karen couldn’t believe that hydro actually worked that quickly.
“It wouldn’t be from our house this fast. Somewhere else, and we need to go and start fixing it. Our holidays don’t officially start until tomorrow, so for now, we go.” Zander didn’t sound happy.
“Does it really have to be fixed now?” Karen really didn’t want her men leaving in the nasty weather. Well, that, and she was now abysmally horny.