by Candace Shaw
“So, is that okay with you?” Yasmine heard the coordinator say, but wasn’t sure what it was in reference to.
“What?” Yasmine snapped out of her daze as she glanced back and forth from Cannon to Ms. Jackson.
Cannon, who could apparently listen and stare at her at the same time, chimed in.
“Can you do the cake tasting Friday afternoon?”
“Oh, sure,” Yasmine said, trying to focus her attention on Ms. Jackson, but Cannon’s eyes wouldn’t leave her face. She crossed and uncrossed her legs as warmth shocked her womanly center. “Sherika likes amaretto and vanilla flavors, so I have an idea of what she would like.”
“Perfect.” Ms. Jackson flashed a smile and scratched something off of her to do list. “I forwarded the picture of the cake the bride emailed me to the bakery …”
Yasmine tuned out once again as Cannon’s eyes trailed along her face and neck. She swore she could feel the heat from his breath on her skin, and she reached for the bottle of sparkling water the receptionist brought in earlier. She decided to tune back into the conversation when Ms. Jackson mentioned the music.
“I’ll contact the wedding bands I usually use to see if they’re available for that day. The bride said as long as they can play “Ribbon in the Sky” for their first dance, they’re hired.”
Yasmine’s heart sank at the mention of the song. It was the song he had chosen for their wedding, and she couldn’t stand to listen to it. She glanced at Cannon, who had flinched. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his eyes locked with hers as she tried to hold back the tears. Placing her notepad into her purse, she fished for her keys. She needed to escape now.
“Anything else?” Yasmine’s voice croaked as she cleared her throat and took one more swig of the water. Her mouth had turned to cotton.
Ms. Jackson closed her laptop and scooted her chair back. “Nope, I think we’ve covered everything for now. You two just let me know your progress, and I’ll do the same.”
Moments later, Yasmine high-tailed it out of the office building toward the parking lot with Cannon behind her. When she stepped outside, the cold air greeted her and she realized her coat was draped over her arm, but she didn’t care. She needed to get to the car. She needed to get away from him.
“Yasmine … wait.”
She hit the unlock button on her key remote. “I have to go.” She opened the driver’s door of her Lexus, but Cannon pushed it shut.
“Not until you look at me.” His voice caressed over her like silk as he stood behind her with his hand still on top of the car.
Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him. Her breathing stifled as she looked up at his handsome face. It took everything she had not to run her hand along his strong jawline up to his hair and twirl a finger around a curl.
“What?”
“I know this has to be uncomfortable for you, but I just hope we’ll be able to work together to make Sherika and Doug’s special day perfect.”
“I don’t see that as a problem considering there really isn’t a need to see or speak to you again until the wedding weekend.”
“Um … no. I’ll see you this Friday at the cake tasting.”
“Wait? What? Why do you have to be there? I’m just sampling cakes for the bridal cake.”
“But Doug wants a groom’s cake, so I told him I would take care of that. Weren’t you listening to the conversation earlier?” he asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
Of course she wasn’t paying attention to the conversation. She was too busy trying to pretend to listen as Cannon stared her down like a tiger ready to pounce on his prey.
“I … must’ve misunderstood.”
“How’s your mother?”
“Fine.” She wanted to keep her answers short. The less he knew about her life the better.
“I was disappointed to learn she has cancer,” he said with sincerity in his voice. “Please give her my best.”
“She’s in remission and doing a lot better.” Yasmine tried to avoid eye contact with him, but it was hard since he overpowered her personal space. Plus, she was pinned against the car and his hand was still on top of it over her shoulder.
“How long will you be in Memphis?”
“Until the beginning of summer.”
“Maybe we can have dinner. Go over the wedding plans and catch up.”
“I can’t,” she said in a strained voice.
His hand slid off of the car, brushing her shoulder and down her bare arm in the process. Yasmine winced at his subtle, warm touch. They stared at each other in silence, and she was scared of what he may do or say, especially when he stepped toward her, closing what little space was between them. His sexy mouth was just inches from hers, and she yearned to kiss him to know what heaven felt like again.
“Well, if you change your mind.” He paused, brushing a curl off her forehead that had fallen out of her headband on her brisk walk to the car. “Call me. My contact information is in the packet the coordinator gave you.”
Stepping back, he turned to open the car door for her. Without acknowledging him, she slid into the car, tossing her coat and purse onto the passenger seat. She reached to close the door, but he shut it for her and stood outside for a second, staring at her through the tinted window before walking away. Tears burned her eyes, but she was too mad to let them roll down her face.
She started the car, turned on her cell phone, and noticed she had several missed calls and voicemails from Sherika. Yasmine had forgotten to turn her cell phone back on after a meeting with a group of elementary school principals.
She activated the hands free system to call Sherika. She had some explaining to do. Yasmine pulled out of the parking lot as the phone rang through the speakers.
“Yasmine. I’m so glad you finally called me back. I’ve been—”
“Why on earth is Cannon suddenly the best man?”
“Calm down. I didn’t know until right before the meeting either. Doug had been trying to call me, but my third graders did a mock test this morning to prepare for the upcoming standardized test, so you know cell phones can’t be on.”
“I don’t know if I can …” She tried to hold back the tears, but it was no use. One streamed down her face followed by another, and she wiped them way before they clouded her vision as she drove.
“You can’t back out! You’re my best friend.”
Yasmine could hear the urgency and panic in her friend’s voice, and she felt bad. She couldn’t be selfish, but planning a wedding with Cannon wasn’t exactly on her bucket list.
“It took everything I had not to slap him … or worse, kiss him.”
“Girl, I know he hurt you, but please try to suck it up for me. I need you.”
Yasmine sighed as she turned onto the interstate. They’d been best friends since fifth grade when Sherika moved to Memphis from Gary, Indiana. They went to middle and high school together, as well as Tennessee State University, pledged the same sorority, taught together in Nashville and then New York until Yasmine moved to Atlanta a few years ago to finish her doctorate. Both only children, they were more like sisters, and Yasmine knew she couldn’t disappoint her best friend.
“If you weren’t my girl …”
Sherika let out a big sigh. “Oh thank goodness, and I promise there really isn’t much you have to do with him.”
“If you say so. I have a cake tasting appointment on Friday afternoon, and he’ll be there to sample the groom’s cakes.”
“I’m kinda glad you’ll be there at the same time. Doug just wants plain chocolate, nothing fancy. But perhaps you could find a chocolate with a little more kick. I spoke to the baker, and she said she’ll have about six to eight chocolate samples to select from, so make sure it’s not just plain chocolate.”
“Yes, bridezilla.” Yasmine laughed. “I’m just teasing.”
“Girl, by the end of this you won’t be teasing. I hate not being there, but I’m so glad Doug and I have friends like you and Cannon to he
lp make our special day perfect.”
Yasmine cringed at his name and hated being reminded he would be helping. However, Sherika was her friend, and her peace of mind during the planning of the wedding was more important.
“I’m not going to let you down.”
*****
Yasmine walked into Ollie’s Sweets at exactly two o’clock to find Cannon already there chatting with Ollie Moss, the owner and head baker. Sherika and Yasmine used to frequent the downtown Memphis bakery as teenagers, and she wasn’t surprised to learn that the bride-to-be had selected their favorite bakery to make the wedding cakes.
“Hi, Ms. Ollie.”
“Look at my Yaz all grown up.” The ladies hugged and Yasmine inhaled Ms. Ollie’s fragrance. She always smelled like vanilla and buttercream icing. Stepping back, she got a good look at Ms. Ollie. She still had the same sweet smile and grandmother nature that always made customers feel at home in her bakery.
“Hello, Yasmine,” Cannon’s deep voice stated behind her.
She turned and nodded to acknowledge his presence. Staring up at him, she tried to stifle a gulp or two as her heartbeat sped up. He was dressed casually in khakis and a light blue sweater that fit his sexy physique. Cannon had never been overly muscular, but he’d always been in shape, and the way his sweater fit over his arms and abs suggested he still worked out. His fresh scent loomed into her personal space, outweighing the aroma of all the cakes and pastries in the bakery. She wasn’t sure how long she could do this, but she’d made a promise to her best friend.
“Well, let’s get started,” Ms. Ollie stated. “Follow me. I have everything set up in the tasting room.”
Yasmine flinched as Cannon placed his warm hand at the small of her back, causing a flow of burning desire to rush through her veins. She cleared her throat and walked faster to escape his touch searing her skin. As his hand fell, it brushed against her butt, and she gave him a glare. He mouthed “sorry” and placed his hands mischievously in his pocket. She knew it was probably an accident but wasn’t sure how sorry he was about doing it. He’d always known just the right way to caress and kiss her body, and no other man had turned her on as much as he had.
When they entered the tasting room, there was a long table laden with dessert plates of miniature cupcakes. On small pink cards, the flavor of the cupcake was written in calligraphy. Yasmine snapped a few pictures with her digital camera to email to Sherika for her wedding memory book.
“There are six mini cupcakes of each cake flavor that I discussed with the bride and groom for you to sample. On the bistro table,” Ms. Ollie paused as she pointed to a small table by the window, “you’ll find a list of the flavors for you to take notes and to check off the ones you like. The bride wants three different flavors since her cake has three layers, and for the groom’s cake two different flavors of chocolate. There’s also bottled water. I suggest you take a few sips to clean your palate before trying a different flavor. If you need anything, I’ll be next door working on a cake for a wedding tomorrow, but will be in and out to check on you.”
After she left, Yasmine placed her coat and purse on a chair at the bistro table and Cannon immediately went to the cupcakes.
“Which should we try first?” he asked.
He handed her an empty dessert plate as his eyes roamed over her black cropped sweater that stopped at the belt of her dark skinny jeans, down to her black knee-high boots before rising back up to settle on her face which she knew had to be flushed because her cheeks were burning. She placed her focus on the tasty cupcakes to avoid looking in his direction.
“Can’t decide. They all look delicious, but I know Sherika loves amaretto so let’s try that one and one of the chocolates for the groom’s cake,” Yasmine answered with ease, and was surprised she wasn’t as nervous being alone with him as she thought she would be, despite the way he’d just raked his eyes over her like an x-ray.
She grabbed the two amaretto cupcakes while Cannon grabbed two German chocolates, and they settled in at the table.
“Did you eat something before coming?” he asked, taking a sip of the water.
“Not since breakfast.” She sipped her water. “What about you?”
“The same. You know I love eating anything sweet and couldn’t wait to get here.” He had a sparkle in his eye and a wicked grin crossed his face.
Yasmine blinked her eyes a few times at his comment. Cannon had a way of saying something normal, but there was always a sexual connotation behind it. She thought surely she’d heard emphasis on the word eating. Her mind transported her to a time where he’d done just that while they were at his parent’s home visiting for the weekend, and he told her not to make a sound. Starting from her forehead, he’d kissed and licked every inch of her, enticing her breasts in his warm mouth, before lingering in the sensitive area between her legs longer than the other places until he drove her crazy with an unruly, muffled orgasm. She squirmed in her chair at the memory.
“Are you ready to begin?” he asked picking up the chocolate cupcake.
She snapped out of the daydream she’d had plenty times before. “Yep.” She picked up the amaretto one. “Bon appétit.”
She bit into her cupcake while Cannon popped the entire thing into his mouth, leaving a little bit of chocolate icing on the corner of his bottom lip. Yasmine’s eyes settled on the delectable spot. She wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and lick the chocolate off of him and taste his lips that she’d missed so much.
“Mmm … that was good,” he said and proceeded to swish his tongue to the side where the icing lay. “You have to try this one.”
I wanted to, but you beat me to it.
For the next twenty minutes they sampled cupcakes and compared notes. Yasmine was trying to keep the conversation only to the task at hand, and so far it worked. She found herself a little more at ease with him. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but he’d been a gentleman, which was his nature.
“How many more do we have?” she asked, taking a sip of water as Cannon stood at the table grabbing two more cupcakes and setting them on the bistro table in front of her.
“This is the last chocolate one for the groom’s cake and there are two more to taste for the bride’s cake. Think you can hang?”
Yasmine laughed and patted her stomach. “I think so. I’m actually ready for some real food now.”
“Me too. I guess we ate dessert first.” He laughed and took a bite of the cake. “This chocolate mint flavor is good. I think we have a winner.”
She bit into hers. “You’re right. This really is good. Let’s make it the second layer for the groom’s cake,” she suggested, remembering what Sherika said about having a different flavor besides plain chocolate.
“Sounds good to me.” He checked it off on his list and pushed the plate aside, resting his arms crossed in front of him on the table and leaning toward her. “Never been much of a chocolate fan. I prefer caramel.”
Yasmine almost choked on her cupcake and lifted her head to meet his smoldering gaze. There was no laughter in his words or on his face. Instead, she noted the seriousness in his tone and the way his eyes examined her as if he was reading her mind and liked what he read.
“How’s everything?”
Cannon and Yasmine both jumped at the words as Ms. Ollie entered the room. Yasmine was glad for the interruption. The way Cannon had moved toward her she thought he was going to kiss her, and considering where her thoughts had just returned, she would’ve let him.
Cannon relaxed back into his chair and patted his midsection. “Perfect,” he answered with a smile and Yasmine was glad that he had. She was still in a daze.
“Good.” Ms. Ollie glanced at the cake table. “I see you have a few more to sample. I’ll be back in about twenty minutes to go over any questions you may have and pack up the uneaten cupcakes for you.”
The smile he’d displayed for Ms. Ollie vanished when she left and was once more replaced with a serious facade. Yasm
ine knew all of his facial expressions, and this one was screaming she needed to move and move fast before he reached for her like he had the first time they’d made love.
“Cannon …”
“Yes, Yasmine?” His voice was deep. Provocative. Stimulating. She needed to escape, but his eyes held hers in a deep hypnotic trance that she couldn’t break.
“We need to finish the last two samples for the bridal cake,” she managed to stammer out, wanting to tear her eyes away from his but couldn’t.
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” He leaned in closer as she scooted her chair away from the table. He raised his eyebrow. “Your expression isn’t saying that. I know you very well, or have you forgotten?”
“You don’t know me.”
“I know every single inch of you.” His baritone voice was serious and sexy.
Sensations blazed through each cell of her body, for in her heart she knew he was speaking the truth. He would spend hours exploring her body with his fingers, tongue, and lips, driving her completely insane.
“I know that spot on the back of your neck that takes you past the point of no return. There’s a special way I would kiss and nibble that area. I do believe it’s about an inch below your hair line. I used to love when we would go out, and I would sit next to you, gliding my fingers along your neck and watching you maintain your composure. Of course you never could, and we would end up making love in the car or you would pleasure me all the way home. Thank goodness my Mustang had tinted windows. I would’ve hated for some perv to see your head in my lap. We could barely get in the door and ended up making love right on the foyer floor. Or those three beauty marks on your outer left thigh. I remember them quite well, as my tongue would pass them on my way down…”
“Cannon …” she whispered as her memory took her back to those times. She quickly went to the dessert table to hide her face, which she was sure was bright red.