Candy King

by Christine d'Abo

  Chapter 20

  Jonathan and Sarah had invited Dylan over for dinner a few days ago. He’d accepted, knowing he needed the chance to spend some more time with his soon-to-be sister-in-law before the big day next month. Usually, he’d show up to something like this with a bottle of wine and an escape plan so that he wouldn’t have to spend more time than was necessary with the happy couple. This time, he had a different idea.

  “Do you mind if I bring someone with me tonight?”

  Jonathan sat up straight and stared at him. “You mean a date?”

  “A friend.” The last thing he wanted to do was give his brother any inkling that there was something serious going on. “The reporter who’s been working on our story.”

  “Simone.” Jonathan grinned. “I was wondering if there was something between the two of you.”

  “Why the hell would you say that?” Dylan had been more than careful to ensure no one knew that they were anything more than two people working together. “I happen to find her articles interesting and figured she and Sarah might get along.”

  “Sure. If that’s what you want to tell people, then I’ll play along.” He smiled as he pulled out his phone. “I’ll let Sarah know that we have one more for dinner.”

  That was why Dylan was now standing outside of Simone’s apartment, doing his best to ignore the neighbor staring at him while he waited for Simone to open her door. He knocked again, the bouquet of flowers he’d bought from the little convenience store next door securely behind his back.

  When Simone finally answered, she was dressed in jeans and a black top, her blond hair loose around her shoulders and a grin on her face. “Hey!”

  He held out the flowers. “I know these aren’t a very fancy bouquet, but when I saw them, I thought of you.”

  Simone’s face morphed into a look that Dylan usually only witnessed when someone was looking at a cute puppy. “They’re beautiful. Let me put them in water really quickly, and then we can go.”

  “I’ll wait here.”

  She ducked back into her apartment, and Dylan was left once more with the nosy neighbor. He gave her a little wave. “Hello.”

  The small Asian woman looked him up and down, before giving him a little thumbs-up and shutting her apartment door.

  Okay then.

  Simone was back in a whirlwind of activity, shutting and locking her door in practically the same motion. “I’m all set.” She linked her arm in his, and they headed out.

  “I know you haven’t met Sarah yet, but she’s quite lovely and far too good a woman for my brother. She’s been a calming influence on him so far. I just hope he doesn’t say something that screws up their relationship.” He shut her car door before jogging around to get in on his side. “It shouldn’t take us too long to get there.”

  “Why do you think your brother will screw things up?”

  “History. This is marriage number three for him, so it’s not exactly like he has a good track record. I just hope this one lasts longer than his most recent marriage, which lasted eight months, if you’re curious.”

  “No wonder you have such a negative view of marriage.”

  “I’m surprised you don’t. Your parents are divorced as well.”

  “Yes, but that’s different.” She pushed her hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. “My dad thought he was doing us damage with all of his mental health problems. He walked away from us. If he hadn’t, my mom would probably still be with him. She’s never even dated anyone else.”

  Dylan couldn’t imagine being that dedicated to someone who’d turned their back on him that way. It just wasn’t worth the heartache. “She’s a better person than I am.”

  Simone nodded. “She’s better than most. I normally switch between loving him and wanting to throttle him. But I think that’s a common father-daughter relationship. Right? I hope so.”

  They chatted about inconsequential stuff for the remainder of the ride, until he turned down his brother’s street. Simone sat up to turn and look out the window. “Wow, some of these houses are crazy.”

  “Jonathan has expensive tastes, though not as lavish as he used to have. He’s got two support payments on top of living expenses.” It was one of the reasons Jonathan had asked Sarah to sign a prenuptial agreement. “They’re just up here.”

  Considering the neighborhood, the house wasn’t as impressive as some of the others. Still, the two-car garage and large hedge wall around the property set it up quite nicely. Dylan turned the car off but didn’t get out right away. “We need a game plan.”

  Simone leaned close. “Okay. Why?”

  “I love my brother, but when I come over, something usually happens. We need a look or a key phrase, something that indicates that one of us is uncomfortable and we need to leave.”

  “I’ve never been part of a couple that’s had a look, and I can’t tell you how excited this makes me.” She squealed in a way that didn’t sound quite natural. “I’ve arrived!”

  “You’re crazy.” And yet he couldn’t stop from grinning. “So, what’s our phrase?”

  They stared at one another, and Dylan had to fight the urge to close the remaining distance between them and kiss her. Simone’s gaze slipped to his mouth before she looked back into his eyes. “How about, ‘Oh crap, I forgot I had a call to make’?”

  “That’s a bit obvious.”

  “Maybe keep it simple. Say, ‘Gee, look at the time.’”

  Dylan nodded and, ignoring his inner doubts, kissed her quickly. “Works for me.”

  Grabbing the wine from the back seat, they got out and met in front of the car. He wanted nothing more than to take her hand, squeeze her fingers, and pull her close. But that would do nothing but confirm Jonathan’s suspicion that something was going on between them. Instead, he kept pace with her and let his arm brush against hers as they approached the door.

  He rang the doorbell three times before he heard footsteps and Jonathan appeared. Dylan knew there was a problem the moment he opened the door and looked at them both. “Hey.”

  Dylan held up the wine. “I got the good stuff. As requested.”

  Rather than immediately invite them in, Jonathan hesitated before stepping aside. “Sarah’s in the kitchen.”

  Shit. Dylan tried to catch Simone’s eye to let her know that something was up, but she’d already snatched the bottle from him. “The kitchen’s straight ahead? I’ll go say hi.”

  Within a moment, Dylan was left alone with his brother. “What’s going on?”

  Jonathan looked for a moment as though he might deny there was a problem, only to sigh, his shoulders drooping. “We were getting supper ready and were talking about you and your date. And then that got onto the topic of relationships and expectations, and I finally asked her about the prenup and she kind of lost her shit on me.”

  “Wait. You haven’t talked to her about that before now? Dude, you’re getting married in a month.”

  Jonathan shoved his hands in his pockets. “I know.”

  “That’s a pretty shitty thing to do to someone.” No wonder his brother was twice divorced. “What did she say?”

  “She’s pissed. And thinks that I don’t trust her or love her enough to want to make the marriage work. She sees it as me giving up on us before we’ve really started.”

  Dylan knew it wasn’t intended that way, but he could absolutely see it from Sarah’s perspective, especially since Jonathan hadn’t talked to her about it before now. “Will she sign it?”

  “Don’t know.”

  “Will you marry her if she doesn’t?”

  “We’ve opened the wine!” Simone’s voice reached them from the kitchen.

  Jonathan used the distraction to end the conversation. “Coming.”

  Dylan knew things weren’t going to go well. He followed Jonathan into the kitchen, where
Sarah and Simone were standing and talking. The animosity rolled off Sarah in waves, nearly palpable to him. Dylan caught Simone’s gaze, only to have her widen her eyes slightly.

  So it wasn’t just him.

  “I’m so happy you brought Simone over,” Sarah said, before taking a sip of wine. “It’s nice not to be the only woman here. Sometimes the male arrogance can be a bit much.”

  “Dylan took pity on me when I told him I had nothing going on tonight. I’ve been working day and night on a couple of stories for the paper. It’s nice to have a night off.”

  “It’s nice to meet one of Dylan’s lady friends.” Jonathan stepped behind Sarah and put his arm around her waist, only to have her step away. “Even if you’re just friends.”

  “Why don’t we take our drinks to the living room.” Sarah moved toward the door. “Supper will be ready soon.”

  Jonathan trailed after her while Dylan took the opportunity to move beside Simone. “Jonathan just asked for a prenup. Sarah isn’t happy.”

  “Shit.” She didn’t let her smile drop.

  Sarah patted the spot on the couch next to her. “Simone, why don’t you join me?”

  With a pleading glance to Dylan, she moved to join her. “I hear you’re into yoga and meditation.”

  The tension in her shoulders lessened as Sarah faced Simone. “I am. I just got back from a retreat in Greece a few weeks ago. I spent a lot of time soul-searching, trying to learn more about who I am as a person while increasing my mindfulness about others around me.”

  “That’s awesome.” Simone sipped her wine as she leaned in. “I’ve tried meditation, but I last about five minutes before the silence gets to be too much for me. I can’t shut my brain down long enough to relax.”

  “That’s not uncommon. You eventually learn to let the thoughts wash over you, past you. It really can help with focus and stress levels. You should try it again.”

  “Maybe I’ll come by the housing development for one of your sessions once it’s up and running. I know it would be a great addition to the story I’m writing.”

  Sarah frowned as Jonathan stood up. “Right, we should probably get the appetizers out—”

  “What housing development?”

  Dylan wasn’t able to interrupt her in time to save the surprise. Simone straightened and waved her free hand around. “The Buddhist housing development. It’s such an amazing idea you had, and I know people with mental health problems will thrive there. I can’t wait to get the article out so we can drive as many people your way as possible.”

  Sarah turned to Jonathan. “What’s going on?”

  “Oh shit.” Simone pressed her hand to her mouth. “You didn’t know.”

  “It was a wedding gift for her.” Jonathan scratched his fingers through his hair. “Surprise.”

  But instead of the joy Dylan had expected from her, Sarah stood up, looking more than a little angry. “You’ve taken my idea and done it without asking me?”

  “I wanted to give you a gift. Help get your dream off the ground, so you could take it and run with it. We had a building that had been mostly finished for another project, then abandoned. I was able to take it and repurpose it for your idea. It was a win for both of us. I thought you’d be thrilled.”

  “Thrilled? Thrilled?” Sarah got to her feet and moved to stand in front of his face. “That building was my dream! Did you think for even a moment that I might want to be involved with its creation? That I might want to plan and organize it? How could you be that selfish?”

  Simone’s head snapped around to stare at Dylan, her eyes wide. Without saying a word, he knew exactly what she was thinking. This has gone from bad to worse in no time. He hated when he was right. “We’re not so far along that you still can’t make suggestions and changes.”

  But neither of them heard him. Sarah put her finger in Jonathan’s face. “Is that why you wanted me to sign the prenup? You wanted to make sure that the building didn’t leave your family if we ever split up?”

  “Oh, gee, look at the time.”

  They stood and looked at one another, even as Sarah and Jonathan continued to fight. Dylan held out his hand, and Simone immediately took it. He pulled her close as they moved toward the front door. “I think maybe we’ll leave you two to work things out.”

  “I can’t believe you’re that arrogant, that thoughtless that you’d take someone else’s dream and stick it in a fucking contract!”

  “I can’t believe you think that this was all about you!”

  And just like that, Dylan pulled Simone away from the fight. He looked down at his watch the moment they were back outside in the fresh air. “That was only ten minutes. Barely.”

  Simone burst into laughter before racing to the car with both of her hands pressed over her mouth. He unlocked the car, and she jumped in without waiting for him. When he climbed behind the wheel, she was doing her best to keep her laughter in check. “I’m sorry. That was horrible of me. They’re fighting, and I’m laughing. I do that when I get overwhelmed and nervous, and that was the most intense thing I’ve lived through in forever.”

  It was pretty fucking shitty that she’d had to witness his family drama. He stared at the house, imagining the ensuing fight, remembering the last argument he’d had with Andrea before she’d left him for the last time. The reasons never seemed to matter, only the end results. “Now you know why I’m anti-relationship. They never seem to work out for my family.”

  Her hand was on his lap, drawing his attention back to her. “Maybe your brother just sucks at them. That doesn’t mean they’re horrible for everyone.”

  “Maybe.” He’d had enough of that sort of talk. He wanted to get back to enjoying the night and Simone’s company, despite what had happened. “Well, Sugar Tart, what should we do now?”

  The humor that generally shone in Simone’s eyes was gone, replaced by concern. “Why don’t we go back to your place?” She slid her hand up his thigh, dangerously close to his groin. “Let me show you the upside to being in a steady relationship with someone.”

  He knew this was probably a bad idea, but with her fingers that close to his cock, he was willing to risk it. “My place it is.”

  They’d worry about his brother, the building, and the rest of the world later. Tonight, he’d be selfish and let himself get pulled into a moment that would be just for them. A moment of happiness that he could take with him when everything would eventually fall apart.

  Putting the car into reverse, he took her home.

  Chapter 21

  Simone’s heart was racing and her stomach flipping by the time they stepped into his condo. He hadn’t said anything about sex, but she knew that’s what they were going to do. It was weird, especially after having seen Jonathan and Sarah fight, that that was what they both needed to do—to have that physical connection with another person to ensure that all was okay.

  She’d never been with another person long enough to find herself craving their touch on an emotional level. It was a need, deep down in her soul, wanting his hands on her skin. The longer they spent together, the more Simone realized that she not only genuinely wanted his company, but that he filled a void in her life she hadn’t realized was there.

  Of course, the confirmed happy bachelor was the man she fell for.

  Yes, she was that much of an idiot.

  “Do you want a drink or something to eat?” He tossed his jacket on the chair as he walked past to the kitchen. “You got shortchanged a meal.”

  “What do you have?” She watched, fascinated, as he rolled up his shirtsleeves to his elbows before opening the fridge and looking in. “I’m easy.”

  “I’ve heard that about you.” He winked at her over his shoulder before returning his attention back to the fridge. “I have leftover Chinese. Not a lot, but it was excellent.”

  Simone made grabby hands a
nd was quickly rewarded with a box of noodles. “Oh, those look great.”

  “Want me to heat them?”

  She growled, stealing a fork from the counter when he set it down. “Mine.”

  “You really do love your food.” He chuckled, but followed suit, eating his own cold noodles from a second box.

  “I do. Access to the quality of food we have here in Toronto is a blessing that I promised myself I’d enjoy every day. So many people don’t have the opportunity to explore different cultures the way we can here. I love it.”

  “So why do you want to walk away from doing those types of stories?” He leaned across the counter close enough to her that she could feel his body heat. “You’re a talented reporter who can get to the heart of a story in a way I rarely see anymore. Why do you want to leave that?”

  A few weeks ago, the answer to that question would have come to her far more easily. But as she’d spent time working on the two stories—the housing development and the sugar daddy story—she found that her effort had slid away from what had initially brought her to him, to focus on the former. “My dad wanted to be an investigative reporter. He’d taken journalism in school, but as his mental health challenges increased, he had to switch to something less stressful. I guess a part of me wanted to give him a glimpse into that world. I wanted him to be proud of me for picking up where he left off.”

  “Having met your dad, I think he’s proud of you no matter what you do.” Dylan set the container down on the counter, before gently taking hers from her hands. “You’re an incredible woman.”

  It was quite hard for her to breathe, but somehow Simone managed. “Thanks.”

  Dylan didn’t let go of her hand as he moved around the counter to stand beside her. He didn’t say anything as he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her softly. They stood that way for several minutes, kissing and touching. It was sweet, gentle, the exact opposite of what they’d ever done before. There was nothing hurried or frantic in their caresses, and Simone’s mind went blank from the pure joy she got from the contact.