by Anne Rainey
Jeanette rolled her eyes and laughed. “Delinquent.”
After he was gone, Lydia said, “He’s such a charmer.”
Jeanette agreed. “Just don’t tell him that. He’s much too cocky as it is.”
“So, back to your multiorgasm-giving lover,” Roni said, her eyes alight with mischief.
Jeanette started to say something when the chimes over the door jangled. All three of them looked over to see a tall, thin man wearing a heavy blue hoodie striding through. His hands were in his pockets, his eyes on the floor.
“I’m sorry, but we’re closed.” Jeanette had only left the door unlocked for Hunter.
The man pulled his hand out of his pocket as his eyes lifted. Jeanette paled. There was no mistaking the gun in his hand or the crazed expression on his face. “I’m not here for your damn coffee.” He pointed the gun at the cash register and shouted. “I want your fucking money, bitch!”
Roni started to shift, but the movement caught the robber’s attention. He swung his arm around until the gun was mere inches from her face. “Move and I blow your head off!”
Fear for her friends galvanized Jeanette into action. “You can have the money. Please, just don’t hurt us.”
“Then get it. I don’t have all night!”
“The register has been emptied already. It’s in the back, in my office.”
“If you’re fucking with me, I’ll kill you.”
“I’m not, I swear.”
“Fine. Let’s all take a little trip to the back.”
Together, they moved through the swinging kitchen doors, the gunman at their back. Jeanette could feel the barrel pressed into her back. Her legs shook by the time she reached her office. Jeanette walked around the side of the desk, as she looked up, her gaze connected with the robber’s wild blue eyes. “The money bag is in my drawer. I’m just going to reach into my pocket to retrieve the key.”
“Fine, just fucking hurry!”
She reached into the pocket of her slacks and pulled out her keys. Her fingers shook so bad it took three tries to get the drawer unlocked. When she pulled out the money bag and held it out, the robber snatched it out of her hand and shoved it into the pocket of his hoodie. “Now give me the keys!”
Suddenly a dark figure appeared in the doorway. Jeanette’s fear ratcheted up several notches as she watched Hunter place a finger against his lips in a bid for her silence. Jeanette started to hand the keys over. As the robber lowered the gun to grab them from her, Hunter sprang into action. He jumped onto the man’s back and wrestled the gun away. The robber cursed and struggled, but his thin frame couldn’t match Hunter’s muscular build. Within seconds Hunter had the man pinned to the hard, tile floor, his hands behind his back.
Jeanette tore around the desk and shouted to her friends, “Call 911!”
Roni dug into the pocket of her blazer, pulled out her cell phone and started dialing. Lydia and Jeanette hugged, both speaking at the same time. “Are you okay?”
The man kicked and writhed, cursing a blue streak. Hunter pulled his arms harder. The robber, who’d just minutes before threatened to kill them all, started wailing.
“Keep it up, asshole, and I’ll hogtie you,” Hunter gritted out.
“The police are on their way,” Roni said, her voice shaking with fear.
“Sweetness, why don’t you three ladies head out to the front and wait for the cops. I’ve got dumbass here under control.”
Jeanette didn’t want to leave him there alone with the guy, subdued or not. When she heard sirens off in the distance, relief poured through her. “Go, baby,” he urged. “He’s not going anywhere, I promise.”
“Come on, Jeanette,” Roni said. “He’s right, we should go wait for the police.”
Jeanette sent up a silent prayer before leaving the office, Roni and Lydia hugging her close.
Hours passed before the whole ordeal finally ended. All of them had to give statements and the paperwork seemed to take forever. When Dane and Jake arrived at the police station to collect Roni and Lydia, Jeanette’s composure shattered. As they all gathered at her car, tears filled Jeanette’s eyes. Her two best friends in the world could’ve been killed and she would’ve been helpless to stop it.
“Oh, God.” Her voice shook. “I was so afraid he was going to shoot us.”
Hunter hugged her close, his voice filled with tenderness when he said, “I know, little love, but it’s over now.”
Roni patted her on the back with a trembling hand. “I can’t believe how brave you were, sweetie. I nearly wet myself back there.”
Jeanette swiped the tears out of her eyes. “Brave? I shook like a leaf when he pulled that gun out.” She held out her hand, palm down. “I’m still a mess.”
“It didn’t show though,” Roni said. “You stayed in control; that’s the important thing.”
“Roni’s right. You were a rock, honey,” Lydia said from beneath Dane’s arm. Jeanette noticed he hadn’t let her friend leave his side since he’d arrived.
Jeanette looked up at Hunter. “I’m just glad you showed up when you did.”
“Me too. Hell, I think I lost ten years of my life when I saw that asshole holding that gun to your face.”
“I’m surprised the bells over the door didn’t alert him though,” Jake said as he pulled Roni into his side.
“Heck, I didn’t even hear the bells,” Jeanette admitted. “I think my adrenaline was pumping too hard.”
“It’s my guess he’s a junkie in need of a fix. Your coffee shop was probably just convenient,” Dane said as he rubbed Lydia’s arm soothingly.
“That reminds me,” Hunter growled, frowning down at her. “No more leaving the door unlocked after hours.”
Hunter’s protective attitude surprised her. Warmth chased away some of the fear that had assailed her since seeing the gun coming out of the pocket of the hoodie. “I didn’t want you to be locked out. Besides, I wasn’t alone.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll knock next time. And maybe you should consider an alarm system too.” He dipped his head and kissed her. It was fleeting and tender and her heart skipped a beat. Jeanette smiled as she realized what he’d said. Next time, which meant he planned to stick around.
“Okay,” she murmured, unable to resist the gorgeous man.
“Well, I’m beat,” Roni said as she wrapped her arms around Jake’s middle. “It’s been a long night.”
Lydia sighed. “No doubt.” She came over for a hug and soon the three of them were holding each other in a trembling embrace as they said their good-byes. “Call us tomorrow.” Lydia winked. “We still have things to talk about. Remember, sweetie?”
Jeanette nodded, knowing they would want an update on her relationship with Hunter. As Hunter started to open the car door for her, a stray thought struck. “You called me sweetie,” she said to Lydia. “Why does everyone always call me sweetie?”
Lydia laughed. “Because you always smell like caramel.”
“No, it’s vanilla,” Roni corrected her.
Hunter ran his hand down her ponytail and shook his head. “Nope, you’re both wrong. It’s strawberries and cream.”
Jeanette laughed. “One of the perks from owning a coffee shop, I suppose.”
Hunter opened her car door and said, “Come on, sweetness, it’s time to get you home.”
Jeanette nodded. Once they were in the car, Hunter behind the wheel, she remembered he’d been nearly half an hour late for their date. “So, where were you tonight? I was expecting you at eight thirty.”
Hunter reached over the middle console and took her hand, entwining their fingers. “It’s a surprise,” he whispered.
Jeanette’s blood pressure spiked. “For me?”
He grinned. “Of course, for you. Who else?”
Her curiosity piqued now, she asked, “And are you giving me this surprise tonight?”
He nodded as he pulled onto the street leading back to her café. He’d left his motorcycle there when they’d
had to go to the station to write up their statements. Jeanette’s fatigue vanished. Her mind whirled as she imagined what he could possibly surprise her with when they’d only just met.
He drove into the parking lot and Jeanette’s stomach fluttered when she spotted Hunter’s shiny black-and-chrome cycle illuminated by the security lights. It was a powerful, well-built machine. Like its owner.
He parked next to the bike and turned off the engine. “Come on, I left it in the restaurant.”
“You did?” How’d she possibly miss it?
“You were a bit distracted, sweetness,” he said as if reading her mind.
She shuddered at the reminder. Hunter got out of the car and jogged around to her side and helped her out. He took her hand again. He did that a lot, she noticed, and she liked it. They walked to the front door and he handed her the keys. She let them in and Hunter leaned down. “Close your eyes, little love,” he whispered against her ear. Jeanette let her eyes drift shut, her heart doing cartwheels.
He walked her forward when she grabbed onto his arm. “Hunter, you’re driving me crazy.”
“Almost there,” he said, his hot breath fanning the flames of her mounting passion.
He maneuvered them around something, a table most likely, and Jeanette gripped his forearm tighter. “Where are we going?”
“Ah, there we go,” he said, tugging them to a stop. “Now, open your eyes.”
Jeanette opened her eyes. There, sitting on the table where they’d shared their first conversation, sat a sparkly red helmet. Wrapped around the back of one chair was a smaller version of Hunter’s black leather jacket. Small enough for a woman. Jeanette picked up the helmet, then ran her fingers over the soft leather collar on the jacket. Her gaze shot to his. “Hunter?”
“It’s for you,” he explained, a hint of vulnerability in his expression. “So you’ll have your own gear when we ride.” Hunter reached out and turned the helmet. On the back, written in fancy white script, were the words LITTLE LOVE.
Jeanette’s vision blurred. “Hunter, it’s beautiful.” She placed the helmet carefully on the table and went up on her tiptoes. “Thank you,” she whispered as she pressed her lips to his.
Hunter groaned. His arms came around her, hugging her tight as he deepened the kiss. He licked her lower lip and growled, “Baby?”
His rough voice had her pussy creaming. “Hmm?” she said, having a hard time focusing on the conversation with his scent filling her nostrils and his soft, firm lips a breath away.
“Can we please go back to my place now? I really want to talk about those fantasies of yours some more.”
Jeanette pushed her fingers through his thick, dark hair and said, “I can tell you about this one fantasy I have. There’s a blindfold…and a feather.”
Hunter’s gaze darkened as his hands skimmed down her back to cup her bottom. “You want me to blindfold you?”
“The blindfold isn’t for me.”
He stiffened against her. “Uh, sweetheart, I think it might be more fun if we—”
She placed two fingers against his lips, silencing him immediately. “You got your way with the camera, which we forgot to erase, by the way. It’s my turn.”
Hunter squeezed her buttocks, his cock a hard length between them. “You are so fucking hot.”
In that instant Jeanette no longer felt like a pear-shaped wallflower. She was a beautiful, curvy woman. “So you’ll let me?”
Hunter kissed the tip of her nose. “Anything you want, sweetness. I’m yours.”
Jeanette smiled. “Let’s go for a ride, Motorcycle Man.”
“Hell yeah,” he growled.
Epilogue
Lydia looked out Dane’s front window at the three tall, shirtless hunks standing in the driveway. They were drinking beer and oohing and aahing over Hunter’s motorcycle. She laughed when Dane smoothed his hand over the chrome for the umpteenth time. “I’ve never seen Dane stroke something quite so much. Look at him. He’s half in love with that thing. I think I’m jealous.”
Roni snorted. “I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Jake kissed it. He loves anything with pretty paint and a great engine.”
Jeanette licked icing off her fork and said, “Hunter wants to buy me a motorcycle, but I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet. I sort of like riding with him.”
Roni’s eyes bulged. “Damn, I’m still trying to get used to seeing you with that leather jacket and red helmet.”
“This strawberry cake is heavenly, Jeanette,” Lydia said as she took another bite of the sweet confection. “No one bakes like you.”
“Thanks. Hunter likes it when I cook. He says I smell yummy.” She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “God, the man is insatiable.”
“It’s been a month since the bet,” Lydia blurted out, as she put her fork down and stared at her two best friends sitting at the counter next to her. “So, who won?”
“That’s a good question.”
The comment came from the other side of the room. Dane stood there, his tan muscular chest and black swim trunks sending her libido into overdrive. The man had a body to rival the gods. His hot gaze ate her up. Lydia’s stomach did a little flip, knowing what that look meant. When Jake and Hunter stepped into the room behind him, both grinning, Lydia knew they were in for trouble.
“Girl talk, fellas,” Roni inserted. “Go back to admiring Hunter’s sexy machine.”
Jake crossed the room and took Roni into his arms. “I don’t think I like you talking about Hunter’s machine, princess.”
“I’m with Dane,” Hunter said, a mischievous grin on his face. He came over and pulled Jeanette out of her chair, then sat down with her perched on his lap before he continued. “I’m real curious who won that bet.”
“Well, I fulfilled my fantasy first,” Lydia said, “so I should win.”
“No way, girlfriend. Your fantasy was a stranger. Dane wasn’t technically a stranger.” Roni smiled up at Jake and said, “that makes me the winner.”
“Wait just a second,” Jeanette piped in. Lydia watched her friend’s cheeks turn pink when everyone looked over at her. “I fulfilled my fantasy, too.”
Lydia crossed her arms and grinned. “You’re right. But technically Roni filled her fantasy first, which means I have some help cleaning Roni’s car.”
Jeanette frowned as Roni tapped a finger against her lips. “And I’m going to expect it to shine, ladies.”
Jake tugged a lock of Roni’s hair. “Then again, maybe you should be disqualified, princess, considering you didn’t come clean about the bet beforehand.”
“I thought you were on my side,” Roni grumbled.
“Always,” Jake whispered, as he stroked a finger over Roni’s lower lip.
“Come on, sweetness,” Hunter said, kissing the tip of Jeanette’s nose. “It’s time for you to get into that red swimsuit I’ve been ogling. I want to see you all wet.”
Jeanette smacked his chest. “Behave.”
“Great idea,” Dane growled, his lips kicking up at the corners. “I’m dying to see you in that little pink thing you bought last weekend. You’ve been teasing me with it all week.”
Lydia stood. Jeanette and Roni followed suit. “I’ll wear the pink two-piece, but you have to make me a promise first.”
Dane narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you want?”
“You have to help us clean Roni’s car.”
Dane cupped her chin, his voice dropping to a low whisper. “I’m going to expect payment then.”
Lydia had a sudden visual of herself tied to Dane’s bed. Her blood turned to molten lava. “That sounds fair,” she said, her voice husky.
He leaned down and kissed her. It was much too quick and left her wanting. “Go on,” he ordered, “before I forget we have company.”
Lydia forced her feet to move. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hunter petting Jeanette’s bottom and Jake stroking Roni’s hair. Once the three of them were in the g
uestroom, closed off from the men, Lydia leaned against the door and let out a breath.
“I don’t care what anyone says,” Roni said, as she threw her satchel onto the bed. “That bet was the smartest damn thing we’ve ever done.”
Lydia looked over at Jeanette. They both grinned. When Lydia picked up the pink bathing suit, excitement raced through her veins and a sense of freedom washed over her. Knowing how Dane would react when he saw her wearing it sent a warm shiver down her spine. “Oh yeah, I’m definitely glad we made that bet.”
APHRODISIA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10022
Copyright © 2010 by Anne Rainey
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Aphrodisia and the A logo Reg. U.S. Pat & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-0-7582-6056-7
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Secret Desires
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Turn Me On
Tasty Treats
Epilogue
