Heart Nectar

by Davee Jones

  Or, he could be the devil himself after she allowed him an all access pass. Things could get really damn sticky really damn fast. Grabbing two beers, she planned what she would say when she went back into the living room. Just before she reached the kitchen door, she heard the familiar grind of the DVD still playing. “Holy shit!” Mindie ran into the living room and dropped the beers on the couch.

  Standing with the remote in his hand and a mischievous sneer on his face, the flick played on in the background, on high volume. She forgot to shut down the movie in her hurry to snap the television off. “Who said girls have no taste in movies? Is this a new romantic comedy?”

  Snatching the remote from his sexy grip, she pressed several wrong buttons in her haste to shut down the embarrassment. “I…I…” Hitting buttons furiously, she muted the action, then turned it down, then, back up again. Why in the name of everything holy could she not operate the damn controls? Finally getting the power button, she pressed it soundly, not letting up until the screen went black and silenced.

  “You’re caught, it’s fine. I won’t judge.” He was the biggest liar on the planet. The way his eyes darkened and narrowed, he was definitely judging her- judging how she conducted business with her clothes off.

  “I…have…no words.” What could she truly say to make this situation better?

  “Some folks talk too much.” Pulling her close, he leaned in, taking her lips hostage in an exploratory brush. He drew back only enough to quietly gauge her approval solely through her body language.

  Letting caution blow the way of the winds, Mindie stood on tiptoes, offering her mouth to his in an olive branch of lust. They connected, the kiss becoming more heated, their mouths gliding together, creating something mystical and confusing. More greedy and demanding than earlier, his kiss became different The chocolate taste mingled with his flavor of mint, making him even more delectable. Her heated core craved everything he gave her body. It might have been years since she felt this much from simply making out. How far would she let this go? If she didn’t get her brain involved now, the reasonable vote would be snowed under the billion votes her spiking neurons would cast. Her nerves would landslide Mindie right underneath him. She felt his hand inside her shirt, slipping beneath the flimsy bra. Rolling her nipple between his fingers, her knees almost buckled. Oh, hell no, this has to stop!

  “I’ll buy you bacon and eggs again.” He whispered against her mouth.

  What the fuck? Bacon and eggs? She never had bacon and eggs with George. His scent of ocean and spice suddenly made sense, this wasn’t George. This was Charles. Breaking their kiss, she frantically backed away. “You aren’t George.”

  Moving toward her with an outstretched hand, he rebuffed her accusation. “Yes I am, baby, c’mon we’re having a good time, aren’t we?”

  Baby? Nah, George had more respect than to assume to call her baby this soon. “Stop, stop right there.” Completely overwhelmed by her confusion, she carefully studied the man in front of her. “Take off that cap.”

  Shrugging his shoulders, Charles ignored her request. “I wanted to know what was going on with your business deal with my brother. I didn’t intend on the delicious hospitality.”

  “You’re a low lying dick! How could you do this? I should’ve known.” How did she miss such an important clue that he was lying? Something in his kiss was predatory, not at all like George.

  “How could you not know me from George? That’s the real question. Why are you blaming me? Seems you really want me deep down. Tell me, how’s your pussy pulsing? That nasty sexy movie tells me you’re in need.” He squeezed his erection through the fabric, caressing the obvious bulge with his thumb. “Mmm, me too, I’d love to slide this deep inside you.”

  Fighting the primal desires of his pointed words, she fought the ill-gotten lust. “I want nothing to do with you.” Fear knifed through her desires, filling her responses against his unwanted incursion. Surely, he wouldn’t take anything against her will.

  “Your body speaks louder than your sexy mouth. Your words mean nothing.” Unmoving, Charles gazed fiercely into her eyes.

  He would not take advantage of her any longer. This was her home, dammit, a place of safety and happiness. “Get the fuck out of my house!”

  He lowered his gaze to her breasts, lingering for a moment, licking his lips. Finally, the standoff ended. “Later, sexy…I’ll remember your taste when I’m taking care of my business tonight.” Tipping the brim of his cap, he turned, striding out the door in just a few steps of his long legs.

  Rushing to the door, she triple-locked all the locks. Putting her back against the entrance, she slid down until her butt met the floor. The tears began before she even realized. How did she not know him from George? The question tore the happiness out of her heart. What would he say when he found out she couldn’t tell the difference between them? The possibility could jeopardize more than her intimate integrity, Charles could pose as George during business transactions. Giving any kind of business privileges to George could result in catastrophe, especially if Charles was in business to hurt them. She wouldn’t put anything past the deceitful snake in human clothing. He had George almost down to the minor details, even his mannerisms. Mindie’s imagination distended with ways Charles could sabotage not only Heart Nectar, but, her as well.

  The next thing Mindie knew, Nixie knocked frantically, unable to enter through every engaged lock. “Hey, roomie, I need in!” Rousing from drowsy, incoherent nightmares, she took several minutes to become aware enough to let her roommate inside.

  Standing inside the doorway, with her arms wrapped around her chest, Mindie shivered, blinking back tears. “Oh, Nixie, I think we’ve made a terrible mistake.”

  ****

  “Hi Wendy, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Nixie. Mindie told me what you did for her at the wine competition. Of course, that makes you a shoo-in to work here.”

  “Thank you so much, please know I don’t always act like that. I’m not usually rude to customers.”

  “You had an exception, he isn’t even a decent human being, he deserved worse than you dumping wine down his back.”

  “He has a mean aura, just puts off the most creepy, ugly vibe.”

  “You got that right.” Creepy didn’t begin to describe the asshole who tried to take advantage of her best friend. There had to be a way to teach this prick a lesson. Having as much money as he did contributed to his lofty impression of predefined power he greatly abused. People probably never stood up against him. Charles Stansfield could undoubtedly buy his tactics out of any circumstance, even criminal intent.

  “Where is Mindie today by the way?” Wendy looked around the tasting room.

  The quiet space felt incomplete without her best friend, sadness tinged with anger washed through her again when she recalled the circumstances. Nixie chose not to put Mindie’s melt-down out for discussion. She needed time away from Braden, away from the drama of recent events. Fiercely protective, Nixie kept the answer as short as possible. “Mindie went to one of the vineyards we buy grapes from. She’ll be back in a few days.”

  It was true Mindie was at one of the vineyards, a location with a guest house and an understanding family friend who’d give her respite. She left without much coaxing from Nixie. When Nixie found out Charles practically violated Mindie, she wanted to take a pair of trimming shears to his testicles. However, rather than making the situation worse, she chose to spin a positive from it. Convincing Mindie she needed relief and break time to sort out her mind, Mindie reluctantly agreed. She’d deal with the asshole in her own way, on her own terms, keeping the spectacle away from her best friend. Scheming was her favorite pastime.

  “Mindie was so nice to invite me to work with you guys. I hope it’s okay with you too.”

  “Absolutely. Let me show you a few things to get you started.” Nixie proceeded to show Wendy around the place, filling her schedule with plenty to keep her busy.

  Grateful for the distra
ction, Nixie needed to cool things down with Brent. Being an incredible guy made it tough for her to justify purposefully ignoring him. She’d just reached a critical point in their friendship worthy of serious thought. The time beyond friendship where if one of them decided to cool, the other person would be hurt and probably damage the relationship they’d fostered- Nixie fearing Brent would be the one hurt. He was a wonderful guy, but, she was unsure of getting serious so quickly. The impeccable timing of Wendy’s arrival and Mindie’s departure gave Nixie the feasible excuse she needed.

  Passing quickly, the girls conquered many of the necessary work tasks for the day. Preparing the tasting room food samples required specific attention, and Nixie carefully introduced Wendy to the kitchen. “However, you won’t be doing much of the cooking yet, no offense, we just have a very picky way of doing things.”

  “I’m your apprentice, happy to learn.” Wendy sounded as if she’d been born in Braden, the helpful friendly attitude was a trait of the small town.

  The bell on the door signaled an early arriving customer. Nixie had been so involved in meeting Wendy, she forgot the re-lock the front door. True opening time wasn’t for another hour. Not looking at the person, Nixie began her explanation. “I’m sorry, we really aren’t open just…”

  “Hi, I’m not the usual customer.” One of the Stansfield brothers stood in front of she and Wendy. The casual athletic shorts, t-shirt, and ball cap spoke George, but, Charles was the damn sneaky one.

  “What do you want?” Nixie’s forceful tone let him know he wasn’t so welcomed in her space.

  “I wanted to take you to breakfast, you and Mindie.” Looking around, he glanced in Wendy’s direction with a puzzled look on his face.

  “Mindie isn’t here and I already ate.” Turning her back to him, she grabbed the keys intent on locking the door behind him. “So, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

  “I’m confused, did something happen I’m not aware of? Did I piss you off?”

  “Take off that cap.” Standing, tapping her toe, Nixie meant serious business. “I want to know who I’m dealing with.”

  “I’m George, I promise. This is getting old.” Shaking his head, the smile turned quickly to a frown. “What did the fucker do now?”

  Sadness permeated Nixie’s face, released by the honesty of his question. The passionate manner of her emotions sometimes gave her intentions away. “Take it off.”

  Removing his cap, George ran fingers through his longish shaggy hair. “I’m gonna go straight up hippie so you girls know it’s me. I vow to never get another haircut.”

  “What did you and Mindie do yesterday? I want a play by play.” Short of a secret handshake, Nixie had few ways to distinguish the twins. A recap was the best bet.

  “I can give you details of every minute.” George proceeded to fill Nixie in on everything she already knew. By the time he was finished, her stiffened posture relaxed into something still cautious, but more welcoming.

  “Okay, I think you’re the real deal. Look, your asshole brother paid Mindie a visit last night pretending to be you. He was a dick as usual and it really rattled her. She left for a few days to process some stuff. She needed out of here.”

  “What did the prick do to her? If she left town, it had to be something horrible.” Fury released as syllables threatened retribution. “I’ll kill the motherfucker.”

  “Mindie’s a tough cookie, she’ll sort this out. But, she doesn’t know either of you so well yet. Your evil twin is very convincing when he wants to be.”

  “We aren’t that similar. How can you guys confuse me with him?” Irritation joined the party of emotions ejecting from his mouth. Every clipped word pled for understanding.

  “Don’t go blaming us for Charles. He is the real bad guy.”

  “I need to talk to Mindie, I want to make sure she’s okay. Where is she?”

  “I’m not at liberty to say, she needs a breather. I can help you with the business end of things.” Unwavering, Nixie became the mother bear, nothing would change her mind. “When she gets back, I’ll fill her in. Right now, she’s even questioning taking your offer.”

  Adjusting his cap back on his head, George pursed his lips. He seemed to double in size, his determination so consuming. “I’ll take care of this once and for all. You’ll see me again soon.”

  After he left, Nixie quickly locked the door. Needing some time to regroup before the arrival of actual customers. “What a friggin’ mess.”

  “He really looks like Charles!” Wendy began wiping down already clean tables. It appeared she shared Nixie’s nervous energy. “This guy sounds dangerous. You don’t think he’s gonna do something really drastic, do you?”

  “Dear God, I hope not. Charles Stansfield isn’t worth serving jail time for.”

  Chapter Eight

  Mindie sat in the large guest room on the lounger. The wide open window provided an excellent view of the rows of grapevines strung along line. The extensive blue sky set a perfect backdrop for the forest green vines. If she imagined hard enough, she could be in Italy, or the wine country of northern California. Anything didn’t seem far enough away, and her imagination wasn’t strong enough to completely take her away. Her dilemma wasn’t completely because Charles violated her trust, she could maneuver past that blip on the negative radar. Mindie’s disappointment stemmed from a place of recognition. How could she not know Charles was the one in her home, not George? She questioned her senses, berating every telltale indication of his charade.

  Both men intrigued her feminine wiles, triggering desires she hadn’t felt in such a long time. Yet, George was the only one touching the deepest part of her intimacies, the true nature of his intent pure and unrivaled. Failing to recognize the obvious made her feel foolish and weak. Her body’s response to Charles had to come from desperation, the impassioned wanting spiraling from her core. The night before, his kiss was more demanding or primal than the tentative, tender ease of George’s lips. Deep down, she knew, she had to know…and she still fell for it.

  Shame blanketed her passions, forcing her to account for her actions. George would find out, then, would he even want to be a part of her world, knowing he couldn’t trust her to distinguish the truth. Closing her eyes, she wanted to escape, take another nap- forget about the chaos resounding within her heart.

  Her cell phone ringing interrupted Mindie’s respite. Only Nixie knew where she was, and wouldn’t call- probably not even if an emergency had her panicked. Looking at the number, she immediately saw George’s name, and she blanched. Not even declining the call, she let it ring till it stopped, debating on turning the damn thing off. What happened to the days of landlines and the ability to disappear without interruption?

  He called again three more times before stopping. Her heart dropped each time he reached out.

  I’m sorry, I made out with your brother before he felt me up. I couldn’t tell the difference, so…sorry.

  How ridiculous was the way she berated herself. She’d never been so self-deprecating and it pissed her off. A text message then appeared before she threw her phone behind the bed.

  Hey, please talk to me.

  Dammit, why did he have to be so kind? She didn’t have to answer, and could ignore him as long as she wanted. Only a few moments went by before another message appeared.

  I want to help you.

  No, she still wouldn’t reply, although her fingers itched to respond. Physical reaction drowned her resolve, making it tough to swim in the waters of tenacity. She could reach out for the life preserver he offered, all it took was a few letters.

  Blink once for yes and twice for no.

  Damn, he was persistent, adding humor to the tension was a classic ice-breaker. Maybe he would understand, all she had to do was answer. George didn’t even know what happened, unless Charles the snake went bragging. The thought flowed through her veins like ice water, there’s no telling what Charles would say to twist the dagger. She didn’t kno
w how far their rivalry went back, but, based upon her experience with them, it had to have begun in utero. Mindie should give her side of the story first, getting a head start on the drama.

  Or, maybe she should call the whole thing off and send George packing, along with Charles. The girls could beg the full amount from the bank, sidestepping the complications of adding this particular partner.

  I don’t know what happened, but, I’ll kill him if he hurt you.

  Shit just got real with that last text. With George so angry all day, every day about his brother, could she risk the reality George would actually commit bodily harm to Charles? Maybe it was time to at least reply. The scumbag wasn’t worth jail time.

  I’m okay, just needed some time. Please let things go for now.

  Adding the for now at the end gave him permission from her to wait, possibly calming the current situation down. Hopefully, he understood the unspoken promise she’d talk with him later.

  Waiting impatiently, she hoped he’d accept her proposal. Another text should come through at any time. He was so intent on opening the dialogue.

  Or not.

  Crickets.

  Crickets.

  Crickets.

  Why didn’t he reply? Alarmed, she checked the power on her phone, yes, it was charged. Yes, she had service connections. Captive to worry, she had to reach out again, it mattered if he was there or not, regardless if she didn’t want the sentiment.

  Are you there?

  The reply came quickly, no hesitation across the air waves- Always.

  ****

  If he really expected her to believe he was nothing like his brother, he really had good intentions, he must respect her space and privacy. Driving white knuckled, fury gripped his mood, almost to a dark place, if it wasn’t for Mindie, he’d be lost in a sea of black hate. At least she’d answered his text after much airwave cajoling. He shouldn’t expect more grace. Except, he did nothing wrong, not one damn thing, other than fall for the brunette with the skeptical focus. In times of chaos, making a plan was always the best option. He desperately needed a plan, or Charles would end up in the hospital or worse. George would end up in jail and not ever seeing her again, at least not in any way that mattered.