She suddenly wasn’t too nervous. Hopefully she wasn’t filled with false hope of security from her kickboxing instructor. Those classes were brutal, but at least now if someone tried to hit her, she would give them something to think about.
She still couldn’t shake that feeling that Vince’s uncle was involved. The family may have caused her grandfather’s death years ago, when men like Marty Mollicone could get away with anything. This was a different time, a different era.
She got the platter of fruit and zeppoles and delivered them to the customer who ordered it. After a glance around, she saw that nearly every table in the place was taken. Yep, today was a great day. She wasn’t going to ruin it for herself by thinking about Vince. No, today was going to be a great day, no matter what.
* * * *
Emerson Pierce was shaking his head as he listened to his best friend and business partner Stone Ryder rant on the other end of the line. Emerson just finished up the last meeting he had in SoHo, and he wanted to grab a quick snack and coffee before heading back to Manhattan.
Sure, he could have ordered something and had it delivered right to him to eat in the car on the way back to Manhattan, but he felt like walking a little. He had been stuck in the meeting since six thirty. An odd time of the morning to call for a meeting, but he wanted the deal done and to move on to better things. But as Stone raged on about that conniving bitch, Olivia St. James, he had to pull his cell phone away from his ear. There went having a quiet walk to a local place in SoHo. Emerson found himself walking faster, his Berluti dress shoes clicking on the pavement.
That damn woman just didn’t know when to give up. Stone and Emerson nearly fell for her charms, and worse, they’d slept with her. At first, they both thought that Olivia was honest, sophisticated, and suave. She dressed like a million bucks, she came from a family with money, but the bottom line was that she was after theirs. The status of millionaire to billionaire was her motivation in seducing them. Well, trying to. A little investigating from their friends, Zane and Cash, revealed plenty. Olivia was a gold digger.
“I was on a fucking date, Emerson. I was enjoying this little brunette’s company. You know how I love brunettes, and she was petite, maybe five feet four if that. Then we’re getting closer, I’m whispering into her ear, ya know, doing my thing, and bam! Out of nowhere comes Olivia, making a scene, pretending as if we’re a couple and she just caught me cheating on her.”
“So what happened?”
“My little brunette took off, pissed beyond belief, and then Olivia smiles, in that fucking way that makes me want to scream my head off at her. I think Paula was right when she said that this woman should have been bitch slapped years ago. Who the hell does she think she is?”
“I can’t believe she’d do something like that,” Emerson replied, as he thought about what their personal secretary had said about Olivia. Paula was right. The woman was trouble from the start.
“She’s fucking stalking me. I know it. You better watch your ass. She’s probably hiding behind a pole or car right now, watching you.”
Emerson found himself glancing around and scoping out the area. He was able to get his message across to Olivia about his disinterest in her pretty quickly. But, Stone was having a harder time. Which was kind of funny, considering that he was such a hard-ass and disciplinarian. The man didn’t take any shit. He had a temper, but that seemed to arouse Olivia’s interest and desire.
“Well, I don’t see her right now,” Emerson said. “Maybe we should talk to Cash and Zane. They did offer to assist if things ran amuck.”
“What? No way. We’re dealing with a crazy fucking broad who sees dollar signs. We’ll handle it. Hopefully she’ll quit it soon. I basically called her trash and said that she was loony in front of a crowd of people. She didn’t like that.”
Emerson laughed. “I’m sure she didn’t. Well, I’m grabbing a coffee. I’ll be back in the office soon.”
“No rush, man. It’s Wednesday, and things are pretty quiet. I did hear from Miguel. The franchise is doing phenomenal in the Pacific. Looks like another trip out to Fiji may be in the near future.”
“Love it there. Okay, I’ll see you later.”
Emerson disconnected the call then looked around the street, and got his bearings. Some of the employees at the meeting he was at raved about the best place in SoHo for coffee and homemade treats. It was called Bliss. Apparently it was around the corner because as he crossed the street, the smell of baked goods filled the air. His stomach rumbled. He hoped that they were right. He could really use something sweet right now. He was kind of dragging.
Emerson spotted the little café and bakery and had to do a double take. It stood out from all the other storefronts on the block. There were hanging flower baskets with greenery overflowing from them on either side of the doorway. People were coming in and out of the café. It was busy. The front window had the word Bliss done up in fancy pink writing. It appeared almost French in design. Hot pink was definitely a bit of a theme, he noticed as he reached for the door and a group of people walked out. All smiling.
As a man in business, and one who found great businesses to turn into franchises, this was a great sign. But he was here to grab a snack. He was always being observant of the quality of a business, the patrons that seemed to frequent it, and the working staff that ran it. Location, of course, was key, and this place had a great location.
“Hello, welcome to Bliss. Table for one, or would you like to sit at the coffee bar?” a pretty young woman with red hair asked him. He glanced around the place, and was in awe of the design. He had never seen anything like this before. It was unique, and welcoming.
“By the coffee bar please,” he told her, and she directed him toward the back of the restaurant. Part of it overlooked the side street and part overlooked the kitchen, where he could see a few people working, but not what they were working on. The wall went halfway up, and only revealed the bakers from chest up. It was pretty cool. A glance to the large glass display case, and his mouth watered. There were some amazing-looking things in there. But there were a lot of nontraditional coffee treats, and he knew he would have difficulty deciding.
He saw the different versions of traditional foods like croissants and donuts with fancy icing, apple, cherry, and blueberry turnovers, and some other things like fruit parfaits and fruit salads. Some things were already prepared in to-go containers and marked for immediate sale. A definite must for the busy patron with just enough time to grab a snack and coffee then make it to the bus, the subway, or to hail a cab. The owner had insight, and an understanding of the community the bake shop was located in. He was impressed.
“Hello, welcome to Bliss. What can I get you?”
The soft voice, combined with the scent of cinnamon and berries, surrounded him.
He glanced back at the bar and locked gazes with a stunning young woman. Wow. It was instant. His entire body reacted to her, as he absorbed her every feature in a quick perusal. From the initial sound of her sweet, soft voice, and the way his entire body tightened, he was shocked. She had brown hair, twisted up on top of her head and held with a clip. Her eyes were dark brown and huge, with long, black, thick eyelashes. He’d never seen such stunning eyes and thick, glamorous, real eyelashes on a woman before. They were definitely real. She wore absolutely no makeup, and didn’t need to. She was gorgeous. He actually lost his voice, and then she smiled.
“I know, it’s a tough decision. How about I leave you a menu, and for now I can get you a coffee, any way you like it.” She smiled. Bright white teeth, small features, and an absolutely perfect barista. He stared at the open V to her blouse she wore under the pink, frilly apron. He could see her collarbone, the softness of her skin, and a glow of slight sparkles against her creamy skin. She wore a small gold pendant, shaped like a heart. It was delicate and petite, like her. He had to swallow again and again, before he spoke. This was so unlike Emerson.
“Sure, I’ll take a café au lait
with one shot of espresso please.”
She nodded then turned to make the coffee. That gave him a good opportunity to look at her body. She was petite. God, what a knockout. She was voluptuous, too. No skin and bones on this woman, she had curves in all the right places. She was young, too. Early twenties maybe?
She returned a few moments later with his coffee, piping hot, just like her.
“Take a look at the menu, and in the display case, if you’re interested in something sweet to go with that coffee.”
How about a side of you? Totally what Stone would have said, but not me. God, I feel nervous. Why the hell would a man like me with such experience feel nervous. She’s too young for me. God, let her be over twenty-one.
“Thanks, honey, I’ll check it over.” He held her gaze. As her cheeks turned a shade of red, he gave her a wink and her eyes widened in shock, before she quickly looked away.
He couldn’t take his eyes off of her as he took the sip of hot coffee, and watched her over the rim of the thick, good-sized cobalt-blue mug. Even the mugs made a person feel at home. But the moment he tasted the fresh beverage, he was shocked at the exquisite taste, the perfect combination of milk and a shot of espresso. How many times had he ordered this in the morning at some of the finest hotels in the country, in the world, and they screwed it up? This was perfection.
When he turned to locate the barista again, she was gone.
* * * *
“Who is the hottie at the coffee bar, Toni?” Tina asked her when she came over to the corner to check on another order of raspberry brownie bites for a couple sitting down a few seats from the businessman
“Who?” Toni asked as she took the small platter.
“Oh, don’t even deny that you didn’t check him out. He ordered your favorite morning beverage to boot. He winked at you, too. I even saw him checking out your ass.”
“Tina. Stop that,” Toni said then headed back over. She placed the platter down onto the counter between the couple, and the good-looking businessman, dressed in a designer suit and red power tie, observed. His eyes widened, he sniffed the air, and then smiled. She walked over.
“Decide on anything?” she asked him. She absorbed the sight of his features as he leaned back in the chair and glanced at the menu and then the raspberry brownie bites and assorted fresh raspberries and strawberries with it. She could tell he was interested in the dessert.
He had beautiful, thick black hair. His eyes were a light blue, and he was a big man. Probably six feet three, and filled with muscles under that suit. She noticed as he walked to the coffee bar, the way his belt was flush against his abs. He probably had great abs. He stood out in the crowd of patrons. She could see some of the businesswomen checking him out, and others were as well. He was that good looking, that noticeable.
He cleared his throat, and she was shocked that she was staring at him, and hadn’t noticed him watching her.
“I’m so sorry. Daydreaming,” she recovered as she ran her fingers along the counter. She noticed immediately how large his hands were. He had long thick fingers. He was definitely a big man. She looked up at him and their eyes locked.
“That’s quite all right, honey. Maybe you could make a recommendation between these two items.” He leaned forward, as if wanting her to look closer at the menu. She didn’t have to. She knew the damn thing from front to back. She made everything on it. But she found herself leaning forward. The man smelled good, too. Even better than those raspberry brownie bites, and they were an old favorite of hers.
“This one here, the peach and mango tartlets with fresh berry garnish on the side, or the raspberry brownie bites? Or maybe the mini cheesecakes with cherry topping, or blueberry topping or—”
She started laughing. The poor man was overwhelmed. When she tilted her head up at him, he had a scowl on his face. She immediately felt her belly tighten. He was fierce, a man who expected respect. She should be freaking out, but instead her nipples hardened and her belly did some sort of twist and turn deep within her. She was so turned on by this stranger it was unnerving.
“What’s so funny?” he asked very seriously, and holy shit, did her body react in an entirely different way than she expected. Her breasts tightened, she felt a quivering between her thighs, and her heart raced. She didn’t know what to say. And then he winked.
“You’re probably used to this. You’ve worked here for a while?” he asked, placing the menu down.
“Yes, a long time.”
“Okay, so tell me what the best thing is to have for a first timer.”
“Well, I like everything on the menu, but since it is your first time, may I suggest the raspberry bites. Next time you can try something else.” He held her gaze as he slowly nodded his head. It was like he was thinking something different than what she meant. Her cheeks felt warm again, and she knew the best thing to do was to hightail it out of there.
“The next time?” he asked her, then gave a small smile.
She shrugged her shoulders. “I know you’ll like anything we have on the menu.”
He leaned back and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “You’re that confident, huh?”
She placed her hands on her hips and raised one eyebrow at him in challenge. “Yes, sir.”
“Hmm.” He looked at the menu, then at the tray of brownie bites in front of the couple a few seats down, then back at her.
“So, the brownie bites?”
“Yes please,” he said and she smiled. When he smiled back, he looked charming. As he crossed his arms in front of his chest, she caught sight of his fancy cuff links. Were those real diamonds? she wondered as she hurried to place the order and assist with other customers.
* * * *
Emerson pulled out his phone and punched in some information. In no time he was in his system and looking up the owner of this little café. It was very charming. Glancing around the room as he sipped his café au lait, he noticed the many business people, as well as regulars. The owner had the place decorated beautifully, with various seating arrangements. Some were benches along the windows, and each had a bright-colored throw pillow on it. There were several booths, triangular shaped, with room for four on one long piece and then room for another four on multicolored velvet seats. Fancy, yet appealing to the eye and inviting. There were also smaller tables, a bit more intimately lined around the edges of the cafe, and in each corner was a special single-seater with a side table. The walls had fine art displayed as well as a section with more abstract designs.
He noticed that as a group of people left, more people arrived. It was quite busy.
He spotted the barista again as she returned to the coffee bar, assisting two other young women.
He glanced at his cell phone and hit some more buttons, trying to find out more about this place. A series of reviews popped up on Bing, and they were all four and five stars, aside from a two-star rating. He scanned the review. A person complained that the place was dirty. Emerson looked around him. It was spotless. As a matter of fact, it was better than any place he’d ever stopped into for coffee or a snack. Hell, it was cleaner than a lot of high-end restaurants in the city.
He popped one of the delectable raspberry brownie bites into his mouth. Oh my God. These are fucking amazing.
The first bite revealed a center of fudge, not too much and that hint of raspberry glaze or something mixed into it. He reached for the berries. Beautiful, ripe, and sweet.
“How are they?” the barista asked, and he finished chewing then smiled.
“Fantastic. I’ve never had anything like this before.”
“I’m glad that you’re enjoying them. Let me know if you need anything else.” She slid his bill onto the counter, of course it was in pink, and in her handwriting. In between the scents of sugary smells, he caught a whiff of her perfume. Light, airy, enticing, just like her. As he looked at the paper bill, he wondered if it would smell like her perfume? That thought—that he was ready to lift it to his nose and take
a sniff—bothered him. He had never experienced such an instant attraction and desire to learn more about another person. Sure, when he needed sex, he was able to find someone who appealed to him and then let her go, and he never brought her to the penthouse. Stone was the exact same way.
His cell phone rang, and as he pulled it out, he saw it was Stone. He wondered what Stone would think of this place, and of the barista. She was exactly what they liked. Petite, brunette, brown eyes, sweet and voluptuous. But she was young. Too young for men like him and Stone.
“Hello?” He answered his cell as he placed the money down on the counter. He left her a nice tip. It was the least he could do.
“Yeah, where are you? I thought that you would be here by now,” Stone said.
“Hey, you said nothing was doing.”
“Well, something is doing now. That building on Locus we were interested in buying is going up for sale in a matter of an hour. I’ve got the realtor on line one, but I need you to call Stewart and get in touch with the owner. That nice old man you chitchatted with that day. He likes you. Now that he’s ready to sell, we need the upper hand.”
“Okay, Stone. I’m on it.” He stood up and disconnected the call.
“Would you like me to wrap those for you?”
“Oh, no that’s okay. I need to go.”
She gave him a look as if he was out of his mind to leave them there, or maybe she seemed insulted. He felt bad.
“Okay, wrap them. I’ll bring them to the office with me.”
She smiled then reached under the counter and used a napkin to add the delectable brownie bites to the box. It was also in pink, with the fancy word Bliss across the front. She tied a little bow over the top and handed it to him. It looked beautiful. Almost as beautiful as the barista.
Their Sweet Desire [Power Surge: The Billionaire Club 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2
