by Cathryn Fox
The room grows silent as we wait for her, and I notice the way her best friend Destiny is watching me. Does she know Eden slept with Santa, and more importantly, does Destiny know I was him?
Eden finally takes a seat and I’m about to begin the meeting, when another thought hits me. “Since I’ve asked you all to stay late, and work on this. I thought I’d order in. How does pizza sound?”
Sounds of surprise ring out around me and I casually let my gaze stray to Eden, who is turning an odd shade of white.
“Do you not like Pizza, Eden?”
“I like it very much.”
“What’s your favorite pizza joint? I invited you to be a part of the team today, the least I could do is order from your favorite place.”
She puts her hands on her lap, exchanges a quick look with Destiny, then turns back to me. “I like Jacks, down on Truman.”
I glance around the room. “Everyone okay with that?”
A chorus of yesses surrounds me.
I take out my phone, search the restaurant and put my order in online. The team members are all talking quietly when I finish. “It should be about thirty minutes.” I wave my hand toward Eden. “I invited Eden today because she came up with a great idea for Valentine’s Day, and I’d like to hash out some details.” I hand the floor over to her and she tells the team about her chocolate body paint idea.
Excitement bubbles through the room. We make candy, and this is a stretch for us, taking our business in a different direction, but we’ll be tapping in to a new market. Yeah, my girl is brilliant.
My girl?
Well, not really.
“I think it’s an excellent idea,” Destiny says. “We’ll be reaching a whole new market segment.”
“Exactly, which is why I called you all here today. We’re going to have to do some deep research. Come up with a strong slogan, one that tells a story.”
“Why don’t we let the body paint do that?” Eden pipes in.
All eyes turn to Eden.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“What if the paint tells the story? We make it a quill that dips into the chocolate, and lovers can write love messages on each others bodies.”
“Keep going,” I say, excitement moving through me because I think she’s really on to something here.
“Well we could even make the chocolate bottle look like an ink pot, and have sugar free chocolate, gluten free etc. I’d buy that. I mean…if I had…I...”
“Brilliant,” Destiny says coming to her rescue. She stands grabs a pen and draws an inkpot on the board.
“If you put feathers on the other end of the pen, it could work as a pleasure aid, too.” Eden adds.
I nod. “You seem to have given this a lot of thought.”
“It just came to me,” she says.
“Well I like the way you think Eden. You should join these meetings more often.”
Destiny turns her focus back to me, and we all sit around for the next half hour exchanging ideas, until my phone pings, indicating the pizza and drinks have arrive.
“Take a break, stretch out. I’ll be right back.”
Excited by Eden’s idea, I hurry to the lobby. The truth is, if this new product proves to be a success, it will definitely elevate my bottom line, and show my father that I have what it takes to run a successful candy business—all thanks to Eden. I think a big bonus is in order. Then maybe she’ll buy herself some nicer sweaters. Although I have to admit, those ugly ones with the bells and ribbons and packages are kind of growing on me, and making me want to unwrap her. Again.
I pay the courier, and carry the five big boxes to the boardroom. I enter to find Eden and Destiny in the corner taking quietly and casting glances my way. I’m fueling the fire, I know, but I can’t seem to help myself. For some reason I like toying with Eden, like keeping her guessing, and just a little off balance. She can never find out it was me though. She’d be mortified and likely quit. I’d never want to embarrass her like that, and the last thing I want is for her to leave Sweet Bites. I really should put a stop to all my teasing now. That thought sours my stomach because I don’t want to. I want to be with her again, and I want her to know it’s me.
A little uneasy, I set the five big boxes on the table. “Dig in.” I say and help myself to a big slice. I drop down into my chair, crack a soda and take a long pull. Once everyone is finished eating, I check my watch. “I can’t see any reason for you all to stay any later. I’m sure you can work on this tomorrow, and get me your thoughts and designs by late afternoon. I’d like to have a sample for our clients as soon as possible.
Everyone begins to file out, and when Eden walks past me, I say, “Eden can I have a word with you. In my office.”
“Oh, sure. Just let me put these files on my desk and I’ll be right in.”
My cock twitches as I make my way back to the office, and do a quick search on the closest sex shop. I memorize the address, and when Eden knocks, I try to keep my voice and actions professional.
“How about a little research trip?”
What the hell are you doing, dude?
“Research trip? For what?”
“I think I’d like to check out the competition. See how they’re bottling their chocolate, and how it tastes. I want to make sure we come out with a superior product, and I need to do all the market research I can.”
“Well, I guess. Just let me grab my coat.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll be back home before nine.”
“Okay, thanks.”
She disappears down the hall and comes back with her purse and jacket. She tugs it on, struggles a bit with one of the sleeves.
“Here let me help.” I stand behind her, close, catch her sweet raspberry fragrance and it’s all I can do not to push her hair to the side and run my lips over her neck. I fix her jacket, turn her to face me, and adjust the hood.
“Thanks,” she says her voice a breathy whisper, her body practically quivering.
Fuck man, I love the way she responds to me.
“I did a search on the closest sex shop that sells body paint,” I tell her.
Her steps still as we reach the elevator. “We’re going to a sex shop?”
“Sure, that’s the only place that sells body paint.” I steal a glance at the pink crawling up her neck. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“No, no problem at all.”
We climb onto the elevator, and she presses her back to the wall, her arms crossed. We both remain quiet, listening to the piped in music as we descended. The doors open and I wave my hand for her to step out.
“We’ll take my car.”
Light snowflakes are falling when we get outside, and Eden pulls her hood up. I grab my fob and unlock the door to my Prius. I follow her around to the passenger side.
“What are you doing?” she asks, when I reach for the handle.
“Getting your door for you.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh, thanks,” she says as she slides in. What, has no man ever opened a door for her before? Christ, she’s not a jerk magnet; there are just a lot of jerks out there. It’s about time this woman found a man who’s going to treat her right.
I slide into the driver’s seat, and start the engine. Her teeth are shivering so I jack the heat.
“Sooo, cold,” she murmurs.
“Winter in Pennsylvania,” I say and exit the parking lot.
“Why do we live here?” Her eyes are playful when she glances at me.
“Because we have the best chocolate in the world.” The car starts to warm as I drive along the dark streets, traffic still heavy this time of night. Ten minutes later, as I pull into the parking lot of Pleasure N’ Treasure, light flecks of snow begin to fall.
“Doesn’t look too busy.”
“Good,” she says quickly.
I turn to her, note her clenched hands. “Eden if this makes you uncomfortable in any way, you can wait here.”
“No not at all,” she says. “It�
��s not like I’ve never been in a sex store before.” She lifts her chin as she says it, a good indication that she’s fibbing. “We’re both adults right, and this is for research,” she adds and with that she opens her door and climbs out.
Those light flecks of snow grow heavier, thicker as I meet her at the front of the car, and when we reach the store, a little bell over the door jingles indicating our arrival.
“Welcome to Pleasures N’ Treasures,” the lady behind the counter says. “Can I help you find anything?”
“Just browsing,” I say, as Eden shakes the snow from her hair and looks around at all the product, her eyes big. I lean into her, and give her a nudge, to set her into motion. Together we browse the shelves, and some of the faces Eden makes as she looks at the toys are downright hilarious.
I pick up a toy and examine it. “This looks like a dog’s chew toy,” I whisper to Eden and she covers her mouth as she laughs.
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“And this,” I say, picking up some strange product that looks like it belongs on the end of a vacuum. “I have no idea what it is?”
“It’s the womanizer deluxe,” the clerk says. “It’s aammmaazzzinggg.” She winks at Eden. “If you know what I mean.”
Eden’s face is all kinds of pink as I look the machine over. “Oh, I get it,” I say. “You place this—”
“Omg, Kellan,” Eden says and turns away.
“Are you sure I can’t help you find something?” the lady asks, amusement in her voice.
“Chocolate body paint,” Eden says quickly, like she can’t wait to get out of the store.
“Right this way.” We both follow her, and I continue to examine all the little toys, my mind racing on all the sexy ways Eden and I could play with them.
She leads us to the aisle with the chocolate, and waves her hand. “Right here.”
“Thanks,” I say, and pick up the tub. I look it over. “We need to make our packaging more attractive.”
“This looks like it could be a tub of my face cream.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t taste like one.”
Eden follows me to the cash and I pay. The clerk gives us a wink and says, “Have fun you two.”
Eden says, “Oh, it’s not—”
“Don’t worry, we will,” I say, and Eden glares at me.
“Why did you say that?” she asks as we head to the door.
“No reason.”
“Now she thinks we’re going to use this on each other.”
“We are.”
I can practically hear her brain racing as I open the door and gesture for her to exit. I take a quick peek at my watch. It’s only six-thirty. Plenty of time for us to try out the competitor’s product and get her home for nine.
“You want me to try the paint out with you?” she says over her shoulder as she steps outside
“Market research,” is all I say. “We have to taste it, play with it a little.” The sexy little bedroom noise that catches in her throat teases my already hard cock.
I follow her out but the ground is now covered with snow, and her feet go out from beneath her.
“Omg,” she shrieks, but I catch her before she falls. I drag her to me, her back to my chest, and put my chin on her shoulder.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yes, thank you,” she says, her voice soft, breathless. I tighten my hold on her. “The ground is icy. I had no idea.”
“The temperature is dropping, and the snow is moving in faster than forecasted. We need to get out of here. The roads are going to be treacherous. Will you be okay, if I let you go?”
“I think so.”
I slowly release her, but she wobbles again, so I put my arm around her, anchor her to my body and hold her like that as we cross the near empty parking lot.
I help her into the passenger seat, climb in and turn the car on to get her warm. After adjusting the temp, I jump out, and grab my snow scraper from the trunk. She cracks her window.
“I can help.”
I smile at the offer, am touched by it really. She’s far different from the women I’m accustomed to. “You stay warm. I got it.”
Once I’ve cleared the window, I shake the snow from my coat, and get into the warm car. “Damn it’s a mess out there.” I ease my car from the parking lot, and my tires crunch over the snow covered roads. Good thing I have the top of the line snow tires. “No way can we go back to the office. We need to get home.” I cast a glance her way and catch the worry in her eyes. “I don’t like the idea of you driving home on these roads.”
“I don’t have a car. I bus.” She points to the closest bus stop. “Just let me out here.”
What? Is she serious? I give a hard shake of my head. “I’m not dropping you off downtown in the dark during a storm.”
“I have to get home soon,” she says, almost frantic.
“I know. Before nine.”
She fidgets with her purse. “Well, it’s a phone thing. I don’t have to be home, per say.”
“Where do you live? I can drive you.”
“Kentville Heights.”
“That’s on the other side of town.” I go quiet for a moment. I know what I’m about to do isn’t smart or rational, but when I’m around her, that seems to be par for the course. “I have an idea.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m ten minutes from here. Why don’t you stay at my place tonight.” She opens her mouth, to protest no doubt, so I cut her off. Why the hell is this so important to me? “I have a ton of space, and lots of spare rooms. You can have your pick.” She makes a face and stares at her lap. “You can do your nine o’clock calls in the privacy of your own room.”
“I’m not sure…the bus.”
“It’s too dangerous for us to be on the roads, and I’m not letting you out when I don’t even think the busses are running. What kind of guy do you think I am, anyway?”
Her lids slowly lift, that sexy demure look in her gaze when her eyes meet mine. “I think you’re a very nice man,” she says.
My heart squeezes.
Careful dude.
“Okay, good. Then the decision is made. You’re coming home with me.”
“You’re kind of bossy, too,” She says under her breath.
“Well I am the boss.”
“I didn’t mean it was a bad thing.”
Jesus fuck. Demure Eden is such a contradiction. Sweet and quiet in the office, but underneath it lays a strong, empowered woman who likes her man in charge behind closed doors.
I concentrate on the road ahead, and creep along. The ten-minute drive taking close to thirty. I pull into the buildings underground parking, and turn off my car.
“This is where you live?” she asks. “Docs Apartments?”
I nod. “Yeah, you know the place.”
“Heard of it. These places have a great view of the Allegheny River.”
“It will be really pretty tonight with the snow falling.”
I reach for the handle and she stiffens. “I don’t even have any clothes or even a toothbrush.”
“I have an extra toothbrush. And you can borrow some of my clothes. Tomorrow when the weather is better I’ll take you home before work.”
“Thanks. I wouldn’t want to climb out of your car tomorrow morning in the same clothes as I wore today. People would talk. Get the wrong idea about us.”
Fuck them.
“Yeah, we wouldn’t want that.”
I grab the bag from the adult Pleasure’s N’ Treasures store, and meet her at the front of the car. We get in the elevator, and I put my penthouse suite key into the slot. From my peripheral vision, I catch the widening of Eden’s eyes.
The elevator doors open to my suite and we step off. Eden walks around tentatively, carefully, taking in the big apartment. She walks up to the floor to ceiling window and looks at the river below. “Beautiful,” she whispers.
“Hungry?” I ask her.
She turns to face me. �
�No I’m good. Still full from the pizza.” I hold my hand out for her coat and she shrugs out of it. Jesus does she have to move her hips like that?
I hang our coats up. “How about a drink then?”
“Would love one.”
I go to the kitchen. “I have beer, wine, champagne—”
“Wine is good.”
I pour us each a glass of white wine, and carry them into the living room. We sit on the sofa facing the river, and I study her as I take a sip. “What do you do for fun, Eden?”
A flush moves into her cheeks. “Well…I uh…”
I lean toward her. Is she going to tell me her most recent fun event was sex with Santa in the copier room.
“Truthfully, I haven’t had a lot of time for fun lately. Destiny is always riding me about that. She wants me to get on Tinder.”
The sadness in her eyes catches me off guard. “How come you haven’t had time for a lot of fun? Is the boss working you too hard at Sweet Bites.”
She chuckles, takes a sip of her wine, and says, “No, I love my job.”
“Good.”
“I could as you that same question, you know. You work twenty-four seven. When was the last time you had any fun?”
“Point taken.” I sip my wine, and relax against the sofa. I like being here with her. Suddenly my apartment doesn’t feel so big and lonely. “The thing is,” I begin. “I know I work everyone hard but if I can’t prove to my dad that I have what it takes to make a profitable bottom like before my thirtieth birthday in March, he’s going to take the company from me.”
Why the hell am I telling her this?
She sits up a little straighter. “You’re kidding me.”
“I have no idea who’ll take over or what cuts they’ll make. I care about the staff more than an inflated bottom line, Eden. I don’t want to see anyone fired.”
Her eyes soften, and the little curl of her lips fucks me over.
“You’re a really good guy.”
I push back into the sofa. “I know what they say about me around the office.”
Her hand creeps across the cushion, and touches mine. “And yet you let them call you names when deep down you’re only doing what’s best for them. You’re like our own secret Santa.”
Oh, Jesus, she has no idea.
