Double Dare

by Melissa Whittle

  With her clothes balled in one hand, Emma closed the front of the coat and stepped out the car. “Come by after work. Tomorrow’s Cookie Wednesday.”

  “Macadamia?” Sasha perked up again.

  “Don’t know yet,” Emma teased.

  She would have waved good-bye, but one flash a night was more than enough. Once inside the house she took in what would be the last deep breath of the coat’s scent and put it and him out of her mind. The odds of ever seeing him again were nil, which was for the best. Any man who could kiss like that on the fly was bound to create nothing but havoc.

  He wanted an explanation. Had asked for one without once letting his gaze leave hers, a gentlemanly act and a respectful gesture. The acts held a restraint that hadn’t been in the kiss. The whole thing left her feeling off-kilter.

  She had her friends, her business. A lust, let alone a love affair, didn’t fit into the compact life she enjoyed and created. She had balance and that man promised anything but that one thing. She preferred the slow build to attraction anyway. Half convinced now, she nodded. That quick, hot jolt of attraction always fizzled out. She pressed her nose to the leather. This would be the last smell before she hung the jacket in the foyer’s closet.

  Emma slipped off the coat and placed it into the dark recess of the closet without sniffing the air.

  “Good riddance,” she said and slammed the door.

  Chapter Two

  “Let me get this straight.” Tobias Merchant breathed through his nose to get a semblance of calm. He did that a lot when talking to his little brother. “This woman hired you off the street without checking references. Without you having actual work experience.”

  His mind filled with all the possible dangers. As a former homicide detective, his imagination didn’t have to do a lot of work. He’d seen more than enough to know how small, seemingly innocuous circumstances ended with a dead body. “She didn’t even ask for your ID before hiring you?”

  He kept his voice low, because he had five customers sitting at various tables, sipping their coffee. Joshua’s brows went up, and Tobias knew he’d slipped into cop mode. Low didn’t mean without menace. Much worse, he’d planned to go into business with the woman who owned Sweet Tooth where no more than five minutes ago his brother had gotten a job. Not to mention how awkward it would be if he decided Emmaline Sharp didn’t pass muster. He’d still have to deal with her because the job involved his brother.

  “I’m supposed to go back at three tomorrow to fill out paperwork.”

  “If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. It sounds as if she’s going to have you twiddle your thumbs for four hours a day and pay you a dollar more than minimum wage.” Another suck of air. A slow release. “No.”

  “Tobi, I really want this job.”

  He cut his brother with a glare. “Not getting on my good side with that nickname.”

  Eleven years his junior, Josh had trouble saying Tobias when he’d first started to talk. Now, at eighteen, Josh only used it when he really wanted something.

  “Tobias,” Josh emphasized the name, and several people looked to the front. “I’m going to do this job. I don’t get why it’s a problem. You had me make every table and chair in here. The shelves. Man, I still can’t get the smell of tea out my favorite jeans.”

  “I bet you also neglected to mention you’re my brother.”

  Josh looked away; his lanky frame bunched with tension. “I wanted to get a job on my own, without using your name or the business name. And I got one.”

  “I don’t know.” Tobias crossed his arms and put a smile on his face so it wouldn’t look like they were arguing.

  “She didn’t act like a con. A con would have hit on me. Heck, she’d have gotten my information the first time around.” His brother grinned. “She didn’t look like one either. Wavy hair, but she had these strange looking eyes. Almost golden. Really nice too.”

  Tobias stiffened and the bottom of his stomach filled with lead. The woman from last night had golden eyes. This was a university town, but a small one nonetheless. How many people would have that eye color?

  Despite having researched Emmaline Sharp thoroughly, she wasn’t a put-your-face-out there kind of woman. Neither was he, so he looked at her business. He had Tina and George, the faces of Caff-aholic, ask all the appropriate questions you could through e-mail. So far so good. They had a meeting today to iron out his and her cut of the profits, how much he’d take on and the percentage he’d get back because of it. Schedules of deliveries, etc. Nothing that would cost him more than it already did.

  More importantly, today’s meeting would allow him to check her out in person. Then he’d make the offer to display her desserts in both this store and the one in Heron. In the end, a trade-off that would bring in more revenue and start him off on the right foot with this branch.

  From his brother’s description, the woman he planned to go into business with and the woman from last night sounded one and the same. When she’d first run into him, all he could see in her eyes was panic and anxiety. But, if you were naked in a commercial district and the police happened to show up, well, that might be a normal reaction to an abnormal situation.

  He’d been trained to protect, instincts kicked in, and he wrapped her in his favorite leather coat and blocked her body from view. It wasn’t until her face lifted up and those honey-golden eyes silently pleaded for help that Tobias had a moment to hear and see what his brain processed. She wanted him to lie and say he was her boyfriend if the cops stopped to question them. To make sure the cops didn’t, she wanted him to kiss her.

  How could a man logically process information with a naked woman pressed against him? Those caramels eyes had flashed fear and shame, for the briefest moments, desire too. When he looked at her then it wasn’t insanity in her gaze but awareness of him.

  But then maybe he imagined that part. She did have the darkest, caramel-tipped nipples he’d ever seen. He’d acted out of character and kissed those succulent lips without stopping to consider his actions. But there were two things Tobias would never forget: the tattoo and her eyes.

  “Tobias?” His brother sounded cautious.

  “Describe her.” His tone was flat.

  His brother detailed the store, the woman and the conversation. “No, she doesn’t sound like a con,” Tobias agreed.

  She sounded like a bleeding heart, but not the type of woman who would run down the street naked. Too bad. No, it was a good thing. No matter how beneficial for both of them, Tobias wouldn’t link himself up to someone reckless and Emmaline had been. He would miss the opportunity to get his jacket back. The coat survived many homicide investigations without a stain. A token of his past he’d left behind to open up a coffee and teashop here. He’d only been on the street last night because he’d been working late to finalize all the details for the soft opening. Making the store a success was more important than a random naked stranger.

  Tobias took in his brother and frowned. “Back when I was in the Academy, I would have loved for someone to have said just concentrate on school,” he said. “Why do you need a job?”

  Josh shrugged. “Treat me like a brother, not like your kid.”

  For the past two years, he’d raised Josh. The shift in the relationship changed how Tobias looked at him. It changed how he lived his life. “As long as you’re under my roof, I won’t be able to treat you in any other way.”

  “Which is why I wanted a job. To pull my own weight. I’m not a kid and haven’t been one for a while.”

  Tobias’ shut his mouth for a moment and he looked at his brother. Despite the fact Josh worked out in the weight room every day and ate more than Tobias could in a week, his brother didn’t fill out the suit he’d worn to the impromptu interview. Yet they moved here for the college. His baby brother was growing up.

  “Fine,” he agreed, reluctantly. “But I’m checking this woman out.”

  Josh groaned. “Don’t get me fired.”

&nbs
p; He kept to himself the job was probably offered out of pity. His brother did sad, puppy dog face well and this woman sounded like a soft touch.

  “I won’t,” Tobias promised.

  Glancing out the window to the bakery across the street, he scowled. The carefully stenciled words Sweet Tooth hung above the store. The eggplant-shaded sign held no frills. Unlike the night before, cars lined up the street. Once dusk set the low lighting created a better ambiance. Inadequate lighting always created possibilities for danger. If it were up to him, he’d sacrifice the ambiance for safety.

  A smile quirked at his mouth. The lighting convinced young, naked women they could safely run down a dimly lit street without anyone the wiser. The occasional slow drive through by cops wouldn’t deter a determined prankster or professional criminal.

  The memory of the woman crept into his mind. Her silken skin, slender but supple thighs, concave soft stomach…just a voluptuous form—Tobias pushed the image out. He could, too well, imagine what could have gone wrong for the woman. He could also imagine what might have happened if her friend hadn’t showed up, and that kept him preoccupied for a moment.

  “Earth to Tobias,” Josh said.

  Distracted, he answered, “Huh?”

  “Are you ok?” Concern furrowed Josh’s brows.

  “Yeah.” He had a lot riding on this deal. The quick revenue would do for him what he needed. She wouldn’t be across the street. Couldn’t be. “Man the front. Do everything as I taught you. Don’t veer from the formula or you’ll end up with crap.”

  Josh sighed. “I know.”

  “Wash your hands and don’t forget to smile.”

  Josh’s smile was saccharine sweet. Tobias bit back the laugh, because it would only encourage his brother to be more of a smart ass.

  Exiting the store, Tobias stepped out onto the sidewalk. The afternoon air held a distinctive chill. One his leather jacket could have fended off. He double-checked both ways before running across to the bakery.

  A bell above the door announced his entrance. Emmaline Sharp looked up, and the golden eyes from last night met his gaze. He forced himself forward. She bit her lip, and he could see the battle between acting cool and hiding behind the low counter out of embarrassment. Finally, her shoulders lowered at the third option: act as if she didn’t recognize him. The thought of pulling the wool over his eyes turned the strained smile into a genuine one that lit up the honeyed-shade around her irises.

  He gravitated to the light in her gaze and felt trapped in the warmth. Then he remembered they were supposed to go into business with each other. His vision of having both of his stores free and clear from debt, a debt Tobias worried he could never repay, vanished. There was no way he wanted to be associated with a woman who ran down the street naked for fun. This deal was supposed to be the leg up in this community by connecting Caff-aholic with an established and respected bakery. Cops weren’t the only ones who loved coffee and doughnuts. This would have been his way out of debt in six months instead of a year, if not more.

  “How may I help you, sir?” At the last word she flinched.

  But at the first word, Tobias’ cock hardened. Her voice, as silky as her thighs, brushed along his spine. His jaw flexed. A reckless woman, Tobias reminded himself.

  She also seemed to lack the instincts to protect herself against a possible threat. What she should have done was inch toward the phone in case she needed to call the police. A man who’d seen her naked stood in her, currently, empty store. Instead she stood frozen at the counter, embarrassment coloring her cheeks.

  “You must have a death wish.”

  Her eyes widened at the words. Good. Still, she stood at the counter instead of running for the phone.

  He rolled his shoulders to displace the tension holding his frame tight, and hoped to dispel the ache in his groin too. “You were reckless last night and you’re being reckless now.”

  “So, you hunted me down to tell me that? Great past time if you can get it.” She huffed and just like that the irritation was displaced with curiosity. “How’d you find me anyway?”

  It was incredible to see the irritation come and go within a blink. “You ask as though it’s something you shouldn’t be worried about.”

  “I’m not,” she snapped at him. Apparently she’d reached the end of her patience.

  Like a slap to the face, he realized the mishap. A good thing they’d run into each other last night. Now he knew what ledgers and newspaper articles couldn’t tell him about Emmaline Sharp. The business deal was off. He would go back across the street and send an e-mail that he’d changed his mind. End of story. She wasn’t his responsibility so why did he care if she’d put her life at risk? No crow’s feet creased her eyes and she…well, she’d been quite perky in the chest area…and other places.

  Taking a moment to calm, he finally said, “What are you? Twenty-eight, twenty-nine? Old enough to know better than to streak down a street where any pervert or derelict could have…seen you.”

  He raked his gaze over her face, her luscious form. Though the apron covered most of her body, he saw right through it. An ability honed on the force allowed him to bring up the image of her from last night in painstaking detail. She opened her plump lips to speak, and then bit the side of her mouth. The action made it too easy for him to remember she tasted like sugar.

  “I do know better,” she said on a sigh.

  He started to say something else and remembered why he’d came in the first place. She’d given his brother a job because Josh had needed one. She was a reckless, bleeding heart. His brother wouldn’t care what this woman did in her off hours. His brother would kill him if he managed to ruin this.

  He sighed, leeching all anger from his tone. “I found you by getting an urge for a dessert and walking in here.”

  Noting the immaculate counters all around her filled with dessert after dessert, he crossed the black and white checkered floor to the register. He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

  She looked him up and down. “I feel we should be on first name basis. Emmaline. My friends call me Emma.”

  “Which name do you prefer?”

  “Oh,” she said in surprise. “Emmaline, but whatever.”

  He took her hand and knew it would be soft like the rest of her. Some old and familiar feeling gripped him—attraction. The emotion was all wrong. He didn’t want her. He’d seen her naked. That was it. Tobias reminded himself this visit was for his little brother Josh.

  He cleared his throat. “T―Graham.” He chose his middle name and was glad his shyness to the media would finally work in his favor. There weren’t pictures of the Caff-aholic owner. Even after Gabriella…he stopped the thought from taking root.

  “You rescued me last night.” She donned the perfect mask of hostess to hide any leftover embarrassment. “I would have ended up in jail if I hadn’t run into you. You’re right; it was reckless. I said the same thing—believe it or not. Never mind.” She gestured to the displays of sweets. “Anything you want. On me.”

  Gaze catching on the cherry éclairs, his brain jumped to the image of thick, sweet syrup forming a trail down to the thatch of hair between her thighs. What would be sweeter? The woman or the fruit? Sweat prickled along his forehead. He swiped at it and pumped the brakes on that thought too. What was wrong with him? It wasn’t like he’d never seen a naked woman before.

  Her smile faltered, so he cleared his throat again and pointed at the cherry éclairs. “One of those.” He considered the array before him, avoiding her gaze. Chocolate-covered-flaky croissants had a row at the bottom. He gestured. “And one of those.”

  “Good eye.” Getting the flimsy baking paper from on top of the counter, she deftly wrapped the treats and dropped them into a white bag adorned with the same logo displayed out front. She snapped her fingers. “Your jacket.” Emmaline sounded breathless. “If you come by tomorrow I can have it here for you.”

  He could see her in it. The hem stopped just so on her
smooth thighs. He had to get the hell out of there. Detail by remembered detail was turning him into a pervert.

  “Thanks,” he said. “I’m going to go.”

  Not giving her time to reply, Tobias left the store before she noticed the beginnings of a pole tent in his pants. He’d win the embarrassment contest, hands down.

  Chapter Three

  Back in Caff-aholic, the ache in his groin eased. No way he could bite into the éclair without seeing her naked and covered in cherries while his leather jacket rested on her shoulders. He handed over both items to Josh. He had work to do, a new life to live and none of it would involve Emmaline.

  His brother stuck around to eat both the éclair and croissant at the front table. An hour in, Tobias found his rhythm again. The stream of customers were more solicitous than expected. People were checking out the new kid on the block. The transition would have been easier with Sweet Tooth’s stamp of approval, but that was water under the bridge.

  It was then Tobias remembered that he had to e-mail Emmaline and let her know he’d changed his mind.

  “Josh,” he called, but the rest of the command stuck in his throat.

  The fine hairs on his arm rose. He didn’t have to do a double take at the door to recognize the sixty-something couple who’d just walked in. The woman’s hair, a dark sable shade, hung around a face that looked so much like her daughter’s it convinced him ghosts did exist: in a gesture, in a smile, in a look.

  Gabriella’s father wrapped his arm around his wife’s waist as they took in the shop. A mural of coffee paraphernalia wove through the lighting fixtures—coffee filters, beans, grinders, foamed milked—making a firm connection with the ‘aholic part of a caffeine addiction.