Across the bench seat, Angie opened her door at the same time he did. Meeting her in front of the truck, he scanned the area. Being aware of his surroundings was second nature to him, especially when Angie was with him. The two had become friends after he’d bought the house next to hers over a year ago and then ended up on her protection detail when her life had been in danger. He loved all his teammates’ significant others, but he’d developed an extra special bond with his boss’s woman—strictly platonic, of course. Not that he didn’t think she wasn’t downright smokin’ hot, but he valued his job, his friendship with Ian, and his life too much to do something stupid, like hit on her. And even though they all participated in the BDSM lifestyle, Ian didn’t share like some of them did.
Holding open the door to Fancy Creations for Angie, he followed her inside and inhaled deeply. Holy crap, it’s a diabetic’s nightmare in here. Thank God, he wasn’t a diabetic. His mouth watered at all the delicious smells. He was definitely going to have to take some of the sweet confections home with him.
A college-age woman putting a tray of goodies in a display case smiled and greeted them. “Hi, what can I get you today? We have some fresh cinnamon rolls that just came out of the oven.”
Angie stepped over to the counter in between the display cases, which had several covered trays on top of them filled with cookies and cupcakes. “Hi. We have an appointment with Fancy about a wedding cake.”
“Oh, sure. She’ll be out in a minute.” The cute blonde pointed at a few tables on the opposite side of the shop, several of which were taken by people chatting and eating pastries. “You can have a seat over there. Can I bring you some coffee?”
“That would be great, thanks.”
Stepping over to the coffee machine, she glanced at Brody and got her first unobstructed view of him, her eyes growing wide as she took in his six-foot-two, two-hundred-fifty-pounds-of-solid-muscle body. His mouth moved upward into the dimpled grin which made many a woman drop to her knees in front of him, and let his Texas drawl rumble out a little stronger than usual. “Thanks, darlin’. Milk and sugar in both. Can ya’ll box up a dozen of those cinnamon rolls for me, too? I’ll bring ‘em back to work for everyone.”
When he winked at her, a blush appeared on her cheeks before she nodded and almost knocked over a tower of unused coffee cups. Following Angie over to the table, Brody sat next to her as she rolled her eyes. Leaning closer to him so she couldn’t be overheard, she teased, “You’re such a man-whore, Egghead.”
“It’s a God-given talent to make women of all ages blush, and I’m damn glad he blessed me with it.” Part of him was being cocky, but his friends all knew it was true. He was a natural flirt, and nothing turned him on more than when a woman blushed, as he imagined what other parts of her body would turn the same shade of pink.
She laughed at him, and then her eyes shifted toward the door to the shop’s kitchen. He followed her gaze and his mouth watered once more at what he saw. The woman walking toward them was about five foot five with curves that could knock a man’s eyes out of their sockets. The fact that she was wearing an unflattering white chef’s outfit did nothing to stop his appreciation of her luscious body. Her auburn hair was pulled up into a neat bun at the crown of her head, and her brilliant, green eyes reminded him of the soft moss found in the forest surrounding Trident’s safe house in North Carolina. In his mind, her movements slowed, and some cheesy porn music began to play. Her smile lit up the room and caused a stirring in his groin.
She was only a few steps away when he realized he was staring. Giving himself a mental shake, he stood as she reached them.
“Hi, I’m Fancy Maguire.” Her gaze was focused on Angie, who had remained seated. “You must be Angie and Ian. It’s so nice to meet you.”
Brody snorted. “Not.” At her startled expression, he scrambled to clarify. “Sorry. This is Angie, but I’m not Ian.”
Glancing at a clipboard and papers she’d brought with her along with a photo album, she frowned. “I’m sorry. Did I get that wrong when I spoke to you on the phone?”
Smacking Brody’s hip, Angie rolled her eyes. “No, you didn’t. This is our friend, Brody. My fiancé, Ian, was called out of town on business, so I dragged him with me.”
The baker was clearly relieved with that information if her sigh was any indication. “Oh, good. Thought I’d made an error from the get-go, which isn’t a way to make a good impression in this business.”
When Fancy extended her hand toward Brody, he took it in both of his and brought it to his lips. After kissing her knuckles, he winked at her. “There is absolutely no way you could make a bad impression, darlin’. The name is Brody Evans, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Narrowing her eyes a little at his boldness, Fancy tugged on her hand, attempting to remove it from his grasp while trying not to be rude. He knew if they weren’t in a business setting and he wasn’t a customer, she would have no problem blurting out the words which had to be on the tip of her tongue. Awesome. He loved when he had to work a little before cozying up to a woman. It was the chase that drew him in and made the end result that much better. And since the lovely lady didn’t have a ring on her finger, she was fair game for his charm.
The second her mouth began to turn into a frown, he knew it was time to let go. Releasing her, he gave her another wink then waited for her to take the seat across the table from them before he sat down again. “Not that I wouldn’t mind the beautiful Ms. Angelina Beckett being my fiancée, but I have no desire to be Ian. He doesn’t have enough fun in his life unless Angie is with him. Me? I’m all for fun and games.”
“I’m sure you are,” Fancy murmured to his delight before turning her attention to Angie. “Now, I remember you saying your baker closed up shop and the event is in six weeks.”
The bride-to-be nodded as the young woman manning the counter brought over their coffees and placed them on the table. Brody grinned at her, causing the blonde to turn pink again while Angie thanked her before responding to the baker. “Yes. Without warning, his place closed. I know there are a lot of people trying to get their deposits back. Our wedding date is October 15th.”
“Do you have a picture of what the cake you chose looked like? We can start there.”
Pulling out printouts she’d made this morning, Angie handed them over. “This was what we had decided on, but honestly, looking at them now, I’m not sure if it’s what I want anymore. There just seems to be something missing, but I don’t know what it is.”
Fancy studied the two pictures—a close-up and a wide-angle version—then opened the photo album and flipped through several pages. “It’s a good start, but I think we can jazz it up a little more. Where is the wedding being held?”
“The Vinoy in St. Petersburg.”
“Great. Love that place—it’s so elegant—and we’ve done several weddings there recently.” She found the pictures she was looking for and turned the album around for Angie to see. “This we did just a few weeks ago. Instead of the white plastic separators between the tiers, the venue supplied the wine glasses which we inverted. Then the bride arranged for the small floral pieces that we put under each glass so they matched the table centerpieces.”
“Oh, I love that! It’s different, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for. Brody, what do you think?”
He’d barely been paying attention to their conversation. Instead, he’d been studying Fancy’s face. It was rounded and full, with just a hint of dimples when she smiled. A smattering of freckles rose up and over her nose from one cheek to the other. While he had no doubt she was a headstrong, competent businesswoman, he’d bet a year’s membership to The Covenant she was a sexual submissive. Being in the lifestyle for over ten years, he could spot one a mile away. The problem was sometimes women didn’t know it, or if they did, they were too afraid to explore that part of their sexuality. “Hmm? What?”
Angie pointed to the album as his gaze went back and forth between the two women. �
�The cake. What do you think of this cake?”
Glancing at the photo, all he saw was a huge white cake with lots of flowers. “It’s nice, but don’t go by my opinion. All men care about is what it tastes like. Sweet and yummy is all I need to satisfy me.”
This time, it was Fancy who rolled her eyes, while beside him, Angie groaned. It was clear they both knew he was talking about something other than a cake. “Why did I bother to bring you with me?”
It was a rhetorical question, which he didn’t bother to answer as he continued to observe the woman sitting across from him. Fancy turned her head to address her employee, who had gone back to her post behind the counter. “Jamie, can you ask Sal to bring out the samples for Ms. Beckett to try?”
“Sure.”
A grin spread across Brody’s face. It didn’t escape his notice that he was intentionally left out of her question. Well, we’ll just see about that. He was looking forward to tasting anything the beautiful baker was offering.
Sal, a short, older man, dressed in white with an apron wrapped around his waist, brought out a tray laden with several small plates, topped with slices of assorted cakes—each one more delicious looking than the last. The man had also supplied two forks so Brody didn’t have to search for one or use his fingers. Either way, he was definitely sampling the delicacies. He listened as Fancy explained each one, from the type of cake and filling to the icing, and then stole a bite after Angie had taken hers. They were so delicious, he had no shame in taking a second taste of each. If the rest of Fancy’s pastries were this good, he was going to be stopping in often. The bonus to that was he’d be seeing a lot more of her, and a plan of seduction began to take root in his mind.
In the end, he and Angie agreed the best one was the champagne cake with a strawberry buttercream filling and fondant icing. The women then discussed the decorations for the cake and Fancy explained what Angie needed to order from her florist. As the baker finished writing up the order and took the deposit check, Brody sipped the last of his coffee. When she handed Angie the receipt and a business card, he held out his hand. “Mind if I get one of those business cards, too?”
If he hadn’t been observing her so intently, he might have missed the fraction of a second’s hesitation before she gave him a forced smile. “Sure. Are you planning on getting married soon, too?”
He smirked as he accepted the small card. “You never know, darlin’. I’m just waiting for the right woman to come along, and one never knows when their soul mate will cross their path.”
The sadness which briefly clouded her eyes wasn’t lost on him, and he wondered what had brought it on—the word “soul mate,” maybe? Whatever it was from, it didn’t scare him off. In fact, it made him want to take her into his arms and comfort her, among other things. For now, though, he would leave things be and look forward to the next time he visited Miss Fancy Maguire’s bakery—which he was planning on doing tomorrow.
After they’d climbed into his truck with the bag full of cinnamon rolls, Brody noticed Angie grinning at him in amusement. “What? What’s that look for?”
Shrugging her shoulder, she snickered. “It looks like the pretty baker teased more than your taste buds.”
Laughing, he started the engine. “That she did, you little brat. And I plan on having her tease me some more real soon.”
“Well, you still haven’t told me who you’re bringing to the wedding. Maybe you can bring her. I like her.”
He pursed his lips and tilted his head to the side. All of his buddies had settled down, and the funny thing was everyone had thought Brody would be the first to fall. “Maybe…and I like her, too.”
There was a moment of silence between them as he pulled out of the parking lot into the afternoon traffic. “Brody? Do you mind stopping at Donovan’s for another cup of coffee? There’s something I want to talk to you about.”
At her wistful tone, his eyes narrowed as he glanced at her. “Everything all right, sweetheart?”
“Yes! Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I just. . .well, I’ll explain when we get there.”
Relieved there wasn’t anything seriously wrong, he nodded then prepared to change lanes. “Okay. Sure.”
Since Donovan’s was only two blocks away, it wasn’t long before they were walking into the pub which belonged to Mike Donovan, brother of Brody’s co-worker Jake. The owner waved from behind the bar where he was chatting with two old-timers who were constant fixtures during the weekday afternoons. Instead of taking his usual seat at the far end of the bar, Brody followed Angie to one of the booths along the left side wall. Knowing all of the Trident men hated having their backs to the front door of any place they were in, Angie sat in the booth facing the rear of the restaurant.
Brody glanced around before sitting across from her, noting that Jenn Mullins wasn’t working today. The twenty-one-year-old was considered a niece to the men of Trident Security, as they’d been her father’s teammates on SEAL Team Four and watched her grow from an infant to the beautiful young lady she’d become. In the aftermath of her parents’ murders two years ago, she’d come to live with Ian, who was her godfather. Now, she had her own apartment in the secure Trident compound while attending classes at the University of Tampa.
After asking the older, dark-haired waitress for coffee for both of them, Brody rested his elbows on the table and stared at Angie in curiosity. “Spill it. What’s on your mind?”
Taking a deep breath, Angie let it out slowly. “I was talking to Ian the other day about an idea I had, and he agreed I should ask you. Since we’re one bridesmaid short, and you’re supposed to walk down the aisle with Marco and Harper, I was wondering if you would. . .well, if you would walk me down the aisle, instead, and give me away?”
Stunned, his mouth fell open, but he didn’t answer her as she rushed to continue. “I mean, I always thought my dad or brother would be here for me, and after they both passed away, I thought Jimmy would. But. . .” She swallowed hard and fingered the BDSM collar her Dom/fiancé had given her. “Since that’s no longer an option, I would really love if you would do it. If it hadn’t been for you, Ian and I might have never met.”
She had lost her older brother when she was a child, and then both her parents when she was in college. Her best friend, Jimmy Athos, had been there for her since high school and had become her family as both of them were alone in the world after he’d lost his sister and mother. Athos had worked for the DEA, and it was the result of one of his undercover ops that Ian and the rest of Trident had been tasked with keeping his best friend safe. It was during that time, Ian and Angie had fallen in love. When dirty DEA agents kidnapped Jenn and Angie as a way to get to Athos, the man had been shot and killed during the otherwise successful rescue.
All choked up, Brody cleared his throat as he reached across the table for her hand. “I’d be honored to give you away, Angie. Absolutely honored.”
Chapter 2
After Fancy had finished filling out the deposit slip for the past two day’s receipts, she slipped it into the canvas bank bag along with a stack of cash and checks. Miguel, an assistant pastry chef, was out in the kitchen, decorating the popular oversized cupcakes they sold, which had been baked earlier. He would start cleaning the counters and appliances in a little while, before clocking out at 5:00 p.m. Sal had left two hours ago at the end of his nine-hour shift which had begun at 4:00 a.m. Having arrived at the shop an hour after that, Fancy was feeling the effects of the long day and couldn’t wait to get home to a nice hot bath.
Grabbing the deposit bag and her purse, she glanced around her office to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. She locked the door behind her, then said goodbye to Miguel before striding out to the front of the shop. Her afternoon staff, Carol and Bernice, had been working for Fancy since she’d first opened the bakery a year ago, and she trusted them to close for her in the late afternoons.
Waving goodbye to them as they helped customers, Fancy headed for the door, digging i
nto her purse for her keys. When the bell on the front door jingled, she glanced up to see Corey enter, and she smiled at her brother-in-law. “Hi. What are you doing here?”
“I came to take you to the bank and then I thought we could go grab dinner if you’re hungry.”
Corey had been a godsend these past few years since his brother, who’d been Fancy’s husband, had died in a car accident, which had left her in a coma for several weeks. He’d taken care of the funeral and everything else until she’d recovered both physically and mentally, and then supported her decision to open the bakery. It had been Patrick’s and her dream before his death, and one she knew he would want her to have with or without him.
She sighed because as much as she loved Corey’s company, tonight she was too tired to go out. “I’m actually not hungry and really just want to go home, take a hot bath, read for a bit, and go to bed early. And you don’t have to take me to the bank.”
His brown eyes narrowed as he held the door open for her. It never stopped to amaze her how much the dark-haired brothers had looked alike despite being born two years apart. Corey had been the younger sibling, which actually made him her age of twenty-nine, but many people thought the men had been twins, especially once they’d hit their teens and puberty. Not Fancy, of course. She’d never had trouble telling them apart but she could see why other people did. “After the vandalism yesterday, I want to make sure you have no problems carrying all that money.”
Heading to her car in the attached parking lot, she glanced up at the outside brick wall of her shop. Her landlord had arranged for it to be power-washed yesterday after the police took a report and pictures, but she could still see faint traces of the spray paint that had been used to write vile things. “I’m sure it was just a bunch of kids being jackasses. I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be those teens I kicked out of the shop last week for being loud and rude to the customers.”
Tickle His Fancy: Trident Security Book 6 (Trident Security Series) Page 2
