“Yes, Blade. Faster.”
He slid one hand down to her pussy and thumbed her clit. Her yell would surely make his whole crew rush in.
“Fuck me harder.”
“Oh, babe.”
She pressed her hips back. That was his undoing. He shifted his hands to her hips and thrust into her. The harder he went, the louder she groaned. He dropped his head on her back and kissed her neck. Her flowery scented nectar tipped him over the edge, and he held on tight.
“Come for me, babe.”
His cock exploded as she screamed his name.
“Yes, yes, yes,” she called out. Her back heaved as if the climax had ripped through her with a world-record intensity.
Sweat slickened their bodies, and his heartbeat matched his rapidly firing cock. Her arms bent as if she couldn’t hold herself up anymore. He wrapped his arms around her waist and straightened her.
Only now did the slight burnt smell of coffee enter his brain. Crap. He should turn off the coffeemaker, but he never wanted to move. Being nestled in her pussy was total glory.
“Boss? Oh, fuck. I’m sorry. Going now.” Hard-booted feet stomped out the living room.
Oh, shit.
* * * *
Candy was about to die. Now all of Intrigue would know she’d had sex in Vince Callen’s kitchen with Blade McGrath. She wasn’t sure of the ramification, but she bet her entire savings it wouldn’t be good.
He withdrew with a pop, and a gush of juices dripped down her leg. She looked for a towel, but before she could open a drawer to find one, Blade handed her a damp one that had been draped over the sink. “Here.”
She wiped her thighs. “Okay, that was a wee bit embarrassing.”
His eyes widened. “You think you’re embarrassed. Think of poor me.”
Cheer once more filled his face. She laughed. “Okay, at least I don’t have to face a group of men in the next minute.” She thought about the real reaction. “I bet they’ll clap when you step outside.”
His chest expanded. “You’re probably right. I just made love with the hottest woman in all of Intrigue. Hell, they’ll probably throw a parade in my honor.”
He was being ridiculous, but his humor did defuse the tension. Once she wiped down, she tossed the rag on the floor. He picked it up and cleaned himself. Guys.
Her clothes were all over the floor, including her ruined shirt. She picked it up and wadded it into a ball.
“Sorry. I’ll buy you a new one.” He stepped into his jeans. He’d never taken off his shirt.
“That’s okay.”
He walked over to her. “No. It’s not.” He pressed his lips together. “In fact, this should never have happened.”
What? Her heart sunk. “I. Liked. It.” Damn. Why did she always pick the good-looking ones who had more issues than Revlon has lipstick colors?
He stabbed a hand through his hair. “Christ, babe. That’s not what I meant.”
She snatched her bra from the floor, turned her back to him, and put it on. This sucked. He took hold of her shoulders and turned her around.
“What I meant was I shouldn’t have made love with you in the kitchen. You deserve better.”
Her hands stilled. She couldn’t decide his level of sincerity. “It’s okay.” Not really, but delving into his motivation would only hurt deeper. At least he hadn’t torn her panties. She put them on and then her jeans. “Could you do me a favor though?”
“Anything?”
“Go into the living room and find a shirt for me to wear?”
He shoved his feet into his boots. “Sure. Hold on.”
He raced out. Clasps clicked. He returned with a white shirt and a thick sweater. “This good?”
“Perfect.” She dressed in a hurry and felt more human. Her pussy stung and her nipples were tender, but if he meant what he said about her deserving better, then she was happy.
Blade stared at her. “I guess I need to go back to work.”
She nodded to the coffee. “You should pour a cup. After all, you came in for it.”
He shrugged. “No, I didn’t.” He winked and walked out.
More confused than ever, she leaned against the counter. She needed to ditch her ripped shirt. It took a few tries until she found the trashcan. She gathered the popped buttons and added them to the can.
“That was intense, Candy,” she mumbled to herself. “But probably stupid.”
Blade seemed to like making love with her, but she got the sense it was more for release than wishing for a long-term relationship.
It didn’t matter. She had a place to buy and a spa to build. Distractions of any kind would knock her off her path to success, and that was unacceptable.
Once Candy got over the embarrassment of that construction worker walking in on them, she took a shower. Having Blade’s scent all over her would sidetrack her too much, and she had work to do.
After she washed and changed, she settled down on the sofa to see if Courtney had sent her the plans. Yes! Candy had purchased a fairly simple architectural program that would allow her to place walls, draw in doors and windows, and even add some furniture. She loaded the plans in the software and began the creative process. If her vision fit in the space, she’d tell Courtney to put in a bid for the old house, assuming the bank okayed her loan.
She knew better than to glance outside and check on Blade. That would only complicate things. Too bad she failed. He stood off to the side, talking with a man. From the way serious demeanor, both seemed to have gotten over the issue of Blade’s sexual exploit.
Before she could put in the first wall, her cell rang. It was the bank calling. Her blood pressure zoomed. This was the moment she’d been waiting for.
“Hello?”
“Candy, this is Connor Avery from the Intrigue Bank.”
“Yes?” He didn’t sound upbeat.
“I’m afraid your loan wasn’t approved. I’m so sorry.”
Speechless, she tightened her grip on the cell. “It wasn’t approved? How was that possible?” That was a stupid comment. She had a fifty-thousand-dollar down payment, but without a job or even a recommendation, she was a risk.
“You have no income.”
No surprise there. “But I will.”
“I’m sorry. The bank has federal laws it has to comply with. Your down payment isn’t enough. Good luck.”
He hung up. She slumped back in the sofa, shaken to the core. No loan? The banks in Denver would have turned her down, but she thought, no she hoped, that in Intrigue, they’d want entrepreneurs. Her mind raced to find another solution.
As much as she hated to ask Lisa for a loan, her friend had offered. Candy would still pay her the interest rate. It would be a win-win situation. Too bad her achievement would be tarnished in her mind because of the aid.
She punched in Lisa’s number before she lost her courage.
“Candy! Did you find a place?”
“Yes.” She sniffled.
“What’s wrong, honey?”
No need to go into a lot of detail. “The bank turned down my loan.”
She sucked in an audible breath. “I’m so sorry.”
Candy waited for the offer of the loan, but it didn’t come. “Are you still interested in investing in the spa?” She forced her voice to sound cheery.
Her friend didn’t answer right away. Oh, crap. Had she changed her mind? “Oh, Candy. I’m sorry. I just bought several two-year CDs. If I cash them in, I’ll be hit with a huge penalty.”
Her head spun. She wouldn’t ask Lisa to do that. “That’s fine. I’ll find a way.” What those ways would be, she had no idea.
They talked for a few minutes, but Lisa had to cut the conversation short. She had a meeting.
By the time they disconnected, Candy’s stomach ached and her head spun.
This can’t be happening.
She leaned back her head and closed her eyes. This was her dream, the one she’d had forever. She was so close to walking into her s
pa and smelling the rich scents of eucalyptus and lavender. If she tried really hard, she could actually feel the soft towels and thick robes under her fingertips. Vibrant and delicate shades of nail polish would sit on racks ready for the customer’s choosing.
A single rejection might make that dream disappear. Her stomach cramped and she pressed a hand to her belly.
She still remembered the day when she’d gathered all of her dolls for a tea party and decided they needed to look extra pretty. She couldn’t have been more than five at the time. Her mother was working in the garden, and Candy went into her bathroom and gathered all of her beauty supplies.
After an hour, her wonderful dolls had complete makeovers. Each had fresh eye shadow, exotic eyeliner, blush, and lipstick that often covered more than the lips. A few even had new haircuts.
When her mom returned from working outside, Candy made her come in for some tea. Any other mother would have been upset that her daughter had used up her precious makeup, but not Candy’s mom. She told her how lovely her girlfriends were and said if she ever opened a spa that her mom wanted to be her first customer.
She could still see her youthful mother picking up Debbie, the largest of her dolls, and swinging her around as if they were dancing.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. She had to make this happen.
She wouldn’t let her mom down—or herself. “I hope you’ll be proud, Mom, when you come. It’ll be the best spa in all of Wyoming.”
She wiped her tears. This was a terrible setback, but it wouldn’t stop her. There had to be another way. She hadn’t gone to junior college to study business and then to cosmetology school to be defeated by some stodgy bank officers. Someone would see the economic potential of another spa in town.
The best way to do that would be to create a full-color mock-up of the layout of the new spa, along with a detailed cost of the renovations for this particular property along with other start-up costs. Coming up with a spreadsheet of the monthly operating costs shouldn’t be hard. She’d prepared a ton of budgets for Craig Clairbourne. Despite him being a crook, the man had trained her well.
From her work with the Indulgence Spa, she was able to see Donna’s strengths and weaknesses, which would give her an advantage.
Candy would create the best and most thorough business plan this city had ever seen.
Having a new direction helped restore some of her focus. A breath of fresh air, though, would help her think, plan, and create, so she donned her coat and headed out. She debated letting Blade know she’d be gone for a while, but why bother him? He had his crew to worry about and she had a loan to secure.
This time when she drove toward town, the snow had melted on the roadway. Given she was in Mandy’s brand new Mercedes, she drove extra cautiously, constantly checking her rearview mirror for crazy drivers. When she reached downtown safely, she slowed. Her stomach grumbled, but she ignored it for now. She spotted Creighton’s Beauty Supply store located four blocks from Daniel and Blade’s building. At some point she should stop in to see what items besides nail polish, lipstick, and shampoo he had for sale. She wouldn’t mind buying combs and brushes from him. No customer would notice if she and Donna had some of the same items.
All this was assuming she could get a loan.
You can do it. You can do it.
She parked on the main drag three blocks from The Eatery.
Her first order of business was to find the names of the other banks, then make an appointment with a loan officer. If he would listen to her plans, she was certain she could convince the bank to take the risk. The business plan she’d drawn up for the Bank of Intrigue had been a generic one. She believed that with a specific location in mind, they’d be more likely to grant her wish. Besides, the house outside of town wouldn’t require as much capital.
As she headed into the main part of town, she glanced down at her jeans and scuffed boots. Stupid, Candy, stupid. No way could she go into the bank looking like this, even it was just to ask for an appointment. What had she been thinking? She hadn’t. The rejection by the bank had thrown her for a loop.
As long as she was here, though, she could gather the location of the banks and then have a bite to eat. She’d return in a few days looking professional with a printed and bound business plan in hand.
The Bank of Intrigue sat next to the Intrigue Sun, the newspaper Daniel’s cousin owned. She bet smaller banks might sit off the main drag. She tugged her coat close and began her search. The town was organized in a grid pattern. The north-south streets were numbered and the east-west streets had names. She turned left on fifth, walked four blocks, turned right, and headed back up fourth. She crossed Main Street, and repeated the pattern. After walking for close to forty-five minutes, she’d pretty much covered the whole town. Not one other bank appeared. Damn. She should have done her homework first. Other banks might be situated outside the city limits.
Her stomach grumbled again, and she headed back toward The Eatery, passing a man leaning up against a building with many layers of clothing, all in disarray. He was wearing gloves whose fingers had worn off.
Poor guy. She should be thankful she had a place to stay. She turned right on Ridge between Third and Fourth Streets. Sitting on the cold ground was a man with a Help Me sign and a grocery cart filled with an odd assortment of clothing and food items. She stopped, reached into her purse, and extracted a dollar. The next size bill was a twenty.
“Here you go.”
“God bless.”
Feeling a little better about herself, she turned left on Fourth to head to Main Street. She was halfway down the block when a man stepped out from one of the shops. She probably wouldn’t have thought much of it, but it was the same man she’d first seen—the one with the funky gloves.
She looked at his face and he glared at her. Chills raced up her spine. Was it just a coincidence that he’d moved from one position to the next or was he following her? Instead of waiting until she hit Main Street, she rushed across to the other side, stopping halfway to wait for a car to pass. When she made it to the other sidewalk, she looked behind her.
The man was gone, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t on the move again. She looked up and down each side but didn’t see him or any other homeless man.
It was bad enough to have someone accidentally on purpose run her off the road but to be followed really gave her the chills. Was she being paranoid or was someone out to frighten her? Crap. Her head was already on shaky grounds. She didn’t need this to deal with. Not only couldn’t she figure out Blade’s agenda, or Daniel’s for that matter, but having to make new plans for the spa was already creating havoc. If anything else happened, she might be seeking high blood pressure medicine.
When she passed Aspen and Peak Street and her mystery man still hadn’t reappeared, her pulse slowed. Fortunately, The Eatery was on Eighth Street, and she hurried the four blocks.
While she could afford a sandwich at a deli, she’d have to budget her money from here on out. Dining out every night would never work. At the very least, she’d have to stay in Intrigue long enough for her car to be repaired.
Don’t think like that. Her mom always said her thoughts were her reality. Therefore, she shouldn’t be picturing herself leaving and going back to Denver. Not only was Rick there, but starting a spa in a big city would require a lot more cash.
As she neared Fifth Street, where she’d parked Mandy’s car, she glanced over at it. Her footsteps faltered, and she ran up to it. “Oh, no. Oh, no.”
Her heart stopped.
Chapter Eight
Sheriff Will Sutton circled her car then returned to the passenger side. “You didn’t see who did this, ma’am?”
Candy sniffed. She still hadn’t stopped shaking. “No. I was walking around town. When I came back, the window was smashed and the side was keyed.” She wrapped her arms around her body.
“Could have been just a prank.”
A prank? “This is a fifty-thousand dollar car
. And it’s not even mine!” Her voice rose and squeaked.
Prank, my ass. She let the anger take over, because the alternative was worse. She refused crumble to the ground and cry, which was what she felt like doing. Someone was trying to tell her something. A simple sign would have been appreciated.
“I’ll have my deputy ask around, but I doubt we’ll find out who did this.”
Great. Perfect. She craned her neck behind her. “Are there any security cameras?”
The sheriff’s lips softened. “This is Intrigue. We don’t have a lot of crime.”
“Tell that to Mandy Callen-Longworth.” They should hire Daniel to put them in around town.
The sheriff had the courtesy to glance to the side. “Everything that happened to Mandy wasn’t usual. Someone wanted to run her out of town.”
“Someone wanted to kill my friend. I’ve only been here a week, so why pick on me?”
“I wish I knew.”
A new thought occurred to her. Could this act be targeted at Mandy? Or was it really aimed at her? “Are there a lot of cars like this one in town?”
He cocked a brow. “Are you asking if a person would know this belongs to a Callen?”
“Yes.”
“I think most would know Mandy’s car blew up, and then Vince bought her a candy-apple-red Mercedes. It’s rather distinctive.”
Maybe the Circle-Bar Ranch sticker on the bumper was the dead giveaway. As she scanned the damage, her shot of ever opening her spa was evaporating faster than the snow on the ground.
“Do you know of a good body repair shop?” No way she’d let Mandy come home from her honeymoon to find the car in this condition. Even if she had to spend all of her down payment to get this fixed, she would.
“I’d recommend Christener’s Auto Center.”
The man was going to be busy. “Thanks.”
“Do you want me to call a tow truck?”
She could drive the car. With the window broken, she’d have to crank up the heat. “I’m good.”
The sheriff nodded and headed back into his cruiser. Not in the mood to eat, she slid into the car. Much of the broken glass sat on the passenger side, but she didn’t brush away the pieces for fear of getting cut.
Craving Candy [The Callens 10] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 8
