Craving Candy [The Callens 10] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Melody Snow Monroe

  She started the engine and dropped back her head. She glanced to the ceiling. “What did I do to deserve your wrath?”

  She didn’t expect an answer. She searched on her phone for the location of this service station. Once she dropped this off, she’d once more have no transportation. That really sucked. A rental seemed the only option. She did have insurance to reimburse her for her wrecked vehicle, but the huge deductible would eat a big chunk out of whatever she got back. Heaven only knew what her premiums would be come renewal time. With her luck, they’d cancel her policy.

  Maybe this spa wasn’t meant to be.

  Stop it, Candy Jackson. She almost smiled. Her internal voice sounded so much like her mom’s. Her mother would be waving a finger and telling her to suck it up. She was born to run a spa. “Don’t let anything stand in your way,” she’d say.

  Clairbourne, too, had often complimented Candy on her professionalism. She always came to work on time and went beyond even his strict demands to ensure the customers had a positive experience. But she’d been bidding her time until she saved enough money to have her own place. Had she not gotten sidetracked and married Rick, she’d have a lot more than fifty-thousand.

  No. This spa was going to happen.

  She was so lost in thought that she’d barely felt the cold air pouring in. Her fingers, however, were quite frozen by the time she arrived. She was thankful when she got to Christener’s without further incident.

  She walked into the office, and some skinny kid with tattoos covering his wrists helped her.

  She gave him her name and he whistled. “Didn’t you bring in a Corolla a couple of days ago?”

  “Daniel Callen brought in my car.” Maybe the Callen name would have some pull.

  He shook his head. “You sure are hard on cars.”

  “Neither was my fault.”

  He stepped over to the computer. “That’s what they all say.”

  Debating with him wouldn’t serve any purpose. She waited until he took all of her information. “How long will it take to fix the Mercedes?” Mandy would be home in ten days.

  His mouth skewed to the side. “Depends on whether we can get the paint to match. We can buff out the gouges so you won’t know there’s been any damage, but finding the right shade of red will be tricky. It being new should help.”

  She didn’t have the heart to ask how much the repair would cost. “How about my Corolla? Can that be saved?”

  “We’re working on it now. We’ll give you a call.”

  Once he finished with her, she had to find a ride back to the Callen home in order to rethink her plan. Blade would be at work. What did it say about her that she had no friends in town? It didn’t matter she’d only been here a week.

  She called Daniel.

  “Hey, sugar. I was just about to call you. If you recall, at Mandy’s wedding we offered to take you out to dinner, but, well—”

  She didn’t need to hear another excuse. Her emotional state couldn’t handle it. She inhaled. “I’ve had another incident.”

  His silence ratcheted her pulse.

  “Are you injured?”

  She blew out a breath. “Thankfully, no.” She explained what happened. “I need a ride back to Vince’s, though. Do you think you could come get me?” She told him the location.

  “I’ll be right there.”

  That went better than she could have hoped. He did sound concerned, yet a bit of coldness had seeped into his tone. Maybe he expected his brother to go ballistic when Vince found out about the new car he’d recently purchased for his wife. She prayed the Mercedes would be ready before they returned.

  She waited in the body shop office until Daniel arrived. Now she felt bad. She’d forgotten to ask if she’d interrupted him. If he’d been busy, she could have waited. She wasn’t under a time constraint anymore. Unless another bank was willing to lend her the money, she wouldn’t be opening a spa in this town or any town for a very long time.

  Except to be near Lisa and Beth, there was no reason to return to Denver. Housing in Intrigue was a lot more affordable than in the big city. Perhaps she’d stay and get a job somewhere. Slinging food wasn’t the best choice of lifestyle, but if she had to, she’d do what it took to survive.

  Sure, she preferred playing tennis and hanging out with the likes of Beth and Lisa, but one didn’t always have a say in circumstances. She’d been down before and survived. She could do it again.

  By the time Daniel arrived, she’d talked herself into believing that all would be well. He pulled in front and she scurried outside. Her stomach grumbled. Darn. She’d forgotten to eat.

  He leaned across the seat and pushed open the door. She jumped in. “Thanks.”

  “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

  “Yeah. The car destruction wasn’t even the worst part of the day.” Maybe she was being punished for having had the best sex in the world with a man who wasn’t emotionally available.

  Daniel glanced over at her. “What could be worse?”

  “The bank turned down my loan application.” And a man might have been following me.

  He whistled. “Wow. What are you going to do?”

  “Try again with another bank.” She explained her plan to draw up a better proposal—one so good that the bankers couldn’t say no. “But I also need to take rent a car and find a place to live. Unless the loan comes in right away, I’ll be looking for a job, too.”

  He shook his head.

  “What?” Did he believe her request too risky, too?

  “Banks have laws. I didn’t want to mention it, but I don’t believe any bank in Intrigue will loan you money. You have no collateral.”

  A huge weight descended and crushed her. Breathing turned hard. “There’s got to be something I can do.” Her next choice was to find a venture capitalist, but that meant giving up a lot of control, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for that.

  Her stupid stomach grumbled again and she rubbed it.

  “Seems like you could use a meal. I know of a nice, quiet restaurant.”

  Her chin trembled. “You buying?” That was crass, but she wasn’t in the most social mood.

  “Absolutely.”

  He drove through town and passed his home. If she’d known the area, she would have asked where he was taking her. About a mile past town, a small access road appeared. He turned down the dirt road.

  “This is rather out of the way. How do they do business out here?”

  He smiled. “When you taste the food, you’ll know why people drive out here. The house used to belong to Grandma Hall. When she passed, her daughter turned it into a restaurant.”

  A quarter-mile drive led to the craftsman-style home that had a wraparound porch. Covered tables and chairs bordered the front entrance. “I bet it’s wonderful in the summer.”

  “It is. We’ll have to try it sometime.” He glanced over at her and grinned.

  She hoped she’d still be here, but she wasn’t ready to speak those words. “I’d like that.”

  Daniel escorted her inside. While only about six cars sat in the lot, the place was half full.

  “Welcome back, Daniel.” The pretty hostess led them to a booth snuggled between large potted plants.

  Candy tamped down the quick shot of jealousy. The girl had looked all googly-eyed at him. She shouldn’t be surprised. Daniel Callen was everything a woman could want. He was considerate, thoughtful, and totally hot.

  A small fountain sat in the corner, sending out a calming gurgle. He held out her seat.

  “I never would have guessed it looked like this on the inside.” Even in Denver, she’d never run into something as quaint.

  “Wait until you try the food.”

  A waiter came over and handed them menus. He and Daniel shook hands. Apparently, he knew everyone.

  “I’ll give you two a minute to decide.”

  She looked over the menu, pleased the prices were reasonable. “What’s good here?”


  “Everything.”

  The news about no bank being willing to lend her money made her appetite disappear, so she picked out a nice chicken Caesar. Once they ordered, Daniel leaned back.

  “What would think about me loaning you the money?”

  Her heart soared then plummeted just as quickly. “I couldn’t ask you do that.”

  He picked up his glass of wine and sipped, watching her over the lip of the glass. “May I ask why?”

  “I don’t take handouts.”

  The same accident as when Blade had spit out his beer nearly occurred. Wine dribbled down his chin and he patted it dry with his napkin. “Sugar, I wasn’t planning on giving it to you. There are a ton of strings attached.”

  Was that supposed to make her feel better? Okay, it did in a way. His offer wasn’t made from pity. “What do you propose?”

  He finished his glass. “I’m willing to negotiate.” The twinkle in his eye unnerved her.

  His comment sank in. “You’d lend me money in exchange for sex?”

  His head swiveled right then left. “Shh. No! What do you take me for?” He held up a hand. “Don’t answer that. Clearly, it isn’t something good.” He shook his head. “Someone really did a number on you, didn’t they?”

  More than one person had accused her of being overly sensitive and jumping to conclusions. “Maybe, but that’s beside the point. Tell me your plan.” If she didn’t like the option, she’d go to plan B—just as soon as she figured out what that was.

  The waiter came with their meal. The chef was amazingly fast. Daniel bit into his burger as if he needed time to think up something. “Think of me as a venture capitalist.”

  Shades of Mandy’s ex-husband surfaced. “Go on.”

  “I lend you the money. In return I get twenty percent of the profit and fifty percent of the decision making.”

  Her mouth dropped and she laughed. While she’d never investigated what was standard for a venture capitalist, that seemed awfully high. “Are you kidding? Why would I do that?”

  He cocked a brow. “Because if you don’t, you get no spa.”

  Damn. He had a point. She tried to do the calculations in her head. Keeping eighty-percent of the profit was better than no profit at all. “What would be my interest rate?”

  “Zero percent.” He leaned forward. “Think of it as a partnership where I put up the money and you get the lion’s share of the profit.”

  “Who does the all work?”

  He waved his glass to get the waiter’s attention. “That’s the beautiful part of my plan. You do.”

  Maybe this could work. “Then why do you get fifty percent of the decision making?”

  “It’s my money. It’s my risk.” He leaned forward. “For the most part, I won’t be involved in the day-to-day operations. It’s the big-decisions stuff that I’ll be concerned with.”

  As she ate her salad, her mind spun. This could work. Having a partner hadn’t been in her plan, but things had changed. She’d more or less been flying solo in business for years. She never consulted Clairbourne about what nail colors to buy or how to decorate the different rooms. He gave her a budget and let her do her thing.

  “Can I buy you out at any time?”

  His cheek dimpled. “You trying to get rid of me that fast?”

  She had to laugh. Her question had sounded like she was. “No. I just like to weigh all of my options.”

  “You mean your limited options.”

  She was willing to admit he had her hog-tied. She didn’t want to say it out loud. “Yes.”

  The waiter came over, and Daniel ordered another glass. “You want a refill, sugar?”

  “No.” For this decision, she needed a clear head.

  Daniel finished his meal and sipped his wine. The soothing sound of the fountain and the lush greenery surrounding her reminded her all too much of the Indulgent Spa in Denver. Damn, Craig Clairbourne.

  Her goal was to own a spa. That goal had been thwarted. Now, opportunity knocked again. She’d be a fool not to accept. She held up her empty glass. “I say we go into partnership!”

  He pumped a fist and they clanged their glasses together.

  She so prayed she hadn’t made a mistake.

  Chapter Nine

  When they finished their meal, Daniel suggested they head back to his place to draw up a business plan. While she hadn’t typed up one, most of what she wanted to put in it was already in her head. All she needed was Blade to tell her how much the renovation would cost once she bought the property.

  “Perhaps I should call Courtney and tell her to go ahead with the property purchase. Even though it had the lowest price, I actually liked it the best.” Or would Daniel insist on seeing the place first?

  “I say go for it.”

  Her pulse soared. This was it. She was actually going to open a spa.

  On the way back to town, she called Courtney and told her to make the offer at the asking price. Not getting it because she tried to lowball the seller would be catastrophic. She disconnected. “Okay, we’re on our way.”

  “Did you check the appraised value?” He cocked a brow. His slight smile implied he was enjoying this as much as she was.

  She’d done her homework. “Yes. It’s appraised at one-hundred thirty-five thousand.” Getting the place for ten thousand less would be great.

  “There could be multiple bids, you know.”

  She banged her head against the seat. “Why are you doing this?”

  He smiled. “Me? I want you to be mentally prepared in case the deal falls through.”

  Hearing the possibility of another roadblock set her nerves on edge. She twisted in the seat. “For the next twenty-four hours, can we just pretend the property is ours and enjoy ourselves?” The enjoying themselves part might have sounded like she was propositioning him, but a little bit of tender love wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

  “It’s a deal.” He winked as if he knew what she had in mind.

  When they arrived at his place, she knew the drill. He used the eye scan and the door opened.

  He dragged out his computer, along with a pad and two pens. “Shall we get started?”

  The whole drive back, she hadn’t been able to kick that creepy man out of her brain. “I didn’t want to mention this before, but I think I might have a stalker.”

  He was by her side in a flash. “Tell me what happened.”

  Maybe she’d overreacted. Now that she was with Daniel, she might have blown the whole thing out of proportion. “It’s probably nothing.”

  He stroked her cheek and her insides melted.

  “If it didn’t bother you, you wouldn’t have brought it up. Tell me.”

  She detailed how the same man appeared twice. “He might have been following me for longer, but I didn’t notice him until I was close to the car.”

  “Do you think he was a lookout for the person who keyed the Mercedes?”

  She wrapped her arms around her chest and stepped across the room. She needed to think. “I don’t know.” She faced him again. “It does make sense. The vandal would want to know if I was about to appear.”

  Daniel closed the gap between them. “Come here, you.”

  He gathered her in his arms and hugged her tight. That one action defused much of the tension rushing through her veins. She rested her face on his shoulder and his warmth helped calm her. She leaned back. “Maybe that’s all the man was—a lookout.”

  Daniel kissed her forehead. “From now on, you need to be super vigilant. Maybe stay between Aspen and Main and between Fourth and Eighth Street.”

  That was the main core of downtown. “Good idea.”

  He turned her around and led her back to the table. “I want to know everything you’ve been planning for your spa and know how money much you think you’ll need.”

  He held her gaze as if he planned on memorizing every word she said. For the next hour, she detailed her plan, right down to the services and prices to how many stations a
nd rooms they’d have.

  Daniel asked questions at first, mostly to clarify something she said, and then offered suggestions. While he didn’t know much about spas and what went on in them, he was a very savvy businessman.

  If she offered a counter argument, he’d listen. Here was a man who could discuss a topic and not get riled because she questioned him.

  He closed the computer. “I’m sold.”

  “You think it’ll work?”

  “Sugar, your spa has to work. Your ideas are creative, innovative, and just what Intrigue needs. I’m sure all of the Callen women will be calling.”

  She loved how his eyes sparkled when he called her by the cute nickname. But it was his rapt attention that really hooked her. She couldn’t name one man who’d focused on what she had to say for such a long period of time.

  He didn’t seem to have the need to prove himself. He told her that between the two of them, they’d be a success. Self-confidence in a man, when deserved, was oh so sexy.

  “I don’t want to run Donna out of business. She said all the Callen women used her spa. I’m good with that. There are plenty of other women to cater to.”

  “You might be right. Maybe the two of you can even work together and decide on different promotional months. That way, you don’t end up cutting your prices so low that no one wins.”

  “Daniel Callen, you are one smart man. I’m very happy we’re going to be sharing this new and wonderful experience.”

  Daniel stood, grabbed her hand, and pulled her to a stand. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Glad you think so.” He tapped her nose, and then wound his arms around her back. “You know, I can see where we might need to spend hours and hours discussing every detail of this business.”

  She leaned closer. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”

  He thinned his lips and raised his chin, looking like an old professor. “For one, we’ll need to discuss the effectiveness of each advertising expenditure, and each night I’ll demand to see the cash flow analysis. For sure, we’ll have to constantly look for ways to improve the bottom line.”

  She grinned. “Is that all?”