Sizzling Desire

by Kayla Perrin

  “Please, let’s go up to the lawyer’s office,” Lorraine pleaded. She didn’t like the vulnerable hitch she heard in Hunter’s voice, the way he suddenly seemed far more human to her. She wanted to keep him purely in the enemy camp.

  “Aren’t you hearing me?” Hunter asked. “I don’t want to go upstairs. Not before we talk. Besides, I already canceled the meeting, anyway.”

  “What?” Lorraine’s eyes widened.

  “I canceled the meeting.”

  Her jaw tightened, and she balled her hands into fists. “How could you?”

  “Because your plan to sign the property over to me is a reflex reaction. You need to make that decision after you take a moment to really think about it.”

  “So now you don’t want the store? You’re infuriating.”

  “This was never about me taking the store from you. My dad left you that property for a reason. He got to know you, and obviously liked you and supported your vision. I don’t want you to give it up because of me.”

  Lorraine stared at him, her heart thumping hard. What on earth was going on? “I don’t understand.”

  “There are a dozen coffee shops within two blocks of here. Pick one you like. Let’s sit down, have a reasonable conversation.”

  As if Lorraine wanted to do that! She didn’t want to spend more time with him. She wanted to get this over with. Already her pulse was racing, and a myriad of sensations was rushing through her. The man was gorgeous, and that very fact was distracting her. She wanted to sign the papers and never see Hunter again.

  She wanted to kiss him.

  Whoa... What? Where had that thought come from?

  “No,” she said.

  “No?” he asked, his brow furrowing.

  “I don’t want to talk to you anywhere but in Joe’s office,” she said.

  “Are you always this hardheaded?” Hunter asked.

  “You don’t want to take no for an answer and you dare to call me hardheaded?”

  Hunter crossed his brawny arms, and Lorraine instantly understood why she was so uncomfortable around him. There was tension between them. The kind of tension that manifested itself in an argument... Or in the bedroom.

  She turned around and counted to three. She needed to get a hold of herself. She was stressed. That was normal. She’d slept with a stranger, and it had come back to haunt her. But life went on. “Look,” she began, “I appreciate that you’re coming around to understanding that I wasn’t using your father. But I’ve made up my mind. The gift is too much. I can’t accept it. Did you really cancel the appointment?”

  “I did.”

  The nerve of the man! But she took a moment before speaking and deliberately kept her voice calm. “I’m sure Joe can still see us. I’ll call him—”

  “I’m not going to sign any papers until you agree to talk to me.”

  “So everything has to be on your terms?”

  “It’s a simple request.”

  Lorraine guffawed. Simple... Yeah, right. “This isn’t about you. I’ve thought about this since we left the lawyer’s office. Long and hard. And it just feels wrong for me to accept something like this from your father. He should have left whatever he had to his family. I don’t want to stand in the way of that.”

  “What am I going to do with it?” Hunter asked. “Sell it and go on a luxury vacation?”

  “If that’s what you want, sure.”

  He placed his hands on his hips and turned away from her. His body language screamed frustration.

  He wasn’t the only one.

  But frustration was good. The more annoyed he was with her, the more likely he’d agree to go upstairs and finalize their arrangement.

  He faced her. “You want to open a health-food store? Some kind of clinic?”

  “Yes,” Lorraine said cautiously. “Why?”

  “I want to hear about this shop. Why he left it to you.”

  “It’s self-explanatory.”

  “Humor me. I want to understand my father better. You’re the best person to help me understand him. You spent a lot of time with him. I want to know what about your vision appealed to him.” Hunter paused. “Take me to the storefront. Let’s go look at it together. We can talk there.”

  The man’s face must have been plastered in the dictionary next to the word stubborn. “And if I say no?” Lorraine asked.

  His expression was the only answer she needed.

  “Hunter—”

  “You want me to sign the paperwork,” he said, holding her gaze. “This is the only way.”

  “Oh for goodness’ sake.” Lorraine blew out a huff of air. “Fine. If that’s what it takes, I’ll show it to you.”

  “We can take my car. It’s right there.” He pointed to a sleek navy blue BMW.

  Oh, no. She wasn’t about to get into a car with him. “I don’t think so,” Lorraine said. “You can follow me there. Because that’s the only way I’m going anywhere with you.”

  “All right,” Hunter said. “Deal.”

  Chapter 11

  Ten minutes later, Lorraine was pulling up in front of the storefront Douglas had bequeathed her. She sat in her car for a long moment before getting out. Even though Rosa had encouraged her to check out the store, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to do that. Knowing that she wasn’t going to keep it had made the idea of checking it out all the harder. To see her dream so close, but yet so far... Why put herself through that? The most Lorraine had been able to do was drive by it once, simply to say she’d seen it.

  Now knowing that she was actually going to enter the building had her stomach tensing.

  She looked out at the street, with young families passing by casually. Some had ice cream cones, some walked dogs. The general vibe was warm and relaxed.

  It truly was the perfect location. This section of Ocean City was like a village within a city, with mom-and-pop type businesses amidst low apartment complexes and townhouses. The trendy area got a lot of foot traffic. There was no other store like the one Lorraine envisioned nearby, and it would be the perfect place for her to set up a health-food store and nutrition clinic.

  The sound of knuckles knocking against her window caused her to jump. Her heart nearly imploded in her chest. She glanced out at Hunter, then raised a finger to tell him that she needed a minute. After a moment, she turned off her car and opened the door.

  Why was she even thinking about how perfect this location was? She wasn’t going to keep it. She would do what she’d always planned—work for her dream. It would take a lot longer, but so be it.

  She exited the car and stared out at the storefront, which had large windows that were covered by blankets from the inside. A father walked by with his young daughter sitting around his neck. A small dog wagged its tail and veered toward Lorraine, its tongue lolling.

  “Oh, hello,” Lorraine said, dropping onto her haunches to pet the friendly little guy. “Cute dog,” she said to the father when he guided it back on its leash.

  “She loves saying hi to everyone,” the man explained.

  They continued on, and Hunter sidled up beside her. “Seems like a nice neighborhood. A lot of foot traffic, and people seem friendly.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” Lorraine agreed.

  The very reason she hadn’t wanted to go into the store was because she hadn’t wanted to get attached to this location. Standing in front of it now caused a rush of emotions to wash over her. She was literally standing in front of her dream.

  Slowly, Lorraine made her way toward the store, looking up at the blank spot where a name should be. Hunter walked with her. “So, this is it,” he said, stating the obvious.

  Lorraine nodded. “Yeah.”

  “What would you name it?”

  Her eyes flew to his. “Is t
hat really necessary?”

  “Like I told you, I want to hear your vision. I want to hear why my dad was sold on you opening this place.”

  “I haven’t really decided.” Hunter cast her a sidelong glance, and Lorraine wasn’t sure if he believed her. “I’ve had some ideas, but I really wanted to be inspired by the neighborhood. And since I’m not planning to keep this...” Her voice trailed off.

  “Okay. Why don’t we go inside?” Hunter suggested.

  Lorraine didn’t really want to go inside, especially not with Hunter, but what choice did she have? She withdrew the envelope, retrieved one of the two keys and unlocked the door.

  Hunter quickly pulled the door open and held it for her. Lorraine crossed the threshold.

  The breeze from outside stirred up the dust mites, causing them to swirl in the open space. A space that was larger than Lorraine ever could have hoped for. To the right, there was a large counter, covered in a tarp. The shelving was on the left and was covered by large white sheets. The room went back quite far, and actually extended to the right.

  “It’s a pretty decent size,” Hunter said, looking around.

  “Larger than I expected,” Lorraine said.

  “Tell me about your plans for this place.”

  “I already told you,” Lorraine said, exasperated. “I’m not keeping—”

  “Hypothetically,” Hunter stressed. “What are your plans hypothetically?”

  Slowly, Lorraine turned, taking in a 360-degree view of the space. Then she blew out a heavy breath. “Okay.” She gestured to the left. “I imagine having health-food supplements on this wall here. It’d be perfect.” She pointed to the far back right of the store, where she could see a door that led to a back room. “In the back section, I would have a clinic. A place where I could give people advice about nutrition and diet. I’d set up blood pressure testing as well, the do-it-yourself type that you find at pretty much every drugstore. Ideally, I would have a dietician working with me. I want to sell healthy supplements and natural remedies, but I really look forward to the opportunity to work one-on-one with customers who need nutritional advice to get their health back on track. As the saying goes, you are what you eat, and people eat so much junk, it’s no wonder so many people are unwell.”

  “I agree,” Hunter said. “Go on.”

  She turned, looking back toward the front door. “Besides nutritional supplements, it would be nice if I could have a part of the front of the store dedicated to fresh produce. We don’t live in a food desert, but it’d be nice to support local farmers. Have them sell their fresh organic fruits and vegetables to provide an alternative to all the fast-food places around here. Oh, and if there’s room, I’d have a section in the back where fresh juices and smoothies could be made with healthy ingredients.”

  “So you’re a health nut.”

  “I’m not perfect, and I’ve certainly had too much wine lately.” She smiled softly. “But I try to eat well at least eighty percent of the time.” As a teen, she’d always craved junk food when upset, but as she got older she’d tried her best to curb those cravings by going for a swim or a run.

  “What kind of health and nutrition advice?” Hunter asked.

  “Oh, anything and everything, I guess. I really hate that as a nation we’re overprescribed on drugs when natural remedies can solve a lot. For example, I’ve had personal experience with type 2 diabetes in my family, and I know it’s a diet-related disease. A lot of people don’t know that it can be reversed if you eat the right foods. It’s not just about cutting down on sugar and poking yourself to see what your blood levels are. If you change your nutrient intake, you can do wonders for your body and reverse the disease.”

  Hunter’s eyebrows rose. “Really?”

  “Yep,” Lorraine said. “Anyway, I would offer healthy eating plans and exercise tips. Maybe even some cooking classes. I know I’m going to have to start small, but if I could wave a magic wand, that’s the big vision I’d like to make a reality. I’d love to have a place like that in the community that could dramatically change lives.”

  “Now I see why my father liked you.”

  Hunter smiled at her, and Lorraine’s lips parted. Warmth filled her chest.

  “I like that your vision is about giving back. It’s noble.”

  Hunter’s words were stoking the embers of desire on her dream. She had come here with the resolute decision to sign the store over to him, but talking about her greatest passion had her suddenly wanting the dream more.

  “You really do enjoy helping people.” It was a comment, not a question.

  “My mother had type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, and when she switched to a better diet, all of her problems went away. I saw firsthand that the power of nutrition was something real. I’m not saying everything can be cured or prevented with diet, but a lot can.” Lorraine stopped abruptly. “Anyway, I don’t mean to bore you. It’s something I’m particularly passionate about.” She smiled softly. “I wish I could snap my fingers and be ready to execute my plan today, but all the things I told you and everything I want to do will take years of planning. So as much as I’m grateful to your father for offering me this building, I can’t accept it for a number of reasons.”

  Hunter took a step toward her, and Lorraine sucked in a breath. “I think there’s only one reason why you don’t want to accept it,” he said. “Me.”

  Again, Lorraine’s heart began to thump. There was something contrite in his eyes. And it endeared her to him.

  “That’s not true,” she said. “I just told you that I’m not ready yet. I need to get my business plan together, all of that stuff.”

  “You just pitched me your business plan, and you sold me on it. My father, even though he was dying, saw the value in what you wanted to do. I’m sure he told you that.”

  Lorraine nodded. “He did.”

  “And now I understand why. And it makes me appreciate him even more. For much of my life I saw my father as selfish. He was dying. He could’ve easily cared only about his plight, and rightfully so. Instead, he wanted to do something that would help you help more people.” Hunter glanced away, but Lorraine didn’t miss the way his face contorted with emotion. “He wasn’t as bad as I thought he was.”

  “The man I knew was really sweet. Whatever kept you two apart—”

  “You have a sound plan,” Hunter said, facing her. “I don’t want to take that away from you.”

  “I’ve made up my mind,” Lorraine said, determined to minimize her time with the tempting, infuriating man. “And it has nothing to do with you.”

  One of his eyebrows rose as he looked down at her. He didn’t believe her.

  “No, seriously,” she said. But she was lying. The financial part of her dream—the biggest and most challenging part—indeed had been handed to her on a silver platter, and Lorraine didn’t want to accept it. Because everything inside of her right now was telling her that she needed to make a clean break from Hunter and never look back.

  He closed the distance between them, and looked down at her, holding her gaze. He raised his hand, then began to lower it again. Finally, he lifted it to her face and softly stroked her cheek.

  Lorraine drew in a startled breath. His fingertips moved over her skin, gently, almost reverently. “Don’t let the fact that I was a jerk change your plans,” Hunter said softly. “Don’t let anyone take your dreams away from you. Especially not some guy you met in a bar and had a one-night stand with.”

  Lorraine’s heart was pounding so hard, she could hear it thundering in her ears. Why was he touching her? And why, right now, did he mention their night together? It brought a flush of heat to her skin.

  “I’m sorry,” Hunter said, his voice a whisper, and a shiver of desire raced down her spine. “I was just so shocked to see you again after the way you left me. M
aybe that’s what really had me upset—that you took off on me. I thought... I thought we both had fun.” His fingertip moved to the corner of her mouth. “Didn’t we?”

  Was he seriously asking her this? “I...” Lorraine couldn’t summon any words.

  Hunter trailed his finger along her bottom lip, and desire pooled in her belly like hot lava. She wanted to take his finger into her mouth and suckle it.

  “Why did you leave me?”

  He brought his other hand to her face and began to stroke her skin, and Lorraine barely breathed. She stood there like an inanimate object, unable to move. Hunter was touching her. And just like when she’d first met him, she couldn’t tamp down on the intense reaction she had to this gorgeous man. Tingles of pleasure were coursing along her flesh and spreading to every corner of her body. Despite telling herself that she never wanted to see Hunter again, she knew in this moment that what she really wanted was nothing more than to get naked with him again.

  “Didn’t you have as good a time as I did?” Hunter asked.

  Lorraine’s knees became like jelly, and she stumbled backward. Hunter scooped a hand around her waist, but she quickly shrugged out of his touch. “No,” she said, her senses coming to her. His fingers no longer on her skin, his eyes no longer locked with hers, the spell between them was broken.

  “No?” Hunter asked.

  Lorraine didn’t look at him. She knew he’d misconstrued her response. “Not no, I didn’t like it. I mean, no. I don’t want you to touch me anymore. This is... What’s your agenda?”

  He took her by the shoulders and forced her to face him. “Agenda? I’m trying to make things right between us.”

  “By...touching me? You’re trying to charm me, but do you really expect me to melt in your arms?”

  “Would that be so bad?”

  “Oh, my God,” Lorraine said, jerking her body backward awkwardly. She had to get away from him. “Is that what this was about? You talked a good game about wanting to hear my vision, but you really just wanted to get me alone again—didn’t you? You wanted to seduce me again!”