“I know, but I shouldn’t let it get to me. I’m sure he would be only too happy to tell Grandma that Shari can’t handle herself.”
“Miss Lillian would be a lucky woman to have you looking after the business because you will love and cherish it as you’ve done our son all these years.”
Shari stared back at Grant in surprise. “Thank you. That’s nice to hear.”
“I’m not saying it to appease you, Shari,” Grant replied. “I’m saying it because it’s true. You were right when you said he was a loved and well-adjusted boy.”
“It wasn’t easy,” Shari said. She’d been scared early on when she’d learned she was pregnant and realized she was going to have to parent all by herself. And even though she’d been wrong and Grant would have stepped up, it didn’t change the fact that she had been a single mother for four years. “I had to put Andre first and myself last.”
“That’s what I’m talking about—your selflessness,” Grant said. “Not many people have that quality, Shari.”
Shari’s mouth curved into a smile. “You know exactly what to say to get me out of my funk.”
Grant laughed, and the sound of his laughter caused warmth to spread throughout Shari’s body. “Good. Because we were having a great day before Drake stuck his foot in his mouth.”
Shari nodded in agreement. “We did do a lot. That tour at Warner Bros was great. But the gondola ride, that was the perfect end to the day.”
“You think that’s the end?” Grant said, leaning back in his chair to regard her thoughtfully. “That was only the tip of the iceberg. You remember what I said I would do to you in the gondola.”
Excitement lurched within Shari at the prospect. “I do.”
“Then hold on tight,” Grant said, “because it’s going to be a long night.”
* * *
Shari could barely remember what she ate even though the food was beautifully presented. The seared scallops with vanilla gastrique, zucchini pancakes and wilted spinach were to die for. But Shari’s throat had been dry and parched just thinking about Grant’s words, so she’d drunk several glasses of the restaurant’s best Cabernet Sauvignon. She was just a tad bit tipsy when she and Grant walked back into their suite.
She was unprepared for the sight that awaited her. Their master suite had been transformed into a lover’s paradise, complete with lit candles everywhere and rose petals strewn across the bed and floor.
“Grant.” Shari turned to face him and was greeted with Grant grasping her face with both hands. He didn’t take her lips. Instead, he gently eased into the kiss, licking her lips with his tongue first. Only when she parted her lips, did his tongue dart inside and move in circles, first clockwise, then counterclockwise. Dear God, would she ever tire of his erotic kisses?
When Grant pulled away, Shari felt bereft. “What’s wrong?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Nothing, but I have something for you.” He grabbed her hand and led her to the master suite where a bubble bath had been prepared in the oversize Jacuzzi tub.
“When did you have time...?” she started, but then she remembered his trip to the restroom at the restaurant earlier that evening. Sneaky devil.
“For you, my dear,” Grant said. He helped ease Shari out of her clothes, but this time instead of lust and hunger in his ministrations, there was just compassion and caring.
When she was naked, Shari slid her body into the warm, sudsy water.
“Doesn’t that feel good after a long day?” Grant asked, sitting on the edge of the tub.
“Oh, yes,” Shari said, closing her eyes and leaning her head back on the bath pillow that Grant had placed for her use.
Grant came behind her, rolled up his sleeves and began kneading her shoulders with gentle pressure, releasing any soreness out of her tense muscles. An unconscious groan slid out of her mouth at his long strokes down her back, neck and shoulders. And if that wasn’t enough, he surprised her when he grabbed one leg out of the water and massaged her thighs, then her calves and then her feet, wiggling one toe at a time.
The more and more time Shari spent with her husband, the more she realized how thoughtful and romantic Grant could be. Sure, they weren’t on an official honeymoon, but Shari suspected Grant would always be like this.
“You relax for a bit,” he said. “I’ll be back for you.”
* * *
Grant came back for Shari a half an hour later wearing nothing but a smile. His erection was jutting out and he watched her swallow hard.
He toweled Shari dry and then led her to the master bed. Sitting her on the edge, Grant sank to his haunches. He pushed her thighs open and without saying a word, leaned forward and pressed his mouth against her. Shari writhed in pleasure as he gnawed, licked and ate at her softness. Her inner muscles clenched quickly and she went pliant in his arms, but Grant wasn’t done with her yet.
He rolled Shari backward onto the bed, nudged her legs apart and penetrated her hot, slick sheath. He pulled her wrists to her side, pinning her in place so he could thrust slow, then quick, slow, then quick. Shari arched toward him, undulating against him, greedy for more, but Grant was determined to make the night last. His pace was deliberate and steady as he buried himself deep inside her.
Shari’s flesh opened to him and the need to possess her, to make her his in every way, was so primal, so carnal that it startled him with its ferocity. But not Shari, it seemed. She met each visceral stroke by thrusting her hips upward.
“You like that?” he asked, circling his hips.
“Grant...oh, yes....yes....yes.” Incoherent sounds erupted from Shari.
His mouth wandered back to Shari’s and his hands ventured everywhere to stroke her breasts, the curve of her hips and her inner thighs. She felt so slippery, so sweet that the control he had quickly evaporated. Before he knew what was happening, their limbs were tangled in a slow revolution across the bed and Shari was on top, rubbing and sliding over him and then straddling his hips.
She took him on an incremental climb that had him lacing his fingers with hers and straining for release. She quickened the pace and soon they were both crying out as a strong climax took them down in the undertow. And soon Grant’s head was lulled against Shari’s shoulder as he drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
* * *
The next morning, the final day of the competition, Shari awoke ready for battle. The last week had certainly taken its toll on her physically as well emotionally. She’d had ten-hour days shooting You Take the Cake and when she wasn’t at the studio, she’d been playing tourist with Grant and Andre or making love to Grant all night. Add Dina to the mix and it had been an emotionally taxing week. She was ready for the competition to be over. Win or lose.
As much as she wanted to curl up with Grant after he’d driven her to the strongest climax she’d ever had in her life, she couldn’t bask in it. She rose to shower, leaving Grant asleep in the bed. He wasn’t far from her mind, though, as she used the loofah sponge to cleanse her body. Last night, he’d explored her body like he’d found a rare artifact and she’d turned into a quivering mass of limbs and moans.
Turning off the taps, she exited the shower, dried herself and got dressed. As was her style, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, slid on a T-shirt and skimmed her Levi’s up over her hips. She was moisturizing her face when she turned to find Grant naked in the doorway.
Grant rubbed at his eyes. “Why didn’t you wake me? I would have showered with you.”
“Sorry, babe. I’m trying to get my mind right for the last day of filming today. It’s down to Lillian’s and Brown Sugar Bakery.”
Grant knew what Shari wasn’t saying. It wasn’t just bakery against bakery. It was personal. It was Shari against Dina. “I understand.”
“And as much as I would love to linger in bed with you—
” she glanced down and noticed he was happy to see her “—I need to talk to the family. They’ve all gathered downstairs for breakfast and a last-minute powwow. We’re pretty sure we’ll get the U.S. today as our country.”
“I have no doubt Lillian’s will be victorious,” Grant said. He saw fire and determination in Shari’s eyes this morning. Hell, last night. She was going out fighting.
“What about you?” Shari asked.
“I was thinking Andre and I could have lunch with my parents,” Grant shared. “If you recall, they mentioned extending their stay here until we leave.”
“Oh, yes, I remember. That sounds like fun.”
Grant came forward and wrapped his arms around Shari’s waist. “Good luck, Shari. I know you’ll do great.” He pressed his lips against hers and gave her a searing kiss.
Shari smiled at him when he came up for air. “From your lips to God’s ears.”
* * *
Shari was one of the first Draysons downstairs at the café, ready to discuss last-minute strategies. Drake and Carter joined her seconds later. Drake didn’t speak, but Carter came over to her chair.
“Good morning, cuz. How’d you sleep? You ready for battle today?” Carter asked, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“Absolutely!” Shari said with conviction. “I’m ready to snuff out Brown Sugar Bakery once and for all.”
“Sounds personal,” Carter said.
Shari looked Carter dead in the eye. “It is. And not just for me, but for Grandma, too. Dina used us. She snaked her way into this family and our business only to start another bakery with some of our recipes, although they’ve been tweaked—” she used her hands to make quotation marks “—to say they were hers.”
Carter regarded her. “I like your fire. It’s long overdue. And it’s a good thing, too.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because the show smells blood. They’ve been asking about you and Grant. And how Dina fits into the equation.”
“Did anyone say anything?” Shari’s eyes widened in horror. She didn’t want her personal business on display for the world to see.
Carter shook his head. “No, we’ve all kept mum.”
They didn’t finish their conversation because Monica, Belinda and Malik, her parents and Grandma Lillian and Grandpa Henry soon joined them. “Is everyone ready to go win this competition?” Grandma asked when she arrived.
“Yes,” they all said in union.
“Then let’s go get that trophy,” Grandma Lillian yelled.
* * *
At the studio, tension was thick in the air. On one side, Dina and the Brown Sugar Bakery team, on the other, the entire Drayson clan. Shari, Carter and Belinda were in the final round while the rest of the family sat in the audience. All of them together were an intimidating sight, and Shari hoped Dina was quaking in her boots for a Drayson family smackdown.
“Are the teams ready?” Brandon, the host asked.
“We are.” Shari, Belinda and Carter had already donned their aprons and were standing by their table in the studio.
“So are we,” Dina and her team yelled from across the room, not to be outdone.
“The final country in the cakes around the world week is...” Brandon paused for effect, looking at both teams. “You guessed it! The good ole United States.”
Everyone clapped in the studio. “As you know, we’re taping live today to see which of these two teams will stand victorious in the end.” The host faced the camera. “Will it be the underdog and one-woman show at Brown Sugar Bakery, Dina English? Or will it be a Chicago staple and institution, Lillian’s bakery?” More cheers erupted. “Let’s find out on the final round in ‘Cakes around on the World’ on You Take the Cake!”
Shari stared across the room at Dina when they went to commercial break. The time had come for the final battle. Who was the better baker? Shari or Dina? Her eyes connected with Dina’s from across the room and Shari saw the fierce look in her former friend’s eyes. Dina was out for blood, but this time so was Shari. She leaned over and whispered in Carter’s ear. “Let me take the lead in this battle.”
“Shari, you know I’m the master cake maker,” Carter whispered hotly.
“This isn’t about you being the best,” Shari responded. “I need to do this.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Belinda asked, joining their conversation.
“Shari wants to take the lead,” Carter replied, looking nervously at Belinda, then Shari again. He’d assumed, given his reputation and that he was the oldest, that he would naturally run lead as he’d done the other two rounds when they’d worked together.
“For Christ’s sake, just let her!” Belinda shrugged, looking across the room at Dina and her team. “We don’t need this derisiveness right now.”
“Fine!” Carter huffed.
As the show came back from commercial break, Shari silently whispered a thank-you to Carter, but he gave her only a curt nod.
“As in the previous battles, you will be judged on taste, creativity and presentation,” Brandon said. “We’d like you to come up with three miniature cakes reminiscent of the South. To find out your mystery ingredients, open your boxes.”
Shari rushed to open the box first and found sweet potatoes, popcorn and orange soda. “Are you kidding me?” she said aloud.
Carter looked inside the box. “You wanted to run lead, so what you got?” He raised an eyebrow.
Shari’s mind began frantically racing. And then she said, “Carter, I want you to make a sweet-potato cake with that famous honey-maple glaze of yours. Belinda, how about a twist on an orange-soda pound cake? I’ll leave you to the ingredients. And I’m going to make a triple-chocolate cake with candied popcorn.”
“Like Cracker Jack?” Belinda asked.
Shari nodded.
Carter smiled at Shari’s plan, but didn’t say a word. Instead, he, along with Belinda and Shari, went racing around the kitchen pantry and refrigerator to collect their ingredients and start making their cakes. During the first round, Shari came around to Carter’s bowl to taste his sweet-potato batter.
“Delicious as always,” Shari commented.
“As if you expected anything less,” Carter teased and bumped Shari with her hip as she went back to her area. “Listen, I’m sorry about before. I know how much this means to you.”
Shari smiled in return. “Thank you, and I won’t let the team down.”
She returned to her station to finish pouring her chocoholic batter concoction into miniature pans and then place them into the convection oven to bake. When they were in the oven, she went to the stove to check on her oil for her popcorn. Once it was popped, she poured the popcorn into another pot with a candy thermometer where she’d been heating sugar to turn to syrup along with some peanuts. She stirred the mixture until it was gooey and then transferred it to parchment paper to cool.
“Looking good, kid,” Belinda said from behind her.
“Thanks. I think so, too.”
And she was right. Her triple-chocolate cake with candied popcorn was a hit with the judges. And for the first time, she beat Carter in praise from all the judges.
“Great round,” Carter said when time was called for a break before the second challenge.
Shari tried not to let the praise go to her head, but it was the first time she’d beat Carter. Dina was next to go down. She was determined to crush Dina and show her that you couldn’t mess with a Drayson.
* * *
“So, you and Shari,” Grant’s father said after lunch later that afternoon. “I didn’t see that coming.” They’d decided to take an afternoon stroll along the boardwalk and Andre and his grandmother had walked ahead of them while Grant and his father hung back to talk.
“How would you?” Gr
ant asked. He hadn’t kept in touch with them in years other than a quick trip at the holidays.
“Touché,” his father responded. “I guess I haven’t really been a part of your life these last few years, not since your divorce from that Dina woman.”
“That marriage was a mistake.”
His father regarded him curiously. “It was just as quick as this one. What’s the difference?”
Grant stopped in his tracks and turned to glare at his father. “The difference is that it’s Shari I’ve always wanted.”
Warren Robinson’s brows slanted into a frown. “Then why did you marry Dina?”
“If you recall, you impressed upon me that I needed to settle down and...well, Shari rejected me back then and I guess my ego was somewhat bruised.”
“And Dina was all too willing to put some salve on it?”
Grant cocked his head to the side and looked at his father. “Something like that.”
“And now? Shari clearly hasn’t rejected you. She married you.”
“Only after I found out about Andre.”
“And did a little arm twisting, too?” Grant’s father knew him well, because in some ways Grant was a chip off the old block.
“I wanted Andre to have a two-parent household,” Grant said firmly.
“Yeah, well, that isn’t always for the best.”
“Are you talking about you and Mom?” Grant queried, thawing his tone.
“Your mother and I have made our peace with our circumstances. She likes the life I provide and the status that comes with it.”
“And you? Are you happy, Dad?”
His father shrugged dismissively. “I’d resigned myself years ago to the fact that Eleanor was no longer the woman I married. That she was cold and distant. And then, when she met Andre, I saw a whole new side of her. For the first time in years, I’ve seen a glimmer of the woman I hadn’t seen in a long time, especially once she started drinking.”
“Hold on to that side, Dad,” Grant said. “Don’t let her go. And for God’s sake, get her into AA.”
“I’ve tried,” his father said, taking a seat when they stopped walking, “but your mother adamantly refused. And after we lost touch with you, well...it became worse. Perhaps now that she has something to live for, a reason to want to get sober, she’ll reconsider.”
Delicious Destiny Page 15
