“I own a store called Sweet Treats,” she said. “I want to build my business, so I made baskets of my signature item, and I was going to go around to the local businesses and ask if they’d put the candy and my business card by the register.”
“What makes your candy stand out?” he asked.
“Other than how good it is?” she asked cheekily. “It’s handcrafted and made with love. If I grow enough, I’ll have to bring in outside-made candy to fill the cases, but that’s for another time. Meanwhile, I know I’m a small shop and it’ll be hard to get my name out there, but if I can dominate the area around my store based on the one thing I offer that’s different than anyone else, then maybe word of mouth will work in my favor.”
He listened to her words and his hand stilled on the last lug nut. Everything she said made sense.
Her words dominating the area and standing out jumped out at him. “That’s it!” he said, excitement filling him because her words had hit on the one thing missing from Club TEN29. Something unique to them, and suddenly he knew just what he needed to discuss with Gabe.
“What’s it?” she asked.
“You’ve come up with a brilliant idea, Faith Lancaster. And it just might help me with my business, so thank you.” He turned the wrench one last time and rose to his feet, his legs stiff from crouching in one position for so long.
“Happy to help.” She shrugged, obviously confused, but that was okay because he wasn’t. He finally had direction.
He looked down at his hands, now completely covered in dirt and grease.
Faith glanced at his blackened skin. “Oh! Come upstairs and wash up. It’s the least I can do for you after you saved me.”
He didn’t want to get into his car covered in filth, and she seemed okay with him now, so he nodded. “I’d appreciate that.”
He followed her inside and up two flights of dark stairs. He immediately didn’t like where she lived. From the description of the guys hanging out front late at night to the lack of lighting in the walk-up, it screamed danger. But who was he to judge? Yet it bothered him. He wouldn’t let his sister live here.
By the time they walked into the small apartment, he was frowning, but one look at the cheerful décor and his mood lightened. This was a woman who made the best of any situation, he realized, taking in the white curtains and the old furniture with bright pink throw pillows covering the cushions. A matching fun pink rug sat under a beat-up coffee table covered in well-read books.
“You like pink,” he mused, coming up beside her. “And candy.” She even smelled sweet and delicious. “Are you fun, Faith?”
Her cheeks turned an adorable shade of … pink. “I can be, in the right situation.”
He wondered what that right situation might be, because he’d definitely like to have fun with her. The kind between the sheets. Before his dick could react to that thought, he asked, “Where’s the bathroom?”
She led him to a small partly open door and gestured for him to go inside. “There’s a tiny linen closet behind the door. Take a towel and get yourself cleaned up.”
She stepped away and headed back to the main area of the apartment.
He glanced over to where the small kitchen was visible through a pass-through. The candies were neatly stacked on the Formica countertops.
“So about those treats. Did I earn myself one?” he asked, joining her.
She blinked in surprise. “Why didn’t I think of that?” She rushed to the kitchen, returning with a pop and handing it to him.
He bit into it once, then twice, quickly swallowing the sweet, delicious candy. “Mmm. Damn, these are good. S’mores flavor?” he asked.
She nodded, a grin on her face. “It’s like a taste of home,” she said softly.
Sensing this meant something to her, he wanted to know more. “How so?”
She sighed. “My mom and I used to make candy all the time when I was growing up. She always wanted to open a store in our small town, but she didn’t have the ability. Things were … out of her control. And she needed to work to take care of me and my brother. But this was her favorite recipe and it reminds me of her.”
“What happened?” he asked. “If you want to talk about it.”
“She died recently.” Faith blinked and looked away.
Recognizing raw pain, he changed the subject. “Well, your candy is delicious and I hope you succeed,” he said, treating her to a warm smile, realizing their time together was coming to an end.
“I have a meeting I need to get to,” he said. But he wasn’t ready to leave.
“Oh, right.” She rushed over to the kitchen and returned with a basket in her hand. “Take this. As a thank you. You’re a Good Samaritan, Jason Dare.”
He accepted her gift, their skin brushing as it exchanged hands. A shot of electricity jolted up his arm and went straight to his cock. Something about this woman got to him, from her gorgeous face and curvaceous body to her strength and the hint of occasional fragility beneath. He knew with everything in him he ought to stay away. From the fact that her tire might have been slashed to the fact that she didn’t radiate one-night-stand type of woman to him, he should say goodbye and walk out the door.
“Have dinner with me.” He blurted out the words before he could think them through.
She stared at him in surprise, those pretty lips pursing in thought, green eyes huge. “Umm … I really don’t think it’s a good idea. I have too much going on right now and I don’t date and … well, we shouldn’t.” She sounded sad, as if she didn’t want to say no.
He rolled his shoulders, deciding it was for the best even if he didn’t like being turned down by her. “I understand.”
She stared at him for a heartbeat. “Well, thanks again.”
He inclined his head. “You can thank me by locking your door and being careful out there.” Her slashed tire stayed with him, bothered him, even.
Sure, this was New York City and not the best neighborhood, so it really could have been done by someone who considered vandalism a good time. He’d probably have gone with that theory, too, if not for her slightly panicked reaction she’d tried to hide.
“Don’t worry. I’m a big girl and I can take care of myself,” she said, striding toward the door. “But I’ll take your advice.”
He stepped out the door she’d opened for him. “Bye, sweetness,” he said. “It was nice meeting you, Faith Lancaster.”
She wrinkled her nose at the nickname.
“Would you prefer candy girl?” he asked, chuckling at the blush on her cheeks as he walked away.
* * *
If Faith dated anyone, she would date Jason Dare. She leaned back against the door and sighed like a teenage girl crushing on her first date. My God, that man had an ass to die for.
When she hadn’t been carrying candy baskets upstairs, she’d been ogling his rear end in his suit trousers. She could only imagine him naked, and that was the idea that had her shivering when her thoughts should be on whether her slashed tire was a freak incident as she’d told Jason or a warning sign from the brother she’d run away from.
When they were younger, she’d loved her brother, but as he grew up, Colton developed … issues and that was putting it mildly. Drugs took over his life.
She stepped away from the door, hating that she was going down this train of thought, but she couldn’t help it. The tire had brought up all sorts of fears. And memories.
Colton showing up after her mom died unexpectedly, demanding his share of the estate, only to find out he’d been disinherited. His rage and anger. Though her mom hadn’t been wealthy, she wasn’t poor. She’d had money from her parents, which she’d saved, and she’d taken out a life insurance policy with Faith as the beneficiary.
She double-checked the lock and dead bolt on her door, as the memories continued to flow. As much as Faith would have liked to share the money with her sibling, Faith agreed with her mom. Colton would throw the money away on drugs, so she honored her moth
er’s wishes and refused him.
She should have known that wouldn’t be the end of it. Colton came by high one night, broke into her apartment, grabbed her around the neck, and threatened to kill her. That was the moment she understood the brother she’d known was lost to her, and fear like she’d never known encompassed her.
Maybe she should have called the police, but she’d been afraid of angering him more. She knew from experience he never stayed behind bars for long, no matter what petty crime they picked him up for. So within three days of his threats, she’d quit her job, packed up the necessities, and left her small Midwestern town, heading to the biggest city she could think of, where she could get lost.
She’d checked into a hotel with cash, then found a lawyer willing to see her that same week, and he filed paperwork to change her name from Faith Holland to Faith Lancaster. Understanding the rush, he’d pulled strings to get her in to see a judge, who he convinced her life was in danger. And as she still had faint bruises on her neck, and photographs she’d taken immediately after, he’d been willing to seal her records.
She’d been in New York for a year and she’d moved fast with everything she’d done. She had a new name, a new life, a shop she’d leased because it already had a commercial kitchen … and as she glanced around her apartment and out the window, she remembered she also had a slashed tire that might or might not present a problem.
Was it any wonder she’d turned Jason down? From the time her dad had left, leaving her to feel like it was her fault, that she was too much of a burden for him, she’d learned to distrust men. If the one who was supposed to love and take care of her couldn’t stick around, why would someone she merely dated?
She wasn’t a virgin, but she definitely didn’t get involved with many guys. Yet for the first time, she’d been severely tempted to break her no-dating rule. Jason got her blood pumping, desire flowing, and he made her want to step out of the hidden comfort zone she’d cushioned herself in for most of her life.
But she couldn’t. She knew better than to trust any guy, let alone a nightclub owner she’d just met. Even if he had been her savior tonight.
Chapter Two
Jason drove away from Faith’s apartment, a basket of candy on his passenger seat and his mind on the sexy woman he’d left behind, an unusual occurrence. He never had problems leaving a female in his rearview mirror. He wasn’t an ass, he just didn’t get attached. Something about Faith got to him, and considering she’d turned down his request for a date, he’d be better off forgetting about her. Except her tire had been slashed…
He shook his head and rode uptown to his cousin Gabe’s apartment. His wife, Izzy, greeted him at the door, her three-year-old-son, Noah, in her arms, her wild hair a halo around her head, her pretty face lighting up at the sight of him.
“Jason! Come on in. Gabe said you’d be stopping by.”
He kissed her on the cheek and chucked the boy under the chin. “Hey, little man. You’re getting so big.”
The child held up three fingers, wiggling to get down from his mother’s grasp. “I was just going to give him a bath. I’ll get Gabe for you,” she said.
As he stepped into the apartment, Gabe met up with him in the entryway. He paused to play with his son, lifting the child into the air and laughing with him before settling him into his mother’s arms, and they headed for his bath.
“I’m always shocked to see you so light-hearted and laughing,” Jason said. “Sorry. It’s just so different from the man you were.”
Gabe’s eyes lit with pleasure. “Look what I have in my life to make me smile.” He glanced toward where Isabelle had taken his son. “You’ll see yourself one day.”
“Oh, no,” Jason automatically said. “My life is full enough.”
“Until you meet the right woman.”
Jason’s thoughts immediately went to the gorgeous, shapely blonde with a good sense of humor and the ability to charm him. “Hey, I brought you some candy,” he said to Gabe, lifting the basket. “A … friend gave it to me.”
“Is this friend the reason you’re running late?” Gabe asked, a wry smile on his face.
Jason winced. “She ran into tire trouble.” He didn’t mention that he’d just met Faith when he saw her on the side of the street kicking her van. He recalled that moment with an amused smile.
“I’ll take that grin as a yes. So who is she?”
Jason chuckled, then decided to confide in his cousin, after all. “I met her tonight. She had some issues and I helped out. She has a candy shop near the club.”
“So you decided to be a Good Samaritan.”
He nodded.
“And she thanked you with treats. That you like, a lot.”
Jason rolled his eyes. “Can we discuss business?”
Grinning, Gabe gestured into the apartment, and Jason followed him through the huge open design and into his private office, where they settled into wingback chairs. “Drink?” Gabe offered.
Jason shook his head. He wasn’t a big drinker. Not since that night. “No, thank you.”
“So what’s going on?” Gabe had been Jason’s mentor since he’d finished college and decided to stay in New York with his now-partners. He’d helped him find an apartment and funded his venture, Club TEN29, named after the date Levi died. A date the men would never forget.
“Now what did you want to discuss about the future of your club?” Gabe leaned back in his chair and met Jason’s gaze.
“I came here to ask for ideas, but when I was talking to Faith earlier…”
“The candy girl?”
Jason laughed. “Yes. She mentioned wanting to stand out in her area of business and dominate, and I realized that’s what we needed to do and an idea came to me on how. We should expand Club TEN29, utilize our stage, and upgrade our acoustics. Then we bring in live talent. I want a Miami vibe in New York.” His excitement grew as he explained. “I don’t expect big names off the bat, but I know we can get solid people. I can hit up Avery’s husband, the rock star, for help.” Jason had also dated Charlotte Jasper, another recording artist he’d met through his half brother-in-law. He could ask her to perform.
“All of which would require funding.” Gabe steepled his fingers in thought.
Jason nodded. Gabe had his hands in various businesses and had the money to lend should he deem it a worthwhile investment.
“We have the collateral now to go to a bank for a loan.” Which they hadn’t had when they were starting out. Gabe had lent them the money for the start-up, which they were still paying back over time. “But I’d prefer to work directly with you again.”
“Talk to your partners and see if they’re on board. Work up a plan and bring it to me.”
Jason rose to his feet. “Thank you.”
Gabe stood, walked over, and slapped him on the back. “Your success is my success. Besides, we’re family.”
Their grandfathers had been brothers but the Dares remained close despite some living in different states. Even the half-siblings had come to an understanding and had sibling-like relationships now. Some more than others.
“Enjoy your family,” Jason said to Gabe as they walked to the door.
“Thanks. Enjoy your candy girl.”
Jason’s heart gave a kick. “I don’t think I’ll be seeing her again.” She’d made it clear she didn’t think it was a good idea, and if he had to look deep into his soul, the part of him he protected, he had to agree.
But he still couldn’t forget the slashed tire or the troubled look that had crossed her face when he told her about it.
“Letting her go easily doesn’t sound like the Dare way,” Gabe said before saying goodbye and shutting the door.
Jason groaned and headed back to his car, Gabe’s words in his ear.
* * *
After her failed attempt to deliver candy and meeting her dark knight, as she’d come to think of Jason Dare, Faith spent a restless night tossing and turning. She had too much on her mind to r
elax. From the need to reschedule her candies to a daytime delivery, which meant taking time away from being in the store, to her worry about Colton finding her, to thoughts of the sexy man she’d turned away, she was unsettled, to say the least.
She woke up extra early and made herself a cup of coffee in the Keurig she’d splurged on, poured in some cream, and grabbed a cup of yogurt. No Greek yogurt for her; she liked the tiramisu-flavored kind, sugared and all.
She settled in at the kitchen island that doubled as her table and powered up her laptop. With Jason’s card beside her on the counter, she pulled up the website for Club TEN29, telling herself it was mere curiosity overall that compelled her. That she wasn’t cyberstalking Jason Dare.
At a glance, she was impressed with the interactive website and the wealth of information and rooms available on the premises for events and parties. The website provided music and gave a much more professional impression than the basic site she’d created for Sweet Treats.
Professional website, she jotted down in the notes section of her computer. Another expensive item on her to-do list for her business, she thought with a sigh.
Then, unable to help herself, she clicked on the About section, and photographs of the three partners came up in full color. Jason had the lightest brown hair, the other two men were darker, all sporting a scruff of beard, but it was Jason’s startling indigo blue eyes that stood out. If she hadn’t been so overwhelmed, she’d have paid more attention to them last night. She studied him, his intense gaze, slightly brooding, sexy look, and sighed, squirming in her seat at the sight of him.
Scrolling further, she came to the meaning of Club TEN29 and sucked in a startled breath. The words were brief but impactful: Club TEN29 is named in memory of Levi Bennett, who died in a tragic accident on October 29, 2009, beneath the photograph of a young man who appeared almost identical to the older photo of Landon Bennett. They must have been twins. How tragic and sad, she thought, closing out of the website.
But not before taking one last lingering look at Jason and feeling a sense of regret for what might have been if her situation had been different and she’d been free to see him again.
Sexy Dare Page 2
