She's No Angel (13 page)

Scraping the hair back away from her face, he pulled her mouth to his and kissed her.

It was so easy to give in and fall beneath the wave of wanting him. The sensation was warm and comfortable, which surprised her. She was so used to being on edge around people that it was...a relief.

For the first time in a very long time she felt like she could really be herself. And that was something she hadn’t let happen often, not even completely with her friends. The lessons she’d learned when she was younger had taught her to hide pieces of who she was. She didn’t see it as a lie, but rather acceptance of the society she belonged to.

People conformed to all sorts of things.

Breaking their connection, Brett pulled away. A small, teasing smile played across his unbelievably beautiful mouth.

“Good morning, gorgeous.”

His greeting took her by surprise. They’d been awake and talking for several minutes. But somehow it felt right. And more important than the mere words he’d just said.

As if there wasn’t anywhere he’d rather be than right there with her.

Embarrassed that she was putting so much emphasis on an unimportant greeting, Lexi glanced away from him and caught a glimpse of the clock sitting beside her bed.

Pushing against his chest, she scrambled out of his hold.

“Get up, get up, get up. We’re going to be late.”

Brett followed her, a little more slowly. “I don’t think it’ll matter if you’re a few minutes late unlocking the door, Lexi. You deserve five minutes now and then.”

Sticking her head around the en suite door, she mumbled around her toothbrush. “I have a delivery of supplies showing up in twenty minutes.”

He cocked his head and considered her. “Does that mean no time for a shower?”

The naughty gleam in his eyes gave him away, even if he did try to hide the intent.

Pointing a warning finger at him, Lexi tried to dissuade him. “Not the kind you’re thinking. You can take one if you want. Alone. And meet me in a bit, but I’m walking out the door in five minutes with or without you.”

Brett lunged for her. Lexi danced out of his grasp, threw her toothbrush back in the holder and sidestepped him to the closet.

“What happened to the woman who was twenty minutes late to dinner at your parents?”

Hopping on one foot, she jerked jeans up over her hips.

“That was different. This is business and if I’m not there it’ll be days before I can get the delivery rescheduled. I need the supplies or I’ll run out of product.”

“You need to hire some help.”

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing, but today that’s not an option.”

Brett stood in the doorway to her bathroom naked as the day he was born and completely oblivious and uncaring. Lexi couldn’t help but stare at every mouth-watering inch of him. He was gorgeous, and for a little while he was hers.

“I’m trying to be good here, but if you keep looking at me that way you’re going to miss more than your delivery.”

Lexi shook her head, ducked back inside the closet and took a deep, steadying breath. Pressing her eyes closed, she tried to find her equilibrium, or her sanity, but apparently neither was available.

Instead, she settled for jerking a plain white shirt with little capped sleeves and a tapered waist over her head. She topped it with a red cardigan, adding a black rhinestone belt and red flats.

Coming out fully clothed was about her only hope of getting out of the house on time.

To her surprise, when she emerged Brett was dressed, as well. His hair was damp, tunnels from his fingers running through the dark strands, and he smelled like her vanilla body wash.

He headed into the kitchen first, grabbed the travel mug she kept ready by the coffeemaker and filled it from the waiting pot. In Lexi’s life, one of the best inventions ever made had been the automatic timer on the coffeemaker.

Without bothering to ask, he opened her fridge, pulled out the gourmet creamer she had stashed in the door, splashed some inside, stirred and then handed it to her. Opening her cupboard, he grabbed her spare mug and made himself some to go.

Taking a sip, Lexi breathed in the healing power and waited for the caffeine to kick in.

And when it did something else hit her.

“How did you know the way I like my coffee?”

Brett glanced over his shoulder at her. “I don’t know.” Something on his face shifted and his eyebrows beetled. “I must have seen you.”

“I guess.” She couldn’t remember having coffee in front of him, but maybe yesterday...

He’d paid attention to the way she preferred her coffee. That wasn’t the gesture of a man only interested in sex, was it? Not that she had time to dwell.

Grabbing her keys off the kitchen counter, Brett bounced them in his hand and asked, “Are you ready?”

Lexi nodded.

This was very domestic. Too domestic.

Unease filled Lexi, but she refused to let it take hold. She wouldn’t let it ruin the day before it had even gotten started. She was going to enjoy sharing the mundane morning tasks with him.

Last night had been about taking a risk, letting her guard down. What good would it do to put it back up in the bright light of day?

13

T
HE
DAY
WAS
...unexpected. Brett watched as Lexi prepared all sorts of treats for her store. And when the baking and cooking were done she opened the front doors and single-handedly helped every customer who walked inside.

He was almost disappointed when he had to join in on a conference call with the project manager for a strip mall Bowen Enterprises was building in Texas. Bowen wanted some tweaks to the blueprints, none of them good. Brett resented the intrusion...and the reminder that he was in Sweetheart for something other than seducing the delectable chocolatier.

He much preferred watching Lexi as she greeted each customer by name, giving them the same dazzling smile that she shared with everyone—even the people who didn’t deserve it. A scamp of a boy tried to swipe a cookie from the prepackaged display. Lexi caught him, pulled him by the collar into the corner and quietly lectured him on what he’d done wrong.

Instead of calling his parents—whom she obviously knew—or the sheriff to scare some sense into the boy, she looked at him with her warm chocolate eyes. Within minutes the poor boy was sobbing out how sorry he was and that he’d never do it again.

She hadn’t even raised her voice.

Pulling the towel out of her waistband, she wiped his tearstained face, gave him one of the chocolate lollipops she’d made this morning and shooed him out the door.

Brett had no doubt the boy would think twice before trying to steal from anyone again, not just Lexi.

Where he’d come from, if anyone had caught him shoplifting he’d have been sent straight to juvie. In his neighborhood there were no second chances, which is why he’d worried so much about his little brother. Hunter had been headstrong and impulsive.

Sweetheart was a side of life that he’d never known. To his surprise, he realized that he’d kind of grown to like the place. And the people. Even when they’d been wary of him, they’d welcomed him anyway, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

It was late when the store finally emptied and the pace slowed. Even when there weren’t customers, there had been work to do. And Brett realized he’d enjoyed being the one beside Lexi while she’d done it.

Lexi walked into the kitchen and slumped into a chair at the small table there. Brett slid behind her, wrapping his hands around her shoulders and rubbing.

She melted beneath his touch. He could feel each knot as it relaxed from her muscles. The contented hum that vibrated in her throat jolted through his own body, but he ignored the unmistakable signal. Now wasn’t the time. She was exhausted.

“I wish you’d let me help more today. You really could have used it.”

“I know, but it was faster just to do most of it myself.”

“You should hire some help.”

Her shoulders tightened again. Brett stayed silent, continued to rub and waited for her to relax again.

Finally, she sighed. “I know, but it’s difficult to trust this place to anyone else.”

Sweeping her hair over her shoulder, he revealed the bare skin at the nape of her neck. Leaning down, he placed his mouth just there and breathed against her skin. “Control freak.”

He’d meant the words as a gentle rebuke, but instead they came out as a groan of need.

It had been a long day, watching her prance around in that tight little cardigan that did nothing to camouflage the luscious curves beneath, at least not now he knew they were there. He’d wanted to touch her all day. And now the place was empty.

But instead of falling in with his plan, Lexi slipped out from under his hold.

“Oh, no, you don’t. I still have work to do.”

Slowly, he let his eyes drag across her from the tip of her ponytail to the toe of her tiny red shoes. He’d always been more of a high-heel guy, but on Lexi those flats were sexy as hell.

And the apron. God, the apron. He wondered if she’d be willing to leave it on. It and nothing else.

In a husky voice, he asked, “What? I’ll help. That way I can get my hands on you twice as fast.”

Her skin flushed the most tempting shade of pink. Her eyes sparkled and her tongue passed slowly across her parted lips.

“Underneath the display case you’ll find boxes. Put everything in a separate container and make sure the lids are tight. I’ll handle prep for tomorrow.”

With a nod, he shot back into the front. With more speed than finesse, he managed to get all the leftovers boxed. Stacking them together, he clutched the tower of containers to his chest. They blocked his view, but he managed to find the curtain by feel and make it into the back without dropping a single one.

Sliding everything onto the table, he turned. Triumph raced just beneath his skin, but it didn’t last. The vision that greeted him left him dumbstruck.

While he’d been gone Lexi had shed the sweater and popped open the first two buttons on her little white shirt. She’d taken down the ponytail, but replaced it with a messy knot at the top of her head. She hummed to herself, swaying her hips back and forth to a soundtrack only she could hear.

She looked amazing. Her skin glowed with happiness and health. Standing in front of the machine she’d told him was used to melt the chocolate and do something called tempering, he watched her lick a stray drop off of her finger.

Going after a drip on her forefinger, she put it in her mouth as far as it would go and sucked. Every muscle in his body clenched.

He groaned deep in his throat.

She yelped, spun and speared him with wide eyes. “I...I didn’t realize you were there.”

“Do it again.”

She regained her equilibrium quickly. Too quickly for his taste. He liked her a little off-kilter. He liked knowing he could surprise her. She let so little fluster her.

“Do what again?”

“Lick chocolate off your finger.”

Her pupils dilated as her eyes flared with heat. Slowly, she reached into the vat of chocolate behind her, dipped the tip of her finger into it and pulled it out. Opening her mouth, she sucked her finger deep inside. Her eyes closed for a moment as she savored the flavor of the chocolate.

But when they opened again, the smoldering glow was all for him. Slowly, she ran her tongue up the inside of her own finger. Beneath the tightness of his jeans, his cock throbbed.

He wanted her mouth on him.

Curling her still-wet finger at him, she beckoned him closer. And like a snake to the charmer, he went.

He stood before her, practically panting, waiting to see what she’d do next. She hadn’t even touched him and he was burning for her.

“You’re one of the sexiest women I’ve ever met, do you know that?”

She laughed, the sound low and mysterious. “I don’t think anyone’s ever told me that.”

Maybe he was finally making progress because she didn’t protest or tell him he was wrong.

Dipping her finger back into the reservoir, she pulled out a dollop. He expected her to offer it to him so that he could suck it off. Instead, with her other hand she tugged the collar of his shirt out of the way and smeared it up the side of his neck.

The chocolate was warm, but not hot. It was...thick and gooey. He could feel it rolling slowly down his skin. Until she leaned forward and with nothing but the quick tip of her tongue lapped it away.

Brett groaned. His hands clenched around her waist, but he didn’t stop her.

“Mmm, you taste good.”

“You’re just saying that because you have a thing for chocolate.”

He felt her smile more than saw it. “Probably. Maybe we should do it again to see.”

She moved to grab more chocolate, but Brett stopped her.

Lexi looked up at him quizzically. “I’ve already contaminated this batch of chocolate. It’d be a shame to waste it.”

In a gravelly voice, he croaked out, “We both know what a miserable failure our last experiment was.”

“Does that mean you’re ready to admit you lost our little bet?”

“Oh, I didn’t lose.” Brett leaned down, bit softly at her bottom lip before pulling it into his mouth to suck. “I got to touch you.”

She tasted of chocolate and Lexi, an exhilarating combination he could seriously get used to.

An impish smile curved her lips. “I was pretty happy with the results myself.”

“Good to know,” he growled against her tempting mouth. “But I think we need a second opinion.”

Reaching behind her, it was Brett’s turn to dip into the waiting vat. But he wasn’t satisfied with a little skin. While one hand was in the chocolate the other made quick work of the buttons left on her shirt.

At the same time it popped open, he pulled out several fingers dripping with chocolate and spread them across her collarbone, through the valley between her breasts and over her ribs. Thick brown stripes decorated her entire torso. She looked like she’d been painted for war.

Looking bemusedly down at herself, she said, “That’s a lot of chocolate.”

“Good thing I’m hungry.” Brett licked his lips. Lexi’s gaze followed his every move.

She leaned back against the counter, her body bowing up, silently asking that he touch. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her higher, tight to his mouth.

The first taste of her exploded across his tongue. The chocolate was rich and smooth, just like her skin. But beneath it was something so uniquely Lexi. He’d come to think of her as sweet. Her scent, her taste, her personality. That was who she was.

But tonight, there was more. Something heady and satisfying. A pinch of spice and heat underlying everything.

He lapped at the chocolate, enjoying the way her breath caught when he sucked a particularly sensitive spot. Or the sigh of satisfaction when he pulled the cup of her bra away and stroked the flat of his tongue across the pebbled center of her breast.

The sticky treat was nothing more than a decadent wrapping hiding what he wanted most—her. And when the chocolate was gone he thought they were done with the game. But she had other plans.

“My turn,” she said, making quick work of removing his shirt. Dipping into the chocolate, she spread it across his chest. Gooey clumps clung to the thin trail of hair across his belly. His stomach muscles seized when her talented fingers scraped across his nipple.

Up the side of his neck, across his ribs, the thick mess oozed across his skin. It was warm and...surprisingly pleasant. The chocolate cooled quickly, but he didn’t care. Not when her mouth was busy nibbling at him.

With nimble fingers she unzipped his fly. Brett let out a hiss through clenched teeth when her fingers grazed across the distended length of his cock. She played, letting her fingers lightly trip up and down. The touch wasn’t enough.

He wanted so much more. All of her. Everything she’d give him. And then he wanted more.

Brett wanted the connection they’d found last night. The complete lack of inhibition she’d gifted him with.

When she was near he could think of nothing else. Hell, even when she wasn’t he was consumed by her. When had Lexi Harper become his own personal aphrodisiac?

She pushed his pants and boxers to the floor, kneeling in front of him to pull them off and away. Glancing up at him through lowered lashes, Lexi flashed the most wickedly sensual grin he’d ever seen.

Everything inside him stilled with anticipation. He wanted to find out what could follow such a shockingly debauched expression.

She reached behind her and Brett knew exactly what was coming.

The chocolate she anointed him with was a caress all its own. It was smooth and silky. Warm. She didn’t just put a little on him, but coated his cock from base to tip, turning him into her own private chocolate-dipped treat.

Then she leaned down to suck. He wanted her to gobble him up, like a delight not even her legendary self-control could deny.

Instead she took just the very tip of him into the hot recesses of her mouth. When she pulled away Brett groaned. His hands tunneled into her hair, pulling out the band so that it could fall in a cloud around her face.

“I love your hair down.”

“Mmm.” The sound buzzed in the back of her throat and reverberated straight through his already throbbing groin.

The glossy strands of her hair twined around his fingers. The ends tickled his thighs.

With tiny licks, Lexi ran the tip of her tongue up his swollen length. Every time she reached the top, his cock kicked against her mouth, silently begging her to put him out of his misery.

But she ignored the request.

It felt as if it took forever. Brett wanted it to end. And he prayed it never would. Lexi was meticulous, careful to clean every last speck of rich chocolate off his skin.

By the time most of it was gone he was panting and every muscle in his body was strung hard. His hands, still tangled in her hair, trembled.

Rolling her eyes up at him, she watched him through lowered lashes. The tiniest smudge of chocolate peeked out of the corner of her mouth.

It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. And he couldn’t take any more.

Grasping her, he laid her out flat across the stainless-steel surface of her work counter.

Lexi sucked in a shocked breath when her naked skin connected with the cool surface. She leaned toward him and Brett took advantage, snagging the distended tip of a nipple between his starving lips.

Brett fished a condom out of the pocket of his discarded pants, then tore the rest of her clothes from her body. And when he finally touched her he found her sex wet, swollen and so ready for him.

Sheathing himself in latex, he grasped her hips and held her still so he could slide home. Her body welcomed him, stretching to take everything he could give her.

She sighed, not with the heated frenzy he’d expected, but a soft sound of relief and recognition. Lexi reached for him, pulling him down so their bodies slid languidly against each other.

He enjoyed the moment and the throbbing heat of her wrapped tight around him. Their bodies were sticky, clinging together. They were reluctant to let go of each other.

But the pressure to move and feel was too much and quickly overwhelmed him. He needed her. Now.

Pushing her knee up, Brett opened her up so he could give her more. Slowly, he pulled out and just as deliberately slipped back in. Lexi’s eyes closed in ecstasy and her head rolled backward against the table, exposing her throat.