Harper nodded, looking toward Quentin a second time. “You’re coming, aren’t you?”
He glared at Rachel one last time before shifting his gaze back in her direction. “Not a chance in hell,” he said as he stomped back into the kitchen.
Confused, Harper looked to Rachel for answers. “What was that all about? What am I missing?”
Rachel snatched her belongings from the chair. “None of your damn business,” she snapped. “I’ll call you tomorrow about dinner.” And then she slammed out the front door and down the street.
With a quick glance toward the two employees watching them all with interest, Harper tossed up her hands. Linda and Kitty both giggled, starting to gossip and gush over Dwayne Porter. As she stared out the window, understanding suddenly washed over Harper, and she realized that she’d just met Quentin’s former best friend, the man Rachel had cheated with.
“Hey,” Harper said as she knocked on the office door.
Troy looked up from the papers he’d been working on. “Hey, yourself. What’s up?”
“Do you mind if I bother you for a minute?” she asked.
Troy gestured for her to take a seat in the wingback chair in front of the large mahogany desk. Rising from his seat, he moved to close the office door behind her.
“I hate to bother you. I know how busy you are,” Harper noted.
He shrugged. “It’s no problem. My door is open for you anytime. You are my family now, too.”
Harper smiled. “Thank you. I appreciate that,” she responded. “It actually feels like you are my big brother,” she said.
He nodded and smiled back. “Pop would have liked that, I think.”
“How do you think he would have felt about me not feeling like Quentin is my big brother?”
“I think Pop would have wanted you both to be happy but I know he would have advised you to think long and hard about whatever decisions you make together or apart.”
Harper nodded as she changed the subject. “Be honest with me, Troy. How married are you to the bakery? Is this your dream?”
Troy blew a heavy sigh. “What I do for Just Desserts has nothing at all to do with my dreams for myself. When Pop had the idea to open a bakery he just wanted a place to call his own. A place where he called the shots, could hang with his friends, and made him feel accomplished. In all honesty, I think he really wanted a bar but since he wanted Quentin and me to be involved, a bar wasn’t realistic back then.
“Quentin fed into Pop’s excitement. He was the creative force behind the business. Truth be told, there would be no bakery if it weren’t for Quentin. And I was just happy to be able to share something with the two of them. No more, no less. We could hire anyone to do what I do. It just so happened that I volunteered for the job.”
“So what is it that you really want to be doing?” Harper questioned as she shifted forward in her seat.
Troy paused as he moved back behind the heavy wooden desk. “I really enjoy practicing law. Right now I’m dealing primarily with contract litigation and that works for me. But I’m seriously thinking about making a run for mayor next year.”
“Mayor?”
He nodded. “I’m thinking about it.”
“Does Quentin know?”
“You’re the first person I’ve told.”
She nodded, dropping into a moment of reflection.
Troy smiled as he interrupted her thoughts. “Speaking of contracts,” he said as he picked up the spiral-bound prospectus. “I can see why this offer is so appealing. But I’m not sure how Dwayne is valuing the business and the property. With the amount he’s offering, something doesn’t feel right. And it’s a cash offer, too! I think you need more information.”
“That’s what I thought. It seemed too good to be true so I have to wonder what his real agenda might be.”
“I can appreciate that,” Troy noted.
“What about Quentin? How invested is he in the business? And be honest with me, please!”
Troy sighed as he folded his hands together on top of the desktop. “Of the two of us, Quentin is most like Pop in personality. Everything about this joint makes my brother very happy. But you should have that conversation with him yourself. And there’s something else,” Troy added. “There’s a lot of bad blood between Quentin and Dwayne. You need to factor that into either’s motivations for this sale to happen or not.”
11
Dwayne Porter was standing alone in the building’s garage, leaning easily against Rachel’s Cadillac. When she saw him, she slowed, her eyes locking with his. His expression was blank, the lines in his beautifully chiseled features taut. She held the stare until she was standing directly in front of him.
“Dwayne Porter, what brings you here?” she questioned, her tone coy.
“What kind of game are you playing, Rachel?” he asked, his deep voice cold and harsh.
“Whatever do you mean?” Her expression was questioning as she feigned ignorance.
“I’m talking about that stunt you pulled earlier with Quentin and Troy. What are you up to?”
“Nothing!” she said with a nervous giggle. “Why would I be up to something? You want the building and the business and I want to help facilitate that.”
Dwayne stared at her, the intensity of it moving Rachel to break out into a deep sweat. “You never were a good liar, Rachel,” he finally said as he took a step toward her.
Rachel took a step back, suddenly unnerved by the nearness of him. “You don’t know what I am. You never stay around long enough to find out.”
“I know more than you think I do.”
“Oh, yeah? Like what?” Her tone was defensive as she crossed her arms over her chest.
“Like you still have it bad for Quentin. Like Quentin has it bad for that very pretty, extremely sexy Harper Donovan. I know that you want Harper Donovan gone because as long as she’s here, you don’t stand a chance in hell of getting Quentin back. Am I warm yet?”
Rachel bristled. “Go to hell!” she spat as she brushed past him, moving to unlock her car. “Maybe I should be asking what you’re up to. If you were so concerned about what I might be doing why did you even bother to go to the bakery? Unless of course you had something you wanted to prove to Quentin?”
She opened the rear door, dropping her briefcase and purse to the car floor. As she spun back around Dwayne was standing right behind her, his body so close that she could smell his scent wafting off his skin. She gasped loudly as Dwayne snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her tightly to him. She pressed both of her palms to his broad chest.
“Looks like I hit a nerve.”
She took a deep breath. “You didn’t hit anything.”
He laughed. “Not yet. But I know you still want me. In fact, I bet your pussy’s all wet just thinking about me,” he muttered, his crass words inciting a wave of heat to pulse from her core.
“I don’t know what you are talking about!” Rachel muttered indignantly. “I don’t want anything to do with you.”
Dwayne smirked as he suddenly pushed his right hand beneath the hem of her skirt and onto the steaming crotch of her silk thong. He began to massage her through the thin fabric. An involuntary moan escaped Rachel’s parted lips as she grabbed the car door to maintain her balance.
“You sure about that?” Dwayne crooned, his warm breath blowing against her ear.
Rachel wasn’t sure about anything she thought as he slowly rubbed her sensitive clit, the silk fabric of her thong brushing against her flesh. The sensation felt amazing and her knees began to weaken as her arousal started to spike.
Dwayne suddenly pushed her into the backseat of the car, easing her down onto the leather surface as he dropped his large body atop hers. He pushed her legs open with his knee and her limbs splayed open widely. Her toes were curled so tightly in her Louboutin heels that they hurt.
She gasped loudly as he ripped her coat open, tearing at the buttons of her blouse until her breasts were exposed, the nipples rock hard beneath his manipulations. One hand still danced between her thighs and she suddenly hungered for more, the intensity of her wanting almost frightening.
Dwayne teased her, sensing her desire. But there was nothing loving about his gestures. “You want this, don’t you,” he whispered, the raspy words deep in his throat, his touch harsher as he pushed his fingers deep inside of her. “Tell me you want me,” he commanded as he suddenly called her out of her name. His profanities were laced with vile enumerations, the man calling her everything but a child of God and each abhorrent word made her wetter, her clit throbbing and pulsing beneath his touch.
“Yes, yes, yes,” Rachel moaned loudly. “I want you!” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she lifted her mouth to his and kissed him, the urgency of it flooding her spirit. She could feel her explosion rising with a vengeance and the man hadn’t even entered her yet. Lusty spasms gnawed at her pelvic area, throbbing for release. She reached for him, pulling at his zipper. She grabbed for the hardened erection between his legs. Dwayne suddenly pushed himself from her, moving out of her grasp as he stood back up outside the car door.
Rachel’s eyes widened at the infraction. Her breathing was hurried, coming in deep gasps. She met his stare as he stood and adjusted his clothes, a malevolent grin bubbling past the line of his lips. She suddenly slammed her legs closed, drawing them up to her chest as she wrapped her arms around her knees. Her mouth was dust dry and she bit down against her lower lip so hard that she actually drew blood.
Dwayne drew his hand to his mouth and sucked his finger, the taste of her painting his tongue. The same hand dropped down between his legs to palm the heavy expanse of tissue that pressed against the zipper of his slacks. Rachel’s eyes followed, then she lifted her gaze back to his face, his cold stare sending a chill through her.
“I know you, Rachel,” he said, punctuating each word slowly. “I know if I told you right now to drop down on your knees and suck my dick, you would. You’d do it gladly and if I said you liked it, you’d nod your head and tell me just how much. So, don’t play with me again, Rachel. I won’t be so nice next time.”
Dwayne slammed the car door closed. Rachel watched as he sauntered easily through the parking lot to his own ride, disappearing from her sight. Then she plunged her hand between her legs and brought herself to climax.
Harper was sitting on the family-room floor when she heard Quentin come through the door. She stole a quick glance at the clock on the wall, noting that it was well after midnight. Someone’s jazz played on the old stereo, one of her father’s old vinyl records spinning beneath the needle. She looked up as he rushed into the room.
“Hey, I need you to try something for me,” Quentin exclaimed as he moved to her side. He carried two glass bowls in the palms of his hands. Each had a spoon protruding from the center.
“What’s this?” she questioned as he passed one of them to her, dropping down onto the floor beside her.
“I don’t have a name for it yet. It’s something I’m still trying to perfect,” he said as she pulled a spoonful of his new dessert into her mouth.
As the decadent flavors burst against her tongue Harper closed her eyes and purred. “Hmmm, this is wonderful!” she chimed.
Quentin grinned as he took his own taste. A rich banana cheesecake sat on top of a crisp wafer of crushed almonds and chunks of dark chocolate. The top was drizzled with a light raspberry puree with slivers of toasted almonds sprinkled on top.
“So what’s not perfect about it?” she asked as she took another bite, “because this is heavenly!” She used her finger to savor the last taste, slowly swirling it around the bottom of the cup before sucking the digit past her lips. The erotic gesticulation caught the man off guard.
Quentin hesitated as he watched her, heat flooding through his loins. He shook the sensation then took a deep breath before he spoke. “I just need to insure that the flavors are evenly balanced. I think it’s still too much chocolate.”
“Mmmm,” she purred again. “I love the chocolate but maybe instead of having the large chunks you can make them smaller and spread them out more evenly or maybe do chocolate shavings over the top?”
Quentin nodded. “Let’s try shavings on the top,” he said as he stood up, moving to exit the room.
Harper shook her head and laughed. “Can I come with you?” she questioned, “or would I be in your way?”
“No,” he said, tossing her a look over his shoulder. “Come on down.”
Following him to the commercial kitchen Harper watched as Quentin pulled two clean tasting bowls from the dish tray and proceeded to prep two new desserts. He mixed toasted almonds with flour and butter and flattened out two small rounds that he popped into the hot oven. This time he shaved large flakes of dark chocolate into the bottom of the bowl, layered the baked crisp on top, and added additional shavings of chocolate. The banana cheesecake came next followed by the raspberry sauce, almond slivers, and more chocolate shavings. It was a beautiful dessert and she could feel his excitement as he dropped onto the wooden stool beside her, lifting the large spoon to her mouth.
“Better?” Quentin questioned, his stare locked on her face as she savored the second bite.
She nodded. “Sheer perfection!”
Quentin pulled his own spoonful past his lips and grinned. “Yeah, that is good if I say so myself.”
As Harper drew her index finger around the sides of the bowl a second time, Quentin eyed her steadily. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Unable to resist, he wrapped his own hand around hers, feeling the warmth and softness of it against his palm. Harper gasped ever so slightly as he drew her fingers one by one into his mouth. He sucked one, slowly, then another, until each had been anointed by his tongue. As he nibbled on her pinkie a soft smile of approval came to her luscious lips.
Harper blushed brightly, her breathing beginning to labor. It felt as if her heart was trying to beat a pathway out of her chest. The T-shirt and shorts she was wearing did little to hide her body’s reaction as her nipples stood erect and she could feel her panties becoming damp. Dealing with his own body’s reactions, Quentin subconsciously licked his lips in anticipation.
He dropped a hand against her knee and gently stroked it. Harper jumped ever so slightly feeling as if she’d been touched by a hot torch. The heated sensation swept through her muscles and each one quivered for attention. Quentin leaned forward then hesitated, meeting her stare. Her bottom lip trembled ever so slightly as she leaned in to him, allowing her mouth to meet his. The kiss was soft and gentle and brief. Quentin closed his eyes and sighed softly.
Harper leaned in a second time. This time the kiss was more urgent, the passion rising as she opened her lips ever so slightly, allowing his warm searching tongue to enter and tangle with her tongue. They both tasted sweet, like the sugared dessert they’d just shared, hints of banana and chocolate between them. She moaned and he moaned with her as both his hands gripped the sides of her face.
Quentin traced his finger across her profile, over her cheeks, her nose, each of her eyelids. Where his fingers led, his mouth followed with a damp trail of kisses. Every bit of her tasted like sugar and he suddenly couldn’t get enough. Harper suddenly gripped his wrists, stalling the path his hands were determined to make over her body.
“What are we doing?” she whispered, as she breathed heavily.
“You know what we’re doing,” Quentin whispered back.
Her head waved from side to side as he continued to kiss her, his lips and tongue hot against her flesh. “We shouldn’t . . .” she murmured as he captured her lips again, kissing the words from her mouth. “Quentin, we can’t . . .” she murmured more softly as she pulled away from him, coming up for air.
He nodded as he cradled his forehead against her neck. Harper slid out of his grasp, easing her body from his. She continued to shake her head from side to side. “I should go back upstairs,” she said as she took a deep breath. “You need to get back to work.”
Quentin bit down against his bottom lip as he let her go, watching as she headed toward the back stairwell. As she reached the door, he called her name.
“Yes?”
“Do you really want me to stop?” he asked as he met her gaze. He moved slowly in her direction and as he drew closer Harper began to ease her way backward up the stairwell.
“Quentin, we can’t,” she said as she took the first step and then the second.
He repeated the question, taking each step with her. “Do you really want me to stop,” he murmured again, this time grabbing the hem of her T-shirt to stall her. He moved up on the stairwell with her as he slipped his large palm around the curve of her hip, to press it against her lower back. The gesture threw her off guard and Harper felt herself tripping backward against the carpeted stairs. Quentin fell with her, gently easing both of them down. “Tell me what you want,” he whispered.
Harper gasped as she felt his lips touch her neck. She felt her pulse quickening, her body responding to the soft whisper of his breath on her skin. She gasped, his name rolling off the tip of her tongue. “I want you, Quentin,” she blurted as he slipped his hand beneath her T-shirt. Harper arched her back as she felt his fingers gently running over her skin. She had no bra on and his fingers easily found the rock-hard nipples, stroking and pulling at one and then the other. She felt him tracing his tongue up her neck to her ear, gently biting the soft tissue. She could hear the desire in his breathing and wanting dampened the fabric of her panties. She was wet and she lifted her face to his, inviting his tongue back into her mouth as she kissed him. The kiss was heated, tongues battling, lips searching.
Quentin’s hands ran the length of her back, easily caressing every inch of her skin as he pushed her top up and over her head. He lifted himself up enough to pull his own T-shirt over his head so that they were both topless. He dropped his torso back against her, anxious to feel her skin hot against his own.
Harper pushed her hips forward, her need growing by leaps and bounds. She spread her legs as he settled his pelvis between them, grinding against her as he wrapped her limbs around his back. He was hard as concrete, the length of his erection cradled tight against the crest of her crotch. Quentin felt her nails graze the flesh along his back as he pumped himself against her, over and over. The sensation of silk and cotton and heat against their flesh had them both dizzy with lust. He wanted to be inside her and then it dawned on him that he had no protection. His breath suddenly caught in his chest and he gasped heavily.