caught Liz's attention and caused an immediate current of anticipation to ripple through her. Since all her customers were taken care of and her two second-shift employees had the tables covered, she started making the drink Steve always ordered- a caramel frappuccino, extra caramel.
As she blended the concoction, she watched him through the plate-glass window as he took off his helmet and combed his thick, tousled hair with his fingers. He slid off his bike in one smooth motion and retrieved what appeared to be a leather portfolio from the back compartment. Breathtakingly gorgeous and sinfully sexy, he strolled into the establishment, made eye contact with her, and winked. The private greeting started a slow melting sensation in the pit of her belly.
He made his way to the vacant couch in the corner, and she experienced a twinge of insecurity when she realized a group of flirtatious, model-thin women were doing their best to get his attention. There had always been a part of her that believed she hadn't been good enough to please Travis, that her body wasn't perfect enough, thus causing him to stray from their marriage. And those old self-doubts were obviously rearing their ugly heads with Steve, who could have any woman of his choosing.
She firmly reminded herself that he'd chosen her, and for the time being he seemed completely satisfied and dedicated. To his credit, he didn't seem to notice the other women who were staring at him, waiting for a smile or some other token acknowledgment as he passed their tables. A few of the interested females appeared miffed by his indifference, and Liz was admittedly amused by his subtle rejection.
Katie, a young college student who worked part-time in the evenings while going to school during the day, rounded the counter. 'Do you want me to go take his order?' she asked.
'No, I've got it.' Liz poured the drink into a plastic cup. 'I'm going to take a break, but I'll be right over there if you need me for anything.' She indicated Steve.
With a nod, the young girl picked up a damp rag and went to wipe down tables.
Liz topped the drink off with a small mountain of real whipped cream and drizzled a generous amount of caramel sauce on top of that, having learned that there was no such thing as too much caramel for that macho bad boy of hers.
Minutes later, she was delivering the drink to him in the private, semisecluded corner he'd picked, away from other patrons. 'Hey, there,' she said softly, her whole being fairly zinging with instantaneous awareness as she sat down beside him on the couch.
He graced her with a bone-melting smile that kicked up her pulse yet another notch. 'Hey, yourself,' he murmured, his tone as warm and intimate as the genuine affection glimmering in his eyes. He reached for his drink and poked a straw into the thick mixture. 'I'm not going to get in trouble for fraternizing with the help during working hours, am I?'
Hearing the teasing note in his voice, she leaned back against the sofa cushion and relaxed, intending to enjoy her time with him in a casual environment. Their knees touched, and the slight physical connection between them seemed as natural as breathing. 'Since I'm the boss, the only person you have to answer to is me.'
'That doesn't sound like such a bad deal.' He waggled his brows at her as he took a drink; then a long, low, appreciative moan escaped him. 'God, you give good caramel frappuccinos.'
The man was so outrageous, she couldn't help but laugh. And it felt so good to do so when her life had been much too serious lately. 'What's this sweet tooth you've got for caramel?'
'It goes way back, to when I was a little kid,' he said easily. 'Whenever I'd go to my grandmother's as a boy, she'd always have caramel squares tucked into her apron pocket, and she'd share them with me. It was as if that pocket never ran empty, and sneaking and eating those caramels became a special treat for me since my mother didn't have them at home.'
A fond smile softened his masculine features, giving her a rare glimpse of an endearing side to Steve that stirred a reciprocating tenderness within her. She turned more fully toward him and stretched her arm along the back of the sofa, her fingers inches away from touching his broad shoulder. She could feel the heat of his body, could smell his clean, masculine scent, and wished they were alone.
'I always thought it was our little secret, until my brothers told me that they got those same caramel squares from Grandma's apron pocket,' he said with a feigned grumble. 'I remember being so crushed when I found out about that, and ticked at my brothers for horning in on what I thought of as
She chuckled, loving his story and imagining what mischievous rascals he and his siblings must have been. 'You have brothers?'
'Two of them. Eric and Adrian. I'm the oldest, and they always were a pain in my ass when we were growing up.' His gruff tone was underscored with a begrudging affection for his siblings.
As much as she wished he'd elaborate on his brothers and family beyond that tidbit, he didn't, and she didn't feel it was her right to pry for more. She was more afraid that if she learned too much about him, she'd grow to like him more than was prudent. 'Obviously you weren't traumatized too badly by the incident, since your love for caramel hasn't diminished.'
'Not in the least. As a kid, I loved the sweet, buttery flavor. Now, as an adult, I think of caramel as rich, creamy… and highly seductive.' He dipped and swirled his index finger into the sauce covering the mound of whipped cream, then brought that caramel-coated digit less than an inch away from her mouth. 'Taste it and tell me what you think.'
Her pulse leaped at the provocative game he was instigating in a very open public place. The wicked look in his eyes dared her to play, and she knew she had two options-to revert to the sensible, practical woman she'd been for three years and push his hand away, or to embrace her newly emerging sensual side and indulge in his brazen challenge.
She quickly assessed the situation and their position. They were in a corner of the lounge area, his wide shoulders turned toward her and angled in a way that shielded her from prying eyes and gave them a cloak of seclusion. And that was all the reassurance she needed to match his shameless actions.
He grew impatient, touching her lips with the sticky-sweet confection, boldly pressing them apart. She held his gaze and obeyed his silent command, opening for him, letting him slide his finger into the warm, wet recesses of her mouth.
She knew what caramel tasted like. She was one of those rare females who preferred the buttery, rich candy over chocolate, but she never knew how arousing it could be when mixed with the flavor of hot, salty male flesh. Never knew how turned on she could get by lapping the treat off a man's finger. And judging by the tense set of Steve's jaw, the quickening rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, he was equally transfixed by the sexual connotation inherent in her stimulating performance.
He started to pull his hand back, but she encircled his wrist and stopped him before he could withdraw. He might have been the one to start this scandalous stunt, but she intended to finish it. She swirled her soft tongue around his long finger, grazed the length with her teeth, and nibbled the tip before taking him deep into her mouth again and sucking the last of the sweetness from his skin.
His breath hissed out between his teeth, and his pupils dilated-dark, hot, and glittering with a fierce hunger that gave Liz a sense of feminine power. The erection bulging against the fly of his jeans thrilled her, and knowing she was pushing Steve to the edge of his restraint, she finally released his finger.
'Definitely rich, creamy, and seductive,' she murmured, and slowly dragged her tongue along her lower lip. 'I think I just discovered a new aphrodisiac.'
'Caramel?' he asked, his voice tight.
A beguiling smile tipped the corners of her mouth. 'When it's drizzled over the right dessert.'
His nostrils flared as her meaning sank in, and a slash of color highlighted his cheekbones. 'If we weren't in a room full of your customers and employees, you'd be flat on your back right now and I'd be the one licking that caramel sauce off your body. Every single delicious inch of it.'
The image of that erotic fantasy caused her nipples to pucker so tight they hurt. Her sex felt wet, swollen, and she managed-just barely-to maintain her composure and strove for a reckless, fearless reply. 'You think so?'
He growled, the primitive sound sending delightful shivers down her spine. 'Don't tempt me, sweetheart.'
His tone was playfully intimidating, and while she didn't think he'd really follow through on his sexy threat and take her right there on the sofa, she wouldn't put it past him to haul her off to the storage room or women's
