Clearly clued in to big news by Pandora’s dinginess, Kathy leaned forward on both elbows and demanded with her usual rapid-fire pace, “What’s going on? You’ve got news, don’t you? How’s the store doing? Have you put your stamp on it? Do you love the cafe angle? Are people doing the deed on the tables thanks to that menu we came up with?”
Pandora’s fingers tapped a rhythm on the table as she pondered.
“Well?” Kathy used one perfectly manicured finger to poke Pandora in the arm.
“I was waiting to see if you had more questions,” she replied with a wicked grin.
“Cute. Now spill.”
She’d called Kathy to meet her for lunch for just this reason, to spill the dirty deets about Caleb Black and his hot lips. Her friend was the only person she could tell, because not only was Kathy a great sounding board, she was sane. She’d be the voice of reason and keep Pandora from doing something insanely stupid, like chasing a man who was totally wrong for her. But she’d also keep Pandora from chickening out if her idea-and Caleb-were actually doable.
But now that the moment of truth was here, she couldn’t quite share. Wasn’t sure she was ready for this kind of risk. So she sidestepped.
“The store is actually doing well. There’s a ton of business. The new cafe is bringing in lots of customers. They’re shopping in the store, heck, even the online storefront is getting a lot more traffic. Sales are up forty percent over this time last year and I’ve banked almost enough to cover the quarterly tax payment.”
Pressing her lips tight to stop the bragging, Pandora waited for a reaction. She was a little embarrassed at how proud she was of the store. Even more embarrassed at how much she wanted people, any people-but especially people in Black Oak-to know she was kicking butt. To know that she wasn’t a failure.
“Wow,” Kathy said with a huge grin, clapping her hands together in delight. “I told you it would work. You’re totally rocking the businesswoman gig. I’m excited for you.”
“I wouldn’t say rocking it,” Pandora said, blushing a little. “But it is going so much better than I’d expected. I thought I was going to have to work a lot harder to convince people that oysters, strawberries and asparagus would make their love lives more exciting. But I barely had to advertise. Just opened the cafe, showed the menu and once word got out, it’s been packed.”
“Beats little blue pills, right?”
Pandora laughed, leaning back in her chair and letting the soothing elegance of the restaurant wash over her.
“Oh, yeah, I have it on good authority that I’m way ahead of the little blue pill,” she agreed with a grin. “Do you know how much I now know about sexual aids for the elderly? I mean, yes, the customers are all ages, but it’s the elderly that want to share.”
Pandora paused while the waiter set a basket of sourdough bread and a dish of roasted garlic and olive tapenade on the table. As soon as he left, she continued.
“They are so grateful and excited about the aphrodisiacs-and to give them credit, about a place to get killer desserts-that they seem to have a need to fill me in on their newfound vigor, enthusiasm, length…?. It’s TMI run amok.”
Kathy choked on her wine. “Length?”
Pandora’s brow quirked, then as she realized what Kathy must be thinking, she giggled. “Eww, no. I meant how long their little trysts are lasting now. Apparently chocolate cake is accredited with an extra twenty minutes of good lovin’.”
“And they never discovered the power of chocolate before?”
“Not naked.”
This time it was Kathy who wrinkled her nose.
“It sounds like you’ve had plenty of entertainment. Leave it to Black Oak to stay lively.”
“Yep, the town is chock-full of characters.” Pandora hesitated, then took another fortifying sip of wine. “Including Tobias Black’s kids. Do you remember them?”
“Ooooh, baby,” Kathy said with a low-throated growl. “I had one memorable night with Gabriel right after graduation, remember? I still consider that my introduction to real pleasure, if you know what I mean.”
Pandora winced. Maybe she really did have a sex-confessional sign floating over her head. Before Kathy could share details, she changed the subject. “Did you know the rest of his family?”
“Not so much. Maya is a little younger than we are, Caleb a few years older than Gabriel. Their mom died when they were really little and I think their aunt tried to get custody but Tobias wouldn’t let them go. I remember my mom saying he might not have done them any favors since the boys ran pretty wild. He used to travel a lot, and sometimes he took the kids, but mostly they stayed home on their own.” She frowned, sopping up oil with her bread before picking it apart in tiny little bites. “They had a few minor brushes with the law, teenage things, but nothing major. I remember they were scary smart in school, though. Like they didn’t even have to study to ruin the curve, you know?”
Mulling this over, Pandora nodded.
“Why? Are you selling bed-y-bye snacks to old man Black? Now,
Mr. Black? A hottie? Pandora wasn’t sure what to say to that. It wasn’t that she didn’t agree with Kathy, because Tobias Black was definitely a good-looking man. But it was kinda creepy thinking about him that way when she was nursing a serious case of the hots for his son.
“If he’s as good a kisser as his son, I’m sure he doesn’t,” Pandora agreed, nibbling at her own piece of bread and nervously waiting for the reaction. Once upon a time, she’d have relied on her own ability to read a person, to gauge their body language, and had trusted her own judgment. But now? Now all she was sure of was that she couldn’t be trusted.
The question was, did that mean she shouldn’t trust her lust for Caleb? Or her fear of him?
Kathy gave a gratifying gasp, tossed what was left of her bread on her plate and leaned forward to grasp Pandora’s arm. “Spill. All the details. Which brother, how was it, where’d you do it and were you naked?”
Pandora giggled.
“Caleb. It was amazing. In the cafe, and oh, my God, of course not.”
“But you wanted to be?”
“Absolutely,” she admitted with a sigh. Her smile softened as she remembered his lips again. The taste of him, male, hot and just a little chocolaty. Their bodies hadn’t even touched, yet she’d been more turned on than the last time she’d had full-on, two-naked-bodies and real-live-orgasm sex.
More turned on than she’d ever been in her life, actually.
“In the cafe?” Kathy said, a naughty look dancing in her green eyes. “Had you shared one of those sexy treats?”
Pandora opened her mouth to say no, then closed it.
She hadn’t put much thought into it, but he’d had a few big bites of the Foreplay cake. So had she, for that matter. But their lust had been the real deal. At least, hers had.
Doubt, always lurking somewhere but now painfully close to the surface thanks to Sean, reared its ugly head.
“A couple bites is all,” she admitted with a frown. “But a lot of the power of an aphrodisiac is in the mind, isn’t it? My grammy always said that most magics require belief to work. The power of suggestion and all that.”
“Kinda like a low-cut dress, huh?”
Pandora grinned, acknowledging Kathy’s point with a wave of her fork. “A little.”
Then her smile fell away. “Do you think that’s why he kissed me? Of course it is,” she answered herself. “I mean, he just got to town, he’s so gorgeous he probably has women throwing themselves at him. Why else would he kiss a perfect stranger?”
Why had she thought he’d found her special? That was crazy. She wasn’t the type to inspire uncontrollable lust. Heck, she rarely inspired a second look.
Seeing where her mind was going, Kathy shook her head and gave Pandora’s forearm a chiding tap. “Stop that. You’re counting yourself out before you even consider the situation.”
“What’s to consider?”
“The details, of course. Start at the beginning.”
