He took the opportunity to survey her office. You could tell a lot about a person by their surroundings. The office was small but neat, painted a subtle shade of yellow. Two armchairs, covered in a dark green fabric, were strategically placed in front of her desk. Several prints hung on the wall and he was surprised but pleased to see one of Katie’s smaller watercolors displayed prominently in a place where Candy could see it from her desk. A few fairly large plants were strategically scattered around the room. All in all, the effect was one of comfort and efficiency.
Her desk was another matter. There were stacks of files, magazines and papers. Pens, pencils, notepads and an appointment book were scattered across the top of her workspace, but right in the center of it all sat a large canary-yellow coffee mug that was half full. Candy obviously liked her coffee.
The furious tapping captured his attention again and he studied her carefully as she continued to work, taking in the curve of her cheek, the long line of her neck and the graceful way she held herself as she worked. She chewed on her lower lip and then typed one last line before hitting the save button. Obviously pleased, she sat back in her chair and swiveled it around to face the door. The greeting died on her lips as she realized it was him standing there. Not exactly the reaction he was hoping for. But at least she wasn’t screaming at him to get out.
Lucas sauntered forward to stand in front of her desk. “Morning, Candy.” The color drained from her face only to be replaced a moment later by a dull shade of red that crept up her cheeks. Lucas eyed the open v-neck of her blouse, wondering if her blush continued on down to her chest. She was once again wearing a suit. This one was a deep chocolate brown and matched her eyes nicely. He couldn’t really see much of it because she was sitting down, but he’d bet good money that it was just as shapeless as the one she’d worn yesterday and probably a size or two too big.
“What are you doing here?” Her hand went to her throat in a nervous gesture.
“I told you yesterday that we weren’t finished.” Sauntering around the side of her desk, he kept his gaze locked on hers.
Her eyes widened as she swiveled her chair to face him. “What do you want?” Her voice squeaked. He could see her struggling to maintain her composure and was surprised by how badly he wanted to soothe her.
“I brought you something.” He laid the plain white bakery box on the top of her desk. Placing his hands firmly on the arms of her chair, he leaned down and kissed her. He kept it light and quick, and before she could even think to protest, he pulled back and smiled at her.
She cleared her throat and licked her lips nervously. “What did you bring?”
Lifting the white box, he opened it. “Close your eyes.”
Her eyebrows came together as she frowned at him. “Why?”
“Because it’s a surprise.” He could see the indecision on her face before she finally heaved a huge sigh and closed her eyes.
“I’m too busy to play games,” she muttered.
Lucas ignored her grumbles and waved the box in front of her face, allowing the scent to waft up in front of her. She sniffed cautiously and her eyes popped open. “No peeking,” he admonished as he pulled the box away so she couldn’t see what was inside.
Curiosity filled her face, but she closed her eyes again. He kept his eyes on her as he laid the box on the desk and drew out one of the treats he’d baked earlier this morning. “Open your mouth.” His voice was husky as memories of his erotic fantasies filled his head. His erection was straining hard against the front of his jeans as he watched her tentatively open her mouth.
Swallowing back a groan, he placed the chocolate treat to her lips, all the while wishing it was his swollen cock that she was so eager for. When her tongue came out to lick the chocolate, he almost came. He was sweating beneath his leather jacket and Tshirt. His balls tightened painfully as she finally bit off a small piece and began to chew.
Moaning with pleasure, she rolled the offering around in her mouth before swallowing. Her eyes fluttered open as she stared first at him and then at the brownie he was still holding. “That’s absolutely incredible.” Her husky tone made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
“I’m glad you like it.” He offered her another bite, which she quickly accepted. Lucas was surprised that she actually let him feed her. It was such an erotic experience to watch her devour the chocolate treat he’d baked especially for her.
As she took the last piece, her tongue flicked his finger and they both froze. He could see the recognition come to her face as she realized what she was doing. Pushing him away with one hand, her chair rolled a few inches away from him. “What am I doing?”
Although he knew it was a rhetorical question, he answered her anyway. “Enjoying a brownie.”
Her gaze immediately sharpened as she reached over and snagged the box off the top of her desk. “These weren’t in the cookbook.” She sent him an accusatory stare. “Why weren’t these in the cookbook?”
Lucas chuckled slightly. “I take it you liked it.”
She stared down at the box in her hands, an almost reverent expression on her face. “These are phenomenal.” There was a shy, almost hesitant look on her face when she gazed back at him. “You made these for me?”
He could tell the idea pleased her and he was glad he’d given in to the urge to make them. “Made them fresh this morning.” He could see the question forming on her lips again. “And they’re not in the cookbook because I didn’t want them in there.”
He saw no reason to tell her that the real reason his special brownie recipe wasn’t in the cookbook was because he’d sold it to a giant food manufacturer. Katie’s husband, Cain, had helped him with the negotiations. In fact, Cain had actually been the one to suggest the idea after he’d tasted some of them. The deal was very lucrative, not only giving Lucas money up front, but making sure he obtained a percentage of the profits as well. It was the main reason he’d been able to afford the new building he’d just bought.
“But they’re fantastic. They should have been in the book.” Her eyes darkened as she became more impassioned about the subject.
“Be thankful there was a cookbook. I didn’t even want to do the damned thing.” He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, reminding himself again why he’d bothered to come all the way over here this morning.
“Then why did you do it?” she snapped back.
“Because Katie asked me to.” The memory of how Katie had come to him after the deal was all but done, cajoling him to do it made him angry all over again. The only reason he’d even agreed to it was because she’d said it would be a good way to publicize her artwork. And she’d also reminded him that he owed her for selling her first painting without her permission. The little minx had him on that and she knew it. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth at the memory. That action had been responsible for Katie and Cain meeting.
“I hadn’t realized that you and Katie were close.” The way she said the word close made his hackles rise. “I thought she was married.”
“Katie is like a sister to me.” As hard as he tried, he couldn’t keep the anger from his voice. “And you obviously don’t have a very high opinion of me.” He paused. “Or Katie.” This had obviously been a waste of time. Sighing, he turned away.
Candy scrambled out of her chair and grabbed his arm, stopping him cold. “I’m sorry, Lucas. That was uncalled for.” He could hear the sincerity in her voice. “I had a really bad night last night and I’m taking it out on you. Please, let’s start over.”
He took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”
“Sit down and tell me why you came here this morning.”