Candy Apple (2 page)

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but did someone order a tequila?”
the young man asked.

“No,” Jason snapped.

“That’s mine.” Tasha leaned past Jason, her bare shoulder
brushing against his chest, and grabbed the tumbler off the tray. She tossed it
back in one gulp then gasped as it burned down her throat. “Thanks. I needed
that.”

Flashing a glare at Jason, she whipped around and stomped to
the door, her skirts slapping the legs of the delicate hallway table.

Wishing she had the perfect exit line, she decided to go
with enraged silence. Better that than stumbling over her words.

She yanked open the door and stormed down the hallway,
striding toward the elevator, punching the button with enough force to break a
nail.

That errant curl plopped back in front of her eyes but this
time she left it. Her mind raced with what she’d just heard. He really thought
so little of her.

But he wants to marry you. He wants a family with you.

The logical, panicked voice of a woman in her early thirties
echoed through her head.

But he doesn’t respect me.
Forcing her shoulders
back, she stared at the elevator door, praying it would open soon and she could
escape before Jason decided to come after her—assuming he did come after her.
She sniffed, her nose starting to run as it tingled.
No, I will not cry over
this. I will not.

At least not here. Not now.

She punched the button again just to feel better and briefly
considered taking the stairs, except if she ran down fifteen flights of stairs
today, she wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow.

“You okay?”

She gasped and looked up, so caught up in her own thoughts
she hadn’t noticed the man beside her. It was the guy from Jason’s party.
Nathan. They’d sat with him at the office Christmas party. He’d been seated on
her right and had been a fun table companion.

The fact that he was drop-dead gorgeous didn’t hurt—tall,
broad shoulders, short dark hair and mesmerizing blue eyes. Of course, his date
had been drop-dead gorgeous as well, so they’d been a matched set.

“What? Yes, I’m fine.”

“You sure, because…” He shook his head. “You don’t look so
good.”

“What woman doesn’t want to hear that?”

He chuckled as if she meant it as a joke. “No. You
look
fantastic but you look a little upset.”

She sighed. “I’m fine.” Forcing her lips into a smile, she
met his stare, marveling at the sincerity in his gaze. Knowing the business he
worked in and the company he worked for, she suspected it was probably fake but
it was kind of him to make the effort. “Thank you for asking.” The smile turned
real. “I really will be fine.”

He just nodded and took a step back, giving her space.

They waited. And waited.

Finally, Nathan moved, just enough to get her attention. She
glanced at him and he held his hands open.

“So I have to ask…”

Tasha raised her chin, bracing for what she knew had to be a
humiliating question.

“What’s with the wedding dress? Did you expect him to run
off and elope tonight?” He huffed out a laugh. “Because you have to know Jason
isn’t the most spontaneous person in the world.”

Tasha wasn’t either. That’s why she’d been so suited for
Jason. They were both sedate, planners. No surprises. Well, except when he
threw parties for his work friends and considered her too dumb to attend.

“No, I didn’t expect him to run off and marry me tonight.”

“Then why the wedding dress?”

She scoffed and wrapped her arms around her waist, trying
not to think about the fact that she was now trapped in this ugly wedding gown.
Jason clearly wasn’t Mr. Right. She’d been right up next to the guy and the
dress hadn’t shifted an inch.

Now she was stuck in the world’s ugliest wedding gown.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Nathan shrugged. “Try me. I’m an open-minded kind of guy.”

“Right.” She’d met a couple of the men from Jason’s office.
They were all carbon copies of her ex-fiancé.

“Come on. You can tell me. Did you lose a bet?”

“No.”

“You’re playing a game of truth or dare?”

“No.”

“Ancient gypsy curse?”

Her head snapped up. “What?”

“You know, you pissed off a gypsy and now you’re destined to
wear the dress for eternity—”

“Oh my God, I hope I’m not stuck in this until then,” she
blurted out.

His eyes got wide and if possible, he stepped even farther
away.

“Sorry.”

His head gave a little shake then a nod as if he wasn’t sure
whether her sudden return to sanity could be believed. She sighed.

“The truth is, the dress
is
cursed.”

“What?”

She tipped her head to the side and raised her eyebrows.
“What happened to being an open-minded kind of guy?”

He cleared his throat. “You’re right. I did say that. Now
tell me about this gypsy curse.”

“We don’t know a gypsy cursed the dress, just that someone
did. Once you put it on, you can’t take it off.”

“Why not?”

“It won’t come off.”

“Oh.” His eyebrows angled down as if he was thinking about
this really hard. “So you’re stuck in it until you die?”

She knew he was just humoring her but what the hell? He’d
asked. She was going to give him the full story.

“Of course not.”

“Sorry, what was I thinking?”

“Sarcasm. Great. Just what my evening was missing. Once you
put on the dress, you have to wear it until you meet your true love.”

“And how do you know when you’ve met your true love?”

This time the question seemed sincere.

She gulped, trying to clear out the knot in her throat.
“Well, then the dress just sort of falls off you.”

“Wow.” He did a quick scan of her body. Her only consolation
was that because of the ugly dress, he couldn’t see much of her shape. The
little she remembered from Jason’s office party involved Nathan and a tall,
stick-thin blonde. “So, clearly Jason isn’t your true love.”

Her eyes snapped to him and if she could have shot daggers
out of her eyes, she would have.

“Clearly not.” The elevator door opened. “Thank goodness.”
She stomped into the car and moved to the back wall.

“This elevator is always slow,” Nathan said as he climbed on
board. He hit the first floor button and leaned against the side wall.

“Oh so you come here often?” Jason had mentioned Nathan but
he’d never indicated they were friends.

“Jason usually has these parties once a month or so and I
figured it’s good networking. I—” He peered at her. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head and stared at the elevator doors, trying
to wrap her mind around what Nathan had said. Somehow she’d assumed that this
had been a one-time thing but no, Jason had these parties once a month.

“Tasha?”

She heard her name and felt him take her hand but it still
took her a few seconds to respond.

“What else has he been hiding?” she demanded, knowing Nathan
didn’t have the answer but needing to vocalize her frustration to the universe.
“I understand leaving a little mystery in a relationship. And I certainly don’t
need to know the name of every woman he’s ever slept with, and I’d really
prefer
not
to know that, though it can’t have been many or he probably
would have learned to do it better and oh, I really shouldn’t have said that.”
She stared into Nathan’s bright blue eyes. A delicious shiver ran across her
skin but she ignored the sexy sensation. “But he’s been hiding these parties so
no one would know he planned to marry the stupid cookie lady.”

“Uhm—”

She dared Nathan to deny it. Instead he licked his lips.

“About that wedding dress…”

“What?” she snapped.

“You said it falls off when you’re near your true love.”

“Yes. Why?”

“Because except for those pretty red panties, you’re really
naked.”

Chapter Two

Dear Diary,

What if Jason isn’t my true love? No. I’m not even going
to think it. Because heaven knows how long I’ll be stuck in that dress.

Nathan knew that the polite thing to do was look away, but
he’d fantasized about Tasha’s breasts since the first time they’d met at the
Christmas party six months ago. And damn, now that that ugly wedding dress was
gone…just damn. She had a Marilyn Monroe body, all curves and rounded edges.

The line of her hip reminded him of the bumper of his ’65
Mustang—candy apple red, just like the color of those panties.

Tasha blinked and her mouth dropped open as she stared up at
him.

“So does this mean I’m your true love?” He leaned in. She
looked like she might back up but the wall kept her from retreating.

“No! Well…maybe? Doesn’t seem likely, does it?”

He loved the flustered little blinks behind those glasses.
Damn, she was cute. He wasn’t sure he was her “true love” but he’d gotten where
he was in life by taking advantage of opportunities that came to him.

And this was one opportunity he wasn’t going to miss.

“Why don’t we find out?” He planted his hands on the back
wall, bent down and covered her mouth in a kiss. For a moment, she froze. Every
muscle in her body seemed to tense up. He moved his lips against hers, deciding
to take one kiss and then back off. He hadn’t intended on terrifying the girl.
Her lips were soft and he couldn’t stop the tiny groan that escaped his throat.

He eased away, until just millimeters separated them, but he
got no farther. Tasha’s hand grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him down
as she pressed up on her toes.

Her strength surprised him. If he hadn’t already braced
himself against the fake-wood paneling, he would have fallen into her. Her
mouth opened beneath his and once again, he saw the opportunity he wanted and
plunged his tongue between her lips. This time their moans blended together.

He tipped his head to the side, wanting to go deeper,
tasting her, entwining his tongue with hers.

The hand clutching his shirt disappeared and in the back of
his mind he wondered if she wanted to stop. Then he felt the pressure of her
hands on his ass, squeezing, pulling him forward, bumping his erection against
her panty-covered pussy.

His head popped up, surprise jolting him out of the wicked
kiss. He stared down at her. She blinked rapidly then met his gaze.

“I guess I shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered, her
lips wet from his kisses.

“I certainly didn’t mind.” He leaned down and kissed her
neck, sucking lightly. “But it will feel so much better when I’m naked and
inside you and you’re pulling me deeper.”

The image filled his head in high-def perfection and damn if
his cock didn’t leap in his pants.

Tasha squeaked and he felt the sound against his mouth.
Tension invaded her body once again and he raised his head, sure that he’d gone
too far.

“You really want to do that? With me?” she asked, her
question more stunned than appalled.

“Hell yes.”

“Oh.”

Her hazel eyes stared into his as the elevator chimed and
the door open.

“You need to get away from me.” She planted her hands on his
chest and shoved.

Feeling the pressure, he immediately stepped back, hands up
by his head. “A simple ‘no’ would have sufficed. If you don’t want to sleep
with me, all you have to do is say so.”

He turned on his heel and stalked out of the car, digging
the keys to the Mustang out of his pocket as he headed for the garage, trying
to ignore the fact that his erection was trying to break out of his trousers.

Damn, it had been a kiss.
One
kiss. Nothing more.
Well, not exactly nothing more. A few subtle rubs against each other. And hell,
she’d been the one to grab his ass. Then she acted like he was attacking her.
What the—

“Nathan!” Her shout echoed against the concrete walls of the
garage, followed by the click-clack of heels against pavement. “Wait.”

“What?” He turned around and faced her. She’d obviously put
the white gown back on to chase after him. The ugly dress poofed up with each
step, revealing red heels and shapely ankles.

“That wasn’t what I meant,” she said, still running, a
little out of breath. The tiny gasps did amazing things to her breasts, up and
down, plump and full until he thought she might spill over the top of the
dress, which would be perfectly fine with him. But wait—she pushed him away.
Literally.

He folded his arms over his chest. “How many definitions can
there be to ‘get away from me’?”

“No, I needed you to get away from me.” She stopped about
five steps from where he stood. “So I could put the dress back on.”

“And I had to be shoved away for you to do that?” He knew
his confusion rang through his voice.

Instead of answering, she walked up to him, arms spread
wide. About two feet away, without a touch, without a breath, the dress
slithered off her body and fell to the ground.

“Hmm.”

“Exactly. And if you’re near, there’s no way I’m not going
to be naked.”

His mouth quirked up into a smile. “All the time?”

She grimaced. “If I’m wearing the dress.” She fluttered her
hands at him, indicating he needed to back up.

He nodded and took a step away as she reached down, grabbed
the top of the dress and dragged it up over her hips and breasts. Damn, like
the thing was made of liquid, it slid over her body, forming to every curve.

Once the dress seemed firmly back in place, Nathan took two
long strides so he was right up beside her. The dress dropped like a stone and
Tasha shrieked, slapping her arm across her breasts.

“What did you do that for?”

“I wanted another chance to see you in those panties.” He
hooked his finger into the narrow waistband and tugged just a little. “This is
my favorite color.”

“Red?”

“
Candy apple red
.”

“You sound like Cait. She’s always going on about how many
different shades of red there are and—ahh!”

Nathan slid his hand around to her ass and squeezed. She
arched into him and her hand dropped from her breasts as she reached out to
steady herself. The only thing within reach was Nathan and he sure as hell
didn’t mind her tiny hand gripping his shoulders as she wobbled on her shoes.
He glanced down. The heels weren’t that high, just a couple of inches, meaning
Tasha was a good six inches shorter than he was. Wouldn’t matter when they were
horizontal.

He paused for a moment then pulled her up, bending down to
meet her. The kiss picked up where the previous one left off—hot and hungry, as
if she wanted to devour him as much as he did her.

Not willing to give up the prize of her ass, he held on with
one hand, sliding his knee between her legs. With one nudge, she spread her
thighs, giving him space. The heat from her pussy flowed through the silky
material of her panties and his trousers, burning his skin.

He brushed his free hand up her side and cupped her breast,
the firm mound and tight nipple teasing his skin. Her soft skin was made to be
touched, caressed.

A slow pump of her pussy against his leg sent the rest of
his blood rushing to his cock. He ripped his head back, gasping in a breath,
his head spinning as she rolled her hips forward, grinding her pussy on his
thigh. Damn, that was hot.

He squeezed her breast and she tipped her head up, looking
at him. Her lips were wet and pink and slightly swollen from his kisses. He
couldn’t resist taking another taste. The sweet flavor of her mouth coated his
tongue and he wondered if she tasted sweet everywhere. He wanted to find out.
He loved going down on a woman, feel her writhing and twisting beneath him as
he made her scream.

But this was not the place. He wasn’t going to settle for a
quickie in some corner of the garage. He pulled back, placing a final kiss on
her lips, easing his leg from between her thighs.

“This is probably a bad idea,” he said.

She blinked—a rapid little flutter of her eyelids that told
him she was processing what he’d said.

“Oh. Right. Not a good idea.” She swallowed and licked her
lips. The movement just made his cock harder.

“Yes. The garage probably has cameras.”

“Cameras?” She squeaked and jumped out of his embrace,
wrapping her arms around her breasts and dropping one hand down to shield her
pussy. He wanted to say her panties were more coverage than some bathing suits
but she didn’t seem in the mood for logic.

He bent down and picked up the dress. “Will this help?”

“Yes,” she growled through clenched teeth. She snatched the
dress out of his hand and tossed it over her head. “Now step back so this thing
will stay on.”

Once again he found himself backing away, hands raised, only
this time he could see the humor in it all. A dress that just fell off? Had to
love that. Particularly when it was on a body like hers.

She wiggled inside the dress, her breasts bouncing nicely as
she adjusted the bodice. Nathan rolled his eyes and groaned. His cock pressed
against his fly and he knew he had to get inside her before he did permanent
damage to his dick.

“Better?” he asked.

Her cheeks hot with embarrassment, Tasha nodded. And checked
the fit. Everything was covered. She just had to stay away from Nathan.

Only she didn’t want to stay away from Nathan. She really,
really didn’t want to stay away from him. Quite the opposite. She wanted to rub
up against every inch of him. His suit hid any definition in his body but when
they’d been pressed together, she could feel the powerful muscles. His ass…ooh
baby. It had been a bold move, one that was completely out of character, but
she couldn’t resist grabbing that tight, hard backside.

Then she’d practically humped his leg in front of security
cameras. This
so
wasn’t like her.

Hoping to regain a little of the self-respect she seemed to
have lost in the last few minutes, she smoothed her hand over her hair.

“I should be going.”

“You sure?” He took a step forward and the dress
loosened—not enough to fall down but still she could feel it starting to slide.
“I could take you home.” He leaned in and the bodice shifted, dropping an inch
and baring her breasts until it felt like the dress was hanging off her
nipples. His gaze dipped to her chest. “Damn.”

She took a step back and yanked up the dress, refusing to be
mostly naked in a public place if she could avoid it. Again.

“Come on.” He flicked his head down the row of cars. “I’ll
give you a ride.”

The words weren’t meant to be sexual, she was sure, but her
keyed-up brain didn’t seem to know the difference and she had a complete, clear
picture of what it would be like to ride him.

She felt herself nod and followed after him, keeping out of
range. He stopped behind a shiny red convertible—candy apple, he’d said.

She didn’t know much about cars but even she could tell this
was a classic.

“
This
is yours?” She couldn’t imagine Jason driving
something so flashy.

His smile revealed pleasure, arrogance and a true pride.

“All mine. Sixty-five, candy-apple-red Mustang convertible.”

It didn’t mean much to her but she knew enough to be
impressed.

“Restored her myself.”

“It’s beautiful.” Her fingers twitched and she wanted to
touch it but she knew some car people were fussy.

“You can touch. It’s okay.”

He said the words but she could feel the tension running
through his veins. She had a feeling that if she put her hand on the car, he’d
be following behind with a polishing cloth.

“I don’t want to get it dirty.”

While he didn’t actually sigh with relief, she saw the
strain leaving his shoulders. He started to move around to open her door but
she stopped him.

“I can do it.”

The edges of his lips curled down.

“No.” She shook her head. “I appreciate the gesture. I just
don’t want the dress to fall down.”

He backed up then paused. “But then you’d have to ride home
topless.” He leaned forward as if he were going to return.

“Don’t even think about it.”

She opened the door, careful not to get too close to the
next car, and slipped into the seat. Moments later, Nathan climbed into the
driver’s side. The bodice immediately sagged forward, but because she was
sitting, the dress had nowhere to go. She breathed a sigh of relief. She’d been
a bit worried about that.

“Okay?” Nathan glanced at her, his eyes dipping down to her
cleavage. The gaping bodice left most of her breasts bare.

He leaned over, sliding his hand into the front of her
dress. The bodice yielded to his touch, giving him room. He covered her lips
with his, once again tasting her mouth like a starving man. She wrapped her arm
around his neck, the soft pressure of his lips making her head spin.

His fingers skimmed across her breast and Tasha pushed into
the touch. Not because she wanted more but because she knew it was what he’d
want. It wasn’t Nathan’s fault that her breasts weren’t sensitive.

He pulled his mouth away and peered at her.

“You don’t like anyone touching your breasts?”

Her stomach dropped. She’d never had a guy ask her that
before. Of course she liked her breasts being caressed but she didn’t get any
highs of pleasure from it.

“No, I mean, of course I like it.”

He tipped his head to the side and stared at her. He didn’t
appear irritated but he didn’t believe her either. He just waited, the corners
of his eyes crinkling upward like they were smiling.

She shrugged. “It’s fine. They just aren’t very sensitive.”

“So, you don’t get any pleasure from it.”

He pulled his hand away and Tasha wished she’d kept her
mouth shut.