Decadence (An Emerald Valley Spring Fling)

DECADENCE

(An
Emerald Valley
Spring Fling)

Riley Shane

www.loose-id.com

Decadence (An
Emerald Valley
Spring Fling)

Copyright © May 2013 by Riley Shane

All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this e-book ONLY. No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from Loose Id LLC. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

eISBN 9781623003623

Editor: Ann M. Curtis

Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde

Published in the United States of America

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San Francisco CA 94104-0809

www.loose-id.com

This e-book is a work of fiction. While reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Warning

This e-book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language and may be considered offensive to some readers. Loose Id LLC’s e-books are for sale to adults ONLY, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

* * * *

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For my readers—I wish I could thank each and every one of you personally for your support. It means the world to me. Enjoy this glimpse into the next chapter of Anaya’s and Devlin’s lives.

And as always, many thanks to The Fuzzy Critic for behaving himself and acting as a toe-warmer while I wrote this story.

I moaned, my eyelids fluttering shut of their own volition as I savored the dark, velvety-rich textures coating my tongue. Warmth trickled down my throat, bringing with it an unexpected shot of arousal. This…this was pure decadence. I licked my lips, wanting another taste.

“Anaya.” The laughter in the man’s husky voice broke my reverie. “Come back to me, Naya.”

Opening my eyes, I stared into the sparkling hazel-green gaze of the man across the kitchen island from me.

“You cut me off midfoodgasm,” I accused.

Devereaux Cavanaugh leaned back in his chair, stretched out, and laced his fingers behind his head. Only a dead woman wouldn’t have stopped to admire the way his muscled arms strained the fabric of his black T-shirt, or the flat stomach that made one want to check and see if he actually had a six-pack. He was alarmingly beautiful, in a bad-boy kind of way.

“Apologies,
chère
.” The faintest hint of New Orleans flavored his words. “I didn’t want you to forget you had an audience. Although that
was
the reaction I was hoping for.”

I looked down at the plate in front of me and sighed. Warm, melted hazelnut fudge filling trickled out from the small dark chocolate cake, tempting me to take another bite. Raw sex appeal aside, the man had a way with desserts that could make anyone with a sweet tooth swoon. How someone hadn’t dragged him off caveman-style yet was beyond me.

Were I not happily married to my soul mate, I might have bemoaned the fact that Devereaux often treated me like a little sister. Before Devlin had come back to me and Emerald Valley, he and Devereaux had been roommates—two young chefs who’d struggled to make it big in Los Angeles and had been incredibly successful. Their good looks and complementing skills—not to mention the extreme catchiness of their paired names—had made them an excellent bet for the cooking shows. Devlin turning his back on the celebrity-chef lifestyle to open a restaurant in his hometown was only a surprise to those who hadn’t known him or seen him burning out. That he’d managed to coax Devereaux into becoming the pastry chef for his restaurant, Decadence, had shocked everyone; even Devlin hadn’t thought his friend would do it.

I took another bite of cake, tried to control my response, and failed. “Dev, this is too good to be true. If my husband doesn’t add this to Decadence’s menu, I’m dumping him.”

That earned me a faint smile. “Devlin hasn’t tasted it, but if his reaction is half as visceral as yours, I think this one’s a go.”

“Please tell me it’s not going to be a seasonal option.”

“No. With rhubarb now in season, I’m switching out the truffle tarts for a chocolate-rhubarb pot de crème. The cake is something I wanted to add to the regular menu. I’ve been playing around with it for a while, going back and forth on what I’m mixing into the fudge. The hazelnut was my favorite option, but you’re my first taste tester. Are you sure you don’t want to try it with the wine I brought? They make a good pairing.”

I forced myself to push the plate away; it was already late afternoon, and I had a lot to get done before my husband came home. Not to mention there was another minicake ready to be baked later tonight. As it was, I was already going to have to put in a considerable amount of time on the running trails to make up for this calorie explosion.

“I’m always happy to be of service, but I’ll pass on the wine for now. Thanks again for making this and the extra minicake. I know how long a day you’ve had already. I wanted something special for tonight, and well, you know how I am in the kitchen.”

“Just be careful when you put the cake in the oven, chère. You don’t want to burn your house down before you fully move in.”

Given that even I had to admit bad things happened when I tried to cook, I didn’t take offense. My cell phone rang, and I glanced down at the readout. “It’s Devlin. Mind if I take this real quick?”

“Not at all. I’ll write down baking instructions for you.”

“Thanks.” I stepped out of the kitchen as I answered the phone. “This is unexpected,” I said by way of greeting.

“I was thinking of you.” The sound of my husband’s voice drifted over the line, shooting sensation through me much like the chocolate had earlier. “You’ve been teasing me all week with your plans for tonight. I’ve been looking at my watch constantly today.”

“Really?” I grinned, secretly pleased I was able to distract my normally undistractable husband. When Devlin got to work, he tended to block out everything and everyone.

“Mmm. Is there any hope for a repeat of Valentine’s Day?”

The mention of Valentine’s Day made my heart leap into my throat. We’d just gotten the keys to our home a few days before, and Devlin had surprised me by taking a rare night off from the restaurant and talking Leah into covering for me at the Emerald.

Wine, chocolate, and sex with a warm fire crackling beside us… God, I could feel my panties dampening at the memory of what we’d done. It had been an utterly decadent night with an unexpected result. My hand drifted to my stomach, a mixture of joy and fear threatening to overwhelm me when I thought of the life growing inside.

“Naya?” The concern in Devlin’s voice registered, and I realized I’d been quiet for too long.

I tried to sound casual. “I’m not telling you what’s in store for you. You’ll have to wait and see.”

Devlin started to reply, but I could hear someone calling for him in the background. That had been the story of our lives lately.

“Listen, I have to go. I love you, and I’ll be home as soon as possible.”

“See you tonight. Love you too.”

The hurried good-byes were also the norm; had been since not long after our wedding. Devlin spent almost all his time at Decadence, either cooking, charming patrons, or using his and Devereaux’s celebrity to generate more business. As wrapped up as I was in expanding the Emerald and my photography business, I hadn’t minded, though I often yearned for a time when we could step back and just enjoy being married. It was why we’d decided to put off having kids for at least another year. We wanted to get our businesses in order so our schedules would be somewhat more regulated and we’d be financially stable. It was a logical plan.

At least, it had been until Mother Nature had overpowered my birth control. I’d been to the doctor and confirmed what I’d thought was true: I was pregnant.

Part of me was elated. The other part was in pure, utter panic mode. My life was changing at a speed I hadn’t expected. We wanted kids, but if Devlin wasn’t on board with our family expanding in the near future…

I was suddenly nauseated and knew it was nerves rather than morning sickness.

“Anaya?” Devereaux called my name from the kitchen. I forced myself to pull it together. I had a plan for tonight, and it had to go well. I
needed
this to be a special night, needed to connect with my husband in a way our hectic lives just hadn’t allowed for recently. And if my conscience told me it was slightly underhanded of me to use that connection to soften up Devlin before telling him my news, well, my conscience could shove it for once.

I walked back into the kitchen, a smile plastered on my face. “Sorry about that.” I took the piece of paper Devereaux handed me. “I’ll follow your instructions to the letter, I promise.” I looked at the clock and winced. “I hate to rush you out the door, but I’ve got to clean up and then get back to the Emerald. I’ve been so busy packing to move into this place that I’ve dumped almost all the paperwork on Leah. If I know her, she’s
thisclose
to turning it into origami.”

“Having as much affection for paperwork as she does, I can’t say I blame her. I’ll leave you to your day. Congratulations on…whatever it is you’re surprising Devlin with tonight.”

Devereaux wasn’t the kind of guy to pry, and at the moment, I was grateful for his unobtrusive nature. Lord knew I wouldn’t get the same consideration at my next stop.

* * * *

“Tell me.”

“No.”

“Tell me.”

“No.”

“Tell
meeeee
.”

Leah Montgomery-Levi was many things—wife, mother, best friend, and business partner, to name a few. She and I co-owned and ran Emerald Valley Bed & Breakfast and had done an amazing job, if I did say so myself. Yet despite the levels of maturity, responsibility, and business acumen it took to not only run the Emerald but a side business as a graphic artist as well, Leah could and often did act like a three-year-old when someone she loved was keeping a secret from her. Which was why, rather than doing paperwork in the Emerald’s kitchen like she normally did, Leah had planted herself in my office and was currently taking over half my desk so she could harangue me while we worked.

I tried not to laugh, but whenever Lei tried to pout, she looked ridiculous. “Don’t you have a daughter who should be doing the whole ‘acting like a toddler’ thing? Where is Miri, anyway? You didn’t bring her in this morning.”

“Oh, I sold her to pirates.”

“Pirates?”

“Would you prefer traveling circus?”

“Lei…”

“Traded her for magic beans?”

“Sometimes I find it unfair that no one outside family ever sees what a lunatic you are.”

“That’s your lot in life. Miri’s to be spoiled by Jon’s parents for the day. Part of me thinks that’s the last thing she needs right now. She had an all-out tantrum when I told her we weren’t bringing the cat with us to the Emerald. I’m not even exaggerating—my beautiful baby girl transformed into a shrieking demon hell spawn in five seconds flat. But whether or not she deserves a day of fun after that,
I
desperately wanted a break from the terrible twos. Given how much paperwork I knew I’d be dealing with today, I didn’t want to deal with any monster-child tantrums. Jon’s working late, but after work he’ll pick her up and come on over.”