Nauti Intentions (10 page)

even consider fear. Cal oused palm and fingers, just holding the swol en flesh. Cupping it. Framing it as he sucked at the hard, sensitive tip.

“Alex.†She was breathing again, rougher than before. She felt fevered, too hot, too sensitive. She had been cold earlier. She shouldn’t be hot

now.

His head lifted, but only to move to her other nipple. As he treated it to the same careful caresses, Janey closed her eyes and fought to hold on to her

senses. She was sure there was a reason why she shouldn’t be al owing this. She knew there was, but the reason slipped beneath the pleasure.

Her hands held the back of his head now, trying to force him closer as she arched to him, watched his lips drawing on her, the way his cheeks hol owed

as he suckled her. He kissed the hard nipples. Let her watch him lick them.

Oh, that was so good. Watching his tongue lick over the hard tip, curl against it. Her thighs clenched as sensation tore across her nerve endings again,

shattering between her thighs, fil ing her clit, the aching depths of her pussy. She didn’t know how to fight this. She didn’t want to fight it. She

wanted it to continue forever.

“I knew how sweet your pretty nipples would be.†He kissed one peak, then the other. “Hard against my tongue. Like sugar candy.â€

Her nails dug into the back of his head, wanting him there again, wanting her flesh in his mouth again.

“I’m going to kiss your clit just like that, Janey. Kiss it slow and sweet. Draw it into my mouth and lick it nice and soft while I suck al its sweetness.â€

She wasn’t going to survive this. She was going to melt into a puddle of pure need at his feet if he didn’t stop saying these things to her.

“Then I’m going to push my tongue into your tight pussy.†His expression tightened, lust flaring hard and deep in his eyes. “I’m

starving for you, Janey. For every touch, every fucking taste.â€

She was going to orgasm from his words alone. She was going to flame out of control and scream out in need if he didn’t do something. Fast. She

could feel herself peaking, feel the pleasure building and tearing through her until she didn’t think she would survive the culmination of it.

His hands gripped the band of her pants, drew them down as she lifted to him. She needed this, too. She wanted it. Wanted his mouth on her. Wanted

the pleasure and the torturous heat tearing through her.

Her lips parted to beg. Her breath had gathered to push the words out, when a hard, loud knock sounded at the door.

“Delivery, Ms. Mackay,†a young male voice cal ed out. “Hey, hurry. Your cat’s growling at me.â€

Janey flinched. Alex moved.

He pushed the straps and cups of her bra back in place and had her shirt over her head before she could blink. His expression was no longer sensual,

no longer fil ed with lust. It was tighter now, harder.

She pushed her arms slowly through the shirtsleeves and readjusted her pants. Yeah, now she remembered why she should have never al owed him to

touch her.

Shame burned through her. Jerking from the couch, she moved quickly to the kitchen, aware of him behind her, sliding to the side of the door. He

checked the privacy peephole before moving to the side, where he wouldn’t be seen.

Damn him. Damn Dayle Mackay and this town and her own stupid, traitorous body.

She jerked several bil s from the kitchen drawer where she kept extra cash and moved to the door. She shot Alex a glare, hating him as much as she

hated herself at that moment.

She swung the door open, pasting a smile on her face for the young delivery boy. Fat Cat shot into the house, sliding past her legs and heading for his

food bowl, no doubt.

She handed the boy the money. “Keep the change, Robby,†she told him as she took the food.

“Wow, thanks, Miss Mackay. And tel your family I said hey. Natches was in the pizza house last week right at closing. He had to sweet-talk the

owner into opening the kitchen long enough to bake his wife one of those pizzas she’s been craving.â€

Another forced smile, a little laugh. “Chaya likes her pizza.â€

“Yeah. And always right at or right after closing.†Robby grinned. “They always give Natches grief, but he talks them into it.â€

“He can be a charmer,†Janey agreed.

“Night, then, Miss Mackay.†Robby nodded his shaggy head. “Take care.â€

“Good night, Robby.â€

She closed the door and locked it. She paused for a second, then turned, tossed the food to the table, and faced Alex.

“There’s your damned food. What you don’t want, put in the fridge. You can eat it tomorrow night. I’m going to bed.â€

And he let her go. She felt his eyes on her, felt the hunger behind her, but he let her go. Only Fat Cat fol owed, meowing softly as he jumped up on her

bed and stared at her as though questioning why she wasn’t watching the news. Why she was crying.

And yes, there were tears. For just a moment. As she sat at the edge of the bed, risked Fat Cat’s displeasure, and pul ed him into her arms.

His fur caught her tears, but the ragged sobs were contained inside her chest. Where they had always been contained, al her life.

The man she had always fantasized about had touched her, and he was ashamed of her. Now just how was that for hel ?

FIVE

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“Faisal, Desmond needs more cilantro for the dinner course this evening. I need you to run to the grocery and pick up whatever you can find.†Janey

caught Natches’s adopted son as he entered the restaurant several days later.

The young man, dressed in black slacks and a white shirt for waiting tables, moved to her quickly, his black eyes and desert-dark skin a sharp contrast

to the white shirt.

“Janey, Mary Lee just cal ed in sick,†Hoyt cal ed out from the register counter. “I’m cal ing Tabitha back in if she can make it.â€

Janey shoved the cash into Faisal’s hands. “Do that, Hoyt,†she cal ed out before turning back to Faisal.

“Jane, Natches says I am to stay here. I’m not to take my eyes from you,†Faisal told her softly, concern reflecting in his dark eyes. “He wil

be upset if I go to the grocery.â€

“I’l be more upset if you don’t go,†she told him impatiently. “Look at this place, Faisal. Who would be crazy enough to try to attack

me in this chaos?â€

Waitresses were moving around preparing the tables and waiting stations. There was pandemonium, as usual, just an hour from opening.

“I need that cilantro and I need you to go after it now, before Desmond has a meltdown in the back. If that happens, I’m going to tel him it’s

your fault.â€

Indecision and a flicker of wariness flitted through Faisal’s dark gaze. Everyone was scared of Desmond’s wrath, even Janey.

“Go.†She pushed at his shoulders. “Natches wil never know. Cross my heart.â€

He went reluctantly, casting a worried look over his shoulder as he headed out. Janey smoothed her hands down her pencil-slim skirt and moved

quickly to help the waitresses prepare for the first rush of customers. Once the dining room was prepared and the doors opened, it was a madhouse of

keeping service and quality at perfected levels while ignoring the jibes and comments of many of the customers.

“Hoyt, we’re going to need more flowers from the florist.†She moved quickly to the register and wrote the sticky note before taping it into the

memo program of the register computer. “We’l be in sorry shape if we don’t have them first thing.â€

The assortment of smal flowers in a tiny vase at each table was a personal touch that she knew would be missed if they weren’t there.

“I can pick them up on my way in.†Hoyt nodded, making a note in his PDA as wel . “I should have the morning clear. The nurse wil be with

Mother in the morning.â€

A frown creased his forehead as he made the note.

“How is she doing?†Janey paused to lay her hand on Hoyt’s shoulder. He’d lost his father in Iraq several years before, and now, with his

mother’s il ness, the young man seemed more worn with each passing week.

“Her medication seems to be working better.†He gave her a thankful smile. “Hopeful y, she’l rest this week.â€

“I hope so . . .â€

“Janey, this simply wil not do.†Desmond was rushing from the kitchen, a frown on his dark Italian face, his brown eyes snapping with ire as he

waved a limp stalk of celery in her face. “This produce is inferior.â€

“Cal Faisal’s cel . He’s at the grocery.†Her lips tightened at the sight of the celery. “I’l cal the produce company in the morning

and take care of it.â€

Desmond’s lips thinned. “You wil cal a different produce company and demand a quality product,†he ordered her. “This company, they

do not know quality and deliberately give us their worst.â€

Story of her life.

“I’l take care of it in the morning, but produce could be later arriving in the day,†she warned him.

“Rather later than this inferiority.†Desmond raged as he turned back to the kitchen. “I have had enough of this. I wil cal a produce provider.â€

He threw her a furious look over her shoulder. “You are too nice. You do not yel when you need to. I wil take care of this.â€

Janey sighed, shaking her head before turning back to the register counter and smiling at Hoyt. “He’s probably right.â€

“Probably.†Hoyt’s smile was tentative.

She returned to the tables, preparing for the dinner crowd, knowing exactly why she was getting inferior produce from the local vendors. Maybe she

should talk to Natches about it, but he had made it clear he wanted nothing to do with the restaurant. He’d just as soon see it burn to the ground.

Besides, she had promised herself she would fight her own battles; Natches had fought enough of them when she was younger, and he had the scars

to prove it.

“I’m here, Miss Mackay.†Tabitha rushed in the door and moved quickly to the waitresses’ station for her apron and to assess where she

was needed the most.

From there, the restaurant was so busy, jumping from minute to minute as each of them fought to keep up with the crowd, that there was little time to

think, or to consider the mess she had gotten herself into with Alex.

He’d worked her, her brother, and her cousins. She’d realized that over the past several nights, as he worked at his laptop at the table or

disappeared into the room she had given him. He was stil working her. Those dark, heated glances, the promise in his eyes that he was merely biding his

time, that she hadn’t quite escaped him yet.

“Janey, table fifteen has been overbooked.†Hoyt rushed up to her, a frown on his face, several hours later. “The customers are lingering over

desserts and the next reservation has arrived.â€

“Charge the table a fifteen-dol ar overstay fee,†she told him in frustration. “They know the rules. The reservation is for an hour and a half only

unless they reserve for more. Have Tabitha prepare the extra table in section two and seat the others there.â€

She hated being forced to set up the extra tables. It added to the hostessing and waitressing duties, and once the table was there, they had to continue

to fil it, otherwise word would get around that they turned away customers when there was an extra table.

She glanced to table fifteen and sighed at the couple there. They invariably kept their table longer and then protested the fee loudly. Tabitha would likely

get shortchanged on her tip as wel .

Shaking her head, she gathered menus for the additional table and approached the older couple, Charlene and Don Finmore. Don was on the city

council and had once been a friend of Dayle Mackay’s. At least, he had thought he was. He’d had no idea how Dayle had used him until it was

over and the news of Dayle’s arrest had come out.

“Charlene. Don.†She smiled back at them as they rose from the upholstered, padded bench in the waiting area. “You’re table’s

ready if you’l fol ow me.â€

Don was older, in his sixties. Charlene was close to his age, and Janey knew this was their anniversary dinner.

“Happy anniversary.†She smiled over shoulder. “Forty years, isn’t it?â€

Charlene’s pleased smile came and went quickly. “How did you know?†She asked suspiciously as Janey seated them and Tabitha moved

forward.

“Charlene, I’ve known you two since I was a little girl,†she reminded them. “Of course I remembered your anniversary. I was al owed to

attend one of the parties you gave when I was a teenager, remember?â€

Charlene’s face softened for a moment. “You were fourteen,†she recal ed. “Your parents weren’t going to bring you, until we

insisted.â€

And Janey had paid for it later in a dark, cramped closet.

“I remember the cake,†Janey told her, closing her eyes as though the memory were a good one. “It was delicious.â€

Don smiled then. “I had it ordered from Louisvil e, just for Charlie.â€

“And the icing was a family picture.†Janey smiled. “I thought it was the most gorgeous cake in the world. Congratulations again, and

pleaseâ€â€”she leaned close to the couple—“dinner is on me tonight. Forty years together is a beautiful thing to see. I hope you enjoy your meal.â€

She drew back, whispered the order to Tabitha that the meal was on the house and to make certain the Finmores had the proper care for this special

night, then moved quickly back to the reception counter.

The memory of that party was a haze in Janey’s mind, but she had never forgotten that cake. A family picture. Parents and children and their infant