Close to You (10 page)

“
When it’s time,
I
want to be the one to
take your clothes off. Very slowly.”

She tried to remember the last time
she let a man take her clothes off. A lifetime ago, before she’d
opened the café. She’d been so busy building her dream she hadn’t
been tempted to play.

She was tempted now. And willing—very
willing.

“
Come on.” He stood and
held out his hand.

“
Where are we going?” she
said, taking his hand and sliding off the stool. She imagined
sneaking off to the restroom for an interlude, and she flushed.
She’d never done anything like that.

But Treat surprised her by leading her
to the tiny dance floor. “To put your shoes to work.”

He faced her, and she automatically
stepped into his arms. Grinning, he pulled her close and led her
into a bluesy salsa.

He had moves, and they made her hot.
His thigh moved between hers, brushing her in all the right spots.
She’d never danced with a guy who knew what he was doing. Treat
definitely knew.

She looked into his eyes, her breath
catching at the heat she saw there. He wanted her.

The music changed, slowing down, and
he pulled her closer. Bending his head to her ear, he whispered,
“You’re bewitching me, Eve.”

Emboldened by the cocktails, she made
a quick decision. Taking his hand, she said, “Come with
me.”

He did, and she could feel his hot
gaze on her back the entire way. She led him back to where the
restrooms were, looking left and right. No one was watching, but
her heart still pounded at the thought of getting
caught.

There were two restrooms. She went
into the one that was unoccupied and pulled him in. Locking the
door, she faced him, her heart in her throat.

He watched her with a mixture of
desire and amusement. “You’re surprising me.”

“
I’m surprising me
too.”

He lifted her and set her on the
counter by the sink. “I’m not going to take you in a restroom. Not
the first time.”

She shivered, arching her neck to let
him nibble it. “But maybe one day?”

He laughed low. “I thought you were a
good girl.”

“
I am.” She wrapped her
legs around his waist, feeling him hard against her. “I’m very
good.”

“
I can tell.” His hand
speared into her hair, holding her tight, as he took her mouth. He
kissed his way along her jaw. Down her neck. Across the top of her
dress.

His hand followed, trailing down her
shoulder, tracing her collarbone and slipping down over her
breast.

She lifted her head and looked into
his eyes. She thrilled at the intensity there, all focused on
her.

Seeing how much he wanted her made her
bolder than any amount of alcohol ever could. She licked her lips.
“You should look under my dress.”

His hands ran up her sides. “Will I
like what I find?”

“
I hope so.”

He reached around her, his fingers
finding the zipper in the back. With agonizing slowness, he lowered
it enough that the front of her dress gaped dropped to her
waist.

He paused. He swallowed
audibly. Then he said, “
Damn
.”

She grinned, but it dissolved into a
moan the second he began to run his hands over her.

He explored. He molded the silk cups
over her. He felt the lace. His fingers dipped between her breasts.
Lowering his head, he bit her nipple through the fabric, hard
enough that she felt a sting of pleasure through the
silk.

She arched up, panting, hyper aware of
her wetness soaking the matching panties.

“
Eve.” He brought his lips
to hers again, ravaging.

Someone rattled the doorknob, the
sound startling her. She blinked at him, panting.

His eyes were half-lidded and sexy,
and she wanted him so badly she throbbed with it.

But he tugged her dress in place and
zipped her back up. Then he kissed her slowly, the passion banked
but still there. Wordlessly, he helped her down and led her back to
the dance floor.

This time, he clasped her closer,
grinding to the music slowly. She nestled into him, knowing he was
telling her this was how he wanted to make love to her.

She wrapped her arms around him and
let him lead.

They danced like that until her feet
ached and her toes cramped, but she was enjoying herself too much
to quit.

Finally, the band stopped playing. He
kissed her again before leading her off the floor, settling up, and
escorting her home.

He stopped in front of her building
and walked her to the door.

Eve turned to him. Did she invite him
in? She wanted to. She ached with the need to finish what they’d
started.

He reached out and tucked her hair
behind her ear. “I’m going to kiss you goodnight and then let you
sleep because you have to be up early. This time.”

“
So there’s going to be a
next time?”

His answer was a hot, searing kiss
that curled her toes. It was dark and smoky and seductive. She
gripped his shoulders, afraid her knees were going to give
out.

He eased out of it, kissing her cheek
and then her forehead. “Go in, Eve, before my good intentions go
out the window.”

Nodding, dazed, she went in and
floated all the way up to her apartment, her achy feet
forgotten.

Chapter Thirteen

Treat arrived at his mom’s house half
an hour before he knew she’d leave for Crumpet. As he walked to the
front door, he frowned up at the three-story Edwardian. His dad had
been an architect and specialized in restoring old homes. This
house had been his business card, remodeled so it was modern but
retaining its old charm and character.

When Treat was a kid, the house had
been a gathering place for his friends because of the rumpus room
that took up the entire top floor. His mom and dad used to
entertain all the time too. He remembered the house being filled
with people and laughter, the tinkling of glasses, and music—his
dad loved music.

He didn’t think Margaret had had
anyone over other than him in the past eight years. Even then, she
didn’t invite him over unless there was a practical reason. He both
understood and didn’t understand why she didn’t sell the house and
move someplace smaller. Someplace that wasn’t devoid of life and
full of ghosts.

He worried about his mom, more so
after what Eve told him last night when he picked her up. It didn’t
help that he planned on getting closer to Eve—and soon. To have his
mother in a feud with the woman he was seeing posed problems, to
put it mildly.

He rang the doorbell and
waited.

The door swung open, and his mom
frowned at him. “Treat?”

“
Hi Mom.” He frowned back
at her as he kissed her cheek. “You look different.”

Her cheeks flushed. “You caught me
getting ready for work.”

He shook his head. She looked softer
somehow—he just wasn’t sure how. “Have you done something with your
hair?”

“
I told you I’m getting
dressed.” She stepped aside to let him in, closing the door behind
him. “Did you tell me you were coming here?”

“
No.” He remembered why he
was there. “I have something I want to discuss.”

“
Come into the kitchen
then.” She led the way. “Coffee?”

“
No thanks.” He planned on
stopping by Eve’s. Frankly, since he’d started going there, no
other coffee tasted as good. She’d ruined him. Remembering the way
she’d kissed him last night, he was pretty sure coffee wasn’t the
only thing she’d ruined him for.

His mom poured herself a cup of coffee
and picked up the shaker.

“
That’s salt,” he
said.

“
Yes. Thank you.” Frowning,
she set it down and reached for the sugar bowl.

“
Don’t you drink your
coffee black?”

She shot him a look he couldn’t
interpret as she set the sugar aside. “Sometimes you need something
different.”

“
Since when?”

“
Since now.” She took a sip
of coffee, her gaze never leaving his, as if challenging
him.

“
Are you okay,
Mom?”

“
I’m fine,” she snapped.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“
I’m just concerned,” he
said in a careful tone. “You’ve been acting unlike
yourself.”

“
And how would you know
when you never visit?” she asked coldly.

He shook his head. “I’m not going to
let you make this about me. This is about you and how you’ve
been.”

“
How have I been?” she
asked sharply, setting her mug down with a loud
clack
.

He winced, surprised the cup hadn’t
broke. “You’ve been edgy.”

“
I have a lot of stress,
but you don’t seem to appreciate that.” She glared at him. “I told
you my business is being threatened, but you aren’t taking me
seriously.”

“
Because I have a hard time
believing a small coffee and book shop is a problem.”

“
It is,” she bit
off.

Taking a deep breath, Treat softened
his tone. “Grounds for Thought is completely different from
Crumpet.”

“
And I’m going to keep it
that way.” She lifted her cup and downed some coffee like it was a
stiff drink.

“
How?”

“
How what?” she asked
warily.

“
How are you going to keep
it that way?” The sinking feeling he’d had all night worsened.
“Does it have to do with Daniela Rossi?”

Her silence was incriminating. She
clutched her pearls so tightly he was surprised they didn’t snap.
Finally she asked, “What do you know about Daniela
Rossi?”

“
I know that the owner of
Grounds for Thought is also bidding to host the event.”

His mother’s expression darkened. “How
do you know that?”

Truth was the best way to go, but he
didn’t have to tell her the whole truth. “The owner told
me.”

“
When?”

“
She and I discussed some
renovations.”

His mom set down her cup with a clank.
“You’re doing renovations for me.”

“
I do renovations for a lot
of people, Mom.”

“
What sort of renovations
are you doing for her?”

He mentally winced at the
way she spat the word
her
. “She has a slanted courtyard in
the back that doesn’t have good drainage. If it rains a lot, she
could have water damage in her store.”

“
And you’re going to fix
it,” his mother said accusingly.

He shook his head. “It’s undetermined,
but that’s not why I’m here. I know that you passed out flyers in
front of her store and about this Daniela Rossi thing. What are you
up to?”

“
Nothing.” She glared at
him.

“
Somehow I don’t believe
that.” He sighed and stepped forward to take her arms gently. “I
know you feel like she’s competition, but she’s really not. You
didn’t attack Starbucks when they moved in.”

“
They’re a few blocks away
and not across the street, and they’re no threat.”

“
Eve isn’t a threat
either.”

Her gaze narrowed.
“
Eve
? Do
you
want to tell
me
what’s going
on?”

“
I told you, this isn’t
about me,” he evaded. Telling his mother about his love life was
the last thing he wanted to do, especially when it involved her
nemesis. At least not until he got her to see that Eve wasn’t an
enemy. “I’m trying to stop you from doing something
foolish.”

“
I don’t do foolish
things.” She broke away from him, her gaze accusing and hurt.
“You’re abandoning me too.”

He hated that he put that look in her
eyes. “Of course I’m not, Mom.”

“
You’re taking that girl’s
side, just like my customers.” She pointed at him, her voice
rising. “I’m going to be stuck with nothing, alone, forgotten, old,
and shriveled.”

“
Mom—”

“
I’m not old!” she
shrilled. “I’m not ready to be put away, buried. I’m not dead
yet.”

“
No—”

She picked up her coffee cup and
raised it like she was going to throw it. But then she paused,
blinking like she woke up from a daze.

Shocked, he was sure he gaped at her.
It took him a moment to come back to himself. Stepping forward, he
silently took the mug from her hand. She let it go without a word,
and he set it down quietly on the counter.

She opened her mouth a couple times,
as though she wanted to say something but couldn’t. Then she
straightened her spine and smoothly walked away. “Lock the door on
your way out,” she said over her shoulder.