Bad Taste in Men (Clover Park, Book 3) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) (24 page)

She got her laptop and worked on some accounting from yesterday’s revenue from the bookstore and the café. She smiled. It was really gratifying to see Book It turn a profit like that. Too bad Janelle hadn’t stuck around to see that happen. She missed her friend, but she knew she could only blame herself. She shouldn’t have used Janelle to keep Shane at a distance.

Stop thinking about Shane!

She was turning into one of those pathetic, lovesick fools. Next thing you knew, she’d be picking out monogrammed towels and doodling their initials in hearts. She headed to the back storeroom. Keeping busy was key. She went through the shelves and made sure everything was organized and all inventory accounted for. An hour passed pleasantly with nary a thought of Shane. She breathed some relief. Okay, so they weren’t just friends.

Shane’s voice came back to her,
Would your friend do this?
She went damp at the memory. He’d driven his point home. Big time.

She needed fresh air.

The buzzer rang on the back door, and she saw red hair through the window. Her heart started pounding. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

“Delivery,” a new delivery guy said. Not Shane.

Disappointment washed through her.

“Right over here, thanks,” Rachel said, directing the delivery of six boxes of books.

By the end of the day, Rachel had worked up to a pretty good freak-out. She was feeling too much too fast for Shane, and it was scaring the crap out of her. She texted Liz to stop by after work. The Clover Park Elementary School was only a couple of blocks away from her store.

Thankfully, Liz showed up right on time before Rachel had a chance to call Shane and beg him to remind her how they weren’t just friends.

“Hey, Rach!” Liz called as she breezed in. She carried a large purse and a second large bag full of papers.

“Hey. How was the first day of school?”

“Great! I love meeting the new crop of kids. This promises to be a great class.”

“Awesome.”

Liz wagged her finger at her. “Tell me. You look wound up as tight as I used to be.”

Rachel tugged her friend to the small back office and sat down at her desk.

Liz perched on the edge of the desk. “So-oo?”

Rachel grimaced. “I slept with Shane.”

Liz clapped. “Yay!”

Rachel scowled. “What are you so happy about?”

“I love you both, and I was hoping you’d get together. Everybody was.”

Rachel’s stomach did a few flips. “Everybody?”

“Well, you know. His family. And friends. We all knew he liked you.”

She crossed her arms and hugged herself. “I, uh, don’t know what to do now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, like, what now? He’s my…” Shane’s voice came back to her.
Would your friend do this?
She got another flutter low in her belly. “He’s my business partner.”

Liz waved that away. “And you work well together. So how was it?” She giggled. “No, don’t tell me. He’s my brother-in-law. I can’t even think about him that way. Just tell me, did he blush when you got naked?”

Rachel flushed. Shane had been the furthest thing from blushing, much more sensual than she’d ever imagined. His obsession with good food, always rhapsodizing about the fragrant scents and flavors, should’ve given her a clue, in retrospect. She got another hot flash just thinking about the way he’d insisted on tasting every inch of her.

“He’s fucking amazing,” Rachel admitted.

Liz laughed. “Omigod, I’m so happy for you.”

“So what do I do? Should I try to go back to strictly business? You know how important it is that we make the café work.”

Liz smiled. “The café’s already working. Just have fun, Rach. You’re way overthinking this.”

Rachel exhaled sharply. “I guess.”

Liz beamed. “Wouldn’t it be so cool if you were my sister-in-law?”

Rachel broke out in a cold sweat. “Liz!”

“Sorry. Forget I said that.”

They chatted a few more minutes, and then Liz left to take Hagar for a walk. Problem was, Rachel couldn’t help overthinking it. She’d never been so terrified it wouldn’t work out. She didn’t like Shane having that kind of power over her. Better to end things sooner before they both got in too deep. Someone would get hurt. Like her.

~ ~ ~

Shane stopped by the café before closing to check on everything. He hoped Rachel wasn’t running scared after their night together. Last night and this morning had been everything he’d imagined and more. He’d thought of little else today, and giving her space had been just about the most difficult thing he’d ever done. But he knew her and knew she needed time to get used to this new side of their relationship.

“Hey, boss,” Tanya called. “Can I get you something?”

His eyes went to the display case, where he took a quick inventory of what sold and what didn’t. “I’m good, thanks. Busy today?”

“This morning we were.”

He walked behind the counter and checked the two coffee machines, the espresso machine, the grinders, and the carafes. He poured himself a cup of light roast from a carafe and tasted a slight bitterness. “How long has this been sitting here?”

“Since noon?”

“After thirty minutes, you have to dump it and make a fresh pot. The coffee has to be freshly ground and freshly brewed, otherwise they might as well buy coffee at the gas station.”

“Sorry.” Tanya dumped it in the sink.

“It’s okay. Just for the future.” Shane wandered to the back and scanned the shelves of the storeroom. Looked okay. He checked the restroom. Paper towels were crumpled on the floor. Not good. He threw the paper towels in the trash can and washed his hands, making a mental note to hire a cleaning service for a nightly cleanup. They couldn’t have any health code violations. It was the kiss of death for a food business.

He headed over to Book It. Rachel sat at the register, twirling the end of her braid while she read a thick book. He got closer.
Crime and Punishment
. Feeling guilty?

“Hey, Rach.”

She startled. “Make some noise when you come in. Geez, you’re like a cat.”

“I know.” He went behind the counter and kissed the tender spot below her ear, noticing the slight red mark on her neck from his love bite that morning. He liked that he’d marked her. She was his. He stroked a hand up and down her back.

She shook him off. “Don’t do that here. It’s weird. Main Street has a front-row view of my entire store.”

He ignored her protest, turning her on the stool so her back was to Main Street and pulling her into his arms. He kissed her with all the pent-up passion he’d felt every time he thought of her today. Her book slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a loud
thwack
. He kissed her until she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, pliant and willing. He pulled back to look into her eyes.

She placed her fingers over her lips and stared at him wide-eyed. It was a good look for her. Shock and awe. Not to mention what it did for him. He wanted her again, and her apartment was right above the shop.

“Upstairs?” he asked.

She dropped her hand and scowled. “No, we’re not going upstairs! I have to close out the register and make sure the café is ready for tomorrow. Tanya has to leave a little early today.”

“I’ll help you.”

She gave him a squinty-eyed look that meant she was getting mad. This whole seduction thing wasn’t going like he’d hoped.

“I thought we agreed,” she said sharply, “you supply the food and drink, I run the café.”

He raised his palms. “I just offered to help. It’s my shop too.”

“Ooh! I knew you were going to throw that in my face.” She stomped off to the café.

He followed close behind. “I’m not throwing anything in your face.”

“You can go, Tanya,” Rachel said. “I’ve got it from here.”

Tanya grabbed her purse. “Okay, I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Tanya left, and Rachel started checking the supplies under the counter.

Shane followed her. “I’m just saying I have a vested interest in the place, so I want to help out. And by the way, I’m calling a cleaning service to make sure the bathroom is cleaned every night. We don’t want any health code violations.”

She stood and headed to the storage room. “That’s too expensive. I’ll do it.”

“You’ll clean the bathroom every night?”

“Yeah, I do that at Book It.” She grabbed a box of stirrers.

“Rach, I don’t want you to have to do that. I’ll get a service.”

She whirled and pinned him with a flinty-eyed stare. “Last time I checked, I run the place. It’s in the contract you signed. Therefore, I clean it if I want to.”

It was classic Rachel. They’d gotten too close, and now she was all prickly defense.

He stepped closer. “You seem tense.”

She backed up. “I’m not tense.”

He took the box from her hands and set it on the shelf. “You were very relaxed last time I saw you, but now…” He ran a finger down her cheek, tipping her chin up, right where he wanted her. He ducked his head, easing in for a kiss.

She turned her head away. “Shane, I can’t do this.”

He kissed her jaw instead, kissing his way up to her ear. She pushed at him, and he stopped, biting back a breath of frustration.

Her eyes flashed. “Just because we…
you know
doesn’t mean I’m going to marry you!”

Whoa. That had come out of nowhere. She was thinking about marriage? After one night? He must have made a mighty fine impression.

He bit back a smile. “I don’t recall proposing.”

She waved a hand in the air. “No, you didn’t. Forget I said that. The point is…”

Her voice trailed off as he slid the band off her braid and unwound her hair. He slid his fingers through the silky strands. She shivered, and he took that as a good sign. He kissed the column of her throat, tasting as he went. Loving her taste and flowery scent. She let out a soft moan.

He pulled back and took her hand. “Let’s go. We can come back to clean up.”

She shook her head. “I’ve got to get things ready for the morning. You-you should go. Okay? Just go. Please. I can’t work with you and-and…” She waved her hands. “Just go.”

“Rach,” he said gently. “Don’t push me away. We’re just beginning. Like starting a new chapter.” He felt good he’d thought up a book metaphor, something she’d appreciate.

Her eyes were wide and panicky. “Then what? More chapters, the end?”

“Why are you thinking about the end when we’re just beginning?”

“I’m not going to—” she gestured wildly “—talk this all out with you. Just
please
go.”

She turned from him, grabbed the box of stirrers, and went behind the counter. She was spooked. And he knew the guys who clung to her were the first to get cut loose.

He went behind the counter opposite her, giving her some space. He focused on the prep area. A shiny aluminum canister caught his eye. He snagged it, finger on the trigger. He waited for her to stand.

“Rach?”

She turned. “What?”

He squirted her with whipped cream, aiming for her hair so he could wash it again.

“Ahh!” she hollered. She grabbed a shaker and threw cinnamon in his face.

He clapped one hand over his eyes while his other hand groped along the counter. “My eyes!”

She rushed forward, wiping his face with her fingers. “Omigod, Shane, I’m so sorry! I should’ve aimed lower.”

“Like this?” He pulled her T-shirt forward and poured chocolate syrup exactly where he wanted to lap it up.

She gasped and staggered back. “My shirt!”

“I’ll buy you a new one.” He carefully peeled the formerly white T-shirt off her and dropped it on the floor. Then he slicked the whipped cream off the top of her head and dropped it on her shirt even though she looked cute like that—chocolate in front, whipped cream on top—his own personal sundae. “I’m going to lick you clean.”

When she made no immediate protest, only stood there staring at him, he tugged her down to sit on the floor out of sight of the front windows and proceeded to do just that. He licked her chin where some had caught as the shirt lifted, then to her collarbone as he slid the straps of her bra down and unhooked the front clasp. He licked her cleavage clean, and she moved restlessly until he moved to her breasts, budding for him. She arched her back, offering herself to him, and he suckled the delicate morsel greedily. By the time he finished with the other breast, they were both panting. He wiped his mouth with his fingers to catch any stray chocolate. Rachel took his hand and sucked his fingers into her mouth, her tongue flicking over the tips. He groaned. He had to have her, like now.

“Rach,” he said by way of warning.

“Give me your shirt.”

He yanked off his T-shirt and handed it to her. She put it on, took his hand, and led him through Book It and up to her apartment.

He might not have her heart—not like she had his—but he’d work with what she willingly gave.

Chapter Twenty

“I am such a slut,” Rachel told Liz. She called her friend the minute Shane left to clean up the café. Most men would’ve conked out after sex. He let her rest and insisted on cleaning up since he was the one that made the most mess. What was she supposed to do with a man like that?

“You are not a slut,” Liz said. Then she called, further off, “It’s Rachel.”

Rachel gritted her teeth. “Could you not tell Ryan every single thing?”

This was exactly why she’d turned to Shane as a confidant. Sweet, nonjudgmental, slut-inducing Shane.

“I’m not telling him every single thing,” Liz said. “He just wanted to know who it was.”

He wanted to know who was the slut. Ryan was no dummy. He’d put two and two together and have her and Shane paired off right away.

“Could you go somewhere a little more private to talk?” Rachel asked. “You’re the only one I can talk to about this. And you have to swear you won’t tell Ryan.”

“Okay, I swear. Hold on.” She heard a rustle, and then Liz was back. “Okay, I’m upstairs. Now why do you think you’re a slut?”

“I told myself I wouldn’t sleep with Shane anymore, and one drop of chocolate and I’m riding him like a deranged rodeo star.”