Sweet Heat at Bayside(34)

The passion in his eyes, the heat in his voice, and the fact that Drake  was the man she'd loved forever made her want to explore with him, to  test her limits.

"Let's eat quick and go see Lizzie and Brandy," Desiree suggested.

"Remind me to stop into your little pleasure trove of dark and sexy  secrets when we get back to Wellfleet," Serena said as casually as she  could.

Violet's catlike green eyes landed on her. "Guess you got my note."

"You left her a note, too?" Desiree speared a tomato from her salad with her fork.

"I think Vi modified yours," Serena answered. She'd never been the least  bit nervous about wandering around their adult toy shop. But now, just  thinking about buying things to actually use with Drake, made her all  kinds of jittery, and she second-guessed her suggestion.

"You modified my note?" Desiree gave Violet a disapproving look.

Violet slung her tattooed arm casually over the back of her chair and said, "Clearly mine made an impact."

Violet's note might have opened the gates to Curiosityville, but it was Drake's interest nudging her through.



DRAKE PUSHED THE couch to the area Serena had laid out in her designs  for the reading nook in the music store. She was running late with the  girls, but she'd sounded happy when she'd called, and he knew how much  she missed them. She'd been right about the couch. The rounded back even  made him want to sit down and relax, and the style fit right in with  the bohemian theme they used in the stores. Although they maintained the  same theme for each of the stores, Serena had come up with unique ideas  for setup and furniture that fit in with each of the locations they  were serving. For example, his store in Florida used brighter colors and  a beachier bohemian theme, while the store in West Virginia was more  rustic. As he moved the two armchairs into place, rounding out the  reading nook, he thought about how well he and Serena worked together.  She hadn't dropped the ball once, even with her move, her new job, and  her longer hours, and he hoped she'd be excited to see the store set up  and ready for the grand opening.         

     



 

He rolled out the rug she'd ordered-a funky mix of faded blues, reds,  golds, and about a dozen other colors in bold shapes-and centered it  between the furniture and the display of music books. Then he stepped  back and took it all in.

This location was more than twice the size of his first store, despite  the fact that more musical instruments were being purchased online than  ever. Drake was constantly adapting his businesses to the ever-changing  consumer buying habits, offering online fulfillment as well as school  instrument rental programs, on-site repairs, and lessons for beginners.  He and Serena had lined up the instructors and marketed to the schools  in the surrounding areas months ago. Through his deals with  distributors, he was able to offer a wide selection of products in all  price ranges. After opening the second store, Serena had suggested he  offer only a small collection of vintage instruments that customers  could request to have sent to their location. That allowed him to keep  fewer of the more expensive, rarely purchased items in stock and ready  for purchase within forty-eight hours. She was great at cutting expenses  without cutting corners, and it had paid off. He'd gained a solid  reputation for high-quality goods at affordable prices.

We've gained the reputation.

The doors opened, and Serena breezed in with a shopping bag dangling  from each hand, all sexy bronze skin and a luminous smile just for him.  "Sorry I'm late! We got ice cream after lunch and then stopped in to  chat with Lizzie and Brandy about the wedding. Brandy had to delay the  tasting for a week because of a scheduling conflict, but don't worry-I  confirmed the catering for the grand opening. She's all set. Then we  went to the toy sh-" She stopped cold midway through the store, and her  bags dropped to the floor as she looked around at the instruments on the  walls, laid out just as she'd suggested. Violins at the front of the  store, horns in the middle, and guitars in the back to draw the most  customers through. Drums were in the left rear corner beside the  counter. The perfect spot for eager young children to get the bug and  try them out.

"It's … done?" She schooled her expression so fast, if he didn't know her  so well, he might have missed the hurt that had first appeared. "You've  been busy. It looks amazing."

"You were right about everything." He closed the distance between them.  "The shape of the couch, the layout. I think it's our best store yet."  He put a hand on her hip and brushed his thumb over her warm skin  beneath her shirt. "Our best store."

He realized that was how he thought about everything when it came to  Serena, as theirs. She'd been there from the very start, when he'd found  his love for music, when he'd lost his father and that love of music  had turned to a fierce few months of songwriting. She'd been there after  college, when he'd been touting his dreams to buy a store, and she'd  encouraged him, never once doubting his abilities or afraid of the risk  he was taking. Every time someone raised a concern, she'd sing "Don't  Stop Believin'," until he heard it like a mantra in his mind. And later,  when he'd thought about opening the resort with the hopes of bringing  Rick back to the Cape, back into the fold of the family, she'd offered  to stand by his side before he'd even brought up the idea to Rick or  Dean. She had become his best friend, his business partner, and now his  lover. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her in any way.

"I think so, too," she said. "I can't get over it. You did everything."

"Except the feature displays. We'll figure that out Saturday morning,  like always." He lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes. She was trying  so hard to be supportive, he wondered if he'd done the wrong thing  after all. "I'm sorry, babe. I had all those nights alone. Working here  made me feel closer to you. And then I got it into my head that if I  finished before the weekend, we'd have more time for us."

She wrapped her arms around him and said, "I love those reasons. I was just surprised. That's all."

"And hurt." He kissed her tenderly. "You don't have to hide your  feelings from me. I didn't mean to hurt you, but now I see how it might  feel like I'm pushing you out or saying I don't need your help. That's  not it, though. I hope you know that. This is me being selfish. I want  time for us more than I want anything else."

"More than you want to christen your new office?" She began unbuttoning  his shirt. "I've always wanted to know what it's like to seduce the  boss."         

     



 

He bent to kiss her and accidentally kicked her shopping bag. "You did take a special shopping trip for us, didn't you?"

He picked up the bag from Devi's Discoveries. She tried to snag it, and  he lifted it out of her reach. "What did my dirty girl buy at the toy  shop?" He peered into the bag.

"It's not what you think!"

He reached into the bag and withdrew a box of penis-shaped cookies. He cocked a brow, grinning at her embarrassed expression.

"I told you! That's a new product Brandy makes and sells in their shop.  Do you have any idea how weird it was to look at those kind of toys with  my best friends, who'd know I'd be using them with one of their  brothers?" She banged her forehead against his chest. "I'm sorry. But I  couldn't do it. I kid a lot with the girls about doing sexy stuff, but I  don't want them knowing what you and I do privately. It felt wrong and  kind of creepy." She looked up at him with troubled eyes and said, "And  then I realized that we're all talking about us like we've been a couple  forever, but tonight will be the first time they really see us as a  couple, together, kissing, touching. How weird will that be? What  happens when I want to climb into your lap? Or sneak off to be dirty?"

His heart swallowed her right up as he crushed her against him. "Do you  know how much I adore this side of you? The shier, careful girl? I love  your brazen side and the animalistic ways we go at each other in bed,  but this is just as sexy."

"Really?" she asked sweetly.

He cradled her face in his hands and said, "Really." He lowered his lips  to hers and they stumbled toward the office. "I'm bringing the cookies  and eating them off of your body." Oh shoot. He broke away and said, "I  need to lock the door." He handed her the box of cookies and sprinted to  the front door.

When he turned back around, she was gone and the office door was open.  He finished unbuttoning his shirt as he headed for the office.

He found her standing in a black thong and matching lace bra, with her  hip leaning against his desk. She crooked her finger, beckoning him  closer. He pulled off his shirt and reached for her. She pushed his hand  away, shaking her head. He grabbed the edge of the desk as he toed off  his shoes.