The Sweetest Thing Read online

  Dwayne’s blatant flirtation threw Harper off. She felt herself blushing profusely. Dwayne smiled. “May I ask you something?” he said, his brow lifted.

  She nodded. Dwayne leaned across the table and she leaned with him, his gesture almost conspiratorial. “Do you think I could have a piece of your pie?” he asked, his low whisper dropping two octaves.

  Harper’s eyes widened at the innuendo. She practically jumped out of her seat. “Of course,” she said as she hurried across the room.

  By the time she returned to the table and Dwayne was taking his next bite, Rachel came giggling out of the kitchen. Both Troy and Quentin followed on her heels. Her excitement rang in her voice when she saw Dwayne sitting at the table.

  “Dwayne Porter! How come I didn’t know you were here?” she gushed.

  The man slowly passed a white paper napkin across his lips then came to his feet, pulling his suit jacket closed as he did. “I was in very good hands, Rachel,” he answered. He gave Harper one of his lush smiles.

  “Well, I see you’ve met Harper.”

  He nodded in the woman’s direction as he tossed her an easy wink of his eye. “I did. Harper and I are old friends now.”

  Rachel laughed that phony laugh that always pierced Harper’s last nerve. She turned and gestured toward the two men who had come to a stop behind her. “And I know you remember Quentin and Troy.”

  Behind her Quentin had come to an abrupt stop. His expression was anything but happy about the man who was standing in the middle of the room. Dwayne reached out to shake his hand but Quentin left him hanging. Instead he stepped past Dwayne and his extended arm and moved to Harper’s side. There was no misreading the look he tossed both her and Rachel, who suddenly looked sickly, the color draining from her face.

  For a brief second there was an awkward moment of silence when no one said anything. The tiny voices of the two little girls playing on the stage was the only sound ringing through the room.

  Troy broke the silence. “It’s good to see you again, Dwayne,” he said, reminding them all that at least one of the Elliott boys remembered his home training. He shook the man’s hand.

  “I was very sorry to hear about your father. I had much respect for Mr. Donovan,” Dwayne said, offering his condolences.

  “Thank you,” Troy replied with a quick nod.

  “What brings you here?” Quentin suddenly questioned. His expression was tense, everything about his demeanor hostile.

  Dwayne turned to face the man. “Rachel indicated that Ms. Donovan might be open to selling the business and I’ve made her an offer. I just wanted to introduce myself.”

  Quentin tossed Rachel a look, his eyes narrowed, his jaw tight. “I don’t know that Ms. Donovan has made any decisions yet but we can always call you when she does,” Quentin said matter-of-factly, the comment directed at Dwayne.

  Dwayne chuckled softly. He shifted his gaze to stare directly at Harper. “Ms. Donovan, thank you for the coffee, and the dessert. Both were very good.” He pulled his billfold from his inside breast pocket and took out a twenty-dollar bill. He glided to the counter and passed it to Linda, his infamous wink moving the woman to giggle ever so slightly.

  “You’re very welcome,” Harper said softly, “but your money’s not necessary.”

  He nodded. “Consider it a tip then for the service. Your staff has been very accommodating.”

  He directed his attention toward Rachel. “Why don’t I give you a call in a day or two and see where we stand?”

  Rachel nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

  Quentin crossed his arms over his chest. Dwayne tipped his head to both Quentin and Troy as he made his way to the front door. He stopped and turned back around. “Miss Harper, would you consider joining me for dinner tomorrow?”

  The entire room could feel Quentin bristle with emotion as he looked from Dwayne to Harper and back. She reached for his hand and held it tightly.

  Dwayne continued. “Of course, Rachel, I’d appreciate your being there to facilitate the conversation since Ms. Donovan doesn’t know me very well. I would just welcome the opportunity to present my proposal to you in person,” he concluded. “And of course, Quentin, you and Troy are more than welcome to join us.”

  Harper’s eyes widened. The invitation was unexpected but she was suddenly curious to know more about Dwayne Porter’s intentions. The prospectus still lying on the tabletop had her intrigued. She nodded her head. “I’d appreciate that. I’m sure we all would.”

  Dwayne grinned. “Let’s say seven o’clock. I’ll have Rachel call you with the arrangements,” he said and then Dwayne Porter glided out the door as easily as he’d slid in.

  As that family of four exited the building on Dwayne Porter’s heels, both Troy and Quentin glared at Rachel.

  “Damn, Rachel,” Troy chastised. “What were you thinking?”

  Rachel tossed up her hands in frustration. “I was thinking that this is a solid business deal that we will net a ten percent commission on.”

  “You would do a deal with Lucifer himself if the opportunity presented itself,” Quentin said. His head waved from side to side.

  Harper looked from one to the other, sensing that she was missing something. She picked up the prospectus and passed it to Troy. “Would you look this over for me and let me know what you think, please.” She turned to Quentin. “We can talk after you come back from delivering the Hanson cake,” she said, pointing at the clock on the wall.

  Quentin met her stare but said nothing, only nodding his assent.

  Troy headed back in the direction of his office. “I’ll review it but I can’t make dinner tomorrow. I have a date and no intentions of cancelling. Sorry,” he said.

  Harper nodded, looking toward Quentin a second time. “You’re coming, aren’t you?”

  He glared at Rachel one last time before shifting his gaze back in her direction. “Not a chance in hell,” he said as he stomped back into the kitchen.

  Confused, Harper looked to Rachel for answers. “What was that all about? What am I missing?”

  Rachel snatched her belongings from the chair. “None of your damn business,” she snapped. “I’ll call you tomorrow about dinner.” And then she slammed out the front door and down the street.

  With a quick glance toward the two employees watching them all with interest, Harper tossed up her hands. Linda and Kitty both giggled, starting to gossip and gush over Dwayne Porter. As she stared out the window, understanding suddenly washed over Harper, and she realized that she’d just met Quentin’s former best friend, the man Rachel had cheated with.

  “Hey,” Harper said as she knocked on the office door.

  Troy looked up from the papers he’d been working on. “Hey, yourself. What’s up?”

  “Do you mind if I bother you for a minute?” she asked.

  Troy gestured for her to take a seat in the wingback chair in front of the large mahogany desk. Rising from his seat, he moved to close the office door behind her.

  “I hate to bother you. I know how busy you are,” Harper noted.

  He shrugged. “It’s no problem. My door is open for you anytime. You are my family now, too.”

  Harper smiled. “Thank you. I appreciate that,” she responded. “It actually feels like you are my big brother,” she said.

  He nodded and smiled back. “Pop would have liked that, I think.”

  “How do you think he would have felt about me not feeling like Quentin is my big brother?”

  “I think Pop would have wanted you both to be happy but I know he would have advised you to think long and hard about whatever decisions you make together or apart.”

  Harper nodded as she changed the subject. “Be honest with me, Troy. How married are you to the bakery? Is this your dream?”

  Troy blew a heavy sigh. “What I do for Just Desserts has nothing at all to do with my dreams for myself. When Pop had the idea to open a bakery he just wanted a place to call his own. A place where he called the
shots, could hang with his friends, and made him feel accomplished. In all honesty, I think he really wanted a bar but since he wanted Quentin and me to be involved, a bar wasn’t realistic back then.

  “Quentin fed into Pop’s excitement. He was the creative force behind the business. Truth be told, there would be no bakery if it weren’t for Quentin. And I was just happy to be able to share something with the two of them. No more, no less. We could hire anyone to do what I do. It just so happened that I volunteered for the job.”

  “So what is it that you really want to be doing?” Harper questioned as she shifted forward in her seat.

  Troy paused as he moved back behind the heavy wooden desk. “I really enjoy practicing law. Right now I’m dealing primarily with contract litigation and that works for me. But I’m seriously thinking about making a run for mayor next year.”

  “Mayor?”

  He nodded. “I’m thinking about it.”

  “Does Quentin know?”

  “You’re the first person I’ve told.”

  She nodded, dropping into a moment of reflection.

  Troy smiled as he interrupted her thoughts. “Speaking of contracts,” he said as he picked up the spiral-bound prospectus. “I can see why this offer is so appealing. But I’m not sure how Dwayne is valuing the business and the property. With the amount he’s offering, something doesn’t feel right. And it’s a cash offer, too! I think you need more information.”

  “That’s what I thought. It seemed too good to be true so I have to wonder what his real agenda might be.”

  “I can appreciate that,” Troy noted.

  “What about Quentin? How invested is he in the business? And be honest with me, please!”

  Troy sighed as he folded his hands together on top of the desktop. “Of the two of us, Quentin is most like Pop in personality. Everything about this joint makes my brother very happy. But you should have that conversation with him yourself. And there’s something else,” Troy added. “There’s a lot of bad blood between Quentin and Dwayne. You need to factor that into either’s motivations for this sale to happen or not.”

  11

  Dwayne Porter was standing alone in the building’s garage, leaning easily against Rachel’s Cadillac. When she saw him, she slowed, her eyes locking with his. His expression was blank, the lines in his beautifully chiseled features taut. She held the stare until she was standing directly in front of him.

  “Dwayne Porter, what brings you here?” she questioned, her tone coy.

  “What kind of game are you playing, Rachel?” he asked, his deep voice cold and harsh.

  “Whatever do you mean?” Her expression was questioning as she feigned ignorance.

  “I’m talking about that stunt you pulled earlier with Quentin and Troy. What are you up to?”

  “Nothing!” she said with a nervous giggle. “Why would I be up to something? You want the building and the business and I want to help facilitate that.”

  Dwayne stared at her, the intensity of it moving Rachel to break out into a deep sweat. “You never were a good liar, Rachel,” he finally said as he took a step toward her.

  Rachel took a step back, suddenly unnerved by the nearness of him. “You don’t know what I am. You never stay around long enough to find out.”

  “I know more than you think I do.”

  “Oh, yeah? Like what?” Her tone was defensive as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Like you still have it bad for Quentin. Like Quentin has it bad for that very pretty, extremely sexy Harper Donovan. I know that you want Harper Donovan gone because as long as she’s here, you don’t stand a chance in hell of getting Quentin back. Am I warm yet?”

  Rachel bristled. “Go to hell!” she spat as she brushed past him, moving to unlock her car. “Maybe I should be asking what you’re up to. If you were so concerned about what I might be doing why did you even bother to go to the bakery? Unless of course you had something you wanted to prove to Quentin?”

  She opened the rear door, dropping her briefcase and purse to the car floor. As she spun back around Dwayne was standing right behind her, his body so close that she could smell his scent wafting off his skin. She gasped loudly as Dwayne snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her tightly to him. She pressed both of her palms to his broad chest.

  “Looks like I hit a nerve.”

  She took a deep breath. “You didn’t hit anything.”

  He laughed. “Not yet. But I know you still want me. In fact, I bet your pussy’s all wet just thinking about me,” he muttered, his crass words inciting a wave of heat to pulse from her core.

  “I don’t know what you are talking about!” Rachel muttered indignantly. “I don’t want anything to do with you.”

  Dwayne smirked as he suddenly pushed his right hand beneath the hem of her skirt and onto the steaming crotch of her silk thong. He began to massage her through the thin fabric. An involuntary moan escaped Rachel’s parted lips as she grabbed the car door to maintain her balance.

  “You sure about that?” Dwayne crooned, his warm breath blowing against her ear.

  Rachel wasn’t sure about anything she thought as he slowly rubbed her sensitive clit, the silk fabric of her thong brushing against her flesh. The sensation felt amazing and her knees began to weaken as her arousal started to spike.

  Dwayne suddenly pushed her into the backseat of the car, easing her down onto the leather surface as he dropped his large body atop hers. He pushed her legs open with his knee and her limbs splayed open widely. Her toes were curled so tightly in her Louboutin heels that they hurt.

  She gasped loudly as he ripped her coat open, tearing at the buttons of her blouse until her breasts were exposed, the nipples rock hard beneath his manipulations. One hand still danced between her thighs and she suddenly hungered for more, the intensity of her wanting almost frightening.

  Dwayne teased her, sensing her desire. But there was nothing loving about his gestures. “You want this, don’t you,” he whispered, the raspy words deep in his throat, his touch harsher as he pushed his fingers deep inside of her. “Tell me you want me,” he commanded as he suddenly called her out of her name. His profanities were laced with vile enumerations, the man calling her everything but a child of God and each abhorrent word made her wetter, her clit throbbing and pulsing beneath his touch.

  “Yes, yes, yes,” Rachel moaned loudly. “I want you!” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she lifted her mouth to his and kissed him, the urgency of it flooding her spirit. She could feel her explosion rising with a vengeance and the man hadn’t even entered her yet. Lusty spasms gnawed at her pelvic area, throbbing for release. She reached for him, pulling at his zipper. She grabbed for the hardened erection between his legs. Dwayne suddenly pushed himself from her, moving out of her grasp as he stood back up outside the car door.

  Rachel’s eyes widened at the infraction. Her breathing was hurried, coming in deep gasps. She met his stare as he stood and adjusted his clothes, a malevolent grin bubbling past the line of his lips. She suddenly slammed her legs closed, drawing them up to her chest as she wrapped her arms around her knees. Her mouth was dust dry and she bit down against her lower lip so hard that she actually drew blood.

  Dwayne drew his hand to his mouth and sucked his finger, the taste of her painting his tongue. The same hand dropped down between his legs to palm the heavy expanse of tissue that pressed against the zipper of his slacks. Rachel’s eyes followed, then she lifted her gaze back to his face, his cold stare sending a chill through her.

  “I know you, Rachel,” he said, punctuating each word slowly. “I know if I told you right now to drop down on your knees and suck my dick, you would. You’d do it gladly and if I said you liked it, you’d nod your head and tell me just how much. So, don’t play with me again, Rachel. I won’t be so nice next time.”

  Dwayne slammed the car door closed. Rachel watched as he sauntered easily through the parking lot to his own ride, disappearing from her sight. Then she pl
unged her hand between her legs and brought herself to climax.

  Harper was sitting on the family-room floor when she heard Quentin come through the door. She stole a quick glance at the clock on the wall, noting that it was well after midnight. Someone’s jazz played on the old stereo, one of her father’s old vinyl records spinning beneath the needle. She looked up as he rushed into the room.

  “Hey, I need you to try something for me,” Quentin exclaimed as he moved to her side. He carried two glass bowls in the palms of his hands. Each had a spoon protruding from the center.

  “What’s this?” she questioned as he passed one of them to her, dropping down onto the floor beside her.

  “I don’t have a name for it yet. It’s something I’m still trying to perfect,” he said as she pulled a spoonful of his new dessert into her mouth.

  As the decadent flavors burst against her tongue Harper closed her eyes and purred. “Hmmm, this is wonderful!” she chimed.

  Quentin grinned as he took his own taste. A rich banana cheesecake sat on top of a crisp wafer of crushed almonds and chunks of dark chocolate. The top was drizzled with a light raspberry puree with slivers of toasted almonds sprinkled on top.

  “So what’s not perfect about it?” she asked as she took another bite, “because this is heavenly!” She used her finger to savor the last taste, slowly swirling it around the bottom of the cup before sucking the digit past her lips. The erotic gesticulation caught the man off guard.

  Quentin hesitated as he watched her, heat flooding through his loins. He shook the sensation then took a deep breath before he spoke. “I just need to insure that the flavors are evenly balanced. I think it’s still too much chocolate.”

  “Mmmm,” she purred again. “I love the chocolate but maybe instead of having the large chunks you can make them smaller and spread them out more evenly or maybe do chocolate shavings over the top?”