The Sweetest Thing (15 page)

With her head tossed back against a pillow, Harper closed her eyes and let the intense waves of passion wash over her. She felt her body quake with desire and she clutched the bedspread beneath her, bunching it between the palms of her hands. The intensity raging over her body reached a feverish peak, the magnitude of it barely containable. Sweat covered her flesh as she tried, unsuccessfully, to hold back the rising crescendo. And then suddenly the sweetest surrender consumed her.

Quentin could feel her orgasm pulsing in his mouth. He held her tight as she climaxed, savoring the sweet nectar that gushed from her body. His tongue lapped every last drop as Harper drowned him in a sea of pure joy. She quivered unabashedly, her body shaking as her muscles imploded. Before she could recover she opened herself to him, spreading her coltish legs wide as he crawled back up her body and settled himself easily between her thighs.

Her breath stalled when he rubbed the head of his manhood between her lower lips, gently smacking it against her clit. The pleasure button continued to throb with wanting as her juices flowed in abundance. When he suddenly pulled himself from her, the connection lost, she gasped for air, her breath coming in heavy waves.

Quentin reached for a condom he’d rested on the nightstand earlier and sheathed himself quickly. Harper could feel the moisture puddle between her legs and she cried out softly when he began pushing himself inside of her. Her back arched as he slowed his penetration, her inner lining stretching open to welcome him home.

Harper whimpered with ecstasy, the murmur soft and low as he disappeared deep inside her folds. Her eyes rolled back in her head as her body moved in sync with his, her hips lifting to meet each of his thrusts.

Quentin slid in and out of her, slowly to begin with, then steadily building in speed. “Oh, baby, sweet baby,” he gasped, murmuring her name over and over again as if he were in prayer. He kissed her as he pounded himself harder and harder into her, every ounce of his being clinging to hers. Harper gasped as a second wave of pleasure began building from her core. Her toes curled and she moaned. “Quentin! Oh, God . . . I . . . I’m coming . . . I . . .” she squealed, her desire ringing through the room.

Quentin growled as he continued to kiss her greedily, running his tongue to the back of her throat and back again. He began moaning even louder as her explosion triggered his own. His entire body broke into a spasm that tore through him like a tornado. He felt her body convulsing around his and as he pulsed with her they both exploded again, the combustion spiraling them off the edge of bliss.

As they lay together, Quentin sprawled above her, both knew that never again would they ever experience such a depth of satisfaction with anyone else. The carnal paradise they were wallowing in was all encompassing. Wave after wave of pleasure swept between them as they leapt from one peak to another, bypassing any valleys that might have lain in the way and then, exhausted, both passed out in blessed contentment.

 

 

Harper didn’t want to even begin to consider what the hotel’s housekeeping staff had to be thinking about them. So lost in their desire for each other they hadn’t left the hotel room since that first night together. Quentin had ordered room service, they’d put out the
DO NOT DISTURB
sign, drawn the shades, and hadn’t stopped making love. Harper chuckled softly to herself as she fathomed whether or not she was going to be able to walk whenever they did check out. Quentin was less concerned, vowing to carry her if the need arose.

“You worry too much,” he said as he shifted against the bed’s pillows and headboard.

“You don’t worry enough,” she responded, her head and back resting against his chest. She sat between his legs drawing a warm palm over his knee as she caressed him lightly.

He pressed his pelvis up and forward, rubbing himself against her back. Harper smiled as he ran his fingers over her breasts, having professed that the succulent tissue was his new favorite toy.

“That might be true,” he said, “but I’m not going to start worrying right now. Maybe when we get back to Memphis but right now I can think of a few other things I’d like to be doing.”

He pressed his lips to her neck and kissed her, his tongue tracing the line of her ear. Harper tilted her head to allow him easier access as she stroked the line of his thighs with both of her hands.

She giggled as he tickled her. “So what’s on your mind now?” she said.

He started humming and when Harper recognized the old 50 Cent tune she laughed. “‘Candy Shop’! Really!” she chimed as he sang the lyrics into her ear.

“Let you lick my lollypop!” he said as he pressed his crotch against her.

“I thought you only listened to jazz and blues.”

“Girl, I’m a musician. I listen to everything!”

“Can you play ‘Candy Shop’ on your sax?”

“Never tried, but I know I can play it on my
sex,
” he said, laughing at his own joke.

Harper shook her head. “That was so not funny!”

He laughed. “Yes, it was!”

She twisted her naked body around to look him in the eye. “Serious question?”

“Yes, ma’am?” he said as he continued to fondle her breasts. “Ask your serious question so we can move on to something more entertaining.” He hummed.

“What’s your first love? Music or baking?”

Quentin’s head bobbed in time to the beat in his head. “My first love is you,” he said matter-of-factly. “Music and baking come next. They run neck and neck on my love list.”

Harper hesitated as she thought about his comment, meeting the stare he was giving her. “Quentin!”

He nodded. “You talk too much,” he said, a deep chuckle rising from his midsection. He leaned to lick her nipple, the protrusion hardening between his lips.

Harper laughed and shook her head as she wrapped her arms around his head, her fingers dancing in his thick waves as he continued to suckle the fleshy tissue. Humming his song she lifted her body, turning until she was straddling him and then she sang, “. . . got the magic stick . . .”

Quentin was already hard and she lowered her body down against his. He entered her easily, holding her by the hips as he guided her against him.

Harper sang, her body grinding with the beat.

Quentin grinned. “Ride like you in a rodeo, girl!”

Dwayne Porter had arranged for his vice president of sales and marketing to take Quentin and Harper on a tour of the Home Grown Foods corporate facility. He’d been slightly taken aback when Rachel had told him Harper had insisted on Quentin’s joining her on her visit. For that very reason he’d decided that it was better someone else make that sales pitch. Had it just been Harper he would have definitely done the tour himself.

He rose from his desk, pacing the carpeted floor as he contemplated what his next move would be. He was determined, at any cost, to acquire Just Desserts and the Beale Street storefront. And if he was intent on nothing else, it was making sure Quentin Elliott
didn’t
get the business. Taking everything he could from his old friend was high on his priority list. Most especially those things Quentin loved.

He’d initially thought Harper’s having sole ownership would have made it easier for him. Rachel had sworn that Harper had no interest in Memphis or the business. Rachel had been certain that a generous enough offer would have had the woman signing on the dotted line. Once again Rachel had gotten it wrong, making him question why he was still wasting his time with her. Because Harper, with her affinity for the Elliott family, their business, and Quentin in particular, was proving to be a royal pain in his ass.

Quentin. Back in the day the two had been inseparable. Best friends. Quentin had been his boy and there had been nothing he wouldn’t have done for him. Personally, Dwayne thought, he had done Quentin a favor showing him the kind of woman Rachel truly was.

He thought about Rachel. The two of them had been connected years before he and Quentin had become friends. Rachel had taken his virginity and had given him hers. He’d honestly believed that he and Rachel would have grown old together, tied to the hip no matter what either of them would ever do.

Then Rachel had fallen for Quentin. She had turned her back on him, betraying every emotion he’d had for her. It had fractured his spirit. When the dust had settled he’d realized that Rachel Harris wasn’t anything special; just another female thinking of her own interests before either one of theirs. Her infidelity should have been proof enough that he’d had Quentin’s back. But no, Quentin had gone all sentimental on him, refusing to see Rachel for the cheap trick she was. Quentin had made that entire scenario about Dwayne’s flaws, insisting that he had taken advantage of her weaknesses.

Quentin had called him out, and then had turned his back on him, throwing away a lifetime of friendship. Payback for that kind of betrayal would be cold and hard, without mercy as far as Dwayne was concerned. And just when he thought he had his finger on the pulse of it all, Harper Donovan was now in his way.

Dwayne blew a deep sigh. As he moved back to his desk his secretary rang him on the intercom.

“Mr. Porter, they’re ready for you, sir!”

He hit the talk button. “Thank you,” he said. “I’m on my way.”

When he entered the conference room, Harper was sitting comfortably in one of the cushioned chairs. Quentin was leaning against the paneled wall, his hands pushed deep into the pockets of his black denim jeans. Leon Troy, his vice president of sales and marketing, was still extolling what made the company a front-runner in the food industry. Dwayne smiled brightly as he dismissed the man, expressing his gratitude.

“Harper, hello! It’s good to see you again,” he said as he moved directly to her side. He leaned to kiss her cheek, allowing his lips to linger a second longer than necessary.

The gesture was unexpected, catching the woman by surprise. It showed on her face as her eyes widened, her brows lifted, and the hint of a blush rose to her cheeks. “Dwayne, hey,” she said softly.

He turned and gave Quentin a nod of his head. “Quentin, I’m glad you could make it,” he said.

Quentin nodded back, eyeing him warily. “Dwayne.”

Dwayne turned his attention back to Harper. “How have you been since I last saw you?”

“I’m very well, thank you for asking.”

“Have you been able to get back home to Louisiana yet?”

“I haven’t. Not yet.”

Dwayne shook his head. “I’m sorry to hear that. I know how much you’re missing your home and your family. It hurts when you’re not with the people you love.” Dwayne tossed Quentin a quick look and Harper didn’t miss the expression that flushed Quentin’s face.

“So what did you think about the tour?” he asked, turning his attention back to Harper.

“It was very impressive.”

“Impressive enough for you to bring Just Desserts on board, I hope?”

“Definitely impressive enough to make the decision much harder for me,” she said.

Dwayne nodded and his grin was even wider. He turned his attention back to Quentin. “I’m sure this isn’t easy for you, Quentin, but I know Pop would have loved to see the business be as big as it can be. I would appreciate the opportunity to honor his memory by making that happen. And I hope you and I have a chance to mend some fences and maybe work together to do just that.”

The two men stood staring at each other. Quentin tossed him a quick nod but said nothing. His gaze shifted to Harper who was looking from one to the other. She took a deep breath as she came to her feet.

“Thank you, Dwayne. I appreciate all you’ve done and I plan to have an answer for you very soon,” she said.

Dwayne nodded. “Harper, I would really appreciate the opportunity to address any reservations that you might have.” He looked down to the Breitling watch on his wrist. “I know you two need to get back to the bakery and I have a meeting I have to run to.” He tossed Quentin a quick look. “Maybe we can all do dinner again later tonight or perhaps tomorrow? I’d appreciate your being there as well, Quentin.”

Quentin rolled his eyes skyward.

“I really don’t think that’s necessary,” Harper interjected. “But I appreciate your making the offer.”

Quentin took a breath. He walked to Harper’s side and slid his arm around her waist. He leaned to kiss her cheek. Turning his body so that his back was to Dwayne, he whispered in her ear, “I think you should do it,” he said.

Confusion washed over her face. “But why . . . I don’t . . .” she stammered.

“Because you
are
still considering the sale. You really need to be completely sure one way or the other and right now you aren’t. Let him try to convince you, get all your questions answered, then come home so I can tell you why he’s wrong.” Quentin turned back and tossed Dwayne a look.

There was a moment of quiet in the room, no one saying anything.

Harper broke the silence as she tossed up a hand in frustration. “Okay,” she said, her gaze still connected with Quentin’s. She directed her next comment at Dwayne. “I guess I will meet you for dinner tomorrow.”

“Great! I’ll send my car for you!”

Dwayne extended his hand to shake hers. He tossed her a wink of his eye and then he turned toward Quentin. “Thank you,” he said. “I really appreciate the opportunity.”

Quentin shook his head. “Let’s not get this twisted,” he responded, his tone harsh. “This has absolutely nothing at all to do with you. You know better than anyone that Pop was all about a man’s integrity and you have none. I would rather see the business go under before I see it in your hands. However, it’s not my business or my decision to make. So, if you think you can give Harper a convincing argument why she should sell it to you, give it your best shot.”

Dwayne bristled and just as quickly pulled a smile back onto his face. He turned his attention away from Quentin. “Thank you, Harper. I look forward to seeing you soon,” he said and then he did an about-face and walked out of the room.

As soon as the door was closed behind the man, Harper tossed her hands in the air. “What was that all about?”

“What?”

“Don’t do that. You know what. Why did you say I would have dinner with Dwayne?”

“Because you still want to sell the business.”

“You don’t know that,” Harper said, her voice rising ever so slightly.

“Don’t I? Are you saying I’m wrong? Do you want to keep your father’s business?”

She was suddenly annoyed and it was written all over her face. She wore her frustration like badly applied makeup. “What I want is to do what’s right for all of us, not just myself.”

“Don’t put me in this,” Quentin snapped. “I don’t want you to think that you have to keep the bakery because of me when it’s not what you really want to do.”

“How can you say that? How can I not consider you in my decision? If it weren’t for you, there would be no decision for me to have to make. If it weren’t for you I’d be back in Baton Rouge, back to my own life right now!”

Quentin bristled. “So being here with me isn’t what you want for your own life?”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“What I know is that you’re still conflicted about what to do. If it is still in your head to sell, and clearly it is, then you need to be as informed as you can possibly be. Dwayne made you a very nice offer. That day you arrived in Memphis you would have taken it, no questions asked. But now you have questions and you need them answered. So do that or if that’s too much for you, just sell it. I’m sure that will make Dwayne very happy!”

Harper shook her head, her arms crossed over her chest. “Why do I suddenly feel like I’m in the middle of a cockfight with you and Dwayne trying to see who has the bigger one?”

Quentin shrugged. “Clearly, I don’t know you well enough to know anything about what you feel,” he said and then he turned, leaving her standing there alone.

Amusement blanketed Troy’s expression as he shook his head from side to side. “So Harper got to see that pretty, pleasing side to your sweet disposition?” he said, the sarcastic comment hitting a nerve with his little brother.

Quentin glared, still irritated by the afternoon’s events. He didn’t bother to respond.

“If you don’t want her to sell the business then why don’t you just tell her?”

“I shouldn’t have to,” he finally responded. “She should know.”

“Because you both have been acquainted with each other for so long that she can read your mind, is that right?”

“She knows me.”

“You keep telling her that you don’t care what she does. That it’s her decision to make. Then you get mad and pout because she’s weighing her options to do just that. And this makes sense to you because . . . ?”

“She knows me,” Quentin said between gritted teeth.

“And maybe she doesn’t,” Troy offered. “Maybe you should have waited like we all told you so that she could get to know you. You crossed that line with Harper and now you feel like things are going south, you don’t like it and your feelings are hurt. Instead of manning up and just telling her that, you want to pout.”

The two men exchanged gazes as Troy dropped down onto one of the kitchen stools.

Quentin shook his head. “No, I don’t like it and yes, my feelings are hurt,” he finally muttered.

The two brothers sat together in a moment of silence. From the front of the bakery they could hear a customer laughing with Linda and Kitty, the two women manning the counters. Quentin and Harper had only been back a short while when Troy had realized neither was speaking to the other, a thick blanket of tension spread between them. When he had questioned what the problem was Harper had pointed at his brother then had disappeared up to her room. Quentin had been bemoaning his Harper issues ever since.

Troy shook his head. “You two need to sit down and talk. And you need to be open with her. If you don’t want her to sell the bakery to Dwayne, tell her that. But Quentin, you can’t expect her to hold on to and maintain a business she has no passion for, in a city where she didn’t choose to live. Why not make her an offer and buy it from her yourself if that’s what you want. But Harper can’t read your mind and you can’t expect her to.”

Quentin nodded. “I can’t pay what Dwayne is offering, you know that.”

“I don’t know that there is anyone who is willing to pay that kind of money for the bakery. But no one says
you
have to. You don’t know what Harper’s willing to accept because you haven’t asked her. You’ve been too busy worrying about Dwayne and what he’s up to instead of doing what you need to be doing,” Troy admonished.

Quentin was about to respond to his brother’s comments when Betty suddenly poked her head into the space, calling his name.

“We have a woman here who wants to speak with you about ordering cupcakes for a party. I tried to help her but she insists on speaking with you directly,” she said.

He gave her a quick wave of his hand. “Thanks, Betty. I’ll be right there,” he said as he rose from the seat he was occupying. He tossed his brother a quick look.

“
Talk
to Harper,” Troy admonished one last time. “And let your guard down. She truly cares about you. I don’t know why but something tells me you’re starting to question and doubt what she’s feeling for you. But for me, it’s not hard to see that Harper is nothing like Rachel. Bottom line though, if you don’t think you can trust her then you don’t need to be with her.”