The Sweetest Thing (16 page)

 

 

Rachel was breathing heavy. “Yes, there’s something between them!” she gasped. Dwayne eased the tension he had on her arm, the appendage twisted at an awkward angle behind her back.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he snapped. “I thought you said you had Quentin wrapped around your finger, isn’t that what you told me?” He twisted her arm a second time.

“Stop, Dwayne!” Rachel yelped. “You’re hurting me!”

He dropped the hold he had on her as she turned to stare at him. Tears misted her eyes as she rubbed the hurt from her elbow. “Things
were
good with me and Quentin,” she said. “Then Mr. Everett died and Harper showed up. But his seeing you definitely hasn’t helped my case,” she said.

Dwayne shook his head. “You’ve disappointed me, Rachel. I don’t like to be disappointed,” he chastised.

“She’s almost ready to sell. I can feel it,” the woman gushed.

“You just haven’t been a good girl,” he replied as he reached for her hand. He pulled her to him, then before she could respond he turned her over his lap, saying, “I think you deserve a spanking for that!”

Rachel’s eyes widened. He held her tightly with one hand as he hiked up her linen skirt and slowly brushed his hand over the silk fabric of her bikini panties.

“Don’t, Dwayne!” she squealed, her voice a loud whisper. “Please!”

He continued to let his fingers tease her ass cheeks, slowly caressing the fleshy tissue. “That’s right, beg me!” he said, his breathing beginning to rise. He leaned to whisper into her ear. “Beg me to spank you!”

Rachel’s anxiety rose, the fierce sensation sweeping from the center of her core. “Please . . . Dwayne, please,” she groaned.

He caressed her one more time before raising his hand and bringing it down with a loud smack. Her body jumped at the infraction. He smacked one cheek and then the other, the slaps hard and methodical. She could hear his breath become ragged as he slipped his fingers under the elastic of her panties to pull them down, tearing them from her. He lifted the silk fabric to his nose and inhaled her scent before tossing them to the floor. Dwayne parted her legs and spanked her some more.

He spanked her ass and her thighs until the flesh was crimson, burning brightly from the violation. With each slap Rachel’s temperature rose and her crotch throbbed for release. She begged him to continue, moaning his name. “Oh, yes . . . punish me . . .” she cried over and over again. “Please!”

Dwayne brought his fingers to her feminine lips, lightly grazing the delicate folds. He felt her wetness as Rachel clenched and tightened the muscles. With each smack she’d been hopeful that he would finally finger her to relief. She was grinding against his leg and it was on the tip of her tongue to beg him hard. Only Dwayne had ever been able to make her this hot, her wanting so intense that it was consuming.

His fingers lingered for just a few brief moments before he suddenly smacked her hard between her legs. He resumed his strokes, lightly at first and then harder and harder. Rachel cried out from the hurt of it as she squirmed against his lap, the mix of pain and exquisite pleasure making her desperate for relief. She suddenly imagined that if she didn’t come soon she would definitely go completely insane.

And then, as if he could sense that she was near her breaking point, he stopped. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she fought to catch her breath. Above her back she could hear him reaching for something. Ice tinkled in the glass he’d been drinking from and she wanted to ask for just a sip of the water he was drinking to quench her thirst.

Her bottom throbbed and she tried not to grind against his leg, wanting to keep him from smacking her again. She suddenly felt his cold hand against her heated flesh and she gasped. Without saying a word Dwayne plunged an ice cube between her spread legs. The offending chill against her hot core sent her convulsing right over the edge. Rachel screamed as the floodgates opened, the mind-blowing orgasm moving her to thrash uncontrollably against his lap.

As wave after wave of pleasure consumed her Dwayne pushed her to the floor as he exposed himself, pulling his hardened shaft from his opened pants. Without fanfare he spread her legs wide and pushed himself into her, plunging his member deep inside of her until his own orgasm rocked the tension from his groin, spinning her into a second wave of sexual abandon.

Satiated, Dwayne dropped himself down against her, his body still tied to hers. He held her tight in his arms, his labored breathing slowly easing. Minutes passed as he slowly palmed her backside, gently caressing the last fringes of burn away. When his breathing was normal, his erection a fraction of what it had been, the flaccid tissue finally falling from her, he pulled himself onto his knees and leaned to kiss her cheek.

“I’ve got to go,” he said. “Be in my bed when I get back.”

“Where are you going?” Rachel questioned, lifting her torso just enough to peer up at him.

“Harper called and we’re going to dinner.”

“I thought you were doing that tomorrow? I thought
we
were spending tonight together!”

He shrugged. “She called and said she wants to talk tonight. I’m meeting her in an hour.”

“I should go with you.”

He gave her a harsh look. “I don’t remember inviting you,” he snapped.

Rachel took a deep breath, unable to hide the hurt feelings from her eyes. “Fine. When will you be home?”

He pressed his hand around her face, his fingers pushed hard against her cheeks. “When I feel like it. You just be waiting for me if you know what’s good for you.” He kissed her mouth then tossed her head back against the carpeted floor before he moved onto his feet and headed into the bathroom.

Pulling her skirt back down Rachel stood up and moved to the bed. Lying across the covers, she listened as he showered in the other room. She shook her head, hating that she would be right there waiting whenever he came back to her.

Troy was still going through his long list of things Quentin had gotten wrong when Harper eased back into the room. Both men fell silent, mouths open, when they caught sight of her. Harper looked from one to the other, her gaze coming to a quick halt when she met Quentin’s eyes. He looked her up and down, words caught in his throat at the sight of her.

Harper donned a simple white blouse and a short, tan, baby-doll skirt with two layers of ruffles that flared out and stopped mere inches below the peak of her crotch. Her long legs extended a mile past the skirt’s hem and she stood in five-inch pumps with a platform base. She was stunning and Troy said so.

“Girl, look at you all dressed up! Where are you off to?” he questioned as he followed her out into the storefront. Quentin followed on his brother’s heels.

She smiled. “Thank you, Troy. I’m going to dinner with Dwayne Porter.”

Quentin bristled, the lines of his face falling into a deep frown. He met her gaze but said nothing. Harper continued to speak.

“I figured the sooner he and I talked the better. And since Quentin was so keen on my going to dinner with the man I figured why not just do it. No point in passing up a free meal.”

Troy gave his brother a quick glance. “That’s what Quentin said he wanted, huh?”

She smiled as she gave Quentin her own cold stare. “Personally, I didn’t think it was necessary but . . .”

Before she could finish her statement, Quentin turned abruptly, stomping back into the kitchen. They suddenly heard the crash of glass shattering. Troy held up a hand to stop her from rushing into the room behind him to see what had happened. He moved to her side, pressing both palms to her shoulders as he kissed her cheek. He gestured out the window to the street.

“Your ride’s here,” Troy said, pointing to the black limo that had pulled up in front of the building. “Quentin will be okay. You can talk to him when you get back.”

Biting down on her bottom lip Harper shook her head from side to side. “He won’t talk to me,” Harper whispered. “And I don’t understand why he’s shutting me out.”

Troy patted her shoulders a second time as he tried to reassure her. “Trust me, he doesn’t know either. But he’ll be okay. Just go have a good time!”

Minutes later, after Harper was long gone, Troy made his way back into the kitchen. Quentin was standing with his hands on his hips, his breathing coming in quick gasps. Rage painted his expression. Fragments of a broken bowl and fresh strawberries were splattered at his feet. Troy shook his head.

“You love her. So tell her. You love this business and you don’t want to lose it. Tell her that, too. Then figure out how the two of you are going to make it work,” he said. “Now, clean up this mess and go get changed. You and I are going out.”

 

 

Once again Dwayne was controlling the conversation. But Harper didn’t mind. Dwayne had her laughing heartily. For the first time that day she was actually relaxed. Not only was she enjoying the ambiance of the restaurant, but she was captivated by the stories Dwayne was sharing about his friendship with Quentin. Apparently the two had been a handful back in the day, causing much havoc in good old Memphis.

“Pop gave both of us a beating for that!” Dwayne exclaimed, swiping at the moisture that teased his lashes.

Harper laughed with him. “Although, it sounds like you two got away with just as much as you got caught doing.”

He nodded. “In all honesty we probably got away with more but that’s only because when he was at my house we didn’t have as many people watching us. Troy would tattle in a heartbeat. My sister, Dara, knew better!”

“I think it’s sad that you two aren’t friends anymore. My best friend, Jasmine, and I grew up together. We joke that we’ve been friends since the crib and we’re not too far off. I would hate if something came between us like that.”

Dwayne shrugged. “It didn’t have to happen the way it did. Rachel manipulated a lot of what happened between me and Quentin.”

“They were dating first, is that right?”

“No!” he answered emphatically. “Rachel and I had history well before her and Quentin. I should have been the one to have the issue about their being together. And when he did date her he fell in love but Rachel didn’t love anyone but herself. I tried to point that out to him but he wouldn’t hear it.” He shrugged his shoulders, his posture indifferent.

“Well, I don’t know her that well so I can’t comment.”

“Can’t or won’t? I know how you women can be now!” He smiled sweetly.

Harper smiled. “Let’s change the subject.”

“What would you like to talk about?”

Harper sat forward in her seat and took a deep breath. She folded her hands together on the table. “I’ve made a decision about the bakery. In fact, I think I’ve known for a few weeks now, which is why I called and asked if we could meet today instead of tomorrow. There was no point in waiting.

“I’m not ready to sell and if and when I do, Quentin and Troy have the first right of refusal. They built that business with my father and it means something to them. There’s no way I’d sell it out from under them unless I knew without a doubt that it was what they wanted. Right now none of us are ready to let it go.”

Dwayne pursed his lips together, his head nodding ever so slowly. “I can appreciate that. I’m sure your decision will make Quentin and Troy very happy. I just appreciate your considering my offer. So,” he questioned, “does that mean you’ll be staying in Memphis longer?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know yet. But it does mean that I’ll have more reason to come back to Memphis to visit if I do decide to leave.”

“Well, I hope you’ll stay. Memphis needs a shining star like you to keep us all on our toes.”

Harper smiled. “Thank you. You’ve been very nice about everything.”

Dwayne puffed his chest forward. “You say that like I’m not a nice guy,” he teased. “I will have you know that I’m a very nice guy.”

“Yes, you are!” Harper said with a deep giggle. “In fact, I don’t believe half the dirt people have been whispering about you.”

Dwayne smiled, the width of his grin filling his dark face. “What kind of nonsense have people been filling your ears with, girl?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Harper said coyly, winking a teasing eye at him. She reached for her purse as she graced him with an easy smile. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment. I need to go to the restroom.”

“Why don’t I order us some dessert and coffee while you’re gone? They have the best apple-cinnamon bread pudding here.”

She nodded. “That sounds great,” she said as she eased her way out of her seat and headed toward the back of the restaurant.

As she walked away Dwayne gestured for the waitress and placed their order. His expression was anything but happy about the decision Harper had made. He didn’t like to lose and he wasn’t ready to admit defeat. He realized he was going to have to take matters into his own hands and come at her from a whole other angle. Clearly, his plans were going to require something far more drastic.

With the coffee and dessert delivered Dwayne thought about Harper and those things that seemed to motivate her. He was impressed with how loyal she was, her family and friends of great value to her. With Pop’s death Quentin had become her family and it wasn’t hard to miss that his old friend had managed to capture a spot in her heart. There was clearly something between them and it hadn’t taken long at all for it to bloom. But with the two of them not knowing each other for very long maybe what they were sharing was just a passing phase that could be dimmed just as quickly. Just maybe.

From across the room Harper had stopped and was chatting with a woman who seemed excited to see her there. The other woman’s exuberance ignited hers and her expression glowed. Harper was an exquisite beauty and as Dwayne eyed her he couldn’t help but think that they would make quite a handsome couple if by chance anything between them could be explored. And maybe exploring that possibility might lead to Harper’s wanting him and not Quentin to have that bakery. Dwayne grinned as she met his eye and smiled back, lifting her index finger to indicate that she would only be a minute.

He studied her, quite taken by her petite stature and the curves that attracted much attention from many admirers. He licked and curled his bottom lip, suddenly curious to know what Harper might feel like in his arms. As she made her way back to the table her eyes shimmered with energy. She slid into her seat, her head waving from side to side.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “That was Mrs. Humphries. She’s one of the bakery’s customers and her daughter just had a baby. She stopped me to show me the pictures.”

“It’s not a problem. I’m actually impressed. You must be making quite an impression on people for them to want to share their personal lives with you.”

Harper shrugged. “I just enjoy getting to know new people and their getting to know me.”

“You are a stunning woman, Harper. I hope there’s someone in your life telling you on a regular basis just how beautiful you are,” he said. He leaned forward in his seat as she lifted her eyes to his, pondering his comment.

“That’s very sweet of you,” Harper answered. She was taken aback by the intensity of the man’s stare, his deep, dark gaze feeling as if he could see right through her. Her eyes widened and she was suddenly uncomfortable with the attention he was lavishing on her. She tried to laugh it off. “Stop looking at me like that!”

“Like what?” Dwayne asked, his voice dropping two octaves.

“Like you have a sweet tooth and I’m the last piece of chocolate in the box.”

Dwayne laughed as he reached his hand out to hers, drawing his fingers across the back of her fingers. “I’ll try,” he teased, “but you make it very hard.”

The rest of their evening went pleasantly. Dwayne continued to tease and make her laugh and when he finally delivered her back to the front door of Just Desserts, Harper could honestly say that she’d had a good time and she did.

“Thank you, Dwayne,” she said. “Dinner was great. And again, I appreciate your understanding my decision not to sell.”

Dwayne’s smile was a mile wide. “Harper, I wouldn’t want you to do anything that you don’t want to do. If selling your father’s business doesn’t feel right then I definitely support your decision. That’s what friends do. And I really hope you’ll consider me your friend.”

Harper smiled, her hand on the car’s passenger-side door handle as she prepared to exit the vehicle. “I’d definitely rather have more friends than enemies,” she said. “You have a good night, Dwayne.”

“Let me walk you to the door,” he said.

“Really, that’s not necessary. I appreciate it though and your mother would be very proud,” she said with a soft laugh.

Dwayne laughed and nodded. Then without another word he leaned across the car’s center console, stalling her hand as he grabbed her wrist. Harper inhaled swiftly as his eyes locked briefly with hers and then Dwayne leaned to kiss her lips, his other hand cupped gently beneath her chin.

 

 

“He kissed you?” Jasmine’s incredulous expression registered over the computer screen.

“With tongue!” Harper whispered as she threw a quick glance toward the closed bedroom door.

“Did you tell Quentin?”

“He’s not here. He left a note that he and Troy went to some club.”

Jasmine shook her head. “My, my, my! Aren’t you just the little skank! Two men after you. No wonder you don’t want to leave Memphis!” She laughed heartily.

“It’s not like that!” Harper exclaimed. “I am not interested in Dwayne like that.”

“Well, Dwayne is interested in you like that.”

“This is crazy,” Harper said.

“Well, you know what they say. Just because you’re on a diet doesn’t mean you can’t look at the menu. And a little taste every now and then won’t hurt you!”

Harper shook her head. “I’m not looking at the menu or taste-testing, Jasmine.”

“So do you plan to tell Quentin?”

“I have to but . . .”

“But what?”

“Those two already have a ton of drama between them. I don’t want to throw any more igniter fluid on that fire if I don’t have to.”

“If you really care about Quentin you have to tell him.”

Harper paused as she stared into her computer screen. She took a deep breath.

“What?” Jasmine suddenly questioned. “You do care about him don’t you?”

“It’s more than that, Jasmine. For both of us. When we were in Nashville he told me that I was his first love before the bakery and his music.”

“Do you love him?” her friend asked.

A tear suddenly slipped past Harper’s lashes. “I . . .”

A knock on the bedroom door interrupted the conversation. Quentin pushed open the door and peeked inside. “Harper?”

“Hey,” she said as she swiped a hand across her eyes. “I was just talking to Jasmine.”

He smiled, tossing up a hand in front of the computer’s camera. “Hey, Jazz. I didn’t mean to interrupt you two.”

Jasmine grinned. “Hi, Quentin. I was just hanging up. Harper, girl, you go talk to Quentin. You can call me tomorrow,” she said. “And you better call me tomorrow!”

“Good-bye, Jasmine!” she said with a slight eye roll. Harper shook her head as she disconnected the line.

She turned back to face Quentin and before either could take another breath, Quentin slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. He met her stare and held it, his gaze dancing in perfect sync with hers. Harper felt her heart race and then skip a beat before settling comfortably in her chest.

“I’m sorry,” Quentin whispered, his cheek pressed to hers.

Harper nodded her understanding as she felt herself dropping deep down into the warmth of his touch.

“I was being a complete asshole,” Quentin whispered. “And I love you,” he said as he drew back to look her in the eyes. “I love you very much.” And then he kissed her, his lips dancing with hers as his hands glided across her back.