Treat with Caution (Treats to Tempt You Book 1) Page 14

  “There’s nothing wrong with that,” Maisey announced. “He might be my brother, and you were right—he is the most annoying man on the planet at times, but he is hot. I can’t deny it. I’m just amazed you stayed out of his clutches so long.”

  “I’m not in his clutches.” Tasha sulked. “I meant what I said—women are perfectly capable of having a sexual relationship without getting emotionally entangled.” She thought about when he’d jogged up the road and stopped to catch his breath, leaning forward with his hands on his knees. Just the sight of him had caused her heart to race, and as for when he’d stared at her in the kitchen, crushed her to him, and then lifted her onto the worktop…

  She blinked and focused on Maisey’s raised eyebrows. “I’m fine,” she said. “It’s just that when we’re together, I think we both forget about the bet, but earlier we walked down to the waterfront and found ourselves standing in front of the shop, and it kind of shocked us we’d forgotten. At least, I think it shocked him. There’s no telling, really.”

  “Want me to ask him?”

  “No! Absolutely not. I do not want him thinking for one moment I’m hooked. I’d never live it down. And I’m not. Hooked, that is. I’m just…” She’d lost her train of thought, too distracted by the memory that played over and over in her head like a DVD of him all hot and sweaty in her arms. “I mean…”

  “Jeez.” Maisey topped up Tasha’s wine glass. “Do you need to lie down?”

  “Ha ha.” Tasha gulped a mouthful of the wine, then leaned back and sighed. “I just want him to admit he likes me. I’m not looking for a declaration of love or a proposal or anything. I want him to show some sign he’s not a complete robot without any feelings whatsoever.”

  “He’s no robot.” Maisey curled her legs under her. “You know that ring he wears on his right hand.”

  Tasha remembered noticing it on the beach. “It’s Harry’s isn’t it?”

  “Yeah. He wears it to remind himself of the foolishness of love. Not only did Harry die because his girlfriend had broken up with him. He died young, before he’d really had a chance to do anything. Kole’s terrified of wasting his life, and maybe ending up in a relationship where the passion has faded and all that’s left are a ball and chain, a hefty mortgage, and years of dull commitment and responsibility.”

  Tasha mused on that. “He told you that’s why he wears Harry’s ring?”

  “No.”

  “Then how…” Tasha trailed off at the look in her best friend’s eyes. Maisey could understand because they were brother and sister, and she knew Kole well enough to guess his reaction to Harry’s death. Plus, maybe she felt the same way a little, too.

  “Sorry,” Tasha whispered. She couldn’t imagine how awful it must feel to lose a sibling.

  “Don’t assume he’s cold and thoughtless. He has feelings. He’s quite emotional actually,” Maisey said. “He just doesn’t like showing it.”

  “Emotional?” Tasha smirked. “He wouldn’t appreciate you saying that.”

  “He hides it well, and pretends nothing affects him, but it does. My guess is he likes you a lot, and he’s having trouble hiding it.” Maisey sipped her wine.

  Tasha waved her hand. She couldn’t believe Kole was soft on her. He liked having sex, that much was clear, but she was pretty convinced she’d been the first port in a storm, the only one to hand. She couldn’t imagine she was anything special.

  “What are you doing tomorrow?” Maisey asked. “Are you seeing him?”

  “We arranged it, originally. I’m not sure now.” She shifted uncomfortably, unsure whether she ought to continue with the charade.

  “Caitlin had a great idea,” Maisey said. “There’s a quiz night at Bait & Hook.” She named their local bar. “Fox actually has the night off.”

  “Jeez. It’s a miracle.” Fox hardly ever had a night off.

  “Yeah. And Joss has persuaded Stuart to come. It’s for teams of eight, so we’ll be settled if you and Kole join us.”

  “I don’t know…”

  Maisey tipped her head. “How about I get Joss to persuade Kole? And you come with me?”

  Tasha relented. “Okay.” She loved quizzes, and it would give her the chance to meet up with Kole without it being a proper date. Maybe by then she would have sorted out her feelings for him.

  Although somehow, she thought it might take a bit longer than that.

  “Cool,” Maisey said. “I’ll get Joss onto it tomorrow.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kole stretched out his legs and took a long swig from the beer bottle. Joss had talked him into coming to the quiz night, but he hadn’t been looking forward to it. Now he was here, though, he had to admit it promised to be a fun night. Joss, Fox, Caitlin, and Elle were in the middle of a conversation about the All Blacks rugby match against Australia at the weekend. Stuart sat listening, quiet it was true, but at least Kole had persuaded him out of the house. Only Maisey and Tasha hadn’t turned up yet. The twenty or so tables placed around the bar were filling up, and it made a change to be out midweek.

  Jeez, dude, you’re getting old. Gone were the nights at uni and the few years after, when he’d be out every evening with friends and still have enough energy to get up early the next day and do it all over again. At some point, the appeal of living life to the max had worn off. When he’d first moved back up to Mangonui, he’d steeled himself for it to be a temporary relocation, sure it would prove to be too quiet both in his personal and business life. But the studio had taken off more quickly than he’d anticipated, and he’d found it oddly relaxing to return to the laid-back Northland, where the sun always seemed to shine and the most important things on any person’s mind were the sea, surf, and having a good time. The feeling had only intensified once he’d bought his house, and he loved going home at night and settling down in front of the TV, or sitting at his computer and working on his photographs.

  Was he ready to settle down? He wanted to scoff at the thought. Kole Graham with a mortgage, wife, and kids? Never! He’d always backed away from it, too scared of making a mistake and choosing someone that ultimately ended up being incompatible. All relationships were exciting to begin with, but eventually the shine wore off and the couple became complacent, losing respect for one another, and growing angry with their partner because they’d lost the buzz. And as carefree as he may have been in his love life, Kole didn’t belief in cheating on a girl, and he did believe in monogamy. When—if—he ever decided to settle down, it would be with one girl, and he would be faithful to her.

  The thought didn’t enthuse him. Serial monogamy was the only answer. That way he didn’t have the chance to grow bored, and he didn’t have to worry he was committing himself to the wrong woman.

  Thinking of women brought his thoughts around to Tasha. Her image had hovered in the wings of his mind frequently over the last few days, venturing in to surprise him when he least expected it. He missed her. And that worried him. They had three days of their bet to go, and even though their fling had been brief, she’d had more of an effect on him than any other girl he’d dated for a long time, if ever.

  He picked at the label on his beer bottle, pondering on that. Ultimately, it was to be expected. They’d been friends for a long time, so that had obviously increased the intimacy of their relationship, which normally took a while to build up. And although he often acted as though he didn’t have a heart, he did have feelings. He liked her. And that wasn’t a problem, as long as he kept it to himself.

  “Some bimbo’s probably worn him out.” The words intruded into his musings.

  He looked up to see them all watching him, amused. “Huh?”

  Caitlin grinned. “Fox asked you a question and you didn’t answer. I was just saying some blonde bimbo with boobs bigger than her IQ has probably worn you out.”

  His lips curved wryly as they all laughed, and he took a swig from the bottle. “Not quite.”

  “Are you dating anyone at the moment?” Stuart aske
d.

  “Sort of.” He was saved from further questioning by the arrival of Maisey and Tasha.

  Twenty seconds of bustle ensued as everyone greeted everyone else, Fox bought another round of drinks, and the company settled around the table, squeezing together on bar stools so they could all fit in.

  Kole sat across the table from Tasha, and he met her gaze as she made herself comfortable on the stool.

  “Hey,” she said. She wore jeans and a tight, bright orange T-shirt that brought out the orange in her irises. Sipping her wine, she looked over her glasses at him and winked.

  “Hey,” he said back, smiling, the wink lifting his spirits.

  “What’s going on?” Maisey asked, looking bright and bubbly in jeans and a baby pink T-shirt with the word ‘Sexy’ outlined in sequins on the front.

  “We were just talking about Kole’s love life,” Caitlin said. “He looks knackered. I reckon someone’s worn him out.”

  “Who is it?” Elle asked. “Is she gorgeous? And do we get to meet her?”

  “None of your business, yes, and not in a million years.” Kole reached out and took the entry booklet from the organizer of the evening who’d approached the table. “I wouldn’t let anyone I care for within an inch of you lot.” He studied the booklet so he wouldn’t have to meet Joss’s, Tasha’s, or Maisey’s eyes.

  “Oh…” Caitlin clapped her hands. “So you care for her then? How exciting!”

  Kole glared at her, and she widened her eyes and mimed zipping up her mouth. Maisey stifled a snort of laughter, so he glared at her, too.

  He didn’t dare look at Tasha.

  Picking up a pen, he clicked it on and wrote their table number at the top. “What name are we going to give ourselves?”

  “Great mates,” Caitlin said. “With the numbers.”

  He wrote it down, Gr8 M8s.

  “We could do well this evening,” Tasha said, and proceeded to tick them all off on her fingers. “Joss brings medical stuff, Stuart does literature, Elle’s great at anything with sport, Fox does food, Caitlin can answer anything on music, Maisey can do celebrity questions, I’m okay with some history…” She pointed to finger number eight, looked at Kole, and pretended to think. “Hmm, what do you bring?” Her eyes danced.

  “Great hair?” he suggested.

  They all laughed.

  “I’ve heard you’re pretty good at biology,” Tasha said impishly.

  Kole met her gaze and held it. The minx. “I haven’t had any complaints so far.”

  She sipped her wine, stifling a laugh, and he took another swig of his beer. So, she was in that sort of mood, was she? His heart rate picked up a little. He’d wondered whether she was going to call an end to the bet, but it looked as if she might still be interested in seeing him again. His gaze lingered on her breasts, outlined nicely in the tight T-shirt. Lust surged through him. Would she agree to go home with him for the night?

  The organizer called for quiet, and the quiz began.

  There wasn’t much chance for conversation for a while. The questions came thick and fast, and they spent most of their time arguing over the answers.

  Kole surprised himself by enjoying the evening. He’d thought it might be a tiresome affair, but his friends were great company, and everyone seemed in good spirits. Tasha was fun and flirty, not overtly so, but enough to stir his blood and make him want to push her up against the wall and kiss her senseless. He couldn’t stop picturing her in bed, moving on top of him, or groaning with pleasure beneath him, and every time she glanced at him, he felt a surge of desire that fed his lust until he felt in a sexual haze.

  At half time, when the organizer called for a break, Tasha rose from the table and excused herself to visit the ladies’. Kole waited a minute, then followed her through the quieter side room and along the corridor to the toilets.

  He hovered outside, leaning against the wall, until she came out.

  She stopped abruptly when she saw him. “Oh!”

  “Hello.”

  She stood in front of him, hands in her pockets, eyes bright. “The gents’ is that door,” she said, pointing.

  “I came to see you.”

  She lifted her chin. “Why?”

  He moved a little closer, passion surging through him at the sight of her challenging gaze. “Stop teasing me.”

  “Teasing you?” She fluttered her eyelashes like a coquettish nineteenth-century debutante.

  “You know perfectly well what you’re doing. You’re riling me up.”

  Her lips curved. “Am I now?”

  “You are, and it’s not fair. I’m a guy. I’m easily riled.”

  She gave a mock sigh. “Aw, but it’s such fun.”

  “You’ll regret it,” he murmured, lifting a hand and stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers.

  She licked her lips. “Is that a promise?”

  “Maybe.” He was hard enough to be used as a battering ram. “I want you.”

  Her eyebrows rose, and her lips parted. “Oh?”

  “Come home with me tonight.”

  She looked over her shoulder, and then she took his hand and led him farther along the corridor. He followed, frowning, unsure of her destination—the only room ahead was the large bathroom for disabled patrons.

  She pulled him into the room, closed the door behind him, and locked it.

  He started to laugh. “What are you doing?”

  Her eyes were feverishly bright. “I’ll go home with you tonight on one condition.”

  “That being…”

  “You do exactly as I say, for a change.”

  He stared at her. “In what way?”

  She turned so her back was against the wall. Took off her glasses and slid them into her pocket. Reaching down, she took both his hands in hers. Then, to his surprise, she pulled them up and placed them on the wall above her shoulders.

  “This way.” She started to unbutton his jeans.

  “Hey.” Startled, he dropped his hands to stop her, but she caught them again and put them back above her shoulders. “Do as you’re told,” she scolded, returning her hands to his jeans and sliding down the zipper.

  “Here?” He looked around. As bathrooms went, it was quite a pleasant one, spacious and bright, with wood paneling and floral curtains, but even so… “This is hardly the place.”

  “Why?” She pulled the elastic of his boxers down and released his eager erection.

  “Well, someone might want to use the room…”

  She laughed. “I’m sure they can wait two minutes. I’ll be surprised if you last longer than that. I’m very good.” She licked her lips.

  He closed his eyes as her hand massaged him. “No…”

  “Your mouth says no, but the rest of you says yes.” She reached up and brushed her lips against his. “You told me you wanted to fuck my mouth. Well, now’s your chance.”

  “It’s not very romantic,” he said faintly, worried she’d feel bad later about what she’d done in a semi-public place.

  She gave a low laugh, reached to her right, and flicked off the light, plunging them into darkness. “That better?” She slid down his body to her knees, and took him in her mouth.

  “Holy fuck.” He clenched his jaw hard. He felt as if he’d descended into a tub of black treacle. Everything had vanished and his senses were useless; the only thing in the world was Tasha’s mouth, hot and wet around him.

  He held his breath as she explored him with her tongue, stroking him slowly with her hand as she did so.

  “Tasha…” he said with a groan, swelling in her palm until it almost hurt.

  She removed her mouth and spoke softly. “I’ll show you how deep you can go. And then it’s up to you. I won’t break, honey.” She placed her lips over the tip and then slid them along his shaft, all the way down, it seemed, until he hit the back of her throat.

  His hands curled into fists on the wall. “Fuck.”

  She murmured her approval at his choice of word, and her
hand resting on his butt tightened, encouraging him to thrust.

  He did so, unable to stop himself, groaning repeatedly at the sensation of plunging into her warm wet mouth. Her tongue stroked around him, teasing, arousing him further, sliding just beneath the tip as her hand massaged him with just the right amount of pressure. She was right—she was good. He wasn’t even going to make her two minute estimate. Tensed up before she’d pulled him into the room, he didn’t stand a chance.

  Even though he tried to hold back, his hips thrust him deeper into her mouth, and she gave a long, low moan of pleasure that proved his undoing. Her hand moved faster, harder. Deep inside him, muscles began to tighten and spasm.

  “Stop if you don’t want me to come in your mouth,” he whispered hurriedly, dropping a hand to her head.

  But she didn’t stop, just took him deeper until her nose brushed his pubic hair, and that was it—heat rushed through him and he climaxed. She continued to suck, her throat muscles working as she drank him down, and his fingers tightened in her hair as surge after surge erupted into her mouth.

  When he’d done, she lifted her head and pushed a tissue into his hand. Sighing, he cleaned himself up and rearranged his clothing as she stood and flicked on the lights.

  Chapter Twenty

  Laughter bubbled forth from Tasha’s lips at the look of exasperation on Kole’s face.

  “For fuck’s sake,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “Everyone will be wondering where we are.”

  She chuckled. “Is that a complaint?”

  His eyes were bright as stars, full of admiration. “You’re fucking amazing.”

  “Thank you.” She pressed her lips to his.

  He pulled a face. “Yuck.”

  “Oh, so it’s different when I do it to you?” she said, remembering when he’d done exactly the same after going down on her.

  “Absolutely. You taste nice.”

  She licked her lips. “So do you. Goes lovely with my salt and vinegar crisps.” The exasperated look returned, and she couldn’t hide her laughter.