Treat with Caution (Treats to Tempt You Book 1) Read online

  But as she drove, she kept thinking about that morning, about the words he’d uttered as they’d made love. You’re mine… And I’m yours… He’d said them so passionately. She’d been convinced he was starting to feel something for her. Did she stand a chance of talking Mr. Non-Commitment into having a real relationship?

  Pondering on it, she took a detour down to the harbor, intending to call in to see Fox and order a special takeaway of something nice for dinner that evening. As she turned the corner, however, and slowed the car, her gaze fell on a solitary figure standing on the harbor side, his back to the water, looking at the row of buildings.

  She pulled the car to the side of the road, her heart pounding. Kole stood staring at the shop a few doors down from Aqua Blue. He’d stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, his shoulders were hunched, and he was obviously lost in thought. She was close enough to see the look of determination on his face.

  Quickly, so as not to draw attention, she turned the car around and headed back up to her house.

  Her hands tightened on the wheel. Stupid, she scolded herself, tears stinging her eyes. You stupid girl. He was obviously reminding himself of the reason for their fling.

  Best she remember it, too.

  *

  The afternoon passed quickly, and by the end of the day, Tasha had gotten her head around the whole situation. Yes, she had great affection for Kole, and they were having a fantastic time. But it was just a bit of fun, and at the root of it, they were playing a game to get the shop. He’d crept ahead in the race over the last day or so, and it was time for her to pull out all the stops. The shop was what mattered—that was the overriding factor in this whole situation. The opening of Treats to Tempt You relied on her convincing Joss and Maisey that Kole had more feelings for her than she had for him. If they didn’t get the shop, they’d have to continue looking for another site, and because Tasha had an eye on the estate agents to make sure nothing came up in the meantime, she knew there wasn’t anything suitable out there at the moment.

  Even though she’d sorted it all out in her mind, she still felt nervous when she finally drove to Kole’s house at five o’clock. He’d sent her a text to say he was already home, and as she pulled up, she took a few deep breaths.

  This is all about fun, she told herself firmly, picturing him standing in the harbor, staring at the shop. That’s all he’s interested in. She pushed away the resentment that rose inside her and lifted her chin. She was a treat to tempt him. Seductive and sexy, Tasha Graham! Knock his socks off! Her thoughts continued to rattle around in her head like beans in a tin, though, until she knocked on the door, and he opened it.

  His face broke out into a smile at the sight of her, and immediately everything flew out of her head except the pleasure she felt at being with him.

  “Hey, you.” He stepped back to let her in. “Good day?”

  “Better now.” She walked in, and after he’d closed the door, pinned him up against it and pressed her lips to his.

  “Mmph.” Far from objecting, he gave a muffled agreement and bent to pick her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, loving the way he tightened his arms around her, how he kissed her so hungrily, as if they’d been apart for a whole year instead of a day.

  “I’ve missed you,” she said as he deposited her on the kitchen workbench and kissed around to her ear.

  “And I you.” He touched his tongue to the sensitive spot below her lobe, then kissed down her neck. “I’m so glad you’re staying tonight.”

  “Mmm. Me too.” She tipped back her head, adoring his enthusiasm. “I’ve been thinking about this all afternoon,” she said honestly. Once she’d fixed it in her mind this was all about sex and nothing else, she’d spent hours daydreaming about the feel of him inside her, the weight of him on top.

  He chuckled and grasped the hem of her T-shirt, and before she could protest, lifted it over her head. “Glad to hear it.” He paused and studied her as she gasped. “Sorry, do you want a drink first?”

  That made her laugh. “No. Thank you.”

  “Good.” He kissed her, delving his tongue into her mouth, and she moaned and did the same. His hands moved to the lacy cups of her bra, and she arched her back, pressing her breasts into his palms, inhaling as he rolled her nipples between his fingers. She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders to the floor, then followed his happy trail down to his jeans. He was already hard, his erection evident even through the thick denim, and when she squeezed it, he groaned.

  He lifted his head, and his pupils were dilated, making his eyes seem dark with passion. “Where do you want me?” He nibbled her bottom lip. “Your turn to choose.” His hands crept around her back and released her bra strap, and he whisked it off and dropped it on top of their T-shirts.

  She closed her eyes, exhaling with an aaah of pleasure as he tugged her nipples to hard peaks. “Mmm… I don’t mind… Surprise me.”

  “Surprise you?” He bent his head and sucked a nipple into his mouth.

  “Oh… Mmm... Teach me something different, Kole…”

  He straightened and laughed, then picked her up again. “Expand your sexual education, you mean?”

  “I do mean.” She kissed him, tightening her thighs around his waist in an attempt to assuage the ache between her legs.

  He carried her through to the bedroom and lowered her to a standing position at the foot of the bed. Then he undid his jeans, and she did the same, and they took them off with their underwear until they were both standing naked.

  Kole gave her a firm push, and she fell back onto the bed, laughing. Before she could rise, he dropped to his knees before her, pushed open her legs, and buried his mouth in the heart of her.

  Tasha exclaimed loudly and clutched his hair with both hands. “Jeez, Kole!” But he didn’t slow down. He plunged his tongue inside her, then licked firmly right up the center before fastening his mouth on her clit.

  She squirmed and writhed beneath him, and was just getting to the point of no return when he straightened.

  “Oh…” she said, the breath leaving her lungs in a disappointed rush, but he just chuckled.

  “You wanted something different,” he said silkily. “I’m only obeying orders. Lift your knees.”

  Heart racing, she pulled her knees toward her, wondering what he had in mind. The memory of what he’d done with his finger during their previous lovemaking session made her head spin. Surely not… She wasn’t sure if she was ready for that.

  But he took her feet in his hands and lifted them, straightening her legs. “Cross your ankles,” he instructed. She did as she was told, glad the yoga kept her flexible, still puzzling as to what he was up to. Her heels rested against his chin, and the hair on his chest brushed the backs of her knees.

  Holding her locked ankles with one hand, he stroked the back of her legs, then brushed one finger down her core and slipped it inside her. Tasha gasped, not realizing until then she was fully exposed to his hot gaze. Tipping his head, admiring the view, he pushed another finger inside her, curving them up and stroking the front wall of her vagina. She bit her bottom lip, a delicious sensation spreading through her as her muscles instinctively tightened, squeezing her sensitive flesh the way they couldn’t when her legs were open.

  He continued to stroke her for a while, biting and nibbling her toes and ankles, his fingers mimicking the thrust of his erection until she throbbed with need and gave a long desperate moan, close to coming. In answer, he withdrew his fingers and sucked them, his hand glistening with her moisture.

  “Kole…” she said, panting, yearning for release.

  He pushed his fingers into her again, then to her shock, reached forward and slid them into her mouth. She gave a muffled complaint, but the heat in his eyes halted her words, and she sucked, her tongue sliding over the pads of his fingers, tasting the musky arousal that coated them.

  “See how fucking amazing you taste?” he said, doing it again, and again, until moisture
coated her lips. His hard shaft pressed up against her swollen lips each time he leaned forward, sliding through her flesh, and eventually she groaned, desperate to have him inside her.

  “Please…” she begged.

  “What?” His hot gaze taunted her as he plunged his fingers into her again.

  “Fuck me,” she said.

  His erection twitched against her, and it was his turn to groan as he guided it toward her entrance. He stroked down her folds until they parted to admit him. Then he pressed the tip into her.

  Tasha held her breath, the position surprising her. Could he enter her at that angle? Sure, his fingers hadn’t appeared to have trouble, but his erection was a lot bigger than they were. He touched his tongue to her toes as, very slowly, he pushed his hips forward.

  She was so wet and swollen he had no trouble sliding inside her. Closing her eyes, she moaned as his long, hard length filled her until the thatch of hair at the base of his shaft brushed her bottom. She could feel him inside, and her muscles clenched around him, the position making her tighter than usual.

  He stopped and held the pose, his tongue slipping through her toes, which was a hell of a lot more erotic than she’d thought it would be. His dark eyes found hers. “Nice?” he asked, the words almost a growl.

  “Incredible,” she whispered.

  “You’re the one who’s incredible.” His right hand slid up her ribcage to her breast, and he squeezed her soft nipple in his fingers. “You’re so tight like this, and you look fucking amazing.” He plucked the skin until it hardened in his fingers, then licked them before returning them to tease her. “I’m going to do as you commanded and fuck you now, okay?”

  “Okay,” she said faintly.

  “Get ready. I’m too fired up to go slow and gentle.”

  There was no time to brace herself, though. He pulled back, and before she could say anything, rammed forward. She arched her back and moaned. He did it again, and again, setting a punishing pace, his hips meeting her thighs with a sharp smack every time he thrust.

  Tasha cried out, stunned by the feeling of him opening her, stretching her every time he plunged forward. Unable, and unwilling, to stop him doing whatever he wanted, she raised her arms above her head on the bed and gave herself over to him, letting him have her, letting him take his pleasure from her. And as he fucked her hard, so her own pleasure built, her tight thighs squeezing her swollen sensitive flesh until her orgasm bloomed. His tongue slipped through her toes while his fingers plucked her nipple, and she moaned as her central muscles slowly clenched, bringing with them a wave of bliss.

  He continued to pound into her, drawing out her climax, and only as she gasped and clutched at the duvet did he finally give in. His hips jerked, his teeth bit into the soft flesh of her calf, and he shuddered, spilling deep inside her, until he had no more left to give.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Kole released Tasha’s ankles and lowered her legs around him to the ground. Still inside her, he leaned forward and gave her a long, lingering kiss.

  “Wow.” Her wide eyes stared up at him. “That was just…wow.”

  He chuckled and withdrew carefully, then, after pushing himself up to sit on the bed, he lay back beside her. “I agree.” He blew out a long breath.

  She rolled over and extracted a few tissues from the box, cleaned herself up, then curled on her side to look at him. Her lips curved.

  “What?” he said suspiciously.

  “You’re quite a tiger in the bedroom.”

  “Rawr.”

  She grinned and kissed him. “I mean it. I guess it’s all the experience you’ve had.”

  “Thanks. I think.”

  Flopping onto her back, she lifted her legs again and crossed them at the ankle. “I liked it like that.”

  “Me too.”

  “It felt good for you?”

  He laughed. “Yes, Tash. It felt good for me. Couldn’t you tell?”

  “You seemed to enjoy it. But guys always enjoy sex. Don’t they?”

  It was his turn to roll onto his side, and he lifted up onto an elbow to look at her. “We do. But it’s not always like that.”

  Her lovely mahogany eyes stared into his. “Isn’t it?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “No.” And he meant it. There were all kinds of sex. Fast sex, angry sex, luxurious sex, kinky sex, desperate sex. Even bad sex was better than none at all.

  But the kind of sex he’d just had with Tasha… That was really, really good sex.

  He kissed her nose. “Enough compliments for you or you won’t be able to get your head out of the door. Dinner?”

  “God, yes. I’m starving.”

  Laughing, they dressed, left the house, and walked down to the harbor, bought a takeaway from Fox’s restaurant and brought it back to the house. They poured themselves a glass of wine and took it with their dinner onto the deck, and sat there for over an hour, talking about this and that and enjoying the food. Tasha pleased Kole by eating hers out of the container it came in, apparently as reluctant to wash dishes as he was.

  The sun sank toward the horizon and the sandflies started snapping, so they went indoors, poured another glass of wine, and sat to watch a movie. Tasha curled up by his side again, and he rested his cheek on the top of her head, more content than he liked to admit to have her there.

  Later, when the sun had set and the Milky Way arced across the black velvet sky, they went to bed and make love again, slower this time, enjoying just touching each other, stroking, gently arousing. And Kole was surprised when, halfway through the night, he roused to feel Tasha’s lips on his neck, her breasts pressed against his back. She proceeded to kiss him the way he’d kissed her a few nights before, teeth grazing, tongue lacing across his skin. He lay there for a while, enjoying her attention, conscious it was the first time a woman had ever awoken him in the night, wanting sex. Other girls had been happy to oblige if he’d made the move, some more willingly than others, but none of them had ever wanted him so often. The thought warmed him through.

  Growing hard at her sensual murmurs, he shivered at the soft whisper that came in the darkness.

  “Roll onto your back.”

  He did so, content to follow her lead.

  “Move down a little,” she directed.

  Wondering what she was up to, he slid down, then held his breath as she lifted up. Facing the opposite way, she straddled his head before lowering herself down into a sixty-nine.

  He rested his hands on her hips, the musky scent of her reaching his nostrils a moment before her hair brushed his lips, At the same time, her mouth closed over the tip of his erection. Groaning, he stroked his nose up her core, following with his tongue. She responded by sliding her lips down his shaft, her tongue moving over the ridge of the tip as she sucked gently.

  Engulfed as they were in darkness, he felt a slave to his senses, his whole attention focused on two things—the heat of her mouth around him, and the taste of her on his tongue. Her arousal soon coated his lips and chin, and he lapped it up greedily, stroking his tongue from her clit all the way up, and loving the way she squirmed on top of him.

  It didn’t take him long to come. Her tongue was too warm, her lips too enticing, and his fingers clenched her hips as his internal muscles contracted and pumped jet after jet into her willing mouth. Her throat muscles tightened as she swallowed, and then she pushed herself up a little, widening her thighs to give him better access and let him finish the job.

  He did so happily, licking and sucking until her climax hit her. By the time she’d done and lifted herself off him to collapse back on the bed, her skin was slick and she was panting. She lay next to him, upside down, and he felt her hand join with his, their fingers linking in the darkness saying more somehow than words could ever have done.

  *

  Friday morning followed much the same as Thursday, filled with appointments at Annie’s sleep-out and a couple of hours at the computer finishing off Bridget’s photos, which he em
ailed to her mid-morning. He had to force himself to concentrate, though, his mind crowded with frequent thoughts of his and Tasha’s nighttime loving.

  Just before one o’clock, he broke off and drove to Joss’s surgery, as they’d arranged to meet for lunch. He sat in the waiting room and flicked through a magazine while he waited ten minutes for Joss to come out, trying to banish Tasha from his mind. Had any other woman ever invaded his thoughts in such a manner?

  “Sorry, sorry.”

  The harassed voice brought Kole out of his daydreaming with a snap, and he laid down the magazine and stood up. “Hey.”

  Joss’s hair stuck up at the front as if he’d repeatedly run his hands through it. “I know I’m late. It’s been crazy here this morning.”

  “No worries. You okay to take a break?”

  “Yeah, I need to get out.”

  They walked down to the harbor, both donning sunglasses against the bright December sun, ordered a sandwich and a Coke from the bar on the waterfront, and sat at a table outside.

  “Amazing weather.” Joss propped his feet on another chair. “I can’t believe it’s nearly Christmas.”

  “I know. You done any shopping?”

  “None whatsoever.”

  “Me neither.”

  They both laughed. “We’re useless without women,” Joss said wryly, tipping his face up to the sun. “It would be worth getting married just to have someone to sort out the festive season.”

  A waitress came out with their Cokes, and Kole took a long swallow, deciding not to reply to Joss’s comment. “What are you doing on Christmas Day?”

  “Going to my parents,” Joss said. “They want to make a big family day for Hayley’s kids, as it’s their first Christmas without their father.” His sister’s husband had left her for another woman a few months before and apparently wanted to spend Christmas and New Year with his new toy. Kole knew Joss was furious with the guy, but there was little he could do about it except support his sister.

  “How are your parents?” Kole asked. Joss’s mother, who suffered from M.S., was confined to a wheelchair, and his father was showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s. It wasn’t a good time for the busy doctor, who had enough on his plate with his demanding job, let alone his family.