Licked (L.A. Liaisons Book 1) (10 page)

The blond bimbo laughed at something Hunter said, giving her an excuse to lay her hand on his arm. I stared daggers at her ugly orange fake nails. Who wore orange outside of October, anyway?

Rolling my eyes, I made myself look away and grabbed the almost-empty container of whipped cream and took it to the kitchen. After pulling out the new batch I’d made this morning, I went back out to the front and stopped when I saw Hunter standing at the bar. I gave him a tight-lipped smile before putting the container in the fridge.

“How’s date night going?” I asked.
 

“Best night of my life,” he said with a smirk. Up close I could smell the faint hint of whatever sex-in-a-bottle cologne he was wearing. That had to be it. Pheromone cologne, making all the girls stop and drool. Cheater.

I nodded at the women behind him who were stealing glances to make sure he was coming back. “Looks like you’ve got an adoring fan club already. You must not have opened your mouth yet.”

His grin grew wider. “They don’t leave a lot of room to say much. But that’s the trick. Let the woman talk, and you come off as a great listener.”

“Ah, spoken like a true playboy.”

“Is that how you see me?”

Shrugging, I said, “I don’t really notice one way or another.”

“I saw your reaction when I walked in. Didn’t think I owned anything fancier than jeans and t-shirts?”

“Was just surprised to see you here, that’s all. Didn’t think this was your kind of thing.”

“It’s not.” Hunter shook his head. “I just thought after meeting that crazy woman in charge maybe you wouldn’t want to face the love fest alone.”

“I’m doing just fine, but thanks.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” He looked as though he wanted to say something else but stopped himself.
 

Well of course he wanted something else—I hadn’t even offered him a drink.
 

“Sorry, can I get you something?”

He leaned over the counter like he was going to tell me a secret. “I’d love whatever your friend took a shot of earlier.” Looking back over his shoulder at the hungry women still eyeing him, he said, “Make that two.”

I poured him two shots of the Rattlesnake concoction, and then made him an alcoholic Shirley Temple chaser, heavy on the grenadine so it turned bright pink. Then I topped it off with a straw and a purple umbrella. His brows were knitted as he took the drink out of my hands.
 

“You’re too kind,” he said, holding the glass as if there were some sort of growth coming out of it.
 

“Try it. You’ll like it. And besides.” I leaned over the counter like he’d done a minute ago. “Women love a man who wears pink.”

There was a fire in Hunter’s eyes when I pulled away. His lips wrapped around the bendy straw I’d stuck inside the drink for an amusing effect, but as he sucked the juice into his mouth, there was nothing funny about it.
 

No, funny was not the right word. Figures he could make tasting a girly cocktail look sexy as hell. My face was getting warmer, and Hunter must’ve noticed, because his lips left the straw and he grinned again.
 

“I do love it pink and juicy.” He backed away as my eyes grew bigger, and I threw my towel in his direction. Laughing, he turned away and rejoined his group, the women gladly welcoming him back to the fold.
 

Cocky shit. Next time I was spiking his drink with Drano.

IT HAD TAKEN Shayne and me a good half-hour to kick out the last of the stragglers—and that included Hunter, who’d insisted on helping move the tables and chairs back in order. I couldn’t complain too much, though, because after a long day I was dead on my feet.
 

As I untied my apron, a buzzing in the front pocket had me jumping. When I pulled out my cell, the screen showed Cameron was calling, and I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. After turning out the lights in the shop and opening the door that led to my apartment, I hit the answer button. “Cameron.”

“Hey, I caught you. It’s not a bad time, is it?”

Making my way up the stairs, I pulled the phone away from my ear to glance at the time. Almost midnight, which meant it was—I counted on my fingers—about three p.m. or so there. “Not at all. Just closing up shop. How’s everything going over there?”

“Eh, could be better. Negotiations have been a bit intense and things are running behind schedule, so I apologize for not calling sooner.”

“That’s okay. It’s been crazy here too.”

“Hunter taking care of you?”

I froze.
Uh…no, of course not. I mean…not like that.
 

A burst of static came through the phone and then I heard, “Can’t get a decent connection here to save my life. You there?”

Swallowing, I said, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m here.”

“I asked how the construction is coming along.”
 

Ohhhh that. Right. Of course that was what he meant by Hunter taking care of me. I mean, what else would it be?

“Going great so far, except for the furniture order the other contractor decided not to put in,” I said. “But Hunter told me about a specialty place near Palm Desert that can do custom designs in the time frame I need them. My fingers are crossed that they’ll turn out better than the ones I’d settled on originally.”

“Oh yeah, Mitch is great, but damn that last guy was a nightmare. I’m glad Hunter’s got everything under control. I knew he would.”

Yeah, control is definitely the word that springs to mind when I think of that guy.
 

“So when are you coming back?” I asked.

A heavy sigh came through the phone. “I was supposed to be back by the weekend, but the way things are going, it looks like I’ll have to be here a little longer.”

Well, dammit. I was glad he couldn’t see my frown through the phone. Flicking on a lamp in my living room, I said, “I’ve heard the food there is interesting.”

“That’s an understatement. I had chicken feet the other day. Looked crazy but didn’t taste too bad. Crunchy.”

Wrinkling my nose, I said, “I think I’d have to pass on that one.”

“I bet I could get you to try it. There’s also something called snake soup we could check out.” I could picture the smile on his face as he said it, so sure I’d be up for an adventurous food tasting. But no. Hell no. Despite my wild sense of style, my palate for anything
not
a dessert was actually a little…well, vanilla.

“I think I’d rather live vicariously through you.” I kicked my shoes off into the closet and then collapsed onto my bed.

“You sound tired.”

“It’s been a bit of a long day. Had a matchmaking event tonight that ran a bit late. Your buddy was there.”

There was a pause. “Are you talking about Hunter?”

“Yeah.”

“He was there? At a matchmaking thing?” He sounded skeptical.
 

“Is that surprising? Seems like another way to meet women, right?”

“Uh…yeah, I guess so. Hang on one sec.” Cameron’s voice became muffled, but I could hear him speaking with someone and then a door shut. “Sorry, my three thirty is here early, but I’ll call you soon?”

“Looking forward to it.”

“Oh, and uh…don’t
you
go to one of those matchmaker things. Please.”

Please.
Hanging up with a huge smile on my face, I stretched out on the bed. He didn’t want me to date anyone, did he? Well, since he’d asked so nicely…

“THERE’S A REASON you have that walking orgasm in a creamery called Licked, right?” Paige was chewing on the end of her straw as she sat on the edge of the barstool Wednesday afternoon, her gaze on Hunter, who was clearly outlined through the clear tarp. “I mean…fuck me, please.”

“Tell me about it,” Shayne said. “I’ve gained five pounds this week from coming to watch him nail that wood with his thick hammer.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh my G—”

Paige held up her hand. “Admit it. You may be crazy about his friend or whatever, but you can’t tell me he’s not drool-worthy. I will seriously question our friendship
and
your eyesight.”

Ignoring her, I smiled at the customers who’d just walked in and took their order, even though they seemed to be more interested in what every other woman in the shop had their eyes on.

It was week two of Hunter’s crew at the After Dark, and the daytime crowd was becoming noticeably larger. And predominately women, who all wanted a view of the so-called walking orgasm next door. I’d considered putting back up that hideous black tarp, but business was business, and if offering sweaty construction guys as a way to kick up sales was working, I was not about to complain. Much.
 

When I was finished making their sundaes, I headed back to the girls, who had been taking extended lunch breaks this week just to come visit my little shop. Hah.
 

“Shayne, what’s the word after the mixer the other night?” I asked.
 

She groaned. “Apparently Val went home with the two guys she was draped over all evening. It’s a wonder we even have male clients with the way she buggers around. And get this, she set me up with this skeez-o next week, which she says isn’t a date. It’s a ‘client meeting.’”

“That seems to happen a lot with her,” I said.

“I can’t tell if she’s using me to bring in big-name clients, or if she just wants me married off because an office of single matchmakers isn’t good business.”

“And being a matchmaker with a reputation for being a psychotic slutbag pill-popper
is
good business?” Paige asked. “Tell her to fuck right off.”
 

I retied my loosened apron strings. “Hey, have you guys seen Quinn this week? She hasn’t returned my messages.”

“She told me she had to jet and would be back Sunday.” Paige shrugged. “Don’t ask me where. One of these days, we need to tie her down and force her to admit she’s really a KGB operative.”

“You know,” I said, “I heard her speak in a language that sounded like Russian on the phone once, so that’s entirely plausible.”

“I knew it.”

“Speaking of out of town,” Shayne said, “what’s the latest on Cameron?”

A grin spread across my face. “He’s called and messaged a few times. The time difference makes it hard to have a conversation, since it’s usually seven a.m. when he calls, but we’re talking. I’ll see him when he gets back.”

“Any idea when that will be?”

“Not really. Work is taking a little longer than he expected, so…” I shrugged.
 

“Well, what about…” Shayne paused, and then said, “You know. The good stuff.”

“The good stuff? What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Phone sex,” Paige said, and then took out her straw to lick off the whipped cream.
 

“Excuse me? I can’t have phone sex with him. We haven’t even kissed yet.” I shook my head. “You’ve lost your mind.”

“The guy is in Hong Kong, where he could be taking advantage of the five-dollar prostitutes on every corner. Give him a little something to tide him over and have him dying to come back and straight into your bed. This is a no-brainer.”

Shayne twisted her lips and shrugged. “She does have a point.”

“How would I even… I mean, how do you even bring that up?”

“Just call him and say hey, I’m touching myself, now take your pants off,” Paige said, and then her gaze darted between Shayne and me. “What? That’s what I’d do.”

“Oh my God, would you keep your voice down,” I said, looking around to make sure no one was paying attention. I shouldn’t have worried, though, because they were otherwise occupied by watching my hired Chippendale workers.
 

Paige pushed her empty glass toward me. “I’m telling you. You need to give him something to look forward to when he gets back. Sex it up. Trust me, he’s not gonna say no.”
 

“And if he doesn’t go for it?” I asked.

Shayne nodded next door. “Then I would jump all over that
quick hot.
”

“I am so gonna need a lot of alcohol for this,” I muttered.

“And that,” Paige said with a big smile, “can be easily arranged. Zoe’s closing tonight, right?”

“Yes…”