Tasting Candy (11 page)

Candice hung the puff over the faucet handle and squirted some of the soap into her hands instead. She rubbed them together, then went back to washing his forearms. She moved her delicate fingers up and down, first, one, then the other. Blade knew he’d have the cleanest arms known to man.

He loved feeling her fingers on him—it was a major turn on no matter the body part—but if she didn’t…ah now that was more like it. She’d managed to shift her 76

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Tasting Candy

attention from his arms to his chest. Much better. Now just a bit lower, he thought with a wild kind of anticipation that he couldn’t remember ever feeling.

“You are so big, so hard, Blade. Just everywhere.” Candice’s voice was husky and low, and he knew she was getting herself worked up.

She was beyond her shyness with him now and her panic seemed long gone. Her chest heaved, a sinful smile curved her lips. It fascinated him to watch Candice become increasingly aroused, like a flower opening after a hard spring rain.

An almost overwhelming and possessive need to be inside her filled him. Deep and tight. Where he was home. Where he belonged.

She dropped to her knees in front of him, as if afraid he might disappear if she didn’t hurry and touch him. She reached out with both slippery hands and grasped his cock, gripping and stroking, driving all intelligent thought from his mind. Blade had to steady himself on the shower wall when she looked up at him, smiling like a conquering warrior maiden.

“Pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you?” he growled.

She answered by cupping his balls and squeezing gently, wringing a moan from deep within. Knowing that Candice was able to have so much free and uninhibited fun with him was enough to make him want to shout to the world that she was all his. He was beyond pleased she’d chosen him to help her emerge from her cocoon.

As soon as their shower was over, Blade was going to get down to the business of finding out just where he stood with her. He wanted to swear his undying love, but he wasn’t sure Candice was ready for that much of a commitment from any man, or if she’d even believe his affirmation of love. She’d become accustomed to dealing with things on her own, relying only on herself. That would soon change. She wasn’t alone anymore, and Blade wanted to prove to her that she could lean on him.

Apparently done washing his front—an unfortunate turn of events to Blade’s way of thinking—Candice moved her hands around to his back, sudsing his feet first. She traveled up his calves, thighs, and then lastly his ass. She paid special attention to his ass.

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He even thought he heard Candice elicit a throaty moan. Then she sat back and ordered, “Now, turn and rinse.”

Demanding little thing all of sudden, Blade thought with glee as his dick grew another inch. What kind of monster had he unleashed anyway? He pondered that while he let the water run over him and then she was commanding him to turn around.

Still on her knees, Candice murmured, “I want to taste you again, Blade. I liked it last night, but you stopped me too soon.”

He stood rigid. Mute. Edgy. Ready to pull her up and slam his cock into her wet cunt. While he was still trying to rein in his control, Candice issued yet another order.

“Don’t stop me this time.”

All Blade could do was bob his head before she drew him into the hot cavern of her mouth.

“Damn, baby,” Blade bit out between clenched teeth. He grabbed fistfuls of her sopping wet hair and pulled her against him more fully. She moaned and brought her hands up to massage his balls. She was inexperienced enough to drive him crazy, but ardent enough to have him panting and bucking. Blade held on tight, keeping her from drawing back out again, and began to pulsate against her fondling tongue.

“Suck it, Candy girl,” he ordered. When she quickly obeyed, Blade came in a rush of fluid.

When he was able to think again, Blade realized he still held her head against him, with his semi-erect cock in her mouth. Candice’s eyes had closed and her arms were around him, holding him in a tight embrace. He smoothed back her hair, then whispered, “I love you, Candice Warner.”

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Candice was in a daze. Love? He’d said he loved her? He was crazy! Of course, there was no way he meant it. Men said those sorts of things all the time in the heat of passion. Didn’t they?

They’d finished their shower, Blade took extra care in drying her, and now she was perched buck naked atop her kitchen table while Blade, sitting in the chair between her dangling legs, fed her spoonfuls of frosted flake cereal.

What on earth did she know of love? The only people she’d ever loved were her mother and father, and they’d died. She had no real experience with loving a man.

Candice had accepted the fact that what she’d felt for him wasn’t just some passing fancy, but she still needed time to think.

The weekend had been a whirlwind of activity for a hermit like her, and now that she’d taken the first step towards her new future, Candice needed to see whether or not she was going to stand or fall. She could only do that on her own. If Blade hovered over her, he’d only keep her off-balance, more than likely in bed, making love. Really, the man was insatiable. He would have her thinking of nothing but sex, which would effectively keep her from thinking of Lance.

“Blade, we have to talk.”

“Shh, just eat, we have plenty of time for talking, sweetheart.”

The man was unbelievable! He seemed perfectly content to feed her, as if he hadn’t just turned her world upside down with those three little words. Candice needed order, darn it.

“Blade,” Candice growled, more fervent this time. He ignored her and attempted to give her another bite, completely oblivious to her growing anger. She reached out and grabbed a handful of his chest hair, then tugged.

“Ow! What’d you do that for?”

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“Because you keep ignoring me!” she shouted.

His gaze raked her from head to toe and electricity zinged through her body. “Oh, believe me, all my focus is on you, baby.”

She wanted to talk, to be all serious and sophisticated, but the intense heat searing her body tied her tongue into knots. “I want us to discuss what you said in the shower.”

“I said I love you. What’s the problem?”

“Blade! You can’t just say these things and then expect me to not completely freak.”

“What’s to freak about? It was bound to happen. I can’t keep my hands off you. I think about you day and night, and for a construction worker that can be deadly.”

He’d started to stroke her naked thighs and arousal bloomed at the feel of his callused hands so close to her mons.
Do not be swayed
, she commanded herself. She stopped his hands as they approached too close to her sex and said, “How on earth do you know it’s love? Maybe it’s lust, Blade. Infatuation. Something perfectly normal like that.”

His mouth quirked into a playful smile. “Lust and infatuation are normal, but not love?”

“Not so fast, no!”

His brows shot up. “So it’s your feeling that my parents are just in lust then? Because they met and fell in love pretty much overnight.”

He wasn’t getting it, and she couldn’t help but wonder if that was deliberate. “No, of course not, Blade. It’s just that, I need some time. I need to think about this. I’m a mess emotionally. I can’t just leap off some cliff into oblivion.”

His face hardened, eyes turning cold, and, sadly, he had stopped trying to inch his hands upward. “I see. So, I’m a frightening cliff now. That’s how you see me?”

Candice’s stomach bottomed out. “Oh, please don’t think that.” She cupped his face in her hands. “You are without a doubt the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

Everything you’ve done, everything
we’ve
done, has been like a dream come true.”

“Then why the hell can’t you trust me?” he demanded. “Why are you sending me away? That’s what you’re doing, isn’t it?”

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“No!” Candice cried. If she screwed this up, she would lose him. That thought left her feeling more anxious than ever. “But, when you’re near me, touching, playing, it’s hard to think clear. I need time.” His eyes softened a fraction. “I’m barely capable of taking care of myself, and now that I’m in l—” She broke off abruptly, not willing to share her deepest heart’s desire with him just yet. He’d steamroll right over her if he realized that she was in love with him, too. She needed time to deal with her past if she was ever to have a future. A future with Blade Vaughn. It sounded sweet. Perfect. Right.

Still, none of it would work if she couldn’t stand on her own two feet first.

Blade was so quiet, staring at her and not saying a word. It made her nervous and edgy.

She broke the silence, not willing to let him think she was pushing him out the door like some one-night stand. “I’m only asking for some time alone. A day, maybe two, no more. Just enough time to get my head straight.”

He silently watched her, then finally grumbled, “If that’s what you want I won’t stop you.” She wanted to sigh in relief. “But I’m coming back. Soon.” He leaned down, placed a possessive kiss on her pussy, then rose. “We’ll see then if you still think I’m in lust with you.”

***

Candice walked into Jackie’s office Monday morning with renewed purpose. It was the first time she’d ever eagerly anticipated an appointment with her therapist. This time, she wasn’t coming to tell her how pathetic she was, how scared and lost she always felt.

This wasn’t going to be like her usual visit. Nope, this time she had something good to report. Something beautiful. Candice smiled and her body heated just thinking of the way she’d left Blade yesterday morning.

He’d been so incredibly wonderful. Such a giving lover, so passionate and gentle.

Candice couldn’t stop thinking of all the intimate things they’d done together. Attempting to fall asleep in her bed Sunday night had been tough because she could still smell Blade’s masculine scent on her sheets and pillow case. She’d lain in the dark, feeling

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positively surrounded by him, to the point that she’d dreamed of him again. This dream hadn’t followed along the usual lines, however. Her dream-Blade was more real now.

Solid and powerful and sexy.

Candice had gone asleep imagining him the way he’d left her Sunday morning, feeding her frosted flakes, both of them naked and vibrating from their encounter in the shower. Only, instead of making him leave, she’d let him stay. He’d pushed her backward on the kitchen table and made love to her, body and soul. Candice had woken sweating and throbbing. It had taken a very long, cold shower just to calm her raging hormones enough to get dressed.

Needing to go see her therapist anyway and wanting a day to mull things over, Candice had called in sick as soon as she’d woken. Chloe had been terrific about it, too.

It’d been the first time she’d missed work since Merrick had hired her.

“Hi, Mary, I’m here for my ten o’clock.”

Mary, Dr. Jackie’s trusted secretary, glanced up from her laptop computer and promptly squinted at her. “You look…different.”

Candice wasn’t the least bit surprised. Every other time she’d come to Jackie’s office she’d been woeful and resigned. A smile had never once come into play. But that was before Blade had stormed into her life and made her feel again.

“You’re right, Mary, I am different.”

Mary slowly smiled at her, giving her the once over. Candice’s face heated. She’d decided to be brave and wear something that didn’t resemble a tent. Unfortunately, she’d been forced to dig pretty deep into her closet. The pretty yellow sundress she’d found had been worth it, though. The spaghetti straps crisscrossed in the back and the dress hit her just above the knees. The fitted bodice had made her very nervous at first, so nervous in fact that she’d almost gone back to her old baggy jeans and t-shirt. But, she was determined to get her life back on track and the yellow sundress was a step in the right direction.

Squaring her shoulders, Candice asked, “Good different or bad different?” Anxiety rushed through her as she wondered at Mary’s answer.

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Mary gave her a wink and a nod. “Oh, it’s definitely a good different, hun. You’re positively vibrant. Great dress, by the way.”

Candice nearly sagged in relief. She hadn’t realized how nervous she was over her small transition. Then again, going from frightened mouse to assertive woman was nothing to sneeze at. She clearly had a long row to hoe.

“Go on back, Candice, Dr. Jackie is waiting.”

Candice nodded and thanked Mary, then strode down the hall to Dr. Jackie’s office.

Her first visit to the sweet-natured therapist had been right after the attack. She’d never forget that awful day. She’d been so terrified, not knowing what to expect and too scared to ask. Immediately, Jackie had put her mind at ease by insisting she call her Dr. Jackie and not Dr. Lewis, joking that Dr. Lewis was her father. She’d gotten her a cup of chamomile tea and they’d talked.

At first, they’d discussed all sorts of things, only slightly touching on the topic of her rape. It wasn’t until after a few sessions that Jackie had gotten her to open up. She’d cried while Jackie held her hand and explained there wasn’t anything wrong with shedding a few tears. She’d started healing that day, Candice could see that now. And she was grateful to Jackie for getting her through a time in her life when she’d so badly needed someone on her side.

Opening Dr. Jackie’s door, Candice walked in and sat in one of the chairs across from the large mahogany desk. It wasn’t until Candice jangled her keys as she tossed them into her purse that she managed to capture her doctor’s attention.