Hard To Resist

  * * *

  Amber Quill Press

  www.amberquill.com

  Copyright ©2007 by Karen Erickson

  * * *

  NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

  * * *

  HARD TO RESIST

  By

  KAREN ERICKSON

  * * * *

  ISBN 978-1-60272-074-9

  Amber Quill Press, LLC

  www.amberquill.com

  Also By Karen Erickson

  Covet

  CHAPTER 1

  Nicole Arroyo nervously rubbed her hands together, staring at the round table before her. A tasteful arrangement of various pink and green spring flowers in a terra cotta urn sat in the middle. A pale gold cloth covered the table topped by a scattering of amber-colored glass votives that flickered with muted candlelight. Eight cream-colored plates were spread across the table, each holding a different wedding cake flavor. Cakes she had slaved over all day to make sure they were just right. Everything had to be perfect, she didn't want any detail left undone. It almost felt like judgment day.

  A potential client was coming with her fiancé for an appointment to sample cake flavors tonight. Nicole had been busy generating outside business for her bakery Sweet Treats, making cakes for all kinds of weddings and parties for the past year and a half. The appointment tonight was her first chance at a real society wedding. The reception was rumored to have almost one thousand attendants. Nicole practically salivated at the chance to set a piece of her cake in front of that many wealthy people. Let alone have them admire her handiwork at the cake table before the masterpiece had even been cut in to.

  The bell announcing the front door of the bakery opening sounded in the quiet. Nicole emerged from behind the partition that hid the table, hoping her clients showed up early. The nerves clamoring inside of her would most likely not abide until the taste torture was over.

  Nerves of a different sort fluttered in her stomach and her breath stalled in her throat. She swallowed hard. The most gorgeous man stood in the doorway of the bakery, watching her with speculative eyes and a quizzical expression.

  "I'm here for a cake?"

  Smoky and sexy, the tone of his voice intimate, as if he'd just woken her up for another round of hot, sweaty sex. She could imagine the man naked in her bed, a sheet wrapped around his waist, reaching for her. Nicole concealed the shiver that threatened to take over her body and pressed her lips together.

  Composure, composure, composure.

  "Are you here for the cake tasting?” If this was Tia Leonard's fiancé, then Tia was a very lucky woman. Nicole couldn't help feeling the tiniest bit jealous of her.

  Coming from a wealthy family, skinny and beautiful, and with a handsome man about to become her husband? How unfair was that?

  The man glanced around, his gaze catching on the glass display now almost empty with her daily creations. A funny expression on his face, his eyes met hers. He then shrugged his impossibly wide shoulders. “Sure. I'd love to have a taste before I buy."

  "If you'll follow me, then, I have a table set up right back here.” Nicole waved her hand toward the partition. “We can wait, unless you're ready to get started? I have plenty of cake samples so we won't run out, if that's a worry."

  His dark brows drew together and he appeared more than a little confused. “Yeah, we can go ahead and start now. I don't have a lot of time, so this is perfect."

  She watched him walk toward her, admired his sure strides. The man was tall, impeccably dressed in a black suit, crisp white shirt, and silvery-gray tie. His dark hair cropped close, cheekbones high, nose prominent but not too much. Firm yet sensuous lips smiled at her, revealing straight white teeth, and Nicole couldn't help but lick her lips. He looked good enough to eat.

  God help her until Tia Leonard showed up. The man was sinfully delicious. And what was Tia's fiancé's name again?

  "I'm Nicole Arroyo, the owner of Sweet Treats.” She offered her hand to him.

  He took it, her hand completely engulfed in his sure grip, his fingers wrapped warm and firm around hers. He shook her hand once, fingers lingering, making her skin burn. She extracted her hand from his regretfully. “Ryan Goodman."

  Hmm, that didn't sound right. She could've sworn Tia said her fiancé's name was Blaine or Cooper or something preppy and last-name-sounding. Oh, well. She wasn't the best with names. Her mother had always made fun of her for that. “You can go ahead and sit down so we can get started."

  He did so, looking so very big in the dainty chair. His legs spread wide as he sat drew her gaze to his thick thighs. Muscular legs, broad chest, big hands resting on the tabletop, his very male essence filled the tiny area hidden by the partition. She kept the table in the back corner of the bakery for her consultation appointments, wanting to create a warm and separate area from the bakery.

  Now it felt too warm, too separate. The man overwhelmed her and not in a bad way.

  No, he overwhelmed her in a very, very good way.

  She tucked a strand of unruly hair behind her ear and grabbed the binder full of pictures from the table, placing it in front of Ryan.

  "This is my portfolio featuring the various designs I offer for my cakes. I personally decorate each one and some of the designs can take up to five hours of decorating time. I have a huge variety of color schemes to offer and if you don't find something you like in this book, you can always describe to me what you want and I'll work hard to create it."

  Good Lord, she sounded like a rambling idiot.

  He smiled at her, flipping through page after page quickly. Of course, why would he care what the cake looked like? He was a man. They never worried about those details. From everything she'd seen at the many weddings and receptions she'd been to, the groom just showed up and had a good time.

  "Got anything ... simpler? Not quite so large?"

  No surprise he didn't like the detailed, elaborate stuff. He looked like a man who appreciated clean lines, probably didn't like anything too fussy. She took the binder from him and set it down at her feet. She'd show it to Tia later.

  "How about we get right to the tasting?” She raised her eyebrows at him, smiling. Men were usually simple creatures and they always loved food. Hopefully this would keep him happy until his fiancé arrived.

  Please, Ms. Fiancé, arrive soon. Save me from this charismatic man. Your charismatic man.

  His eyes met hers and Nicole felt caught in his gaze. She hadn't noticed before how green his eyes were, or how intent his gaze was. They smoldered with some sort of sexual heat, made her breath catch in her chest. In fact, she was hot. Clad in her simple sundress on a mild late spring evening, the last thing she should be was hot. But she had the sudden urge to fan herself.

  She was burning up.

  "I'd love to get right to the tasting."

  His tone downright suggestive, it sent frenzied shivers down her spine, made her want to squirm in her chair. Determined to ignore her reaction, she stood and bent in front of him, grabbing the first plate she wanted him to sample.

  Bad move. Her reach placed her chest right in front of his face and when she set the plate before him, their eyes met. His expression as he watched her was amused yet sexy. His spicy scent surrounded her, made her want to lunge at him and kiss him senseless. Peel off his suit jacket with their mouths still fused, whip off his tie. Slowly unbutton that crisp shirt and see if his chest was as broad and muscular as it appeared within t
he confines of his clothing...

  No. She could not feel like this toward a potential client. A man who was about to marry another woman in a few short months. She didn't poach from other women, it wasn't her style, never had been. She'd certainly never experienced this before with a client, ever. It all felt so sinful, wrong.

  And more than a little naughty. Heaven forbid, she liked it.

  Ryan picked up the fork to his right, pointed it down toward the plate. “What flavor is this?"

  Nicole cleared her throat, nodded her head. That's right, keep it strictly business. Don't even think about what he'd look like with frosting slathered all over his body. Frosting she would lick off nice and slow from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. “It's a cappuccino truffle torte. I use a very rich chocolate cake that's layered alternately with bittersweet chocolate truffle filling and cappuccino butter cream frosting. It's one of my most popular cakes."

  He cocked a brow at her, the sight of it making her feel faint. Goodness the man personified sex with every move he made, even his eyebrows. “It sounds very rich. Decadent."

  Hmm, decadent. Yes, indeed that was the perfect word to describe this man sitting before her. Decadent, luscious, sinfully rich and creamy and ... “It is rich, but delicious, trust me. Try it."

  He did so, slicing a bite from the piece of cake with his fork. His firm lips wrapped around the tines of the fork, sliding the sweet cake into his mouth and she couldn't look away. Mesmerized, she watched as he chewed. His tongue darted out to dab at the dark frosting in the corner of his mouth and an appreciative groan sounded low in his throat.

  Moisture pooled between her legs and she rubbed the inside of her thighs together. The sound of his moan made her think all kinds of things. Every one of those things involving the both of them naked and sweaty and wrapped around each other. “Do you like it?"

  She needed to get a grip. Just because he was the first man in a long time to make her pussy tingle and her nipples hard didn't mean it was right. She couldn't have him. He belonged to someone else. Enough said.

  Ryan's lips twitched. He had a beautiful mouth. The upper lip thin yet firm. The lower lip was fuller and just the right amount of flesh for her to sink her teeth into and tug.

  "It's a little rich, I think. Though every woman I know loves chocolate."

  Like a cold splash of reality with his statement, Nicole's expression went somber. She needed to remember that this cake was for the man's wedding to another woman. She needed to quit imagining the various sexual escapades she could see herself involved in with him. Immediately.

  "Well, try this one.” She stood this time, walking around the table and handing him the plate. She wasn't about to stretch herself across him again. She couldn't be held responsible for her actions if she did.

  He took the plate from her outstretched hand, his fingers grazing the tips of hers. His brief touch sent electric currents that buzzed up her arm, headed straight to her nipples before careening down to her pussy. “What flavor is this?"

  She sat down heavy in her chair, afraid her shaky legs wouldn't hold her up. “I call it orange blossom. It's made with light vanilla cake layers and brushed with orange juice-based syrup. I then fill it with a very light orange mousse butter cream that's flavored with fresh orange zest and orange flower water."

  "Wow, impressive.” He contemplated her, a faint light shining in his eyes, making his green gaze even more intense. “Do you come up with the recipes yourself?"

  She shrugged, feeling modest. Usually she loved nothing more than boasting about her baking skills and recipe inventions. This man, though, made her suddenly too shy, too aware of how she appeared, of what she said. And no one had ever described her before as shy. “Yes, most of the recipes are of my own creation. My parents were the original owners of the bakery and the basic recipes are my mother's. Everything else, though, is mine."

  "Like what basic recipes?"

  Oh, now really, what did he care? Maybe he was just making idle conversation while waiting for his now late fiancé to show up.

  The fiancé. She couldn't forget about the fiancé. The lucky bitch who got to kiss him, touch him, have raunchy sex with him. Did they even have sex or might they abstain?

  Nicole contemplated him. No, he definitely had sex. Probably lots of it, too. What had he asked her again? Oh, right, the basic recipes.

  "In relation to the cakes, the butter cream frosting, the basic vanilla and chocolate cake recipes, those are my mother's. I just improved upon them and then added my own,” she finally said.

  Ryan nodded, took a bite of the orange blossom cake. She watched as he chewed, then swallowed, her eyes taking in the movement of his throat when he did so. If a man could make swallowing look sexy, she knew she was in serious trouble.

  Serious, serious trouble.

  He smiled at her, wiped the corners of his mouth with the napkin she had provided. “This one is good."

  "It's one of my personal favorites.” Yet again, she was thankful for the restraint she exhibited when she baked every day. If she didn't, she'd be as fat as a house, sampling all of the delicious baked goods that came out of her oven.

  She needed to kick in that restraint regarding the dangerously handsome and sexy man who sat across from her. He was far more tempting than any sugary treat she made.

  "What else do you have for me to try?"

  Now why did that sound suggestive? She could only blame it on her own deviant mind. And his outrageous good looks. “I have a white chocolate raspberry flavored recipe made with vanilla cream cake and filled with seedless raspberry preserves and white chocolate mousse butter cream. I also would highly recommend my lemon raspberry torte, which features vanilla cake layers filled with lemon cream and raspberry mousse butter cream."

  Jeez, she sounded like a commercial, but she'd recited the cake flavors so many times to so many people she couldn't help herself.

  "They all sound ... wonderful.” He watched her, his gaze smoky and intent, searching her face. Her breath came in shorter spurts at his perusal, her pussy clenching with need. She sat up straighter in the uncomfortable chair, hoping he wouldn't notice her reaction. Never before had she felt so aroused upon first meeting a man. Her nipples tightened and tingled beneath the stifling confines of her lace bra, her panties were becoming embarrassingly wet and she was desperately afraid he knew.

  He had to see how attracted she was to him. An attraction she couldn't act on no matter how much she wanted to.

  "I think you should try the lemon raspberry torte. It's light and fruity, and it'll appeal to everyone."

  That slice of cake was closer to her, so she was able to reach for it without running across him. She handed him the plate and he cut a bite away from it, sinking it into his mouth.

  "Oh. Oh, yeah.” He nodded enthusiastically, chewing with gusto. He even took another bite. “This is the one. It's perfect."

  The pleasure-filled tone of his voice, the little groans escaping from him while he ate. He sounded like he'd just experienced the best sex he'd ever had. Even the expression on his face held an enthralled air as he nearly finished the entire piece of cake.

  She smiled at him, enjoying his enthusiasm and hoped that Tia would agree with his choice. Over the past year and a half, there had been countless consultations where no one could agree on what flavor of cake they wanted. She'd even witnessed a few fights. Over cake. Ridiculous.

  Nicole's heart sank into her stomach. Ugh. Tia. She couldn't forget the woman, could not forget the fact that Ryan was tied to someone else.

  Had the fates cursed her or something? What had she done wrong to be so attracted to a taken man? She had to get her mind off the man and back onto business. She needed to focus.

  "So is that your choice?"

  "Definitely.” Ryan licked his lips, yet again the sight of his tongue doing strange things to her insides. Her body felt boneless, her center liquid. Hot and bubbling and waiting eagerly for his touch.

 
; Well, so much for focusing on business.

  "We'll have to see what your—wait a minute.” Nicole reached out, dabbed at a speck of frosting at the corner of his beautiful mouth. Touching him made her skin sizzle, caused her heart to pound heavy in her chest, her aching pussy to throb in time with the beat. His eyes never left hers and she held her finger in front of him to show him the evidence. “You had some frosting on your mouth."

  Quick as lightning, he grabbed her wrist and his fingers locked around it, holding her there. He brought her hand closer to his mouth, his gaze still latched on to hers. So intense, so full of raw need, she couldn't look away, couldn't even seem to catch her breath.

  He slipped her finger between his lips and sucked. Sucked all the frosting off her finger and then licked. His hot tongue flickered against her flesh and her pussy flooded even more with creamy moisture. Visions of his tongue licking her sex, tasting her, filled her head and made her grow dizzy with need.

  Oh, God, now what was she supposed to do?

  CHAPTER 2

  Nicole Arroyo was fucking hot, no doubt about it. The minute Ryan saw her standing in the middle of the bakery in her pale pink sleeveless dress, his entire body had tensed, his cock swelling at an alarming rate. All that black tumbling curly hair, eyes so dark they reminded him of the chocolate cake he first sampled. She had a pert little nose and a rosebud mouth that he'd been tempted to kiss since the second he laid eyes on it. Olive hued skin that looked smooth and satiny, it tempted him to touch. Stroke and rub until she purred like a kitten.

  She'd been giving him all the right signals, too. It had been a while since he'd been with a woman, but he was no closeted monk. He knew when a woman was interested.

  The sexy baker and cake creator was most definitely interested.

  Yet she seemed to be holding something back. He wondered if she just wanted to remain professional, which he could understand and respect. Being a businessman himself, he knew it wasn't right to reveal an attraction for a client.