Read Online Satin Pleasures by Karen Docter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karen Docter
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didn’t know how you liked your coffee, so it’s black. Decaf.”
Tess looked at his offerings, then at him. “I don’t know what to say.”
She could ask him to stay and talk with her while she ate. She could say she wanted him as much as he wanted her. She could tell him she was free so he could draw her back to the plush comfort of the couch and kiss her this time. He had this insane, primitive urge to eradicate every possibility of being mistaken for another man again.
He cleared his throat when he saw a flash of vulnerability in her eyes. Damn. “Say you’ll lock the door behind me when I leave,” he ordered gently.
“I’ll lock the door behind you when you leave.”
He stared a minute longer. Then, he forced himself to walk away. Double damn.
***
It was only mid-afternoon and Tess was ready to cry ‘uncle.’ She’d hardly slept a wink last night, her dreams punctuated with irritated merchants, demanding surgeons, and wistful fantasies of getting stranded in the oddest places alone with Dan. The last thing she needed was a trying day.
Today’s series of mishaps began when she left for work without her briefcase. She’d run back up four flights of stairs to her apartment, and then realized her keys were locked in the car ignition. Finally arriving at the office, her security chief waited with a graffiti artist he’d collared. By the time the police departed with the vandal, her schedule was shot and she was thoroughly frazzled. The hysterical leather goods manager who cornered her to report a mainline pipe burst over her store and ruined three racks of high-ticket merchandise was simply icing on the cake.
Still, she felt guilty slipping into Dan’s store hours later than planned. The grand opening ceremony was long past, but she was glad to see the boutique was still busy. Dan, his aunt, and two sales clerks were occupied with customers, allowing Tess the opportunity to catch her breath and skim an envious eye over the merchandise.
She immediately spotted several items she wanted to add to her small collection. Handed a bulging wallet, Tess could easily go crazy in A Touch of Silk & Satin . Lingerie was one of the few vices she cultivated, although more sporadically than she liked. With every free penny earmarked for her father’s upcoming surgery, luxuries had fallen down her priority list.
Mary O’Shaunessy came down the aisle to her side. “Tess, it’s good to see you.”
“I’m sorry I missed the ribbon-cutting.”
“Things come up.” Her gaze swept the store. “We had a crowd at the door when we opened, and it hasn’t slowed down yet. The response is better than we’d projected.”
Testing the fabric of the midnight blue, bikini panties in front of her, Tess sighed. “You carry such beautiful merchandise you’ll be expanding into the next bay within a year.”
Mary laughed. “Wouldn’t that twist VanAllen’s drawers into a knot? The old coot won’t accept his profits might soar with us next door. Everyone knows delicate underwear and jewels go together.”
Tess chuckled at the thought of Claude VanAllen’s face when he heard about his new neighbor. If he wasn’t retiring and closing the business next year when his lease expired, Thorgram Group might have some serious problems with the man. She hoped the next tenant would prove more amenable. She hoped there was a new tenant. Thanks to the current economy, she already had retail bays she couldn’t fill!
“Speaking of delicate underwear, Tess.” Mary’s voice was loud in the sudden quiet around them. “Your order arrived this morning. Do you want to pick it up, now?”
Glancing across the room in time to see Dan watching them, her cheeks flamed. “Uh...that would be great.”
Another customer approached for assistance and, seeing Mary’s indecision, Tess assured the older woman her own order could wait. Mary wouldn’t hear of it.
Before leaving Tess’s side, she called to her nephew. “Dan, there’s a
Tess looked at his offerings, then at him. “I don’t know what to say.”
She could ask him to stay and talk with her while she ate. She could say she wanted him as much as he wanted her. She could tell him she was free so he could draw her back to the plush comfort of the couch and kiss her this time. He had this insane, primitive urge to eradicate every possibility of being mistaken for another man again.
He cleared his throat when he saw a flash of vulnerability in her eyes. Damn. “Say you’ll lock the door behind me when I leave,” he ordered gently.
“I’ll lock the door behind you when you leave.”
He stared a minute longer. Then, he forced himself to walk away. Double damn.
***
It was only mid-afternoon and Tess was ready to cry ‘uncle.’ She’d hardly slept a wink last night, her dreams punctuated with irritated merchants, demanding surgeons, and wistful fantasies of getting stranded in the oddest places alone with Dan. The last thing she needed was a trying day.
Today’s series of mishaps began when she left for work without her briefcase. She’d run back up four flights of stairs to her apartment, and then realized her keys were locked in the car ignition. Finally arriving at the office, her security chief waited with a graffiti artist he’d collared. By the time the police departed with the vandal, her schedule was shot and she was thoroughly frazzled. The hysterical leather goods manager who cornered her to report a mainline pipe burst over her store and ruined three racks of high-ticket merchandise was simply icing on the cake.
Still, she felt guilty slipping into Dan’s store hours later than planned. The grand opening ceremony was long past, but she was glad to see the boutique was still busy. Dan, his aunt, and two sales clerks were occupied with customers, allowing Tess the opportunity to catch her breath and skim an envious eye over the merchandise.
She immediately spotted several items she wanted to add to her small collection. Handed a bulging wallet, Tess could easily go crazy in A Touch of Silk & Satin . Lingerie was one of the few vices she cultivated, although more sporadically than she liked. With every free penny earmarked for her father’s upcoming surgery, luxuries had fallen down her priority list.
Mary O’Shaunessy came down the aisle to her side. “Tess, it’s good to see you.”
“I’m sorry I missed the ribbon-cutting.”
“Things come up.” Her gaze swept the store. “We had a crowd at the door when we opened, and it hasn’t slowed down yet. The response is better than we’d projected.”
Testing the fabric of the midnight blue, bikini panties in front of her, Tess sighed. “You carry such beautiful merchandise you’ll be expanding into the next bay within a year.”
Mary laughed. “Wouldn’t that twist VanAllen’s drawers into a knot? The old coot won’t accept his profits might soar with us next door. Everyone knows delicate underwear and jewels go together.”
Tess chuckled at the thought of Claude VanAllen’s face when he heard about his new neighbor. If he wasn’t retiring and closing the business next year when his lease expired, Thorgram Group might have some serious problems with the man. She hoped the next tenant would prove more amenable. She hoped there was a new tenant. Thanks to the current economy, she already had retail bays she couldn’t fill!
“Speaking of delicate underwear, Tess.” Mary’s voice was loud in the sudden quiet around them. “Your order arrived this morning. Do you want to pick it up, now?”
Glancing across the room in time to see Dan watching them, her cheeks flamed. “Uh...that would be great.”
Another customer approached for assistance and, seeing Mary’s indecision, Tess assured the older woman her own order could wait. Mary wouldn’t hear of it.
Before leaving Tess’s side, she called to her nephew. “Dan, there’s a
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