sorry,” he finally said. “I don’t know what has gotten into him this year. I swear, normally he’s not like this.”
She shrugged.
“No, really. Out of nowhere, he’s become obsessed with the damned contest. He keeps giving me all this time for brainstorming sessions. I mean, I know he just wants me to succeed, but God, it’s torture.”
“You don’t like creating new candies?” Dulcie asked.
He paused, hating to admit he wasn’t as into designing candy as she was. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It’s just not something I think about. To be honest, I really don’t feel like candy is my calling.”
“Really? You seemed so enthusiastic when you were tasting our samples.”
He nodded. “Oh, eating candies I can always get on board with; it’s the candy making I can’t seem to stomach anymore.”
“Wow,” Dulcie said. “What does your dad say?”
He looked up at her. “You’ve met him. You really think I’d be able to find a way to talk to him about it? I mean, I’ve tried bringing it up, told him what I really want to do with my life, but if he’s not looking at me like I’m crazy, he acts like I’ve committed treason or something.”
“Well, if he knew you were in here, he’d certainly think so.”
“Apparently. Not that it would stop me,” he said, grinning.
Dulcie looked down at her hands, though she seemed pleased.
Nick decided that something about it all, the competition, the so-called feud, the fact they were supposed to be enemies, made it all so much more…forbidden, like the last chocolate you know you shouldn’t eat. “Look, this is getting ridiculous. Can we please put an end to this stupid feud?” he said, getting serious.
“I would love to,” Dulcie said, “and I’m sure my Grams couldn’t care less about it anymore, since she’s only part of the business as a technicality. But your father…”
He sighed. “I know; he’s being insane. But I also know he lives for drama. He has his whole life. I really can’t see him giving it up now.”
Dulcie sighed, too.
“But,” he said, looking straight at her, “I’m a grown man. He doesn’t get a say in who my friends are or who I can spend time with.”
Dulcie tilted her head, raising her eyebrows. “Intriguing. You’re willing to go against the rules of the family for little old me?”
He took a step closer, shortening the distance between them to the width of the counter. “Yup,” he said.
She took a deep breath. “A little secrecy never hurt anyone, I suppose.”
He nodded. “Absolutely.” He leaned in even more. “What my father doesn’t know won’t kill him.”
“Right,” she said, swallowing hard.
Nick leaned a little farther forward, staring at her lips, and she licked them, making his heart nearly stop.
Nick breathed deeper and stood still…extra still so as not to break the perfection of the moment, but then he couldn’t help it. He leaned even more. He shouldn’t do it. This was all too complicated.
But he did it anyway. He reached over that counter and kissed her.
Her lips were as soft and sweet as any of the candies surrounding them. She leaned in over the counter, just a little at first, then farther, and Nick let his mind go completely. Let himself get lost in the swirl of delicious smells, the blood rushing through his body, and most of all, in Dulcie.
It was all the vanilla and chocolate and sugary goodness he thought it would be.
…
Dulcie could not wipe the dorky grin off her face. Lord knew she tried as she walked home from the shop, but if it stayed that way by the time she got home, Grams would be on her like a starving dog on kibble.
But the grin kept creeping back.
She prayed Grams would be gone on one of her Reiki outings or something.
Unfortunately, her sky blue Mini Cooper sat in the driveway.
Dulcie stood outside for a long time, attempting to compose herself, trying to think of bad things in her life to wipe the smile off her face. But the
She shrugged.
“No, really. Out of nowhere, he’s become obsessed with the damned contest. He keeps giving me all this time for brainstorming sessions. I mean, I know he just wants me to succeed, but God, it’s torture.”
“You don’t like creating new candies?” Dulcie asked.
He paused, hating to admit he wasn’t as into designing candy as she was. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It’s just not something I think about. To be honest, I really don’t feel like candy is my calling.”
“Really? You seemed so enthusiastic when you were tasting our samples.”
He nodded. “Oh, eating candies I can always get on board with; it’s the candy making I can’t seem to stomach anymore.”
“Wow,” Dulcie said. “What does your dad say?”
He looked up at her. “You’ve met him. You really think I’d be able to find a way to talk to him about it? I mean, I’ve tried bringing it up, told him what I really want to do with my life, but if he’s not looking at me like I’m crazy, he acts like I’ve committed treason or something.”
“Well, if he knew you were in here, he’d certainly think so.”
“Apparently. Not that it would stop me,” he said, grinning.
Dulcie looked down at her hands, though she seemed pleased.
Nick decided that something about it all, the competition, the so-called feud, the fact they were supposed to be enemies, made it all so much more…forbidden, like the last chocolate you know you shouldn’t eat. “Look, this is getting ridiculous. Can we please put an end to this stupid feud?” he said, getting serious.
“I would love to,” Dulcie said, “and I’m sure my Grams couldn’t care less about it anymore, since she’s only part of the business as a technicality. But your father…”
He sighed. “I know; he’s being insane. But I also know he lives for drama. He has his whole life. I really can’t see him giving it up now.”
Dulcie sighed, too.
“But,” he said, looking straight at her, “I’m a grown man. He doesn’t get a say in who my friends are or who I can spend time with.”
Dulcie tilted her head, raising her eyebrows. “Intriguing. You’re willing to go against the rules of the family for little old me?”
He took a step closer, shortening the distance between them to the width of the counter. “Yup,” he said.
She took a deep breath. “A little secrecy never hurt anyone, I suppose.”
He nodded. “Absolutely.” He leaned in even more. “What my father doesn’t know won’t kill him.”
“Right,” she said, swallowing hard.
Nick leaned a little farther forward, staring at her lips, and she licked them, making his heart nearly stop.
Nick breathed deeper and stood still…extra still so as not to break the perfection of the moment, but then he couldn’t help it. He leaned even more. He shouldn’t do it. This was all too complicated.
But he did it anyway. He reached over that counter and kissed her.
Her lips were as soft and sweet as any of the candies surrounding them. She leaned in over the counter, just a little at first, then farther, and Nick let his mind go completely. Let himself get lost in the swirl of delicious smells, the blood rushing through his body, and most of all, in Dulcie.
It was all the vanilla and chocolate and sugary goodness he thought it would be.
…
Dulcie could not wipe the dorky grin off her face. Lord knew she tried as she walked home from the shop, but if it stayed that way by the time she got home, Grams would be on her like a starving dog on kibble.
But the grin kept creeping back.
She prayed Grams would be gone on one of her Reiki outings or something.
Unfortunately, her sky blue Mini Cooper sat in the driveway.
Dulcie stood outside for a long time, attempting to compose herself, trying to think of bad things in her life to wipe the smile off her face. But the
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