Daringly Delicious Read online

  Published by Phaze Books Also by Leigh Ellwood In the Dareville series… Truth or Dare Dare Me

  Daring Young Man Double Dare A Winter’s Dare

  Also available… Jilted

  Surveillance Why, Why, Zed?

  and many more…

  This is an explicit and erotic novel intended for the enjoyment of adult readers. Please keep out of the hands of children.

  www.Phaze.com

  Daringly Delicious

  A Dareville short by

  LEIGH ELLWOOD

  Daringly Delicious © 2008 Leigh Ellwood All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  A Phaze Production

  Phaze Books

  6470A Glenway Avenue, #109

  Cincinnati, OH 45211-5222

  Phaze is an imprint of Mundania Press, LLC.

  To order additional copies of this book, contact: [email protected]

  www.Phaze.com

  Cover photo courtesy of iStockphoto.com

  Titling by Kathryn Lively

  Edited by Denise Jeffries

  eBook ISBN-13: 978-1-60659-072-0

  First Edition – September, 2008

  Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Author’s Note

  Dearest friends of Dareville, I thank you for taking the time to read this latest adventure of the small town with big romance. Since publishing Truth or Dare in 2004 with Phaze, I hadn’t expected to expand the series as far as I have, and I’m far from finished! I hope you’ll stay a while and enjoy the scenery.

  With regards to Daringly Delicious’ place in the Dareville chronology, I will note that this short—while a hot story on its own—works as a companion piece to the upcoming Dare to Dream and the forthcoming Dare Devils, as all three stories will run in a concurrent timeline with Daring Red. Therefore, the chronological order of the series will eventually read thus:

  Truth or Dare

  Dare Me

  Double Dare

  Daring Young Man

  Dare to Dream (not yet published) Daringly Delicious

  Dare Devils (not yet published) Daring Red (not yet published) A Winter’s Dare

  But there’s always room in town for more.

  Stay daring, Leigh

  Chapter One

  “Oh. My. Fuck. Ing. God!” That was what Tish heard, anyway. Despite the hopefully positive body language Lauren Marbury exhibited—the dreamy smile, the raised eyebrows—Tish remained apprehensive. Perhaps if Lauren had waited until after swallowing the truffle to give her critique, she might have better interpreted the words.

  Lauren appeared to have just finished off the one when she reached into the plastic container for another bonbon. The dark chocolate shell crackled between her teeth, and a diamond-shaped sliver broke away and landed on the heel of Lauren’s hand as she pulled it away. Tish could tell by the white pinwheel design piped around the truffle that Lauren had selected the chocolate key lime flavor—her signature concoction.

  Appreciative moaning followed Lauren’s devouring of the second candy, and the woman licked the smeared chocolate from her fingers and palm. This Tish took as a good sign and she relaxed in the molded retro chair opposite Lauren’s. They sat in the little café dining area of Jake’s Organic—it was early and the store would open in thirty minutes. All around them workers in dark green shirts and long khaki pants bustled up and down aisles of shelves and the bank of registers, preparing for the new business day. Tish let the activity distract her momentarily as she remembered her days of punching a clock to make money on somebody else’s time. No more.

  Thank the angels and saints she had the talent and drive to go into business for herself. She could wear any color she chose—a fortunate thing, since only so many shades complimented her large frame.

  “Good night, lady!” Lauren sounded out of breath. “I think I need a cigarette now.” She patted her breastbone, stifling a burp, and brushed her hand against Tish’s with a laugh. Tish realized she must have looked surprised at the comment, and Lauren’s gesture served to assure her. Clients and potential clients often praised her work, but never before compared it to sex.

  Like I’d know , she thought with some sarcasm. She pulled the hem of her short skirt over her chubby legs. Her “lucky” outfit—worn only to important meetings—began to feel a bit tight on her. Seeing how far back the hem of her skirt pulled when she first sat shocked Tish, and she realized she needed to stop eating so many of her culinary mistakes.

  “I take it you like the samples,” she finally addressed Lauren’s enthusiasm.

  “I adore the samples. I’ve tasted so many dry and

  tasteless cakes and goodies this week, I swear I was spitting

  out sand afterward. But this,” Lauren gestured to the

  sample tier of buttercream enrobed chocolate cake—

  crumbs sprinkling the wedge space where a piece had been

  cut—and the box of truffles, “is absolutely scrumptious.” “Thank you,” Tish said.

  “And you don’t have any exclusive agreements to

  supply cakes anywhere else?”

  “No. I only just started with the cakes.” The swish of

  the nearby automatic sliding doors momentarily distracted

  Tish. The gorgeous hunk of man entering the store

  continued to hold her attention.

  “The truffles are distributed all over Hampton

  Roads...and the Internet,” she managed before her voice

  died. Did she have a website? She couldn’t remember anymore. Her own name turned fuzzy and lost in the powerful aura given off by the sexy, dark man scanning the breadth of the store for assistance. He stood tall in a formfitting white t-shirt that nicely set off his tanned arms, and black slacks helped display a nicely-rounded ass. Muscles twitched and cords in his neck tightened—he appeared

  anxious.

  Pity. A more attractive, confident Tish might have

  extracted herself from the business meeting to offer the

  handsome stranger the opportunity to relieve that tension.

  She could guide him to the baking aisle, and select any of a

  wide variety of oils for a sensual massage.

  I can knead dough, but I need a man.

  She wished she could cross her legs to stop the rising

  throb in her pussy. She reached for a truffle and set it

  before her. No, she would not satisfy lust again with a

  fattening substitute.

  All the while she listened to the store manager babble

  about her new wedding and special occasions registry, and

  how Jake’s had contracted with local florists and

  photographers, yada yada, but nothing was exclusive. “Definitely, we’ll want to carry your truffles in the

  café.” Lauren twisted in her chair and gestured to the

  dessert display case. Hands fluttered, fingers snapped. Tish

  saw Lauren as a per
formance in excited body semaphore.

  “But an exclusive agreement to sell your wedding cakes

  through us would be wonderful,” Lauren continued. “We’d

  make it worth your while. We’re getting so many queries

  now, and nobody wants to go all the way to the beach for a

  cake. Other types of cake that you make, you could sell

  here and elsewhere...”

  “Sure.” She glanced back to face Lauren, then another

  quick peek. He was gone in that split-second.

  Good.

  A more distracted Tish might have eaten the truffle,

  the box, then signed away her secret recipes if Lauren had slipped a blank paper under her hand to sign. The truffles alone provided good income for her, and Tish didn’t want

  cake baking to cut into that.

  “I don’t bake many cakes as it is,” she told Lauren. “I

  should be able to handle what comes through the store.” Cake eating, on the other hand, could prove to be

  disastrous if the wedding business boomed. Tish envisioned

  her kitchen sink, piled high with chocolate-smudged forks

  and plates, herself slumped to the floor in a diabetic coma,

  and shuddered.

  “Excellent!” Lauren clasped her hands. “I have to tell

  you, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Our first wedding

  is scheduled in a month and we have everything done but

  the cake—”

  “A month?” Tish exclaimed. Nothing like the cold

  hand of reality to kill an amorous mood. At best she figured

  she had a month to negotiate contracts and establish herself

  with the store before she actually had to deliver something.

  “You don’t waste time, do you?”

  Lauren seemed less concerned with the looming

  deadline. She scratched rapidly into a checkbook with a

  ball-point pen. “It’s not a huge affair, about seventy-five

  people at best, all local. We don’t have anything after that

  until June, so there’s time to recover.” She ripped away the

  check and handed it to Tish. “How’s this for an advance?” Tish tried not to let her eyes widen and bug out of her

  head like that of a cartoon character. “Thanks for the vote

  of confidence,” she said, tucking the check into her purse.

  “I trust the bride and groom have a design and flavor in

  mind?”

  “The bride and groom would be happy with a sheet

  cake from Winn-Dixie and a punch bowl full of Sprite and

  sherbet,” Lauren rolled her eyes. “They left everything to

  me, to their credit. They’d be ordering pizzas for the

  reception otherwise. Here you go. I even made a sketch of what the cake should look like. Everything you need to

  know is right there.”

  “Not a bad idea. Delivery in thirty minutes or your

  wedding’s free.” Tish took the detailed cake specifications

  and the purchase order for truffles. Assuming the cake

  would be a probationary assignment, she would not expect

  a contract until after she finished the job.

  But Lauren surprised her again. “Jake has the contracts

  in the office. If you can wait a few minutes, we’ll print one

  out for you. There he is!”

  Lauren leaped from her chair, gesticulating wildly

  once again. Tish shifted in her chair for a better view of the

  approaching store owner and froze at the sight of her

  mystery man close on his heels. She remained still, but her

  body responded against her will—her nipples poked against

  her thin top, and a warmth shot down her spine to her

  pussy, where it pooled into lava.

  “Here she is,” Jake Marbury gestured to Lauren, and

  the man extended his hand over the table. Of course, he

  didn’t give fat Tish Richmond a cursory glance. “I’m Vinnie Petrocelli,” he greeted her. “My Uncle

  Dom sent me to drop these off.” He spoke softly, with an

  accent nowhere near Virginian. If Tish had to guess...New

  York, from some ethnic borough where children played in

  the geyser streams of open fire hydrants in the sticky

  summertime. He had the look of somebody new to small

  town Dareville, and as he bent over the table to give Lauren

  a large manila envelope Tish caught scents of bold

  aftershave and earthy tobacco.

  Smoker, eh? Not that it mattered. Men like that simply

  didn’t ask her out to dinner, but only to move out of the

  way so they can pass and talk to the skinny blonde walking

  three paces ahead.

  “Excellent!” It appeared to be a catchphrase for

  Lauren. “And since we’re all going to be working together, I’d like you both to meet Tish Richmond. She made these

  incredible truffles. You have to try them.”

  Niceties and handshakes exchanged, Tish held

  Vinnie’s gaze and palm for only a few seconds, yet it felt

  years of acquaintance passed between them. The energy

  vibrating through his body into hers ignited a delicious

  sensation that tickled her insides. Would it be possible to

  orgasm from an indirect touch? Tish wasn’t about to

  humiliate herself by becoming the guinea pig for that

  experiment. She broke contact quickly and rose. “I hope I’m not being too rude,” she focused on Lauren

  to stay calm, “but I have another delivery to make. You can

  just e-mail me the agreement and I’ll bring it back. My

  address is on the card.”

  She managed a clean getaway, which Jake didn’t seem

  to mind since he insisted Lauren speak with Vinnie about

  his papers. As she retreated, Tish wondered about him, and

  how he and “Uncle Dom” figured into Lauren’s wedding

  planner business.

  Behind her, Lauren implored both men again to sample

  Tish’s bon-bons. “Tell me this isn’t the most delicious

  thing you’ve ever tasted,” she challenged.

  Curiosity got the better of Tish. Turning back, she

  caught Vinnie licking chocolate from his fingers and lips.

  Another crescent shaped bite of truffle cradled in the other

  hand. “It’s pretty damn close,” he said, nodding with a

  smile.

  He looked right at Tish as he said it.

  Chapter Two

  Vinnie turned the Caddy into the lot of Big Apple Limos, reaching over to still the sliding pastry box resting on the passenger seat. After dropping off his uncle’s contracts at the grocery store, Lauren Marbury plied him with an assortment of treats to take back to work. Vinnie wasn’t sure how the other drivers would like organic cookies and tarts, but he knew his cousin’s wife, Lupe, would appreciate the fruit salad Lauren picked especially for her.

  He parked the car in his uncle’s spot by the back door, then gently took the smaller of the two boxes given him from the center console in hand. These, he had no intention of sharing.

  “ Buenos tardes,” he greeted Lupe’s bent form. She was filing papers behind the main reception desk, displaying a perfectly heart-shaped bottom in a red tailored skirt. His cousin Robbie was a lucky man to have such a lovely wife—kind and generous enough to help him with his Spanish. “¿Donde esta mi tio?”

  A lusty chuckle sounded from the file cabinet, and Vinnie quickly realized his error. Right words, perhaps, but definitely the wrong girl. Vinnie stepped back as the figure stretched upward to reveal herself not as Lupe, but her younger, perpetually horny sister, Lola.

 
She turned toward him, thrusting low to flash her caramel-colored bosom, encased in a sinfully cut blouse. “Dias,” she corrected him, “it’s a bit too early for tardes, and way too early for noches.”

  “I knew that,” he said, annoyed and uncomfortable. “Where’s Lupe? Today’s not her day off.”

  Lola shrugged. “We traded places today. Lu and Robbie have concert tickets tonight. Easier for them to stay out there,” she said, “out there” referring to the Virginia Beach office of Big Apple.

  “Convenient.” For all parties involved, anyway. Vinnie knew Robbie could work out of the satellite office, and here Lola could tap into a different pool of drivers for her sexual exploits, if she hadn’t already.

  It also meant Robbie’s office would be vacant for the day, allowing him some privacy until Uncle Dom needed him. But first…

  “Uncle Dom around?” he asked in English this time, putting more distance between them as Lola sashayed closer. “I need to ask him something.”

  “In his office, on the phone.” Lola crooked her head to her right, stretching her long, slender neck. “You know, if you want to brush up on your Spanish some more I can give you some private lessons. I speak it as well as Lupe.” Her hand came up to her throat in a seductive gesture, sliding down to the top of one mound and holding still. “It’s been pretty slow today. I could teach you a few, ah, phrases.”

  Positions, too, no doubt. Vinnie shook his head. “I’m sure it’ll pick up soon. Better stick by the phones.” With that, Vinnie made a beeline for Dom’s office. The idea of being another “noche” on Lola’s bedpost held no appeal. The girl was pretty, surely fun to be around, but she lacked the substance Vinnie looked for in a woman.

  He set the large pastry box on Dom’s desk as his uncle finished his call, then took the smaller box for himself. This substance would have to suffice for now.

  “Compliments of Jake’s Organic,” he told his uncle, who already had a treat in hand once the phone call was disconnected. “We’re all set. Our first wedding gig with them is next month.”

  “Bene,” Dom smiled through the first bite, and waved Vinnie to sit. “I just landed a deal with Plaza Guadalajara at the beach. We are now their official comp shuttle on Friday nights starting this week. All three locations.”