Rachel Read online

“It’s because I have six sisters that I need you,” Rachel joked.

  “There. Finished.” Rosemary straightened up, rubbing the small of her back.

  “Give me five minutes to clean up and then you can go.” Rachel disappeared out to the wash room and changed her dress. She wanted to look presentable when she dropped the delivery off, turning up covered in flour and icing sugar did not look professional.

  Taking a last look in the small mirror to check her face was dirt free too, she applied some eyeliner and lip gloss and felt better. Two more hours and the day would be over, and she could go home and have a nice relaxing bath. By Monday, she was going to be over Mr Handsome Hunk, and then she could deal with the wedding cake. Soon he would move on and work somewhere else, living happily ever after with his lucky wife.

  “I have to get going,” Rosemary called.

  “Sorry,” Rachel said, coming out and putting a clean apron on. “Let me know how you get on.”

  “Will do.” Then she was gone out the door. Rachel leaned back against the shelves, which stood behind the counter, and took a moment to calm herself down. The day had been an exhausting rush, but the feeling of accomplishment made it all worth it. She looked forward to the looks of delight on the faces of the girls who were invited to the tea party. Hopefully it would lead to more orders, anything to keep her body and mind busy.

  A steady stream of customers made the time pass quickly. When closing time drew near, she got everything prepared, between serving. If needs be she would have to dash back and finish everything after the delivery, it would not take too long to wipe the surfaces down.

  At last, she put the closed sign on the door, and headed out the back door to load the van up. Satisfied everything was stowed away safely; she locked the back door and jumped into the driver's seat. Then disaster struck. Turning the key produced nothing. The engine did not even attempt to start.

  Panic took over; she imagined the disappointed faces of the girls at the party. What was she supposed to do? Now she wished Rosemary were still here, between them they would come up with something.

  “Think. Think,” she said to herself.

  Once more, she turned the key. Nothing. She was wasting time. Her only hope was to find someone to jump start the car, failing that she would have to ring a taxi. Getting out of the van, she went around to the front of the shop, hoping to see someone she could ask. She did. Mr Handsome Hunk. He was coming out of the house he was renovating. He looked up and saw her, waving, he checked for traffic before running across the road.

  “Hey. I thought you had been avoiding me. I came in the last couple of days to talk to you about wedding cakes.”

  “My van won’t start.”

  He stood still and looked at her, confused. Then he saw her worried face. “What's wrong?”

  “I have a van full of cakes to be delivered in...” she checked her watch. “Twenty minutes. And my van is dead.”

  “OK. Do you want me to look at it?”

  “Yes please.” Her sister Susie would be proud of her; she really was doing the whole damsel in distress thing brilliantly.

  “Come on.”

  He went with her around the back of the shop, she handed him her keys and he turned the key in the ignition. “I can try to jump start you. Or it might be quicker if we load everything into my car and I drive you wherever you need to go.”

  Rachel stood, shifting her weight from foot to foot nervously, why did she feel like a shy teenager again. “I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”

  He got out of the van and placed a hand on her arm. It was meant to be comforting, she knew that, but all it did was ignite a fire inside her. One she did not know how to put out. Why was this happening to her?

  “I’ll get my car.” He had made the decision for her, which was good because her brain had turned to mush.

  “Wait. Is it clean?”

  “I’m sorry?”

  Great social skills, she chided herself. “I don’t want to be rude. But I can’t turn up in a builders van, not with food in it.”

  He laughed. “I don’t drive a works van. My car is quite clean.”

  With that, he disappeared, leaving Rachel to open the back of the van and wait for his return.

  He was right; he certainly did not drive a works van. Instead, he reversed up to her in a brand new BMW, Rachel knew little about cars, but enough to know these did not come cheap. Now she worried she had insulted him, but when he got out and began to help her transfer the boxes, she had to push it out of her mind and get on with her job.

  With ten minutes left before the delivery was due, they were on the road, with Rachel securely sat next to him in his beautiful car. It was so comfortable and quiet, which would have been great if it did not make the silence between them almost tangible. He had asked where they were going to, and after she told him, they sat in silence.

  “I’m sorry,” she blurted out.

  “About what?” he turned his head slightly and smiled at her.

  She both loved and hated that smile. It had a disturbing effect on her. “About everything,” she ploughed on. “I mean you must have plans for this evening and I’m messing them up.”

  “No. No plans.” He smiled at her again.

  Rachel was sure it was meant to be reassuring, but it had the opposite effect on her. She felt even more nervous; swallowing it down, she asked him, “I thought you would have plans with your fiancée.”

  The smile faltered, and then disappeared to be replaced by a slight frown. It did nothing to damage his handsome face, instead he looked vulnerable. “Who told you I was engaged?”

  Rachel filled with confusion, and instantly she was on her guard. “You did.”

  “When?”

  “You asked me if I made wedding cakes.” The colour rose in her cheeks, did she have it so wrong? “And you bought a pink cupcake, with flowers on.” How that could possibly be a crime she was not sure, but she certainly made it sound like one.

  His face cracked, and he burst out laughing. “For my sister. She’s getting married and I told her about your cakes. The cupcake was a sample.” He saw her horrified look. “Which she liked by the way.”

  Rachel buried her face in her hands. This had to be up there with one of her most embarrassing moments, and there had been a few. Then he reached over and squeezed her arm comfortingly, and she nearly hit her head on the roof. The car seemed too small; there was not enough air for her to breathe.

  Thankfully, he pulled over. “Here we are. With two minutes to spare.”

  Pulling herself together, Rachel got out of the car and dashed inside to meet the party girl. Luckily, everything was fine and she went back out to face Mr Handsome Hunk. He stood waiting for her, looking devastating, and despite the evening growing cooler, she felt hotter than ever.

  “Everything OK? he asked.

  “Yes. Would you mind helping me with these?” she asked, carefully picking up the birthday cake and two other boxes.

  He took an equal amount of care with the others. In no time at all the tea party was under way and Rachel had been paid for her services. Another satisfied customer. Now all she had to do was thank her saviour and be on her way.

  “This must be a nice way to earn a living.” He had been waiting for her, and was watching the excited faces of the birthday girl and her friends.

  “Yes. It is. It’s all I ever wanted to do. But it took me a while to work up the courage to go it alone.”

  “Well, I for one am certainly grateful you did. Your cakes are the best I’ve ever tasted. But I know what you mean about going it alone. When I first started, it was a struggle. Work hard, that's all you can do.”

  “I thought you worked for a building contractor.”

  “Well, I do. Kind of. Only I am the boss.”

  “You own the company?” she was shocked.

  “Yes. Started it from scratch, it’s been a lot of work, but finally it’s paid off. In the last couple of years I’ve had some fai
rly big contracts, and I renovate houses too. That’s what I’ve been doing across the street from your shop. Although this one's a bit different, it’s my wedding gift to my sister.”

  “You're giving your sister a house? Wow. That’s generous of you.”

  “She’s family, and my family have supported me while I started out. In fact she put up with me living on her sofa for three months when I couldn’t afford a place of my own.” They turned to walk out; Rachel at last satisfied everything was perfect with the party.

  “I have six sisters, so I know what you mean about family. Although sometimes it can get a bit much. So many opinions on what you should be doing, or should have done.” They had reached his car. “Look. Thank you so much for your help. I’ll get a taxi back to the shop. I feel I’ve caused you enough trouble. But I’ll give you a good discount on your sister's wedding cake.”

  “Not so fast,” he said, looping his hand under her arm. “I think we have some unfinished business.”

  “We do?” she squeaked nervously.

  “Yes. You still haven't explained why you avoided me after you found out I was “engaged”.”

  He was so close to her, his body turned to press her against the car. She felt trapped, yet this was a trap she would love to stay in forever. The warmth of his flesh seeping into hers, and the funny feeling in her stomach exploded, filling the rest of her body with a need she had never felt before.

  Looking into his eyes made her lean towards him, licking her lips involuntarily. All she could think about was how she wanted to taste him, to feel his full lips on her skin.

  He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “I think we need to take this somewhere else.”

  She jerked her head back, instantly alert. “No. I...I have to go back to the shop and clean up.”

  “Then I’ll come and help you.” Arguing would have been fruitless; he already had her door open and was helping her inside.

  A little dazed she buckled her seatbelt and rested heavily against the headrest. What was she doing? Living. Taking a chance. Yet instead of feeling excited about having this man sat next to her, she simply felt nervous and sick.

  The journey back seemed endless, although it probably only took ten minutes. She racked her brain for something to say, but her mind had gone blank. As usual, her social skills had abandoned her. This left her feeling mortified; she would let him slip out of her hands because she lacked the ability to communicate her feelings to him.

  Why couldn’t she be more like her sisters, they had the ability to flirt, and be charming. Maybe it was because she was the baby of the family. Whatever it was she had better get herself together fast, or regret it forever. The chances of her ever having a man like this showing any kind of interest in her again were non-existent.

  “So it might be an idea if we introduce ourselves,” he said. “I can’t call you the Cake Lady.”

  “Rachel. My name is Rachel.” There, was that so hard, but there was no way she was going to tell him her pet name for him.

  “Nice to meet you properly Rachel. I’m James.” He held out his hand rather awkwardly, they had stopped at traffic lights and she shook it quickly, grateful to be able to pull away from him when he had to put his hand back on the steering wheel.

  The touch had been brief and yet she had still experienced a current of electricity running through her veins. Being with him somehow awoke the woman in her. The woman who wanted to be sexy and fun, not the sensible businesswoman. Her worry was that this would change her, perhaps take something away from her.

  He pulled up in front of the shop and came around to help her out. Then they walked around to the back of the shop. After she unlocked the door, she turned to him, and said, “Really I can manage now.”

  “I insist.” He moved towards her and her knees felt like jelly, her only hope was to put some distance between them. She dashed inside and moved to the sink, running the water until it was scalding hot. Methodically she worked through everything that needed to be done, and under his insistence, she gave him jobs to do. First, he swept the shop, and then he mopped it clean.

  Rachel tried not to think about him, or else she would be unable to resist going to watch him work, rather than getting her own chores done. However, the temptation was nearly too great. When she had finished she stood drying her hands, trying to work out how this evening was going to end. It was a mistake, because her mind was flooded with images of him, with barely any clothes on, touching her in the most intimate of ways.

  “Penny for them.” He was behind her, close behind her. She had been so lost in her reverie she had not heard him come into the kitchen.

  Turning too quickly she over balanced and he reached out to stop her falling. “Now this is where you belong,” he said, holding her in his strong arms.

  She wanted to scream out “Yes” in agreement. Instead she froze. What was she supposed to do? What would her sisters do?

  “Hey. I know you’re nervous, but I promise I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.”

  She stared up at him, wanting so much to have the courage to lean forward and kiss him. Instead, she stood mesmerised while he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Unknown sensations coursed through her body. She clung to him to stop herself from falling to her knees; her body seemed to have no will of its own.

  She pressed against him, and she felt a thrill when her soft curves moulded around his hardness, a sure sign of his arousal against her thigh. In response, her sex ached for him, filling with heat and the slickness of her arousal. She longed to feel him inside her, to no longer be an innocent virgin. Without realising it, she moved to rub against him.

  James took it as a signal she wanted more, and lifted her to sit on the edge of the counter top, placing his body between her thighs. Pressing forward he stimulated her clit, and it felt so good, she murmured her need. His fingers moved to rub the length of her slit, the only barrier to him pushing deeper inside her were her clothes. He moved his hand to lift her dress, and then push the fabric of her panties to one side.

  Panic filled Rachel. She pushed him away. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

  James stood before her, swaying slightly as though drunk. Her heart clenched tightly in sorrow, he was intoxicated by her, and she had pushed him away. It took a moment for him to pull himself together.

  “I’m sorry. I thought you wanted...more.”

  “No. it’s my fault. I’m not very good at this kind of thing. I led you on. I’m sorry.” She hung her head in shame, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

  “Don’t be.” He came towards her again, but she took a step away. “We'll take it slow. I understand now.”

  She looked up at him. “Understand what?”

  “You've spent your time building your business, instead of building a life. I’ve been there.” He moved again, this time she stood her ground while he pulled her into his arms. “Give me a chance, Rachel. That’s all I ask.”

  She held him close, breathing in his scent, he was all man. She could not figure out why he would want a woman like her, but she decided right then to take a chance on love. “OK.”

  “Thank you. I think right now I should take you home. You've had quite a day.”

  She switched the lights off and locked up. Then he drove her home, walking her to the door and giving her a peck on the cheek.

  She stood and watched him walk back to his car, he was just about to get in when he called, “I’ll pick you up after work tomorrow and we can have dinner.”

  There was no time for a reply before he slid quickly into his car and drove off. A feeling of nervous excitement took over her. In a numb state, she cooked herself some dinner, barely tasting it.

  After washing her dishes, she ran a bath. Even while she lay soaking in the warmth of the water, she had to keep reminding herself that it was all real, it had happened; tomorrow she was going on her first real date.

  Chapter Three

  Rachel woke up early, m
aking herself a cup of tea before going to sit on her little terrace to enjoy the morning sun. Today was going to be a beautiful day, again, and she wondered what James had planned for their date. Panic swept over her, if she did not know where they were going, how would she know what to wear.

  Trying to calm herself, she went to her wardrobe and pulled out anything that would be suitable. It was impossible, and the more she thought about it the more panic gripped her. Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm down and think rationally. He surely would not take her somewhere really fancy. Or would he? He was the owner of a large business, and if his car was any indication, he had a lot of money.

  She sat down on the bed and put her head between her knees, she felt sick. She already felt in too deep, and she had not even been on a date with him. At that moment, if she had his number she would have called and cancelled.

  As a last resort, she reached for the phone.

  “Hi, Celine.”

  “Rachel. Is everything OK?” Her sister sounded sleepy.

  “Yes. Well no. I need your help.”

  “What's the problem?” Celine yawned, and Rachel felt guilty for waking her so early. She always forgot nobody else was up at this time.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve woken you. I’ll call back later.”

  “Rachel. It’s fine. I’m awake now, and if you don’t tell me I’ll only worry.” Celine sounded more with it now.

  “I have a date.”

  “A date!” Celine squealed in delight. If she had not been wide awake before, she sure was now. “Who with?”

  “Some guy,” Rachel said evasively.

  “Some guy? Come on you'll have to do better than that.”

  “He’s someone who comes in the shop. But I don’t know where he’s taking me. So I don't know what to wear.”

  Celine picked up on Rachel’s uneasiness. “What time are you meeting him?”

  “After work, he’s coming to pick me up.”

  “And what time do you have to be in work?”

  “I have about half an hour before I have to leave,” Rachel said looking at the clock.

  “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Get everything together that you think is suitable. I’ll bring some things from here and we’ll have you sorted in no time.”