Free Nothing's Sweeter than Candy by Lotchie Burton

‘Dinner,’ my ass. I saw the way he looked at you. I’d bet my Louis Vuitton luggage that his mind wasn’t entirely on the menu.”
    “He was a perfect gentleman. So whatever you think he had in mind didn’t happen. He kept his hands, his thoughts, and his lips to himself. Honestly, I had a nice time. Unfortunately, there
was
one snag in the evening—and he goes by the name of Andrew Nash. He showed up at the same restaurant.”
    “Um, that must have been awkward.”
    “Oh Joyce, you don’t know the half of it. He was acting so strange, strange even for Nash. It was like he’d gone off the deep end or something.”
    “Why do you say that?
    “Because he’s under some kind of illusion that we’ll get back together, or that we’ve never broken up. I’m starting to wonder if I should be concerned about him.”
    Nash had changed. He wasn’t acting like your regular garden-variety asshole anymore. All the signs said he was turning into something a lot more complicated. Before she’d come to her senses and dumped him, he’d made it perfectly clear that he couldn’t have cared less about her, one way or the other. Now he was suddenly acting borderline certifiable? She could deal with ego and attitude. But craziness? That was a whole other ballgame.
    Candace decided to tell Joyce about Nash’s behavior since the breakup—including the phone call to the office. If anyone would know what to make of it, she would.
    “I don’t like the sound of this,” Joyce said. “His behavior shows classic signs of being a stalker. Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?”
    “I didn’t think it was important. I thought he was just pissed because I ended the relationship. But after Saturday, I’m not sure what to think anymore.”
    “How did Brice react to the situation?”
    “He seemed concerned. He thinks he’s trouble.”
    “He may be right. Maybe I should have a chat with Brice. If Nash continues to harass you, you let us know. We’ll figure something out.”
    “Hold up. Who’s this ‘we’ you’re talking about?” Candace laughed. “What makes you think Brice is still going to be around, or that he’d be willing to get involved with a woman with a potential stalker problem?”
    “Oh please. I know pure primal attraction when I see it. And I can tell by the smile on your face that the feeling is mutual.”
    “Yes, well don’t let appearances fool you—mine or his. I just got out of a ‘primal attraction’ relationship, and look where that’s gotten me. Believe me, I’m in no hurry to trade one bad situation for more of the same.”
    She wasn’t about to admit that she wanted to see more of Brice Coleman, despite her instincts and her inner voice. Yeah, she wanted to see “more” of Brice—
a completely naked and exposed Brice.
    “Do you honestly think that’s what it would be like with him?” Joyce asked with quiet concern.
    “No, not really. Brice is a man of a totally different caliber. He’s considerate, open-minded, and not at all pushy. I think I like him, but he seems as cautious as I am about moving too fast. We’re both just feeling our way and taking our time. We’re planning to get together this weekend. He has tickets to a jazz concert
and
backstage passes.”
    “Color me surprised,” Joyce said with teasing sarcasm.

Chapter 13
    The week went by so slowly it seemed to take forever before Brice found himself standing at Candace’s door with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
    Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the small bunch of peach-colored roses mixed with green fern and delicate baby’s breath. “Oh, Brice, thank you. How thoughtful and charming,” she said as she buried her face in the petals and deeply inhaled their natural perfume.
    “‘Charming’ is my middle name, but you can call me ‘Prince’ for short,” he said with a chuckle.
    “Prince Charming? Uh, I believe that name’s already been taken. It’ll take some powerful inducements to