Free Nothing's Sweeter than Candy by Lotchie Burton Page A

convince this girl you can live up to the reputation. But,” she smiled while taking another whiff, “I must say, you’re off to a good start.”
    “I’ll have you know, I’m more than capable of rising to the task. I was trained at the hands of none other than Beatrice Coleman, my mother, the queen of etiquette and charm. She told me to never show up at a woman’s door empty-handed. But, whatever I might lack in charm can be made up for in other ways.”
    “Really?” she asked with a naughty lilt to her voice as she reached out to take his hand. “I can’t wait to hear more.” She gave him an impish smile and guided him inside. “You can tell me all about it while I put these in a vase and finish getting ready.”
    • • •
    The plan was to have dinner first and then go to the concert. Brice was more excited than he let on, though still coming to terms with his growing attraction. Dinner was twice the fun and every bit as interesting as their previous date, and the concert was the icing on the cake. He was astonished to hear her singing along with the band. Discovering she was familiar with the music pleased him. Finally, when she threw her arms around his neck and sang the lyrics to him in her beautiful musical voice, he nearly melted in his seat. The woman was full of surprises.
    After the concert he took her backstage to meet the band. Her eyes sparkled with excitement like she was a child on Christmas morning. He hadn’t mentioned that the band members were personal friends and he’d sat in on jam sessions with them on numerous occasions. When she found out about his close connections, she looked at him with a kind of sweet and awed respect. And in that moment, he’d give anything in the world to have her look at him like that all the time.
    • • •
    “Thank you for a great evening, Brice. I had a wonderful time.” Candace purposely took a step back to place distance between them. The scent of his cologne and the nearness of his body wreaked mayhem with her senses. The tantalizing, masculine smell of subtle spice aroused her desire, and her head filled with new fantasies and wild, improbable ideas. The combination of no sex in God knows how long and screaming hormones put her in the perfect position to make a Class-A fool of herself. Meanwhile, the answer to her prayers was staring her in the face. The man was entirely too sexy, too enticing, and too damn fine. If this date didn’t end soon, she was going to do something stupid—
like climb all over him and jump his bones.
    She had every intention of ending the evening with her dignity intact and keeping her hands to herself. She leaned in to give him a sedate peck on his cheek and say goodnight, but unfortunately made the mistake of looking up into those glacial blue eyes. She abruptly stopped short and found herself captivated by the intensity of his stare.
    “You’re not just saying that, are you?” He laughed lightly as he gently pulled her forward and tucked an unruly strand of hair behind her ear. The steady stare and the tender gesture froze her in place. She was drawn in by the desire and unconcealed raw passion she saw swirling beneath the surface.
    “Of course not,” she responded nervously, standing so close she could feel the heat from his body radiating between them. All of a sudden she felt vulnerable, unsure what to do with her hands. “Seeing how much you enjoyed being with your friends was the best part of the evening.” She spoke quietly as her fingers brushed at imaginary lint and pulled timidly at the lapels of his suit. She looked up and allowed her eyes to travel over the strong features of his face. His lips drew her focus and dragged her inexplicably forward, like two strong magnets pulling her in against her will.
    Her heart pounded in her chest and thundered in her ears as she stared in near-breathless expectation. He leaned down and lightly brushed her lips, and her hands firmly gripped his lapels and pulled him