Free A Dash of Desire (Spiced Life #2) by Charity Parkerson Page B

and leaving her clutching her head. Berta ignored her squawk.
    “Riley,” Berta said, sounding entirely too cheerful as she plucked Riley’s hand out of Edward’s. “I fully expect for you to come with Tristan the next time he visits.”
    Riley wanted to hug her—hard—and then run for her life. Luckily, Tristan was no longer standing on her foot. She could make it. “Yes ma’am. I can’t wait.” She meant it too. Berta said something else but a familiar scent hit her full blast. She knew that cologne. Her gaze shot to the crowd, seeking out its owner. The panic rising in her chest was choking the air from her lungs. She caught a flash of dark hair and expensive business suit before the man slipped outside. It couldn’t be. Please God. Don’t let it be . “Excuse me, Ms. Daniels,” Riley said absently. Without bothering to glance her way to check the older woman’s reaction, Riley headed after the man.
    The sun blinded her for a moment as she stepped through the door. She shielded her eyes against it and searched the parking lot with her gaze. He wasn’t there. The knot in her stomach eased, but the sense of unease lingered. Tristan materialized next to her.
    “Do I owe you an apology?”
    With her pulse still beating in her ears, Tristan’s question didn’t make as much sense as it should have. “Why?”
    “You sort of shot outside as if you couldn’t get away from me fast enough. It made me wonder if my attempts to hang onto you long enough to get you alone were over-the-top.”
    “Awww, you wanted to be alone with me?” she asked to keep from lying to him.
    He snorted. The sound made her smile as much as his confession. Silence hung between them. Instead of answering her question, Tristan merely stared at her. The heat in his gaze wiped her fear away, her mind clean, and weakened her knees. His bottom lip was fuller than the top. It made her want to sink her teeth into it. She couldn’t look away. There was no way her every emotion wasn’t written on her face. Her panties dampened. She was so going to Hell. Every time he was near she became more and more assured of it. It wasn’t her fault. He was dangerously sexy. Her palms itched to touch him. Berta appeared at their sides, breaking the spell.
    “I expect both of you to be at my house in thirty minutes for lunch. Understood?”
    Since Riley sort of liked the woman, she accepted the excuse to spend the day with Tristan. “Yes ma’am.”
    Berta held her gaze steadily. “If anyone tries holding you up, tell them I’ve got shit to do. Just because I’m an old lady that doesn’t mean I don’t have a life, do you hear?”
    “You got it,” Riley agreed even as Tristan groaned. Probably because he knew she’d do it.
    “Now, walk an old lady to her car.” Tristan offered her his arm, but Berta swatted him away. “Not you. You’ve got folks to rush along so I can eat. I’m not getting any younger.”
    “Quit playing. You’re not old,” Riley argued as she helped the older woman down the stairs. “I saw the way Mr. Tarpley was eyeing you in there. If you don’t mind a little spittle, you’re golden.”
    Berta chortled like a schoolgirl. “Oh, honey, at my age a little spit is a good thing. You need all the lubrication you can get.”
    Tristan covered his eyes, horrified yet oddly amused as Riley helped his grandmother down the stairs. What had he done? The two of them together were likely to bring down the entire town. He couldn’t wait. With that idea firmly planted in his head, Tristan rushed the last stragglers from the building. Riley had agreed to spend the afternoon with him. It was enough to get him moving. Once he had everyone out and the building locked tight, Tristan found Riley at her car, switching her heels for a pair of flip-flops. She looked sexy as hell in her orange summer dress. It showed off a hint of cleavage. His gaze continued drifting to the exposed skin, lingering.
    “If you don’t mind, we’ll leave your