Yosh picks up a butt plug from a balance scale and twirls it between his fingers in the red, sensual glow of a Tiffany lamp. Then he lets out a soft laugh.
“Your candy shop is a sweet sin.”
I’m pretty sure my eyes are sparkling right now.
“Sweet sin… Good one, I’ll pitch it to marketing.”
“Who even comes up with this?”
“An idiot like me, apparently.”
He looks back at me, narrowed eyes piercing right through me.
“Don’t talk yourself down like that. This whole concept is genius, Sapphire.”
That one hits somewhere I wasn’t expecting. I shrug it off before I get all mushy again.
“So, still open-minded?” I ask, watching him scan the shelves.
“Not just my mind,” he croons softly, and I swear if his eyes had fingers, they’d already be unbuttoning my jeans.
“Don’t…” I laugh against his chest, pushing him back just as I catch someone in the corner of my eye. A young lady walks in from the backroom.
I’ve never seen her before, she must be new.
“Welcome to SACS. How may I—” She cuts herself off, eyes narrowing.
“Oh my god, you’re Tom! Sorry, Mister McKenna. It’s so nice to finally meet you.”
“You can call me Tom, darling. I’m not that old.”
Reflex makes me wink. A second later I wish I hadn’t. Next to me, Yosh twitches. Fuck. I’m not supposed to do that.
Her cheeks turn pink as she tucks a strand of long blonde hair behind her ear, taking the invitation I hadn’t meant to send. Or at least… not meant like that.
Great. How do I dig myself out of this one?
“You're new here?” I ask, dropping the charm, going for a neutral tone. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Charlotte, Edward’s niece. I’m helping out during my Christmas break from uni.”
Of course she is.
“Nice to meet you, Charlotte. Is Eddy around?”
“Yeah, he’s upstairs in the office.”
“Thanks. I had an order set aside last week, I think your uncle saved it behind the counter.”
She nods and ducks under the register, then sets a gift box on the counter.
I turn and find Yosh in front of the antique medicine cabinet. He pretends to check out the lubes, but I know better. He’s turned his back to me as an act of protest.
“Hey,” I whisper, voice still rough from the cold. “I’m sorry for that, I wasn’t thinking. I’m an idiot.”
“I think I’m going to check out the collection of whips over there.” He tips his chin at the vintage cake display that is filled with BDSM items.
Right. I deserve that.
