Red Hots
Authors: Yvette Hines
Red
Hots
Yvette Hines
Copyright © 2013 Yvette
Hines
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-1492295396
ISBN-10: 1492295396
This
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of
the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed
as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons,
living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All
rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this
copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced
electronically or in print without written permission by the author.
Red Hots
Copyright © 2013, Yvette
Hines
Cover Artist: Estrella Cover
Art (http://estrellacoverart.com)
Line Editor: Andrea Jackson
Proofer: Bernadette Schane
Copy Editor: Liza Kazee
This
book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold
or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with
another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re
reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use
only, then please return to bookstore and purchase your own copy. It is illegal
to upload books without the publisher’s permission to share sites. Thank you
for respecting the hard work of this author.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To Dawn who had the great idea about a candy
shop and when we said “Can it be two brothers that own it and they are Doms?”
you said, “‘Hell, yeah!’” Much appreciation for your confidence in us.
To Bridget Midway (author of
Licorice Whips
)
my co-storyteller and candy shop owner. It always amazes me how we can take a
crazy idea and bring it to life. Here’s to our Dom brothers!
Never forgetting those on Team Yvette Hines,
my editing and cover art peeps. You all make what I dream about and dare to put
out to the masses look damn good. You all are the top shelf, perfectly-aged
SHIT!
Finally and most importantly to my readers.
The way you all stick with me and all of my genres, you support me, not only by
buying the books, posting reviews, and shouting it out to all who will listen,
but because even on my #1kaday you let me know you are there and waiting…not so
patiently.
J
CHAPTER One
“Knock,
knock.”
At
the sound of someone calling from his door, Masaun glanced up from the
production reports he was reviewing of the store’s last six months. He was sure
it was one of the two employees that worked for him and his brother. Swithin,
his younger brother and co-owner of Decadent Treats, would not have knocked on
the office door. He and Swithin, who had been called ‘Sweet’ since they were
children, had started the candy shop five years ago in the heart of downtown
Virginia Beach. It worked in this semi-upscale area where people could afford
the treats they offered and the confectionery creations his brother provided.
It was finally growing to a profitable business, not greatly profitable but
enough for them to start building a liquid cushion.
Leaning
back in his chair, Masaun Hawkes stared at the solid door. It wasn’t sealed,
but partially open the way he kept it. However, he’d ensured that his staff
knew that his ‘open’ door policy meant they were still expected to knock and
wait until he gave them permission to enter. Control. He had to have control in
his life, even over the smallest things.
“Enter,”
he called out.
The
door pushed wider as Hanson stuck his head through the opening. The thin face
of the lanky black man was pulled into a wide smile. “Boss, I have that Sheldon
party delivery package ready for pick up. Connie is working with a family out
front—”
“I’m
on my way.” Masaun placed the papers into a new folder and labeled it for the
months he had been reviewing.
“Thanks.”
With a sharp nod, Hanson left.
Rising,
Masaun straightened his black tie that had the company logo at the bottom of
it—a diamond with four sections, each one having a different kind of candy in
it. At the store, he was the only one who wore a tie, or even anything business
style for that matter. He did it out of habit. After so many years in the
business world and always in a suit, he felt more comfortable in the work
environment dressed in such a way.
Their
two employees wore slacks and various polo-style shirts with the logo in the
upper corner and the name stitched below it; Sweet wore jeans with his. His
brother was not the slacks wearing type.
Masaun
rounded the desk and went out the door, closing it behind him. The smell of
chocolate and other sugary treats greeted him as he walked the short hall that
led away from his office to the kitchen where Sweet spent most of his time when
he came down from the apartment above the store to work.
The
aisles were stocked deep with candies, both new and old-fashioned, and the
interior of the store was painted with just as many vibrant colors as the
outside, which appeared like something out of a children’s fairytale. That was
Sweet’s doing, his brother’s vision…something from his youth. He wanted his
brother happy, at peace; so he was willing to do whatever that would take,
within reason.
Connie
stood beside the fresh-made chocolate case, talking with the family, and glanced
over and smiled at him. He nodded at her, impressed that she could remain calm
around the parents with the four children who were all babbling about what
candy they wanted and how many of each. The parents even looked frazzled and overwhelmed
as if they wished they had not decided to come in with the kids. However,
Connie, a grandmother of two boys, just continued to speak in soft tones with a
grin. They’d made the correct decision to hire her. She was just what the store
needed.
It
hadn’t escaped Masaun’s notice that Connie recalled all the first names of
their many repeat customers and what they liked. Things like that made customers
smile and feel their business was appreciated. She was a value to have around.
Stepping
to one of the shelves to straighten up one of the displays, the ringing of the
chime over the door drew his attention. Seeing a familiar face coming in, he
moved over to greet her.
“Hello,
Dom—“ She lowered her gaze from his face. “Um, Mr.—” Seeming to consider herself
and where she was, she lifted them again, but instead of looking in his eyes,
she locked them on something over his shoulder. “Mr.—”
“Masaun,”
he supplied, seeing her struggle with what to call him. She knew him as Dom
Hawk, but that wasn’t appropriate for her to use now. He killed the urge to glance
over his shoulder and see if the customers already in the store had heard her
slip. That was a part of his life, was his life. He wasn’t ashamed of what he
and his younger brother, Sweet, were into, that deeper, darker side. However,
neither was he planning to take out a billboard and advertise it. That was a
constant bone of contention between he and his brother.
“Yes,
right, Sir…Masaun.”
Taking
in the leggy white woman’s apparel, cream knee-length skirt and dark green top
with a black thick belt cinching her waist in, he noted the difference in her
normal appearance. At The Dollhouse where he had trained Lolli six months ago,
before she’d met her current Dominant, Razor, she was often in a school girl’s
plaid skirt, a red collar and nothing else.
Desiring
to get away from the topic of his name, he said, “Welcome to Decadent Treats.
What can I help you with, Lolli?”
Lifting
her chin, she seemed to exude a little more confidence. He assumed she was
leaning on her normal professional skills instead of that of a submissive. If
they were currently at The Dollhouse or any other BDSM establishment, she
wouldn’t have approached him at all without her Dom.
“I
need to order a basket for someone. A good friend of mine.”
“Are
you aware of the various types of packages and specials we offer?” He guided
her toward the end of the counter that held a binder with pictures similar to
the ones they used for the website to show what came in them as well as how they
were packaged. Connie was at the other end behind the register now ringing up
the family’s purchase.
“Yes,
I’m familiar with some of the things you offer. My…boyfriend…” Lolli glanced
over at the family.
Masaun
noticed that the mother was trying to appear not to be eavesdropping as the
father handed Connie a credit card, but he saw the mother shift her gaze down
toward the kids at the last minute.
“My
boyfriend has ordered a few packages and arranged to have them sent to my job.
The other owner…”
“My
brother.”
“Yes.
He delivered them, and they were always just what I needed to let go of the
stress of the day.”
“Good
to know. So, now you want to extend the same courtesy to a friend.” Opening the
binder, he pushed it across the counter toward her.
“Yes,
Sir, that’s correct.” She began flipping through the book as she spoke. “My
friend is under so much pressure at work right now with a tough case.”
Watching
her turn the pages fast as if looking for something specific, he inquired,
“Does your friend like candy?” He wasn’t a fan of a lot of sweets like his
brother, which worked well for the creative side of their business. However, if
Lolli was looking past the smaller, simple sampler baskets and into the more
grand, he assumed her friend must be a junk food addict.
Shaking
her head and making the auburn cloud of curls bounce around her head, she said,
“Not really. To be honest, I know that indulgence as well as simple food have
become a thing of the past since this case fell on the plate. However, Kin has
always been a sucker for nostalgic candy.” Slapping her finger down on top of a
glossy image of their largest basket of classic candy, she glanced up and
smiled. “This one is perfect.”
He
swung the book back around to him as he pulled out a prepared clipboard from
under the counter. Jotting down the code and name of the basket onto the form
secured to the board, he said, “This will be no problem for us to fill. When
would you like it delivered?”
“Today,
please.”
Standing
to his full height, he pierced her with a look. Now that the family was on
their way out of the store, he allowed the intensity he usually reserved for
The Dollhouse to come forth. “This isn’t a pizza place. There’s a reason we
require at least twenty-four to forty-eight hours’ notice before a delivery.”
Lolli
picked up on it instantly. Her grin and eyes dropped at the same time. He was
impressed she didn’t hit the floor on her knees also.
“Um…Sir,
I know it is last minute. However, today is Kin’s birthday, and more
importantly, juror selection on that case I mentioned starts in the morning. I
just want to send a little support, something that will put a smile back on my
friend’s face, even if just for a moment.”
Regardless
of the reason Lolli had given, he was a stickler for policy. Rules were set for
a reason. Hanson was currently working on a big delivery for a party, and they
had been shorthanded this morning, and would be until Sweet arrived later.
“I
think that’s just one of the sweetest things ever to do for a friend.” Connie
put her hand on her heart as she stepped over and practically cooed.
Lolli
glanced up at the older woman, a small glimmer of light—hope—brightening her
gaze.
“Regardless.”
He attempted to curb both ladies’ excitement before it went too far. “Hanson is
already occupied with something else.”
“I
could build the basket on the back counter in between customers. I love doing
them.” Connie’s smile stretched across her coral-painted lips. “It’s for
someone’s birthday…there should always be exceptions for things like that.”
At
times like this, he hated having to remind himself that he couldn’t control
everything or everyone in the store like he did at The Dollhouse, but at that
moment, he wished he could utilize his dominant voice on the enthusiastic
matron beside him. However, the older woman was an employee, not a submissive.
“Please,
Sir. If you could understand the amount of stress Kin is under. I’m so
concerned for my friend that, with so many heavy cases in the last six months,
this case, which is against a horribly twisted man, could be the breaking point
for Kin.”
Not
persuaded by everything else Lolli or Connie had said, this tugged at something
in him. It may have been five years since he’d practiced law, but he remembered
the weight, the sleepless nights and the guilt that came along with it, no
matter what side of the courtroom a person was on. There was also a hint of
something else in Lolli’s voice that pricked his instincts.
However,
with Hanson, who normally handled all the deliveries, occupied, it would mean Masaun
would have to do it once Sweet came in. Growling low, he said, “Fine, but it
cannot be until late in the day.”
“That’s
fine, Sir. Just perfect.” She didn’t touch him, but laid her hand on the
counter close to his and met his gaze briefly. “Thank you.”
Giving
Lolli a sharp nod, he glanced over at Connie who was clapping with glee. “Go
start collecting the items you’ll need for this while there’s a lull in the
store and I’ll complete this form. I’ll ring her up.”
“You
got it, Masaun.” Moving past him in her soft-soled shoes on her way to the
storage area, Connie patted him on the back. “I don’t know why you try and hide
that kind heart of yours.”
Ignoring
the comment from the older woman, he spoke to the customer before him. “I’ll
need the full name and address of the person you want it presented to. I’ll
need your credit card and identification to close this out while you look for a
card on the rack to go with your package.”
Lolli
didn’t move or say anything. Instead her gaze followed Connie out of the front
of the store. Then she glanced at him again. “Sir, there’s one more thing.”
“That
is?” A tingle started at the top of his spine and his chest tightened.
“I
know what finding myself in our lifestyle has done for me. Being a submissive,
allowing someone else to take control in my life in one area, so I could
just…be free.”
“That’s
because your role is a part of your nature.” He kept his response short and his
voice low; this wasn’t the conversation he wanted to have here, now.
“Exactly.
Kin would never allow a moment to think there might be something else out
there.”
“And?”
He wanted her to hurry up with whatever she wanted to say before Connie
returned or a customer came in.
“You’re
such a great trainer…perceptive…persuasive in helping subs to trust themselves
and their Doms enough to reach their potential emotionally and physically.”
He
gave a sharp nod and waited.
“When
you deliver the basket if you could— Not say anything about the lifestyle, but
maybe assess my friend and see if you could offer something…anything. I trust
if you can see a way to help Kin before my friend ends up with a stroke at the
office. I’m just worried.”
Allowing
his gaze to roam her features, seeing the tightness around her mouth and eyes
and the soft lines in her forehead, he knew that emotion was true. He wasn’t a
person who brought his lifestyle out in public and he sure would never approach
anyone with an invitation to the dungeon without knowing what they were looking
for. However, he liked Lolli. She had been a determined sub during her training
and showed the same dedication to her Dom. For that, he could at least agree to
assess her friend.