To my readers:
I must say that this is my first attempt at writing erotica and I could not have done it without the help from my editor, Eluckenbach. So thank you Eluckenbach! I am hoping to continue writing in this genre and any feedback will be welcome.
Thanks and happy reading!
SecretEssence
*****
Standing hunched over the counter in her bakery's kitchen, Ivy Moretti breathed in the heady aroma of freshly baked chocolate, as she created intricate white roses along the sides of the wedding cake perched in front of her.
Ivy's Aphrodisiac. The name came to her one night while she was out taking her nightly run. She always wanted someone to crave her and now thousands did. At least they did her sweets. Her love life was a completely different story all together.
Ivy had always dreamed of owning her own bakery and three years ago, that dream came true. Smiling to herself, she remembers how Kathy, her stepmother had reacted upon hearing of the bakery.
******
"What do you mean you want to open a bakery?" questioned her stepmother.
"You misunderstood me Kathy. I have opened a bakery." Ivy smiled sweetly at her step-mom as she watched her perfectly polished face flush with tightly controlled anger.
Kathy's head snapped towards Cole, Ivy's father causing her coffered black hair to sway slightly in its tight confines. "Exactly how did she open a bakery? She doesn't have a cent to her name."
"Dad helped me find a backer, and because I already found the perfect location in the Village, everything just fell in place." Ivy wanted to gloat in Kathy's face, but she would not make this any harder on her father than it was already going to be.
"Cole," Kathy whined. "I thought we discussed this. Remember, you said we were not going to get involved with anymore of Ivy's little schemes."
"No Kathy, you discussed. I listened to your point-of-view and decided to help Ivy find a silent backer." Cole patient tone sounded as if he were talking to a child and not to his new wife.
Kathy face reddened as she became irate at Cole's explanation. "You never help Michael when he comes to you! Is that because he's my son and not you precious dead wife's little girl?" The word wife came out as a sneer.
Ivy knew that her father could handle Kathy on his own, but she would not let the bitch talk about her mother with disrespect.
Ivy's eyes narrowed on Kathy as she walked towards her. "Don't you talk about my mother in that tone, you stupid cow! She was more of wife and mother than you can ever hope to be!" Anger and pain radiated through her body as she came to a stop inches from Kathy.
Kathy stepped back in the face of Ivy's rage and looked to Cole for help.
"Ivy honey, I'm sure Kathy didn't mean to disrespect your mother. You know how she tends to speak before she thinks," Cole said as he stepped between the two women, trying to defuse the situation.
Ivy could hear the pleading in her father's voice and see the fire in his ever-changing smoke-gray eyes and backed away from Kathy. "I only tolerate you because I love my Dad, but understand this. If you ever hurt him or speak badly of my mother again nothing will stop me from kicking your bony ass."
As Ivy stormed out of the room, she heard the warning her father gave Kathy and smiled with the knowledge that Kathy would be out of their lives before the end of the year.
******
Nikolai Petrov sat surrounded by the black buttery leather of his high-backed chair as he went over his company's figures from the last month. The large bay of windows rising up behind him is letting in the filtered rays of sunshine as they warmed him through the thick panes of glass.
Placing the folder down on his mahogany desk, he leaned back and closed his gray-green eyes. Exhaling loudly, he links his hands together behind his head and ponders at the success his investment company has seen. His partner and confidant, Cole Moretti had helped Nikolai with more than getting his hands into the investment market. In essence, Cole had saved him from a very troubled road and Nikolai would always be eternally grateful because of it. Nikolai opened his eyes to take in the lush opulence around him. It still amazed him to think that all of this was his. He still laughed to himself when he thought about his first splurge.
Spending two hundred thousand dollars on the mother of pearl world globe that stood proudly in the corner of his office had nearly caused him to be sick. However, as his mother said, "You've worked too hard not to enjoy yourself Niko, just make sure you are not enjoying it alone."
His mother was constantly worrying about his marital status. Being forty-two and never married, he could understand her concerns. He just could not seem to get motivated enough to do anything about it. The buzz of his intercom pulls him from his thoughts and back to reality.
"Yes, Tracie," he answers.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you Mr. Petrov, but Mr. Fielding is here and insists on speaking with you," Tracie explains.
Releasing the intercom button Nikolai rubs at his suddenly throbbing temples. "It's okay Tracie. You can show him in."
The heavy mahogany door opens to reveal Tracie's elegantly long body, as she ushers in the aging Mr. Fielding. Nikolai knew that Tracie too was concerned with his single status, but for entirely selfish reasons. Unfortunately, he could not seem to get past her snobby, cold demeanor.
"Mr. Petrov," started the little old man before Tracie even had time to shut the door behind her. "I'm sorry to bother you without calling first, but I have something I think you would be interested in looking at," Mr. Fielding said quickly.
"Is there some concern with my finances?" asked Nikolai.
"Oh no Mr. Petrov, quite the opposite in fact. Do you recall agreeing to be a silent backer for Mr. Moretti's daughter's bakery?" questioned the accountant.
Nikolai's dark brows drew together as he thought back to his friend coming to him with a harmless sounding proposition. "Yes, about three years ago right? Has something happened?"
The little man hobbled over to one of the big chairs in front of Nikolai's desk and sat heavily. "Yes. I was just going over the numbers of some of your smaller holdings when the bakery caught my eye. It seems that it is not so little anymore. In fact in the past two year it has nearly quadrupled its revenues and upon further investigation I have discovered that the bakery is one of the top confectioners in the state."
Nikolai steeples his hands in front of his mouth as he leaned towards his trusted accountant. "You know what Mr. Fielding? I do believe I'm starting to have the craving for something sweet today," said Nikolai with a full smile.
*****
Nikolai pulled his pearl grey Jaguar into the parking space to the right of the little brick bakery. The sign hanging from the brightly colored awning held the words boasting Ivy's Aphrodisiac in a flirty dark green script complete with bright pink orchids climbing along the I and A.
Smiling to himself, Nikolai climbs out of his car and heads towards the bakery's front window so he can observe for a moment. He learned long ago that a successful businessman always considers each situation before acting.
Coming to stop by the crystal clear glass, he looks inside, taking mental notes of things to be changed or left alone. As he scans the brightly lit counters, his eyes come to a halt when they alighted on the little blond working behind the counter.
She is definitely not going to be changed, thought Nikolai as he continued taking in the woman's features.
The woman's shoulder length blond hair was held back from her heart-shaped face by two braids on the back of her head. Two braids that Nikolai wanted to curl his fist around as he thrust into her from behind. Her pink tank top did a poor job of concealing her round, soft breast, for that he was immensely grateful.
Nikolai felt himself start to harden as he continued to take in her small body. She was short, maybe a little over five foot, and curvy in all the right places. He could almost feel her legs wrap around his waist as he pierced her delectable body.
God, he would love to fuck her up against a wall. He bet himself that she would give as good as she got. Not the uptight quiet women he always seemed to attract. Nikolai shook his head when he realized where his thoughts were going.
Turning from the window, he heads towards the front door. Taking one last breath of fresh air to help clear his head, he pushes the door open. The little blond looks up from her task of restocking the baked goods and stopped him cold in his tracks with a wide bright smile.
"Good morning," said the woman as she rounded the counter with her petite hand stretched out to him.
"Morning," replied Nikolai.
Up close, he noticed that she was younger that he originally thought. He also realized that she just might be the only person other than his mother who had a genuine smile.
It was the kind of smile that lit up the eyes. She had beautiful light brown eyes with streaks of gold bolting through them. Honey colored eyelashes and brows made his mind wonder if the thatch between her legs was that sweet shade.
Ivy's brows rose when the handsome dark stranger continued to stare at her and ignore her outstretched hand. Feeling that she had waited long enough to be polite, Ivy reached for his hand that was still at his side. "This is where you take my hand and shake it back." Ivy said with a laugh in her voice and a smile on her coral colored lips.
Once again shaking out of his lust induced trance Nikolai gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, you caught me off-guard by coming around the counter. First time I've actually been greeted that way in a bakery."
"Uh huh, nice save. You can always get around me by completing my bakery," laughed Ivy.
