Taste Me by Candi Silk

Chapter 1
     
    Kara James had left work fifteen minutes
early so she could beat the traffic rush. Yeah, she could do that,
since she was a vice-president with a high-flying advertising
company.
    After a messy divorce from a lackluster
five-year marriage, she’d poured her energies into cultivating her
career, and at only 28 she’d excelled in the business world.
    But that had left little or no time for a
social life. Recently she was half-heartedly dating a half-way
decent guy she’d been introduced to by one of her girlfriends. But
still he wasn’t that “knight in shining armor” that she dreamed
about, as she rubbed herself between her legs almost nightly.
    She pulled her late model car into the
parking lot of Earth Harvest Food Market to pick up her usual
grocery items for the weekend. The sky was building for a
mid-summer shower, but she figured she could beat the rain, as she
hurried across the parking lot, high heels clicking and dressed in
a black business skirt and cream silk blouse that shimmered across
her pert breasts.
    The store was nit-picky clean and offered the
freshest of vegetables and other items. And their gourmet coffee
variety, which was fresh ground, was probably the closest thing she
had that seduced her taste buds. She stood for several minutes
inhaling the fresh aroma as the barista behind the counter ground
customers’ selections.
    Kara waited patiently to have her bag of
whole beans ground; and Mystery Blend was the height of risk and
daring that was present in her routine life. She thought, yeah,
exotic coffee beans are about the ultimate in excitement these
days.
    She made her way through the produce section,
selecting a variety of vegetables and fruits; crunchy veggies for
salads and crisp, juicy fruits for succulent snacking. Ummm,
good.
    But the last three weeks, when she came in to
shop, she felt like she was being watched, especially when she
selected items in the produce section. Kara was slightly
above-average attractive, but in addition she dressed with a neat,
trendy appearance; clean fresh look, with just the right touches of
makeup and fragrance. Her natural long blonde hair was an added
plus. Her clothes fit her shapely body that was toned regularly at
the fitness center. And with three-inch heels topping her out at
five-foot, six inches, she caught her share of second glances from
men, and a few women.
    But why did she get the feeling that a
different set of eyes were on her when in this store? Her eyes
darted around the area quickly, as she fingered the cucumbers,
placing her selection in the plastic bag. No one was watching her;
just a busy produce assistant in a knee-length white uniform coat
rearranging a display of Gala apples.
    Just my imagination, she thought, as she
grabbed a head of cabbage and a bag of carrots. As she rolled her
cart forward, a low voice behind her said, “Afternoon ma’am,
finding everything you need?” The produce assistant.
    She answered automatically, because all the
clerks were so friendly. “Yes, thank you. I’m fine.”
    “Smell delicious.”
    “Yes, the produce is always fresh
smelling.”
    “No, I meant you.”
    Her heart fluttered, as she turned to connect
a face with the low easy voice. The produce assistant, again. But
she barely got a glimpse of his blue eyes. She caught a flash of
fire in them, but he’d turned so quickly and was moving down the
aisle, when he said over his shoulder, “Let me know if you need
assistance with your shopping.”
    Before she could finish her muttered reply of
“Thank you,” his hands were fluffing the green bean display. She
didn’t get a good look at him, and didn’t want to stare. In his
wake there was a pleasant scent of his cologne. It had to be him ; no other men were close by. She inhaled; the aroma
toying with her pulse. She pushed her cart around the bins, taking
a deep breath, enjoying his compliment, and thought about how nice
a random compliment was. She couldn’t remember the last