CANDY VALENTINE by Ruth D. Kerce (Copyright © 2000, all rights reserved)       She couldn't believe she was here. The sweet smells of chocolate and sugared candies assaulted her senses. She hated candy with a passion. Hated Valentine's Day even more. But she needed a job, and Sweet Sensations was hiring for the holiday. At least it was a classy shop, not one of those grab it and bag it places.       Hopefully, she had a better than average chance of landing this job. She knew the manager. They'd dated briefly in high school. Then Trevor had gone off to college, and she'd traveled cross country to live with her ailing aunt for several years. They hadn't seen each other since.       The store's snotty assistant manager, Mrs. Hamilton, came out of the back office and made a beeline right for her. That old biddy was in serious need of a personality transplant.       "The manager will see you now." With her nose stuck in the air, Mrs. Hamilton turned and headed back toward the office. Her order to follow went unspoken, but was clearly understood.       This was it. She stood, straightened her skirt, and followed like an obedient child.       Butterflies swarmed in her stomach. What would Trevor think of her after all these years? They were only in their 30's, but still ... She couldn't help feeling nervous about her appearance. She'd gained a little weight since high school and acquired a few fine wrinkles around her eyes. She wondered if Trevor had grown fat and started balding, like so many of her former male classmates. He hadn't shown up at the reunion last month, so she had no idea.       Mrs. Hamilton rapped sharply on the door. "Mr. Brannigan?"       "Come," a deep voice rumbled from within the office.       Mrs. Hamilton opened the door and waited. "Well ...," she finally snapped. "Don't just stand there, girl. Go on in."       Girl? She hadn't been called girl in 10 years. She'd have been pleased, if she hadn't known it was meant as an insult. She raised her chin, took a deep breath, and walked inside.       She hardly recognized Trevor on the other side of the desk. In high school, he'd always seemed too skinny for his 6-foot frame, his nose and lips too large for his thin face. Now he'd grown into his features. She could only see him from the chest up, but his broad shoulders filled out his body perfectly. And his nose now appeared normal. His lips were still full, but looked very kissable. Her heart pounded in her chest as old feelings began to resurface.       "Thank you, Mrs. Hamilton."       His voice sounded gravelly, and she wondered if he still smoked. The door clicked closed behind her, and a shiver of nervousness traveled down her spine at the realization that they were alone.       Trevor steepled his fingers in front of him. "Well, well, well ..." A smile tugged at his lips. "Candy Valentine."       "I go by Candace now."       He nodded. "It is more mature sounding, I suppose." He motioned toward a chair in front of his desk. "Please, have a seat."       "Thank you." Candace perched on the edge of the chair, too nervous to relax fully against the thin, brown padding.       "My assistant manager thought you were lying about your name."       "I get that a lot."       "How have you been, Candace? You look good. I'd heard from friends that you were back in town. It's really great seeing you again."       She smiled inwardly at the compliment. "It's good to see you too, Trevor." She squirmed in the chair. It had been too long. She didn't know what to say. Small talk had never been a skill of hers. "About the job ..."       "Always the practical one. And so predictable" He shook his head. "Some things never change. You need to work on that."       Candace gripped the padded armrests. Now she remembered why she hadn't put in any effort to continue a long-distance relationship with him after they'd moved apart. He'd always teased her about being too practical and predictible, and for not having a wild side to her personality. His attitude still irked her.       "I don't really have any openings for someone like you, right now, Candace."       "You're running an ad in the paper, Trevor. And what do you mean, 'someone like me'?" She felt as if he was dismissing her.       "We're trying to bring in the college crowd. I'd planned on hiring someone younger--with more enthusiasm."       His tone immediately sent her anger into overdrive. "Then you might want to think about replacing Mrs. Prune-Face out there. She looks like she's sucked a few too many sour balls."       Trevor laughed. "My, my ... you've developed a temper since high school, haven't you? I like that." He cocked his head, studying her. "Mrs. Hamilton is very good at her job. She always does as she's told."       "Oh?" Candace couldn't help goading him. "And I thought you liked a woman with a wild side."       "I do. In bed. Not on the job."       Candace sucked in a sharp breath at his blunt words. This older, more sophisticated Trevor intrigued her--even as frustrating as he was. Something about him made her want to uncover his hidden layers. She stood from the chair and walked around to the other side of his desk. She leaned against it, right beside him. She was not about to lose this job. "I have plenty of enthusiasm, Trevor."       He cocked an eyebrow. "Oh?" He swiveled his chair toward her and reached out to glide his finger down her arm. "Care to show me?"       Trembling at the slight contact, Candace fought to control her voice. "Care to give me the job?"       Trevor leaned back in the chair. "You always were a tease. I didn't like it in high school, and I don't like it now."       "What did you expect?"       "An honest show of feelings for once. That's why I was always going at you--trying to get you to come out from behind that wall of emotion you constantly held in front of you like a suit of armor."       His confession surprised her. Maybe he knew her better than she thought. And maybe she'd been too harsh in her judgement of him. "I really need this job, Trevor."       "If I remember correctly, you never cared too much for sweets. It's hard to sell something you don't believe in."       "You know we'd be good together, Trevor." She slid up to sit on his desk and purposely crossed her legs to draw his attention.       "Are you talking about working together or something else?" His gaze raked her body.       She shrugged. "Anything you want."       "Oh? It's that easy?" Trevor stood, cupped her cheek, and covered her mouth in a toe-curling kiss.       Candace pushed at his chest, taken off balance by his abrupt action. His kissing technique had definitely improved since high school. Just when she was about to respond and lean into him, he pulled away.       Wiping her lipstick from his mouth, he studied her intently. "Well ... like I said ... I need someone wth more ... enthusiasm." He plopped back in his chair and smiled up at her.       Candace hopped off the desk. "You've turned into such a bastard." She leaned over him, itching to slap that smug look off his face. "You wouldn't know a good thing if it grabbed you by the balls!"       Trevor laughed. "You really have changed, Candy. I'm not sure how much, but I like it that you won't take any crap, even from me."       Was that another compliment? Had he been goading her on purpose again? He grazed his knuckle down the curve of her breast, and she gasped at the feelings that surged through her. How could she snap from anger to desire like a lightswitch? He knew just how to manipulate her emotions. Well, she could play the same game. She leaned forward and lightly touched her lips to his. "If you'll be nice," she whispered, "I'll be nice."       "How nice?" he growled, his gaze dipping to her lips.       Candy kneeled in front of him and massaged his thighs. "It's been a long time since high school, Trevor." Her gaze locked with his. "Do you remember that game of poker we played up at your parent's cabin?"       "Yes," he answered, drawing out the word into three syllables.       "Do you remember the last hand and what we bet?"       He nodded.       Her fingers slid down his legs, then back up again, stopping to rest on his upper thighs. "Do you remember me losing?"       Again he nodded. His face was flushed, and she saw him swallow a couple of times, as if trying to find his voice.       "I refused to pay up." She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. "That was so unfair of me."       Trevor grabbed the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair. "Don't ... tease ... me," he ground out.       "Would you like me to pay up?" she whispered.       He simply stared at her.       Doubt stilled her movements, afraid he was about to throw her out. How humiliating that would be! She'd never be able to show her face among their circle of friends, if he chose to reveal her actions, that is. Her nails curled into his thighs as she waited.       "If you pay up," he began, his voice a hoarse whisper, "it better be all the way." His hand tightened in her hair.       Candace smiled and reached for his belt buckle. She worked by feel alone, unable to draw her gaze from the intensity of Trevor's eyes. In high school, she never would have done this. She had teased him with that bet. But high school was now a mere memory, and she didn't want to tease him anymore.       Slowly, she worked down his zipper. Her pulse raced, and she took a deep breath to try and calm her excitement. She didn't want to rush this. When she reached inside to free him and her fingers made contact with his hot flesh, she heard him suck in a sharp breath. "Should I stop?" she asked, a smile tugging at her lips.       "No," he whooshed out, his voice laced with emotion. "Do it."       She dipped her head and took him in her mouth. His taste filled her senses and excited her even more.       He groaned. "Oh, yeah."       A sharp rap on the door broke the erotic encounter.       Trevor pushed at Candy's head, but she simply scooted beneath his desk, swiveling his chair around toward her.       Another quick knock came at the door, then it opened. "Mr. Brannigan?" Mrs. Hamilton stepped inside.       Trevor's head snapped up, and his gaze flew to Mrs. Hamilton.       "I'm sorry to disturb you, but--" She glanced around the office. "Oh, that woman is gone. Good."       Trevor tried to look calm. One hand rested on his desk. With the other, he still pushed at Candy, but apparently she had no intentions of stopping her erotic assault on his body. Thank goodness the panel in the front of his desk went all the way to the floor. "Can this wait, Mrs. Hamilton?" His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat.       "I'm afraid not. I need your signature on these forms. The messenger is waiting to take them to the post office."       Candy flicked her tongue over him with each word Mrs. Hamilton spoke. "All--all right."       Mrs. Hamilton pushed the papers across the desk, and Trevor began scrawling his name as fast as he could.       "That Valentine person was not to my liking," the older woman spoke as Trevor signed.       Candy nipped him with her teeth.       Trevor jumped.       "Sir? Are you all right? You look flushed."       "I'm fine." He was having problems focusing on the papers as his desire rose to a dangerous level. Ignore what was happening under the desk, he told himself. But how could he ignore Candy's mouth and the exquisite torture she was putting him through?       Mrs. Hamilton reached out as Trevor pushed the signed papers back over to her. "She was just the type I know would have been a suck up. Don't you agree?"       Trevor's hand clenched into a fist as Candy suctioned her mouth over him, apparently trying to fulfill Mrs. Hamilton's words. "Uh ... yeah. Best kind."       Mrs. Hamilton gave him a strange look. She started for the door, then turned back. "Is there anything you need, sir? You're starting to sweat. I can get you some candy. Maybe it's sugar withdrawal."       "No, thank you," he choked out. "I have plenty of candy right here in my desk."       "Very well." She turned and left, shutting the door behind her.       "Candy," Trevor squeaked, his hands going to her head. "You have to stop. I can't ... I'm going to ..." His body tightened, then exploded in a shattering climax like he hadn't experienced in years. He tried to stop his groans of pleasure, but it was impossible. Totally spent, he slumped in the chair.       Candace pushed his chair out and crawled out from under the desk. She kissed him lightly on the lips. "Too bad I'm so predictable. I'll have to work on that." She smiled and grabbed a peppermint stick from a cup on his desk.       Trevor stared at her glassy-eyed. When she licked her lips, then slid the end of the stick into her mouth, he cleared his throat. "I thought ..." he cleared his throat again, "I thought you didn't like candy."       Shrugging, she pulled the peppermint stick from her mouth. "I think my tastes are changing. I might be open to all sorts of interesting experiences." She glanced around. "This office inspires me." She strolled over to the door and opened it.       Mrs. Hamilton stood on the opposite side, her fist raised, prepared to knock. A look of surprise crossed her face. "You! I thought you'd come and gone."       "Someone came, but it wasn't me."       The woman gave her an odd look, and Candace chuckled. She looked back at Trevor. "I'll expect your call about the job." She slid the peppermint stick back into her mouth, took a long draw on it, then pulled it out slowly, making a show of enjoying its sweetness.       Trevor groaned.       Not a bad afternoon, Candace thought as she turned and walked down the hall. She hesitated when she heard Trevor say, "Mrs. Hamilton, take the ad out of the paper. I've decided to hire Ms. Valentine. She has a unique approach that I think will greatly enhance my enthusiasm and appreciation of candy."       "You can't be serious, sir! She's nothing but a--a--"       "Suck up? Mrs. Hamilton ... ease up on the sour balls. You're getting crabby."       Candace smiled, then flicked her tongue across the tip of the peppermint stick. "Maybe Valentine's Day isn't such a bad holiday after all." THE END