Page 42 of Welcome to Ero-TEA-Ca: We’re Open!

“Wow, sis! I knew you could do it.” Kevin gave her a beaming smile and two thumbs up.

Diane had tears welling in her eyes. “Congratulations, Harriet. We are so, so proud of you.”

“I…but…what?”

Cass laughed. “Please don’t be mad I kept it from you. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“But I’ve only been open a few months!” Harriet couldn’t get her head around it.

“It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been open. The fact is, Ero-Tea-Ca is booming. You’re elevating the high street, and people recognise that.”

“We have to celebrate,” Diane announced, standing. “Everyone grab your coats, we’re going to the pub. Mum, Dad, you’re welcome to join us if you want.”

Harriet completely forgot her parents were there for a moment.

But the reality of what they’d tried to do minutes before came rushing back.

“I doubt you’ll want to come and celebrate such a thing.

Not for a shop that’s bound to fail. Isn’t that what you said?

” Harriet was angry, but she wouldn’t let them take this moment from her.

“Let’s go.” She didn’t give Patsy or Ronald the chance to speak.

Putting on her coat, Harriet noticed Cass hadn’t followed her into the hall. The rest of the family was already making their way outside. Concerned, Harriet headed back to the dining room. She’d lose her shit if her parents were giving Cass any more grief.

“You’ll lose her,” she heard Cass say, “if you continue like this. She’ll leave and never come back.

No matter what you think of me or her shop, she is your daughter.

Do better.” And then Cass whirled around.

Not wanting to be caught eavesdropping, Harriet scuttled to the front door.

She redid her zip to look as if she was simply preparing to leave.

Cass stepped up next to her, grabbed her chin, and kissed her soundly.

“Let’s go celebrate.”

“Oh my God, that was so much fun! I’m so pleased the shop is closed tomorrow.

I need a morning in bed after that.” Harriet was on top of the world.

The celebration turned out to be a full-on party by the end of the night.

Harriet had immediately called Nabi to come to the pub when Ero-Tea-Ca was announced as the winner.

They’d spent five minutes squealing in delight.

Nabi even cried, which was out of character.

“It was. Diane is nice.”

Harriet pulled them to a stop, only yards away from Cass’s front door. “Thank you!”

Cass nipped her nose. “Nothing to thank me for.”

Harriet scoffed. “There is and you know it. I couldn’t have gotten through that dinner without you, Cass. You were perfect.”

“I doubt I’ve earned myself a return invitation, but as long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters. I’m sorry they behaved like that.”

Harriet shook her head. “I wasn’t surprised. A little shocked at one point, I suppose.”

“Understandably. As long as you know they’re wrong. You have worked your lovely derriere off, and you’re succeeding. Ero-Tea-Ca is a universal triumph.”

“Wow, could I get that in writing? You know, for when you’re being all moody and pissy, that my shop is better than yours!”

Harriet stifled a laugh as Cass growled. “I’ll never admit that! The Oxford Beanery is a beacon in these parts. And a three-time award winner.”

Dragging her index finger across Cass’s pouting lips, she grinned. “I do love it when you get all het up like this. It’s sexy.”

“You’re incorrigible. Get in that house!”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Laughing, they stumbled through the door. Harriet reached for Cass as soon as their coats were off. Running her hands through Cass’s hair, Harriet tugged slightly, knowing Cass liked a bit of hair pulling, even if she wasn’t aware of it herself.

Over the course of their budding relationship, Cass had inadvertently shown Harriet she was far from the “vanilla sex” person she regarded herself as. Cass liked hair pulling. Spanking and dirty talk, too; none of which they’d discussed, but were things Harriet observed.

“Shower,” she breathed into Cass’s open mouth. She swallowed a moan as Cass sucked on her tongue and grabbed her ass, giving it a delightful squeeze and knead.

They fumbled each other’s clothes off without breaking contact.

This was Harriet’s favourite part: their utter urgency to get naked with each other.

Breaking away to shower added to their foreplay.

Harriet loved seeing Cass’s eyes blown wide open with lust, but unable to satiate her thirst straight away.

Sometimes Harriet liked to tease further by taking an extra-long soak.

Cass became almost feral when she did that, especially when she masturbated in the shower, knowing Cass could hear her.

It was their game, and Harriet was a master at it.

Tonight, Cass seemed extra wound up. She was waiting for Harriet in the bathroom when she stepped out of the cubicle. “Wait there,” Cass demanded, pointing to her sink. “And no towel.”

Harriet’s heart rate tripled. She watched Cass wash her body, all the time picturing what she wanted to do to her and where she wanted her mouth and fingers. Her sexy daydream was broken as Cass stepped out of the cubicle and into her personal space.

“Turn around.”

Harriet bit her lip. This was new. They’d had sex in the bedroom many times, once in the kitchen during a food break, which followed a particularly long session of lovemaking, but never anywhere else.

“I said, ‘turn around,’” Cass repeated in a low tone.

Cassandra Beaufort was far from vanilla. How had Harriet got so lucky?