“I don’t know if anyone has told you this, probably not since your nickname is Scrooge McDuck.”
“What?” I scoff.
“But you do have a playful side.”
“Only to you,” I mutter. “Trust me, you’re the only one who brings out that ‘playful’ side in me.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that, by the way. In fact, I like it; seeing a new side to you. Well, not new to me, you’ve always been sweet to me… kind.”
Our eyes finally meet. “Because I care about you.”I love you.“And I care about Deaton, too, and I want you to know that if something happens with us, we make a pact; we will always be friends. I’m never gonna hurt you, Chels. I’m not perfect, heck, I’m not even sure that I deserve a shot, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t want one.”
She nods. “A pact. I can do that.”
“Do you want something to happen, Chels?”
She swallows hard, setting the tongs she was holding onto the counter. “I think you already know the answer to that.”
“A verbal approval to kiss you would be appreciated.” I smirk.
“Who said anything about kissing?”
My heart leaps as I set down my tools, moving toward her. She takes a step back, her ass hitting the counter behind her. “You wanna say that again?”
“Who said anything—” She doesn’t have a chance to get the words out.
I cup her face, leaning down, the smell of cake mix and chocolate in the air. The heat of the kitchen only adds to the adrenaline coursing through me as I press my lips to hers. Of course, they’re soft, sensuous and perfect, just like her. It’s slow to begin with, then she makes this little moan in the back of her throat and, fuck it, I swipe the spatula and the oven mitts off the counter behind her and lift her, planting her ass on the hard surface. She wraps her arms around my neck as I deepen the kiss, my hands on her hips as I pull her to the edge so I’m pressing against her.Allof me.
She gasps. “Holy shit,” she breathes in between kisses.
“Fuck. You taste like vanilla cupcakes,” I say.
“Such a romantic.”
I rub my nose against hers. “Chels, I want you. I can’t dance around this anymore. We’re both adults. We’re both single. I can’t stay away from you a minute longer.”
Her breath catches. “I want you, too. I can feel you, Brad.”
“Yeah, I’m hard as a rock around you. You’ve no idea the torture I’ve put my palm through.” She bites her lip, and I free it from her teeth. “You keep doing that and I can’t say I’ll be much of a gentleman where this countertop is concerned.”
“What if I don’t want you to be a gentleman?”
I grin, hardly able to believe we’re doing this. “Your wish is my command.”
Chapter Seventeen
CHELSEA
His hands on me feel like a furnace, and they shouldn’t feel so familiar to me, because they’ve never been touching me like this before. Imagining it is one thing,feelingit is quite another.
“You know if we cross that line—” I cut myself off as my teeth sink into my bottom lip and I blink up at him. He seems to like it when I do that.
“Oh, Mama. I think we crossed that line somewhere between my muffin order and the school fete’s cinnamon buns.”
I can’t help but laugh. “You’re a very welcome distraction, Bradley Lucas, do you know that?”
“Ooh, using both my names, am I suddenly in trouble?”
“You’re about to be.”
