I lick my lips and his eyes drop to watch.
Holy lord. This guy is killing me.
I swallow hard, wondering how honest to be. Should I tell him he's shirtless, wearing only a snug pair of gray sweatpants that outlines his male parts in the very best way? His bulging muscles are glistening as he moves about the room, his OCD on parade, straightening every out-of-place book.
“Mmmmhmmmm…” His grin is E-V-I-L. “Looks like Cookie isn't the only one who's naughty,” he murmurs, his voice husky. Our lips are nearly touching, and I feel like I'm about to come out of my skin. We're literally just a breath apart, and my body is on fire.
“No, I'm not,” I protest, wondering if I'm about to have a heat stroke.
“Oh, yes, you are.” His hand lands on my hip. “And I love it.”
His mouth swoops in and captures mine, and time stands still. His lips are warm and sure, as if he's trying to memorize the shape of my mouth. My breath hitches, then melts into his as the world narrows to this moment. Everything else fades out. This isn't just a kiss. It's a jolt, a slow burn, and nothing will ever be the same again for me.
“What are you doing?”
The innocent words rip us apart, and we stare at each other in horror, both panting and in shock.
Violet, thumb in her mouth, and Cookie both stand in the doorway, staring at us as if we'd said a bad word. There’s blatant judgement in Cookie's gaze.
“Uhhhh…” Logan glances at me, eyes wide in panic. “We?—”
“Your uncle was just showing me how to do something,” I fib, latching onto the first thought that shoots through my short-circuited brain.
Violet pops out her thumb, her little brow wrinkling. “So he kissed you on the mouth?”
“Yeah.” I flap my hands. “Well, that kinda happened by accident. But, he was telling me how important it is to scrub dishes before we put them in the dishwasher.”
“She didn't believe me,” Logan adds. “So I had to convince her.”
Violet's sharp gaze ping-pongs between us and she finally shrugs. “Are you gonna watch the movie?”
“Vi, we really should get home. It's almost bed time for you.”
Her bottom lip juts out and it's all I can do not to rush over and give her a hug. “But I wanna watch the movie with Cookie.”
Logan sighs and looks to me.
I give him a shrug. “It's just another hour, and she'll be ready for bed by that point.”
“If you're sure.”
“Are you kidding? Cookie and I would have ended up on the couch tonight with a piece of cake, so this isn't anything out of the ordinary for us.”
“Cake?” The word slips from Violet as if it's the best thing she's ever heard.
I give her a grin. “Oh yeah. I bought a big strawberry cake. Are you ready for dessert?”
Violet nods, her eyes eager.
“Okay, but you need to relax with Cookie afterward, alright? Because it'll be time to go to bed right after.” I point to the living room. “Go watch the movie and we'll be in with the cake in a minute.”
Without another word, Violet and Cookie head back to the couch.
“Are you sure this is okay?” Logan asks as I snag the cake out of the fridge.
“Of course.” I heft it in my hands. “My eyes were a little bigger than my stomach when I bought this thing. We'll definitely need help eating it.”
Logan huffs a laugh, giving me a sexy leer. “I've been known to tear into a cake a time or two.”
