And since he hadn’t stopped ticklingme yet, I nodded furiously. “Fine, I did it. I’mNanananabooboo!”
He backed off a little, but notenough. “Now, tell me you’re sorry.”
“I’m sorry,” I laughed, now that itwas easier to breathe. “Oh, my God, I’m so sorry.”
He stopped tickling me, but his handremained on my waist, and I realized my fingers had grasped his t-shirt in adesperate attempt to shove him off me. It hadn’t worked. Apparently, I’ddecided to cling to him instead.
We were intimately close. Our bodiesdraped over each other from our tussle, hot everywhere we touched, buzzing withnew energy and new interest.
He had what he wanted, but he didn’tpull away. “Now I’m going to need you to remove the review completely."
His intense, serious expressionstole my amusement and revenge fun. I wanted to wiggle under his stare, but wewere too close. Wiggling would only lead to more trouble. “What if I reallyfeel that way?”
His eyes flashed with uncertainty.“Do you? Feel that way I mean?”
I nibbled my bottom lip, butcouldn’t convince myself to lie. “No,” I whispered. “Not even a little bit.”
His head dipped toward mine again,closer, within biting distance.
Within kissing distance.
“Then will you remove your meanreview? Please?”
It was the please that did it. Hisplease would always do it. The word sounded too fragile for his filthy mouth,too sweet to come from someone so hard. I didn’t stand a chance.
I patted the counter blindly until Ifound my phone. Making a show of unlocking it and pulling up the Yelp app, Iwent about removing my review from the site.
I hadn’t planned to keep it upanyway. But I had been curious to see how long it would take him to find it.
Three days.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only oneobsessed with reviews.
I showed him the confirmationscreen. “There. All gone.”
He dropped his head in relief, hisforehead brushing my cheek. “Thank you.”
“I hope your ego recovers,” I jokedto untangle us from this spot—figuratively and literally. He was still leaningover me, making all my neglected girly parts wake up and pay attention.
He chuckled, his chest vibratingagainst mine with the sound. “My ego is never safe around you,Delane.” Lifting his head, he caught my gaze and held it.His hands brushed over the counter and over my hips. For a second I was afraidhe was going to start tickling me again, but then his fingertips dipped beneathmy white t-shirt and his hands wrapped around my waist instead. “Thank you forremoving the review.”
“You already said that,” Iwhispered, nervous and excited and confused all at once.
“I mean it, though.” The corners ofhis mouth lifted in a sincere smile. “I just wanted you to know.”
All I could do was blink. I knew hewas going to kiss me. I just knew it.
And I was right. He closed thedistance between us, his lush mouth finding the corner of mine and placing asweet, lingering kiss.
I squirmed when his beard scratchedmy skin, brushing over it with an interesting mix of soft and rough. I decidedvery quickly that I liked the feel of his beard on my skin.
I liked it a whole lot.
He kissed me one more time along thejaw, then he pulled back, separating us entirely. I shivered again, but this timeit was because I missed the heat of his body, the cover of his skin againstmine.
“Break a leg, chef,” he murmured,sounding as hot and bothered as I felt.
“You too,” I croaked.
