She picked up a slice of peach and bit into the juicy wedge. She picked up another and weighed it in her hands, and without thinking, let it fly toward Theo’s back.
He turned around with such a look of shock on his face that she burst out laughing. “Oh, relax,” she choked out. “Haven’t you ever had a food fight?” His face was a glorious mixture of disbelief and horror, which made her giggle even harder. Mr. Straight and Narrow Theo Clairmont had just experienced his first, and probably only, food fight. “Your face,” she got out. “You look so?—”
Splat.
A peach slice landed on her neck and slid down into the deep cleavage of her robe while they both watched in shocked silence.
And then it was on. Amber grabbed another slice of peach and threw it at Theo, only when she turned around toward the counter, he was right behind her.
“Oh no, you don’t,” she said, snatching the entire pile of fruit slices into her hand before he could. He crowded her against the counter with his body, his arms caging her in on either side. For a second, she struggled, her instinct to fight kicking in, but when her bottom pushed back into him, she froze. Theo was achinglyhard against her. The hum of the refrigerator and the ragged breaths she drew in echoed in the kitchen.
She leaned back, testing his strength. His heavy shoulders curled securely around her, his forearms with the sun-kissed hairs that so mesmerized her were on either side of her body until one of those big hands wound around hers and she let her fingers go limp around the peaches. Warm, sticky juice ran over her palm and between her fingers, but Theo didn’t let go.
Instead, slowly, so slowly she wanted to scream for not knowing where and when, his hand grasped hers and brought it back to his mouth. He sucked the juice off her, running his sleek tongue around and between her fingers, letting her feel the sharp nip of his teeth in the fleshy part of her palm. The eroticism of his hot mouth on her made her moan, and she dropped her head back against his shoulder.
Her free hand lifted to tangle in his hair, pulling his head down closer. His lips were against her ear. She could feel the faint rasp of his beard against the sensitive skin of her cheeks and see the dark sweep of his lashes hiding his eyes. She tilted her head back farther, swaying her bottom back teasingly against him.
He pressed against her hard then, a sudden thrust that pushed her into the counter with a firmness that made her gasp. His cock was a hard ridge against her soft bottom, and she let out a little ‘oh,’ of sheer delight at the contrast before pressing back greedily. His other hand settled against her throat, thumb resting lightly on the pulse fluttering there.
“You love to tease.” The sharp bite of the counter into her hips and the hot hardness of him behind her, trapping her body between them, made her dizzy with need. “Don’t you?” He thrust again, a firm, controlled press that left her nearly breathless.
“Mmm,”she moaned.
Theo laughed softly. “What’s that, sweetheart? No mouthy little comments?”
She felt more than saw the white flash of his teeth. The hand against her throat dipped down into the front of her robe, where it closed over her bare breast underneath. Theo’s thumb trailed over leisurely, pushing the silk open from each side. She looked down and caught her breath at the sight of his large, tanned hand against the smooth, white curves of her breasts. Delicately, he stroked the robe over the hard point of her nipple, brushing the silk back and forth. Goosebumps broke out on her skin. She felt the sharp points of his teeth grip the side of her neck, licking the sweet peach juice there, and her knees gave out.
The world seemed to narrow down until Amber could only feel the heat of their bodies and the rapid beat of his heart against her back while he tasted her.
“Amber, open up, my hands are full.” Johnny’s voice broke through their bubble.
Theo stiffened immediately, the warmth in his blue eyes gradually replaced by a guarded coolness as he lifted her gently off him. Amber stepped back, closing her robe, and trying to smooth her hair to regain some semblance of normalcy.
“I’ll get the door,” Theo said.
Johnny appeared in the kitchen doorway, his eyes flicking between Theo and Amber, taking in the scene—the scattered fruit, Theo's stained shirt, Amber's flushed cheeks—with a frown.
"Am I interrupting something?" Johnny's voice was tight, the underlying tension palpable.
"No, just a...food fight. You know, as adults do." She tried for a laugh, but it fell flat in the charged atmosphere.
Theo remained silent; his gaze locked with Johnny's in a silent standoff.
After a moment that stretched too long, Theo cleared his throat. "I was just leaving. Johnny, a word please?” He nodded toward the door.
Johnny's eyebrows rose in surprise, and Amber's curiosity piqued. What could Theo possibly need to discuss with Johnny? And why now, in the midst of their...whatever this was?
“Yeah, let’s go out to my car for the rest of the bags. I brought stuff to make breakfast.” Johnny said finally.
“Wait,” Amber said to Theo as he turned to follow. “I...” for once she didn’t have a thing to say. Everything she felt was in her eyes, though.
Theo smiled faintly. “Drink your juice.”
She stared at the door after it closed, the taste of peaches on her lips.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Hey,Mister. You got a dollar? Me and my friends are short for a bag of popcorn.”
