“Because you’ve never been turned down by a woman?” Admittedly, I’d never been this captivated either.
“That too.” He grinned.
Why was I still entertaining him?He’s married.Instead of walking away, I surprised myself by saying, “If you want dinner, that I can do. If you want something a little more horizontal, I’m not interested, well...” My gaze roamed his face and one dark brow shot up, almost daring me to give him what he wanted and just once I wanted to be cheeky with him. “Maybe not yet.”
His chuckle tickled my skin. My gaze dropped to his mouth, rimmed by a neatly trimmed scruff, that had me licking my own lips, begging for a taste. By God, I was tempted. As if he sensed my dilemma, he inched closer. “Try it,” he whispered, trailing a slow finger along my jaw before rolling the pad over my lips, tracing the shape. “You know you want to.” His words mixed with his touch held deep sexuality. Potent. Addictive. And so damn alluring.
My chin lifted slightly, lips a breath away from his, my mind whirled. I should kiss him, just to see what it felt like. I had an inkling that Trent Shaw was like a deluxe cordon blue dish and if I didn’t get a taste I might go hungry for a very long time to come. “Dinner.” I raised a brow. “Take it or leave,sweetheart,” I whispered instead, emphasizing the endearment with a touch of sarcasm and stepped back.
Laughing, he dropped his hands and straightened. “Friendship then?” He held out a hand. I eyed him skeptically, not believing his shift from erotic sensuality to gentle warmth “So, what do you say?” He rolled his tongue over his bottom lip, seizing my gaze. “As a matter of fact, my current acquaintances say I make a good friend indeed.”
Disappointed by his easy acceptance of friendship, I swallowed the feeling of arousal and smiled. “Friends.” I accepted his hand and was immediately startled by the heat that shot up my arm.
A sly smile curved at the corner of his lips as though privy to my reaction. “A warning, though.” He didn’t let go of my hand. I lifted questioning eyes to his. “When a woman makes friends with me, that relationship usually changes to love.”
“And let me guess, you wrote that book?” I smirked with a shake of my head.
“See, you have heard of me.”
I laughed. “Now, you need to leave.”
His smile fell. “I thought we’re having dinner.”
“I didn’t mean tonight. And I’m guessing you haven’t seen the time.”
“Dessert, then. Please.” His blue gaze pleaded. I couldn’t understand his persistence. “Consider it a mini-interview.”
I laughed. “Really? You’ve been eating here for a while now. Were the other dishes not up to standard? And who said anything about me wanting to interview with you?”
“Call it a vested interest.” He winked. “The dishes were good but I could really do with something sweet right now, present company included, if possible,” her said, his smile mischievous.
I rolled my eyes, still laughing. “Fine. Follow me.”
When we entered the kitchen, he glanced around. “Nice.”
“Not a Michelin star grade you’re used to, but it does the job perfectly.”
“I’ve no doubt.”
Moving to the dessert refrigerator, I eyed him over my shoulder.
“It’s a compliment. You do know what those are, right?” His brow arched. Shaking my head, I set the dessert tray I retrieved on a counter and lifted the glass lid. He leaned forward inspecting the array of ‘melt in your mouth’ truffles I’d created for the next evening’s dessert. “What are they?”
“Balls.” I grinned and his brow shot up. “Try this.” I stuffed a cinnamon-flavored one into his mouth and watched him bite down on the sweet delicacy. The chef in me cringed. “You’re not supposed to bite. It has to melt in your mouth until the cream leaks onto your tong—” I broke off at the surprised look on his face.Shit.I walked right into that one and he knew it. One dark brow quirked up, eliciting the pure wickedness that was Trent Shaw.
“The cream is exactly what I want to get to, sweetheart.” He took a step toward me and I stepped back. “Why waste time with my tongue when I can use my teeth to achieve a far more explosive result.” His words matched his slow steps I was failing to dissuade. If I held my ground, he’d be flush against me and I wasn’t sure I could handle that without caving. “But you’re right.” His voice took on a delicious, sensual tone and my legs wobbled. The counter ground into my back, halting further movement.Shit.My breathing sped up. With his hands on either side, he caged me in. Leaning forward until his warm breath brushed my lips, he tilted his head slightly and when he spoke again, his voice was low at my ear. “Tongue or teeth, swallowing the cream is essentially the best part. It’s thick,” his tongue peeked out and licked his lips so slowly, it was hypnotic to watch. Drawing his tongue back into his mouth, my gaze still transfixed on them and the words only registering when I realized he was talking, ”Sticky, and tastes like fucking heaven”.
Gulping, I gave up masking my shock and accepted him for what he was. Delectable mouth porn—the type you didn’t rent in secret. No, he was the type you proudly flaunted. Mortified, I watched his lips curl into a lazy grin as though he were privy to my inner thoughts, almost encouraging me to sin. That was all it took. One smile and my restraint crumbled. I imagined he’d make the first move, but it was me who moved, my mouth crashing against his. His surprise lasted barely a second before he responded. Gripping me by the waist, he lifted and set me on the counter while his tongue, skilled and devilishly hot, urged my lips to widen and slid between my teeth. I forgot to breathe and that I shouldn’t be kissing him. A low growl erupted from his throat, filling my mouth as he drove his tongue deeper, thrusting against mine in wild abandon. The lingering flavor of cinnamon spice filled my tastebuds, making me greedy. Grabbing his shoulders, I inched closer, deepening the kiss.
He groaned as he left my mouth to nibble on my chin. “If you keep this up, I’m going to fuck you on this counter.”
I froze as reality came crashing down, bringing me out of the daze with a sharp inhale. Shoving on his chest, I caught him off guard and he stepped back. I pushed off the counter and tried to appear nonchalant but probably looked guilty as hell. “It’s late and I think you overstayed your welcome.” My voice came out high and tight. I cringed. Sidestepping him, I headed for the door.
He gripped my wrist and pulled me back into his arms. His head tilted slightly, he didn’t appear to be offended by my rebuke, more like he expected it. “You’ll change your mind soon enough, sweetheart.” His certainty pierced my willpower for just a second and I was pretty sure that if he hadn’t been holding me, my knees would’ve buckled. Silently, I stepped back and walked away, glad he didn’t push and followed me. “Can I at least give you a ride home?”
“No need. I just need to run up the stairs,” I replied without looking back.
“You live here?” He reached my side.
