He gave her a fond look. “Fuck, Livvy, it’s going to be a struggle to keep my hands off you.”
“Then don’t.” God, she was almostpouting.
“Damn it, no tempting me.” He snuck another kiss, then let out a deep groan as he pushed away from her. “I promised myself I’d feed you before I devoured you, so we’re both going to have to suck this up.”
He’d only wanted to get her alone. Relieved, unbearably aroused, she began to wriggle off the countertop.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” In a flash he was back, hands on her shoulders, holding her in place. “I said I’d try and keep my hands off you, but my eyes, they’re going to appreciate the hell out of seeing your naked tits in my kitchen.”
She expected to feel silly, watching, half naked, while he peeled and diced, fried and stirred, gliding between the workstations with sure, confident movements, as if it were choregraphed. Instead, as his gaze constantly drifted to her, appreciative, lustful, at times adoring, she felt worshipped.
“So, the big interviews are next week.” He dipped a spoon into the pan and tasted whatever was simmering. “Feeling confident?”
“Yes.” It could still go either way, but... “I told you, if it hadn’t been for you, Stuart would have gotten away with claiming he put together the presentation on Monday when all he’d done was talk about my slides. Correcting him wasn’t just satisfying, it made him seem dishonest, which isn’t a good look.” She grinned. “The only way I don’t get the job now is if I really blow the interviews, and that isn’t going to happen.”
Connor smiled, something that looked an awful lot like pride flaring in his eyes. “That’s my girlfriend. Fucking fearless.”
Except when it comes to you. She watched him plate up the contents of the frying pan into two large shells. “Wow, what are we eating?”
“To start, scallops with a picada made with nuts and chorizo.” He threw the tea towel he’d been holding over his shoulder and lifted the shells. “Main course is slow-roasted pork with a celeriac and pear mash.”
It was hard to look at him and not seeIdeal Husband Materialflashing in neon lights above his head. “I hope you’ve taken a photo for your Instagram.”
He blinked at her. “How do you know about that?”
“You mentioned it in Nantucket. Plus you have a very chatty daughter,” she added as she tugged her blouse on—she wasn’t going to eat topless.
He gave her a wry grin as he watched her do up the buttons. “One of the mums at school said I should go on Instagram and become one of those social media stars. Reckoned I should call myself Hot Chef.” He gave an embarrassed laugh as they both sat down at the table. “I went with Connor Cooks. Seemed safer.”
She experienced a mean, unwanted spike of jealousy. “This mum, is she single?”
He raised his eyes to the ceiling like the question was ridiculous. “I’m not interested.”
Maybe, but she’d bet a considerable number of mums at Ellie’s school were very interested in the hot young single dad. “How many followers have you got?”
He shrugged. “Last time I looked, it was enough that I can start earning some money from it.”
“God, Connor, that’s amazing.” She huffed. “We spend a lot of time talking about my work, but here you are, quietly making huge strides in your own field. Which reminds me, did Aaron get back to you about your menu ideas?”
His gaze shifted down to his plate. “Said he’d talk to me about it on Monday.”
“Connor.” She reached across and pressed a hand to his cheek, forcing him to face her. “You don’t need to be afraid of what Aaron thinks. He wouldn’t employ you, wouldn’t have got you the job with Felix, if he didn’t think highly of you. And Felix wouldn’t have used your menu ideas if they weren’t five-star-hotel-worthy.” She smiled. “The only person who doesn’t think you’re incredible is you. And that needs to change.”
He blinked, his Adam’s apple sliding up and down his throat. When he looked back at her, his eyes glistened. “You’re the fucking incredible one.” He swallowed again, nodded to the plates. “Now let’s eat. I’ve got plans for you tonight, and they require you to be full of energy.”
He was going to be her undoing, she thought as she tucked into a meal fit for fine dining in a setting—the camping table with pansies and candles and purple stars—so sweet it made her heart ache. She was already leaving the office early to see him, had given up any thought of working this weekend, was even questioning her life choices.
It terrified her what else he might unwittingly make her do.
He could cross off making love to her on the sofa, he thought smugly as he settled her against him beneath the blanket, his heart still thumping from its workout, his mind already darting forward to later and the promise he’d made. They’d had quiet, intense sex many times in his bed, but tonight it didn’t matter if the headboard banged against the wall or if they groaned loudly. If she shouted his name.
“This is nice.” She snuggled further against him, her naked body sliding temptingly against his.
“If we lived together, we could do this a lot more often.”
She froze, and he cursed his big mouth. Yes, he’d planned to use tonight to talk to her, ask where she thought this was going, butthatwas not the way to go about it.
“You want us to move in together?”
