Fair point, she conceded.Unnecessary to point out, but fair.
‘I need a coffee—want one?’ she asked, already taking two cups from the cupboard and switching on the jug. ‘I think I’ll buy a coffee machine for Em next time I go into Toormanlee. Instant isn’t doing it for me.’
‘You’ve become a coffee snob, I see.’
‘I wouldn’t call myself a snob. I have … acquired an appreciation for good coffee.’
‘Hmm.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ she asked, looking at him over her shoulder.
‘Nothing.’ He continued tapping the side of the sifter before putting it aside and returning to the book. ‘Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy,’ he said, his face wearing a mask of concentration that Bel found … cute. She went back to making the coffee and tried to ignore that thought. Moments later she placed his mug on the counter next to the open cookbook.
‘Does this look pale and creamy enough?’ he asked, tilting the bowl slightly.
Bel stepped in closer to get a good look but was distracted by the light brush of his arm next to hers. She self-consciously swallowed back the unexpected rush of butterflies that swarmed her insides. ‘Uh, I guess so …’ she said, looking up at him. His chin and mouth were so close. Her head only barely reached his shoulder, but at this range, she suddenlynoticed the tan line on his neck, and the slightly lighter shade of the skin just under his collar. His beard, trimmed just longer than stubble, ran across his lower face, and for the first time she noticed that among the blackish hairs were flecks of rusty brown.
Her gaze slowly moved across to his mouth and she saw it turn up ever so slightly into a crooked smile. Her eyes shot to his in alarm, but instead of seeing the expected humour she found an intense expression that made her catch her breath. For what seemed an eternity they stared at each other, until one of them moved—she had no idea who. All she knew was one moment, she was holding her breath and the next, she was melting under warm lips. Her senses overloaded—the slight but not uncomfortable friction of his beard against her face, the smell of him, a line-dried scent of sunshine and clean shirts, a manly sandalwood-type fragrance mixed with vanilla essence and sugary butter. She heard a small groan and realised that it had come from her. The kiss deepened and she moulded against him, losing herself in the sensation.
It was too much and somehow also not enough. He broke away from the kiss momentarily to run his lips down her neck, setting off a new wave of longing. It was as though she had no control over her body. It craved him. His hands went to her waist and in one smooth movement, he’d lifted her onto the bench, bringing their faces to the same level. Her thighs opened automatically to allow him to step closer. His mouthreturned to hers and she wound her arms around him as he pulled her forward to fit snugly against his torso.
At one point, she heard the clang of something hitting the floor, but it didn’t matter. She felt as though she were on fire and the only thing keeping her from burning up was his kisses and his roaming hands sending quivers of unexpected delight throughout her entire body. Her own impatient hands went to the buttons on the front of his shirt.
‘Bel?’ She heard the question in his husky voice and continued until her hands found his heated skin beneath. She heard him let out a low sound close to her ear. ‘Wait. We need to take this somewhere else.’
She impatiently nodded towards the hallway. ‘My room.’
Without waiting for further instructions, he lifted her down from the counter and led her towards the bedroom. Once inside, Bel spent no time trying to talk herself out of whatever crazy nonsense this was, but pushed his shirt down over his well-defined shoulders. She didn’t linger too long on the discovery of his naked torso—there was too much else going on. For one, the need to get out of her own shirt and kick off her boots.
In record time, they’d both disposed of their clothing. Bel drew in a ragged breath as they came back together again, the kisses more desperate than before, the urgency to get closer, to want to almost step into the other person’s skin completely overwhelming. She had never felt like this with anyone before, and the nearly primal need that roared insideher should have scared her. But there was no time to try and analyse it—there was no time for any rational thought. All she wanted to do was feel the raging heat between them and lose herself in wave after wave of sensation.
There was a strange quiet in the room; the only sound was their harsh breathing, which had eventually started to slow. She could sense Dean’s uncertainty. It was the same as hers.
‘I wasn’t expecting that at all when I came over here today,’ he said, breaking the silence.
‘No. Neither was I.’
‘That was …’
‘Yeah,’ she said with a nervous chuckle. ‘It was.’
‘I don’t usually do that, just for the record,’ he said after an awkward pause.
Bel rolled her head sideways to look at him and felt suddenly shy. She wished she could pull the sheet over herself, but they hadn’t even bothered turning back the covers. ‘Do what?’
‘Have spontaneous sex at my friends’ houses.’
His reply overshadowed her earlier discomfort and she giggled. ‘Not an everyday occurrence for you?’
‘No. Definitely not.’
‘Me neither. But if I’d known what would happened when you offered to help cook, I might have been better prepared. Who knew it would be such an aphrodisiac?’
He gave a strangled chuckle, but quickly sobered. ‘I wasn’t even prepared … we didn’t … use anything,’ he said, his concern and awkwardness making her heart soften.
‘It’s okay. I’ve got an implant. I also haven’t been with anyone in a long time, in case you’re worried about, you know, diseases and stuff.’
‘Oh. No, I wasn’t. I mean … I’m okay too. But I was more concerned about accidentally getting you pregnant.’
