I roll my eyes even as my pulse kicks up. “It’s calledenjoyingdessert, you animal.”
He snorts, stepping closer, effectively crowding me back against the counter so my hips bump the edge. “Animal, huh?” His gaze drops to my mouth, then to the chocolate still smeared on my finger. “Says the girl licking frosting like it’s foreplay.”
“Oh please,” I scoff. “If I wanted to get your attention, I’d do something obvious. Like breathe.”
He huffs a laugh. “Unfair. You know I’m weak to oxygen.”
Before I can fire back, he catches my wrist and brings my hand to his mouth. His tongue flicks out, dragging the pad of my finger clean in one slow, deliberate stroke.
My traitorous body immediately reacts, forcing me to suck in a breath.
He hums like it’s the best thing he’s tasted all day. “Fuck. Thatisgood.”
“Congratulations,” I mutter. “You’ve discovered sugar.”
Then he dips two fingers into the cake himself, scoops up a thick smear of ganache, and holds it to my lips. “Open.”
I arch a brow, clinging to the last scraps of dignity. “There are forks, you know.”
“You already proved you don’t know how to use them,” he says sweetly, smirk firmly in place. “Now be a good girl and let me feed you.”
“Careful. You keep talking like that, and people are going to think you’re the problem.”
“Kitten.” His grin turns sharp. “I’vealwaysbeen the problem. You’re the one who keeps poking it.”
“Someone has to keep you humble.”
He laughs under his breath. “You’re doing a terrible job of that.”
I give him a mock frown but part my lips, and he slides his fingers in, letting me suck the chocolate off, tongue curling around the digits the same way I’d do lower if we weren’t still semi-public. His pupils blow wide, the teasing edge in his expression flickers into something hungrier.
When his fingers are clean, he leans in and licks a slow stripe across my bottom lip where a little frosting had smeared. Then he catches the corner of my mouth, sucking gently, tasting me and chocolate at once.
My hands fist in his shirt, while heat pools low and fast.
Oh, Dio.
“You taste better than the cake,” he murmurs against my lips. “Been thinking about getting my mouth on you since you walked off that stage in that little black dress under the gown. All prim and summa-cum-laude…”
I swallow. “People are literally ten feet away.”
“Yeah.” His thumb traces my jaw, tilting my face up. “Makes me wanna mark you up right here on the counter. Let ’em hear how pretty you sound when you’re trying to stay quiet.”
A shiver races down my spine. I can already feel how wet I am, thighs pressing together under the dress.
“Mean,” I whisper, but there’s no heat in it.
“Oh, you like it when I’m mean,” he shoots back, grinning against my mouth before he kisses me properly, one hand sliding to the small of my back to pull me flush against him so I can feel exactly how hard he is.
When he finally breaks away, his forehead rests against mine, our breaths coming hard.
“I’m so proud of you, my little ray of pitch black.” He steals one more quick, filthy kiss, then steps back just as Joshua appears next to him.
“Stealing her already?” Joshua asks mildly, but his dark eyes are molten and fixed on mine.
Clay shrugs, completely unrepentant. “Just making sure she doesn’t starve.”
I laugh despite the heat in my cheeks. “I’m fine. Promise.”
