That moan caused an instant reaction, and Nick swallowed, watching as she raised her arm again.
It wasn’t just the cheese that was swiftly stretching. He shifted, angling his body away from her. “OK, so these four”—he pointed to the pizzas closest to her—“have different combinations of cheeses. “Fresh mozzarella. Provolone. Gruyere. Toma.”
“Toma?”
“It’s from Sicily and hard to find.”
“Never heard of it.”
“Try it.”
She picked up a knife, cut the mini pizza, and offered him one of the halves.
For the next half hour, Nick thoroughly enjoyed himself as they sampled each pie and rated them, ultimately naming the four-cheese the winner. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d felt so relaxed with anyone. She took teasing so well, which wasn’t surprising considering she’d grown up with three brothers.
But it was something else he wanted her to take, and he couldn’t stop his mind from repeatedly sliding straight into the gutter, conjuring one explicit image after another. He saw himself unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans, then yanking them down, spreading her wide open, and burying his face and tongue in her until she screamed and came apart.
What did she sound like when she came? What did she taste like? How would her hands feel on his—
“Hey.”
He looked up, jolted out of his thoughts. Thoughts of plain ol’ vanilla sex with Jannie, and never had bland seemed so hot.
This was fucked up. It was as if he had reverted to his virgin high school self.
“You promised me dessert.”
His gaze stopped on her lips.
I’ll be your dessert.
The idea of slowly sliding between those lips of hers had him hardening to the point of pain. Thank fuck he had a big plate on his lap, and she hadn’t seen it shift. “Yeah.” He motioned with his chin. “Open that box.”
She reached and peeled off the gold seal, embossed withLark Confiserie.
The name brought the Larssen men to mind. “Have you talked to your brothers lately?”
She shook her head, then lifted the lid.
“Anyone from your family?”
She shook her head again, her gaze glued to the pastries. “They don’t know I’m here, and I’d like to keep it that way for a while.”
Nick frowned. “May I ask why?” The fact that Jannie hadn’t communicated with them puzzled Nick.
“Because they tend to overdo it with the support. It feels like pity, and I don’t want it. I don’t want to talk about it, don’t want to relive it, just ...” She grimaced. “Just no.”
Carefully, she removed the pastries, one by one, and licked a bit of cream off her finger. “These look and smell divine.”
She clearly signaled the end of the discussion by picking up a glossy strawberry-topped tart and bringing it to his mouth. “Open.”
The one word sent his heart rate spiking. He wasn’t used to this. Wasn’t used to taking orders, even innocent, softly spoken ones about food. But damned if he didn’t open his mouth for her, sinking his teeth into the tangy fruit, creamy custard, and buttery crust.
She watched him keenly, focusing on his lips.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her beautiful face.
“You have a crumb …” She reached to brush the corner of his mouth with her thumb, and he had to stop himself from turning his head to capture it.
