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He reached past her and set the recipe card carefully to the side, out of the way. She watched him do it.

“Tell me something,” she said.

“What.”

“When did you stop hating me?”

He thought about it honestly, the way he thought about things. “I’m not sure I ever actually hated you,” he said. “I think I just didn’t know what else to do with you.”

Emily looked at him for a moment. “Oh, I have some ideas…”

“Oh, is that so?” Cole’s voice was rough with emotion. “Then let’s do this right.”

He didn’t rush. For the first time between them, there was no anger fueling the fire. Just need, tenderness, and the terrifying realization that this mattered.

He lifted Emily onto the wide wooden counter with ease, setting her on the edge. The kitchen was quiet around them, only the hum of the refrigerators and the distant sound of falling snow outside. He stepped between her thighs and kissed her slowly, deeply, savoring the way she melted into him.

His hands moved with patience he hadn’t known he possessed. He lifted her sweater above her head, kissing every new inch of skin he revealed—her throat, her collarbones, the soft swell of her breasts. When he finally slid the fabric off her shoulders, he took a moment just to look at her.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, almost reverent. “I don’t think I’ve ever told you that.”

Emily’s breath hitched. She reached for him, but he gently caught her hands and kissed her knuckles.

“Let me take care of you first,” he murmured.

He removed the rest of her clothes slowly—peeling her jeans down her legs, kissing the inside of her knee, the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. When she was completely bare before him, he dropped to his knees on the bakery floor.

Cole looked up at her, eyes dark with want. “Spread your legs for me.”

Emily obeyed, thighs trembling as she opened for him. He leaned in and pressed a soft, open-mouthed kiss right above her clit, then lower. His tongue traced her slowly, luxuriously, learning every fold, every sensitive spot. He took his time—long, slow licks followed by gentle suction on her clit—then two thick fingers sliding deep inside her, curling tenderly against that spot that made her back arch.

Emily’s hands threaded through his hair, soft, breathy moans filling the quiet space. Cole groaned against her, the taste of her making his cock throb. He could do this for hours. He wanted to.

“That’s it,” he murmured against her. “Let me hear you. I’ve wanted to taste you like this for so long.”

He worked her patiently, building her higher and higher with devotion. When her thighs started shaking around his shoulders and her moans turned into desperate little cries, he didn’t stop. He sucked her gently and curled his fingers just right until she came apart with a beautiful, shuddering cry, pulsing against his tongue.

Cole stayed with her through every wave, licking her softly until she was trembling and oversensitive. Only then did he rise, kissing his way up her body until he captured her mouth again.

Emily helped undressed him next, slowly lifting his shirt over his head, then unbuttoning his jeans with gentle, lingering touches. He had never been undressed with such care before. The way she looked at him made him feel truly cherished.

Once he was naked, Cole scooped her up and lifted her effortlessly over his shoulder in a classic fireman’s carry. Emily’s soft full breasts pressed against his upper back, and her smooth curves rested along his shoulder and chest. One strong arm hooked securely under her thighs to hold her in place, while his other hand steadied her hip.

Emily gasped in surprise, then laughed softly, her hands gripping his back for balance. “Cole…”

“That’s it,” he murmured, voice low and warm. “Hold on, Whitaker.”

He carried her across the room, her naked body gently moving with each step. Her weight felt like almost nothing in his arms.

Then, because he couldn’t resist, his palm cracked lightly across her right cheek—a playful, firm smack that echoed softly in the room.

Emily yelped, a surprised little sound that quickly melted into a breathless laugh. “I’m going to get you back for that, you know.” Her nipples tightened against his shoulder despite her protests.

“Good. I hope so,” Cole said with a grin.

When he reached the wall, he carefully lowered her from his shoulder. Emily slid down his body, instinctively wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck as she settled against him. He backed her gently against the wall for support, holding her up with ease, her back pressed to the cool surface while he supported her thighs.

Now face to face, their eyes met. Cole reached between them, guiding himself to her entrance. She was warm and ready. He slowly eased into her, both of them letting out soft, shared groans at the perfect sensation.