Page 88 of Tempted Hearts
“Let’s make chocolate chip cookies.”
I loved when he made that face. It was part confusion, part you are out of your mind.
“It’s too early for dinner, we can’t hike, and honestly, I’ve been thinking about chocolate chip cookies since yesterday. And I have all the stuff to make them.”
The fact that I was still in his arms didn’t elude me. We fit so perfectly together.
“You’re not wrong, but I could think of at least one other activity that might occupy us.”
My core clenched, thinking of exactly which activity he meant. And I wanted that too. Before I could respond, he reached behind me, slapped my ass, and then headed off to the kitchen.
“But let’s go ahead and make some cookies first.”
We kept the music on, and I pulled out all of the ingredients. His hands moved fluidly, mixing things as if this wasn’t the first time he’d ever baked cookies.
“Why does this look so natural for you?” I asked, preheating the oven.
“Papa Bennett used to put shortbread cookies in every room of the inn. Mason and I often helped out, baking them. As we got older, he started to pay us. Technically, it was my first real job.”
We worked side by side.
“Do they still do that? With the shortbread cookies?”
Without thinking, I reached out and traced one of the veins in his arm as Cole stirred the dough.
“Why is that so hot?”
He looked down, maybe even shivered at my touch. “Unsure. Maybe our next date should be the gym. I can really get some forearm veins going.”
Our next date.
Fuck it. I was going to ask. “Is this a date?”
“Hand me the chocolate chips. Sure feels like one.”
“And we’re going to have another one?”
He emptied the chips into the bowl. I snagged one and popped it into my mouth.
“Do you want another one?”
I was in the deep end now. “Yeah, I do.”
“Okay then. Stop eating the chocolate chips or there won’t be any in the actual cookies.”
I took another one, on purpose.
“You’re not even tempted?”
“I’m tempted, all right. Just not by the chocolate chips.”
My heart did a little dance. I snagged one more chip before he started stirring and settled up to him. Lifting it to his mouth, I said, “Open up.”
He did, Cole’s lips parting slowly. I put the chip in, almost not surprised when he captured my fingers in his mouth. One hand now holding mine, he quickly swallowed the chocolate chip but kept me hostage. Moving my finger in and out, he sucked on it with such delicious pleasure that all thoughts of chocolate chip cookies were forgotten.
“I wonder how you would like it if I did that to you?”
An idea struck.
