Page 51 of My Sexy Rival (Stars In Their Eyes 2)
“And you told me, too, I was like cake, which I knew was high praise from you,” I said, keeping my hands at my sides. My fingers itched to touch her, but I hadn’t been given permission again yet.
“It was,” she said, emphasizing that verb as she kept her eyes locked on me. “And it still is. And this cake is my way of saying I’m sorry I walked off this morning. You don’t have to explain because I’m choosing to trust that you aren’t the type of guy who would ever knowingly work for Avery Brock. And you’re not the type of guy who would ever willfully deceive me. I’m choosing to believe you’re still the same guy I fell in love with,” she said, and my heart damn nearly soared out of my chest.
“I am. I am that guy. I swear,” I said, never looking away from her. Never wanting to lose touch with those beautiful blue eyes, so pure and true. “I should have said something when I saw Trevor’s picture, but I wanted to focus on you, and us. Being with you was so damn amazing that I didn’t want to ruin it by bringing those pigs into our night together. But you have to believe me—James never told me that Avery was the client. All I knew was we were working for Trevor’s shop and that was all.”
“I know,” she said softly. “I believe you.”
Her words were the sweetest song playing just for me. They were my catnip.
“When I sat down to the meeting this morning, I was still working out how to extract myself from Avery. Because I don’t want to work for someone like that. Or for James. And I told them both off this morning. You would have loved it, actually.”
“What did you say?” she asked, her natural curiosity plain as day in the sparkle in her eyes.
I shared every single detail of the moment by the railing and she nearly squealed in delight. “That is perfect,” she said. “I wish I’d been there to see it.”
“Me, too. But you’re here now and that’s all that matters.”
“Well,” she began, eyeing the cake pan in her hands. “There is something else that matters. This cake.”
“Was it hard for you to make it?” I asked gently. “Did it tempt you?”
“Yes, and no. It was hard, but I managed it. Because I wanted to do it for you. Want to take off the tinfoil?”
“Yes.” I peeled it back to discover a chocolate cake that looked absolutely mouth-watering. The best part was the writing on it. In orange lettering across the frosting, she’d written the word Stay. Then under it was a full sentence: You are the top of my to-do list for the next two months.
“I don’t know if it’s dirty or romantic, or both, but I’ll take any and all from you. Let me put this cake down so I can kiss you,” I said, taking the pan from her outstretched arms and setting it on the table. When I returned to her, she had the sweetest and sexiest look on her face.
“It was both,” she said. “And it’s a promise that I’ll do everything I can to help you stay. When I set my mind on a goal, I’m really good at staying focused on it. You and your job hunt are going to be at the top of my to-do list.”
Unable to resist touching her any longer, I threaded my fingers through her hair, loving the feel of it against my skin. “Being on your to-do list in any form is about the best thing I could ever ask for,” I said.
“Can this be the part where the hero and heroine kiss and make up?”
I answered her with my lips, kissing her softly as she returned to me. Taking my time, I let the kiss linger as I sucked gently on her lower lip, thrilling at the small gasp that escaped her lips. I covered her mouth with mine, sliding my tongue against hers, and the taste of her was divine. Like sunshine and music, and so damn delicious that I didn’t want to go slow anymore.
The kiss changed gears, picking up speed in a heartbeat, as I kissed her more deeply, crushing her to my chest, where she belonged, where I wanted her, and where I needed her. Jess had arrived in my life unexpectedly a mere seven days ago, but she was everything I could ever want—smart, funny, gorgeous, determined, and daring as hell. Soon her hands were in my hair, and she was pulling me even closer, her mouth fusing with mine as we kissed furiously. As if it had been too long since we touched each other. And for us, it had. We made up for the morning and the early afternoon apart with a kiss that made my mind foggy. My body was on high alert, and I was hungry for more of her. For all of her.
