"It's good," he mumbled, then took a drink of the glass of water she handed him. "They're all good."
"And I may have saved the best for last." She set the plate down in front of him, then pulled out a chair and sat beside him. "Hazelnut sponge cake with chocolate ganache and marionberries. Both the hazelnuts and the berries are from local farms, and I think the finishing is just superb."
The slice of cake was heaven on earth. The flavors were impeccable, a subtle mixture that made him moan. "This is it. This is the best."
"Are you sure?" she teased, pointing to the other plates. "You might want to try a little more of the chocolate."
"Oh I will, but this one, this is it." He made short work of the small slice of hazelnut and berries, then gave her a smile.
"I thought it would taste great."
"You thought? You haven't tasted it?" Was she crazy?
Lila laughed. "I tasted the batter, yes, but I didn't want to waste any of the test cake."
"You have to try it."
"Okay, you twisted my arm," she laughed, making to rise and fetch herself a slice.
"Wait," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her from standing. "Here, taste this." He swiped his finger over the remaining frosting and berries on his plate and held it up to her mouth.
She eyed him, unsure. He realized what he'd done but didn't back down. She'd fed him a forkful herself earlier. Challenge shone in his eyes and she caught his look. "Come on, cupcake."
Lila's tongue swept out to lick at his finger, and he used the opening to push his finger gently into her mouth. She closed her lips around it and sucked, and he felt it in his groin.
"It's good," she said with a smile. "So good."
"I know. So is this one. Coconut and lime." He picked up a piece of the cake and held it to her lips. How far could he go? How far should he? No farther, his inner voice responded. He ignored it.
She leaned forward and opened her mouth, taking the bite from his hand. "Nice," she said. "But too light for a wedding cake, I think."
"This one's pretty good too." He held out a bite of the white cake with the lemon buttercream. Her lips brushed his fingers when she ate the bite.
"Not bad. But white cake always seems so boring."
He nodded. "Well, this one, this one's not boring."
The chocolate cake dangled at her lips and she nibbled, licking at the frosting. "Delicious."
He smiled at her. Some chocolate frosting rested in the corner of her mouth.
"You've got some frosting, here," he said, pointing to the same spot on his own mouth.
She made a pout, then wiped at her mouth. On the opposite side of where he was pointing.
"No," he chuckled. "No, here." He pointed again at his mouth.
"Here?" she said, wiping an inch away from where she'd been.
"Other side," he laughed.
"Yeah right." She frowned at him.
"You've got some frosting right here," he said, swiping his finger over the offending smudge and showing it to her. Then he popped the finger into his mouth and moaned. "Mmmm..."
"Well, you know what," she said, her hand lowering to the cake plate beside her. "You've got some frosting. Right here."
She swiped a finger full of lemon buttercream frosting across his upper lip almost to his nose.
He ran his tongue over his lip, trying to get the frosting off without resorting to wiping it away. "I was just trying to be helpful," he said, moving his hand down to the plates. "I could have pointed out the big smudge of frosting you had, here." He laid down a wide streak of chocolate frosting across her cheek."
"Bastard!" she gasped. "You know what, I don't think you've had a fair tasting. Here," she said, pushing against him until his back was touching the tabletop. "Have another slice."
She picked up the remains of a slice of cake and shoved it toward his mouth, smearing frosting all over his lips.
"Oh no you don't," he yelled, wiping away the cake mess and repositioning, pushing her down into the spot he'd occupied, then dangling a piece over her mouth."
"You wouldn't rub cake in a lady's face, would you?" she asked, her eyes innocent.
"Of course not, cupcake," he said, dangling the chocolate cake directly over her mouth. "I'm a gentleman."
"You? A gentleman?" Her eyes were bright with laughter.
"Do you doubt me? I guess you're saying a gentleman wouldn't do this?" He dropped the cake toward her, pressing it against her lips until she squealed and opened her mouth. Then she was pushing him off, standing up, giggling while wiping at her mouth.
She took a drink of water, then turned back to him. "You know," she said, biting back a giggle. "You've got some frosting, right here."
She touched a finger to his upper lip. Sudden fire shot through him. His cock was a steel rod in his pants. He grabbed her, pulling her hips into his and slamming their lips together.
He tasted cake on her, sure that she was tasting it on him, as they devoured each other. It was supremely sexy, the way her lips sucked at his. But suddenly her lips weren't enough.
"Hang on," he said, shoving the cake plates off the table.
She let out a small cry as she watched them clatter to the floor, but he soon distracted her by lifting her up and setting her onto the table. He gave her no time to respond, pressing his body over hers and fastening his mouth to hers.
Her taste was sweeter than any of the cakes he'd tried. She moaned into his mouth, and his hands moved between them, yanking off her top to reveal her bra. It was black lace, and his fingers teased her nipples through the fabric. Then his head replaced his fingers and he sucked her through the lace, loving the feel of her hardening in his mouth.
He was pulling down her jeans as she was unbuttoning his slacks. He backed off, pushing the jeans off her legs and pulling his cock from his pants after taking a condom from his back pocket. Then he was on her again, his body pressed against hers, his hardness nestled between her thighs.
"God, I've missed this," he growled into her neck, then nipped her gently.
"Me too," she whispered into his ear, making his hips thrust at her with more force. He needed to be inside her. Immediately.
Alex fit the condom to his cock and poised himself at her entrance. She looked up at him, her expression strangely shy. He gave her a reassuring smile and pressed home, then groaned at the tightness squeezing around him.
Chapter Eleven
His gray eyes shone down into hers and she was lost. All thoughts of his fiancée, of her business, were blown from her head when his lips touched hers. She wanted this, bad, enough to ignore the guilt that was sure to overtake her later. And he wanted her too.
She felt him rub against her mound and bit back a moan. Lila was nervous, unsure of herself. She was into him, was into this, but still the niggling of doubt held her back.
The sensation of his shaft at her entrance made her tense. She'd not had sex in a decade, not since the debacle of her senior year. Between her mother's illness, her job and school (and don't forget the reminder of crushing humiliation, that evil voice inside her crowed), she'd put a sexual relationship down as the lowest priority. Now she was worried that it showed.
He pressed in, and her worries were forgotten for a moment as she just felt. He pulsed inside of her, stretching her wider as he moved slowly inside.
"You're so tight," Alex murmured. "So hot. You're burning me up."
Lila smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. When he'd fully seated himself inside her, he paused, those magnificent gray eyes finding hers. "You're beautiful."
Lila turned her head away and closed her eyes. She couldn't take those words, not from him, not now. She wanted nothing to remind her of how much of a fantasy this was, of how short the fantasy would last.
Alex began to move, his thrusts picking up speed and then power. Lila moaned under him, squeezing her muscles around him, making him cry out in lust. She loved the feel of him inside her, over her, fucking her. Too
soon she felt her climax rush toward her.
Oh no, she cringed. It was gonna be a big one. His cock was rubbing over that spot inside her. It was too big. Huge. Anxiety rushed over her and she bit her lip, holding her orgasm back. She couldn't, not one like this, not with him.
"Lila," his voice called to her, and she risked opening her eyes. His gaze pierced her. "Relax. You feel so good around me. Just let go."
Lila cried out, wanting to more than anything but not allowing herself to. Alex furrowed his brow, thrusting hard, pushing in deeper, his face becoming flushed, and beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
Lila's limbs started to shake. The force of the orgasm she was holding at bay kept increasing, spurred on by Alex's intense motions. She couldn't let it go, mustn't.
"Come for me, cupcake" he whispered in her ear, nipping at the lobe, and at the same time pinching her nipple.
"Ahhh!" she screamed and climaxed. She closed her eyes in shame, feeling the muscles clench down there, feeling the burst of moisture that flooded her, overflowing her walls and coming out around Alex's thrusting cock.
"Fuck me," he shouted, then thrust deep, exploding inside of her.
They both lay there, breathing heavily, dripping sweat. Finally he rose up, having realized his weight was crushing her. He fell back into a chair, then slid his arms up her legs to rest his hands on her thighs.
Lila sat up, hands covering her face as she slid off the table to put her feet on the floor. "Oh my God."
Alex grabbed her hips, pressing his face into her stomach. "That was...that was..."
"I'm sorry," she cried, pulling out of his grasp to grab at her clothes.
"You're sorry?" he said, standing up and slowly straightening his own clothes. "Why?"
"I just...you just...I--oh, you know." Her cheeks were on fire. She couldn't believe she had come that close to saying the words. She glanced at him, unable to meet his eyes, her gaze going unerringly to the crotch of his pants that now featured a huge wet spot, courtesy of her orgasm. Her embarrassment covered her like a floor-length fur coat in the middle of August. He could probably feel the heat of her blush from across the room.
Alex didn't appear to notice such details. "Look, I know you're upset. We shouldn't have done this, not again. It's just, when I'm around you, I can't help myself. You make me feel like I can be myself, my old self, before I got all wrapped up in the lifestyles of the rich and famous. And I didn't want to ruin that by bringing Alana here and--"
Lila felt her jaw drop. "What? I thought she had a photo shoot."
"Right, it's just--"
Realization slapped her across the face. "You didn't tell her."
Alex shook his head. "I didn't tell her. I wanted you all to myself, to keep that feeling of being myself for a little while longer. If Alana was here, she would have ruined it."
"And yet you're marrying her." Lila regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth.
Alex opened his mouth to reply, but she waved her hands in front of his face. "Doesn't matter. This can't happen again. I'm not catering your wedding."
"What? You've got to, we've already done all this work."
Lila looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. "We can't work together." She gestured with her hands for emphasis, pointing out his unzipped slacks and incorrectly buttoned shirt. She again caught sight of the wet spot on the crotch of his pants and cringed, then turned away. "This happens."
"That doesn't mean you can't cater the wedding. We'll meet in public only."
Lila nodded swiftly. "No private meetings, ever."
"Right," Alex said, zipping up his pants, then fixing the buttons on his shirt. "This was the last time."
She escorted him to the door, fighting back the urge to wipe off that little smudge of frosting she'd seen on his face. Opening the door, she jerked her head to motion him out.
"Thanks for the tasting," he said, his voice low, his tone serious.
"Don't mention it," she said as he walked down the steps. "Please," she whispered when he was out of earshot.
* * *
Alex gunned his blood red Vanquish away from the curb, muttering curses. He slammed his hand into his steering wheel repeatedly and considered banging his head against it instead. For the past two months he'd sat through multiple lunches in restaurants he couldn't remember after he left them, his cock a steel rod he'd had to constantly hide.
Every time she looked at him, it twitched.
When she laughed, he throbbed so hard he thought all the blood had left his heart to head to his dick, and that he might pass out.
And now, when he could no longer stop himself from touching her, from being inside her sweet heat, he'd fucked everything up all over again.
"Shit!" That was an understatement.
"FUCK!" Yup, they had fucked, and now he was fucked.
No swear was powerful enough. Not to describe the agony inside him, agony he couldn't understand but knew was earned.
She was right, he told himself. This had to stop. Whatever was between them, he had to shut it down.
Alex snarled at the thought, jerking the wheel to change lanes and prompting an angry horn blast from the car behind him. He was engaged to Alana, for sensible, logical reasons. He had to stop obsessing over Lila. It wasn't fair to either woman.
Part of him was weak, gut-punched by guilt and waylaid by an impossible longing. It presented a solution. Maybe you should break it off with Alana.
"And what?" he said, too upset to argue with himself silently. "Take up with Lila? It wouldn't work." He wasn't even sure Lila would accept him if he did call off the wedding and make a play for her. She'd emphasized over and over again that her business came first.
And although she gave her all during sex, she closed up tighter than a bank vault afterwards. Maybe she was using him, just like he was technically using her.
If only Alana would show one tenth of the passion during their lovemaking. Shit, one hundred of the passion Lila gave him, he could be a happy man. Well, if not exactly happy, then at least content. Couldn't he be?
Maybe Alana's not into you, that voice suggested. Maybe, just like you, she's hiding her true feelings, marrying for reasons other than attraction. He could think of a few million reasons off the top of his head.
Shit, maybe if I fucked her on a bed of hundred dollar bills, she's get off for once.
She was nothing like Lila. Sweet, wild Lila. One kiss was all it took to ignite a firestorm between them. And when he'd been insider her. Ah, God...
Don't think about that. He couldn't, otherwise he'd turn the car around, force his way back into her house, and claim her.
"Fuck."
He wanted her. But not enough to ruin everything. His plans. His image. And her life.
His mouth tightened into a grim line. He could still smell her on him and it was turning his blood to steam. She was an obsession.
An obsession he needed to conquer.
To get over.
To forget about.
As the city lights around him blurred into hazy lines, Alex Drake wondered idly if it was from the rain. Or if there was something wrong with his eyes.
* * *
Lila lay awake in bed, embarrassment and guilt riding her hard. She'd fucked another woman's man. Fucked him among the ruins of his potential weddings cakes. What the hell was wrong with her?
She was a slut. A home wrecker.
A bad person.
One who had no problem fucking a taken man. She wished she could say it was something she'd never done before, but...
Don't think about that!
Lila groaned. Flipping over to her stomach, she pressed her face into her pillow. But it wasn't enough to drive away the shame. She should quit the job. Let him find another caterer. If she was forced into close quarters with him again, she didn't think she'd be able to help herself.
But that wasn't the worst of it. She wished her fucking brain would shut up and let her sleep. But it
insisted she relive every moment of their time together. Every kiss. Every touch. The feeling of him sliding deep inside her.
She'd let down her guard with Alex and as a result, they'd become intimate again. And she'd...she'd...
He had to have noticed. There was no way he'd missed the sensation, nor the large wet spot on his pants.
And this wasn't the first time it had happened. Oh no.
Despite her unwillingness, her mind dragged her back to her senior year in high school...
It was very late, or very early, when she woke up to the pebbles hitting against her bedroom window. She got out of bed and wandered to the window, peering out to see Damien standing in her backyard. He waved, then pointed to the back door.
Lila wandered into the kitchen, wondering if she was dreaming. She opened the back door and in came Damien, still wearing his football jersey.
She'd been at the game earlier, their first game of the season and their first victory. Damien slammed the door behind them and she automatically flinched.
"Don't worry," he slurred, his voice too loud in the quiet kitchen. "I saw your mom's car leave. I know we're alone."
Lila blinked up at him. Her mother was gone, that was right. She left for the bakery early Saturday mornings to deal with the increased demand on the weekends.
"What are you doing here, Damien?" It seemed her voice did work. A first when confronted by the high school hunk.
School had been in session a few weeks now, agonizing weeks in which Damien ignored her. He never tried to talk to her, had stopped coming to her house for their "illicit trysts" (she could gag on the teenage angst in the name she'd given their near silent exchanges). He didn't even make eye contact in the school hallways.
Her heart had been breaking, a little each day, even while her mind had been screaming "I told you so" non-stop.
"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hall to her bedroom. Once inside he kicked the door shut and started taking off his clothing.
"Becca won't put out," he said, his voice muffled underneath his shirt as he pulled it over his head.
Worth the Risk: (A Contemporary Bad Boy Romance) Page 62