Baking Lessons

by Katie Allen

  “Hi,” she said to her lit firecracker, knowing that her grin had just gotten even bigger and more smitten. Honestly, though, she didn’t care. “How was your meeting?”

  “Productive. What are you doing here?”

  She made a face. “Doing my first post-dickhead walk-through.”

  “You should’ve told me so I could’ve been there with you.” The lines between his eyebrows deepened.

  “It was an impulsive decision, and I was fine.” She jerked her head toward a smirking Annabelle. “My girl was there to hold my hand.”

  His glance moved to Annabelle for a brief moment. “Hello.”

  “Hey, Ham.”

  Refocusing on Leah, he tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. A flash of heat rolled through her, and she cursed his chivalrous side for the thousandth time that week. He needed to drag her out the window, shove her up against the car and have his way with her. The flame in her belly blazed at the thought, and she had to force herself to concentrate on what he was saying. Frustrated lust was turning her mind to mush.

  “Come upstairs?” he asked, as if he’d just peeked in her brain and read her dirty daydreams. She opened her mouth to eagerly agree, but then Annabelle cleared her throat, reminding Leah of her passenger.

  “I can’t right now. Annabelle was nice enough to come with me, so the least I can do is give her a ride home.”

  “That’s okay.” Annabelle unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car. “It’s such a beautiful day, I think I’m going to walk home.”

  Tearing her gaze away from Hamilton, Leah frowned at Annabelle through the open passenger door. “What? Don’t be silly. You can take my car home. Ham can give me a ride later.”

  “Ha! You must be desperate to stay if you’re willing to let me drive your car.” Annabelle grinned at her. “Like I said, it’s a beautiful day, and I want to walk.” Closing the car door, she started across the parking lot toward the park, giving them a wave over her shoulder. “You two have fun.”

  Leah rolled the window back up and Hamilton retreated just enough so that she could get out of the car. His big hand enveloped hers, and a shock wave ran through her, pouring gasoline on the Hamilton-inspired lust-fire already raging inside her. As they walked toward the stairway door, Leah leaned into him.

  “Does this mean we get to start messing around again?” she asked.

  His head whipped around, and he stared at her, looking startled. “Do you... I mean, are you okay with that? Is that something you want?”

  Stepping in front of him so they were front to front, she stopped, forcing him to do so as well. “I want it so badly that I’m pretty sure I will literally die if you do not fuck me soon.”

  It felt like she flew. Her feet left the ground, and a half-second later, she was pinned against the stairwell door and his mouth was on hers. It was such a relief that she groaned against his lips and clutched two handfuls of his jacket.

  In the next second, that wonderful body and mouth disappeared as Hamilton took a step back. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

  “Ham.” She cupped his face with both hands and met his gaze fiercely. “I’m fine. Turned on beyond belief, but fine. Quit treating me like I’m fragile.”

  He looked stricken as he gently gripped her forearms, holding her hands in place. “You are fragile. When I saw that asshole pointing a gun at your head...” He shook his head without dislodging her hold. “I’ve never been so terrified in my life.”

  “Me either.” Her laugh shook as she stroked his cheeks with her fingertips. “But I’m safe now. The only thing that could hurt me at this moment is if you decide you never want to see me again.”

  His body jerked. “I always want to see you.”

  “Good.” Standing on tiptoe, she kissed his chin. “Let’s go inside, and you can see more of me.”

  He smiled at that, a real smile, with dimples and everything. Reaching up, she stroked his cheek, sliding her thumb into the dent his happiness caused, the one she hardly ever got to see. As she grinned back, she felt something settle inside her, something that had been knocked out of place by the horrible events with Jude.

  He looked at her steadily, sliding his hands to her elbows and then back up to her wrists. “I know I’m not good at interacting with people—most people.” She just blinked at him. That hadn’t been what she’d expected him to say. “Often, I say things that are not appropriate to the situation.”

  He’d reverted to talking like the killer robot in 2001: A Space Odyssey, something that had pretty much stopped after he started working with her at the bakery and had almost completely stopped after they’d seen each other naked. She felt like she should say something, reassure him, but he looked like he was having trouble getting out what he was trying to say, so she just stayed quiet and listened.

  “I don’t want you to think that I’m stalker-like, or in any way like... Jude was.”

  Sucking in a breath, she started to tell him that she could never think he was like Jude, even if he hung outside her window on one of those window-washing scaffolds, but he kept talking before she could get any words out.

  “However, I want to make this offer, and I will fully understand if you decide to decline. There will, of course, be no repercussions if you decide not to accept.”

  Unable to take any more of the killer robot voice, she put up her hands. “Stop. Please. Just ask me whatever you’re going to ask me. You’re making me really nervous with all of these qualifiers.”

  “I don’t want you to be nervous. That’s why I was reluctant to—”

  “Argh!” Leah covered his mouth with her hands. Even though she was completely aggravated and still totally curious about what he was taking a million years to ask her, she couldn’t help but notice how soft his lips were against her palm. “Just ask. Please.”

  At his slight nod, she moved her palm away from his face but kept it raised in case he started doing his killer-robot babble again. He held her gaze, still completely tense for no reason that she could tell. “Move in with me.”

  She stared at him as her hands fell numbly to her sides. “That was not what I was expecting you to say.”

  She’d thought he was holding himself as rigidly as possible, but he somehow stiffened even more. “There is no obligation. It could be temporary, if you wished, if you find that you don’t care to spend much time with me—”

  Her hand covered his mouth again. Everything in her screamed to accept, to jump on this offer—and on him—without hesitation, but the tiny, logical part of her brain kept telling her that it was crazy. They hadn’t even had regular sex yet, or any kind of conversation about their relationship, and she had no idea what he thought of her or if she was just a giant walking cupcake to him, and now that previously logical part of her brain had just shorted out and nothing was making any sense. “Go back a little. What prompted this offer?”

  His gaze flickered, moving to her chin and then her ear before returning to her eyes. “I’d know you were safe.”

  She had to roll her eyes a little at that. “We’ve been spending practically every moment you’re not at work together. How would that be any different?”

  He hesitated. “Sleep.”

  “Sleep? As in, we’d sleep together?”

  “No. If I meant that, I would’ve said sex.”

  “Right. Sorry. So what exactly do you mean by ‘sleep’?”

  He dropped her gaze again, this time glaring over her shoulder, looking so angry that she glanced behind her, half-convinced she’d see one of his mortal enemies standing there. The only thing there was her car. Even though it was a bit rough-looking, it didn’t deserve the fierce scowl he’d given it. “I don’t sleep very well.”

  “Okay. I don’t know if I’d help with that, though. You’d probably have better luck with a white-noise machine or sleep-aid drugs or som
ething.”

  “You do help.” His gaze snapped back to hers. “When I stayed at your apartment and you slept at mine, that was the hardest and best I’ve slept in years.”

  “Really?” She studied him as she thought. “It almost seemed like you were sleepwalking at one point—or sleep-cuddling, rather.”

  His cheeks darkened with a flush. “I occasionally walk or talk in my sleep, but I never do anything dangerous. You wouldn’t have to worry about that.”

  That made her snicker.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I wasn’t too worried about that. If the worst thing you do is snuggle me like a horny octopus and call me ‘LeeLee,’ I think I’ll live.”

  He was definitely flushing now. “You’re considering it?”

  It was crazy, but she was. The more she got to know Hamilton, the more she adored him, and the thought of living with him, of spending nights with him, was utterly tempting. “I’m considering it. Should we have a test-run tonight?” It was her turn to blush as she asked.

  The tension left his face, and he gave her that small smile that always made her feel like they shared a secret. “I’d be amenable to that.”

  “Amenable?” She couldn’t help but tease as excitement flowed through her, lighting all her nerve endings on fire. “I’m pleased you’d be amenable to testing our cohabitation experiment.”

  His smile widened even as his eyes heated. As he leaned closer, so did she, until just a whisper of air separated their lips. “You can be a smart-ass,” he said softly, his breath blowing hot against her mouth.

  It took a second for his words to register. When they did, she laughed and grabbed his head in both hands. Despite her hold, she was pretty sure he lunged for her first, and their mouths collided. All her amusement burned up in the heat of their kiss. She didn’t know how she’d managed to keep her hands off of him for a week, because now she felt like she had to touch him or she’d burn away to nothing.

  He ripped his mouth away and turned. Leah was about to have a full-on, frustration-fueled temper tantrum before she realized he was unlocking the door with shaking hands. As soon as he somehow managed to get it open, he yanked her through, shoving her against a wall as the door closed and automatically locked behind them.

  Gripping handfuls of his jacket, she yanked him closer, hating all the clothes that covered their skin but not willing to move away long enough to remove it. Instead, she slid her hands inside his jacket, pulling his shirttails free so she could slip her hands underneath. As soon as her palms pressed against his ridged belly, they both froze, breathing into each other’s mouths for a long moment.

  Pulling back just far enough to speak, Leah made a sound that was part contentedness and part neediness. “I love how furry you are.” Her fingers caught a few of the wiry strands, and she gave a tug. Hamilton made a guttural noise that she interpreted as pleasure, rather than pain.

  “Why?” he asked in a deep rasp, running his hands along the outside of her thighs, pushing the hem of her dress higher and higher.

  “I don’t know.” She could barely talk, as everything inside her was focused on the hands as they palmed the backs of her bare thighs and then cupped her ass. “I just do. The same way I love seeing your dimple and watching you right before you bite into one of those cupcakes. Your expression... It’s like you have to eat it or you’ll die.”

  Giving a low groan, he kneaded her ass cheeks, working his fingers into the crevice between them, blocked only by the delicate fabric of her panties. Leah gave thanks for her morning wardrobe decision. She’d hoped that the bright dress would cheer her up, and now she was eternally grateful she’d chosen to wear it. She wanted as little between her naked skin and Hamilton’s hands as possible.

  As he scraped a blunt thumbnail lightly along the skin of her hip, just under her panties, she nipped his lip. Wrapping his other hand around the back of her neck, he pulled her into another kiss. She didn’t mind the slight roughness, the desperation. It was the same with her. She couldn’t get enough of his kisses, his tongue, his teeth, and his hands on her. Cool air brushed against her bare legs, catching on the wetness smeared over her inner thighs. Somehow, the contrast made her pussy feel even hotter.

  With a hungry sound that sent pleasure pulsing through her, he picked her up so that they were face-to-face. She wrapped her legs around his waist and ground her pussy against his rigid abs. The light switch dug into her lower back, and she winced.

  He immediately went still as he looked at her face. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She moved to kiss him again, her body crying out for more touching, more of everything Hamilton could give her, but he shifted back. Knowing that he wouldn’t resume kissing until she told him, she sighed. “The wall’s just a little bumpy. It’s worth it, though.”

  When she leaned toward him, he stopped her again, and then slid a hand behind her where her back met the switch. With a sympathetic frown, he lowered her to her feet. “Let’s go upstairs.”

  As they moved toward the stairs, she leaned against him. It was impossible to keep her distance when he was right there, his gorgeous body basically begging her to touch him. He wrapped an arm around her, tucking her tightly against his side. It was, she decided, her favorite place to be. Her gaze touched on the back entrance to the bakery kitchen, and a cold trickle of fear slid through her. Hamilton tightened his arm around her, and she tore her gaze away from the door. When she looked at his face, all the residual panic and anxiety left her, and only desire remained.

  He stared down at her as they climbed the steps, his eyes making the fire already burning inside her flare even higher. “I want to kiss you again, but I know we’ll never get into the loft if I do.”

  “That’s probably true.” Her voice sounded husky, and he blew out a hard breath. His arm lowered to her waist, and he swept her up against him so her feet were dangling off the ground. With a laughing shriek, she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, holding on tightly as he ran up the rest of the stairs.

  She was breathless and giggling, even though she wasn’t the one doing the running. It was so unexpected when he did impulsive things like that, and the surprise made them that much more exciting. As he unlocked the door to his loft, she took advantage of her position, kissing a line up the side of his neck. When she reached his earlobe, she caught it between her teeth and teased it with her tongue, making him groan deep in his chest, so low it was almost a growl.

  His desire turned her on even more, and she tightened her legs around him, grinding her pussy against his tight abs. As the door opened, he carried her inside, one hand on her ass pressing her harder against him. Slamming the door shut, he pushed her up against it, holding her up with the weight of his body.

  She was pinned against the door, and she loved it. With anyone else, she would have protested the position, but Hamilton was different. He always made her feel secure, whether he was barely touching her arm when they were fully clothed, or when they were naked and he wrapped around her.

  Shoving at his jacket, she pushed it off his shoulders. Holding her up with one arm and then the other, he shook the sleeves loose and let the jacket drop to the floor. His tie was next to go. Leah started to work on his shirt buttons, her fingers fumbling as they shook with need. Her frustration grew with each button, and she was tempted to tear it open and send buttons flying. Instead, she yanked it up, and he caught the hint, pulling it off over his head while keeping her pinned against the door.

  She’d barely flattened her hands against his chest when he interrupted, working her dress higher and higher until it bunched under her arms and her bare back pressed against the cool metal of the door. As she raised her arms, he yanked it off over her head, leaving her in just her bra and panties.

  There were still too many barriers between them, and she unhooked her bra and let the straps slide down her a
rms. Hamilton went still for a moment, his gaze fixed on her bare breasts, and then he was kissing her frantically. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she pulled him in close, loving the feel of his chest against her breasts, so hard and hairy against her smooth softness. He kissed her deeply, holding the back of her head as if making sure she couldn’t escape—but escaping his mouth was the last thing on her mind. If anything, she wanted more of him.

  His other hand clenched on her ass cheek, his fingers digging deep into the muscle and yanking her hips flush against his belly. It wasn’t enough, though. Her pussy felt empty and desperate, and she needed him inside her. Pulling back her head, she groaned at the loss of his mouth, but her raging need to have his cock in her was greater than her want for his mouth on hers.

  “Please,” she begged, untangling her legs so she could reach between them and unfasten his pants. He lowered her feet to the floor, moving back just far enough so she could have room to stand. Her legs shook as they took her weight, but she ignored that, intent on her goal of getting her hands on Hamilton’s cock again. As soon as she unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, they fell to his ankles. Sliding one hand down the front of his black boxer briefs, she closed her fingers around his erection. Even that was a relief, just touching his cock, and she moaned. “Please, fuck me.”

  He hissed between his teeth as she slid her hand up and down his hard length, but the fabric limited her movements. Impatiently, she released him to shove his boxer briefs down his legs, revealing his pretty, pretty cock that she’d missed so much. Gripping it again, with both hands this time, she ran a thumb over the slick head.

  “Why didn’t you stay over?” she asked. As desperate as she was to have him inside her, she really wanted to know the answer. After what happened with Jude, it had confused her and made her feel like Hamilton didn’t want her anymore. Now, though, it was obvious from the state of his rigid cock that he really, really did.

  “You were...” He sucked in a harsh breath as she cupped his balls gently in one hand and ran the other one up and down his erection. “You were traumatized. I didn’t want to...fuck!...take advantage.”