“I was going to. I have a final tasting tomorrow with the mayor.”
“What do you have ready?”
I sighed and shook my head. “Nothing. I worked for Brett yesterday and was slammed today.”
Graham’s eyes narrowed. “Why were you alone with that guy after the way he touched you Monday? I don’t think I like you being around him.”
My eyebrow arched the same time my hands stuck to my hips. “You are not going to tell me what I can and can’t do. I’ve had enough controlling men in my life.”
“And I thought you were done with him.”
“I am done with him, Graham, but if I don’t do what he asks he’ll call the mayor and shred my chances of getting this job.”
Graham took it in. I could see the war in his eyes before he finally sighed. “I get it. I think you should let your baking speak for you, but I get it. What do we need to do?”
“We? No, we have a date.”
“Yeah, and you’ll be distracted all night worrying about tomorrow. I’m not going to put that on you, and I’m not going to have either of us pretend something more important isn’t going on. I started cooking for Travis and me when I was in middle school. Got pretty good at it, too. Put me to work.”
“I’ve never baked with someone else before.”
“You’ve baked with your Grams.”
I smiled that he remembered. “True, but you’re nothing like Grams.”
He laughed. “Well, I hope not. But I can help, Abby. Let me help you.”
“You do that a lot. Help me.”
“I like to help you.”
I tipped my chin up and waited for his lips to meet mine. He didn’t disappoint, his mouth slanting over mine in a kiss of possession. I was his, and he was telling me he was mine, too.
When he pulled back, long before I wanted him to, he kissed my nose and smiled. “How about I order a pizza and then we can get started?” I nodded. “What are we baking first?”
I dropped into a chair at the table. “I don’t know!” I whined, sounding like a child.
Graham crouched beside me with a laugh. “Let me call for the pizza, and then we’ll figure it out, okay?” I nodded. He kissed me quickly, then stood and ordered. When he hung up the call he pulled me to my feet and into his arms. “Why are you stuck?”
I shrugged, fighting the urge to cry. “Mayor Ramsey said my stuff was too fancy and none of the kids would eat it. I need stuff that will appeal to everyone.”
“Your flourless cake is good. And your scones and brownies and everything else I’ve tried. Why can’t you do some of those?”
I huffed. “I want to do new stuff. I told him I’d create new custom desserts just for the picnic. I’m not going back on that now. You want me to stand behind my baking, then I’m going to do what I promised.”
Graham studied me for a long moment before nodding. “Agreed. When we had extra money growing up, Travis and I loved to go to the bakery near our school. They always had super-sized cookies and brownies that we would get. The owner knew us and would sneak us a little extra when we came in.”
I smiled. “Sounds like a nice memory.”
He nodded. “It was. What do you think about baking a blonde brownie with raspberries and blueberries in it. Sort of a red, white, and blue thing?”
As soon as the words were out I knew it was perfect. I could see it in my mind. “Amazing. I love it. It’s simple, but different. Something everyone will recognize, but with a twist.”
“You could call it a Red, White, and Blondie.”
“Ooh, I like that. Wait, what if we did raspberries and white chocolate chips.”
Graham smiled. “I like it. One down. How many do you want to have?”
I took a deep breath. “I want to give him ten different options tomorrow. If he wants me to narrow it down from there I will, or he will, but I want to bring ten.”
Graham nodded. “Then we better get started.”
We mixed up the brownie batter, folded in the raspberries and white chocolate chips, and slid them in the oven. I sighed, knowing we were on track. “I had an idea for another one,” I admitted, chewing on my lip.
“Lay it on me.”
“What about a s’mores cake?”
Graham rubbed his chin. “I’m listening.”
I chuckled. “I’m thinking graham cracker crust with marshmallow filling and chocolate drizzle on top.”
“That’s two. I had an idea, too.”
I beamed at him, loving that he was getting into the process with me. “What is it?”
“Red velvet cookies.”
“I brought him red velvet mini-cakes. He loved them, but I think the cookies would be better. Maybe like a cookie sandwich with the icing in between two mini cookies and rolled in blue sprinkles?”
Graham nodded. “Now we’re talking.”
The pizza arrived while I was making the marshmallow filling for the s’mores cake. Graham set dinner on the table and came back to help. “How’s it going?”
I dipped my finger in the bowl and held it out to him. His eyes widened when he realized what I intended. He grasped my wrist and held my eyes as he pulled my finger toward his mouth. His tongue led the assault, swirling around the pad of my finger. The sticky substance wouldn’t let go so he ran his teeth over it, then returned with his tongue. My body ached for him to do the same thing everywhere else.
“Mmm,” he moaned, swirling his tongue again. I didn’t think my legs would keep me up much longer. “Delicious,” he said as he pulled back from me. “But I think I need a taste of you, too.”
He dove into my mouth for a kiss, his tongue circling mine the same way it had my finger. I groaned in frustration and he laughed against my lips. When I started to pull back, his hands dipped to my ass and pressed me against him. He thrust his tongue deep into my mouth, letting me taste the sweetness leftover. He grew hard against my belly, making me throb between my legs. I wanted him. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to wait until a third date. I wasn’t even sure I could wait until we had dinner. I needed Graham Hall.
I deepened our kiss the best I could from over a foot beneath him. When I reached for his fly, he stopped me. “Don’t.”
“Why not?”
“Let’s eat dinner first,” he said softly. “Then finish up everything for tomorrow. I’m not saying I don’t want to, Abby. Just that I want to make sure you’re ready for tomorrow first. When your mind is clear, trust me, my thoughts are the same.”
He nipped my throat and pressed his lips to mine in a punishing kiss before he stepped back abruptly. He grabbed the bowl of marshmallow filling and poured it onto the baked graham cracker crust. The chocolate was almost perfectly melted despite my distraction. Graham stirred it then used the spoon to drizzle it perfectly over the marshmallow. When he was done, I wanted a piece. And not just of the cake.
“Sorry,” he said, stepping back. “I probably should have let you do that.”
I shook my head. “It’s actually kind of hot watching you bake. I don’t know many men who enjoy it.”
He nodded. “We didn’t have much around we could bake with, but the few times we did, I liked it. S’mores was one of the desserts we could afford sometimes since they were fairly cheap.”
“It helps that they’re delicious.”
Graham laughed. “That too.”
We stopped for pizza since we had two desserts done. The Red, White, and Blondies were perfect. They smelled delicious as they cooled and tasted just as good once we finished our pizza and cut them.
“You were right to skip the blueberries,” Graham said around a mouthful. “You need to add these to the menu at SkinnyCakes after the picnic.”
I nodded. “If they sell well, I think I will.”
“You might need to hide these from me because I could eat this whole pan.”
“No!” I shouted playfully at him. “You can’t!”
I blocked his way to the pan with my arms and legs spread. Graham stepp
ed up to me and wrapped his arm around my waist, spinning as he lifted me out of the way. Instead of putting me down like I expected, he pulled my legs up until they wrapped around his hips. He watched me as our bodies came into contact. I gasped at the feel of him between my spread legs. My yoga pants weren’t doing anything to disguise how ready we both were.
“I’d never do anything to mess up your chances at this, Abby. I hope you know that.”
I nodded. “I do. Of course. I was just joking.”
“I just wanted to make sure. I like seeing this side of you.”
“What side? Messy, distracted, and unprepared?”
He laughed and swiped something from my cheek. “More like determined, playful, and sexy.”
I soared at his words. The rumble of his voice vibrated through my whole body, making me tremble against him.
“We need to quit doing this or we’ll never finish everything. Once I get you in a bed, I don’t intend to let you leave it for a few hours. And the only reason I’ll let you out then is because you have an important meeting. Otherwise we’d be there for days.”
My small gasp attracted his lips. He kissed me hard, his lips bruising mine as his hips thrust up to rub his erection against me. I moaned into his mouth at the feel of him, needing his bare skin against mine. He thrust again, and my legs shook. Graham’s hands went to my hips and pressed me down into him, sending shivers through my body again.
I pulled back from his kiss. “You need to stop, Graham.” He did it again. “I’m… I can’t… I-”
“Come for me, Abby. Just like this. Let me help you feel good. Use me to come.”
His eyes were dark and imploring and I couldn’t stop when he thrust against me again. My head fell back and I rode him shamelessly, his hands guiding me against him until I was as limp as a rag doll in his arms. My head fell forward to his shoulder as my breaths grew frantic and desperate. I needed him. I couldn’t do it myself. I had no strength left to finish what he’d started.
Thank God he did.
Graham guided my body over his erection, the friction of our bodies spinning me higher and higher. He grunted against my neck, his hips and arms working together to pump his body against mine. To bring me to a delicious orgasm he wouldn’t have the chance to share.
“Let me… I need… Please,” I whimpered, unable to form a coherent thought let alone a sentence.
“I know, Abby. Let go for me, babe. Let me hear you.”
“No,” I protested even as I climbed closer to the peak. “I need you, Graham.”
“I’m right here, Abby.”
“Inside… Please. Now.”
He continued his torture. “Not this time, Abby. Not until I can taste every inch of your sweet skin.”
“Please,” I cried, knowing I’d run out of time. “Oh, yes! Graham! Yes! Oh, God!”
I came hard, my body bouncing along his with energy I couldn’t feel. His fingers bit into my hips hard, holding me steady. My chest heaved with an attempt to breathe, but I couldn’t. The man really was lethal.
He was still hard against me, making my body want more. Every movement by either of us sent shockwaves of pleasure through me. “You’re going to kill me,” he growled against my neck, his tongue swiping over my sweaty skin. “I need to set you down or we’ll spend the rest of the night in your bed.”
“I have two desserts finished. That’s enough,” I moaned as he extracted himself from between my legs.
He chuckled against my hair. “Not quite, Ab. Give me a minute and we’ll finish baking.”
“Okay,” I whined, wishing, for the first time ever, I could forget about SkinnyCakes and enjoy a man.
Chapter 13
It was after midnight when we pulled the chocolate pound cake out of the oven. Max’s kitchen was covered in flour dust, sugar crystals, and dessert. We made red velvet cookies, rhubarb pie bites, blueberry doughnuts, chocolate dipped marshmallow stuffed strawberry pops, cherry fudge, cannoli dip with shell chips, and red and blue sprinkled vanilla cake pops.
I was exhausted.
I stifled a yawn and hoped Graham wouldn’t take it as a sign that I wanted him to leave. After the first orgasm he gave me I felt like I could stay up all night long to bake and have sex, but it was fading.
“You’re tired, aren’t you?”
“No,” I said on a yawn. “Well, maybe a little. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to finish what we started earlier.”
“I don’t want to mess up your meeting, Ab.”
I wanted to hear him call me that when he was inside me. Over me. Under me. I just wanted him.
“It would mess with my meeting even more if I went in there this wound up.”
“So I’m just a stress reliever?” he joked.
“Best one I’ve ever met.”
“Do we need to cover any of this stuff? Or put it in the fridge?”
I shook my head. “It’ll be fine until morning. I, on the other hand, will not. But if you’re not up to it, I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself.”
“Not gonna happen, Ab. Get your ass in that bedroom.”
I whirled on him, hands on hips. “Excuse me?”
“Please, Abby. Don’t make me beg. I’m not above it.”
He got down on his knees and was still almost eye level with me. He pressed his head to my chest and nuzzled. I laughed and he did it again. My nipples tried to say hi through my shirt and Graham turned his head. I watched, mesmerized, as his lips closed over one of my nipples. His arms circled me, one hand splayed across my back, holding me in place. My hands went to his head, securing him to me.
He drew my nipple into his mouth and swiped his tongue over it. The cotton of my tank top dulled the sensation. I needed his tongue on my skin. The night had been impossible to survive. Max’s kitchen was barely big enough for two people, but when one of them was the size of a truck, we needed a kitchen three times as big. He brushed against me every time he moved. More than once I wanted to turn off the oven and heat up the bedroom instead, but I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t nail the presentation for Mayor Ramsey.
Graham stood with his arms locked around me, his mouth still toying with my nipple. I clutched his shoulders so I wouldn’t fall and let him carry me to the bedroom.
Graham let me slide down his body, every nerve ending lighting up with the contact. When my feet touched the floor, he released me and ran his hand over the wall. “Where’s the light?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Leave it off.”
“Not a chance,” he growled when he finally found the light and turned it on. “I’ve been fantasizing about getting you naked since the first day I met you. I’m not missing out on one bit of it.”
“The first day?” I squeaked.
He leaned back. “Absolutely. You came in to SkinnyCakes all pissed off because of something your ex did and I thought you were the sexiest woman I’d ever seen. You didn’t even realize I was there. When you finally saw me, your eyes widened and you made this soft little noise that made me hard in an instant. I wanted to lay you out over the counter and make you mine that day. When you said you were married, I almost cried.” I laughed at his grin. “Then when I found out you were getting divorced I wondered what sort of dumb ass would ever let you go.”
“He is a dumb ass, isn’t he?”
Graham tipped his head back and laughed. “Hell yeah. Come here, sexy woman.”
He didn’t wait for me to go to him, just reached out and tugged me into his arms. We fell onto the bed laughing, kissing, and pulling at clothes. He turned so I fell on top of him and pulled my legs to either side for me to straddle his massive hips. His t-shirt lifted and I finally got my hands on his bare skin. He was warm and firm beneath my fingers, but his stomach wasn’t enough. I wanted to feel all of him.
His abs tightened as he sat up and tugged his shirt off. My mouth went dry at the sight of his bare muscles. A large tattoo that looked like a Playbill covered his left side. “What is that?”
He looked down and saw me studying the tattoo. “The first play Travis was the lead costume designer on. I made it to opening night. Before I left New York, I went to a tattoo parlor. I was so proud of him.”
I choked back the tears in my throat and blinked them from my eyes. “That’s amazing.”
“You’re amazing, Abby. I’ve never told another woman about my brother. Or my family. You’re getting to me.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “It’s not a bad thing, sweetheart.”
He pulled me down for a kiss, my body sprawled over top of his. I moved with his breath, his hands keeping me securely in place while I explored his abs, chest, and arms with my hands. When I spread my legs and straddled him again, he thrust up into me and my world darkened.
“Oh, yes,” I moaned, unable to stop myself.
“I need to touch you, Abby.”
“Yes, please,” I moaned.
His hands shook as he reached for my stomach. I fought the urge to suck in my gut and let him see it all. If he left because I was overweight then he wasn’t worth my time. He lifted my tank top and traced his knuckle over my skin. He flipped his hand over and we both watched as his dark hand moved along my pale skin. He lifted himself up and kissed me, his hand moving north as his kiss drove me crazy.
The first brush of his hand over my breast had me pulling away from him to suck in a breath. “Yes,” I breathed, my hips rocking as he teased my nipple.
“Are you going to come for me again, Ab?”
“Yes.”
“That’s good, baby. Keep going.”
I rode him again, treating him as my own personal life-sized dildo. His one hand dipped low on my ass, pushing me against him faster and faster while his other hand lifted my shirt to free my breasts. He claimed one nipple with his mouth, the other with his fingers.
“Yes, Graham, yes! I’m going to come!”
“That’s it, Ab, let me have it, sweetheart.”
He suckled my breast and nipped my skin, sending me over the edge. I rode him hard, not ready for it to be over. When he flipped us and pressed himself hard into me, I burst again, wrapping my legs as far as I could around his waist to keep him exactly where I needed him.
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