Epilogue
Derek enjoyed the view as Reese bent over, her jeans hugging her perfect behind as she pulled a pie out of the oven.
She thunked it down on the counter using the Kiss the Cook oven mitts her brother Ryan had given them for a gag wedding gift. At least, Derek assumed it was a gag gift. Reese looked frazzled, flour all over her tight navy T-shirt, and her hair falling out of a ponytail.
To him, she looked good enough to eat.
He’d been doing paperwork at the kitchen table all afternoon, watching in amusement as she cussed and stormed her way around the kitchen, attempting to fulfill their bargain.
Tossing the mitts down, she said, “Geez, it took me all day to make this stupid thing. Good thing I don’t have any deadlines.”
It was spring, the wrong time for pumpkin pie, but with the Delco case being handled by the courts, and Reese working steadily as a freelance writer since the interview with Markson had hit the Chicago Tribune, now seemed the time for her to make good on her promise.
Reese had gotten the exclusive the minute the raid had gone down at Delco, and had followed the case through the next few months as indictments had been handed out.
Several executives, including Jenkins and Goldberg, had plea-bargained, but Chatterton was headed to court and Derek had been reassigned to a different case, with grudging accolades from Nordstrom.
He had no hopes that Reese’s pie would taste any better than mud, but it was a small price to pay for the way she made him feel every day.
There had been a few speed bumps getting to the altar, but for the most part they were moving along at a steady pace.
Their marriage was a gift, and he had a whole new appreciation for the little things.
Reese was already cutting the pie.
“Aren’t you supposed to let it cool?”
She glared at him, blowing hair out of her eyes. “If you know so much about pies, why aren’t you making it?”
“Because you look a hell of a lot cuter doing it than I would.”
Rolling her eyes, she reached up and got out a plate. He noticed she didn’t get two plates. He also noticed, had been noticing all day, that she’d never bothered to put on a bra. Her nipples were showing off in that tight top and he was halfway to hard watching her stretch to pull out a fork.
As she brought the pie towards him, he got up and poured himself a glass of milk. Otherwise he might not be able to swallow if it tasted awful.
She smiled. “Here you go, honey. Eat up.”
When she called him honey, she was being sarcastic, he knew from experience. “Thanks, baby. I can’t wait.”
He sat back down and studied the piece of pie. It looked a little beat up, like she’d hacked it away from the rest of the pie, and the crust had pulled away from the filling. He gave a subtle sniff. It smelled all right.
“Quit smelling it and eat it.”
There was no escape. He took the fork, cut off a mice-size bite, and put it in his mouth. He chewed. And raised his eyebrow in surprise. Holy crap, it actually tasted good, like a real pumpkin pie.
“Reese, it’s good.”
She stared at him. “Very funny.”
“No, I’m serious.” He took another bite. “It looks like hell, but it tastes really good.”
“Really?” She grabbed the fork from him and bit the pie. “No way! I can bake, who’d have thought?”
Not him, that’s for sure.
Her fork went back again. “I mean, I followed the directions and it was a huge pain in the ass, but it wasn’t really hard. Whatta ya know.”
Reese was leaning in front of him, her shirt riding up, exposing her smooth belly to him. Since he had lost his fork, Derek stuck his finger into the pie and put it in his mouth, sucking the sweetness off.
“Tastes delicious.”
Reese knew that tone of voice, had gotten to love to hear that sound from Knight over the last six months. It meant he wasn’t talking about food anymore.
High from her baking triumph, she was ready to be put in the mood. “I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it.” His finger went back into the pie and came out with a big glob of filling. “Hey, there’s something on your shirt. ”
Before she had time to react, he had lifted her T-shirt and smeared pumpkin pie across her nipple.
Then his mouth closed over it and she almost fell to the floor.
He sucked, licked, tugging on her with his moist lips and tongue, his fingers digging into her backside as she gripped his shoulders for support, desire stabbing her between the thighs.
“Mmmm,” he said, pulling back and blowing on her shiny wet nipple. “Best I ever tasted.”
She inched down onto his lap, facing him, giving him a deep, luscious kiss, tasting the pumpkin spice in his mouth. “Plenty more where that came from.”
“We’ve got a whole pie, don’t we? I wonder where else I can eat it off? ”
An idea or two came to mind, including where she could lick him clean. “I bet I can come up with a better spot than you.”
“I bet you you’re wrong.”
She never was one to turn down a challenge.