14. Torture By Spoon
Chapter 14
Torture By Spoon
Tessa
I stared at the pile of carrots I was supposed to be julienning, my mind wandering to places that definitely weren’t food safe. It had been three days since I’d slept with Evan, and now all I did was think about it.
And Liam.
Oh, and let’s not forget about Archer.
Three guys. Three kisses. And way more than just kisses with two of them. What had gotten into me? Actually, scratch that. I knew exactly what—or rather who—had gotten into me.
I’d been so busy with taking over all restaurant operations, hiring staff, and ensuring guests’ palates were taken care of that I’d had very little free time over the past three days and hardly saw the three men who had been consuming my thoughts.
But it felt good having a kitchen staff now. Marcus, Katie, and Steve had all jumped at the chance to come back once I’d promised actual leadership and creative input. It turned out they weren’t bad cooks; they had just been thrown into chaos without any direction. Kind of like me with this whole man situation.
My knife slipped, and I barely pulled my finger away in time. “Shit!” I dropped the knife, my heart racing.
“Are you okay?” Marcus looked up from where he’d been preparing a vegetable stock.
“Just distracted. I’m taking five.” I retreated to my tiny office, which was really a glorified closet with a desk, and pulled out my phone. I needed to talk to someone who wouldn’t judge me for my sudden descent into madness.
Me: SOS. I think I might be having a crisis. Or an awakening. Or both?
Ava: What kind of crisis are we talking about? The good kind or the “I need bail money” kind?
Me: Remember how I said I was done with men after Declan?
Ava: Yes, and I remember calling BS even then.
Me: Well... I may have kissed three guys. And done more than kiss two of them. In the span of like... 72 hours.
Ava: WHAT?!?! *three fire emojis*
Ava: Hold up.
Ava: Are these the three hot resort owners you mentioned?
Me: Maybe...
Me: And I don’t know whether to feel empowered or mortified.
Ava: Girl, you should feel like a QUEEN. But also... details. Now. Which ones did you...?
Me: Evan and Liam. Archer was a kiss in the kitchen. With ice cream involved.
Ava: An ice cream kiss sounds hot. Why didn’t you seal that deal?
Me: We got interrupted. And now I have to work with all of them, and I keep getting distracted thinking about... everything. I almost chopped off my finger.
Ava: *tears of joy emoji* Declan who? This is the post-breakup glow-up you deserve! But try to keep all your fingers. They might come in handy later...
Me: Ava! But also you’re not wrong. I haven’t felt this alive in forever.
Ava: That’s because your ex had all the sexual appeal of a wet cardboard box. These guys clearly know what they’re doing to have you almost losing a finger. So what’s the problem?
The problem wasn’t that I felt bad about what had happened. The problem was that I wanted more. Of all of them. Possibly all at the same time. Was that even a possibility with their tumultuous relationship with each other?
Me: They’re my bosses. And friends. Sort of. And I think I’m in way over my head.
Ava: Honey, you’ve been treading water for years. It’s time to dive deep and see what happens. Try not to drown in all that hotness.
Ava: Actually, no, drown away. You deserve it.
I laughed, the sound bubbling up unexpectedly and loosening the knot of tension that had been living between my shoulder blades all morning. Leave it to Ava to make even my life sound like an adventure rather than a catastrophe.
A timer went off in the kitchen, reminding me that I had actual work to do. Real work that didn’t involve fantasizing about three very different but equally appealing men.
Several hours later, I was back in my office, staring at the menu drafts in front of me, but the words were starting to swim together. It was nearly ten, and the kitchen had been quiet for hours. I’d sent everyone home after another successful dinner service, proud of how quickly the team was coming together.
A soft thud from the kitchen made me look up. Through the crack in my office door, I watched as Archer, still in his suit minus the jacket, crept toward the freezer like a kid sneaking cookies at midnight. My heart did a completely unauthorized flip in my chest as I remembered the last time I’d caught him with his secret ice cream stash.
The way his lips had tasted sweet and cold.
The way his hands had...
I shook my head, trying to dislodge the memory before it could fully form. But it was too late—my face was already burning, and certain parts of my anatomy were staging a revolt against my better judgment.
He emerged from the freezer with his prize, and I waited for him to glance toward my office. The light was on; he had to know I was here. But he turned and walked out, not even hesitating.
Oh, hell no. I pushed back from my desk. This silent treatment had gone on long enough. Three days of polite nods and professional emails about kitchen budgets. Three days of him practically sprinting in the opposite direction whenever we ended up in the same room.
I followed him through the quiet resort, my irritation growing with each step. Of course he was heading to his office—probably to do more incredibly important things that apparently prevented him from acknowledging my existence.
He left his office door open, probably not expecting anyone to disturb him at this time of night. I paused in the doorway, watching as he sat at his desk, spooning ice cream into his mouth while frowning at his laptop screen.
“So this is what you do at night.” I leaned against the doorframe with mock casualness. The sight of him jumping made a tiny, petty part of me smile. “Eat ice cream and pretend I don’t exist? Very mature. What flavor is it this time? Cookies and avoidance?”
He looked up, spoon hovering halfway to his mouth, a droplet of melted ice cream threatening to fall onto his desk. “I’m not pretending you don’t exist.” His voice had a careful, measured tone, which only irritated me more.
I crossed my arms. “Really? Because you’ve barely said two words to me since I officially started working here. Which is weird, considering your tongue was in my mouth less than a week ago.”
The spoon clattered against the desk, sending tiny specks of vanilla across his desk. “Tessa…” He said my name like it physically pained him.
“No, you know what? I get it. You’re my boss now. We need to maintain professional boundaries. Fine. But you could at least look at me when we pass in the hallway instead of suddenly becoming fascinated by your shoes.” I gestured toward his feet. “Though I’m sure they’re very interesting. Do they give you advice on how to avoid awkward situations? Because if so, they’re doing a terrible job.”
He ran a hand through his hair, messing it up in a way that made him look less stern and more like someone I wanted to climb like a tree. “I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Well, congratulations. This is way more uncomfortable than if you’d just acted normal.”
“Normal?” He stood up, his chair rolling back. “Nothing about this is normal. I can’t stop thinking about you, and that’s exactly why I need to maintain distance. Because the alternative is completely inappropriate and unprofessional and?—”
“And what?” I stepped into his office and closed the door.
His eyes darkened. “And dangerous.”
“I like dangerous.” Even though the most dangerous thing I’d done before coming here was trying to make beef Wellington without a meat thermometer.
“Tessa.” My name was a warning on his lips as he rounded his desk and walked toward me. “You should go.”
“Make me.” I backed into the closed door as he closed the distance between us, his forearms coming to rest next to my head.
Archer’s breath was hot against my ear, his voice a low growl that made me squeeze my thighs together. “I want to bend you over this desk and fuck you until you can’t walk straight. I want to hear you scream my name while I make you come again and again. I want to mark every inch of your skin with my mouth and my hands and my cock.”
His words were filthy, and I lit up inside like a goddamn Christmas tree. This was the Archer I’d been craving—not the distant, professional one who’d been avoiding me, but the raw, primal man who’d kissed me like I was the air he needed to breathe.
I turned my head, and his lips crashed into mine, hard and demanding. His kiss was anything but polite. This was raw, unfiltered need, and it consumed me completely. His tongue swept into my mouth, claiming me in a way that left no room for doubt about what he wanted.
I moaned into his mouth, my hands tangling in his hair as I kissed him back with everything I had. His mouth was cold from the ice cream, and his tongue slid against mine in a way that made my knees weak. He slid his hands down my sides, gripping my hips and pulling me closer until there wasn’t an inch of space between us.
He broke away from my mouth, trailing kisses down my neck that made me gasp. “You interrupted my late-night snack, Tessa,” he murmured against my skin. “But I think I’ve found something much sweeter to eat.”
I let out a shaky breath. “Oh, yeah? And what’s that?”
He nipped at my earlobe, his hands sliding under my thighs as he lifted me off the ground. “You.”
Before I could respond, he had walked to his desk and set me back on my feet. He moved his laptop to the side and stepped back, his eyes raking over me like he was memorizing every detail. “Take off your clothes,” he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.
I hesitated for a split second, my cheeks burning, but the look in his eyes made it impossible to refuse. I reached for the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head and tossing it to the floor. His gaze dropped to my chest, and I felt a surge of confidence as I unhooked my bra and let it fall away.
“Good girl.” He reached for the button of my pants, his fingers brushing against my stomach as he undid them and slid them down my legs. I kicked them off, leaving me in nothing but my panties.
He stepped back, his gaze raking over me like I was a feast laid out for him. “Fuck, Tessa. You’re so damn beautiful.”
He picked up the spoon from his discarded ice cream, scooping up some. He sucked it into his mouth, his eyes locked on mine, and I swear I almost came right then and there.
Then he was on his knees in front of me, his hands gripping my thighs as he spread them wide. I gasped as he pressed a cold, wet kiss to the inside of my knee, trailing his mouth up my thigh until he reached the edge of my panties. He hooked his fingers under the fabric, pulling them down and off, leaving me completely bare to him.
He looked up at me, his eyes filled with hunger and desire. “Lie back, Tessa. I’m going to devour you.”
I did as he said, my body trembling with anticipation as he pressed a cold, wet kiss to my clit. I cried out, my hands gripping the edge of the desk as he began to lick and suck, his cold tongue sending pleasure through my body.
He slid a finger inside me, then another, stretching me. He curled them, hitting a spot that made me see stars, all while his tongue continued to work its magic on my clit.
“Archer,” I moaned, my hips bucking against his mouth as he pushed me closer and closer to the edge.
He didn’t let up, his tongue flicking over my clit in a way that had me trembling. I was so close, but he pulled away.
My heart jumped into my throat as he grabbed the spoon that had been sitting on top of the ice cream and brought it to my clit. I cried out, my fingers scratching at the surface of the desk.
And then he tapped my clit with the spoon. It wasn’t a full-on smack, but it also wasn’t a soothing caress. The sharp, icy sting made me yelp, my back arching off the desk like I’d been electrocuted. My thighs closed, but he pushed them apart, holding me open for him.
He did it again, and the cold metal sent a shockwave through me. The jolt of sensation was equal parts pleasure and surprise, and I let out a strangled laugh that quickly turned into a moan.
“Archer.” My voice trembled as much as my body. “That’s—oh my God, that’s?—”
“Cold?” His voice was low and teasing. He dragged the spoon down, the metal leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake, before bringing it back up to tap against me again. This time, I was ready for it, but it still made me jerk.
“You’re such an asshole,” I managed, though the words came out more breathless than accusatory. My body was already betraying me, my hips lifting toward him, craving more of that delicious, torturous sensation.
“And yet you’re loving every second of it.” His lips brushed against my thigh as he spoke.
He was right. The contrast of the cold spoon against my overheated skin was driving me wild, and the way he was looking at me like he wanted to devour me whole only made it worse. Or better. I wasn’t sure anymore.
The spoon connected with my sensitive flesh again, and I made the kind of sound that would have mortified me if I’d been in any state to care.
Archer chuckled, the sound dark and satisfied, and I knew he was enjoying this a little too much. “You’re so fucking responsive. I could do this all night.”
“Don’t you dare.” My threat was undermined by the way my voice shook. My body was already on the edge, teetering precariously, and I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could take.
He didn’t listen, bringing the spoon down again, this time dragging it slowly, deliberately, over my clit.
My legs trembled, and I whimpered, my hands gripping the edge of the desk so tightly my knuckles turned white. “Please.”
“Please what?” He knew exactly what I wanted, but he was going to make me say it.
“Please,” I repeated, my voice breaking on the word. “I need you.”
That was all it took. The spoon clattered to the floor, forgotten, as Archer surged up, his mouth replacing the cold metal in an instant. His tongue was hot and insistent, licking and sucking at me like he couldn’t get enough, and my body arched off the desk as pleasure crashed over me relentlessly.
He didn’t let up, and my fingers tangled in his hair as I rode out the aftershocks of my orgasm. Even then, he didn’t pull away, his lips pressing soft, lingering kisses against my inner thighs. My body felt like it had been turned inside out.
I propped myself up on my elbows, looking down at him with a satisfied grin. “Well, that was certainly a better late-night snack than ice cream.”
He stood up, undoing his belt. I watched him intently as he pulled himself free and stroked his hand down his length. Five pieces of metal glinted underneath his shaft, and I nearly stopped breathing.
He reached forward with his free hand and cupped my pussy, sliding his fingers through my folds. “Is all of this for me?”
“Yes.” A sharp pang of desire landed right between my legs.
He removed his hand, now slick with my wetness, and wrapped it around his cock. “Do you like what you see?”
Fuck. Me. That was hot.
I nodded, my throat too tight to speak. My gaze was locked on the way his hand moved over his cock with a slow, deliberate rhythm. The sight of him sent a shiver of anticipation rippling through me.
God, he looked so good like this, all control and barely leashed hunger, and I couldn’t decide if I wanted to watch forever or beg him to stop teasing and take me already.
Archer’s eyes darkened as if he could read my thoughts, his lips curling into a smug smirk that made my stomach flip.
“You’re looking at me like you want me to turn you over and fuck you until you scream.” His hand twisted as he stroked up and down his length. “Do you want to feel what these barbells can do?”
“Yes.” I sat all the way up and reached for him to take over, but he stepped back, just out of reach.
“You’re going to watch me get myself off while I stare at how wet I make you. Now, lay back and spread your legs.”
My mouth opened in shock, but he was serious. My pussy squeezed around what should have been his cock, and I made a frustrated sound in the back of my throat.
His hand worked his cock harder and faster. “If you still decide tomorrow that you want my cock, I’ll let you have it anywhere you want it: your mouth, your pussy… your ass. Now, lay back and let me see you.”
I leaned back onto my forearms again and spread my legs, bringing one of my feet onto the desk to give him a better visual. He groaned, and I bit down on my lip to stop myself from begging him to fuck me.
My breath hitched as Archer’s hand moved faster, his grip tightening around his cock. The sound of his skin sliding against his length was obscene, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away. His gaze was locked on me, his eyes dark with hunger, and I felt completely exposed under his scrutiny.
“Spread yourself open and rub your clit.” His commands did something to me, and while part of me wanted to argue to see what he’d do, I quickly complied.
Lying back on his desk, I spread my lips and used my other hand to work my clit in firm circles. “Like this?”
“Yes. You’re so fucking wet for me.” His voice had dropped lower. “Match my rhythm.”
I nodded, my cheeks burning. Every nerve was alight with need, and I wanted him to fill me, but he made no move to do it.
“Tell me how much you want me.”
“I want you,” I whispered, my voice trembling.
“Louder.” His voice was sharp, and it sent a shiver down my spine.
“I want you!” I cried out, my hips lifting off the desk as if I could somehow close the distance between us. “Please, Archer, I need you.”
He smirked, his hand moving faster. “You need me? What do you need, Tessa? Tell me exactly what you need.”
“I need your cock.” My body was trembling with desperation. “I need you to fuck me, to fill me, to make me come.”
He groaned, his head falling back. “Fuck, you’re so fucking perfect. Look at you, spread out for me, begging for my cock. You’re mine, Tessa. All mine.”
His words sent a jolt of pleasure through me, and I moaned. I was so close, teetering on the edge, but he wasn’t going to let me fall. Not yet.
“You’re going to watch me come all over you, and then you’re going to go back to your room and think about what just happened. About how good it was to have my mouth on you and my fingers inside you. You’re going to think about how it felt to watch me come.” His words were filthy, and they sent a wave of heat crashing through me.
“Yes! Please, let me see you come!” I wasn’t one to beg, but at this point, I’d do anything.
He stepped closer, his hand moving faster, his breathing growing more ragged. His eyes were locked on mine, and I saw the moment he let go and lost control. “Fuck!” His hand slowed as he came, his release spilling all over my exposed skin.
It sent an electric pulse through my entire body, and I moaned, loud and unrestrained as I came. My thighs shook, and my toes curled as the orgasm ripped through me.
He stood there for a moment, his chest heaving with his eyes locked onto me coming completely undone with his release painted across my skin. The intensity of his gaze made me feel simultaneously powerful and vulnerable.
Without breaking eye contact, he grabbed some tissue from his desk drawer. The gentle way he cleaned me up was such a stark contrast to his earlier dominance that it made my insides melt all over again.
His fingers brushed against my oversensitive skin, and I had to bite my lip to hold back another moan. The tender attention he paid to making sure every trace was gone was almost more intimate than what we’d done.
“Are you okay?” He picked up my clothes off the floor, handing them to me.
“More than okay.” My cheeks burned as I slid off the desk, my legs shaky. “I should, um… go.”
He fixed his clothes as I got dressed, neither of us saying another word. What was there to say? Thanks for the orgasms and coming all over me? We should do this again sometime.
As I reached the door, I glanced back at him still standing in exactly the same place he had been. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
He nodded. “Sweet dreams, Tessa.”
Oh, they would be.
As I made my way back to my room, I could still feel where his release had hit my skin and the heat of his gaze, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to forget this. Not tonight. Not ever.