Chapter 8 Taking Care #2
That was something I could help with. Moving to her side, I selected a loaf and muttered a cooling spell, pouring more of my magic energy into it.
Grasping the mini loaf pan, I slid the pumpkin bread out and sat it on the counter. “Go ahead and try it. I could use a snack,” I said.
Sadie wasted no time. Biting her lip, she sliced into the bread and then brought a sliver to her mouth. I watched as she popped it between her red lips. Her lashes fluttered closed as she ate the bite. I could already tell it was perfect.
Fuchsia eyes popped open, wide with wonder. “It’s actually good. Like I didn’t fuck it up. I can’t believe it!”
Her entire face lit up, and she bounced on her heels, a wide grin overtaking her delicate features.
“Of course—” My praise was cut off as Sadie threw herself into my arms.
I caught her on instinct, and she grabbed my face in her delicate hands and yanked it to hers.
I went willingly. Our mouths crashed together for a few glorious seconds.
Sadie released me, leaning back as much as she could with my arms scooped around the small of her back, lifting her up.
Her grin was replaced with a look of shock.
“I’m sor—”
Before she could properly apologize, I slanted my head and brushed my lips over hers again, softly.
“Don’t apologize. I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to kiss you.”
“What?” she murmured, blinking at me when I pulled back.
“I can’t help it,” I admitted. “I tried to shut it off because of the job, but I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you in that bar.”
“Rowen,” she whispered.
“I didn’t want to pressure you,” I said wryly. “But if you want me too, we can—”
Sadie’s fingers returned to my jaw before I could even finish my sentence. She pulled my face to hers, kissing me like I was her oxygen.
The hard press of her mouth sent sparks through me, tingling down my spine and through my arms and legs. She opened her mouth and I swept my tongue in, taking in the taste of cinnamon and pumpkin.
With two steps, I had her against an empty counter, lifting her until she sat on the surface. Her hands were in my hair, tugging me closer, as her knees opened and I stepped between them.
She let out a desperate little mewl in the seconds between kisses, and I nearly bent her backward in my desperation to get my lips on hers again.
Our kiss deepened, both of us unable to get enough. Her legs wrapped around my hips, and my hands slid down to grip her ass through her dress, pressing her against me harder.
I could fuck her right here on this countertop in the middle of my family’s bakery.
That was probably a terrible idea, but I wanted it so badly. I wanted everything from Sadie, and I wanted to give her everything I had in return. I wanted her upstairs, in my bed. Upstairs—that was a much better idea than having sex right here.
Our kiss broke, and I trailed my lips down to her collarbone as she panted. Her skin was sweet, like she was dusted with powdered sugar. I licked over the curve of her cleavage, framed so perfectly by this damn dress.
“Oh, god, Rowen,” she moaned. Her head tipped back, blonde curls cascading behind her. “I’ve been flirting with you every night. I would have thought it was obvious that I wanted you too.”
“Let me take you upstairs.”
She didn’t answer, and I placed a delicate kiss on her breast before straightening and pulling her up to sit. She kept her legs wrapped around my hips as she pressed into me, resting our foreheads together.
Her gorgeous breasts rose and fell against my chest as her hand patted my shoulder. “Look, as much as I want to keep going with all of this, I think we should take things one step at a time. Not fuck each other the first time we admit feelings.”
Exhaling, I buried my face against her neck, placing a string of kisses there before answering.
“You’re right. But I want you to know, I’d do anything you asked right now.
You want me on my knees? Done. You want me to take you upstairs to my bed?
Gladly. You want to tie me up right here in the bakery and have your way with me? ”
She giggled, and I let a genuine smile fill my face. The way she beamed at me, it made everything right in the world.
“Maybe next time,” she said, her voice husky.
Brushing her hair behind her ear, I placed a kiss on her forehead. “Okay, whatever you want.”
“Honestly, I really don’t know how we’re going to go back to baking after that,” she said, her giggle turning breathless.
“You can sit right here and watch while I finish up for the night,” I offered.
“Stop doing that,” she chided, her thighs tightening around my hips. “Don’t take my work away from me.”
My hands went to her thighs where her dress had ridden up. Slowly, I slid my hands up her legs, fingers splayed wide to envelop her. Her gaze grew heated again.
“I thought we were going back to baking,” she said, the words barely above a whisper.
“You’re the one with your thighs still wrapped around my waist.”
She hesitated, looking at me with heavy-lidded eyes. “How about this? We finish the baking for the night and then if there’s time, we can go upstairs.”
“I love that plan,” I said, squeezing her thighs and sliding my hands to brush her inner thighs as I slowly withdrew them from under her dress.
Sadie’s little fangs pressed into her bottom lip, her eyes closing. After a deep breath, she sat up and unhooked her legs.
“You’ll need to give me easy tasks, because you just fried my brain.”
I helped her slide from the counter. “Darling, you just offered to come upstairs with me and continue all of this when our baking is done. You’re about to see me working while highly motivated.”
Rolling up my sleeves, I grinned at her. I’d smiled more with her tonight than in a typical month, but it felt good.
“I can’t wait to see the amazing Rowen, kitchen witch, baker extraordinaire.” She raised her eyebrows up and down a couple of times and then winked.
Clapping my hands together, I turned toward my oven. “Let’s do this.”
Ninety minutes later, I placed the last mixing bowl in the sink and muttered a cleaning spell. Beside me, Sadie watched with wide eyes as the batter disappeared.
“It’ll need a rinse in the morning, but for tonight, we are done with baking,” I said, my voice dropping as I turned to my beautiful vampire.
She grinned at me mischievously, those magenta eyes sparkling. “So what do we do now?”