“Can I offer you dessert?” There’s a double meaning in those words that I don’t want to touch with a ten-foot pole. Not yet.
“Sure.” I won’t lie to myself and say I don’t want Torque; I do, with a ferocity I’ve never felt, but I want to go slow. I want this to be everlasting.
Watching as he gets up from the table, Torque disappears momentarily before returning with a frozen pie and a pail of ice cream.
“Apple crumble, okay?” I nod, biting back a smile as he preheats the oven again and puts the ice cream in the kitchen freezer for now.
“Your mom again?”
“Actually, one of the guys at my firehouse. His wife is a baker. At least once a month, she sends us single guys home with an assortment of desserts.” His arms cross as he casually leans against the counter.
I think he’s waiting for me to become jealous. Is that what’s happened with others? I’ve never been that type of person before. Not that I have a ton of experience. But I figure, if I’m going to be jealous about a guy, then it’s a red flag because he isn’t making me feel secure in the relationship.
Since we’re just starting out, I don’t feel it’s warranted. Especially with her being a colleague’s wife, and she does it for more than just Torque.
“That’s nice of her,” I finally say as I stand and bring my dishes to the sink. After a quick rinse, I begin placing everything in the dishwasher.
His hands on my arms stop my movements. “You don’t need to do that.” His breath blows hot against my neck, where his mouth lingers just inches away.
“It’s only fair. You made dinner and now dessert. I can clean up.” Turning my head as he steps closer, it’s hard to miss the bulge pressing into me from behind.
“How about we watch a movie instead?” Torque offers as I stand upright again. Turning me in his arms, he removes any distance between our bodies, eyes glued to my mouth.
“Got one in mind?” Is that my breathless voice? Licking across my lips, his eyes follow my tongue as I feel one hand slide up my back, under my shirt, while the other one wraps around the back of my neck.
“I never understood before.” He seems to be in some sort of trance as his gaze searches my face.
“Understood what?” I think he’s lost in his own head.
“Why Hale stalked Laken. I didn’t get it. I think I do now.” Sucking in a sharp breath, a tremble works through my body.
Laken told me all about Hale’s confession. How he thought it would scare her off. For any other woman, I think it might have, especially after what she went through. But if anything, it brought them closer together.
“Torque?” These Decker brothers are built differently.
“Yeah, Philly?” His thumb rubs circles along the side of my neck, skimming along my rapidly beating pulse with each pass.
“Are you okay?” I’m not sure I know what to do with a man obsessed. Especially not one as passionate as him.
He nods sharply, but he’s still got that look in his eyes. When the oven dings, he moves slightly, only far enough away to put the pie in the oven and set the timer before cinching me in his arms again.
“Are you going to stalk me now, Torque?” I laugh, but it feels forced.
His head shakes, and I release a relieved breath. I wasn’t much for the idea of someone watching my every move.
“No,” he finally verbalizes. “But I don’t know how I’m going to let you go, either.”
Oh my.
Dragging me into the living room, where he pulls me down to the couch with him, I curl up into the side of his body as he turns the television on and finds a movie just starting.
Scream, the new one. I haven’t watched it yet because I’m chicken to do it alone. The franchise is one of my favorites, but I can never watch them by myself.
Within the first ten minutes, I’m ready to jump out of my skin and am halfway into Torque’s lap. He holds me tight to his body, kissing me every chance he gets.
I’ve slipped one arm behind his back and the other across his chest, and he’s pulled my legs across his, holding me around my waist. When the timer on the oven sounds, I scream and jump so high that I nearly fall off the couch.
His amused chuckle has me glaring at him as he hits pause before getting us up and dishing out our dessert. With my heart in my throat, I sit on the floor between his legs, this time, my bowl on the coffee table in front of me. I take small bites here and there, but I’m so focused on the movie that I don’t realize Torque has finished his dessert until the empty bowl is placed next to mine.
“It’s good,” I whisper as I take another bite just as the masked killer makes another phone call.
Torque takes the opportunity to touch me, to take my hair down from the knot it’s been in all day, and tangle his fingers in the mess of curls, massaging my scalp. I’m transported to heaven.
“Ohhh,” I moan and drop my head forward, eyes closed, enjoying the feel of his strong fingers releasing the tension in my scalp, nape, and neck. “That feels wonderful,” I sigh, jumping a bit when there’s a scream from the movie.
“Come to bed with me.” Hot. His kisses on the back of my neck are scorching hot. Making his offer more tempting than it has the right to be.
But the truth is, “I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet.” My body is, I can’t mask that. But my heart isn’t.
“I only want to sleep next to you, Philly. Nothing will happen that you don’t want.” Ohhh, why is he so tempting?
“Just sleep?” I tilt my head back to look up at him.
Holy crap.
I’ve never in my entire life had a man look at me the way Torque does now, like he could devour me in one move. Give me more pleasure than anyone has the right to experience.
“Only sleep,” he assures, dipping his head to mine, mingling our breaths before licking across my lips.
I should say no. I should leave, go home, take the world’s coldest shower and try to remember that I don’t sleep around. Instead, I reply, “Okay.”
I don’t have time to do anything else as he picks me up and carries me to his room. Before I know what’s happening, I’m encased in one of his shirts, he’s setting an alarm for when I need to get up, and I’m snuggled into his side, drifting off into the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had.
I’m in so much trouble.
CHAPTER 4
Ophelia
EVERYTHING IS CHANGING.
“That’s it?” Laken gapes at me as I restock the display case with muffins and cookies. She happened to notice I didn’t come home last night and was here before the shop opened to get all the details.
It’s been two hours of pure interrogation since then, and now that there’s finally a lull in traffic, she’s determined to wheedle more out of me. But there’s nothing else to tell.
“We slept. All night. No funny business,” I repeat for what feels like the tenth time.
“He didn’t even try?” I shake my head. “Wow.”
That causes me to pause and straighten to look up at her. “Wow, what?” Hands on my hips, I wait for her answer as I hear the jingle of the door opening.