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“So, you didn’t quite miss that pastry program after all, huh?” Gene said, nibbling on the last bit of brownies on his fingers.
“There are other ways to learn. I may not have the fancy certificate, but you can’t find better croissants around here,” Amanda said confidently.
“I believe it.” Gene studied her with a smile.
“What?” Amanda suddenly felt self-conscious under his scrutiny. She touched her face. “Do I have flour on my face or something?”
“No. You glow when you’re talking about baked goods.”
“Oh.” She flushed. “Probably sweat.”
Gene laughed.
“Anyway, do you want to try the strawberry cake with Chantilly cream?”
Amanda cut into the mini square piece of cake. She meant to give the fork to Gene, instead, he took the bite straight from her hand.
Oh, okay…
“That’s good. Fresh.”
He licked the remaining cream from his lower lip. Amanda couldn’t look away.
“Ah… yeah, fresh strawberries. They’re in season right now.”
“And what about the pie?” Gene glanced at the whole pie sitting on the counter. “What kind is it?”
“That’s banana cream pie.”
“Really? It’s my favorite,” he said.
“Is it?” Amanda said as if she hadn’t heard Martha Rowland mentioned that fact before.
She couldn’t remember when she’d heard it, but apparently little bits of info about Gene must’ve embedded in her brain somehow, as if it knew they might come in handy someday.
“It’s the vanilla pudding,” Gene said. “I just love it matched with a buttery flaky crust.”
“How about the banana part?” Amanda laughed.
“I like the combination, but the filling is the key for me. It has to be right.”
“Hold that thought.” She went to the refrigerator where she’d shoved the bowl of leftover filling she hadn’t packed away yet when she’d heard Gene come in. “Since you love filling so much, might as well help me clean this up. It’s not enough for even a small pie.” She offered the small heap of pudding to Gene. “Let’s see how you would judge my filling. I’d never peg you as a vanilla guy.”
“As opposed to what?” He eyed the filling with a chuckle. “How am I supposed to eat that?”
“Oh, just use your finger.” Amanda scooped some filling with her index and middle finger together and lifted them up. “See. Fewer things to wash.”
Gene looked at her fingers and shrugged. “Okay.”
But instead of using his own fingers to scoop the filling, he took Amanda’s fingers into his mouth and slowly sucked the filling off them. Her heart skipped a beat as his mouth replaced the cool filling.
Amanda must’ve gasped audibly because Gene looked up and held her gaze. She didn’t imagine the intensity in his eyes this time. They were asking if she wanted more.
Yes, I do.
Amanda threw the bowl aside as she let him pull her into his arms. He captured her mouth with his. If the feel of his lips around her fingers had sparked embers, the feel of them fully on hers ignited the simmering heat inside her to a roaring fire.
ten
