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She couldn’t stop gabbling about the wonder of Cade’s excellent knives until he slammed one fist down on the table, shocking her into silence.
‘Talk to me about the bacon.’
His eyes had narrowed to pinpricks of light. Was he serious? She wanted to laugh hysterically she was so scared and bewildered. If Cade had told her about the bacon—if he’d warned her…‘The bacon?’ Her throat felt as if someone were standing on it.
‘That’s right.’
Cade’s voice was menacing and low, and the table dividing them suddenly seemed far too small a barrier. But what had she told herself about meekly accepting blame? Hadn’t she had enough of that at home from her mother? Wasn’t that what she had escaped from? And wouldn’t it follow her everywhere if she didn’t make a stand? Digging her nails into her palms, she kept her chin tilted firmly up. ‘You just ate your bacon. I cut it from that lump of meat on the side in the kitchen—’
‘That lump of meat?’ A muscle worked in Cade’s jaw. ‘That was my prize-winning fletch!’
Liv flinched as Cade raised his hands, but it was only to rake his abundant hair with stiff, angry fingers.
‘Not only ate it, you enjoyed it! You didn’t warn me, so how was I supposed to know it was your precious fletch?’
And then like a volcano popping a cork the words came pouring out. ‘You told me to cook a meal…I cooked a meal…I did my best…My very best…When you didn’t like it…I tried again…And failed a second time…According to you…’ She could hardly breathe for passion now. Tossing back her hair to give herself a moment to draw breath, she started off again. ‘You’re so wrapped up in your brigade mentality you don’t care about civilians. You don’t even see them…No wonder you can’t keep staff here.’ She gestured angrily. ‘Is this the way you instil confidence in your troops? No!’ she flared before Cade had chance to get a word in. ‘I didn’t think so.’
He had certainly never wanted to kiss one of his soldiers before—but no sooner had that thought taken root in his mind than Liv raged at him. ‘No wonder no one wants to work for you. I don’t want to work for you!’ Ripping off her apron, she flung it at his feet. ‘I resign!’
This time he beat her to the door, resting his weight against it to stop her escape. ‘Liv—’
‘Keep it, Cade, I’m not interested—’
‘I was about to say…I’m sorry.’
Those eyes with that darkly dangerous, wicked expression, those sensual lips and that strong, rugged face…that sinfully desirable body, all of it focused on winning her forgiveness? It was too much—way too much. Her heart was beating at the speed of a hummingbird’s wings, and she could hardly breathe. She had never been this close to danger before—this close to wanting danger before. She had never even been this close to a man’s body before.
‘I won’t let you walk out on me, Liv.’
Relief! ‘Oh, really?’ The desire to challenge him, to wrestle with him, to push this with every atom of her being to the inevitable conclusion, fired her to the point of madness. ‘Just watch me!’
As she yelled at him he caught hold of her. There was a moment of complete stillness when her eyes turned to bottomless pools of shock. She had only seen him controlled and now she was seeing the other side of him. But the small whirlwind that was Liv Tate barely reached midway up his chest.
‘Get out of my way, Cade. I’m warning you—’
He pulled back from the door and stood back, and when she tried to slide past him he got in her way. She tried to dodge round the other side, but he moved with her. And now he had her trapped, with both his hands resting on the door above her head.
‘Move, Cade!’
‘No.’
‘Why?’ she demanded, chest heaving up and down.
‘Because…’ He understood every beat of that heart and every pulse of Liv’s emotion better than she did, because he felt exactly the same—which made him long to throw back his head and roar with relief, because he could feel again. So, he did exactly what he felt like doing: He kissed her firmly, possessively, hungrily, and felt her tremble as she moaned. She was just getting into it when he pulled away. A kiss like that could lead only one place, and though Liv was fiery and courageous she was vulnerable too, here under his roof, his dominion. He watched her as she recovered. ‘That’ll teach you to fight me,’ he told her lightly.
She looked at him, the back of her hand still across her mouth to hide the evidence of just how much she’d enjoyed the experience. ‘If you ever—’
He tipped his chin. ‘I never will. Ever. How’s that?’ Not the answer she’d been hoping for, he gathered, taking in the dismissive shrug. Liv Tate was a lot of things, but a good actress, she was not. Inwardly, he heaved a sigh, still tasting her and wanting more. Principles were a bind sometimes. ‘And the bacon…’ He was returning to a subject that let both of them off the hook. ‘The show starts tomorrow and that fletch was resting on the side so I could bring it to room temperature slowly. What do you suggest I submit as my entry now?’
The humour in Cade’s eyes was more deadly than his kiss. She had never been so aroused, so aware. She wanted more of those kisses…more of that expertise. Oh, he was good—so good her mind was awash with images of being imprisoned beneath Cade while he worked the same magic on every part of her—
‘My entry in the show?’ he prompted.
/> ‘I’m sure you’ll think of something…’ She had to put all thoughts of Cade’s prize-winning bulge out of her head, but her voice was husky, which made him smile. The smile put a crease in his cheeks and worked havoc on her senses. And now she couldn’t stop staring at his lips. Was he going to kiss her again?
When nothing happened her gaze flicked up. Cade’s eyes were so dark they were almost black. Hers must be the same. Their faces were so close they shared the same breath, the same air…
He pulled away suddenly, leaving her cold and disappointed.
‘I thought you quit?’ Swooping on the discarded apron, he handed it to her.
‘I did.’ She tried a hard look, but it was impossible to get back the angry mood when Cade looked so sexy with his dark hair tumbling into his eyes. And when he angled his chin to give her a knowing look her lips felt as swollen as if she’d had them surgically plumped. Cade’s kiss had turned her into a pressure cooker without a release valve…and now he thought he could just walk away?
‘Don’t forget my pudding, will you?’ And with a last wry look at her he walked out of the room.
CHAPTER FIVE
LIV’S head was in a whirl when she took refuge in the kitchen. Her emotions were all over the place as she tipped her Vanilla Snow down the sink. ‘What will I do now for a dessert?’ she asked the empty room. But pudding was the last thing on her mind. Washing the pure white fluff away was like saying goodbye to her innocence. She couldn’t plead innocence now when all she could think about was Cade’s firm mouth crashing down on her lips. What a kiss! What a meal! What a day!
‘Pudding?’
She nearly jumped out of her skin. ‘Cade! You frightened the life out of me!’ And lust into her. She really couldn’t go on like this, remembering his kiss and forgetting her job.
‘If there isn’t a pudding, no problem—’
