“Saw that through the window. I sent a message asking if you wanted something to eat. When you didn’t reply, I made an executive decision.” He holds out the burrito, and I accept it from his fingers. “I was going to offer to help you pack up after picking this up for you, but you work fast.” His impressed gaze roams over the empty booth.
“Thanks,” is all I can get out before I shove half the burrito in my mouth because, holy moly, I’m starving. Ruby won’t be happy if I turn up for her dinner with a full stomach, but if I’m honest, my sister is far from a master chef. This thing, however, tastes like heaven.
Dylan’s lips curl up as he watches me take a few more bites before he tilts his head at the shelving with an offer in his eyes. I nod and watch him begin to disassemble the shelves, even though his arms must be half dead after all that ax swinging. Thirty seconds of standing on the sidelines is all it takes before I lurch forward to take over, not wanting Dylan to have to handle my responsibilities. But he insists on helping, and together, we get the rest of the booth packed away in record time.
I hold open the front door of the store while Dylan carries the heavy stuff inside, then trail him into the storeroom to help set the shelving against the wall. When we’re done, he clutches his right bicep over his white T-shirt, massaging it with his fingers.
I pout through my smile. “I’m surprised those arms are still attached.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” he replies, and I laugh.
For a few endless breaths, we stand in the storeroom and watch each other.
“I workedveryhard to chop that wood,” he eventually says, like a little boy who’s done something good.
“You did.”
He takes a tentative step closer. “I thought there was a prize at the end, but I didn’t get it.”
I frown. “Damn. That doesn’t sound fair.”
He continues to move slowly toward me, the air between us thickening along with my throat. “If you think I’m going to try and pressure you into kissing me because we made a deal, that’s not gonna happen.”
Disappointment filters into my chest, but I keep my expression light. “No? Changed your mind?”
“Far from it.” His palms land on either side of my shoulders against the brick wall, trapping all the air in my lungs. “But I’m not in the habit of forcing myself on women, and I’ve decided that kissing you is a lot more fun when you want it as badly as I do.”
The spot between my legs tingles with warmth, and I arch my back a little, curling toward him. “I didn’t say I don’t want it. But what I want and what’s good for me are two different things.”
He releases one hand from the wall to brush a wayward wisp of hair off my face. “You think I’m not good for you?”
It feels like an awkward time to bring up SunnyorDylan’s dating history, so I go with the other reason. “Hayley wouldn’t like this, and you know it.”
His cheeks color a fraction, but he doesn’t release me from his cage that smells sublime. “You let me worry about Hayley,” he says quietly.
That’s not quite enough to quash my anxiety, but I become distracted by the way his gaze burns a trail down my cheek, across my mouth, and back up to my eyes. “Kiss me, Jade.”
My lips part, and my heart beats faster. “I thought you weren’t going to try and talk me into it.”
Keeping one hand braced against the wall, his other gently curls around my jaw. He lowers his lips closer to mine, his breath soft and minty. “I don’t think I need to. I think you want to kiss me just as much as I want you to.”
I tilt toward him even more, the tops of my thighs pressing against the bottoms of his. I reduce what’s left of the space between our lips until it’s almost nonexistent, speaking against his mouth. “I think you’re right.”
Heat flares in his eyes.
I know I shouldn’t be doing this, which is why it’s only going to happen once more.
Just one more taste.
My tongue comes out and makes a soft stroke over his bottom lip, the surprise move drawing a deep rumble from his throat as his grip on my jaw tightens. His mouth comes down hard on mine, the back of my head pressing against the wall as our tongues catch and drag in a rough, sexy-as-hell kiss that sucks all the strength from my knees.
“You taste so fucking good,” he says hotly against my mouth. “Every time I see you, all I can think about is bending you over.”
I moan and nearly collapse as he crushes our mouths back together, his strong thigh pushing between my legs and forcing my feet further apart. His rock-solid length rubs firmly against my core through our clothes, making me gasp as he groans into my mouth.
“Dylan,” I warn through my teeth as his lips fall to my neck, making me shudder when he runs his tongue over my skin.
“Do you want me to stop?” he breathes near my ear.
