He jerked his head up so fast, he got dizzy. Maybe the new batch of tourists who’d just left the outlook had a lighter? They were halfway down the steps already, but he could catch them if he ran.
Pushing to his feet, he spared her a quick, hopeful glance. “Really?”
“No.” She laughed again, her solemnity gone. “I’m fucking with you.”
The wooden bench creaked beneath him as he sat back down. “Ah. That’s a shame.”
“No birthday spanks on offer, but lots of birthday thanks.” She nodded toward the cupcakes. “Those look amazing. Thank you, Lucas, for everything you’ve done to make my birthday special.”
Her wide smile plumped her cheeks and sparkled in those big hazel eyes, and the entire wooden outlook structure disappeared from beneath him as he sank into the sight. Into her.
He fumbled for his drink. Took another gulp and almost choked again. “No problem.”
The sun was burning the tips of his ears, but that didn’t explain the warmth exploding through the rest of him. Especially as she opened the container, selected a cupcake—the one with the most abundant lemon buttercream frosting, a wise choice—and took a huge bite. Her little hum of pleasure as she chewed and swallowed vibrated along his spine, arrowing to his cock.
With evident joy, she methodically worked her way through the cupcake, leaving the most frosting-intensive parts for last. He, in contrast, picked at his, too distracted by the sheer bliss etched across her expressive face to give a fuck about eating.
She wasn’t shy in her enthusiasm. Within a minute or two, the confection was gone, and she was sucking icing off her fingers, then licking her thumb to pick up stray crumbs from her paper wrapper. He had to stifle a whimper.
Her gaze locked on the container once more, and he lifted the lid for her.
She hesitated, her eyes guarded. “No lectures about proper nutrition?”
“I’ve known you for less than three days.”
Her head tilted as she watched him. “True.”
“That said, even if I’d been your man for eighty years, I wouldn’t lecture you. You’re in charge of your body, not me.” He paused. Winked at her. “Although, if you wanted me in charge of certainaspectsof your body, I certainly wouldn’t mi—”
“You’re a skank, Karlsson.” But she flicked him a grin as she selected the cupcake with the second-greatest frosting volume. “One with excellent taste in baked goods, however, so I’ll allow it.”
His heart nearly exploded before she completed her cupcake-eating process for the second time and used a wet wipe on her hands.
Then she leaned forward, and the cleavage on display made it hard to swallow. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this. Your head is big enough as it is.”
He opened his mouth.
“Yes, yes, I know.” She flicked her hand in dismissal. “Let’s just assume you already made a joke about the monstrous size of your penis yet again.”
He smirked at her. “Oh, it’s no joke, Tess.”
“For God’s sake, Karlsson, I’m trying to give you a compliment.”
His mouth opened again.
“Notabout your penis.” She raised that single, expressive brow. “Do you want to hear what I was going to say or not?”
He leaned back and spread his arms. “Have at it, Dunn.”
With a little, self-deprecating shake of her head, she said, “I arrived early to our date so I could observe the last few minutes of your lesson with that young couple.”
She had? He hadn’t spotted her. Then again, he’d have guessed she was more likely not to show up at all than to show up early. Also, both members of thatyoungcouple were the same age as him, but he wasn’t going to mention that. Not for any amount of money.
Then she proceeded to knock a few more foundations out from beneath him. “I was beyond impressed. You’re an excellent teacher. Organized, knowledgeable, articulate, and able to break complicated processes down into simple, understandable components. Respectful but friendly. Authoritative without being an ass about it. And from our few encounters, I know you’re clearly very intelligent. The resort is lucky to have you, Lucas, despite your automatic flirtiness and”—she crooked her fingers—“al fresco shenanigans.”
His mouth was open again, but not to say something. In shock.
An unfamiliar pressure was clogging his throat, provoking an odd prickle in his sinuses, the physical manifestations of a burgeoning emotion he didn’t quite recognize. Maybe because he hadn’t felt it for a couple of years now, not in reference to something outside his athletic or sexual prowess. Never in reference to…him. All of him.
