Page 9 of A Sinful Gift

She snuggled in Blake’s bed and listened to the shower sounds coming from the bathroom. If Blake knew anything about her, he knew when she needed a little space, like right now.

When Mason returned, he carried a tray of warm chocolate chip cookies, clearly fresh-baked, and a glass of cold milk.

“Milk and cookies? I’m not Santa Claus,” she said, even though she immediately reached for the nearest cookie and the glass. She bit into the snack as Mason sat down beside her on the edge of the bed, watching her with an amused expression that left faint crinkles at the corners of his eyes. This was a man who smiled often.

“Oh my God, these are amazing.” She could tell they were homemade.

“Among other things, I occasionally bake. The secret is extra vanilla and a pinch of brown sugar.”

A man baking... It was strangely hot. Hazel swallowed a mouthful of the sinful cookie and then took a big gulp from her glass. It was whole milk, and it almost tasted like cream.

“You’re going to fatten me up if I keep eating like this,” she warned teasingly.

“You won’t see me complaining,” Mason said as he reached up and gently tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Then he stood and leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips. “Sleep well.”

“You’re leaving?” she asked. He was still a stranger to her, but she didn’t want him to leave.

“I had your beautiful body tonight. That was my treat. Blake’s treat will be having you all to himself for the rest of the night. But don’t get used to it. I plan to share a bed with you soon.”

Soon...She was still staring at the doorway when Blake came out of the bathroom wrapped in nothing but a white towel that hung low on his hips. His dark hair was wet, and water droplets dewed on his skin. His lips twitched as he saw her holding half a cookie and staring at him.

“Ah, you’ve brought out Mason’s domestic side, I see. He doesn’t bake for just any woman.”

“Who is he?” she asked as Blake walked over to his dresser and dropped the towel. His gloriously muscled ass was bare to her, and her mouth ran dry. She frantically took a big gulp of milk to wash the cookie down before she choked on it.

“Mason and I grew up together as boys. I was a rich kid, and he was from the trailer park. We had never really been friends before, but when some of the boys in sixth grade decided to beat me up, Mason fought those other three students off and saved me from what would have been a humiliating experience. After that we became inseparable. I helped him to find scholarships so he could get into Northwestern, and then when I went to Pepperdine, he moved to live near me. While you and I were in law school, he built up his own business, and he’s done very well. I wasn’t lying when I said we’ve become like brothers.” Blake pulled on a pair of black pajama pants and faced her.

“What is his business?”

“Carpentry. He makes special pieces of furniture, even small boats. They sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

A carpenter. Well, that explained the work boots, jeans, and flannel.

“I thought he might be a lumberjack,” she said.

Blake laughed. God, the sound made her belly quiver with excitement. He had the best laugh; it was so sexy and genuine, and she loved the way it rumbled from deep in his chest.

“Better not tell him that,” Blake said. He turned off all the lights in the room save one, on the nightstand by her side of the bed. Then he slid in under the sheets beside her.

“Does he hate being called a lumberjack?” she asked as she ate another cookie. It would be a shame to waste them while they were still warm.

Blake leaned over her and stole a cookie from the plate. He chewed thoughtfully before replying.

“I think it’s more like lumberjacking is not a job that requires artistry. Skill, yes. But artistry? No. The designs he makes, they’re exquisite and one of a kind. Growing up the way he did, he had no chances to create beauty or art. Now that he’s an adult and the master of his own life, he takes it quite seriously.”

“Oh.” She finished her milk and licked her lips. Now she really did want to sleep. After mind-blowing sex, warm cookies, and milk, she didn’t stand a chance. She took a minute to use the restroom and brush her teeth before crawling back into bed. She heard the distant sounds of Blake doing the same after she’d snuggled beneath the covers. Who knew she’d feel so safe in Blake’s bed? A moment later he got in bed beside her again.

“Sleep,” Blake commanded as he leaned over her to turn off the light. Darkness blended with the moonlight coming in from the windows.

“Stop bossing me around,” she grumbled, but she was smiling as she nuzzled her cheek against her pillow.

“You know you like it.” He chuckled in the darkness and reached for her, tucking her into his side and laying one arm over her waist above the blankets as though they had slept like this for years.

She did like it, and him... and Mason. And that was a problem she would have to face tomorrow.

ChapterFour

Kisses stirred Hazel from her deep, dreamless sleep. She rolled closer to the delicious source of heat and hardness beside her. Lips moved against her neck, then up to her mouth. Hands gripped her thighs, thumbs pressed into the crease where her hips and legs met.Yes, open me,she silently begged as she moaned, praying for another kiss. A mouth moved against hers in a long, wonderful kiss before she felt those lips curve into a smile. She loved kisses that seemed to go on forever. A tongue teased hers, reminding her how much she missed this kind of intimacy. When the kiss stopped, she protested with a little cry. She wanted more, she wanted to be taken, to be used, to be pleasured, to be worshipped with tongues, hands, and other body parts.

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