Page 57 of Taming the CEO

He took another mouthful and narrowed his eyes, as if contemplating what grade to give himself.

"Well, I, for one, think it's perfect. Way better than what I usually cook for myself."

"What are you talking about? Your banana bread is amazing."

I grinned. "I like to bake desserts, but food? Eh, I get by."

The wind grew even louder during dinner, and the rain intensified. There was no way I was letting Maddox leave my cabin tonight.

"The mulled wine recipe is really good," Maddox said as we chugged our third portion for the evening. The alcohol was getting to me; I was already a bit light-headed.

Once our plates were empty, I stood, gathering them.

"No, sit."

"But you cooked," I said with a pout.

He groaned. "Stop pouting; your mouth looks irresistible—even more so than usual."

There was a pause as my breath caught.

Holy shit! He really just said that.

Maddox groaned, dropping his head back. "Too much mulled wine," he said.

"Uh-huh."

I didn't move as he took the plates.

"But you cooked," I repeated.

"Yeah, but your hand is still throbbing. You kept twitching during dinner."

He'd paid attention?

"Yeah, it is," I admitted. "Listen, Maddox, I don't think you should go anywhere tonight."

He didn’t respond, just filled the dishwasher and started it before slowly turning around.

"Cami, are you sure?"

I nodded feverishly, jumping to my feet—a bit too fast. My head spun.

Maddox was next to me the next second, putting his strong arm around me, steadying me.

"Oh, damn it. I wanted to have some more wine in front of the fire, but no more drinks for me tonight. Who knows what I might do?"

He groaned again. I felt his breath in my ear. "I'd never take advantage of you, Cami. That's not something you have to worry about."

"Oh, I'm not," I said playfully even though my skin simmered. "I was more afraid that I might take advantage of you."

He stepped back, giving me a sly grin. "I don't have anything against that."

I started to laugh, and Maddox shook his head. "So, since we've concluded that you're not going to face that storm, I can show you the shower. In case you want to freshen up."

"That's a good idea," he said.

I showed him the bathroom, pointing out the stack of towels on the shelf between the sink and the tub. "These are all fresh, so feel free to take one. I'm going to open the pullout couch."

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