Page 23 of Ten Kisses

"Did you feel okay with having him in your kitchen, telling you what to do?"

"I did feel okay with it until you put it like that," she said in a silly voice. She was being playful about it, and Salem was annoyed. He had to take a deep breath and remember that she wasn't his.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, why?"

"Because you seem weird right now. You're acting…" she trailed off, looking at him as if to judge his mood. "You seem jealous right now."

Salem leaned against one of the worktables in his shop. He ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe that guy's just a creep. I don't know, I just worry about him taking advantage of you because he's your landlord. Does he have cameras in that house? On the pool? You have to think about stuff like that."

"What, Salem? No. Security cameras?"

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. "I don't know. He just strikes me as a creep."

He looked straight ahead, and she touched his arm. "Salem, I know you feel protective of me. I know you see me as a little sister. But I would never flirt with some dude just to sell him chocolate. I don't know how old Brian is, but Darren and Michelle are like twenty years older than me. They're just trying to help me out. You made me a whole counter. You're helping me out. Does that mean you're trying to take advantage of me?"

"Yes. Yes, it does. I am. I don't just walk around making cabinets for free for people, Molly."

He was agitated. He didn't know what to say. He didn't even really know what he was feeling. He was impatient and protective and he wanted her to agree to not flirt with anyone else for the rest of her life. Having her in his shop only confused him further. He could not resist glancing at her. She had these legs, and she came in smelling good and looking like a ray of sunshine, feeding him candy from a box.

"I didn't expect you to be all working-manned-out when I came in. I've never seen you all dusty and dirty like this."

She reached up and ran her hand through his hair. It was difficult for him to stand there and let her do it. He wanted to take hold of her and kiss her. He just stood there, unflinching.

"I know you don't just walk around giving away counters, Salem. I know it's a big deal what you're doing for me."

"I didn't mean to say I was trying to take advantage of you," he said, staring at the floor again.

"I know you didn't mean that. I know you're not taking advantage of me. Maybe I wish you were. I'm the one who approached you with the ten-kiss thing, remember? If anything, I'm the one who's taking advantage of you."

He hesitated for a long minute. "Do you have those deals with other people?" he asked.

"I told you I don't, and you're not acting like yourself right now," she said, moving in front of him to get him to look at her.

"How am I acting?"

"Jealous," she said.

"Yes. Is jealous the same thing as wanting to protect you?"

"I don't need protecting if I'm not in any danger," she said. She looked away, and he stared at the side of her face for a second before she shifted again and their eyes met.

His chest ached.

"Then maybe I'm jealous, I don't know. I really don't know what's going on."

By the time he got the words out of his mouth, she was kissing him. She had moved into his arms the instant his resolve had broken. He went to her, feeling relieved to stop with the formalities. Goodness. Their embrace was instantly passionate. They kissed in a way they had never kissed before. Molly was sweet and vulnerable, and she was a skilled kisser. She went to him tenderly, and he ached to have her closer. Salem still had the taste of chocolate in his mouth. He tasted Molly. He wanted more of her. He wrapped his arms around her, and she held onto him. He kissed her deeper in those seconds than he ever had. Their movements started to grow more feverish. The shared attraction caused a palpable tension. Masculine urges welled inside of him, and he could hardly contain himself.

He pulled away, breaking the kiss, both of them breathing heavily.

"I'm dusty," he said after a second. "I'm going to get you dusty."

"I think it's too late for that," she said. She stepped back. "That was some number eight. We're almost done."

"Don't say that," he said.

"Why?"

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