Page 27 of Tasting Sin

Nellie scanned the empty bakery, taking a deep breath before she turned to flip on the sink. I closed the distance between us, reaching past her to grab the sprayer that hung in front of her. As I grabbed it, she spun back around. “Plus, people don’t usually order more than they—” She stopped, following the line of my arm until her gaze found my face. When she swallowed, I watched the lump in her throat.

“Thanks again for doing this tonight.” My voice was husky, and Nellie held her breath. She blinked quickly, and her chest heaved when she inhaled. When I looked at her now, she couldn’t be further from the little girl who lived a life of tragedy.

She laughed nervously, tearing her eyes away from me to the counter. “There are so many leftover cupcakes.” I laughed, shrugging. I almost ordered more.

“What?” she asked, fidgeting and looking away from me when I continued to stare silently.

“Nothing,” I said, watching her blush travel from her cheeks and down her neck, disappearing under the neckline of her shirt. It was amusing. The woman who had been so strongly vocal a few days ago was bashful.

She looked down at the floor, wiggling her toes, before she looked back up. When she met my stare again, she giggled and covered her mouth. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Why do you ask so many questions?” I countered.

Nellie looked confused, almost like she hadn’t heard me correctly. “What?”

“Stop saying what.” I planted my hand against the counter, my thumb brushing against her hip. She shivered.

“Why?” Nellie whispered, gulping.

I took a step closer to her until I could feel her chest swell against mine. I lowered my voice, tracing the outline of her lips with my eyes. What am I doing? “Because I’m going to kiss you.”

Her eyes widened and then narrowed, and confused wrinkles carved themselves into her forehead. “What?” she asked.

“I said I’m going to kiss you.” I repeated myself even though I knew she heard me the first time.

Nellie stiffened and looked over her shoulder, like she was making sure there was nobody else in the still-empty bakery, and then she looked back at me. Her dark brown eyes were wide, and they shimmered. “You want to kiss me?”

She licked her lips, and I imagined how they tasted. I curled my pointer finger under her chin, holding her gaze steady and letting mine bounce between her lips and the shock in her eyes. “Yeah, I want to kiss you. I don’t know why, but I can’t resist knowing if your lips taste as sweet as your desserts.”

I swallowed her gasp when my lips met hers. When I ran the tip of my tongue along her bottom lip, I felt her soften. Her shoulders dropped and her jaw relaxed. Nellie leaned into me, her soft chest pressed to mine, followed quickly by her hands. They shook until they were flat against my pecs, and once they were, she hummed.

I savored the sweet taste of her mouth, better than any cupcake, and when she used her hold on my chest to push me away, I instantly craved more. Nellie pushed back but kept her face close enough to mine that I could taste her breath and almost feel her lashes flutter.

“I can’t do this,” she said breathlessly.

I knew she was right. She was my late best friend’s baby sister—a girl I should’ve spent the last seventeen years taking care of. “I know.” I agreed with her, but neither of us stepped back further. I lifted my hand, leaving a trail of goosebumps on her skin when I ran my fingertips along her shoulder and up her neck. She closed her eyes when I tucked a loose hair behind her ear.

For a second, she closed her eyes, leaning closer to me before she cleared her throat. “I really can’t do this.” Nellie scrambled backwards, tripping over her foot and stumbling. I grabbed her waist, pulling her back against me so she could regain her balance. I clenched my teeth when she gasped.

“Let me take you home.” I let go of her waist when she had her balance. I took a step back, looking at the dishes in the sink I had promised to wash.

Nellie shook her head. “You don’t need to babysit me.” The words stuck to her throat when she spoke.

“I’m not babysitting you. I’m doing what I should’ve always done.” Her eyes watered when I put my hands on her shoulders. “I’m protecting you.” Is that really what I was doing?

She looked at the sink and the counter, repeating the action a second time before she nodded. “Okay fine,” she reluctantly agreed before she giggled, and the blush on her cheeks darkened again. “After you finish the dishes.”

Chapter 18

Nellie

“You really don’t have to search my apartment.” I flipped on the light in the entryway, pausing when I felt Ronan step closer. His musky scent surrounded me, and when I took a deep breath, it was like I could taste his kiss. I wanted to taste it again.

“Of course I do,” Ronan said, stepping around me and into the apartment ahead of me. I tried to remember if I’d left anything embarrassing laying out when I left this morning, making a list of the all-black outfits I’d tried on but discarded in a large pile in the corner of my room and the breakfast dishes I hadn’t had time to wash yet.

I cringed. “Isn’t this a bit overkill?” I followed him when he stepped into the hallway. He opened the coat closet, scanning it and closing it again when he was satisfied there wasn’t anyone hiding there. I rolled my eyes.

He shook his head, turning into the bedroom. When Spice heard us walk in, he jumped off the bed with a quiet chirp. He pranced toward us, nuzzling his head against Ronan’s leg as the light flipped on.

---