Page 32 of A Little Harmless Pleasure

She pushed those thoughts aside to admire the sight before her. Nothing could diminish how good he looked. Chopping vegetables at one of the workstations, he was joking with a young man beside him. Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with theDupree’slogo splashed across it in red, Chris laughed, the sound making her smile.

May approached him, and he stopped laughing, his eyes narrowing on the young woman. He settled his hands on his hips. “Maylea, I told you to stay up on the stool. I’ll fire you if I find you on your feet again.”

“And then you would have to closeDupree’s. Besides, I brought you a present, bruddah.”

She gestured in Cynthia’s direction. When Chris shifted his attention from May to her, his expression froze for just a second. Everyone else seemed to disappear, and all she could see was him. He said something; she thought it might be her name. In the next instant, he strode purposefully toward her. Her breath caught in her throat. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms. Immediately, his mouth was on hers, his tongue tangling with hers. He lifted her off the floor as she slid her arms up his, over his shoulders and around his neck. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist. She wanted him naked. She wanted to be naked with him.

The hoots, whistles, and clapping of the kitchen staff brought both of them back to the present. Chris broke the kiss, a wry grin curving his lips. Her heart was still pounding out of control. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath, and the sensual hunger she witnessed in his eyes didn’t help either. Slowly, oh so slowly, he slid her down his body and to the floor. But not before she felt his erection. He grimaced, and she laughed. Pulling her in front of him, he turned both of them toward their audience.

“Everyone, this is Cynthia. Cynthia, this is everyone.”

Everyone smiled at them, except a little redhead in the back. She frowned, her expression vicious. Before Cynthia could ask who she was, Chris was pulling her out of the kitchen. He walked right past Evan, ignoring him when he said hi.

Chris didn’t say another word. He allowed her to enter the office first, then closed and locked the door, leaning against it.

He smiled at her, still not saying anything.

“What? You’re making me nervous.”

His smile grew. “Just trying to take it in that you’re here.”

Joy curled into her heart at his words and the tone in his voice.

“If I would have known…” He frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming when we talked yesterday?”

“I didn’t want you to feel obligated. I actually had thought about waiting a few days before visiting you.”

“You just got in?”

“Yeah. Well, I stopped by the house first, but I couldn’t wait.”

“House?”

“I’ll tell you about all that later.”

His gaze roamed over her. “You’re looking good,chéri.”

She threaded her hands through her hair. “A little bit of a change, huh?”

He nodded as he walked forward. Sliding his hands around her waist, he drew her against him, enveloping her in an embrace. The heat of his body warmed her, and his scent surrounded her as he rested his chin on her head.

“How long is your visit?”

“I’m not sure yet. I have some things to sort out.”

He leaned back. “What kind of things?”

“Well…” All of a sudden, she was nervous. She didn’t know why because her happiness didn’t depend on Chris. She pulled away, and he let her go easily enough. Wandering around the room, she tried to work up the nerve to tell him of her move.

“Cynthia, is there something you need to tell me?”

The seriousness in his voice caught her attention. She turned to face him. “Well, yes. It’s all kind of complicated. I just want you to know that I’m not here to pressure you. I stopped by because…”

He stepped closer, placing his hands on her waist. “Because why?”

“I told you. I couldn’t help myself. It’s embarrassing, completely embarrassing, but after our night…and then last night…”

He smiled. “Yeah, that was definitely something.”

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