Page 30 of The Marriage Mission

He leaned over Jacqui's lap, catching a whiff of the cinnamon scent of her. His large hand wrapped around the small carton and brought it to himself. However, on the way to his mouth, he noticed the lightness of the small container. When he tipped it to his mouth, his worst fears were realized. It was empty.

Noah made another choking sound. He looked around desperately for relief. There was the food truck, but theBack in Ten Minutessign was up. He could dash back into one of the booths at the farmer's market. Or there was a gas station in the distance. But right in front of him was Jacqui. And at the corner of her mouth was a dollop of cream.

It was a split second decision. It was a judgment call to save his life. It wasn't like he had any other choices—any viable ones, anyway.

Noah wrapped his hand around his wife's neck and pulled her to him. At first, he went straight for the cream. It was sweet and took away some of the bite of the spicy dish.

He took another taste, this time including the entirety of the right corner of Jacqui's mouth. Her lips parted. Noah didn't hesitate. He was a trained soldier. He dove in head first.

His taste buds cooled, but the desire in him ran hot. He brushed his lips against hers, tasting the sweet flavor of cream that blended perfectly with the residual heat of her cinnamon taste. The spice of the moment between them bit back, hard and insistent.

Jacqui’s hands found his shoulders, gripping them, pulling him closer, her own need and response mirroring his. The kiss deepened, driven by raw emotion and a connection that pulled them together. The world around them—the sounds of the farmer’s market, the people, the colors—melted away until there was nothing but the two of them and the realization that what was happening was inevitable.

Noah had won, and he was lost. Lost in the sweet taste of his wife. Lost in the feel of her warm body against his. Lost in the hungry sounds that escaped her lips.

Jacqui's response lit up every nerve in his body. It was exactly what he had hoped for, yet a small voice in his mind reminded him of the strategy he'd considered earlier. If he wanted Jacqui to truly desire him, he needed to make her think the pursuit was hers. With regret lacing through him, Noah gently pulled away, his breaths shallow, his heart racing.

"Thanks for that," he said, his voice husky. "It cooled me right off."

ChapterTwenty

"Tomatoes don’t stack themselves, do they? And can someone tell me why the halibut is still not prepped?"

Jacqui’s voice sliced through the busy clatter of the kitchen like a chef’s knife through butter. She was standing in the center of her domain, the familiar clanking of pots and pans and the sharp tang of citrus doing little to soothe her frayed nerves. Her mind was still reeling from the kiss with Noah, a kiss that had scrambled every sensible thought inside her orderly brain into disarray.

As a chef, she prided herself on plating. Clean plating. None of that Jackson Pollock sauce splatter ever left her kitchen. But that's what it felt like inside her head since they’d left the farmer's market.

Noah trailed into the back door of the restaurant behind her. He carried the bags of produce in his arms. Setting them down by the prep station, his eyes scanned the bustling activity of the kitchen, then landed on Jacqui.

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. He looked blankly at her. Because that kiss hadn't meant anything to him.

It had been a practical exercise. His mouth had been on fire. He'd needed milk to cool himself off. Completely logical.

Except it wasn't.

He'd done it on purpose. Hadn't he?

He'd done it to fluster her. Right?

He'd done it to get under her skin. Because he got some perverse joy from it. Well, Jacqui didn't have time for games. She had a job to do. And so did he.

"Mr. Henry, don't you?—"

"Yes, Mrs. Henry?"

Jacqui blinked rapidly, like she couldn't quite focus on the man in front of her. The problem was, she saw him so clearly. Noah came into her personal space. He leaned over her like he was going to… he wasn't going to… he wouldn't dare to…

"Don't… don't you have some work to do?"

"I do, love." Noah inhaled deeply and slowly as he leaned close to her. "Don't expect my best work. I gave you that last night."

There was a low whistle from behind them. The sizzle of meat staying too long on the fire. The crackle of something dropping into the heated oil.

Jacqui's mouth gaped. Noah took advantage of her shocked silence and pressed a quick kiss to her parted lips. Before she could react, before she could retaliate, before she could revel in the kiss, he disappeared in the back to his wires.

Jacqui took in a slow, shaky breath as she watched him go. She felt bested. It had been a long time since anyone got the better of her.

She balled her hands into fists to stop them from wanting. She pressed her lips together as though she could pulverize the sensations lingering from that kiss. Then she turned around.

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