Page 42 of Dodge

Dodge nodded to the smiling man as he exited.

“How was your trip?” Fauna asked with a tired smile.

He put his hands in his jeans pocket. “It was good. I found some parts I needed for the Goat and found some other sweet deals. Got a couple more clients for custom work. We’ll see if they follow through.”

She laughed. “That’s always the risk, isn’t it? The follow-through.”

He barked his own laugh. “Yeah. Most of the time, I get ghosted, but then there’s a few who bring their work to me.”

The rain picked up, and he glanced through the front window. It was coming down steady and soaking. This was a good thing, as it had been a dry summer and they needed it badly.

“Are you hungry?”

Yes, but not for food.“I could eat.”

“Come on in the kitchen.”

She pulled out her personal stash of beef bourguignon leftovers and reheated them as he seated himself at the kitchen prep table. The succulent smell filled the air. She placed a bowl of the rich stew in front of him along with some pieces of baguette. He made himself eat slowly, not shovel it in his mouth as fast as possible. “This is great, Fauna. Thanks.”

“No problem. I’m glad to cook for you anytime.” She set a glass of red wine in front of him. Wine wasn’t his preferred drink, but he lifted it to his lips for a sip. The flavors blended perfectly, and he nodded his appreciation. “You’re really good at this.”

“At what?”

“Food, wine, the whole thing.” He scraped the last bit from the bowl with a crust of the bread and popped it in his mouth. “Damn, that was the best meal I’ve had in days.” He let out a soft belch and finished the wine.

“I have some chocolate raspberry petit fours. Care for a sweet?”

Yes, but not the ones you offer on a plate.“Sounds nice.”

She poured more wine for both of them and pulled out several of the bite-size treats. “I’m not a real French pastry chef, but I can make these pretty easily.”

Sugary snacks had never been his thing, but the small squares were perfect. Not too sweet and just the right balance of tart berry. He ate three of them, and she had two.

The silence of the room tightened. Tension ramped up in his gut. For what reason, he wasn’t sure, but something was in the air.

Maybe it was the sound of the rain coming down in sheets outside.

Maybe it was the superb food.

Maybe it was his fatigue from the weekend or from fighting his attraction.

Maybe it was a combination of everything.

He didn’t know who made the first move. All he knew was one second she was next to him, and the next she was in his arms, her mouth beneath his. The taste of wine and chocolate touched his tongue, and he reveled in it as she opened to him.

Want filled his mind and body. The kind of want he’d given up on ever having in his life. The woman in his arms filled every sense in his body, and the desire to claim her sang through his vein. It wasn’t just sex—he could get that anywhere should he care to. It was the whole package. Conversation, support, tenderness, humor, kindness, all the things that made up a partner in life, that wrapped up into one neat little word.

Love.

Fucking hell, I love this woman!He loved every part of her and wanted nothing more than to shout to the world that she was his and they were together.

And it was the very thing he couldn’t have.

He pulled away, fiercely taming the beast inside him. “I gotta go.” His voice sounded rough in his own ears. Gritty, hard, unyielding. It had to be that way, at least for now. He hoped she wouldn’t hate him.

“You can stay.” Her breathy words raked over his ears. He heard the desire in them, and memories of her gasps and moans as she came under his mouth assailed his will. The thought of her taste nearly sent him to his knees.

“I can’t.”

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