Page 69 of Hot for Hostage

We flew through the kitchen like bats out of hell, weaving between the islands and looping around the table. My heart threatened to burst out of my chest as I raced back to where we’d started, aiming for the nearest door and darting past Antonio—who I was pretty sure tried to help me by sticking out his foot as soon as I passed by. But Davian easily cleared it, closing more of the distance between us.

“Wait!” I cried when he got too close for comfort, blood surging in my veins. I jerked out of his reach and tightened my grip on the piping bag, but he was right about it being useless as a weapon. I needed a different strategy. “Time out?—”

Davian only laughed before his arm hooked around my waist like a steel band, and he pulled me flush against his front—knocking the air out of my lungs.

I wheezed and grabbed his arm, but Davian made it even harder for me to breathe when he tucked his face into the crook of my neck, and he growled—actuallygrowled—against my skin.

It made my toes curl, especially when his lips trailed up my neck and nipped my earlobe.

“I’m taking you back to bed,” he murmured against my ear.

An unintelligible squeak escaped my throat, and I was pretty sure my brain broke as he hauled me over his shoulder in one smooth motion.

“Dav!” I laughed, planting my hand on his lower back to catch myself. His grip on my thigh kept me from tumbling to the floor, but that didn’t stop me from clutching his suit jacket when he started walking.

I really hoped Antonio hadn’t heard what Davian said.

I also hoped my skirt hadn’t flipped up and flashed the poor chef.

But Davian’s hand was dangerously high on the back of my bare thigh, and it made worrying about anything else difficult—until I saw the trays of cupcakes that hadn’t been frosted yet.

“Wait!” I cried through my laughter, grabbing a cupcake off the counter we passed. “I need to finish icing these.”

Davian stopped midstep, then dutifully turned and carried me back to my station. He set me back on solid ground but didn’t go far. Instead of stepping away, he pressed his front against my back, and both his palms flattened against the counter to cage me.

I swallowed and placed the cupcake down. This felt nice.

Once I could breathe normally again, I patted Davian’s forearm. “Good boy.”

He leaned down far enough to kiss the skin beneath my ear, followed by another soft growl. “Finish your cupcakes.”

Both the command and the kiss sent a delightful rush of blood to my cheeks, and I cleared my throat.

I was still grinning as I carefully piped pink daisy petals onto a cupcake, despite Davian’s looming presence tempting me to rush the job.

“Thisis what I made for you.” I finished the last petal and held up the completed masterpiece to Davian. “It’s a thank-you for helping me.”

He bent over my shoulder, took a large bite of the cupcake, then hummed.

“It’s good.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “But you taste better.”

A bolt of lightning shot up my spine at his words. He was giving me the same look as when he sucked his fingers clean out on the patio. My face burned hotter than a preheated oven, because that wasdefinitelylouder than a whisper.

Had he forgotten we weren’t alone?

I elbowed him in the stomach. “Davian.”

He grunted quietly, but his lips curved against my cheek before he placed a lingering kiss there.

A throat cleared behind us, making me wince.

“That’s my cue to make myself scarce,” Antonio announced, shuffling around us and heading for an exit. I shrank back into Davian’s arms to hide, but Antonio paused at the door and caught my eye. One bushy brow rose. “Forget what I said earlier. You’re welcome in my kitchen any time,dolcezza.”

I sent him a soft smile, having grown fond of the chef during our baking marathon. “Thanks, Antonio.”

Davian’s hands settled on my hips just as the door swung shut, and I gulped.

Nowwe were alone.

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