Page 45 of A Sweet Mess

By everything holy and sacred.It was the best sorbet she’d ever tasted. The Meyer lemon and honeysuckle in the Moscato shone through without overwhelming the flavor of the Muscat Blanc grapes. The texture was spot-on, firm without being icy and smooth without being gloppy, and the sweet morsel melted against her tongue into a smooth liquid without a hint of cloying stickiness.

On autopilot, she made for Landon’s room, taking two steps at a time. She rapped on his door, her knuckles mimicking a famous woodpecker, then she shifted from foot to foot, unable to stand still. If he didn’t answer soon, she was going to start bouncing on the balls of her feet.

When he finally opened his door, Aubrey’s knees turned to jiggly pudding.Gah.The sight of Landon shirtless and barefoot made her mouth go dry. He was dressed, or undressed, in his charcoal gray slacks and nothing else. His chiseled body could’ve been carved from marble, but her body remembered the heat of his skin, and he was anything but made of stone.

She lifted her gaze from his naked torso and swallowed. Or tried. A cold drink would come in handy.Ooh.Her sorbet would be perfect to cool her down. Excitement blooming again, she grabbed Landon’s hand and tugged him down the stairs.

“What—”

“Just come.” Aubrey couldn’t tone down her ear-to-ear grin.

Looking bewildered, Landon followed her the rest of the way without protest. Then he saw the tub of sorbet on the kitchen counter, and his confused frown transformed into a broad smile.

“You did it, didn’t you?”

Aubrey dipped her finger into the bowl and offered him ataste. Landon’s eyebrows rose as he stared at the sample. She reddened to the top of her head.

“Sorry.” She tried to draw back her hand, but Landon caught her wrist and brought her finger and the sorbet to his mouth. He savored both until moist heat warmed her chilled finger.

Lust burned through her body. She spread her other hand on his chest to stay upright, but the feel of his hard, bare chest did nothing to steady her.

“Let me.” Her voice was a husky croak, and she coughed to clear it. “Let me make you an ice cream sandwich.”

Landon held both her hands captive, one against his chest and the other still a breath away from his lips. He seemed to consider her offer for a moment before releasing her, then he leaned against the island to watch her move about the kitchen.

Putting a little bit of space between them and focusing on the dessert allowed Aubrey to find some semblance of composure. With a melon baller, she added three scoops of sorbet on a cookie and then gently pressed another cookie on top. She studied the proportions and nodded in satisfaction. After making its twin, she handed Landon his ice cream sandwich and then lifted hers in a mock toast.

“Here goes nuthin’.” They bit into their sandwiches at the same time.

“Oh, my God.” Landon moaned, savoring his first bite. He took a second bite and shook his head slowly. He was lost in his own world—just a man and his dessert.

He made ultimate sexy noises until his ice cream sandwich was gone. Aubrey watched intently, knowing she would pull out this memory again and again on long, lonely nights. When both of them were finished, they stood in the middle of the kitchen grinning at each other. Landon was the first to move. He came straight for her and enveloped her in a bear hug.

“You, Aubrey Choi, are a genius,” Landon said with earnest intensity. “That’s one of the most perfect things I’ve ever eaten.”

“Thank you.” Happiness warmed her with its rosy glow. The quiet joy of the moment shook her more than the carnal desire that raged between them. “That means a lot to me.”

With her hands on his shoulders, she rose to her tiptoes and kissed his cheek—a light, fleeting touch. But his muscles jerked and tightened beneath her hands. Awareness and triumphant pride burst through her, and she stepped back with a startled gasp. The taste of power made her tremble with need, and she wanted to wield it again.

She whispered, “Good night,” and then retreated to the security of her room. Aubrey wished she could lock the door from the outside. She could easily get addicted to the heady feeling of power, and she didn’t trust herself not to march downstairs to see what else she could do to him. She squeezed her thighs together and moaned.Get. A. Grip.

Putting her game face on, Aubrey strode to the shower and turned it on full blast. She stripped down, leaving her clothes in a careless heap, and stepped into the freezing cold spray. She squeaked before slapping her hand on her mouth. Still, she stood shivering under the water until her body went numb. She couldn’t succumb to the hunger that consumed her.

If she did, her heart was as good as lost.

Landon stared after Aubrey as she’d made a run for her room for the second time that night. A mixture of longing and helplessness wrung his gut. He wasn’t accustomed to women running away as though he were a live grenade, and he certainly never chased anyone who didn’t want him. But his desire forAubrey wasn’t something he could turn off with a snap. He wanted her more than anyone he’d ever met—his desire was something pure, raw, and powerful—and not having her was pushing him to the edge of sanity.

With a resigned sigh, he reached toward the light switch when he saw Aubrey’s sorbet and cookies on the counter. He couldn’t let her hard work go to waste, so he transferred the ice cream to the freezer and stored the cookies away in an airtight container. Then he trudged to the wine cellar and grabbed a random bottle of red to keep him company while he brooded.

The minute he stepped into his room, Landon filled his wineglass to the rim and chugged it dry like some post-workout Gatorade. Lucien would be horrified at his mistreatment of the fine wine. Landon didn’t give a damn. He had no intention of spending another night wide awake and aching.

Having rationalized his decision to rekindle their relationship, he faced the next obstacle preventing him from ravishing the woman. Aubrey herself. She was ensnared by the same manic attraction that consumed him. He could see it in her fleeting glances and her soft gasps to his touch, but she held him at arm’s length. His gut told him it wasn’t only about her reputation. He sloshed more wine into the glass and gulped half of it down. She was afraid. Of what, he hadn’t the slightest clue. All he knew was he couldn’t bulldoze through her defenses. Hurting her was the last thing he wanted.

Landon had to make the first move. Show her his hand, laying everything out in the open. He would tell her everything. Then she would have full control to decide as she wished.

With anticipation lifting his spirits, Landon resolved to spend the entire next day charming Aubrey. The choice was hers, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to stack the odds in his favor.

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