Page 73 of A Taste of Trouble

Thrusting his pelvis, he pushed his throbbing erection into her. He lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “You had me the moment you took off your coat.”

As if like magnets, their lips fused together. He probed her needy mouth with his tongue. With each soft caress her heart pounded a little harder, the room spun a little faster.

“I'm hungry,” he mumbled.

She was hungry, too. Hungry for Jake.

But just when she thought he was going to take their kiss to the next level, he grabbed her biceps and pulled away. “Are you hungry?” By the smile that had curved at the side of his mouth, she knew it wasn't food he had on his mind.

“You tease,” she spat with a flirty slap to his arm.

“I would love to show you my bedroom, gorgeous, but with our track record,”—he kissed the tip of her nose—“we'll never come back down.”

…

They ate at one of Jake's favorite Italian restaurants in the downtown area. Truthfully, all Liv could think about was seeing his bedroom. Maybe there was a reason for that. Maybe that was all they were good at.

They were seated at a table in the back corner—romantic and secluded. Liv wondered if this was his usual table, the one that secured him a sleepover with all his dates.

The waitress brought their entrees to the table. The smell of garlic and tomatoes had Liv's stomach growling.

“Is there anything else I can get you?” The waitress stood at the side of the table, her attention focused on Jake…again.

“No, thank you.” He answered without even looking at her. Maybe Liv was special after all.

He picked up his knife and fork and she eyed his chicken Parmesan from across the table, disappointed with her own choice of gnocchi.

“So, is your first week as a small business owner everything you thought it would be?”

Her chest puffed out. She couldn't help the swell of pride that coursed through her at the thought of her bakery.

“I'll take that as a sign it's going well.” Jake smiled.

“It started off rocky, but with your help, the last two days have been fantastic. I've even booked two kids' birthday parties.”

He stared across the table with a look of…she didn't know what that look was, but it rocked her to her core. Appreciation. Pride. Affection.

She slid her gaze away and continued telling him about her week. “If I can book four events a week, I'll be in the black in no time.”

“I have no doubt you can pull that off. Whatever you need, just ask. I have no problem pimping out good cupcakes.”

“Thanks.” He meant that. But she was uncomfortable always talking about herself. It was time to turn the tables. He had braved Patti, Austin, and Brett. Surprisingly with great ease. He'd have his work cut out for him when she met his friends. When? If. If she met his friends for longer than it took to serve them a beer. “So, you know way too many things about me. What about you? Tell me about your friends.”

“My friends?” Jake dropped his fork and wiped his mouth with a serviette. “Well, you've met them. Brian. He's an accountant, a whiz with numbers. I've known him almost my entire life.”

“I don't have anyone I can say I've known forever. Except for maybe a few cousins. You're lucky.”

“He's the best guy I know.” He took another bite of food, quickly chewed.

“What about the rest of your crew?”

He wiped his mouth before speaking. “Tony is a sound engineer for a recording studio and Miles designs video games.”

She laughed. “Wow. You guys couldn't be any more different.”

“Why? Because they're smart and I'm just a smooth talker?”

Liv recoiled. “No! That's not what I think at all.” A breach in his armor. He always seemed so confident, so sure of himself. She had finally figured out his weakness. He felt inadequate compared to his friends.

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