Page 63 of Temptation (Temptation 1)

“I’m serious. I took you there because it’s one of my favorite spots on this island and has the perfect view to enjoy a great bottle of sparkling shiraz. What transpired was a natural progression. It wasn’t planned. It just…happened. You were okay with it happening, weren’t you?”

“More than okay,” I said without giving it a moment’s thought.

“Right. This is obviously a big deal for you, and I can absolutely appreciate that, especially now that I know how long it’s been.”

He studied me for a moment, then dropped his hold. “What do you do when you’re stressed? What are you passionate about? What’s the one thing in the world that makes you so ridiculously happy it’s bloody stupid?”

My thoughts immediately went to baking with Imogene. The memories we’d created in the kitchen were some of my favorites. From the first time she stood on her stepstool and attempted to help me whisk the batter for pancakes, to the first time she made her very own batch of cookies, to now, when I often found her in the kitchen playing around with her own recipes. Baking had always been our time together.

Our escape.

Our happy place.

A nostalgic smile tugged on my lips. “Baking.”

His brows arched in surprise. “Baking? I thought you’d say meditate or take a bath. I was completely prepared to draw you a bath. But baking…”

On a deep inhale, he turned and walked toward the pantry just past the kitchen island. When he opened the door, he whistled, probably surprised to see how well-stocked it was for what he simply assumed to be a vacation rental property.

“I guess we don’t need to run to the store, do we?” He laughed, facing me. “So, what are we making?”

I approached him, placing a hand on his bicep. “This is a very sweet gesture. And I appreciate it. But you don’t have to do this for me. I’m fine.” I squared my shoulders. “I can do this. You agreed to this expecting sex, so—”

“Enough,” he growled, his voice surprisingly forceful, making me stiffen. Then his expression softened as he looped an arm around my waist, dragging my body against his. “I don’t care how many times I have to say this, but I’ll keep saying it until you believe me. I will never make you do anything you’re not comfortable with. I will never force you.” He kept me locked in his hold for several long moments, not allowing me to escape the truth in his words. “I’ll just work on making you comfortable. Even if it takes me all week. Just being with you will make our time together incredibly fulfilling.”

Tilting my chin back, he placed his lips on mine in a tender kiss. God, could this man kiss. If kissing were a course of study, he was a master. There was nothing sloppy about it. Nothing awkward. In this moment, as I succumbed to the practiced ease with which his lips moved against mine, I truly believed they were made to do precisely this for all eternity.

Despite all his joking about violating the terms of our agreement, he was incredibly understanding. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Chris had constantly disproven every single one of my preconceived notions about him. After everything I’d been through, it was refreshing to know there were still good people in the world. That there were still knights in shining armor.

That there was still hope.

He pulled back, a suggestive gleam in his eyes. “Come on, Belle,” he murmured. “Let’s get dirty in the kitchen.”

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