“That’s such a pretty name for a city.”

“Pretty,” I muttered.

Pretty was her.

Pretty was the way her eyes sparkled and her smile made everything brighter. But I couldn’t say those things to her.

Not yet.

“Eat.” I pointed at the cookies between us, and her head tilted.

“Only me? I thought they were for both of us.”

“I’ll have some,” I promised even though that wasn’t the kind of dessert I was craving. The only cookie I wanted was sitting in front of me, and it wasn’t on a fucking plate. Coco reached for one and set it on my plate before she served herself one.

“They’re still warm,” she noted happily, but I was recovering from the fact she’d served me before herself.

She served me first.

“Lucas?” Her eyes searched mine, and I could see the concern laced in her dark stare. She served me first.

I’ve never had anyone serve me.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” My voice sounded hoarse in my own ears as emotion clogged my throat. “How are they?” I watched her pick up the cookie. She puckered her perfect mouth and blew gently before taking a bite. The whole sight was innocent enough, but in my eyes? With how obsessed I’d been, how quickly I was losing my hold on every shred of sanity and decency, obsessed with her the last year, the whole thing was the most erotic thing I had ever witnessed.

Until she made this little sound when she chewed.

I knew that little fucking sound would bounce around my head like a damn ping-pong ball until I heard another. Her eyes fluttered shut, and when she opened them, that look of satisfaction had my cock leaking cum, rubbing uncomfortably against the denim of my jeans.

“These are amazing,” she sighed. Her dark chocolate gaze nailed me in place. “Have one.” She pointed at the plate in front of me. I picked it up, mechanically took a bite, and chewed. Food had always been something I ate to fuel my body. Nothing to savor or enjoy, not really.

But she wasn’t wrong.

The flavor of vanilla and milk chocolate chips with a hint of cinnamon bloomed on my tongue while I stared at her and chewed the Christmas treat.

“Good, right?”

“Perfect,” I mumbled, not talking about the sweet treat but about the woman in front of me.

“Thank you.” She reached for my hand and squeezed.

“For?” I frowned, feeling a little guilty. I’d technically lied to her. Dragged her from LA and up to the mountains under the guise of work.

“For stopping here for me. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I started to dig into my breakfast.” I frowned harder, hating the idea of her needing to eat.

“Should we order some lunch to go?”

“Oh, I don’t know. How far are we from…"

“Serendipity Bluffs.”

“Serendipity Bluffs,” she repeated with a cute little smile.

“Should be about an hour out.” I glanced out of the window and frowned.

“What is it?” she asked, turning to look out.