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“You should show the cook how to make this. You don’t have to do all this for me.”
Her smile falters like a candle flame caught in a gust of wind. “Right.” Her voice drops as she turns back to the stove, stirring absently now.
The atmosphere has changed as quickly as thick fog rolling in after a sunny day.
I step closer and wrap my arms around her waist from behind, hoping to ease whatever tension has filled the room.
But as I lean down to kiss her neck, she pulls away, just enough that it feels like an ocean opening between us.
Her shoulders slump as she glances over her shoulder at me, eyes reflecting hurt. “I don’t mind cooking it until I leave you?”
“Leave me?”
Her tension seeps into my skin, and I can’t stand it.
“Amelia,” I murmur, turning her to face me, and lifting her chin gently with my finger. “Look at me.”
The warmth in her gaze flickers for a moment. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“I mean, at the end of our agreement.”
“I might never let you go.”
She smiles, but she’s not convinced.
“You can do anything you want, including cook for me,” I whisper, leaning in so my lips hover just above hers. “And I’m sorry for hurting your feelings. I’m not used to it.”
She swallows hard as she studies my face for sincerity.
“I enjoy having you around,” I continue, my voice low and steady. “When you’re here, it feels…alive. I feel alive.”
The corner of her mouth twitches upward. “Me too.”
“Let me show you how much I appreciate this,” I say softly as my hand slides to the small of her back. I pull her against me, erasing any space left between us. “How much I appreciate you.”
“West…” Her voice is hesitant, but the way she leans into me tells another story.
I lower my lips to hers in a gentle kiss as I stroke my thumb of my free hand over her neck. Her breath hitches at first, then she melts against me.
“Let go for a minute,” I murmur against her mouth.
Her pulse quickens under my fingertips. “West—”
“Let me look after you.” I trail kisses along her jawline and down to the sensitive spot just beneath her ear.
She moans.
“I want to look after you. I want you to surrender to me. To give me everything. Trust me in everything.” I grasp her waist, exploring higher along her back, feeling the curve of her body as it presses against mine.
“I’m not used to trusting anyone,” she murmurs. And I suspect Amelia is finally telling me the truth.
“What do you say we eat your breakfast together?” My voice drops an octave as mischief dances behind my words. “And maybe I can eat my special dessert again afterward.”
She looks through her lashes at me as curiosity mingles with something more primal.
A smile tugs at my lips as I lean back to see if she’ll bite at my invitation when my phone rings.
I check the caller and sigh,