Page 99 of Cakes for the Grump

When I suck in an audible breath, he lets go, looking quite disturbed himself by the action. “You taste good. And I am going to regret learning of this fact… I’ve got a feeling I’m in for another hard night.”

“Hard as inhard?”

Gray-blue eyes snap up to meet mine.Did I say that out loud?

Verity’s hand comes out of nowhere and clamps Luke on the shoulder. “How is everything going here? Let me know when you’ve finished up, and I’ll bring my famous dessert out.”

We’re ushered to eat, and so that’s what we do, not looking at each other anymore. On my end, I’m afraid of how easy it would be to fall in, and keep falling into these feelings. Already my heart is too loud and lofty.

“The dessert is ready!”

A single serving of tiramisu is placed in front of us. Two spoons.

“Feed each other,” orders Verity. “Say how much you love each other with each bite.”

I love you’ssprout all around us. .

Going first, I offer him a bite. “I—hate you.”

His turn. “I hate you. I hate you so much.”

My turn feeding him. “It can’t be more than my hate.”

“Oh, but it is. You have no idea, darling. I promise you, you have no idea how much I hate you to the core of my being. I wake up thinking about hating you. And I can’t sleep for hating you.”

“And for the finale,” directs Verity. “To end off the night, give each other a kiss!”

This is it. The test. What all this practice has accumulated too. My first instinct is to throw myself on the ground and roll off into a corner, but that’s not the point of this exercise, is it? No. I can do this. Be professional. Detached. It would be quite pathetic for a quick peck on the lips to undo me like this.

I attempt inching my chair closer to him. It’s hard, the legs of the chairdragging against the resistant floor. I aim to try again, when Luke’s arm comes out.

In one move, he pulls me next to him.

I almost topple into his lap, but steady myself at the last moment.

“This will be good practice,” I tell him.

“Right.”

“The aim is not to be awkward.”

“Yes, thank you. When I kiss a woman, awkwardness is not the goal.”

“For the record, I’ve got a whole life of experience. I’m not awkward about this either.”

“You’ll find I’m an expert at this. Out of curiosity, who else ranks high on your list?” asks Luke. “Did you ever end up going on that date with your dentist?”

I flatten him with a stare. “That’s not pertinent to this conversation so I’m not telling you.”

The others have already kissed and finished, and here we are, appearing to be facing the gallows. As if this one little kiss is going to destroy everything. Our faces start to crowd in, and now there is but a whisper of space between our lips. Luke threads his fingers through my hair, and my eyes flutter at the sensation. One second. Two. Three. Finally, his lips slant over mine. My fingers are on his jaw.

I don’t know who moves first, but the kiss deepens. We’re squeezing each other, and again it’s confusing to pinpoint the order of things, but all I remember is this pounding inside me.More, more. Not close enough.Andwhy does this feel so good?

His mouth is greedy on mine, and we’re winding our fingers into whatever spot we can find. Mine fist the material of his shirt and his go down to the hips of my dress. He lifts me up. Or maybe my leg is lifting onto his. Heat seeks heat, and there are loads on the cradle of his lap—heat and exquisite hardness. Something heavy presses against me. Despite having finished the dinner, Luke makes a wholly starved noise.

Verity uses both of her hands to tap us on the heads. She coughs loudly.

We jerk our mouths apart.