Page 70 of Delicious (Delicious #1)
Chapter Three
T hey struck again.
Another little chocolate sat at my desk, and the need to figure out who could be behind the gift roared hotter. It was Friday, which meant I’d have a whole weekend away from this mystery. Some irrational part of my brain told me if I didn’t figure out today, the secret admirer would slip through my fingers.
First, though, I wanted to try the chocolate.
This one had a milk chocolate exterior with a dark brown dusting overtop. When I sank my teeth into it, the rich flavors of espresso and chocolate burst on my tongue. Ngh, yes. So damn good. I’d arrived extra early today, but a few people were already here. Granted, most employees were probably in the break room grabbing a coffee before the workday started.
Maybe Denzel was among the rabble. He was the only one I hadn’t struck from my list, which seemed flimsier by the second.
I pocketed the note, wanting to savor it later, and dropped my messenger bag to the floor, then walked toward the break room. Chatter floated my way, and when I peeked my head inside, several coworkers were gathered around. Including Denzel.
My heart slammed hard. Maybe he was the one? He was an attractive guy, broad-chested with a big laugh. Of course he stood in the middle of a group of people, conversing. Unlike yesterday, this time I wouldn’t make an ass of myself. I’d enter the conversation, draw the conversation out, and then weave in a subtle question. Because clearly, I knew subtlety.
“What’s the whole crowd about?” I asked as I approached Denzel, Marcy, and two other people, probably from the marketing department.
“Denzel’s showing us pictures from his vacation to Morocco,” Marcy said. “It looks like such a fun trip.”
He flashed me a broad grin. “I just got home yesterday, so this is my first day in after two weeks. Wish me luck.”
Damn, another stab of disappointment pierced me.
He hadn’t been here, which meant he couldn’t have been my secret admirer.
“Wishing you tons of luck.” I tried to force cheer, but frustration welled up within me. Who the hell could it be? Not that my list was exhaustive, but I’d tried to narrow it down based on the people I’d interacted with at the very least. Was there some elusive hottie in the workplace slipping my mind? I passed them, aiming for the coffeemaker, as if this had been a stop along the way. To my relief, Jacob stood next to it, a cup of black coffee in his owl mug.
“Did you know the tiniest owl in the world is called the elf owl?” I poured some coffee into my red-and-blue-striped mug. I hadn’t known that until last night, but I liked lobbing random owl facts at Jacob when I could.
He grinned. “I did, and they’re adorable.”
“Hey, Raspberry Boy,” Steve called, and I flipped him off. It was a good thing he hadn’t been my secret admirer.
“What was that about?” Jacob asked, arching a brow.
“Me, inserting my foot into my mouth over trying to figure out who my secret admirer is.” I scratched my head. “I’m at a loss. I went through my whole list of guys who might be interested in me and struck out with each one.”
“Have a new book for me?”
“Yes, back at my desk. Let’s go, and I’ll get it.”
“If I left Post-its in your Tesla copy, I’m sorry,” Jacob said. “I like taking notes when I read denser books.”
I snorted. “As long as you’re not one of those monsters who marks up the book itself, I don’t mind.”
“Or who earmarks the pages?” he said.
“Yeah, I’d never lend one to you again,” I said, clutching tight to my coffee. The sweetness of the chocolate still lingered on my tongue, and I took a sip of the scorching liquid to counterbalance. Perfection. Now if I could only figure out who was leaving the notes in the first place.
We entered the chemical engineering department, and I stepped over to my desk and placed my coffee cup on top. I flipped my messenger bag open and grabbed the new book for Jacob. My copy of the Tesla biography I’d lent him rested there, and I did a quick flip through of the pages to see if there were any leftover Post-its I could pass along.
A bright piece of orange paper stood out. Ah, there was one.
Tesla was born in the Austrian Empire.
I stared at the Post-it.
The handwriting was so familiar.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins, almost like a premonition as my brain caught up.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the latest note from my admirer.
Your genuine excitement is so rare and wonderful.
Oh.
Oh my god.
Bubbles fizzed and burst inside me. The pieces clicked together, and my heart thumped faster and faster.
“Jacob?” I looked up from my crouch.
He towered over me, standing beside me, ever-quiet, ever-sweet, and ever-utterly gorgeous. A gentle smile played on his lips, his dark brown eyes crinkled, and oh, my insides swooped.
“You figured it out?” He squeezed his nape.
“But…” I rose on shaky legs. “I’ve been talking about this to you the entire time. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I was nervous you weren’t interested.” He glanced away. “I’ve been single for months now and trying to work up the nerve to ask you out. So I thought I’d show you how I felt instead.”
I placed a hand over my chest, just to feel the rapid thump of my heart. If I’d believed Jacob was even in the running, I would’ve gone after him in an instant. Faster than an instant. He’d been a steadfast presence since I started here, and I loved spending time with him. He was sexy as sin, exactly my type, and I couldn’t even fathom that he was interested back. “I thought you were dating Sara. And straight.”
“Single and bi,” he said, still not looking at me.
“Hey.” I took a few steps toward him. I clutched the note in one hand, and with my other, I brushed along his chin and tipped his head up. “This is beyond my wildest dreams. You know that, right? I adore you.”
“As a friend?” he asked, hesitation clinging to his voice.
“If you’ll have me, as so much more.” The words came out a bit hoarse.
“That’s all I want, Henry.” Those gorgeous dark eyes locked on me at last. The sheer care and affection burning in them stole my breath away. “You.”
My heart did a somersault, and I closed the space between us.
My lips descended on his, and electricity sparked through my veins. He was warmth, a steady hearth fire that stoked my flames, but Jacob was also a secretive thrill, an enigma I’d been dying to crack open ever since I met him. And as he softened into the kiss and wrapped his big hands around my waist, I finally did. Those secrets he’d been keeping poured out of him in the desperate way he kissed me back, in the tight clutch he had on my body.
His tongue slipped into my mouth, and I let out a moan as a frisson of pure pleasure shot through me. He tasted like coffee and bliss, and I wanted more. My cock grew hard from the sheer sensations rolling through me. The lingering sweetness of his chocolate melded into this kiss, a reminder of the way this man viewed me, proof in every handwritten note.
God, I would immolate from this heat scorching me. He took command of the kiss with ease, and the skillful way he kissed threatened to undo me. His big body loomed over mine, making me feel small in the best damn way. I surrendered.
Someone coughed.
Oh, shit. We were at work.
In the middle of the chemical engineering department.
I drew away from Jacob, even though my heart hammered and my mind reeled from our kiss.
Declan stood in front of us. “You two are lucky I’m the one who walked in.”
“Uh, so you’ll never guess?—”
Declan adjusted his glasses. “Jacob was the secret admirer the whole time?”
I blinked. “Did you know?”
“Obviously. After you showed me the note on the first one. It’s Jacob’s handwriting.”
Mortification prickled through me. “Why did both of you let me blather on when you knew the whole time?”
Declan shrugged. “I thought you were having fun solving a mystery. I didn’t want to spoil it for you.”
“It’s not the ending of a book, dumbass.” God, I could strangle Declan sometimes. “At least I know now.” I glanced over at Jacob. An adorable flush spread across his cheeks, and his lips were swollen from making out with me. He was so broad and furry, his hair thick, and goddamn, I wanted to find the nearest dark corner and bend over for him. Preferably somewhere that I didn’t need to hold back my screams.
“So, what does this mean?” Jacob asked.
Lord, he’d put himself out there enough. It was my turn to step up. “It means you’re my boyfriend.” I sidled up and walked my fingers up his chest, loving the way his pupils dilated and a heavy breath puffed out. “And it definitely means I’m spending the weekend at your place.”
“Yes, and yes,” he said, his tone a little breathless. “God, I need the weekend to start now.”
I couldn’t agree more.