Page 79 of Off-Limits Love

“I probably had my head in the oven checking on these,” she said, taking off the oven mitts.

“It smells great in here. A warning though— If Hudson decides to drop in and sees this, you’ll lose half your product to his stomach.”

She smiled and shook her head. “I haven’t iced them or finished them yet.”

“Like that’ll stop him.”

She plucked one of the strawberry minicakes from the closest rack as well as a chocolate filled miniloaf. She tried to avoid eating her concoctions, but sometimes a girl needed a snack, and she figured handsome cowboy farmers did as well. “Chocolate or strawberry?”

Finn stepped close, then swooped in and took a bite of the chocolate while she held it. She gasped out a laugh to cover her surprise and began to pull back, but he gently took her wrist in hand.

“My hands are dirty,” he murmured in a deep voice.

He took another bite, his gaze holding hers with a look that left her breathless.

He nipped her fingers in the process of finishing the minimorsel.

“Delicious.”

Mak swallowed hard as he shifted his hold and brought her fingers to his mouth. “F-finn…”

Her pulse skyrocketed to a dizzying pace, and her gaze lowered to his lips and held. She watched as his tongue flicked across her fingertips, gathering the crumbs before he kissed the pads and lowered their clasped hands to his chest.

“I brought you something. It’s…rough, but I think it makes the point. Will you read it?”

She blinked at the sudden shift in—whatever that was that just happened. “Now?”

His lips quirked at the corners, and she had the sudden urge to kiss them.

“Yeah, now. Won’t take but a minute.”

He plucked a folded sheet of paper from his rear pocket and held it for her to take.

She unfolded the paper and scanned it quickly, wondering if she imagined the words—and his signature scrawled across the bottom. “You want me to sign this?”

It was the only thing she could think to say at the moment.

“I would like that, yes.”

His low Carolina drawl left butterflies behind when combined with the way he gazed at her.

“You’re worried I’ll revoke access to this place if we get together and something goes wrong. That fixes any question or awkwardness should we have a falling out of any sort.”

She blinked at him, at a loss for words. First the flowers, the letter, now this? “Finn, this is—Why?”

“Because Jensen is wrong. And I’d like the chance to prove it to you.”

His foresty-green eyes held her gaze and didn’t let go. “But…what about Brad?”

“He won’t make it easy for you,” Finn said softly.

“It’s notmeI’m worried about.” That wasn’t entirely true, and she couldn’t stand the thought of Brad talking to—about—Finn the way that he did. “It’s Emi—and you.”

Finn acknowledged her words with a shake of his head and a look of disappointment.

“Then I guess we’re back to that question of whether or notweare worth the fight to you. I’m willing to do the hard work, Mak. I’m ready. Are you?”

He ran his knuckles over her cheek and then leaned low to brush a soft, sweet kiss across her lips.