Page 51 of The Paradise Plan

“No, ma’am.”Harrison stirred his coffee and lifted his cup to his lips.Their display of pastries arrived, and Harrison clapped his hands together.“Here we go.”

Cass giggled, and when their eyes met, Harrison would’ve sworn he saw all the way inside her soul.Sure, she was classy and put together.She might be out of his league, but she was also a human being, and she wanted to enjoy good food, good company, and be loved.

Harrison felt himself falling, and he did nothing to stop it.In fact, he gave her the softest smile he’d ever given someone, and nudged the box toward her.“You pick first,” he said, his voice almost a whisper.

She brightened and said, “Oh, I’m going in for thechocolat.”

Harrison grinned and watched her lift the lucky pastry to her lips.She took a big old bite, further obliterating his view that she was picky and prissy, and then her eyes rolled back in her head as she moaned.With her mouth full, she couldn’t speak, but she nodded as she chewed, a bright light in her dark eyes.

“Good?”he asked.

She swallowed, but still had plenty ofpain au chocolatin her mouth when she said, “So good,” and extended the bitten-off pastry to him.

He took it and took an equally big bite, his taste buds exploding with flaky, salty pastry, ooey gooey chocolate, and crispy edges along the corner.

He likewise moaned, and Cass giggled while she picked out another pastry.

An hour later, Harrison had his two dozen beignets for the boys at work, and Cass had their leftovers from breakfast sitting on her lap.

Back at her house, Harrison said, “Wait for me, okay?”and jumped down from the truck.He jogged around to open the door for her, then took the boxes so she could get down.He put his doughnuts back in the cab and carried her pastries toward the front door.They went up the steps together, and Harrison’s throat clogged with the things he wanted to say.

“That was the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time,” Cass said, smiling.“Thank you, Harrison.”

“I don’t think you eat breakfast,” he teased.“So of course that was the best one you’ve had in a while.”

“It was more than that.”She took the pale blue pastry box from him, and it matched her clothes.She set it on the bench outside the front door and looked at him.Something edged her eyes, but Harrison couldn’t read it very well.

He wanted to hug her, so he drew her body against his and held her there.“I miss you already,” he whispered.“When can we go out again?”

Cass breathed in deeply and held him close, so Harrison didn’t let go.“It’s Saturday tomorrow,” she whispered.“Are you working?”

“I’ll have to go in at least a little.”He stepped back, his hands sliding down to her hands.He held them both and looked at her.“Are you guys hitting the beach again?”

“We’re doing a tour in the morning,” she said.“Then, yes.A lazy afternoon on the beach, and Grant promised us a big feast, because I guess one of his clients is having a huge summer bash and there will be lots of leftovers.”

“It’s the Sandcomber Beach Bash,” Harrison said.“I’ll come sit on the beach with you.Hang out with everyone.”

“It’s a date.”Cass smiled at him.“I’ll text you where we are tomorrow afternoon.”

“Sounds good.”He should leave, but he couldn’t force himself to do it.Cass didn’t move either.Harrison slid his hands up her arms and took her face in his hands.“I hope I don’t crash and burn on this.”

He leaned forward, catching sight of Cass’s eyes drifting closed just before his did.

He touched his lips to Cass’s, hoping he’d remember what to do.

Turned out, he did.Fire licked down his throat, igniting every cell in his body.His hormones raged at him, and he stepped closer and pulled Cass flush against him with one hand.He kept that hand on her back as he kissed her harder, faster, deeper.

And since he couldn’t stop, and she wasn’t pulling away, he kept kissing her and kissing her.