She wrinkled her nose. “It still is bleck.”
“I guess it’s an acquired taste.” He moved to gather an oven mitt to take the pizza from the oven, swiftly running a knife through it before returning to divvy up the slices.
“Why would you want to acquire a taste for something that costs a fortune?” Cassie asked as he settled on a stool next to her.
He shrugged. “Because it costs a fortune.”
“I may have just crawled out of a cave, but even I know that’s stupid.”
“Maybe.” He watched as she picked up a slice, studying the chunks of sausage and mushrooms. “Be careful, it’s hot.”
She leaned forward, taking a small bite as Caine watched. Her teeth sank into the cheese and sauce, her eyes closing in pleasure. “Mmmm.”
He chuckled, attacking his own food with gusto. He’d expended energy at an alarming rate. First to fight off the damned curs and then to heal his wounds. He needed serious calories to regain his full strength.
“I take it that the pizza meets with your approval?” he asked between bites.
She demolished her first slice and chewed her way through another. “Much better than the wine.”
“Wait until you taste my famous lava cake.”
“Lava?”
“Molten chocolate paradise.”
She popped the last of the pizza in her mouth and shoved the plate away. “It sounds delicious, but not tonight.”
“Hold still.” He leaned sideways to brush his thumb over her lower lip. “You have cheese right . . .”
He forgot what he was going to say. Hell, he forgot how to think as the feel of her lush lip sent a blaze of heat through his body.
Dammit.
He’d struggled so hard to leash his driving lust for this female. He wanted to be noble. Chivalrous. Cassie was all that mattered, and he wanted to do what was right for her. Even if it meant denying what he desired with every breath, with every beat of his heart.
With every fiber of his being.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t get his body on board with the whole Dudley Do-Right plan. It wanted to knock the plates aside and take her right there on the breakfast bar.
Or against the fridge . . .
Or...
As if to add to his torment, Cassie parted her lips to suck his thumb into the warm wetness of her mouth. He jerked, feeling like he’d just been struck by lightning.
“Cassie, don’t,” he breathed.
She nibbled the tip of his thumb, her eyes darkening with a desire that pulsed deep inside him.
“Why not?”
Yeah, why not?
His entire body clenched in agony as he struggled to think past his painful erection.
A tug—just one little tug—and she’d been in his lap, her legs spread wide and her innocence his for the taking.
“We have to talk,” he hissed between clenched teeth.