genuine frustration on his face. My stomach flutters. Jesus, if that isn’t the hottest thing I have seen… This alpha male, all flummoxed… Not to mention, still wet and naked, and holding my nape like I am a kitten.
Max whines in my arms. I glance down. "I think he’s cold; I need to get him inside the house."
"He can wait."
"You’d allow a baby to freeze?" I scowl.
"He’s a dog…"
"A pet."
"A mutt."
"A child." I frown.
"Fine."
"Fine what?"
"We’ll take him to the other room, but first, 'fess up."
"What?" I blink rapidly.
"What made you chuckle earlier?"
"Nothing."
"It’s something." He glares at me and a shiver runs down my spine.
"Maybe," I finally say.
"So, you were lying to me?"
"No," I stutter.
"I hate liars."
"Trust me, you don’t want to hear this," I mumble.
"Trust me," he lowers his thick brows, "I do."
"You won’t like it."
"Let me decide that."
Like hell, I will. I snicker to myself. If you think I am going to tell you my X-rated thoughts, you have another think coming.
"Fine," I grumble just as Max whines again, "Can I set him down first?"
He peers into my face, then nods.
"Let go of me," I demand.
"No."
I stare, "You serious?"
"Always."
Tell me about it. This grumpy-pants a-hole needs to be shown how to laugh a little more, in life.
"Fine," I mutter, then bend down. He bends with me, not taking his palm off of the nape of my neck. Don’t look at his crotch, don’t. I stare at his turgid cock that springs from a nest of dark hair as I lower myself, place the puppy on the ground. Max shoots off toward the kitchen.
He hauls me up. "Tell me now," he threatens, his voice hard.
"But… I need to go with him and—"
He glowers at me, and that familiar melting sensation crawls in my gut.
"P…penis-shaped cake," I blurt out.
"What?" His glare intensifies.
"It…it’s a thing…" I assure him. "There’s this town in Portugal where penis-shaped cakes are gifted to women as fertility charms." Not that I need any such help with this man. Just being this close to him is enough for me to get pregnant… Eeeugh! What am I thinking? I pull back, but his large hand on my nape tightens.
"And you know this, how?"
"It...it’s ah, based on research I came across."
"Research, huh?" He bends his knees, so his face is more at eye-level with mine. "Why do I have this sneaking suspicion that is not true?"
"It is…" I lie, casting about in my head for something…anything to tell him. "Uh, I am writing a book."
"A book?"
"A cook…cookbook...for desserts that are aphrodisiacs…"
"And this… Uh, cock cake—" He frowns.
"A chocolate cock pop," I correct him.
"Chocolate cock pop…is an aphrodisiac, hmm?" His lips twitch.
"Don’t mock it till you try it," I mumble.
“Hmm.” He tilts his head, ”You have a point there.” He applies pressure on my neck—not enough to hurt, just sufficient for my knees to tremble.
"Wh…what are you doing?"
"What do you think?"
He peels back his lips and his teeth flash against his tanned skin. He eases me down and I drop to my knees.
Hell, he handles my body like I am made of room-temperature butter… Would he lick me like I am a toffee-topped crumpet too? That large rough tongue of his would lave my flesh, dig into the nooks and crannies of my sensitive core, strum on my pussy lips, nibble on my cream and sugar… No.. No… No. "No," I shake my head.
"Don’t mock it till you try it," he growls.
I’m eye level with that part of him that has taunted me since I walked into this house. No, even before that... Since I first saw him, across a crowded room at my friend Summer’s wedding, when he’d prowled toward the bar, leaned against the barrier, stance wide, reached for a tumbler for whiskey and I’d seen the tendons of his throat stretch as he’d swallowed it down.
"Open," he growls.
I tip up my chin. "You’re no dessert," I huff.
"No, I’m better."
He releases me, only to grab his dick and—what the—? I stare. I can’t help it. I mean, I shouldn’t. I should look away, spring to my feet and follow Max into the kitchen, then keep going until I reach my car and get out of here. I could do it, too. He’s not holding me back. I should get away from him; away from this insane start to what was supposed to have been a quiet time, of reflection, and experimentation, of coming up with ideas for new desserts that I could use to differentiate my business from the