TALL DARK AND HUNGRY Page 0,69

another spoonful. "But it was just a bite of this and a bite of that, really."

"Hmm."

Terri dug deep into the dish, trying to get some of the soaked sponge cake at the bottom. She managed the task, ate the mouthful with an "Mmmm" of plea¬sure, then noticed she'd got some whipped cream on the back of her knuckle while digging into the dish.

Without thinking, she turned her hand over and licked it off.

"Besides," she added, "this is a dessert. There's al¬ways room for dessert. You should have some, too."

"Hmmm."

Bastien was simply watching her. Terri was sud¬denly self-conscious, but tried to ignore him and dug out another bite of sponge cake. Again, she got whipped cream on her finger. When she turned her hand over and started to raise it to her mouth, he caught it halfway, and drew her hand to his own mouth. He licked her knuckle.

Terri stilled, blinking in surprise at the tingle of awareness suddenly running through her body. When Bastien released her hand, she cleared her throat and ducked her head, forcing her attention back to the trifle. After a slight hesitation, she scooped up another spoonful. She wasn't really aware of the fact that her hands had suddenly started shaking until a dollop of custard slipped off, splashed off her chin and onto her upper chest, just below her throat.

Muttering under her breath in embarrassment, Terri set the spoon in the dessert dish and moved to wipe off first her chin and then her chest. Bastien again caught her hand, and he held it away. His eyes met hers briefly; then he leaned in to run his tongue quick and light over her chin, removing the evidence of her clumsiness. While Terri was still startled over that, he ducked his head to her chest and did the same, taking his time and running his tongue in cir¬cles over the spot to be sure he got every last drop.

When he lifted his head, Terri just stared at him.

Her heart was thumping in her chest like a bass drum, and her body was in sudden havoc. She was wishing he'd kiss her.

As if in answer to her wish, he bent his head to do so. A small sigh slid from Terri's lips as he leaned in and covered her mouth with his. He tasted of whipped cream--but somehow whipped cream tasted even better on him.

She was trembling uncontrollably when the kiss ended, the dessert dish shaking in her hand. Seeing this, Bastien rescued it; then he retrieved the spoon and eased it in and out of the dish, coming up with a scoop of cherries, custard, and whipped cream. Terri expected him to eat it, but instead he stretched it out in offer to her. Unfortunately, he did so just as she raised a nervous hand to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face. Their hands collided in midair, upsetting the spoon and sending cherries, custard, and whipped cream splattering down her chest.

"Oh." They both stared at what they'd uninten¬tionally done. The spoonful of trifle had landed on the curve of her right breast, but was now slowly slid¬ing down to disappear beneath the neckline of her white blouse.

"I think you're right," Bastien said suddenly.

"I am?" Terri asked, her voice shaking. "About what?"

When he responded, his voice dropped in pitch, becoming rough and sexy. "About there always being room for dessert."

His gaze lifted to her face and remained there for a moment, giving her a chance to stop him from what he was about to do. But Terri just stared, her heart having gone mad and bouncing around inside her chest like a Ping-Pong ball. He couldn't mean... ? He wouldn't.

He did.

Bowing his head, he lowered it to her neckline and proceeded to lave away every last visible trace of the dessert. Then he undid the top button of her shirt, tugged her neckline farther apart, and continued cleaning her.

Terri couldn't stop the little moan that slipped from her lips as his tongue dipped between her breasts. She was definitely disappointed when the ex¬ercise ended. As he raised his head and straightened, her body was a great aching mass of confusion and desire. But--much to her consternation--Bastien acted as if nothing had happened. He didn't even look at her, but concentrated on the dessert in his hands. He scooped out another spoonful of cherries and custard, and slid it into his mouth.

She watched silently, her eyes flicking between her now gaping neckline and his