A Wrong Bed Christmas: Ignited\Where There's Smoke - Page 21

In hindsight, she should’ve known that any company named Jiggity, with the tagline The jig is up! wasn’t going to last.

And then there was, of course, her experience with Riker that certainly rose to the top of the pile.

And now that she’d shagged Erik’s best friend, Alexis thought it might be prudent to have some tasty yumminess around the house to soften the blow, if he were to somehow find out, which she was going to do her best to ensure that he didn’t. But a girl should always have a Plan B, right?

Too bad she hadn’t had a Plan B with Riker.

Ugh. What had she been thinking? She had to stop being swayed by a hot body and a bad-boy attitude. Bad boys didn’t hold down solid jobs, and they spent your money and slept with your former sorority sisters.

She set the cookie tin down with more force than necessary just as Layton joined her in the kitchen. Alexis hit him with a blinding smile and began chattering as if they hadn’t just spent time in each other’s arms because, frankly, she needed to put her mind on a different track.

“So, tell me about yourself,” she started, grabbing the ingredients for the cookies and the mixing bowls. “What’s it like to play the hero all day?”

“I wish it were that simple. Being a firefighter isn’t saving kittens and rescuing damsels from fiery buildings all day. Sometimes, on slow days, it’s scrubbing a station toilet that’s been used by twelve other guys.”

She wrinkled her nose. “That sounds like punishment.”

“Let’s just say, some of my station brethren aren’t as diligent about hitting the pot.”

“I would murder someone,” Alexis said, biting back a laugh. “I mean, that’s really gross.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Tell me more about this unglamorous side of being a firefighter,” she said as she worked the dough, loving the smell of fresh cookie dough. In a past life, she was a French baker, she was sure of it.

“You really want to know?”

“Sure. We’ve got time to kill.”

“I can think of other ways to kill time,” he suggested, walking over to her. Her hands were stuck in dough, trapped in the sticky glob, and he took delightful advantage. His lips brushed across hers and she melted a little. “Are you sure you want to talk about station life?” he murmured against her lips.

“No fair,” she said with a breathy little sigh. “You are one of the best kissers I’ve ever had the privilege of kissing.”

He grinned and kissed her again. He swallowed her moan and she accidentally put too much pressure on her sore ankle, causing her to yelp and pull back. “Ouch. Sorry,” she said, lifting her foot. “Still tender.”

“You shouldn’t be on it,” he reminded her. “It won’t heal if you don’t let the swelling go down.”

He surprised her by lifting her up on the counter, spreading her legs to stand between them. She automatically looped her arms around his neck. “See? Isn’t that better?” he asked.

“Of course it is,” she agreed with a laugh. “But you’re messing with my plans.”

“Make new ones,” he murmured right before sealing his mouth to hers, stealing her breath and for a moment, her will to be a good girl. But this—this exact thing!—was the reason she kept making the wrong decisions in her life.

Alexis reluctantly pulled away. “I really need to get these cookies done.”

“Please tell me that’s a unique euphemism for getting it on in the kitchen.”

She laughed and pushed him away so she could slide from the counter. “Sorry, bud. Not this time. You’ll just have to shelve your dirty mind for a minute.”

He groaned as if that were impossible and she wanted to say, I feel your pain, but she didn’t want to make things harder—ha! No pun intended—than they already were in the hands-off department.

She cast a playful scowl his way. “Don’t get in the way of my baking. You don’t want to see me when someone has blocked my cookie habit.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Far be it from me to prevent the lady from whipping up something delicious and sweet.”

Alexis grinned and returned to her dough, which was just about ready. She grabbed the rolling pin and began rolling out the dough. “Do you like gingerbread cookies?” she asked.

“Not really.”

She did a double take. “What?”

“Sorry. I don’t care for the taste of molasses.”

Tags: Kimberly Van Meter Billionaire Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net
readsnovelonline.net Copyright 2016 - 2024