Adam dries off his hands and walks over. “How do you think you’ll do?”
I shrug. “Who knows? I’m up against a lot of people. If I can place in the top five, I’ll be happy.”
His blue eyes bore into mine. “I have faith in you.” He cups my cheek and my breath hitches. When his lips touch mine, I melt into him. The fire I once felt for him comes back with a vengeance. I open my mouth further, inviting him in. His tongue caresses mine and I moan.
He breaks away first and rests his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry. Got a little carried away.”
“It’s okay,” I whisper breathlessly. “I’m not complaining.”
His eyes twinkle. “How about I walk you home? I know it’s not far. Just down the hallway and up the stairs.”
Giggling, I slide out of his hold. “Sounds good to me.” He follows me out of the kitchen and down the hallway to the door at the end. Once I have the door unlocked, we take the stairs to the top. The closer we get, the more I don’t want him to leave.
We stop at my door and Adam wraps his arms around my waist; it feels good being touched. “I just want you to know that I’ve really enjoyed my time with you. I don’t want it to end.”
“But it has to, right?” I say, looking away.
He takes my chin and turns me toward him. “No, it doesn’t.”
My heart skips a beat. “What do you mean?”
His gaze drops down my lips. “I mean, I don’t have to leave right away. What would you say if I stay in Chicago for a while? I can work anywhere as long as I have my computer.”
“Really?” I can’t even pretend to hide my excitement. “You would do that?”
He looks right into my eyes. “For you I would. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you.”
“I don’t know what to say other than I’d love for you to stay.” The way he smiles makes everything inside of me tighten.
“That’s all I wanted to hear.” He leans down and kisses me one more time. “Goodnight, Maddy. I know you need your rest. You have a busy day tomorrow.” Turning on his heel, he heads for the stairs. “Wait,” I call out. He glances back at me, brows furrowed. I point at my door. “Would you like to come inside for a few minutes? We never got to eat dessert. I have some strawberries and homemade whipped cream in the fridge.”
Grinning, he comes back toward me. “I can’t say no to that.”
I open the door and wave for him to go inside. What am I doing? Do I really want things to go further? Yes. Oh, yes, I certainly do. Adam stops in the kitchen and looks around, smiling as he takes in all of my stainless-steel appliances. “Your kitchen is immaculate.”
“What can I say? I’m a chef. The kitchen has to be perfect.” Opening the refrigerator, I pull out the strawberries along with the bowl of whipped cream and set them on the table.
Adam joins me. “Do you add a dash of lime juice to your whipped cream?” he asks, studying me curiously.
I grab a spoon out of the silverware drawer and scoop him out some. “You tell me. I didn’t know you were a connoisseur of whipped cream.” He opens his mouth and I slowly slide the spoon inside. He closes his lips and moans when he swallows.
“That’s really good. It has just the right amount of sweetness.”
“Thanks,” I say, grinning with pride. “I like to think I’m good at what I do.”
Adam takes a strawberry and dips it in the cream. “You’ve definitely impressed me.” He rubs the strawberry against my lips, coating them with whipped cream. Before I can lick it off, he does it for me and pops the strawberry in his mouth.
“That strawberry was supposed to be mine.”
His eyes darken with need. “Oh yeah? I’ll just have to get you another one.” He backs me up against the table and presses his body into mine as he reaches for another one. My heart thumps wildly in my chest as he brings it to my lips. “Open up,” he murmurs, watching my mouth intently.
I do as he says and after I eat it, his lips descend on mine. My whole body ignites with need. Sliding up on the table, I spread my legs and pull him closer.
A low growl erupts in his chest and he presses against me. “You’re killing me. Why did you have to wear a skirt?”
I bite his lip. “Easy access.”
He chuckles. “You’ve said that to me before.”
I remember. I wore skirts a lot around him. It didn’t matter where we were, we always found a way of getting a quickie in if the need arose. Those days were exhilarating and exciting. It’s intoxicating to feel that way again.