He opened his eyes and looked down to a bottle of wine she held out in both hands. He scanned the label. It was a Justin Winery red. “Oh, man…”
He took the bottle from her and brought it closer, checking out the details of the wine. With his mouth watering, he lifted his gaze to hers. “Don’t tease me like this, girl. I want this wine right now almost as much as I want you in my bed again.”
A little surprise and a white-hot flash of desire filled her eyes before she dropped her gaze to the bottle in his hands and shifted on her feet. “I’m not teasing. You’ve had some amazing accomplishments over the last two weeks.” She met his eyes again, but the warm, chocolate irises were veiled now. “You deserve a celebratory treat.”
That hit Noah like a stray snowball, but after the surprise wore off, warmth curled in his chest and squeezed. She must have picked up on his preference from their trips to the grocery store or a casual conversation. His throat tightened. Jesus-freaking-Christ, he was going soft over a damn bottle of wine. He needed to get a grip on his emotions, so he went for a tried-and-true remedy.
He exhaled, let his shoulders sag, and dropped to the floor on his knees.
“Noah—” she started, her voice both worried and shocked.
The fact that his childish melodrama still surprised her gave him a ridiculous sense of playful satisfaction. He leaned into her, wrapping his arms around her hips, pressing his head into her belly. And, God, she smelled good, all springtime fresh and flowery. Felt even better, warm, slim, strong.
“God bless you for taking pity—” He stopped short and tilted his head to look up and into her surprised eyes
. “Hold on. Is there any chance I could trade the wine for—”
“None.” The strict trainer reappeared instantly.
Disappointed, even though he’d known what she’d say, he murmured a heartfelt “Damn.” Releasing her, he pushed to his feet with a heavy sigh. “Had to give it a shot.” Then he rested his butt against the counter and took the wine in both hands, reading the label more thoroughly. “Syrah, my favorite.”
“I particularly liked the name.”
“Focus,” he said, reading the label with a grin and a nod. “Nice.”
He pushed off the counter, still studying the label, his mind drifting to the image of her roaming the wine aisle of some store with him on her mind. The thought was so sweet, he felt his ribs soften like butter.
“Thanks,” he said, his mind hazing with a combination of thoughts and emotions. Then he leaned in and kissed her. Only when the warmth of her lips beneath his registered did he realize what he’d done. The move had been so natural, so easy, so automatic. But wrong. At least in her world of rules and regulations.
He immediately pulled back an inch, eyes open and dazed. “I’m…um… I, just…” The haze cleared, and he found himself staring into her beautiful eyes, filled with as much desire and conflict as he felt in his heart. He should pull back, give her space. But…God…
“Ah, fuck it.” He couldn’t stand this tension between them.
He wrapped his free hand around her neck and pulled her in for another kiss. A real kiss. A warm, wet, hard-on-inducing kiss. Her lips were lush, her tongue sweet, its touch spreading warmth straight down his body, pooling between his legs. She bowled him over like an avalanche.
He was still tumbling, his mind submerged in crisp fresh white light when she broke free and leaned back, trying to put space between them. “Do I smell bacon?” she asked, glancing past his bicep to the stove.
Bacon? Seriously? “Excuse me?”
Her gaze flicked to his, then away, a shaky smile turning her lips as she tried to pull out of his embrace. “You know I love bacon.”
He held her firmly, not ready to let her escape. “I know a few other things you love too.” He waited until she looked up, and then held her gaze with heat and purpose. “They all involve my mouth or my body. And some you love even more than bacon.”
Her lips parted, breathing hitched. She wanted him. Was on the verge of kicking all those damn rules of hers to the curb and giving in. Then she started to think. He saw the second her mind clicked on, watched shoulds and shouldn’ts, regrets and wishes pass through her eyes just before her lids closed and she lowered her head to rub her temple.
Noah set the wine on the counter and wrapped both arms low on her hips, pulling her in to fit snugly against his erection, bringing a familiar and sizzling desire. Then he just held her, soaking in the feel of her in his arms.
She exhaled again, long and slow, her body loosening and sinking against his. Her hands curled into his T-shirt, her face pressed into his chest, head snuggling beneath his chin.
“Damn,” he breathed, eyes sliding closed. “I’ve needed this.”
Her fingers grazed his skin as they worked the fabric of his tee. “I’m sorry. I don’t want this to be an issue. I don’t want you distracted.”
“It’s only distracting me because I can’t have it.” As soon as the words were out, he wished he could grab them back. She pushed away, but lifted her face toward his. “That didn’t come out right. I didn’t mean it to sound like—”
“Don’t worry about it. This is what it is. We are who we are. Which is exactly why we can’t…indulge. Not now. Not while we’re working together.”
He closed his eyes, pressed his forehead to hers, and exhaled heavily. His teeth clenched with frustration, and a growl rolled from his throat. When it overflowed, he released her, circled the counter to the sink, and pulled on the faucet, pushing the handle all the way to the right. He cupped both hands beneath the freezing water and splashed it on his face once, twice, three times, before slamming the faucet off again.