Page 53 of Novel Problems

George smirked. “It was. All part of my evil plan to get some alone time with you.”

“Well, all this baking is sending me very mixed messages,” I said, walking over to George and placing my hand on the small of her back.

George dropped the dough on the counter and turned to me. Looking deep into my eyes, she leaned in and gave me a slow, sensual kiss.Fuck. I opened my mouth to deepen the kiss, but she pulled back.

“Is my message clear now?” George asked, her eyes twinkling. “But I do need to get the dough and filling made and put it in the fridge to chill first if cherry pie is going to be on the menu tomorrow, so we’ll both just have to exercise some self-control.”

The heat from George’s body, her warm sweet breath on my face, and her soft lips so close to mine, was almost unbearable. Heat pooled in my core. I wrapped my arms around her back and pulled her in for another kiss.

“Uh-uh,” George said, chuckling as she shook her head and gently disentangled herself from my grasp, leaving flour dusting my skin. “Self-control, remember?” She stared at me sternly, narrowing her eyes, and then returned to kneading the dough.

I groaned dramatically and slumped back against the counter, even more turned on than I had been before.

“I guess I don’t want to have to explain to Betty that I’m the reason there’s no cake of the day," I said grudgingly. “Can I do anything to help?”

“Well, since you’re such an expert at pitting cherries”—George grinned at me—“you can wash and pit four and a half cups of them.”

I eyed the bag of freshly picked cherries and then looked back at George. “Okay. But while I might be an expert at pitting cherries with my mouth, I’m not so surehow to do it in a more, um…hygienic manner. Is there a special technique?”

“Hmmm,” George responded, holding my gaze. She stepped closer to me again, sending a thrill of anticipation down my spine.Self-control is overrated.

“Yes, maybe save the mouth work—for now, at least,” she said, her eyes lingering on my lips.

Instead of leaning toward me as I’d hoped, George bent down, opened a drawer, and pulled out a metal utensil. “You can use one of these.”

George handed it to me slowly, like she was intentionally drawing out my torture.

I snatched it out of her palm, determined to pit those damn cherries as fast as I could.

I’d never been so focused in the kitchen in my entire life. A woman on a mission, I made quick work of the cherries. Once I was done George mixed them in with the other filling ingredients she’d prepped.

“Okay, that should do it.” George dipped a spoon in the mixture and tasted it. “Yep, I think that’s good. You wanna try it?”

I nodded, and she dipped another spoon in and carefully lifted it to my mouth.

I leaned in to taste it, opening my mouth, and she pulled the spoon away, a cheeky smile on her face.

“You…are such a damn tease, George O’Grady,” I said, shaking my head.

She laughed and moved the spoon back toward me. I closed my eyes as cherries, with a hint of lemon and almond extract, exploded in my mouth. “Oh shit, that’s incredible.”

“That’s just a taste of things to come,” George murmured near my ear, her hot breath sending my nerve endings tingling. “You, wait there.”

George put the cherry mixture in the fridge, washed her hands, and turned to me.

George’s eyes were so intense they took my breath away. Everything around us seemed to fade.Oh shit.Desire and nervous anticipation flooded my body, sending my stomach somersaulting.

George stepped toward me, wrapped her arms around my waist, and pulled me to her.

“I think that’s enough waiting,” she murmured, delicately brushing my cheek with her fingers. “Goddamn, Hannah,” she said, her voice husky. “You are so fucking gorgeous.”

My breath hitched in my throat. “You are…” I struggled to put into words just how attractive I found George in every way, so I decided to show her instead, leaning forward and kissing her slowly and with purpose. I slipped my hands under her t-shirt so I could feel her warm, smooth back. George let out a low moan that vibrated through me, shooting heat directly to my core. Our kiss turned hungry, verging on desperate. George’s hands slid under my top and caressed my back.

“Can I take off your shirt?” George asked between kisses.

“Mmmhmm,” I hummed into her mouth, not wanting to break our kiss unless absolutely necessary. I briefly pulled back and took off my glasses so George could yank my top over my head.

“Yours too?” I asked breathlessly, tugging at her t-shirt, itching to feel more of George’s bare skin against mine. She nodded, and I peeled off her t-shirt, my hands trembling in eagerness. Underneath, she was wearing a plain black sports bra, which emphasized her strong, sexy shoulders. I threw her top on the floor, and we pressed our bodiesand lips together again. I reveled in the skin-on-skin contact. George felt strong, sturdy and incredibly sexy and my body pulsed with excitement at the thought of exploring her even more.

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