Page 203 of Delicious

“Or who earmarks the pages?” he said.

“Yeah, I’d never lend one to you again,” I said, clutching tight to my coffee. The sweetness of the chocolate still lingered on my tongue, and I took a sip of the scorching liquid to counterbalance. Perfection. Now if I could only figure out who was leaving the notes in the first place.

We entered the chemical engineering department, and I stepped over to my desk and placed my coffee cup on top. I flipped my messenger bag open and grabbed the new book for Jacob. My copy of the Tesla biography I’d lent him rested there, and I did a quick flip through of the pages to see if there were any leftover Post-its I could pass along.

A bright piece of orange paper stood out. Ah, there was one.

Tesla was born in the Austrian Empire.

I stared at the Post-it.

The handwriting was so familiar.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins, almost like a premonition as my brain caught up.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the latest note from my admirer.

Your genuine excitement is so rare and wonderful.

Oh.

Oh my god.

Bubbles fizzed and burst inside me. The pieces clicked together, and my heart thumped faster and faster.

“Jacob?” I looked up from my crouch.

He towered over me, standing beside me, ever-quiet, ever-sweet, and ever-utterly gorgeous. A gentle smile played on his lips, his dark brown eyes crinkled, and oh, my insides swooped.

“You figured it out?” He squeezed his nape.

“But…” I rose on shaky legs. “I’ve been talking about this to you the entire time. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was nervous you weren’t interested.” He glanced away. “I’ve been single for months now and trying to work up the nerve to ask you out. So I thought I’d show you how I felt instead.”

I placed a hand over my chest, just to feel the rapid thump of my heart. If I’d believed Jacob was even in the running, I would’ve gone after him in an instant. Faster than an instant. He’d been a steadfast presence since I started here, and I loved spending time with him. He was sexy as sin, exactly my type, and I couldn’t even fathom that he was interested back. “I thought you were dating Sara. And straight.”

“Single and bi,” he said, still not looking at me.

“Hey.” I took a few steps toward him. I clutched the note in one hand, and with my other, I brushed along his chin and tipped his head up. “This is beyond my wildest dreams. You know that, right? I adore you.”

“As a friend?” he asked, hesitation clinging to his voice.

“If you’ll have me, as so much more.” The words came out a bit hoarse.

“That’s all I want, Henry.” Those gorgeous dark eyes locked on me at last. The sheer care and affection burning in them stole my breath away. “You.”

My heart did a somersault, and I closed the space between us.

My lips descended on his, and electricity sparked through my veins. He was warmth, a steady hearth fire that stoked my flames, but Jacob was also a secretive thrill, an enigma I’d been dying to crack open ever since I met him. And as he softened into the kiss and wrapped his big hands around my waist, I finally did. Those secrets he’d been keeping poured out of him in the desperate way he kissed me back, in the tight clutch he had on my body.

His tongue slipped into my mouth, and I let out a moan as a frisson of pure pleasure shot through me. He tasted like coffee and bliss, and I wanted more. My cock grew hard from the sheer sensations rolling through me. The lingering sweetness of his chocolate melded into this kiss, a reminder of the way this man viewed me, proof in every handwritten note.

God, I would immolate from this heat scorching me. He took command of the kiss with ease, and the skillful way he kissed threatened to undo me. His big body loomed over mine, making me feel small in the best damn way. I surrendered.

Someone coughed.

Oh, shit. We were at work.

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