Page 13 of Coffee and Christmas Kisses
I laughed. “Hardly. I’m notorious for burning everything I try to bake. That’s why I’m relying on you to help me learn to make cookies.”
He ducked his head shyly. “I’m looking forward to it.”
An hour later, West had heated up two big helpings of stew and baked fresh dinner rolls, and we made ourselves comfortable athis little dining room table to eat. I took my first bite of stew and flavor burst onto my tongue, rich and hearty.
I groaned softly. “This is amazing.”
“Thanks,” he murmured, that blush returning to his cheeks.
“Seriously. You’re a man of many talents.”
“I appreciate that. Thank you.” As soon as we finished, I helped West clean up. As I washed dishes, he pulled ingredients out of his pantry for the cookies. He paused for a moment and looked at me. “Oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip?”
“Will you judge me if I say oatmeal raisin?”
West laughed and shook his head. “Of course not. They’re one of my favorites, too.”
“Perfect. Let’s do it.”
With the ingredients assembled on the counter along with a stand mixer and several bowls, West pointed at the oven. “First step is to preheat the oven.”
“What temperature?”
Before he could answer me, there was a crackle of electricity and the power cut out, plunging us into darkness.
Chapter Eight
West
“Shit,” I muttered. Therewas almost no light in my apartment except for what little moonlight was streaming in the window through the snowstorm. I took a step forward and crashed into Cole. In my haste to back up and give him space, I stumbled over my own two feet and tumbled to the ground, landing on my ass. “Damn it.”
Cole’s shoulders shook as he chuckled, soft and low, the sound twisting my gut. “Are you okay?”
“Oh, delightful. Better than ever, really.” My tone was thick with sarcasm, and he laughed again. Cole held his hand out to me and hauled me to my feet. As he did, I stumbled into him, our bodies pressing close together.
“Whoa there,” he murmured as I steadied myself, his hand falling to my waist. “You good?”
“Great,” I mumbled, heat racing through my body.
In the dim light, I watched his gaze flicker to my lips and back to meet my eyes. A second later, he leaned in and kissed me, one hand curling around the nape of my neck and holding me close. My lips parted and he slid his tongue along mine, his grip tightening on my hip.
We kissed for several long moments before we parted, breathing hard, just as we had been the previous night. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have…”
“It’s okay,” he said softly. “Don’t apologize.”
I stepped back a little, putting some much-needed space between our bodies. “I don’t—”
Cole held up a hand to stop me. “I don’t want you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with but I want to be really clear. I’m attracted to you, mentallyandphysically. If you’re interested in taking things further, so am I.”
Heat flooded me, my stomach swooping dramatically with his words. “Yeah,” I whispered, looking at my feet. I looked up at Cole to meet his gaze. “Yeah. Me too.”
He pulled me close and kissed me again. This time, he gripped my shirt in his fists and my hands found their way to his neck, my fingers curling in his hair. As I did, he groaned softly, tilting his head back and exposing his throat. I broke the kiss, dragging my lips down his jawline, scraping my teeth against the sensitiveskin there before teasing it with my tongue. Cole groaned deeper, rocking into me with his hips. Between us, his cock was hard, thick and ready to be touched.
Cole’s hands tugged at my shirt, and the next thing I knew he was discarding it onto the floor before his hands returned to my waist to work open my belt.
“Wait,” I murmured as he unfastened my jeans.
Cole hesitated. “What’s wrong?”
