Page 25 of Her Rugged Guardian

He took the towels from my hands first, tossing one of them onto the couch before taking his time to rub dampness from the back of his neck. All the while his eyes twinkled as they roamed over me.

“You made a fire. I wasn’t certain they would work.”

“You were cold. This old place can be drafty. All the fireplaces are working. I checked them out for Margaret a couple months ago.”

“Is there anything you can’t do?”Great, Cassie. Now you’re just egging him on.

“I’m sure there’s a hell of a lot. I just haven’t found them yet.” He took a step closer and I could swear I was swooning like some love-struck chick. That wasn’t acceptable.

I took a purposeful step backward to try to regain some personal space. He immediately followed by moving closer once again. My spiteful glare returned, the arm holding the cupcake now shaking. The man reeked of testosterone and exotic spices, the rain only adding to his intoxicating scent. The fact he was all slabs of muscle only drove me to a crazy place in my mind. For agirl who hadn’t had sex in over a year and a half, he was far too tempting.

No. No. I had to stop thinking that way.

“I heard you liked chocolate and my mother’s cupcakes. I made her recipe.” I jutted out my arm, narrowly missing swiping his chest with the inch of icing. Shock tore through me as instead of grasping the offering, he raked his index finger down my cheek. “What the hell are you doing?”

Did his grin always need to be so mischievous, as if he’d eaten a canary? This time, his stunning eyes were flashing with both amusement and the kind of yearning that wasn’t acceptable. Not in my house.

His answer was in the form of sliding his icing-covered finger into his mouth, sucking in such a way that my mouth was suddenly Sahara dry. It was impossible to take my eyes off the lewd act. He even took his time thrusting his finger in and out and all I could do was think about having his cock buried deep inside.

The flush creeping across my jaw was humiliating and I forced myself to look away until I heard the popping sound as he removed his finger.

“You have icing in several places, Cinnamon Girl. If the cupcake is a delicious as the frosting, then it’ll be pure sinful heaven.” Why did his deep and husky voice have to slide across my skin like a soft down comforter on a cold winter’s night? As he finally accepted the actual cupcake, our fingers touched and the sheer volume of electricity flowing from his arm into mine was mind blowing.

He obviously sensed it too, his nostrils flaring.

I backed away again, fighting with my lead feet to keep from stumbling. My reaction to him was nothing but turning into a silly teenager. My behavior was ridiculous.

“I’m curious. How did you know I liked chocolate and cupcakes?” he asked as he peeled away the paper muffin cup I’d used.

“Oh, I ran into Millie Tinslow at the local market. She went on and on about you.”

The admittance seemed to amuse him even more. “She did, did she?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry. Not the bad stuff.” God, slap me in the face for being so nervous around him.

While he chuckled, I could still sense a hint of relief. Whatever she’d not told me was the reason for the darkness crowding out everything else. “Be careful of that one. Millie is one of the local gossips in town. She’s good at what she does too. She’ll have you confessing sins you didn’t know you had. Then they’ll be all over town before you can bat a gorgeous eyelash.” His grin widened and I was blessed with dimples I hadn’t known he had making an appearance.

I had a feeling that was a onetime only thing.

“That much I figured out on my own. I’m not a little girl, you know.” There I went again, putting my foot into my mouth.

“No, you’re definitely not a little girl.” He took a deep breath then opened his mouth and by God, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I sensed he knew I was ogling him, but I couldn’t help myself.

The man was drop dead gorgeous, so much so than any woman could easily make a fool out of herself.

As he took a bite, I found myself leaning forward. When he instantly choked, I was horrified. “Oh, God. Are you okay? What did I do? It’s horrible, isn’t it?” When he continued choking, I snatched the cupcake from his hand, immediately taking a bite. I was certain we were both going to die given the extreme level of salt. Oh, Jesus. I must have confused sugar and salt. Oh, my God. I managed to swallow the lump, my throat instantly burning.

He coughed again, wiping his mouth. His eyes were even watering. “Thank you for the gesture.”

“I’m not a cook like my mom, even if I didn’t know she was. Can I do anything?”

“How about a drink? Is that possible?”

Relief tore through me, but it only matched the horror of what I’d done. “Sure. I think I can manage that at least.”

As I turned away, I could still feel the heat of his gaze.

That alone was enough to keep my panties damp and my heart racing.

---