Page 24 of Take the Bait

“Correct.”

“But—”

“Hanna, let me send you home with more of my food and fall asleep satisfied that I’m feeding my girl tonight.”

“Your…girl?” Hanna gulped.

Had he meant to say that?

Tucker’s cheeks turned pink. “Yes.”

God, what did she have to lose from this? A bit of heartache if she moved? She was getting free food out of the deal.Really fucking delicious free food,for fuck’s sake. Could she let Tucker call her his girl and give her delicious food and see where this thing took her?

“How about a counteroffer?” she said, channeling self-assurance she didn’t feel. “How about instead of overlooking each other’s flaws, we correct them on our next date.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning,” she said, realizing her crush on the stupid hot chef was going nowhere but to her apartment, “tomorrow, you come to my place and teach me to cook. Something easy, please. And we’ll watchSex and The City.”

Tucker’s lips twitched. “Already inviting me to your place on the second date?”

“Yes.”

He bit his lip and leaned forward as she backed into the car. His arms stretched out so each hand was caging her face, and she could smell him—a combination of spices and seafoam and sweat.

His lips brushed up against hers as he asked, “You trying to seduce me, shortcake?”

“Maybe,” she whispered.

His lips crashed into hers, and she barely had time to breathe before losing herself in the sensation of him again. She felt her heart begin to pound as her body grew hot, and she threw an arm around his neck, tugging him closer. As his tongue pressed into her mouth, she moaned, and he pulled his body flush against hers, one of his hands grasping her chin as if he could tug her mouth closer to his.

Nothing existed except Tucker, his lips, his calloused fingers running along her chin and neck. God, she hadn’t been kissed in… too long. And it feltgood.

He pulled away suddenly, leaving her feeling cold and wanting.

“Sorry, shortcake. Got carried away,” he panted, his eyes still dark with lust, hands resting on his hips.

“The only thing you should be sorry for is stopping.”

He smirked. “If I kept going, I’d have a lot of explaining to do in the kitchen when I showed up with tented pants.”

Her eyes dropped to his crotch and she bit her lip before her gaze darted back up to his. She blushed with delight, aware of the impact she had on him.

“See you tomorrow, shortcake,” he said, backing away. Following his cue, she got into her car, carefully setting the crab cakes that miraculously didn’t get squashed during their make-out session in the passenger seat.

“Holy fuck,” she muttered to herself as she put the car in drive and headed home.

8

Knock, knock, knock.

Oh, shit.

Oh,shit.

He was here.

Sure, she’d had the place spotless for hours, but now it was real.