Page 9 of Charm Me

Chapter 5

Zoe

Wyatt held the dooropen to a small bakery about a block down the street from my office building, and waved me in. I’d walked past this shop dozens of times and never once stopped. As soon as I crossed the barrier, a sweet yeasty aroma warmed my lungs. It was like inhaling a blanket on a cold winter day. Thick buttery fumes followed by cinnamon and an almost sickly sugary icing made my mouth water.

“Have a seat.” Wyatt’s deep voice dragged me from my sugar induced dream, and I slid into the closest empty booth. He took his Stetson off, sat it on the table, and then ran his fingers through his dark, messy hair. His thick brown locks were long enough that a few strands flipped down around his eyes.

It’d been so long since I’d seen a real cowboy, I’d forgotten how sexy they were. And Lord help me, Wyatt Strong was the sexiest cowboy I’d ever seen. He headed to the counter with a slow steady gait, much slower than the fast pace he kept while leading me here.

From behind, I had a perfect view of his lean yet powerfully built frame. His hair turned up in wild curls just at the collar of his jacket which hid the curves of his shoulders and back muscles. My eyes lingered downward to his perfectly sculpted ass encased in a pair of fresh, crisp wranglers.

A surge of heat traveled through me and I started to sweat. It was as if I’d sat on a bed of hot coals instead of a cool booth.

I dropped my head into my hands and muffled a groan. What am I doing here?

Whatever this was, it was a dangerous venture. Wyatt Strong was a potential client and I had no business looking at him like he was dessert.

All I wanted to do since falling on his lap last night was kiss him and if I read the look in his eyes correctly, he wanted to kiss me too. There was no denying the mutual attraction we shared, but it was something neither of us could act on.

A kiss was a very bad idea.

What I should do is slide on out of this booth and march out that door.

The rustling sound of a plate being sat in front of me caught my attention, and it was followed by the sound of Wyatt’s boots tapping the floor. I looked up and met his stare as he slid into the booth next to me. Dammit. He’s close, too close.

I expected him to sit opposite me, but now he was so close his body heat fueled the fire inside me that was dangerously close to breaking into a full body burn. I was an idiot for asking him to explain himself. I should’ve just let it go, but my curiosity got the best of me. I swallowed hard and leaned into the wall. He shifted sideways so he was facing me with a fork in his hand.

“This is a puits d’amour, the sweetest pastry you’ll ever eat.” He held his eyes on mine before they roamed down and settled on my lips. Yep, I’m done for. That slight move of his eyes was enough to make me shudder.

The collar of his shirt pinched his neck when he swallowed, and I struggled to resist kissing the small pulsing vein running down his neck. If he hadn’t cleared his throat and turned his attention to the pastry, I would’ve kissed him. I was sure of it.

The pastry was about the size of a cupcake, with a flaky crust, and creme topping. Wyatt pressed the fork into its center, revealing a red fruit center. My eyes widened as he cut a small piece and scooped it onto the fork before holding it out to me.

“You’re going to feed it to me?” My voice rang low and rough in my ears.

A slight grin tipped the corner of his mouth and he extended the fork closer toward me. “Yes.”

The confidence in his answer hit me in the chest like a burning arrow. Red, hot flames rushed over my body and settled between my legs. Between his closeness to me and the simple act of feeding me, my panties were soaked with desire.

I couldn’t let him get to me like this. Not if I wanted to land his account. So I pushed my shoulders back and did my best to make myself feel taller. Which proved to be pointless. His tall frame towered over me even sitting down.

With my eyes on his, I leaned forward, opened my mouth, and closed my lips around the fork. A burst of sweet strawberries and cream filled my mouth followed by a buttery flaky crust. My body sagged and a low moan escaped my lips. “Oh. My. God. This is good.”

He held a second bite out and I couldn’t resist. His eyes followed my mouth as my lips wrapped around the fork again. He sucked in a breath when I slowly pulled back on the fork, taking the bite of pastry with me.

He lifted his hand toward my face and brushed his thumb across the corner of my mouth. “You got a little bit of cream right here.”

His voice was husky, and his slight drawl was oh so sexy. He licked his thumb before he leaned in and kissed the corner of my mouth. Every female part of me awoke from a long, deep sleep and zipped to life from his touch. Or maybe it was his scent—clean soap and fresh Montana air.

I moved closer, resting my hand on his bicep and gave it a playful squeeze. I was playing with fire, and in this moment, I didn’t care. He bridged the gap, brushing his mouth against mine. Softly, testing me.

He pulled away and studied me. I waited for him to kiss me again, and when he didn’t, I said. “If you wan—”

His mouth was hot against mine before I could finish. A surprised moan escaped me, and I stiffened as his arm slipped around my waist and pulled me to him. I relaxed, allowing him to hold me flush against his chest. It felt so good next to him, like I belonged in his arms. His tongue lightly brushed across my bottom lip and I parted my mouth to welcome him against the hungry slide of my own.

He cupped my face with his hand and slipped his fingers into my hair, deepening the kiss. His lips were soft between the gentle scratch of his beard. The ache I’d felt for him earlier exploded into a full-fledged fire that burned through me. He slanted his mouth against mine and plunged his tongue deep, tasting every ounce of me like I was the puits d’amour.

I lifted my head and broke the kiss, gasping for air.