at me.
"Thanks." I nodded, still caught somewhere between fantasy and reality where Tessa was my bride and I could hang on to her, keep her safe and with me for the rest of our lives. I was surprised to find that not a thing in the world sounded better.
"Bourbon chicken and General Tso's," I said when I sat down at the table.
"Are you sure...I mean, do you even know what's in that? It doesn't look like chicken." She raised one speculative eyebrow.
I chuckled, stabbing a piece with my fork and holding it out to her. "Just close your eyes and try. This stuff is addicting, and it's a mall tradition."
"A mall tradition?" Her eyes crinkled in doubt.
"Absolutely. What kind of man would I be if I didn't show you all the joys life has to offer?"
"This is one of the joys of life?"
I grinned, "One of many, baby."
Her mouth popped open and I slid the bite between her lush lips. My cock disobeyed every moral bone in my body and twitched in my pants. What was he thinking?
I averted my eyes, then stabbed another piece for myself.
"This is kind of amazing." Tessa grinned once she'd swallowed, then took another piece with her fork. "I think I could eat this every day."
"Well, I don't know how your liver would handle all that MSG, but it's a worthy goal."
"Ah, right. MSG. Always a downside." She frowned at the chicken on her plate as if seeing it in a new and unflattering light.
"Everything in moderation, I figure. A little here and there can't hurt, and believe me, I don't make a practice of eating Chinese food every day."
Tessa's eyes fixated on my biceps before she blurted, "I can see that."
My eyebrows shot up into my forehead. She was usually pretty good at keeping her thoughts to herself, much to my irritation, but that hadn't been what I was expecting.
"Why, Tessa, is that ogling you're doing?" I couldn't help but grin.
Her cheeks flushed a bright shade of red and her eyes went back to her plate.
"It's a good thing I like being ogled by you." I lifted her chin and swiped at a splash of sauce at the corner of her lips with my thumb. I watched her swallow, her breathing ratcheting up a notch, the way her eyes darkened just a tad. Damn, she was getting turned on. Tessa also felt this thing humming between us.
"Maybe we should head back," I said on autopilot, only thinking I needed to get her alone, and now.
"Yeah, I'm full." She stood and pushed the tray away from her.
I grinned, thinking of how the last twenty-four hours of my life had taken me down a new and wildly unexpected path. I dumped the tray of half-eaten food into the trash, then returned, picking up our bags and wrapping my free arm around her shoulders.
"Can't wait for you to model these clothes for me when we get home." Tessa's gaze turned up, her rosy lips parted just slightly as small puffs of air pushed past her lips. "You gotta stop looking at me like that, sweetheart. There's only so much a man can take."
She closed her mouth and her gaze turned sideways. "Hey, nothing to be embarrassed about." I stopped and caught her chin as I spoke. "You're a beautiful woman, Tessa. Much more beautiful than you realize. I'm trying damn hard to be strong and do all the right things with you, but then you look up at me like that…" I traced her pouty bottom lip with my thumb. "…And all I can think about is kissing you."
"Maybe you should, then."
"Tessa," I groaned, letting my forehead rest against hers. My cock was achingly hard and at full mast between us. I only hoped she didn't feel it, but damn if I could do a thing about it. This is what Tessa did to me. "I'm going to do the right thing and take you home, tuck you in, and definitely not put my lips on you." I paused, my gaze eating up her sweet, emerald eyes. "Gonna try, anyway."
Tessa bit down on her lip then, her eyes flaring with something before she pulled from my grip. "Maybe someday I'll appreciate your high moral ground, but that day isn't today, Cage West."
I laughed as she walked ahead of me
"Thanks." I nodded, still caught somewhere between fantasy and reality where Tessa was my bride and I could hang on to her, keep her safe and with me for the rest of our lives. I was surprised to find that not a thing in the world sounded better.
"Bourbon chicken and General Tso's," I said when I sat down at the table.
"Are you sure...I mean, do you even know what's in that? It doesn't look like chicken." She raised one speculative eyebrow.
I chuckled, stabbing a piece with my fork and holding it out to her. "Just close your eyes and try. This stuff is addicting, and it's a mall tradition."
"A mall tradition?" Her eyes crinkled in doubt.
"Absolutely. What kind of man would I be if I didn't show you all the joys life has to offer?"
"This is one of the joys of life?"
I grinned, "One of many, baby."
Her mouth popped open and I slid the bite between her lush lips. My cock disobeyed every moral bone in my body and twitched in my pants. What was he thinking?
I averted my eyes, then stabbed another piece for myself.
"This is kind of amazing." Tessa grinned once she'd swallowed, then took another piece with her fork. "I think I could eat this every day."
"Well, I don't know how your liver would handle all that MSG, but it's a worthy goal."
"Ah, right. MSG. Always a downside." She frowned at the chicken on her plate as if seeing it in a new and unflattering light.
"Everything in moderation, I figure. A little here and there can't hurt, and believe me, I don't make a practice of eating Chinese food every day."
Tessa's eyes fixated on my biceps before she blurted, "I can see that."
My eyebrows shot up into my forehead. She was usually pretty good at keeping her thoughts to herself, much to my irritation, but that hadn't been what I was expecting.
"Why, Tessa, is that ogling you're doing?" I couldn't help but grin.
Her cheeks flushed a bright shade of red and her eyes went back to her plate.
"It's a good thing I like being ogled by you." I lifted her chin and swiped at a splash of sauce at the corner of her lips with my thumb. I watched her swallow, her breathing ratcheting up a notch, the way her eyes darkened just a tad. Damn, she was getting turned on. Tessa also felt this thing humming between us.
"Maybe we should head back," I said on autopilot, only thinking I needed to get her alone, and now.
"Yeah, I'm full." She stood and pushed the tray away from her.
I grinned, thinking of how the last twenty-four hours of my life had taken me down a new and wildly unexpected path. I dumped the tray of half-eaten food into the trash, then returned, picking up our bags and wrapping my free arm around her shoulders.
"Can't wait for you to model these clothes for me when we get home." Tessa's gaze turned up, her rosy lips parted just slightly as small puffs of air pushed past her lips. "You gotta stop looking at me like that, sweetheart. There's only so much a man can take."
She closed her mouth and her gaze turned sideways. "Hey, nothing to be embarrassed about." I stopped and caught her chin as I spoke. "You're a beautiful woman, Tessa. Much more beautiful than you realize. I'm trying damn hard to be strong and do all the right things with you, but then you look up at me like that…" I traced her pouty bottom lip with my thumb. "…And all I can think about is kissing you."
"Maybe you should, then."
"Tessa," I groaned, letting my forehead rest against hers. My cock was achingly hard and at full mast between us. I only hoped she didn't feel it, but damn if I could do a thing about it. This is what Tessa did to me. "I'm going to do the right thing and take you home, tuck you in, and definitely not put my lips on you." I paused, my gaze eating up her sweet, emerald eyes. "Gonna try, anyway."
Tessa bit down on her lip then, her eyes flaring with something before she pulled from my grip. "Maybe someday I'll appreciate your high moral ground, but that day isn't today, Cage West."
I laughed as she walked ahead of me
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