“You’ve already blown my mind, love,” he said, winking. “You’ve set the bar pretty high already.”
He set the mug on the counter, his movements easy and confident, and strolled toward her, the light catching in his amber brown eyes.
Flutters burst inside her chest again as he neared.
“I like the shorts.” His fingers brushed across her thighs, and Shannon twitched under the electrifying touch, the simple pressure sending a heat coursing through her.
“We’ll never eat at this rate.”
She pressed her palms to his chest, trying to put a little distance between them, though every cell in her body screamed for round two.
“You shouldn’t wear shorts like that when you’re in the kitchen,” he said, smirking.
Before she could respond, he leant in and grazed her earlobe with a playful tug of his teeth, sending a jolt straight through her.
“What can I do to help?” he added with a swift, casual slap on her ass.
She let out a startled yelp, somewhere between a whimper and a groan, as her body jolted from the unexpected slap.
Heat flared across her skin, but she recovered quickly, stepping forward to put a little space between them, chin lifted.
“I’ve got it covered,” she said breezily. “Just sit there and be decorative. That’s your only job now.”
“Decorative?” His brows drifted up. “I’m a man of many talents, love. But if you keep that smart mouth going, I’ll have to find a way to keep it busy.”
She batted her lashes with exaggerated sweetness. “Oh, okay… How about I read you the ingredients off a cereal box.”
His smirk deepened. “You really want to play innocent right now?”
She tossed him a look over her shoulder. “Just trying to keep my mouth occupied. I’m full of… useful skills.”
A low chuckle rumbled from his chest, the kind that said he hadn’t laughed like that in a while.
“Cheeky little madam, aren’t you?”
She wiggled her brows. “Only when I’m right. Which happens to be most of the time.”
He leaned back in the chair, that dimpled, pantie melting smile returning. “Christ, I might actually be in trouble with you.”
Shannon walked over to the fridge and reached inside for the bacon, then turned on the grill, and began arranging the strips of bacon on the tray.
The sizzling sound filled the kitchen, but that undeniable tension still hummed in the air.
She could almost sense his gaze wandering all over her.
“If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?” His voice slipped over her shoulder in a low rumble.
Shannon turned to face him as she mulled the question over in her mind.
“I can’t really afford to go anywhere right now.” She shrugged, trying to keep the mood light.
Jamie tilted his head, his smile widening. “Hypothetically, then. If money wasn’t an issue.”
She raised an eyebrow, considering it. “Well, somewhere with professional show jumping and cross-countryevents. Maybe... Germany. They have some of the best competitions over there.”
His eyes lit up at her answer. “Germany, huh? Good choice.”
Shannon angled towards the sink, pumped soap into her hands and washed them under the running water. “What about you? If you could go anywhere, where would it be?”
