No Weddings (No Weddings #1)(24)

“Seriously. It is. Might as well have fun with it.” There was no doubt in my mind she’d do something awesome with the idea. And it helped soothe my inner devil. Cupid and I would duke it out till the end if I had to be involved in this nightmare.

She held my gaze, cocking her head. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to pick your brain about something.”

I crossed my arms. “Sure, go ahe—” My stomach growled loudly, and I paused, blinking. “Wait, hold up a second.”

Rapid-fire thoughts flowed in. I needed a distraction. She wanted help. My thesis needed attention. Her business needed a shot of adrenaline and a direction in which to run. And I needed to eat…

“You need to feed me.”

She gaped, then her eyes narrowed as her mouth closed. “Excuse me?"

My gaze lingered on her full lips while my mind stuck on the split-second image of her wide-open mouth, and I totally blanked, guttering my thoughts. I swallowed, my throat bone-dry.

Her brow furrowed as I looked at her, likely as if I wanted to eat her. I shook my head, closing my eyes, banishing thoughts of burying my face between her bare legs, because I did want to. Shamelessly. Like a starving man.

I crossed my arms over my chest, sighing heavily while I tried valiantly to stay on topic. “You do cook, don’t you? Meals? Something other than desserts?”

She scoffed. “What do you think? I’m a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.” As if that was supposed to mean something to those of us who didn’t speak cooking-Greek.

“I think if you want help with your business, it will start costing you.” I scrubbed a hand over my chin, thinking this through.

She stared at me as if I’d gone insane.

“You cook a meal and feed me in exchange for one hour of my time. After dinner.”

Her hands flew out, that pretty jaw dropping again, before she pointed toward the front. “What do you think you’ve been doing up there all this time? Using my Wi-Fi, using my space as your own personal library? Now you’re charging me?”

I shrugged. “I don’t recall seeing a ‘no trespassing’ sign up there, and it wasn’t being utilized by any other customer while I offered you free advice. Plus, you had the added bonus of me breaking in your new couch.”

She blinked, looking dazed.

I snapped my fingers. “Now, focus, woman. Stop distracting me with nonessential information. We’re negotiating here.”

Her delicate brows arched higher over wide eyes. Then those shards of ice green were hidden behind narrowed lashes. “Two.”

“What?” I stood taller.

She came closer, exerting her confidence in our game. “Two. For every dinner I cook you, you will provide two hours of business advice.”

Now we were getting somewhere. I took a step closer, causing our bodies to almost touch.

Her face tilted up with my movement, holding my gaze, fearless.

I wanted to kiss her so badly in that moment, but I held fast, keeping my eye on the prize. Which definitely did not include kissing a baking Ice Queen. Not tonight, anyway.

“Two. For every dinner you cook me—a five-star, restaurant-worthy meal—I will give you two hours of my time afterward. One will be nothing but business, the other can be about any topic I choose, business or personal.”

“P-personal?” She shook her head.

I nodded mine. “Oh, yes. As personal as I want it to get.”

Her slender throat worked down a swallow. I knew I had her. She wanted my help too badly not to invest some time into getting more of what I had to offer.

“Fine.” She gave a single nod. A wisp of hair that had been falling down broke free, caressing her cheek. “Once a week for a few weeks should do it.”

“Three times a week. Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. We’ll do it for two months. More if you need it.”

She gaped again. My gaze dropped to those delectable lips once more.

Her tropical scent drifted up between us. My mind hazed, barely holding on to the details she and I worked out. Her soft body leaned into mine, heat scorching through the fabric of our clothes. Gauging by her nonreaction, she’d been so blown by my last counterproposal, she had no idea how close we’d become, how dangerous an edge we teetered on.

The desire to kiss her became undeniable, but I balked. The entire suggestion I’d made was ridiculous in light of the fact she was off-limits in so many ways, and yet, I couldn’t help myself.

I waited.

Her heated breath puffed little scorches through the cotton of my shirt.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

She nodded, closing her eyes while she backed up a step. Then another. “Don’t ask me again, because I might change my mind.”

I grinned. “Wouldn’t dream of it. Oh, and, Hannah? I’ll be using your business as a part of my thesis project. So, thanks for that.” Didn’t want her to know I got something more out of it than she realized until the die had been cast.

Without waiting for her reply, I turned and strode to the front.

A cupcake thudded into the wall beside me, barely missing my head. I paused, staring at a purple icing imprint on the white paint. I grinned wide.

Oh, yeah. This was going to be fun.

“Good night, Hannah. See you tomorrow night.”

A low growl sounded out from the back.