Tinsel (Lark Cove #4)(38)

I scowled. “This is the worst cooking lesson in the history of the world.”

I wasn’t sure how the man could laugh without smiling, but he did. Dakota’s rumble filled the kitchen, echoing off the cabinets.

The corner of my lips turned up as I took an egg from the carton. I cracked the shell on the side of the bowl, like he’d showed me how to do two mornings ago, then plopped the yolk and whites in the dish before tossing the shell into the sink.

We’d started with the basics for breakfast lessons over the past two days, simple scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. But today, he was graduating me to an omelet.

“How many?” I asked.

“Do six. We’ll make one and split it.”

I nodded, concentrating on the eggs so I didn’t get any shell in the bowl. When they were cracked, I splashed in some milk then whipped them up with a fork.

My personal chef, Carrie, would be so proud if she could see me now. I thought about taking a selfie and sending it to her, but then I realized she was on vacation too. She probably didn’t want to hear from her boss.

“What’s next?” I asked.

“Dump those into the pan, but instead of stirring them, we’ll let them sit until they firm up.”

“Okay.” I followed his instruction, pouring the beaten eggs into the pan where he’d already melted a tablespoon of butter.

From the fridge, Dakota pulled out some ham and a block of cheese. I dug out the grater, having learned how to use it yesterday, and began shredding some cheese onto a plate.

“Why do you want to see me smile?” Dakota asked as he diced some ham.

“Just because.”

The real reason was going to stay my little secret.

Because I’d been trying to memorize it over the past three days. I wanted to see it enough while I was here that I could picture it when I was gone.

When I remembered Dakota years from now, I wanted it to be with him smiling. But he didn’t smile often, and I wasn’t the type to see something once and commit it permanently. A picture would be better, but if he wouldn’t smile for me, the chances of getting it on my phone weren’t good.

He put down the knife again and covered my hands with his own, interrupting my cheese grating. “Tell me.”

“It makes me happy to see you smile.”

It was the truth. Part of it, at least.

Dakota’s eyes searched mine for a long moment, then his soft lips parted, revealing his straight, white teeth in an easy smile.

My heart stuttered, thumping hard as it worked back to its regular rhythm.

Dakota’s smile was something else. It was beautiful. It was as bold and mesmerizing as everything else about the man.

And he’d given it to me because it made me happy.

The sharp burn in my throat made me panic—this was not the time to cry. So I concentrated on one detail of Dakota’s smile, committing it to memory.

He had such nice teeth. I didn’t need a thousand more smiles to remember them. Like most people, the canines were pointed and slightly longer than the front four. But Dakota’s were more pronounced.

“You have vampire teeth.”

He chuckled, his smile widening. “What?”

“These ones.” I reached out and touched the sharp tip of his incisor. “They’re long. Almost like vampire teeth.”

Dakota’s tongue darted out and touched my finger. I dropped it from his mouth as he lowered his head, ducking under my chin and setting his lips on the soft flesh of my neck. He nipped at me with his pointed teeth, my breath catching as he licked the spot of the careful bite.

“Do it again,” I whispered.

He lifted, moving in a flash to the other side of my neck. Then he nipped and licked me again. “Breakfast?”

I shook my head, letting my eyes fall shut and my head loll to the side.

Dakota stepped away from me for a moment, turning off the stove’s burner. Then his heat returned as he picked me up and set me on the counter.

I pushed the cheese grater and cutting board out of the way then wiggled to the edge so my center was right up against his growing arousal.

He latched on to my neck, sucking just below my ear as he ground his thickness into my damp center.

I moaned, wrapping a leg around his hip just as he broke away.

“Fuck. Need to go grab a condom.”

My hands shot to his shoulders, keeping him from leaving. “Wait. Do we need one?”

His eyes went liquid black. “I got tested six months ago. Always used condoms since.”

“I haven’t been with anyone since my last checkup.”

His smile turned sexy and a bit dangerous, like I was going to be his breakfast. He could eat me for lunch too, I wouldn’t protest.

I reached for the waistband of my silk pajama shorts, rocking on the counter until I had them off my hips and down my thighs. Dakota didn’t step back or give me space as he shoved the elastic of his sweats to his knees and kicked them away. Then he dragged my shorts down so I could swing them off my feet.

He whipped my tank off, grabbed a fistful of his T-shirt from behind his neck and yanked it over his head. His cock was a steel rod between us, poised at my slick entrance.

My hands gripped his bare shoulders, my eyes closed and heart racing as I waited to feel him without any barriers. But Dakota didn’t move.