Dirty Sexy Saint (Dirty Sexy #1)(40)
“Not just any cupcake,” she assured him with a bit of sass as she came to a stop next to his chair. She lowered the dish so he could look at a very fancy-looking sweet treat. “This here is a lemon cupcake, with an amazing lemon cream curd inside and melt-in-your-mouth lemon buttercream frosting swirled on top. I can guarantee that this is the best thing you will ever put in your mouth.”
He shook his head, treating her to a wicked-sounding chuckle as he cast his eyes up to hers. “Maybe the second, third, or fourth best thing,” he corrected as he skimmed his fingers up the inside of her smooth thigh. “But definitely not the best thing I’ve ever tasted or put into my mouth,” he said, pressing his fingertips against the seam of her jean shorts, his insinuation clear.
She sucked in a breath but did nothing to stop the pressure and friction of his fingers rubbing slowly but firmly between her legs.
“You’re so bad,” she said, her husky voice matching the desire flaring bright in her blue eyes.
“I can be even naughtier,” he assured her, his cock swelling in response to the sexy game they were playing, along with the way her nipples poked against the cotton tank top she was wearing, silently imploring him to lick and bite. “Would you like me to tell you what those other things are that taste as sweet as candy?”
“No.” She licked her lips, her lashes falling half-mast. “I want you to eat my cupcake.”
The small, playful smile canting the corners of her mouth told him that she’d chosen her words deliberately, in reference to the nickname he’d given her.
“I’ve already had a taste of the best cupcake I’m ever going to have,” he assured her. “But if you sit on my lap, I’ll try this lemon one.”
“Thank you for indulging me,” she teased, even though they both knew that, before they were done, he’d be sampling more than just her baked treat.
She set the plate on the table, and instead of sitting across his lap, she brazenly straddled his hips, her ass settled on his thighs. They were sitting face-to-face, the crotch of her shorts aligned with the stiff erection straining against the fly of his jeans. She rocked subtly against his aching dick, and he groaned deep in his throat, a hot surge of need twisting through him.
He grabbed her hips before she could do it again. “You’d better feed me a bite of that cupcake before I change my mind and eat you instead,” he said gruffly.
She shivered at his sexy threat, but she obviously really wanted him to try her dessert, because she behaved. Picking up the fork that was resting on the plate, she used the tines to cut out a portion of the confection so that he could taste everything at once—the cake, the filling, and the frosting—and fed him the sample.
As soon as the tart and sweet lemony flavors hit his taste buds, a moan of appreciation rose in his throat. By far, the cupcake was the best dessert he’d ever had, and he was impressed by her baking skills. The cake itself was moist, the filling like lemon silk, and the frosting did melt in his mouth.
The cupcake on the plate, decorated with frosting that looked like a delicate swirl of ribbons and lace, was as professional looking as…the one he’d seen looking through the bakery window in town when he’d been a young boy. The long-ago memory popped into his head.
“When I was a kid…” He blinked, hearing his voice and realizing what he’d been about to reveal. He stopped short, cutting off the words and the memory.
She tipped her head, looking at him curiously. “When you were a kid, what?” she prompted.
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
“It was obviously something,” she persisted. “What happened when you were a kid? Were you not allowed to have cupcakes?” she asked, her gaze holding his hostage.
It was a good guess on her part, based on what she knew about his childhood, which wasn’t much. But it was obviously enough for her to come to that conclusion. He seriously thought about deflecting the conversation, but the soft, compassionate look in her eyes compelled him to share something he’d rather not even think about.
“When I was a kid, for the longest time I didn’t know what cupcakes were,” he said, not surprised to see her eyes widen in shock.
“How…how is that even possible?” She frowned in disbelief.
He exhaled a deep breath and finished what he’d started. “My brothers and I never had a birthday party, and the school I went to didn’t allow outside food, not even on special occasions. We didn’t have a TV, and we got our groceries from a local food bank that just provided the basics.”
It was the most profound glimpse he’d given anyone into his past, and because it was Samantha, it felt good to share something so difficult, yet painful at the same time.
“Oh, Clay…” She placed her hands gently on either side of his face. That same tenderness he’d seen earlier was back in her gaze, this time laced with compassion, and it drew him in and tugged on emotions he usually kept locked down tight.
He swallowed hard and forced himself to continue. “The first time I saw cupcakes was when I was walking home from school. I was about seven years old, and I passed by this upscale bakery in town. I looked in the window and saw these little cakes that looked so good I couldn’t stop staring. I was so hungry, and I wanted one so badly, but as soon as the woman inside saw me outside her shop, she came out and literally chased me away.”