As she reached for the container of flour, a strong, firm hand wrapped around her wrist.
“Don’t even think about it,” Keith half-growled, half-choked, making her giggle all over again.
White powder coated his lips, cheeks, even eyelashes. “I think you’re ready for the oven.”
“Funny.” He snorted, then coughed out another puff of white. “Shit, that can’t be good for the lungs.”
Michaela laughed so hard her stomach ached.
Still latched onto her wrist, Keith tugged her close. “You’re playing with fire, missy.”
Her breath caught. His dusty face was mere inches from hers. All it’d take was a rise to her tip toes and their lips would be aligned.
He stilled. The rise and falls of their chests was the only movement in the room. That and her heart thudding against her ribs, beating faster with every breath.
His eyes darkened, even deeper than their normal midnight blue. Lust. It had to be lust swirling in those heady depths. She had this insane urge to push her hips forward and find out if their proximity affected his body as much as hers.
The moment stretched on with the two of them staring and standing close but not moving.
Then slowly, ever so goddammed slowly, his mouth began a descent toward hers. She shifted, starting to rise to the balls of her feet to meet him halfway.
He was going to kiss her. He was going to kiss her, and she was going to let him. Because she’d been through so much in the past six months, and human touch had been nearly non-existent. Sexual touch completely absent. And while she’d made horrible choices in the past with regards to men and sexual activity, one thing remained true.
She liked sex. Freaking loved it. And she missed it. So as bad an idea as this was, she’d take it and enjoy every second. Damn the inevitable regrets.
Just as he was about to kiss her, one of their phones chimed with an alert. That was all it took to break the spell. One second of noise.
“So, uh…” Keith cleared his throat as he released her wrist. Taking a step back, he ran the hand through his short hair.
Stupidly, she almost asked if she could be the one to finger the strands.
“Jagger invited you to the house for dinner, huh?” He turned, grabbed a green apple from the bag and the peeler. The man either didn’t care or forgot he was wearing a coat of flour. Within seconds, he had the apple peeled and set out on the cutting board.
Fine, it they were going to play it that way, she too could pretend they hadn’t had a moment.
Or an almost moment.
Or a…whatever.
She smiled. “He did, yes.”
“Hmm.”
Slice, slice, slice.
Her brand-new knives slid through the apple with ease. She could have watched his long, calloused fingers work all day, especially if they were working on her body.
Shit! She had to veer her mind down a different track. For example, what he meant with the hummed response. “Is that a problem?”
Slice.
The knife froze on the downstroke, and he turned her way.
A shiver ran up her spine. God, those eyes. Did the man have any idea how sexy it was when he stared at her with that molten intensity? She wanted to lay herself out on the kitchen island and beg him to ravage her.
“A problem?” He grunted. “Course not. Just didn’t realize you guys had something going on. Surprised me is all.” With a shrug, he resumed chopping.
Something going on? If the cell phone interruption had tamped down her desire, this proclamation doused the lingering want with a bucket of icy water. Did he think she wanted his brother?
With his brow knitted, he grabbed a second apple using more force than the first time. At this rate, he could just peel it, pulverize it with his mitts, then toss it in the bowl without ever needing the knife.
He did think it. The goddammed jerk thought she was starting something up with his brother while nearly kissing him. So much for their budding friendship.
“He didn’t tell you?” she said, adopting an innocent tone. “Huh, I figured he’d mentioned it. We are definitely starting something. I’ll be keeping him really busy over the next few months.”
With each word, his jaw tensed further. Michaela couldn’t keep the smug grin off her face to save her life.
“I’ve heard he’s really good with his…tools. The best, even. I knew I had to have him as soon as I heard a woman in town talking about the amazing things he did in her bedroom. We’ll be starting right here in this kitchen.”
The chopping slowed until as he once again turned his head toward her, this time with narrowed eyes and the ever-present scowl she was for some crazy reason beginning to find charming.
She bit her lower lip but couldn’t keep the corners of her mouth from quirking upward.