Sinfully Sweet

during his ride to the shop. He must have driven one of his convertible sports cars to the resort for the weekend. His eyes, which were the exact color of the rich, decadent chocolate she’d just eaten, were dark and hot and filled with lust-as if he’d truly envisioned being her strawberry, and her lips had been wrapped around him.

Another burst of heat settled low in her belly as she wondered just how long he’d been watching her lick and suck at the plump, luscious fruit while imagining such a provocative scenario.

He shifted closer as his gaze slowly lowered to her mouth. “Mmm. Looks juicy. And very sweet.”

Was he referring to the strawberry, or her lips? The man was a master at innuendo, and she self-consciously licked her sticky bottom lip. “It’s very juicy and sweet.” When had her voice turned so husky?

A rakish smile tipped up the corner of his mouth, causing a charming dimple to appear in his left cheek. “Maybe I ought to try it for myself.”

Her pulse quickened, and between the chocolate she’d just consumed and Connor’s flirtatious comments, she struggled to maintain her poise. “Help yourself,” she said, and waved toward the tray Marcus had left on the counter. “There’s plenty to choose from.”

He lifted his hand, surprising her with the warm, bold caress of his thumb along her lower lip. “I wasn’t talking about the strawberries, sweetheart.”

Her stomach tightened with desire and need. He wanted to taste-no, devour-her lips, which felt electrified from his touch. She was oh-so-tempted to finally give in to the attraction simmering between them and let him kiss her as she’d secretly fantasized about for the past few years. So much so that she let her lips part and leaned toward him ever-so-slightly.

“Welcome to Sinfully Sweet,” Ellie greeted Connor cheerfully. “Can I help you find something?”

Shocked by her brazen behavior, Rebecca immediately jumped back from Connor to put a respectable amount of distance between them. She was grateful that the shop’s owner had appeared when she had, or else Rebecca was certain she would have let Connor have his way with her right then and there.

Good Lord, what in the world was wrong with her? It had to be the shop and the chocolate wreaking havoc on her libido because she never acted this recklessly.

Connor’s gaze shifted from hers to Ellie, and he graced the older woman with a boyish grin that was the complete opposite of the smoldering look he’d just given Rebecca. “I’m just looking around right now to see what you have.”

Ellie tipped her head curiously as she studied them with too much speculation. “Do the two of you know one another?”

Connor nodded. “My best friend is marrying her sister.”

“Ahh, the wedding,” the older woman said in understanding. “And the two of you are…?”

“We’re just friends,” Rebecca replied quickly, wanting to set the record straight on that right up front.

Ellie looked to Connor for confirmation, as if she didn’t quite believe Rebecca’s hasty response. The woman seemed beyond intuitive.

Connor shrugged those broad shoulders of his, that adorable dimple deepening along with his smile. “Whatever she says.”

Ellie didn’t look convinced, but let the subject go. “Well, you two keep browsing. We’re just about done with your order, so I’ll be back out in a few minutes.”

“Great.” The sooner, the better, Rebecca thought.

Much to Rebecca’s relief, Connor strolled over to the table that held the foil-wrapped candies, putting much needed distance between them. He read the sign announcing the Valentine’s Day contest, then moved on to another section of the store displaying boxes of candies.

Refusing to eat any more of her chocolate-covered strawberry in front of Connor, she put the half-eaten piece of fruit into the doilie cup for later. “So, what brings you in here?” she asked casually, trying not to stare at the way his soft denim jeans molded to his perfectly toned butt. “You don’t strike me as a chocolate kind of guy.”

He glanced over his shoulder at her, his expression much too direct for her peace of mind. “Chocolate definitely has its time and its place. The moment I saw you eating that strawberry I developed a hankering for something sweet and delicious.”

He was referring to more than just chocolate, and they both knew it, too. Even from across the room, Rebecca could see the shameless glint in his eyes that held both humor and heat.

“But, seeing as I was denied that particular treat, I’ll have to stick to my original reason for coming in here.”

“And that was?”

He reached for one of the red velvet heart-shaped boxes on the shelf in front of him and read the content label. “I’m here to pick up a few Valentine’s gifts.”

Not one, but a few. It figured. Even though he’d arrived for the weekend solo, he’d obviously left his female companions behind and wanted to make sure he took care of them for Valentine’s Day. “So, do each of these girlfriends know about the other?”

He turned back around with three of the heart-shaped boxes in his hands. “Girlfriends?” he asked, momentarily puzzled by her comment. Then, as understanding dawned, amusement danced in his eyes. “Oh, these aren’t for girlfriends. They’re for my mother, sister and grandmother. I always send them chocolates on Valentine’s Day.”

The gesture seemed incredibly sweet, and she didn’t know whether to believe him or not.

He set his purchases on the counter. “It’s true,” he said, somehow reading her mind-or maybe her skepticism showed on her face. “And for the record, I don’t have a girlfriend, so, if you’re interested-”

“I can apply for the position?” she asked, brow raised.

“No application necessary. The attraction between us is undeniable, and I already know you’d make the perfect girlfriend. In every way.” Reaching out, he brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her cheek and gently tucked it behind her ear, before letting his fingers trail lightly down the side of her neck. “So, what do you say, Becca? Wanna be my girlfriend?”

His tone was teasing, but his eyes were very serious as they stared into hers. She felt mesmerized, the urge to say yes a powerful, overwhelming temptation. What a rush it would be to experience the full effect of all that dazzling, masculine sex appeal of his. Even if it was just a temporary fling.

“Here are your petits fours,” Ellie said as she breezed back into the room. She came to an abrupt stop when she caught sight of the intimate way that Connor was still touching her. “Oh, excuse me! I didn’t mean to interrupt you two.”

Rebecca stepped away from Connor and tried to shake off the sensual spell he’d so effortlessly spun around her. “You weren’t interrupting anything,” she reassured Ellie. In fact, you just saved me from making a colossal mistake.

Rebecca had no doubt that Connor’s interest was a transitory thing. And once she succumbed to his charms he’d most likely quickly grow tired of her, as he seemed to do with every other woman he’d ever dated. The man wasn’t known for longevity in his relationships.

Succumbing to a twenty-six-year-old millionaire playboy wasn’t an option, not for practical, responsible thirty- two-year-old Rebecca Moore. The situation had heartache written all over it.

Since her sister had prepaid her order, there was no reason for Rebecca to hang around any longer. Her job here was done.

“Thank you, Ellie.” Rebecca took the handled bag from the other woman. “I’m sure the petits fours will be a huge hit at the cocktail party tonight.”

And then she headed for the door.

“Wait!” Ellie exclaimed before she could make her clean escape. “You forgot your pink chocolate heart half!”

Despite the urge to run, Rebecca stopped, turned back around, and forced a smile as Ellie selected one and then pressed it into her hand. She really didn’t want to have anything to do with the Sinfully Sweet contest, but took the candy from Ellie out of sheer politeness.

Then she high-tailed it out of the shop-away from Connor and away from the influence of all the heady chocolate affecting her better judgment.