She felt something against her legs and glanced down to see ablack-and-white fur ball slipping through them.
“Sorry. I don’t think you two have been properly introduced.” Dexpicked up the cat and held her out to face Emma. “This is Panda. She likesattention, as you saw last night. And her timing is ridiculously bad.”
Emma took her into her arms and rubbed her behind the ears, andPanda purred softly.
“She likes you already,” Dex said with a smile.
She followed Dex into the kitchen. The words cheese and crackersdidn’t do the spread on the counter justice. Three small round bowls withdifferent spreads in them were surrounded by an assortment of crackers, andanother plate was filled with a variety of black and green olives.
“This looks wonderful.” She dropped Panda to the floor before shepicked up a cracker, spread one of the cheese mixtures across it, and took abite. “Oh, my. This is heavenly.” She closed her eyes and let the flavors ofrosemary and something sweet fill her mouth. “I could live on this alone.” Shepopped the other half into her mouth, prepared another cracker, and handed itto Dex. “What is that sweetness? Dates?”
“Figs.” Dex took a bite of the cracker. “They’re not as sweet. Itgives the cheese just the right balance with the rosemary.”
Dex fixed the next cracker for Emma with a different spread. “Canyou tell me what’s in this one?”
Emma took a bite and widened her eyes. “Feta, dill, andmaybe…garlic?”
“Close. Ginger.”
“Wow, that’s really good.” Emma dipped the knife into the lastbowl, spread the cheese onto the cracker, and took a bite before she fed theremaining half to Dex. “This one’s easy. Blue cheese and green onions.”
Dex shook her head. “Shallots. They’re a little milder.”
Emma smiled. “I think I may keep you.” She regretted the words assoon as they left her lips. It was too soon. Dex wasn’t really hers tokeep…yet.
Dex stared into her eyes, and suddenly the air between them seemedcharged. Maybe it wasn’t too soon after all.
She broke contact and reached for a bottle of wine. “Chardonnaywith the chicken?”
“Sounds fabulous.”
Thirty minutes later they were sitting at the dining-room tablewith full plates of roast chicken, potatoes, and vegetables.
“I hope you saved room,” Dex said as she refilled their glasseswith wine.
“I reserved a hollow leg just for this.”
“Really?” Dex glanced under the table and then squeezed Emma’s thighlightly. “Yes. I do feel a little extra room there.”
The electricity of Dex’s touch almost jolted Emma from her chair.She could still feel the heat when Dex removed her hand from her leg, and whenthe warmth faded, she missed it.
During dinner, the silence was clear but not awkward. They simplyglanced at each other several times as they ate. The atmosphere was comfortableyet not entirely relaxed. Every time Emma caught Dex watching her, she actuallyhad to think about breathing, an act she’d never questioned before.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had such delicious chicken.” She caughtDex staring again, and suddenly the candlelight seemed very intimate. Possiblytoo intimate. Even though they’d seen each other several times over theweekend, officially it was only their second date.
“It’s one of my favorite meals.” Dex must have felt the closenesstoo. She got up, gathered their empty plates, and took them into the kitchen.
“One of mine now as well.” She picked up the remaining items fromthe table, followed her in, and slid onto the same barstool she’d claimedbefore.
Keeping the barrier between them, Dex slid a plate of browniesacross the granite countertop. “Dessert?”
“You’re going to kill me with all this decadence.”
“Kill? No. Spoil? Maybe.”
Emma took a brownie from the plate and bit off a corner. “Oh myGod. This is delicious. What is that I taste? Cayenne?”
“Wow. I can’t fool you. If you could tell that, you must be afoodie.”
“Definitely a foodie.” She nodded, took another bite, closed hereyes, and let out a groan. “It seems like I found the right woman to satisfy myaddiction.” When she opened her eyes, the expression on Dex’s face wasdifferent. Her eyes were glued to Emma’s lips as she slipped her tongue outslightly to catch the crumbs from them.
Her stare veered to Emma’s eyes, and her cheeks reddened slightly.“They pair really nicely with a cabernet.” Dex pushed away from the counter.“I’ll open another bottle.”
“I’ll get it.” Emma smiled, popped up, and headed around thecounter into the kitchen. “You’ve been working like a madwoman since I—”
Her words were lost as Dex pulled her into her arms and coveredEmma’s mouth with hers. A red-hot bolt of erotic electricity threw her into aninescapable surge of desire. She’d been waiting for this all night, and it wasso much better than she remembered. The first kiss had been sweet, slow, andtentative, like a slow sunrise tempered by a soft trickling rain on a summermorning. The second was borderline scorching, something that the mosttorrential downpour couldn’t douse. Each sensual spot on her body wascompletely and thoroughly awake now. It was becoming agonizingly clear that shewas about to explode at any moment. She couldn’t go back from this.
Dex lifted her onto the counter and wedged herself up against her.This position, with Dex nestled firmly between her thighs, had her wet beyondmeasure, and there hadn’t even been any friction. Dex’s mouth, soft and warm,trailed slowly down Emma’s neck to the sensitive spot where her neck met hershoulders, where she stopped and kissed her skin lightly. Emma had to forceherself not to squirm closer. When Dex’s hands slipped under her sweater, Emmalet out a growl and felt Dex smile against her neck. Dex slid her hands upEmma’s sides, taking the sweater with them, and slipped it over her head,leaving her wearing only a black lace bra. She felt terrifyingly exposed untilshe saw the steamy glimmer in Dex’s eyes.
“God, you’re beautiful.” Dex stood back slightly and stared asthough she were memorizing every part of her before she captured her mouthagain, harder, more urgent this time. Suddenly tongues and hands were battlingfor control, and Dex pulled her closer, creating the much-needed friction shecraved, and Emma couldn’t stand it anymore.
She ripped her mouth from Dex’s. “We need to move somewhere else,or you’re going
