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I began stacking butter on a tray, mentally calculating how much I would need for buttercream plus all the baking we had to do. When I tried to lift the tray, I realized it was too heavy to carry on my own. If I was alone, I would make two trips, but since Carter had stayed, I didn’t need to.

“Carter, I—oof!” I bounced off his rock-hard abdomen as I turned to exit the cooler. His hands wrapped around my upper arms to catch me, the heat from them a stark contrast to the chill from being in the cooler too long.

“Are you okay? I didn’t mean to get in your way.” He didn’t drop his hands, and he frowned as he began rubbing them over the chilled flesh of my arms. “You’re ice cold.”

I was so far from being cold I might have been on the surface of the sun. Everywhere he touched me was on fire, heat following every stroke of his hands.

“I’m fine. With the compressor running, I didn’t hear you come in.” I should pull away, but I selfishly soaked up his concern. I’d move soon. I would.

He drew me closer, tucking me against the heat of his chest and manoeuvring me out of the walk-in cooler. I let out a quiet groan and nuzzled my face into his chest. He smelled like lemons, probably from the dish soap, and it was still irresistible.

Carter pushed the door shut and backed me against it, his long, lean body pressing into me. I wrapped my arms around him and luxuriated in his body heat. He was hard everywhere I was soft, and for a fleeting moment I worried about my curves, until he slid his hands to the back of my head and tilted my face up to his. “I’ve been wanting to do this all week. If you want me to stop, say so now.”

His blue eyes glittered, and the erection pressing into my belly chased my self-consciousness far away. Carter Cook wanted me. I wrapped my arms around him, and that was all the encouragement he needed. His mouth swooped down to capture mine, and everything melted away.

Carter kissed like a man starved, feasting on my mouth. He nipped and nibbled, while his tongue teased and probed. His hands moved to cup my face, touching me more tenderly than anyone else ever had. His unique scent, so fresh and citrusy, cut through the heavy sugar scent of the bakery. I gripped his waist, holding myself upright as my knees grew weak. I ached, heat pooled in my belly, and the rush of wetness between my legs was yet another sign that it had been too long since I’d been with a man. I didn’t want this kiss to end.

Chapter 15

Carter

Every nerve ending in my body felt alive as I pressed Jane against the cooler door. Her mouth moved against mine, our tongues tangling together. I stroked my thumbs down her neck, feeling the tension corded there. I wanted to take some of her stress away. I moved my hands down to her shoulders, kneading the knotted muscles.

The groan she let out broke the spell. There was nothing sexy about that sound. It was the same sound I made when my massage therapist hit the tightest spots in my quads after working out all week. What was I thinking? Jane was exhausted. I shouldn’t be shoving her up against a wall. I should be taking her home and making sure she ate.

I broke the kiss, pressing my forehead against hers as we both dragged in lungfuls of air until our breathing settled. No talking, but the silence was comfortable.

I’d spent all week thinking about the almost kiss, asking myself over and over if I wanted to jeopardize our renewed friendship. I didn’t want to make Jane uncomfortable; I enjoyed being here with her and Ethan. Jane had asked that we be friends, and I wanted to respect her wishes, but I had seen her looking at me when she thought I didn’t notice. Friends didn’t look at each other like they wanted to climb them like a tree.

Working at her side, seeing her creativity and drive in action, made the decision easier. I liked Jane. She made me feel things I hadn’t felt since before the accident.

I was zeroed in on my goal, getting healthier every day. Getting closer to being the man I knew I could be. Now I wanted to see if this spark between us went somewhere. It might not be the smartest thing I’ve ever done, but it had been a very long time since I’d wanted someone like I wanted her.

Jane gave me a light push, and I stepped back, giving her room. Her expression was inscrutable, even though she had been a willing participant in the kiss.

“How are you feeling?” If I’d pushed too far, I wanted to know.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her breathing was still uneven. “I’m a little sore. I’ve been on my feet for hours, and I’m starving. And we need to talk about what just happened—but I’d like to get out of here. Can we talk at home?”

Remorse hit me hard—of course she was tired. I was being selfish. I wanted to talk this out, but it could wait. At least she wasn’t rejecting me, telling me we’d made a mistake. “What’s left to do before we head home?”

“I was about to ask you to help me with this butter. It was too heavy for me to carry by myself.”

I followed her back into the cooler to find a pan stacked high with pound after pound of butter.

“If you take that end, we can slide it onto the counter. It needs to sit out overnight to be ready to use in the morning.”

I lifted the edge of the pan, and with Jane guiding us, we had the pan placed where she wanted it in moments. She pulled off her apron and tossed it in the same hamper Ethan had used earlier. There was a chafe mark on one side of her neck from the apron strap, and I wanted to reach out and soothe the angry mark with my fingers.

While I discarded my own apron in the same place, Jane checked to make sure the front door was locked and turned out the lights. I followed her outside, and she locked the back door.

It was after seven, and she needed to eat. “You’re exhausted. I’ll pick us something up to eat, so you can take the rest of the night off.”

I paused, wanting her to agree. When she nodded, I walked her to her SUV. I was fighting the temptation to kiss her again. I wanted to, but she was exhausted. Getting her home and fed was the first priority. She leaned forward, staring at my mouth. Was she going to kiss me?

“I’ll see you at the house.” She backed away and opened her door. I waited until she was safely inside her vehicle before getting into my Jeep.

I placed a quick take-out order with a local Italian place one of the guys on the team had told me about. Grilled chicken, whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce, and a couple of salads rounded out my order. I’d already had a few cookies while we were working, and I craved the protein and whole grains to offset all the sugar in my system.