Page 40 of Blood Sugar

Rowen chuckled, pausing at the sidewalk. “Stop worrying.”

“Well, you’re kinda acting like we are a couple here in front of all these people who seem to be your friends,” I said slowly. “Is that what you want?

Rowen’s smile widened, and he used the hand at the small of my back to pull me against his front. Instead of arguing with me, he ducked his head and planted a kiss right on my lips.

Spluttering, I tried to say something, anything, but my brain shorted out when his mouth brushed mine. Giving in to temptation, I hooked my hands behind his neck and kissed him back.

“Rowen,” I murmured when the kiss finally broke. “We’re out in public.”

“That won’t stop me,” he murmured, his nose bumping my cheek.

“Okay, well, we are working right now.”

“Not sure that’ll slow me down either.”

“Rowen!” I scolded, my cheeks absolutely flaming. “Come on, we need to get going.”

I needed to make him answer if he wanted people thinking we were a couple, because that’s what was happening. But I chickened out, too scared to hear his answer. If he said no, I’d be crushed. But if he said yes, it would be a commitment, and my stomach churned at the thought. Either way, I wasn’t ready to hear it, so I clung to his arm and attempted to steer him back to the bakery.

“So we are basically ready for the Pumpkin Festival tomorrow,” Rowen said, rubbing at the back of his neck with his free hand. “There will be a few things I’ll need to bake tomorrow, early afternoon, right before it starts at sunset. So do you want to just meet me there? Do you still want to work the booth with me?”

Turning off the sidewalk, he opened the door to the bakery for me.

“Sounds like a plan,” I said. “I can’t wait to see everything. It’ll be fun getting to do the selling part of the business, finally.”

“We are going to run out of pumpkin bread. The entire town is going to want two loaves when you’re the one selling it,” he said crowding into my space as the door closed behind us.

“That’s ridiculous,” I argued. “So you said we’re basically ready? What do we need to do?”

“I need you,” Rowen said, his big hands cupping my neck and pulling me into him.

Heat spiked low in my gut at the way he dragged me around, like he couldn’t wait for me to come to him. I didn’t have time to react before his mouth was on me, peppering kisses over my neck. Sighing, I arched, tilting my head to the side.

“This isn’t very professional, Mr. Sinclair,” I murmured.

“I don’t care.”

His warm, reassuring tone washed away the rest of my worries. I was done fighting it. Rowen had taken care of me, fought for me, and I knew I could trust him. Sighing, I melted into him, softening against his hard frame and letting him take control.

We backed into the kitchen with clumsy steps, bumping into the cabinets. His hands found my hips, and he lifted me onto the counter. My legs hooked around his hips, pulling him closer.

“You’re irresistible,” he murmured against my skin, sending sparks down my spine. “I want to lick every inch of you. Tell me I can do that.”

“Rowen,” I moaned, unable to think straight as he licked up the column of my throat. “Fuck.”

His teeth nipped at the delicate skin below my jaw.

“You can do whatever you want to me.”

His answer was a rumbling groan that made all the hair on my arms stand on end. My entire body was sensitized, needy for his touch.

We should stop and discuss things. Discuss us. This was insane—kissing in the bakery, his hands grabbing my thighs, sliding under my dress.

But I couldn’t string two words together. My brain was scrambled by the way he laved his tongue over the top of my breast.

“Hold on,” Rowen muttered.

He disappeared, leaving me reeling, my forearms flat on the counter as I fell backward. My chest heaved as I sucked in air, trying to ground myself.