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“Why am I not surprised?” I shot him a sideways glance, catching him grinning at me in a way that made my chest flutter. It was rare to see Colton so unguarded, his usually brooding demeanor softened by amusement.

This was the side of him that no one else got to see, the warmth buried under all that steel, and I was selfish enough to savor it.

What made me so lucky? I didn’t know, and I wasn’t about to ask.

When both trays were full, Colton picked them up and brought them to the oven, sliding them inside. I’d preheated it before he’d arrived.

“How long?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder at me.

“Start with ten minutes,” I said.

We still had plenty of dough to work through, but I wasn’t about to overload the oven, even if it was state of the art. Two trays at a time would have to do.

As I grabbed a towel to wipe down the counter, strong arms caged me in, hands braced on either side of the counter. This time, there was no excuse. No bowl to mix.

I sighed, spinning around until I was face-to-face with him.

Colton leaned in close, so close his breath fanned across my skin. His deep gaze locked on mine, his lips a heartbeat away. I arched a brow, smirking as I leaned back just enough to keep some semblance of control.

“I can think of a few things we could do with ten minutes,” he murmured, his voice a rough caress. His eyes dipped to my lips, lingering there with intensity.

I tossed the towel aside, looping my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. My body softened against his, instinct taking over.

“Ten minutes?” I teased, my voice low. “We both know that’s not nearly enough.”

Colton groaned.

Unable to resist any longer, I tugged him down and pressed my lips to his.

Colton responded immediately, his kiss possessive and searing. A jolt of heat shot through me as his hands dropped to my hips, pulling me flush against him. His lips moved against mine with an urgency that stole my breath, each kiss deep and consuming.

The tip of his tongue slipped past my lips, and I met it eagerly, our mouths tangling as if this was all we knew how to do. My hands found his hair, threading through the soft strands and tugging lightly, earning me a low growl.

He pressed me against the counter, his body a solid wall of heat and strength, and I melted into him, unable to think, unable to do anything but feel.

When I finally pulled back, both of us breathless, his lips were swollen and glistening, his dark eyes burning with unspoken need. My own heart thundered in my chest, lips tingling from the force of his kiss.

“Why can’t we keep our hands off each other?” I asked, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

It was supposed to be a question for myself—a quiet thought I could dissect later.

But Colton didn’t miss a beat. He leaned in, his voice steady and sure. “I’ll never deny myself that pleasure, Eleanor.”

His answer left no room for doubt, no hesitation. It was pure, raw honesty, and it made my stomach twist in the most delicious way.

For Colton Stone, this wasn’t a question worth pondering. Acting on impulse, on this irresistible pull between us, was just inevitable.

In some twisted way, I thought the same as Colton.

The kitchen door swung open, the heavy sound reverberating through the space. Before I could fully step back, Axel appeared, his sudden presence sending a jolt through the moment. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes snapping from me to Colton and back again.

Colton’s grip on me didn’t falter—not even a little. If anything, he held firm, his confidence unshaken as I twisted, doing my best to hide the fact that we’d just been caught in a far-too-intimate position.

“I, uh,” Axel began, clearing his throat awkwardly. “I came down to start prepping. I know I’m a bit early.”

“No worries,” I said quickly, avoiding his gaze like it might burn me. “We’ll just be here a little longer.”

I wasn’t embarrassed, exactly. No, it wasn’t shame that had me scrubbing the counters with laser focus, my face a little too warm. It was the awareness of how this must look—a worker walking in to find his boss and a hired consultant wrapped up in each other like teenagers. Add the inconvenient fact that Axel was my ex-boyfriend—well, it wasn’t exactly ideal.