Completely Captivated Read online

  For his sanity’s sake, he decided to tell her they needed to keep their arrangement under wraps to maintain a professional relationship at work and not to let their late-night activities interfere with their ambitions. Faith was career-driven, too, so he didn’t think she would take offense at his request. Then, when it all naturally died out between them, they could remain professional coworkers. His last thoughts of her were along the lines of “the best-laid plans.” Distractedly, he paid the cab driver, got in his car, and drove home.

  He took the long way home—the path that took him directly in front of The Sweet Spot. He had avoided this route for the past month simply because he didn’t want to see Aaron’s car parked out front. Slowing as he passed the café, he was treated to a special view through the large picture window in front. Christa had her back to the window, standing on her tiptoes, her arms around Aaron’s neck as he bent down toward her, and their mouths were locked in a passionate kiss.

  Jared hit the steering wheel with his fist as he yelled, “Fuck!” Glancing at the clock, he assumed Christa was just getting everything ready to start her day. He knew she had to start early to have her pastry case filled before all her customers started coming in. But since Aaron was so obviously there with her at five o’clock in the morning, Jared assumed they had spent the night together.

  A thump on the steering wheel in cadence with each curse didn’t make him feel any better. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

  There was no chance of getting any sleep with those mental images repeatedly playing in his dreams.

  Breakfast Buffet

  June

  “I can’t believe you’re here to help me this early in the morning,” Christa cooed sweetly as she wrapped her arms around Aaron’s neck.

  “I’ve missed you.” He slanted his mouth over hers. “I don’t get to see you enough.”

  “I know, I’ve missed you, too. Work just gets in the way of life, doesn’t it?” she responded with a laugh. “But it was just a few hours ago when I last saw you…” Her voice trailed off.

  “A few hours too long, Christa,” he replied, his eyes full of love and desire. This time, his kiss was more urgent, more possessive, and more aggressive. She responded in earnest, pulling him closer to her as he did the same. The sound of a car gunning its engine caught his attention, and he slowly broke their kiss.

  “Maybe we should take this to the kitchen. Anyone can see us in here through this window,” he suggested.

  “Maybe you’re right,” she purred. She turned to walk toward the kitchen, grabbing Aaron’s tie in her hand and pulling him behind her.

  “Damn, woman, you are so hot.” He growled in her ear when he caught up with her. “Now turn around and let me watch that hot ass of yours sashay in front of me.”

  “You only want me because of my ass, don’t you?”

  “Not only.” He paused. “Your croissants are out of this world.”

  She threw her head back in laughter, feeling pure happiness with how natural their relationship felt. She felt protected and desired when he wrapped his arms around her from behind and walked the rest of the way with his body connected to hers.

  She giggled as she leaned back into him. She snaked her hand to stroke the back of his neck, playing with the soft tendrils of his hair, and driving him crazy with her touch. By the time they reached the privacy of the kitchen, Aaron’s fingers found refuge under her shirt, rubbing circles on her stomach. They traveled up her torso, raising her shirt as he continued his exploration of her skin.

  He bowed his head and placed wet, openmouthed kisses on her neck. His tongue flicked across her sensitive skin, licked from her ear to the base of her neck, then back again. Christa’s head tilted to the side, giving his tongue full access to the sensitive skin below her ear as his hands found her breasts. He deftly unhooked her front-clasped bra, then palmed and gently kneaded her breasts. Her moans of pleasure increased with his pressure until his fingers found her sensitive nipples. He grasped each nipple between his thumb and index finger and lightly squeezed then rolled them.

  His growl in her ear nearly brought her to her knees. “Christa, you feel so damn good. Fuck, I want to taste you right here on this table. Let me have you for breakfast.”

  She turned to face him, and their mouths immediately clashed in a frenzied rush. Their tongues danced, their caresses adding more and more heat to their desire. Christa lightly sucked on Aaron’s tongue, pulling it into her mouth and gently caressing it before releasing and repeating the actions on his lower lip. She always loved his lips—so perfectly kissable. Aaron’s hands moved down to her waist, then to her ass.

  She was suddenly lifted to sit on the chef’s table, and he placed himself directly between her legs. He placed kisses along the slope of her neck again, then reached her breasts where his mouth continued to deliver the most exquisite torture she’d ever experienced. His mouth worked wonders on one breast while his hand tended to the other. Then he switched sides to ensure she was thoroughly and completely loved.

  When he raised his head, his hooded eyes conveyed his thoughts wordlessly. He helped her remove her shirt and bra, freeing her completely to him. Ever thoughtful of what she needed, he spread the shirt out on the table beneath her to shield her back from the cool surface before he helped her lie back.

  “Don’t worry, baby. I’m still taking it slow with us. One step at a time. Just let me love you this way, okay?” His voice was so kind, so caring, it completely melted her heart.

  Apprehension radiated from her petite frame. Her muscles tensed under his touch, uncertainty taking hold. On one hand, she was ready for the next step, to let him take everything. But something held her back. Fear of the unknown, perhaps. Lack of experience, definitely.

  “Christa, if you want me to stop, I will. I’ll never pressure you, baby.” He soothed her, but his voice held a trace of concern in it. Worry that he’d already pushed her further than she was ready to go.

  “No, Aaron, I don’t want you to stop,” she assured him, and she meant it. “Don’t stop.”

  He kissed her softly as his hands worked first to remove her skirt. Hooking his thumbs in the sides of her panties, he slowly dragged them down her legs, allowing his hands to rub against the entire length of her as they went. Her heavy breathing was evident in the rise and fall of her beautiful, perky breasts. Once he’d removed her panties, he started at her dainty feet, giving every inch of her body his undivided attention.

  He lifted her leg, licked the back of her knees, and ran his tongue upward, across her hamstrings to the perfect globes of her ass. Her sharp intake of breath was his only verbal cue that she was excited.

  “Feel free to make as much noise as you want to, baby. Hearing your moans of pleasure only turns me on and makes me want to pleasure you more.”

  Her responding whimper sounded like a challenge, one he gladly accepted.

  “What kind of sound do you make when you come? Is it a scream? A moan? Tell me. I want to know.” His lips continued exploring her skin.

  “I don’t know…I haven’t—” Words escaped her along with her ability to breathe with his next move.

  He picked up her opposite leg, his tongue making quick work of it. This time, she allowed the moan to escape her lips. It was so pure, so honest, and so full of passion, it caused his erection to bulge painfully behind his zipper. Knowing he was probably the first person to make her cry out like that made his chest swell with pride. He vowed he would also be the last person who would elicit those sounds from her.

  He hooked his arms under her legs and pulled her until her ass reached the edge of the table. “You can scream my name anytime you need to, baby,” he challenged. Flattening his tongue, he found her wet core with his mouth, and he licked her from bottom to top. Finding her clit, he circled his tongue around it several times before he lightly sucked on it. Her moans and squeals were just starting. He wouldn’t stop until he heard his name fall from her lips.

  After his warm, wet t
ongue flicked her clit repeatedly, heating it in the process, he pulled back and blew lightly on it. She moaned louder, but it still wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He plunged his tongue deep inside her, rolled it around, and lapped up her desire. Increasing pressure and intensity, he went from her wet channel to her sensitive folds to her clit, over and over again. She was writhing underneath him, moaning loudly and grasping at his hair.

  Aaron eased his hands under her ass, lifted it off the table while leaving her resting on her shoulders, and commenced to his intensely intimate sexual assault on her senses. The scruff of his beard scraped the sensitive skin of her thighs, increasing the sensations flooding her. He moved one hand, still holding her petite frame with the other, and added his fingers to the barrage.

  One finger dipped inside her, collecting her juices then spreading the wetness on her folds. Lubricating her to avoid hurting her, he pushed his finger into her, slightly crooking it and scraping against her inner walls as he slowly withdrew it. His movements were slow at first, giving her body time to accept his invasion.

  His goal was in sight when she moaned next. “More, Aaron. Please.”

  “Whatever you want, love,” he answered.

  Then he applied more pressure with his tongue, devouring her clit and licking, sucking, and delving deep inside her. His fingers joined the assault, first one plunging hard and deep, and then adding a second. He felt her muscles clamping down on his fingers and knew she was close. His thumb found her clit, and he pressed down lightly in small circles, adding to the overall pleasure and breaking down her resistance.

  Her cries of pleasure increased until, unable to hold it in any longer, she screamed his name while she soaked his hand with the rewards of all his work. His warm tongue lapped her up, consuming all she offered him, until she was spent and limp in his hands.

  “Oh my God, Aaron. That was amazing,” she panted breathlessly.

  “You are amazing, Christa.” He placed soft kisses on her body, everywhere, as he lowered her body back to the table.

  He leaned over her, covering her beautiful naked body with his. Christa’s legs circled around his waist, pulling him in closer to her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His kisses were addictive, each one making her want more. But she felt selfish for taking all the pleasure and not giving him any in return. Aaron had been so patient with her over the last month. Their heavy make-out sessions had resulted in a couple of cold showers for them both—separately—but he’d been a perfect gentleman about it. He never pushed her for more than she was ready to give. He never even asked why she was so reluctant to take their relationship to the next level. He acted as if he had his own reasons for holding back.

  Their intimacy that morning took them to a whole new level, and Christa’s body was on fire. Nothing could quench this insatiable thirst but Aaron himself. When Aaron rose off her, she watched him as his eyes raked over her naked body. Aaron helped her to sit up and wrapped her shirt around her shoulders. He held the front of her shirt together as their eyes met.

  “I want to give you something I’ve never given anyone before. If you’ll have it,” he murmured softly.

  “What is it?” she whispered back, mesmerized by the adoration in his eyes.

  “My heart,” he said as he placed her hands on his chest. “It beats only for you now. If you take it, don’t ever give it back to me. It’ll be yours forever. I will be yours, forever.”

  Tears filled her eyes—tears of happiness, tears of requited love, and tears of relief. Having real love reciprocated without strings, without conditions, and without unreasonable expectations was foreign to Christa. But the way Aaron freely offered his love, in such a romantic manner, was by far the best moment of her life so far.

  “I love you. I think I loved you from the moment I first met you, Christa. I can’t help it. The more I’m with you, the more I need you.”

  “I love you, too, Aaron. I could never give your heart back.” She pulled his hands to her chest. “Feel it beating? That’s your heart—and I will take care of it like it’s my own.”

  He stared at her—amazed, grateful, and even more in love than he was just a moment ago. This demure, beautiful, inexperienced creature had accomplished what the most skilled, acrobatically inclined supermodels couldn’t come close to doing. She had tamed him, domesticated him, and even made him want it.

  He held her face in his hands and softly, slowly, and repeatedly kissed her lips, her eyes, and her nose. “You never cease to amaze me,” he said as he rested his forehead against hers. His hands moved down to her shirt and pushed it back off her shoulders. Her eyes widened, partly in fear and partly in anticipation, and Aaron smirked at her. He reached behind her and picked up her bra. With the utmost skill and care, he slowly redressed her until he fastened the last button on her shirt.

  She sat still the whole time in astonishment at the care he was taking in making sure she was fully clothed. Somehow, the entire process of dressing her was just as erotic and sensual as undressing her had been. All the additional attention he’d given her made her feel extra special. He was never too busy for her, never had an excuse for not showing up when she needed him. He even came to the café, out of the blue, at five o’clock in the morning just to help her get ready for the morning crowd.

  “You are the best man I’ve ever met, Aaron,” she said sincerely. His hands froze in midair, the stunned look on his face conveying his inner thoughts without saying a word. He looked as if he was waiting for her to laugh after making that statement, as if he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  “What is it?” she prodded.

  He shook his head from side to side while maintaining eye contact with her. “No one has ever accused me of being a good man before, Christa.”

  She scrunched her brow up in confusion. “What do you mean?”

  Aaron huffed out a deep sigh before answering. “Christa, I’ve never been in any real relationship before. I won’t lie. I won’t sugarcoat it. I want you to know me—the real me—and that was part of me.”

  He looked away from her, suddenly ashamed of the life he’d wanted before he met her. “I was never with one woman for more than one or two nights. But it’s not like that with us. With you, I want it all. And if I have to wait a year to prove it to you, then I will wait. Without question or complaint.”

  “Did you…date…the models you work with?” she asked tentatively.

  “Yes, if by date, you actually mean have a one-night stand with them,” Aaron answered truthfully. Then held his breath, praying she didn’t kick him out.

  “But you’re done with that?” She tried to hide the quiver in her bottom lip. She was trying so hard not to cry, not to be upset with him, and it was killing him.

  “I was actually done with that just before I met you that first morning. You gave me extra incentive, though.”

  “How so?”

  “I wanted to be the kind of man you would want to be with,” he stated plainly. When she didn’t speak for a minute, Aaron continued. “Are we okay, baby?”

  “We’re okay. I told you I can’t give your heart back. It already beats inside me.”

  Aaron wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight to him. He hoped he wasn’t crushing the breath out of her, but he couldn’t loosen his grip just then. He felt like he had to make sure their connection was set in stone before she figured out that he wasn’t worthy of her love. Before she came to her senses and ran for the damn hills, he had to make sure she was as in love with him as he was with her.

  “I guess we should get busy. You’ll have customers soon,” he said softly into her hair. She nodded but made no attempt to leave his arms.

  “What about you?” she asked so softly he almost didn’t hear her.

  “Me? I’m here to help you. I’m not leaving. It’s Saturday, and I’m off today.”

  “No, not that,” she said shyly. “All you did for me…earlier… I didn’t do anything for you.”

  Aaro
n pulled away from her just enough to have room to tilt her head up. She closed her eyes. Smiling, he said, “Sweetheart, what I did for you was because I wanted to, not because I expected anything in return.”

  She finally opened her eyes and saw his gorgeous smile. “What if I wanted to do something for you, too?”

  “I will take you up on that—later. We have work to do now, missy, and you’ve been slacking long enough this morning,” he joked and swatted her ass playfully. “Now, what do you need me to do?”

  Christa stood on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “All right, let’s get busy, then.” After getting him set on his tasks, she started making all the pastries for the morning crowd. She noticed that every time she took a fresh batch of chocolate croissants out of the oven, she was short at least one.

  “Aaron, if you eat one more chocolate croissant, you are going to be sick.”

  “I can’t help it!” he responded with a mouthful of pastry. “You make them taste too good.”

  “And stay out of the espresso! You’re already not going to sleep for a week.”

  “You make it taste too good, too,” he called back to her.

  With everything finally ready, Allie came rushing in at the last minute to jump behind the register. When Aaron came around the corner with an apron that read The Sweet Spot on it, Allie raised one eyebrow at him.

  “Oh, I didn’t know we hired a new employee. Christa, did you thoroughly check him out first?”

  “It’s on my to-do list,” Christa retorted, accustomed to Allie’s brand of teasing. Aaron gave her a shit-eating grin and waggled his eyebrows.

  At the end of the day, Aaron had worked hard and loved every minute of it. He’d worked side by side with Christa and Allie, loving the fast-paced but laid-back atmosphere Christa had created. She and Allie had a natural camaraderie that the customers loved even though their personalities were night and day apart.