Free Keeping Her Guilty Secret (Forever Yours Trilogy) by Anna James Page B

tester.”
    She grinned. “Change of plan. You’re going to make the cake.”
    His eyes widened. “I don’t think so. I burn water, remember?”
    “You made gravy last weekend and you didn’t burn that.”
    “But, you’re the expert here, not me,” he insisted.
    She walked over and slung her arm around his waist. “How about we make it together?” she said.
    He stared down at her with another of his imperious glances. “You had this planned all along. Lured me in with the promise of sweet confections.”
    Her lips curved into a smile. “Maybe.” She grasped his hand and pulled him the rest of the way to the island. “Come on, I promise it will be fun.”
    He tilted his head to the side as if considering. “You know you’re right.”
    She eyed him speculatively. “That was too easy. What gives?”
    He grinned. “I’m going to love teaching you how to play golf.”
    “It’ll be more like a lesson in frustration for you. Professionals have tried, and failed, miserably.”
    He came up from behind her, placed his hands on her hips, and brushed his lips against the crook of her neck. “It’s all about perfecting your stance,” he whispered into her ear.
    She drew in a quick breath as his thumbs slid to the center of her back and traced a path up her spine. Her body tilted the tiniest bit and her shoulders and head rolled forward.
    “That’s it,” he said in a low, husky voice then glided his hands over her shoulders.
    She gasped when he ran his palms down the length of her arms and his thumbs grazed over the outside swell of her breasts.
    He drew her hands together in front of her, then pressed his chest to hers and whispered, “We’ll work on your swing next time.”
    He eased away but she didn’t move, couldn’t, because once again he’d reduced her to a mass of jangling nerve endings. If he could create these sensations in her when she was fully clothed what would it be like when they got naked together? And if she started thinking along those lines they’d never get anything done.
    She finally stood and found Max leaning on the counter trying to steady his ragged breathing. Her lips curved into a satisfied feline smile knowing he’d been as affected by the sensual byplay as she. “Ready to make that cake now?”
    He gave her another of his imperious glances.
    She laughed. “We’re going to make the batter first. Grab the bowl I set on the counter next to the bag of flour.”
    Max moved to do her bidding.
    “The dry ingredients go in first.”
    He peered at the items set out on the countertop. “Flour, baking soda, and salt. How much of each?”
    She handed him a recipe card. “It’s all right here.”
    He nodded. “Got one of those sifter things?”
    She arched up her eyebrows and gave him one of his own arrogant looks, and he grinned.
    “I confess. I used to bake with my mom when I was a kid, when it was just the two of us, but I haven’t done it in years.”
    “What did you help her make?”
    “My favorite, chocolate chip cookies. We made them every weekend.” He gave her a considering look, then added, “I guess we had a tradition after all.”
    She grinned and set the mixing bowl aside after he added the ingredients. Note to self. Make chocolate chip cookies for Max. “Now, we melt the chocolate.” Moving to the stove, she turned up the double boiler that had been simmering and waited until the water came to a boil.
    Max placed the required number of chunks into the pot and watched as they began to melt, then he grabbed the wooden spoon, which he’d stuck in the back pocket of his jeans, and began to stir. His cell phone must have buzzed because he yanked it out of his pocket, glared at the caller ID, and shoved it back in without answering the call.
    She stiffened. Oh no, had Carlo somehow gotten Max’s number and called?
    Um, paranoid much? the voice inside her derided. So much for putting thoughts of Carlo aside for the day.
    Get a grip, girl, before you go off the deep