her lips tingled, reminding her of what his kiss had felt like against them. She missed her step and tripped on a deep crack in the sidewalk, realizing she seemed to stumble a lot around him. Doing her best to recover gracefully, she cleared her throat and tried to smile. ‘Checking on my progress?’
‘Do I need to?’ The softness of his words was almost as seductive as his dark eyes.
‘I can run a kitchen.’ Zoe refrained from adding,
especially one as small as the one you gave me
.
‘That remains to be seen.’ Jackson motioned that she should follow him. Instead of heading inside the bed and breakfast, he made his way around the side of the house toward the woods in back. The combination of foliage, trees and plants created a rich tapestry as it canopied over the worn dirt path leading into the woods.
‘Where are we going?’ She looked over her shoulder, wondering why he’d bring her to the woods in her chef uniform. Or why he’d bring her there at all.
‘The only place in town where we can be guaranteed some privacy.’ Jackson’s features gave no hint of what he was thinking. Zoe ducked under a branch as he held it aside for her. As it fell back into place, hiding them from the stark white of the bed and breakfast, Jackson grabbed her arm and pulled her against his chest. His lips came down hard, but she jerked back before he made contact.
Zoe fought the tension between them, her mind screaming all the reasons why she should run. He was her boss. He was only doing this as some sort of punishment for the way she had treated him, or simply because he could. He didn’t respect her. If he did, she’d be in a better restaurant, not a two-bit diner. Then there was the possibility that this diner was where he brought all young female cooks to toy with them, like some sick rich man’s game – not that she wanted to believe he was cruel like that.
But for all the reasons she shouldn’t be with him, there was one very strong reason why she should. She wanted him. His eyes pulled her, tugging a cord she kept buried deep inside. Looking at him awakened part of her soul, a longing and desire she often denied. Jackson breathed hard, his eyes narrowed, his mouth open as he looked at her, waiting for her response.
Zoe jerked him forward, kissing him on her own terms. She moaned lightly, pressing her chest to his harder one. Her arms wound around his shoulders and her fingers gripped at the nape of his neck. Spearmint flavoured his lips as if he had sucked on breath mints recently. The taste drew her in and she thrust her tongue past the barrier of his teeth. Jackson sucked on her tongue before letting his dance around hers in small, intoxicating circles.
Warmth curled in her stomach, centering on her sex and causing the slick glide of cream to build between the soft folds of her pussy. She squirmed, suddenly too hot in the thick white material of her chef’s uniform. Jackson massaged her lower back, kneading his fingers against her as he slowly drew up her jacket and the tight tank top she wore underneath. Strong hands dipped beneath the elastic band of her uniform pants, taking hold of the cheeks of her ass. The cotton of her panties provided no protection against his heat. Pulling her flush against him, he rocked his erection against her, letting her feel the full, hard length.
Zoe broke her mouth away, gasping. Her heart hammered against the walls of her chest, pounding so loud it echoed in her ears. Jackson spread her cheeks, lifting her so her heels left the ground.
‘We should go deeper in the woods,’ he whispered, pulling his hands from her pants. His fingers slid along her forearm before gripping her hand. Without waiting for her to answer, he pulled her behind him, walking her deeper into the forest.
Zoe couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe. Every inch of her ached to be touched, kissed, loved. She tried not to let her mind romanticize what was happening. As her sister Kat would tell her, this