enhance… accent the subtleties of the vanilla bean."
"Don't get him started on food talk, Emily," Alex said. "Nicki can talk for hours on the subtle nuances of the vanilla bean and how the wrong amount of sugar and cream can ruin a perfectly good bean." Alex spooned another helping of ice cream into his mouth.
Nick ignored his brother and kept his eyes trained on her. The brothers, Lee had discovered during one of the best meals of her life, were a year apart in age with Alex being the elder at thirty-three. There was no doubt that Alex and Nick had the same parents. They were nearly the same height—which was an inch or so shorter than Jake, possessed the same night black hair, and facially were nearly identical. The major difference in their appearance was their eye color. Alex had bright, sky blue eyes and Nick had a blue-green color. She had also discovered during the course of the meal that the three gentlemen had met while working construction for the brothers' uncle.
No wonder each of them were built so well.
Jake dipped the tip of a strawberry in the ice cream and, with a wicked grin, held it over the bowl for her to come and get it. "To fully appreciate the subtleties of the berry and vanilla you must—in this order—prepare the palette by licking the strawberry, then slowly take it in your mouth. But no biting. Not yet. You must let the taste buds adjust to the cream before you can complete the experience and… bite the strawberry. Ready, sweetheart?"
Lee fought the urge to squirm in her chair. Jake's voice did wonderful things to her self esteem and libido, but she would learn to control her physical cravings. She would. Maybe not today, or tomorrow for that matter, but one day in the distant future she might be able to control herself. For right now, she gripped the edge of her chair and greedily leaned forward. Her tongue snaked out and caught a drop of ice cream before it fell to the bar. "Ready."
"Lick it," Jake ordered quietly.
Lee watched Jake's expression while she lapped at the ice cream. She rolled her tongue around the berry and barely managed not to take it into her mouth. His eyes flared, then narrowed and glazed over.
Jake nodded once and she wrapped her lips around the berry. His breathing grew ragged and his attention centered on her mouth. Lee sucked on the strawberry and tasted a tang of bitterness, not enough to deter her exploration, but enough to confuse and stimulate her senses.
"Bite it."
"Gently," Nick added roughly.
Lee sank her teeth into the strawberry and experienced a rush of sensations. Her eyes drifted shut and she wallowed in pleasure. This strawberry-vanilla experience was—she hypothesized—to her what hot fudge brownies and vanilla ice cream were to Marilyn. Absolute heaven. Sinfully delicious. Addicting.
Lee forced her eyes to open and register on Jake sitting in front of her. "I am no longer without vice."
The corners of his mouth kicked up. "Again?"
A chorus of yeses erupted around the bar.
Jake hauled her chair closer, until her knees brush the insides of his thighs. He prepared the remaining half of the strawberry and held it out for her. "Come and get it."
Lee planted her hands on either of his thighs, lifted herself off her chair, and eagerly began the ritual anew. His thighs were hard and hot through the soft, faded denim. The excitement her mouth was enduring paled in comparison to the warm, liquid sensations stirring in the center of her body. It felt like a heavy wine had settled on her stomach, then slowly—inch by mesmerizing inch—spread into her bloodstream.
"Finish it," Jake rasped.
Lee took the rest of the strawberry into her mouth and nipped at the tips of his fingers.
"Tease."
Lee swallowed and licked her lips appreciatively. "Delicious. Want a taste?" She knew she was being wanton, but she really didn't care. For today, her motto was carpe
"Don't get him started on food talk, Emily," Alex said. "Nicki can talk for hours on the subtle nuances of the vanilla bean and how the wrong amount of sugar and cream can ruin a perfectly good bean." Alex spooned another helping of ice cream into his mouth.
Nick ignored his brother and kept his eyes trained on her. The brothers, Lee had discovered during one of the best meals of her life, were a year apart in age with Alex being the elder at thirty-three. There was no doubt that Alex and Nick had the same parents. They were nearly the same height—which was an inch or so shorter than Jake, possessed the same night black hair, and facially were nearly identical. The major difference in their appearance was their eye color. Alex had bright, sky blue eyes and Nick had a blue-green color. She had also discovered during the course of the meal that the three gentlemen had met while working construction for the brothers' uncle.
No wonder each of them were built so well.
Jake dipped the tip of a strawberry in the ice cream and, with a wicked grin, held it over the bowl for her to come and get it. "To fully appreciate the subtleties of the berry and vanilla you must—in this order—prepare the palette by licking the strawberry, then slowly take it in your mouth. But no biting. Not yet. You must let the taste buds adjust to the cream before you can complete the experience and… bite the strawberry. Ready, sweetheart?"
Lee fought the urge to squirm in her chair. Jake's voice did wonderful things to her self esteem and libido, but she would learn to control her physical cravings. She would. Maybe not today, or tomorrow for that matter, but one day in the distant future she might be able to control herself. For right now, she gripped the edge of her chair and greedily leaned forward. Her tongue snaked out and caught a drop of ice cream before it fell to the bar. "Ready."
"Lick it," Jake ordered quietly.
Lee watched Jake's expression while she lapped at the ice cream. She rolled her tongue around the berry and barely managed not to take it into her mouth. His eyes flared, then narrowed and glazed over.
Jake nodded once and she wrapped her lips around the berry. His breathing grew ragged and his attention centered on her mouth. Lee sucked on the strawberry and tasted a tang of bitterness, not enough to deter her exploration, but enough to confuse and stimulate her senses.
"Bite it."
"Gently," Nick added roughly.
Lee sank her teeth into the strawberry and experienced a rush of sensations. Her eyes drifted shut and she wallowed in pleasure. This strawberry-vanilla experience was—she hypothesized—to her what hot fudge brownies and vanilla ice cream were to Marilyn. Absolute heaven. Sinfully delicious. Addicting.
Lee forced her eyes to open and register on Jake sitting in front of her. "I am no longer without vice."
The corners of his mouth kicked up. "Again?"
A chorus of yeses erupted around the bar.
Jake hauled her chair closer, until her knees brush the insides of his thighs. He prepared the remaining half of the strawberry and held it out for her. "Come and get it."
Lee planted her hands on either of his thighs, lifted herself off her chair, and eagerly began the ritual anew. His thighs were hard and hot through the soft, faded denim. The excitement her mouth was enduring paled in comparison to the warm, liquid sensations stirring in the center of her body. It felt like a heavy wine had settled on her stomach, then slowly—inch by mesmerizing inch—spread into her bloodstream.
"Finish it," Jake rasped.
Lee took the rest of the strawberry into her mouth and nipped at the tips of his fingers.
"Tease."
Lee swallowed and licked her lips appreciatively. "Delicious. Want a taste?" She knew she was being wanton, but she really didn't care. For today, her motto was carpe
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