Read Surrender to Temptation Part VI: Tempted to Possess for Free Online Page B

strips.
    He clearly didn’t cook very often. That he was doing so for me made my heart beat a little too fast in my chest.
    “Don’t spend much time in here, huh?” The wine was both tart and sweet as it slid over my tongue. When Zach turned, insinuated himself between my legs, I wasn’t prepared for the firm, playful pinch on my bottom and I squealed, only half in protest.
    “I don’t have much cause to.” Dipping a finger into my wine, he painted it over my lips, then leaned in for a taste. Bare chested, his black lounge pants slung low on his hips, I expected his hands to move to the usual places, to tease the heat from me.
    Instead, the kiss held warmth, and familiarity, and comfort.
    When he turned back to the stove, I found my whole world had shifted off balance.
    “I can make this easy enough. Ground beef, peppers and tomatoes, tortillas, cheese.” Pulling a plate from the counter to the pan, he portioned out several large spoonfuls. “I can also make scrambled eggs and toast, and spaghetti. And I’m the king of anything from a box.”
    Setting the plate beside me on the counter, he opened one drawer, then another, until he found a fork. I could feel the heat emanating from the dish, warming my skin, and even as my stomach growled I eyed it dubiously.
    “Zach, I love that you cooked for me, but I can’t eat all of that.” He grinned as he settled himself between my legs again, standing far enough away that he could hold the plate between us. Scooping up a forkful, he held it to my lips.
    “It’s not all for you. We’re sharing. Less dishes that way.” My mouth fell open, and he used the opportunity to place the bite in my mouth.
    He had cooked for me. He was
feeding
me.
    If I didn’t know that something big still stood in our way, I could almost have believed that we were a couple, one like any other.
    “Well?” Zach watched as I chewed and swallowed. It was good—not fancy, but the fact that he had cooked it for me made it the best meal I had ever had.
    I couldn’t tell him that, not without him shutting down completely. So I made a show of shrugging nonchalantly, then picked up my wineglass for a sip.
    “Well, it’s not scrambled eggs and toast, but I suppose it will do.” I yelped when he reached for my hair, winding the damp tail through his fingers. He tugged gently until my head fell my back, my neck exposed.
    He pressed a kiss to the base of my neck, then looked down at me intently. I squirmed under the stare, but didn’t wriggle out of his grip.
    “I don’t cook for just anyone, you know.” Though his words were light, his expression was not. I felt my heart stutter in my chest as we stared into one another’s eyes, the air between us thick.
    “Have you ever cooked for anyone before?” I had time to stop before I spoke, but I wanted to know.
    “No.”
    I flinched inwardly, waiting for him to shut down. Instead, after a long, long pause, he leaned forward and pressed the lightest whisper of a kiss over my lips.
    I blinked as he scooped up another forkful of food and held it to my mouth.
    “Now eat up. You’re going to need your strength. I’m not done with you yet.”
    The last barriers that I had been able to keep in place, the ones protecting my heart, dissolved as the fork met my lips.
    I was done for.
    ***
    I was hovering on the edge of sleep when Zach’s hand sought mine in the darkness. He twined his fingers around mine, and I smiled sleepily, moving closer to the warmth of his body.
    When he spoke, his voice was tight. Sensing what was about to happen, I propped myself up on my elbow, suddenly alert.
    “You have no idea what I’ve come from.” In the dark, I saw that his face was turned toward the ceiling, the shadows from outside dancing over it. “My mother left my dad and me when I was just a kid. My dad never raised a hand to me, but after she left, every word that he said to me, every time he looked at me, I saw that he wished it had been me who’d gone, not