Tall Dark and Hungry(32)

"Hmm?"Terri glanced at him in question.

He grinned. "Don't ask what the next calamity will be. I've had enough of them for now, thanks. And it isn't even my wedding."He shook his head. "The wedding day itself better go off without a hitch after all this trouble."He laughed. "I don't know how Kate and Lucern have managed the last six months. I'm exhausted after only a week of problems.»

"I know."Terri laughed, too. "It has been a bit stressful the last couple of days. When I booked vacation time off and flew out here, I really only expected to be holding Kate's hand and being supportive while helping with last minute details. I thought I might help out by running a few small errands or something. I did not expect to be handling the big stuff, like remaking all the Kleenex flowers for the cars and choosing new caterers.»

Shaking her head, she sat up and leaned forward to peer into the Sylvia's Cuisine dessert drawer. They'd all had a bite from one of each of the three desserts that would be offered at the wedding, but that left the extra one of each untouched. Terri debated briefly, then chose the trifle. She grabbed a spoon and sank back onto the couch.

Bastien shook his head as he watched her scoop up the first spoonful. "I'm amazed that you can still eat. It seems like we've been doing nothing but that for hours.»

"We have,"she agreed with a laugh, taking another spoonful. "But it was just a bite of this and a bite of that, really.»

"Hmm.»

Terri dug deep into the dish, trying to get some of the soaked sponge cake at the bottom. She managed the task, ate the mouthful with an "Mmmm"of pleasure, then noticed she'd got some whipped cream on the back of her knuckle while digging into the dish.

Without thinking, she turned her hand over and licked it off.

"Besides,"she added, "this is a dessert. There's always room for dessert. You should have some, too.»

"Hmmm.»

Bastien was simply watching her. Terri was suddenly self-conscious, but tried to ignore him and dug out another bite of sponge cake. Again, she got whipped cream on her finger. When she turned her hand over and started to raise it to her mouth, he caught it halfway, and drew her hand to his own mouth. He licked her knuckle.

Terri stilled, blinking in surprise at the tingle of awareness suddenly running through her body. When Bastien released her hand, she cleared her throat and ducked her head, forcing her attention back to the trifle. After a slight hesitation, she scooped up another spoonful. She wasn't really aware of the fact that her hands had suddenly started shaking until a dollop of custard slipped off, splashed off her chin and onto her upper chest, just below her throat.

Muttering under her breath in embarrassment, Terri set the spoon in the dessert dish and moved to wipe off first her chin and then her chest. Bastien again caught her hand, and he held it away. His eyes met hers briefly; then he leaned in to run his tongue quick and light over her chin, removing the evidence of her clumsiness. While Terri was still startled over that, he ducked his head to her chest and did the same, taking his time and running his tongue in circles over the spot to be sure he got every last drop.

When he lifted his head, Terri just stared at him.

Her heart was thumping in her chest like a bass drum, and her body was in sudden havoc. She was wishing he'd kiss her.

As if in answer to her wish, he bent his head to do so. A small sigh slid from Terri's lips as he leaned in and covered her mouth with his. He tasted of whipped cream-but somehow whipped cream tasted even better on him.

She was trembling uncontrollably when the kiss ended, the dessert dish shaking in her hand. Seeing this, Bastien rescued it; then he retrieved the spoon and eased it in and out of the dish, coming up with a scoop of cherries, custard, and whipped cream. Terri expected him to eat it, but instead he stretched it out in offer to her. Unfortunately, he did so just as she raised a nervous hand to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face. Their hands collided in midair, upsetting the spoon and sending cherries, custard, and whipped cream splattering down her chest.

"Oh."They both stared at what they'd unintentionally done. The spoonful of trifle had landed on the curve of her right breast, but was now slowly sliding down to disappear beneath the neckline of her white blouse.

"I think you're right,"Bastien said suddenly.

"I am?"Terri asked, her voice shaking. "About what?»

When he responded, his voice dropped in pitch, becoming rough and sexy. "About there always being room for dessert.»

His gaze lifted to her face and remained there for a moment, giving her a chance to stop him from what he was about to do. But Terri just stared, her heart having gone mad and bouncing around inside her chest like a Ping-Pong ball. He couldn't mean…? He wouldn't.

He did.

Bowing his head, he lowered it to her neckline and proceeded to lave away every last visible trace of the dessert. Then he undid the top button of her shirt, tugged her neckline farther apart, and continued cleaning her.

Terri couldn't stop the little moan that slipped from her lips as his tongue dipped between her breasts. She was definitely disappointed when the exercise ended. As he raised his head and straightened, her body was a great aching mass of confusion and desire. But-much to her consternation-Bastien acted as if nothing had happened. He didn't even look at her, but concentrated on the dessert in his hands. He scooped out another spoonful of cherries and custard, and slid it into his mouth.

She watched silently, her eyes flicking between her now gaping neckline and his face as he pushed the trifle around in his mouth. A considering expression filled his face. Then he swallowed, scooped up another spoonful, and held it to her lips.

Terri hesitated, then opened her mouth for him to slide it in. He waited, watching as she self-consciously chewed and swallowed; then he dipped the spoon into the trifle to scoop up more of the luscious dessert.

By rights, this should have been his spoonful if they were now going to share the sweet, so Terri was surprised when, instead of consuming the mouthful, Bastien started to move it toward her. She was even more surprised when he paused halfway and deliberately tipped it over her chest.

Terri gasped and sat up straighter in surprise, merely sending the sticky mixture faster on its travels down the curve of her left breast. "You did that on purpose!»

Bastien grinned. "It tastes better on you,"he said simply, then leaned forward to kiss her. Terri's surprise gave way to pleasure. His tongue thrust out to slip between her lips, and within moments she had even forgotten that there was trifle dribbling down her chest.

Bastien hadn't forgotten, however. After a moment, he broke the kiss and let his lips trail down her chin to her throat. He skated quickly down to her dessert-laden cleavage, and concentrated with great effort on cleaning up the mess he'd made.

Terri slid her hands into his hair as he worked, her breath catching on a small gasp as his tongue slid along the edge of her white lace bra. Somehow, more buttons had come undone on her blouse, leaving it gaping open so that he had a path obstructed only by that lacy scrap of material. But the bra didn't stop Bastien. Again his tongue dipped into the hollow between her two breasts, following the trail of food and removing every last trace.

Once satisfied he'd not been cheated out of a single lick of trifle, he again straightened, picked up the dessert dish, and began to scrape up another spoonful. Terri lay slumped on the couch, staring at him in amazement. Surely he-? She killed the thought and tried quickly to hide her expression as he finished spooning up the dessert. He moved to press the spoon to her lips.

"What's the matter?"he asked in a perfectly normal tone of voice, seemingly unaffected by what he had been doing just moments before.

"Nothing."Aware that her voice had risen in pitch to an almost squeak, she opened her mouth to accept-and to avoid his asking any more questions.

Terri chewed and swallowed the dessert, then waited, watching as Bastien carefully scooped up bits of cherry, custard, and sponge cake. He was most dedicated, performing the task with great care and attention. But, instead of lifting it to his mouth, he again held it over her and paused to raise one eyebrow at her as if asking permission. Terri simply bit her lip and stared back, unwilling to say no, but unable to say yes.

He smiled and tipped the spoon, dropping it on her naked flesh. Terri sucked in her breath, watched the colorful mixture slide along her skin. It had not landed on her neckline. This time he had dropped it just below the lace of her bra, and it was running down her stomach toward the waistband of her jeans.

"You're going to need a shower after this,"he commented apologetically, setting the dish and spoon aside. "But I appreciate the sacrifice you're making for my culinary delight,"he added as he turned back.

As he glanced at her face, his gaze was arrested. Her face was as open and expressive as her nature, and he could read the conflicted feelings there: excitement, anticipation, anxiety, fear. Bastien's heart went out to her. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her it would be all right. It would be perfect. But he was feeling a couple of anxieties himself as he contemplated what was to come. He wasn't just eating dessert off of Terri's skin; he hoped to make love to her. The trifle had just been his gambit.

Deciding the best way to reassure them both was easier in the showing than the telling, he kissed her again. Terri was, at first, still and unresponsive under the caress-fighting her fears, he supposed. But then she opened to him, her arms creeping around his shoulders. He slid his tongue inside her mouth, and he could taste cherries and cream and her. The combination made him murmur in appreciation. The trifle really had tasted better on her than off the cold, hard spoon. It tasted better still in her mouth.