Claire's lips parted again, but the words that left her were softer this time, thinner, as though her willpower was straining against something stronger. "I… I need to cook first…"
The protest sounded shaky, almost half-hearted. Her breaths were already coming heavier, her chest rising and falling faster than before.
Each inhale carried with it not only the smell of sizzling meat from the pot but also the heat radiating from Damien pressed firmly against her.
Damien smirked at the sound of her wavering resistance.
Before she could steady herself, he lowered his head and planted a soft kiss on the pale skin of her neck. His lips lingered there, warm and teasing, before moving slightly as if tasting her.
Claire shivered, her body jolting lightly from the sudden intimacy.
At the same time, Damien's hands began to move.
They slid slowly upward from her waist, trailing deliberately along the curve of her body.
