Now and Forever by April King

straight.
    Mentally, he kicked himself all the way to the kitchen. “Idiot,” he mumbled. She’d wanted to leave, which was understandable. It was obvious she hadn’t resolved the issues she had with her ex-husband. He’d promise himself he would take things slow and woo her like a gentleman. Just like their first kiss outside of The Pigeonhole, his honorable intentions went the way of the wind whenever she was near him.
    How did he get to this point? Grace hadn’t intentionally driven him mad with passion. The woman oozed sex appeal without putting forth any effort. Unlike Sheila, who flaunted her assets shamelessly, Grace’s sensuality was unrehearsed. His deep affection for her was unprovoked and unavoidable. She was hard to resist. Even if he did possess magical powers, no force in the world could make his feelings for her vanish. Honestly, he wouldn’t have it any other way. To hold her hand, to look into her eyes, to hold her in his arms was worth the tortured nights he’d spent alone, dreaming about a hundred ways to make love to her.
    At the sink, he splashed cold water on his face. He fought the urge to put a bucket of ice in his pants to cool his heated, throbbing manhood. Since Grace was already fidgety in his presence, he didn’t want to add to her misery by appearing before with a huge wet spot on the front of his pants. That would send her seeking refuge from him for sure.
    He grabbed the wicker picnic basket off the counter and filled it with their meal. The wine was chilled to perfection. As he headed for the sliding doors and the radiant queen awaiting his return, he warned himself to behave. “Back off, buddy boy.” Sadly, he realized he was wasting his breath. Refraining from touching Grace was akin to holding his breath. He could only get away with doing either so long. Once he set eyes on her heavenly body and heard her sweet voice, he’d be down for the count.
    Using a dexterous foot, he maneuvered the door open. He carried the picnic basket in one hand and the bottle of wine in the other. After he stepped outside, he announced, “Baby, I’m back!”
    Grace bolted upright, startled. She had dozed off. His husky voice had jolted her awake.
    An audible yawn escaped her lips. With cat-like grace, she stretched. Her eyelids still drooped heavily. “What took you so long? Were you churning butter?”
    “Not exactly,” he said sheepishly.
    On cue, her stomach rumbled. He unloaded the wicker basket.
    Grace licked her lips. “I was beginning to think you lured me here under false pretenses. You promised me food, man.”
    “As you will learn, I always keep my promises.”
    “Humph!”
    After pouring wine, he sidled up to her. “Lean forward.”
    Although she shot him a quizzical look, she complied.
    He swung a long, toned leg around her and scooted forward, until she was settled comfortably between his legs. “Lean back.”
    She reclined. Her head rested against his chest. His body was ripped. His pecks felt like two well-developed mounds. Through the fabric of his shirts, she sensed the rippling muscles of his washboard stomach. It made her woozy. She imagined spending the greater part of a day rolling her tongue over each ripple. The man’s body was downright sinful. Naughty thoughts caused moisture to form between her legs. Tanner was unaware of the turmoil she endured on his behalf. She moaned.
    He mistook her guttural sound of sexual pleasure for craving food. “Hold your horses, woman.”
    She smirked. I’d rather hold something else .
    “Close your eyes. Let me put something long and soft into your mouth,” he said.
    Grace sprang forward and commenced to cough uncontrollably. Tanner patted her back. He handed her a glass of wine when her hands steadied. “That’s what happens when your mind is in the gutter. I was going to feed you asparagus.”
    Awkwardly, she smiled. “Oh. I knew that.”
    He lifted a dubious brow without commenting on her little white lie. For such a