of uncertainty dropping away. He looked across as her with a teasing smile, brown – golden-brown – eyes sparkling.
“I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I ordered … most of the menu, actually. Pastries, cold cuts, fruit … and the champagne,” he added. He smiled up at her as he poured her a glass, and all she could think about was the taste of his lips. She hadn’t noticed before how enticingly the corners of his mouth curved up when he smiled.
“Here,” he said, passing her a champagne flute, “to celebrate your first weekend at Silver Forest.”
The words the first of many slunk into Toni’s head. She pushed them away. Where did that come from?
To cover her distraction, she took a sip of champagne. The bubbles fizzed against her lips and she took another, slower sip, trying to gather her thoughts.
“This is wonderful, she said truthfully. “And everything smells delicious.” Now that the packages were out of the chilled pack, tantalizing scents were beginning to fill the air.
“What would you like to try first?” Jack asked, grinning happily. He picked up one of the containers and began to unwrap it.
“Wait,” Toni said quickly, “I want to choose.”
Jack laughed. “Without seeing what’s in them?”
“Exactly.” Toni licked her lips, which were still tingling. She ran her hands over the packages – stiff containers, little jars, mysterious items wrapped in sandwich paper and tape. Her eyes gleamed. “I pick something, and that’s what we eat first. Maybe it’s pastries, maybe it’s dessert … I want to be surprised.”
“Then go ahead,” Jack said, spreading his hands. “I leave our meal in your hands.”
Toni examined the pile of hidden treats. She picked up a cardboard box and inhaled deeply. “Mmm … I smell bready, crusty goodness…”
“The croissants?” Jack said hopefully.
Toni smiled slowly and set the box down.
“Be patient!”
She picked up a small, plastic container and felt its contents move as she lifted it. Small objects, not very heavy, shifted and settled as she held the package to her nose. Oh, yes.
“You know, this is the first picnic I’ve been on this summer,” she said, pulling off the lid. “So I think we should start with … summer berries.”
She revealed a basket of bright, juicy berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and…
“What are these?” she wondered, plucking out one of the bright orange, raspberry-like berries.
“Those are cloudberries,” Jack explained. “So called because of their resemblance to, er, clouds.”
“Ah, yes,” Toni murmured. “Clouds are famously yellow, of course.” She popped the berry into her mouth. “Oh, that’s tart!”
“Here,” Jack said, putting his hand into the basket. “Something sweet to cut the taste.” He held out a bright red strawberry.
Toni started to reach for it, then paused. She didn’t like to assume, but he was holding the berry up a bit higher than was necessary for him to pass it to her. A bit closer to her mouth, in fact.
She leaned forward. The scent of the strawberry filled her nose, the sweet, fresh smell she had always associated with summer. And these berries looked so much better than any she ever saw in the stores back home. She opened her mouth.
The strawberry was delicious. It was, as she had expected, the best strawberry she had ever eaten. It definitely cut through the tartness of the cloudberry, just as Jack had said.
She barely noticed it.
Her lips closed around the red berry and just brushed against the tips of Jack’s fingers. Skin met warm skin and a jolt of heat burst from Toni’s lips directly to between her legs. She moaned – quietly, she had thought, but evidently not quietly enough. She met Jack’s eyes and knew he had heard her.
“Another?” he asked softly, his voice husky with desire. Toni’s whole body ached at the sound of his voice, his clear longing. It was as though that one touch had set off a fire inside
“I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I ordered … most of the menu, actually. Pastries, cold cuts, fruit … and the champagne,” he added. He smiled up at her as he poured her a glass, and all she could think about was the taste of his lips. She hadn’t noticed before how enticingly the corners of his mouth curved up when he smiled.
“Here,” he said, passing her a champagne flute, “to celebrate your first weekend at Silver Forest.”
The words the first of many slunk into Toni’s head. She pushed them away. Where did that come from?
To cover her distraction, she took a sip of champagne. The bubbles fizzed against her lips and she took another, slower sip, trying to gather her thoughts.
“This is wonderful, she said truthfully. “And everything smells delicious.” Now that the packages were out of the chilled pack, tantalizing scents were beginning to fill the air.
“What would you like to try first?” Jack asked, grinning happily. He picked up one of the containers and began to unwrap it.
“Wait,” Toni said quickly, “I want to choose.”
Jack laughed. “Without seeing what’s in them?”
“Exactly.” Toni licked her lips, which were still tingling. She ran her hands over the packages – stiff containers, little jars, mysterious items wrapped in sandwich paper and tape. Her eyes gleamed. “I pick something, and that’s what we eat first. Maybe it’s pastries, maybe it’s dessert … I want to be surprised.”
“Then go ahead,” Jack said, spreading his hands. “I leave our meal in your hands.”
Toni examined the pile of hidden treats. She picked up a cardboard box and inhaled deeply. “Mmm … I smell bready, crusty goodness…”
“The croissants?” Jack said hopefully.
Toni smiled slowly and set the box down.
“Be patient!”
She picked up a small, plastic container and felt its contents move as she lifted it. Small objects, not very heavy, shifted and settled as she held the package to her nose. Oh, yes.
“You know, this is the first picnic I’ve been on this summer,” she said, pulling off the lid. “So I think we should start with … summer berries.”
She revealed a basket of bright, juicy berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and…
“What are these?” she wondered, plucking out one of the bright orange, raspberry-like berries.
“Those are cloudberries,” Jack explained. “So called because of their resemblance to, er, clouds.”
“Ah, yes,” Toni murmured. “Clouds are famously yellow, of course.” She popped the berry into her mouth. “Oh, that’s tart!”
“Here,” Jack said, putting his hand into the basket. “Something sweet to cut the taste.” He held out a bright red strawberry.
Toni started to reach for it, then paused. She didn’t like to assume, but he was holding the berry up a bit higher than was necessary for him to pass it to her. A bit closer to her mouth, in fact.
She leaned forward. The scent of the strawberry filled her nose, the sweet, fresh smell she had always associated with summer. And these berries looked so much better than any she ever saw in the stores back home. She opened her mouth.
The strawberry was delicious. It was, as she had expected, the best strawberry she had ever eaten. It definitely cut through the tartness of the cloudberry, just as Jack had said.
She barely noticed it.
Her lips closed around the red berry and just brushed against the tips of Jack’s fingers. Skin met warm skin and a jolt of heat burst from Toni’s lips directly to between her legs. She moaned – quietly, she had thought, but evidently not quietly enough. She met Jack’s eyes and knew he had heard her.
“Another?” he asked softly, his voice husky with desire. Toni’s whole body ached at the sound of his voice, his clear longing. It was as though that one touch had set off a fire inside
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