His chuckle turned to a groan when she palmed him through his underwear. "Jesus, Ann. You're killing me."

"I'm trying to learn how to properly wash lettuce. You're not helping."

"Y-you're..." he broke off when she pulled down his underwear and his c.o.c.k sprang free.

She gripped it, needing both hands to do him justice, and he swore even as he backed away from the sink a bit to give her more room.

He was breathless when he asked again, "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm making salad. Now what should we do next?"

Chapter Five.

Jack did his best to hold on to his control while Ann held him in the palms of her hands. He'd never once, not in his wildest dreams, imagined Ann jerking him off while he prepared dinner.

"Now what do you do after you get it all wet?" she murmured against his back as she stroked him up and down. So slow, yet those soft hands of hers pulled him closer to the edge faster than he'd come in years. He felt all of sixteen again, coming too soon, too fast, too much with the girl of his dreams.

"Um, Ann, you might want-"

"Stop talking and show me what you can do with a colander," she said, laughing against his back. "My, you sure have a large...carrot...in your pants."

He wanted to laugh with her, but he had to focus not to come all over the sink. And the food. And her hot little hands.

"See, I'd think I should peel the veggies first. Long, slow strokes so I don't tear anything important. The skin is pretty fragile, right?"

She worked him up and down, so slow, then faster. He heard himself breathing in time to her movements, heard too her soft little pants and knew he wasn't the only one aroused.

Which made it worse.

"Yeah. I'd get my lettuce all wet. Put my great big carrot into the bowl, then add some creamy dressing. Do we have any of that, do you think?"

"Oh yeah. f.u.c.k, yeah."

Her hands moved faster, and he had to help her get him there. He put a hand over hers, showing her how to hold him, to put the pressure just under his c.o.c.khead, while he moved her other hand to cup his sac and fondle him.

"Let's get some of that creamy dressing ready, hmm?" Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s rubbed against his lower back, and he sensed the familiar tightening in his b.a.l.l.s. He'd never look at salad the same way again. "When can I taste it, Jack? I'm hungry..."

Her fingers tightened, and he groaned as he came, spurting all over his belly, her hands, the freaking sink. He couldn't stop jerking as she continued to pull his o.r.g.a.s.m from him with both hands.

When he'd had all he could take, he weakly nudged her hands aside. Still unable to believe she'd given him a handjob all on her own, he cleaned himself up and tucked himself back into his jeans.

"So when's dinner going to be ready?" she asked, wiping her hands on a towel.

He could only stare, noting the color on her cheeks, the sparkle in her eyes so dark they looked black. She hadn't been unaffected, but her humor and sly tone suggested she'd liked being in control. Having him-literally-in the palm of her hand.

Jack had to clear his throat before he could answer. "Pretty soon." Christ, he'd come in mere minutes. But who could blame him? Even he couldn't hold himself to impossible standards when a woman like Ann fondled him to climax so unexpectedly. He glanced at the sink. "The lettuce is a wash, though. I mean, it's not happening." He didn't want to think where all his mess had landed. Not to mention he'd crushed a good bit of the lettuce when she'd started touching him.

She laughed. The tease. He was dying to feel between her legs, to touch her wet warmth, but she looked so pleased with herself right now he didn't want to jinx anything. He was definitely getting a taste of her for dessert. But for now, he'd let her think she had control. This little game between them felt important, but how it might matter later he couldn't say.

She didn't seem to mind that he'd gotten off and she hadn't. In fact, he'd say she enjoyed it. "No salad. But steak and beets, right?"

"Yeah. I'll find us something else to go with it."

"No, I'm fine. I don't eat much."

He studied her, liking everything he saw. "You wouldn't. You're tiny."

Her eyes narrowed. "Not so small I can't still kick your a.s.s, Bloom."

"Have I told you how cute you are when you cuss?"

"d.i.c.khead."

"Just beautiful."

"f.u.c.kwad."

He laughed at that one. "Gorgeous. Makes me want to lick you right up." He stared at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, pleased to see her nipples despite the weave of her sweater. Then he glanced at her crotch and licked his lips. "I'm thinking I'm going to want dessert. A couple helpings, at least."

"Sure you'll have room for it?" she taunted. "I mean, you just had a lot of lettuce."

"Now who's the smarta.s.s?"

She snickered. "I'm going to get more wine."

"Good. You get nice and loopy so I can properly take advantage of you after dinner."

"Convinced you have me pegged as easy, don't you?"

"How could I have you pegged, Ann?" He checked on the beets so he wouldn't reach for her again. He'd cooked them down earlier, so he needed nothing more than a little warm up and some seasoning. The steaks looked almost ready as well.

"Just because you came like a rocket doesn't mean I'm ready to get horizontal with you. I just thought if you had some ease from that pole in your pants, it would make it nicer to have dinner together without you obsessing about s.e.x."

He gaped at her, not sure who the h.e.l.l this frank-talking woman was. The sweet natured girl he'd once known had been replaced by a blunt woman who'd taken him to heaven with a few tugs of her hands. She still looked like his angel, but now she had sinful moves.

"You think one o.r.g.a.s.m is going to tide me over?" he asked with a laugh. "Think again. I'm good for a few more, angel. Count on it."

Count on it? Could he be any s.e.xier? Somehow she'd lost control of the situation, even though she'd been the one calling the shots. Because now she wanted nothing more than to feel that big shaft inside her. To watch him come with her, staring into his eyes.

Oh man. All that feeling c.r.a.p had come back with the s.e.x. How could she get revenge when she already wanted more from him than an o.r.g.a.s.m? No looking at each other during s.e.x, she decided. Maybe they could do it doggie style. Or...

"You're thinking too hard." He chucked her chin, and she realized she'd been staring at his crotch. "And speaking of hard... Well played, Ann Weaver. You've got me hooked on your hot little hands. But a taste of my meat and you'll be all mine."

"G.o.d, you did not just say that."

"Pretty bad, eh?" He smacked his lips. "I have a lot of meat. Big, juicy meat. Inches thick-"

"Stop!" She tried not to laugh.

"Porterhouse steaks. All I'm saying is that you'll love dinner. The beets are good too. They're both nice and round...under my long, fat spoon."

"Oh wow. That's even worse." She didn't bother to hide a smile. "You have to admit I was creative with your salad."

"You sure the h.e.l.l were." He adjusted himself in front of her, and she knew she'd never forget this night. She, Ann Weaver, had jerked Jack Bloom to o.r.g.a.s.m in the kitchen, of all places. Who said she wasn't an animal when it came to s.e.x? Well, besides her last two boyfriends? And Riley...and Maya...?

More than pleased with herself, she excused herself to the bathroom to wash up, then sat down at the kitchen table and let Jack serve her.

He kept smiling, carnal need in his gaze. But he only asked her about her job. She told him funny stories about her students, including Josh. Jack got a kick out of their second grade exhibitionist, even though the poor kid had been sent home for his behavior.

"So what about you?" she asked him. "What's up with the job transfer?"

"I've been wanting to come back to Bend for a while, but I had to finish my education. Did a bit of traveling around the world. It's been a blast."

"No steady girlfriends?" she found herself asking, then mentally slapped herself for expressing such obvious interest.

"A few. But nothing lasting or anything. I can't explain it. I just knew we'd part ways before long. It helped that I moved around a lot. After graduation, I traveled to Europe and Asia, working while learning. I lucked into an incredible international program through school. Then I came back, got my graduate and fast-tracked a doctorate."

"You have your PhD?"

"Yeah. That's what's allowing me more lat.i.tude in the job search. That and the expansion here at OSU."

"Right."

"How about you? I knew you wanted to teach, but you also talked about being an artist or maybe going into business."

She shrugged. "The business thing was a phase. I was consumed with money for a while."

"Aren't we all?"

She smiled, startled to realize how natural if felt being with him. No awkwardness after their session by the sink. No leering. He looked her in the eye when he spoke and waited for her answer, listening to her. She liked him all the more for it and remembered he'd always been that way-unselfish, interested in her as a person.

Not a good thing to realize since she still planned to b.u.mp and dump. This is about teaching him a lesson, isn't it? She shelved a returning case of the guilts. Remember, he has it coming.

"Ann? You okay?"

"Yeah. Why?"

He frowned. "You have a funny look on your face."

"You mean, like this?" She stuck out her tongue and made a face several of her students had perfected.

He made a face back at her, then they traded juvenile insults about mothers that had her laughing so hard she almost spit her wine all over him.

"Quit nursing that gla.s.s. You've been on the same one since you sat down to dinner. I'm on my third beer already." He shook his head, smiling at her. "But then, you always were a lightweight." Pushing away from the table, he gathered his plate. "You done?"

She nodded and moved to stand.

"No, I got this. You just sit pretty and let me wait on you."

"Hey, a man wants to serve me. I'm not going to say no."

"Exactly." He cleared the table, then brought her favorite dessert with him and set it in front of her. "New York style cheesecake with cherries. And no, I did not make this myself. I bought it from Riley. The minute I stepped into her place, she glared holes through me, even when I confessed I was there for you. That's probably the only reason she didn't spit in the dessert."

She laughed. "No way. Riley would never mess with one of her masterpieces of confection, as she likes to call them. She might have spit at you when you left the store though."

"Hadn't thought of that." He sat next to her instead of across from her. Way too close.

"Um, I'm good. You can go back to your seat."

"Nope. I can't. A good host sees to his guest. Open up." d.a.m.n. He had taken a forkful of the sweet stuff and held it to her lips. "Go on. Take a bite."

"Said the witch with the apple," she added, making him laugh. She watched him while she put her lips over the fork. The fork came back sparkling clean, and his gaze went dark. He took a bite for himself, not looking away from her.

"More?" he asked, his voice husky.

"Maybe a little."

"Maybe a lot." He gave her another bite.

When she finished, he didn't take any more for himself. He stood and pulled her to her feet, then backed her against the wall and caged her between his arms.

"Um, Jack?"

"What's that, angel?" Oh boy. Not the smoky voice.

"I wasn't done my dessert."

"Good, neither am I."

What she feared came to pa.s.s, because her control of the situation shifted dramatically when he kissed her. With only one and a half gla.s.ses of wine in her, she couldn't blame the alcohol. No, it was all Jack seducing her into a pliant ball of need.

She didn't know when she'd put her hands on his shoulders or dragged them through his hair.

His hands found her bra and unfastened it before she could think to protest. Then he was touching her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, teasing her hard nipples. He kissed and nipped his way to her throat, where he sucked until she moaned, lost in l.u.s.t.

"I need my dessert," he growled.

Her sweater and bra disappeared. Jack's mouth closed over her nipple. He sucked, and she nearly came.

"Jack, oh G.o.d. Yes."