Final Offer (Dreamland Billionaires #3) by Lauren Asher

Cal makes sure to take his time, dragging his tongue back and forth across my finger, cleaning off all traces of the icing. Each swipe of his tongue acts like a shock to my body.

The whole thing is both the longest and shortest five seconds of my life.

I attempt to pull my wrist free of his grasp and fail. His fingers on my wrist tighten before he releases me, and my hand drops by my side like a pendulum.

“What the hell?” I shove him in the chest.

He doesn’t move an inch, although he makes it a point to obnoxiously lick his lips. “You taste better than I remember.”

You. Not the icing. You.

I choke on his words, my sharp inhale causing me to cough.

“You good?”

I take a step back, adding some distance between us. “No, I’m not good.”

“You’re upset.”

I throw my hands in the air. “Of course, I’m upset! You just…”

“What?” He actually smirks.

The jerk.

“Sucked on my finger!”

Cal explodes from laughter, his neck knocking backward from the intensity of his amusement.

Sucked on my finger?!

Of all the stupid ways you could have phrased that… My cheeks turn pink. Cal’s laughter doesn’t help matters, only making my flush worse.

“I’d happily suck on your finger again if you let me,” he teases, waggling his brows.

One second, I’m glaring at him. The next, I’m launching one of my cupcakes directly at his stupid mouth. It misses entirely as it smacks against his cheek.

His laughter stops as his eyes go wide. “Did you just throw a cupcake at me?”

My answer dies in my throat as the cupcake slides down his cheek, leaving a buttercream trail across his stubble before falling against the floor.

I break out into a fit of laughter that makes my lungs burn and my eyes water.

He wipes his cheek with his thumb. “I’d run if I were you.”

“Why would I run?”

He devours me with his eyes as he sticks his thumb into his mouth. “One…”

My eyes roll. “Seriously, cut it out. I need to get back to work.” I motion toward all the cupcakes that still need to be iced.

“Two…” He grabs a finished cupcake from the Tupperware and spins it in his hand.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

The smile on his face makes my body quiver from excitement. “You know what happens when you dare me to do something.”

Hell no.

He takes advantage and lunges while I’m distracted. I jump out of the way and bolt from the kitchen before he can get his hands on me.

Cal and I spent years perfecting our game of tag, so I’m an expert by now at how to evade him. The mansion is like a maze of long hallways and rooms. My lungs heave as I take off down the main hall before making a left, my heart rate skyrocketing as I run across the house.

My socks don’t give me the best grip, and I slide across the hardwood as I turn a corner.

I might be smarter, but Cal is faster, making it easy for him to catch up to me despite my efforts to lose him.

His arm wraps around my waist. Next thing I know, I’m being lifted and pressed against a wall.

“Didn’t your mom teach us that it isn’t nice to play with our food?” His grin makes my heart trip in my chest.

My eyes narrow into two slits. “You started it.”

“Then it’s only right I end it.” He lifts the cupcake toward my face.

“Callahan Percival Kane, I swear to God if you—”

He proceeds to press the cupcake into my cheek with a sinister grin.

“I hate you!” I shriek as he drags it down my skin, wiping the entire cupcake clean of buttercream.

“To think they say revenge isn’t sweet.”

“I’m going to kill you,” I seethe.

“Then I might as well make this worth losing my life over.” Cal’s eyes darken at my challenge, the blue color slowly being consumed by black.

“What—” My sentence is cut off as he leans forward and runs his tongue through the icing covering my cheek.

I might need someone to bring me back to life because there is no way I’m walking away from this alive. My knees buckle, but Cal’s arm acts like a band around my waist, preventing me from falling over.

He stops to lick his lips, wiping the light pink icing away. His eyes shut for a second, and I take advantage. I collect the huge lump of icing from my cheek and swipe it across his stupid smirk.

His eyes snap open.

“You’re right. Revenge is sweet.” I grin so wide, my cheeks hurt.

His eyes drop to my lips. It’s the only warning I get before his mouth slams into mine.

Holy shit.

Everything about our kiss is desperate. Passionate. Familiar.

His lips are a fuse, making my entire body light up like the midnight sky on New Year’s Eve. Our bodies mold together, and I wrap my arms around his neck. He grips my hips with enough pressure to leave marks on my skin.

I dig my hands into his hair and tug hard enough to make him gasp. My tongue darts out to trace the icing off his lips, and Cal grinds into me with a groan. My stomach muscles tighten from the press of his arousal. I sigh, and he takes advantage. His tongue plunges inside my mouth, teasing me until I’m nothing but a whimpering mess.

The sweetest thing about our kiss is the icing lingering on his tongue. His last bit of restraint snaps, and the real Cal comes out. His fingers dig into my scalp as he kisses me like he fucks—a savage with only one mission in mind.