Another burst of heat settled low in her belly as she wondered just how long he’d been watching her lick and suck at the plump, luscious fruit while imagining such a provocative scenario.

He shifted closer as his gaze slowly lowered to her mouth. “Mmm. Looks juicy. And very sweet.”

Was he referring to the strawberry, or her lips? The man was a master at innuendo, and she self-consciously licked her sticky bottom lip. “It’s very juicy and sweet.” When had her voice turned so husky?

A rakish smile tipped up the corner of his mouth, causing a charming dimple to appear in his left cheek. “Maybe I ought to try it for myself.”

Her pulse quickened, and between the chocolate she’d just consumed and Connor’s flirtatious comments, she struggled to maintain her poise. “Help yourself,” she said, and waved toward the tray Marcus had left on the counter. “There’s plenty to choose from.”

He lifted his hand, surprising her with the warm, bold caress of his thumb along her lower lip. “I wasn’t talking about the strawberries, sweetheart.”

Her stomach tightened with desire and need. He wanted to taste-no, devour-her lips, which felt electrified from his touch. She was oh-so-tempted to finally give in to the attraction simmering between them and let him kiss her as she’d secretly fantasized about for the past few years. So much so that she let her lips part and leaned toward him ever-so-slightly.

“Welcome to Sinfully Sweet,” Ellie greeted Connor cheerfully. “Can I help you find something?”

Shocked by her brazen behavior, Rebecca immediately jumped back from Connor to put a respectable amount of distance between them. She was grateful that the shop’s owner had appeared when she had, or else Rebecca was certain she would have let Connor have his way with her right then and there.