As the credits scrolled the screen, she pushed herself up and looked back at Jordan, gently brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. “Do you believe in that stuff?”

“What stuff are we talking about?”

Molly tossed her head in the direction of the screen. “Fate. The concept that two people can be destined for each other?”

She thought for a moment. “I think I do believe that. What about you?”

“It’s a nice idea, but I don’t know, maybe it’s just a grand romantic notion that someone once thought up.” She thought about it for a moment. “But even if that’s the case, it’s nice to think about, isn’t it? Pretend.”

“Hey, don’t count out romantic notions.”

Molly smiled and stole a slow kiss. “I like that you’re a romantic. A dreamer type. Very sexy.”

Jordan looked skyward. “Yeah, well, I dream a lot .”

“And while I hate to break this up or move from this incredibly wonderful spot, I have a little more work to do tonight. Is that okay?”

“Of course. Is there anything I can do?”

“Um, maybe in a little bit. Why don’t you bring your stuff inside, get settled? Relax.” And then a thought occurred to her. Maybe she was being too presumptuous here. “That is, if you were planning to stay here tonight. I didn’t mean to assume, and you don’t have to feel—” She blew out a breath. “This is stupid. Go get your stuff. You’re staying.”

Jordan shot her an amused grin. “Be right back.”

Molly set to work reheating the chocolate, and the sound of running water caught her attention from the bedroom. Fifteen minutes later, Jordan emerged in short shorts and a tank top. Molly stopped stirring mid-stroke because her brain stalled out. Took its break. Grabbed five. Whatever brains did.

Jordan took her spot next to Molly at the counter. “I stole a bath. Long day and the quick soak felt like heaven. I hope that’s okay.”

“Bath stealing is fine,” Molly said, forcing herself to concentrate on the strawberry in her hand even though she was totally preoccupied with Jordan and the fact that she smelled wonderfully of cucumber soap. And looked beyond awesome in that outfit.

“What can I do to help?”

Molly tossed a look behind her. “Uh, you can stir the chocolate, and in a few minutes we’ll get you set up with some strawberries of your own. Think you can handle it?”

“Are you kidding? I’m a natural at this kind of thing.”

But Molly slid her a glance twenty minutes later, and she wasn’t a natural at all. There was chocolate pretty much everywhere. On the tray between the strawberries. Across the countertop in large drops. And all over Jordan.

Molly leaned a hip on the counter next to her. “Feeling a little free with the chocolate?”

Jordan looked back at her with sad eyes. “It won’t stay where I want it to.”

“It does that.”

“I guess you make it look easier than it actually is.”

“Yeah, well, that’s my job. But I have to say you look extra good in chocolate.”

“Well, that’s a plus. I was kinda hoping you’d like it.”

Molly leaned in and delicately kissed the spot of chocolate off the side of Jordan’s cheek and took her time doing it.

She sighed and closed her eyes. “I knew there was a reason I was bad at this.”

“Want to watch a pro in action? I have a couple strawberries left over there.”

Jordan looked to her in relief. “I was hoping you’d ask.”

*

Jordan watched, captivated, as with smooth precision, Molly dipped the strawberry up to its stem in the chocolate, and with a slow turn of her wrist, pulled it back out and onto the wax paper. There wasn’t a drop of chocolate anywhere. It was a picture-perfect strawberry, out of some sort of food magazine.

The move, that little twist of her wrist, had been so simplistic. So elegant. So ridiculously hot.

Molly picked up a second strawberry and repeated the action, biting her bottom lip in concentration. Jordan’s mouth went dry at the sight.

“And that,” Molly said, placing the strawberry with the others on the paper, “was the last one.” She picked up the tray and whisked it off for storage in the refrigerator so the chocolate could cool onto the strawberries.

“What do we have to do now?” Jordan asked.

“Clean up.” Molly returned to the counter.

“But there’s chocolate left,” Jordan said innocently, sliding behind Molly at the counter. She swept Molly’s hair to the side, leaned down, and kissed the side of her neck. Molly hitched in a breath.

“There’s always, um…a little left over. You don’t want to run the risk of, oh wow, running out.”

Jordan continued to slowly kiss her way up Molly’s neck to just below her ear. “You’re good at that, you know. Strawberry dipping,” she said between kisses as she ran her hands down the side of Molly’s body, tracing the subtle curve of her hips. Jordan could have resisted if she didn’t look so cute and so effortlessly sensual at the same damn time.

“Mhmm. Pretty good.” Molly leaned back against her in surrender.

Jordan reached around and began to unbutton Molly’s blouse. She pulled it back and eased it off her shoulders, leaning down to taste the skin there in the process. She turned Molly around to face her and her eyes caught slightly parted lips. She descended on them in a kiss so unhurried she luxuriated in its unravel.

She needed Molly, but she was going to take her time and enjoy this.

As she pulled her lips away, Molly stared up at her, eyes dark with desire. She reached behind Molly and unclasped the navy blue bra that stood in the way. She took a minute to take her in. Because standing there before her, she was just that stunning. And then delicately, she took a spoonful of still warm chocolate and drizzled it carefully across the tops of Molly’s breasts in a move that had Molly gasping. Jordan lowered her mouth and began to do what she’d been fantasizing about since she set foot in the kitchen after her bath. She tasted the chocolate, licking at first, and then sucking gently once her mouth found its way to Molly’s nipple. The quiet sounds Molly made only fueled her determination and she sucked harder, savoring the sweet taste of the chocolate and the warmth of Molly’s soft skin. Molly’s hands were in her hair as she held on for the ride, pushing against her, looking for some kind of release. It was easily the most turned on Jordan had been in her whole life.

Molly’s heart pounded beneath her fingertips, beneath her touch. This woman enraptured her, and the feelings she was able to elicit in Jordan were so unique, so much more than she would have thought possible. And that didn’t even begin to touch on the physical longing.

Once every last bit of chocolate was gone, Jordan refocused her efforts. She unbuttoned the denim capris Molly wore and watched them slide easily to the ground. She traced a hand from between Molly’s breasts and down her body, across her stomach, her abdomen, and stopping just short of the light pink panties Molly wore. “Please,” Molly breathed at her slight hesitation.

She slid her hand inside and marveled at just how ready Molly already was.

“Oh God,” Molly managed at the touch, moving against her hand. But Jordan wrapped an arm around her waist and held her still.

She massaged at first, which caused Molly to part her lips and close her eyes as she took one shallow breath after another. Jordan slid into her then, into warmth and wonder, and began to move slowly. She opened her eyes then and met Jordan’s gaze where they locked onto each other. Molly reached back and gripped the countertop for support as Jordan picked up speed. Finally, Molly clenched around her and called out, tossing her head back yet again. The image captivated Jordan as she looked on in reverence. When it was over, Molly sagged against her for support, burying her face in Jordan’s neck as she rode out the last few shockwaves. She wrapped her arms around Jordan’s waist, and finally, smiled against her. “You make me totally lose myself, you know that?”

“I think I have an idea.”

Realization crossed Molly’s face. “We just did that in my kitchen.”

Jordan looked around, confused. “Yeah, we did. You’ve never had sex in a kitchen before?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had sex outside of a bedroom now that I think about it.”

“Well, I think all that’s about to change.”

Molly laughed and nuzzled Jordan’s neck.

“So the chocolate?” Jordan asked.

“Massive points for creativity. Did I say massive? Because I meant to.”

*

Molly opened her eyes and blinked them clear, focusing on the green numbers that stared back at her from the digital clock on the bedside table. It was a little before five a.m., and even though she didn’t have to go into work that morning, it never seemed to matter to her internal clock.

She cradled her head in her hand and stared down at Jordan who slept next to her peacefully. She took a deep breath and savored the way she was feeling in this moment. Fulfilled. She watched her sleep for several moments and remarked to herself that Jordan really was the most beautiful woman on the planet. And because she just had to, she cradled her cheek and placed a kiss at her temple. “Uh oh,” she whispered, as Jordan’s eyes fluttered open. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I’m sorry.”

A slow smile spread out across Jordan’s face when their eyes met. “You are?”

She thought for a minute. “No. Not really.” She slid down the bed so she was face-to-face with Jordan. “I love watching you sleep. I could do it for hours. But now that you’re up, I can do this.” She leaned in and caught Jordan’s mouth in a slow and sensual good morning kiss.

Jordan slid her arms around Molly’s waist and pulled her in close. “I would like to be woken up in this manner every day. Maybe a couple of hours later, but everything else should be exactly the same. What time is it, very alluring bakery person?”

“Too early. Occupational hazard.”

Jordan stole a look at the clock. “So this five a.m. wakeup could be a reoccurring thing?”

Molly scrunched one eye guiltily. “It will be a reoccurring thing. My body decides it’s up and there’s no turning back. No matter how hard I try to go back to sleep on days off, it never works.”

“You’re kind of sexy in the morning. Have I told you I love your morning voice?”

“Oh yeah?” she said, purposefully allowing it drop.

“Mhmm.” A pause. “So it seems we’re both awake.”

“We are.”

“Kind of a shame to let such an opportunity go to waste. You’re here. I’m here.”

Molly grinned. “It’s like you’re able to read my mind.” She slid on top of Jordan and edged a thigh between her legs.

Jordan closed her eyes and swore quietly, which only encouraged Molly as she moved slowly against her. It wasn’t long before she crawled down the bed in exploration of the body she could just never seem to get enough of. Addictive.

It was shaping up to be a fantastic morning.

Several hours later, Molly lifted her head from a very deep sleep. The kind that made your body feel disconnected and weighted down in the most heavenly way. Then she stared at the clock in disbelief. It was after nine, and in record-setting news, she was just waking up. How was it possible that she’d fallen back asleep? And not just any kind of sleep. The kind you write home about. She shook her head in wonder. Jordan threw her entire universe into a tailspin, and apparently, the five a.m. rendezvous was just what she needed to conquer her early morning rise time. The missing ingredient, she thought to herself with a smile. She’d found it at last.

She closed her eyes indulgently, but remembered that she had an important day ahead of her. She forced her fuzzy brain to focus and thought of each item on her to-do list for Joseph’s birthday party. There was a lot to accomplish, but she’d get to it later. She stretched, enjoying the way her body felt both energized and rested. It really was the best combination.

She rolled over intent on wrapping her arms around Jordan and kissing her into next week, but found the other side of the bed empty and cold.

Had she left already?

Molly climbed out of bed, and a quick glance to Jordan’s oversized duffle bag on the floor let her know that Jordan had, in fact, not fled the scene. She put on her silk robe and wandered down the hall. And that’s when it hit her. That amazing aroma of fresh coffee and bacon frying.

Yet another fabulous combination.

She loved bacon. It might be God’s greatest gift to man.

As she rounded the corner, there was Jordan standing over the stove, already showered and ready for the day. How had she slept through that? Jordan wore her hair down today and her long bangs fell loosely just shy of her left eye. She had on jeans, a short-sleeved white shirt, and Molly’s green smiley face apron tied around her. A morning news show played nearby on the television.