The words came from so close behind her she shrieked and jumped. Her pulse racing, she slammed the oven door shut and spun around to stand in front of it. Ryan was leaning casually against the entrance to the kitchen in his army fatigues, his arms folded and brow arched as he watched her.
“Nothing,” she lied, blinking her eyes wide in an attempt to salvage the surprise.
Fin meant to have all this done before Ryan got home, but she got held up at work. That’s what happens when you tell people you’re leaving work early, she thought crabbily. Suddenly everything becomes urgent.
Ryan looked over her shoulder at the disaster zone, and she shifted a little to the left. Her movement exposed the oven door, and he immediately turned and pointed at it, accusation making his eyes sharp. “You’re baking a cake.”
Fin tilted her head and shrugged. “Well, you know, it’s for Crookshanks.”
Her breath caught when a grin spread slowly across Ryan’s face and lit up his dark eyes. He lifted his chin at her. “Come here.”
Needing no further invitation, Fin launched herself at him. She twined her arms around his neck, and when he picked her up, she wrapped her legs around his hips and kissed him.
His fingers dug into her legs, a deep groan rising from his chest when she stroked her tongue against his. She broke the kiss when she couldn’t breathe. As her head fell back, he licked a pathway down her exposed throat and bit down on the tender skin of her neck where it met her shoulder.
“Oh,” she moaned, rubbing her hips against him.
“God I needed that,” he muttered, his voice muffled as he nibbled and licked his way back up. “Needed you. Been thinking about fucking you all day.”
Ryan’s eyes were heavy-lidded and hot when she looked into them and smiled. “Happy birthday, Ryan.”
“You remembered,” he murmured.
“I’ve never forgotten. I baked a cake for your birthday every year you were gone.”
He rested his forehead against hers and whispered softly, “Baby.”
Fin closed her eyes. “I didn’t know where you were, or what you were doing, but even if you weren’t here, I wanted to make sure you had a cake.”
She opened her eyes, seeing him arch a brow.
“And who got to eat my cake?”
“I did.” She grinned. “And Crookshanks. And if there was any left, I’d take it into work.”
Ryan ran his eyes along the length of the kitchen bench until they fell on the bowl she had tucked in the corner. He strode towards it and sat her down on the bench. Standing between her thighs, he dipped his finger in the thick, cream cheese frosting. A shudder of heat flooded her body as she watched him lick it slowly from his finger.
“Mmm, baby. This is good.”
His hand reached for the bowl again, and she smacked it. “Leave some for the cake.”
Ryan smirked as he scooped up some more. “It’s my cake.”
He smeared the frosting over the swell of her breasts, and she gasped. “What are you doing?”
Leaning down, he began licking it off her skin.
“Oh God,” she breathed, fisting his hair in her hands and shivering at the wet heat of his tongue stroking her skin.
“I’m making up for all those years of missed cake.”
The idea of baking Ryan a cake every day for the rest of her life suddenly held enormous appeal.
He slipped his hands underneath the hem of her pretty pink dress and spreading his fingers wide, ran them up her bare thighs. “You taste so good,” he moaned.
Loud thumping came from the front door and he froze, his muscles tensing as his grip on her tightened. “Tell me you didn’t.”
“Open the door before we bust it down,” Kyle yelled.
Ryan groaned, his head falling onto her shoulder.
“I did.” Fin sighed and he took a step back, letting her slide off the bench. “I’ll get it.”
“Hey,” he said, and she looked up at him. “Thank you. For doing this.”
“I’m just glad you’re here so I can.”
“Me too,” Ryan agreed, his lips curving softly. He wiped at a smear of frosting on her cheek. “I’ll get the door,” he told her and disappeared up the hallway.
Moments later, Kyle filled the little kitchen followed by Tex, Monty, and Galloway. She was greeted with kisses on the cheek and moved to the side as they filled the fridge with beer and rummaged through her cupboards, grabbing bowls and filling them with chips.
The television was flicked on and the sound of football flooded the living room as Kyle shoved the second beer in his hand at Ryan.
Ryan took it as Kyle slung his arm around Fin’s shoulders and grinned down at her. “How’s my girl?”
Ryan cleared his throat pointedly.
“Hey, I got a penguin from Antarctica.” Kyle smirked. “What did you get?”
“I got Fin,” Ryan replied smugly as he folded his arms.
“You win,” Kyle muttered. His eyes dropped to her chest and amusement flashed in his hazel eyes. “Fin? You’ve got a bit of something on your boob.”
Fin flushed wildly when she looked down at her cleavage and saw the blob of frosting.
“What is that anyway?” Kyle asked. His arm fell away from her shoulders as she spun around and grabbed for the cloth from the sink.