I Swear I Still Hate Him (Atlas Lawson) novel Chapter 153

Chapter 153

Atlas POV

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We were waiting on the pie, and Emery, because apparently she couldn’t just do one impressive thing at a time, decided she wanted to add cupcakes too.

“Cupcakes?” I’d asked, leaning back on the stool. “You’re just casually turning my kitchen into a bakery now?”

She’d shot me a look over her shoulder while she grabbed another bowl. “Relax, Chef Boyardee. It’s just cupcakes.”

“I’m not complaining,” I said, holding up my hands. “Just trying to prepare myself for the emotional damage when I get addicted to your

desserts.”

She snorted and got to work, and the whole time she talked.

Nonstop.

Stories about baking in Paris. About a fancy oven she hated. About the time she tried to impress someone with a cake and almost set off the smoke detector.

I loved every second of it.

I wished she’d keep talking forever. Hell, I wished I could record her and play it back at night like it was a podcast titled Emery Collins Being In My Kitchen And Ruining My Life.

She slid the cupcake tray into the oven with a proud little nod.

“Okay,” she announced, wiping her hands. “Now we wait…again.”

She turned back to the island, bowl still there, and kept talking like nothing had changed.

Except everything changed.

Because she dipped her finger into the leftover batter and…Licked it.

Like it was the most normal thing in the world. And it probably was normal. It was sweet and innocent and harmless…until she did it again.

Another dip.

Another slow lick.

This time her tongue swirled a little, like she was savoring it, lips closing around her fingertip for half a second longer than

necessary.

My dick jerked hard in my sweats. She had zero fucking clue. Just kept chatting like nothing was happening.

I tried to pay attention. I did….really did.

But all I caught were words like baking powder and flour and you can’t overmix it while my eyes were locked on her mouth like a complete idiot.

Everything seemed to slow down. The kitchen noise faded. All I could see was her mouth. That tongue. Fuck, I wanted it on me. Sliding up the underside of my cock, swirling around the head, licking up the precum that was already leaking because of her. I could feel it now…hot, sticky bead soaking into my boxes.

I’m not a pervert. I swear… This wasn’t my first time seeing someone lick batter off their fingers…Except it was her. And

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Chapter 153

everything about her hit different.

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Ugggh for goodness sake Focus!! You are not gonna nut in your pants like a goddamn rookie because she’s licking batter.

I tried to smile like I had a clue what she was talking about, nodded excessively. Like, way too much. I’m pretty sure at one point I looked like one of those dashboard bubbleheads. She probably thought I was either deeply invested in baking… or completely losing my mind.

Meanwhile, I was just trying not to acknowledge the fact that my sweats were uncomfortable as fuck. Emery didn’t notice. Of course she didn’t. She was still talking.

“…and then I realized the baking soda was expired,” she said, scrunching up her nose. “Which is basically the baking version of betrayal.”

I cleared my throat. “Yeah. That’s… tragic.”

She blinked, finally noticing my tone. “Why are you talking like that?”

“Like what?” I asked, playing dumb, even though my voice had dropped about three octaves.

She dipped her finger again and licked it, eyes narrowing at me like she was testing a theory.

Oh, she was catching on.

“You’ve been staring,” she said.

“I have not,” I said immediately, way too fast.

She smiled, slow and dangerous, “Atlas.”

I exhaled through my nose, eyes flicking anywhere else. “Emery

She leaned her hip against the counter, still holding the bowl, still looking way too pleased with herself. “What’s wrong with you?”

I laughed once short and rough. “Nothing.”

“Liar.”

I glanced up, and she was watching me like she could see straight through my skin…Fine if this was the game she wanted to play then count me in… I stood up, slow, My brain losing control and my heart taking over.

“I’m curious,” I said, voice low, stepping closer. “Why do you keep doing that?”

Her brows lifted. “Doing what?”

I nodded toward her hand. “That.”

She looked down at her finger like it had personally betrayed her Then she shrugged, totally innocent.

“It’s a bad habit,” she said, lips curving. “But it tastes really good.” She lifted the bowl a little toward me. “Want some?”

“Yeah,” I said, because my mouth had no survival instincts.

She dipped her finger into the batter again, like she was about to hand the bowl over so I could grab a spoon or something.

But I didn’t take the bowl. I took her wrist.

Gently.

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Chapter 153

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Just enough to stop her. Her breath hitched, small, but I heard it. Her eyes lifted to mine, wide and curious, like she hadn’t expected that. Neither had I, if I’m being honest.

I brought her hand up slowly, giving her every chance to pull away.

She didn’t.

So I leaned in and dragged my tongue over her fingertip, slow, deliberate, never breaking eye contact.

Her lips parted.

And I swear the whole kitchen went silent except for the oven humming and my heart trying to punch its way out of my chest.

I let her hand go like it burned.

“Yeah,” I murmured, voice rough. “See why it’s so addictive”

Our eyes stayed locked, and the room turned fucking hotter.

I shouldn’t be doing this…I knew I shouldn’t. But I couldn’t help it, my jaw clenched as I stared at her like she was the only thing in the world….Maybe she was.

My brain fired off a dozen questions all at once.

Should I go for it?

Would it really be so bad to just kiss her…right here, right now?

Would she get mad at me?

My head was spinning with questions, my heart pounding like it was seconds from ripping out and landing right in her hands, but then my brain, that rational asshole, barged in and hit the brakes.

So painfully, I took a step back.

But here’s the crazy part… Emery grabbed my arm and stopped me.

My eyes widened.

What’s going on? What’s going on?

The butterflies in my stomach were screaming, throwing a whole damn feast like they knew something I didn’t.

“Atlas…” she said my name, and God, I loved hearing her say it.

She took a step closer, eyes never leaving mine, and just when I thought she was about to kiss me…

The fucking timer…. Of all fucking times.

The loud beep shattered the spell like someone slammed a door between us.

Emery jerked back like she’d just realized what she was doing. Like she’d almost walked into something she wasn’t ready to admit.

“I…uh…I should go check that,” she blurted, fumbling for the oven mitts like her hands forgot how to work.

“Yeah,” I breathed out, voice wrecked.

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Chapter 153

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She moved toward the oven, clumsy with the gloves, and I just stood there, frozen, trying to remember how to act like a normal person.

“I’m gonna…” I cleared my throat, forcing my feet to move. “I’m gonna head to the bathroom.”

I didn’t wait for her to respond. I walked away because if I stayed another second, I was either gonna say something stupid…. or do something worse.

The moment I shut the bathroom door, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

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