Part 15 (1/2)

The creamy texture of her skin made an ache throb in his groin and he fought to stifle a groan.

”Zachary ”

”Easy, baby.” He suckled the fullness, bit the ends, then returned to exploring her mouth. He could feel her trembling, feel her heart pounding nearly as hard as his own.

He unzipped her skirt and eased it over her hips, let it fall into a puddle at her feet. Her toes were painted a pretty pale pink, and he liked the feminine way they looked peeking out of her open-toed, high-heeled sandals. She was wearing a tiny pair of lacy, white thong underwear, he saw, and another jolt of heat rocked through him.

”Did you wear those for me?” he asked, palming her s.e.x, feeling the heat there, making her tremble.

”No, I maybe I yes, I suppose I must have.”

She hadn't meant to do this, he figured. Or if she had, the decision had been subconscious. He knelt in front of her, blew on the folds of her s.e.x through the panties, pressed his mouth there, his tongue against the fabric, dampening it and giving him even better access to the soft flesh beneath.

He thought of stripping the panties away and taking her with his tongue, but she was a novice at the game of pleasure and he didn't want to frighten her.

”Zachary ?”

Hearing the faint note of uncertainty in her voice, he moved up her body, tasting her b.r.e.a.s.t.s again, kissing her until she relaxed once more.

She reached for the b.u.t.tons on his s.h.i.+rt, her courage apparently returning. ”I want to touch you,” she said. ”The way you touched me. I want to see you naked.”

Zach kissed her. ”I want that, too.”

She unfastened the last few b.u.t.tons, her hands shaking, then eased the garment off his shoulders and tossed it over a chair in the corner. He kicked off his loafers as she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his fly, hesitated only an instant, then shoved his pants down his legs to the floor.

He stepped out of them and took off the rest of his clothes, his eyes on her face as she studied his erection.

”I hope I can handle all of that.”

He gave her a rea.s.suring smile. ”Don't worry, I'll be there to help.”

She reached out and touched the tattoo on his arm. ”Born to be wild.” She looked up at him, desire clear in her eyes. ”Make love to me, Zach.”

She didn't have to ask him twice. Lifting her up, he settled her in the middle of the bed, took care of protection, then came down slowly on top of her. He kissed her, slid his hands down her body until he found her softness and began to stroke her. She was incredibly wet and slick and it made him want her even more.

”Zach, please ”

”Soon, love.” But not until he had her on the edge of climax, until she was close to screaming. He liked s.e.x and he was good at it. He wanted to be good for Liz.

He stroked her slowly, skillfully, kissed her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her throat, her lips. He increased the rhythm and she arched up off the bed, made a soft little pleading sound in her throat.

”Zach, please I need I need ”

”I've got exactly what you need, baby.” And then he was parting her legs, fitting himself between them, sliding his erection into her softness.

Liz arched upward, driving him deeper still, burying him all the way to the hilt. He groaned at the feel of her gloving him so sweetly, heard her soft little mewling sounds of pleasure. Her nails dug into his back, and she trembled beneath him.

”Oh, G.o.d, oh, G.o.d, Zach, you feel so good.”

”Easy.” Out and then in, deep, rhythmic strokes, giving her as much of himself as he knew how, but the pleasure was beginning to overwhelm him and he was afraid he would lose control. Not yet, he told himself. Not until she's ready. Just hang on just a little longer.

He surged deeply again, and sweat popped out on his forehead. Faster, deeper, harder. Sweet Jesus! He couldn't take much more.

He was clinging to his last thread of control when he heard her cry out his name, felt her body tighten sweetly around him. She slipped into a powerful climax, and Zach let himself go.

He reached his own, earth-shattering release and wondered why it seemed so different with Liz.

Fourteen.

It was an hour later that Elizabeth finally left the bed. Zach ordered Chinese takeout from the Great China Restaurant, and she went to answer the door in her bathrobe, since he refused to let her get dressed.

”No way,” he had said, shaking his head. ”I've got plans for you tonight and clothes aren't part of those plans.”

Elizabeth laughed, determined that just this one night, she would be the siren Zach seemed to believe she was. Tomorrow would bring a return of sanity, she was sure, but just for this one night They made love again before they fell asleep and again before dawn. Bright sun poked through the curtains far too soon, and Elizabeth awakened to find herself sprawled over Zach's chest, groggy and pleasantly sated.

But the light of day was upon her now, the knowledge that what had happened last night couldn't possibly continue. She had known that from the start, known that this was just a fling, a wild night to remember. He was Zachary Harcourt, the town bad boy, and no matter how much he had changed, there were things about him that hadn't.

His affair with Lisa Doyle proved that.

Zach liked women, used them, left them. He always had.

Elizabeth wasn't about to risk her heart with a man like that, no matter how much she enjoyed him in bed.

She eased away from him, slipped quietly into the bathroom to shower and dress for the day. As the water pounded against her skin, easing the unfamiliar soreness between her legs, she heard the doork.n.o.b rattle, then his softly muttered curse.

He wanted to join her in the shower, but she wasn't about to let him, no matter how tempting the notion might be. The water was was.h.i.+ng away the scent of him, the evidence of his possession, and in its place, the solid, practical woman she had been before was emerging.

She dried herself, toweled her hair, leaving it to dry in soft curls around her face, put on a little makeup and left the bathroom. The smell of fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen pulled her in that direction. Zach was standing there s.h.i.+rtless, wearing just his slacks and no shoes, and the sight of all that bare, hard-muscled flesh sent a surge of heat pulsing through her.

Elizabeth ignored it. ”You can use the shower, if you like before you leave.”

One of his dark eyebrows went up. He surveyed her no-nonsense khaki slacks and loose-fitting white cotton blouse.

”I noticed there's a swimming pool out back. I was thinking we might take a swim then maybe drive over to Mason a little later and catch a movie or something, but it looks like you're having morning-after regrets.”

She shook her head. ”No regrets. Last night was great, Zach. Incredible. It's just ”

”Just that you don't intend for it to happen again. The question is, why not?”

She accepted the cup of coffee he handed her. ”You know why not. Because you're you and I'm me. I've got my career and you've got yours. You live in L.A. I live in San Pico. To put it simply, we're two very different people.”

”That's right. You're a woman and I'm a man. That's about as different as it gets.”

She was afraid he'd be stubborn. ”All right, I'll spell it out for you. I don't want to risk getting involved with you, Zach.”

Zach opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again and walked over to the window, shoving his hands into the pocket of his slacks along the way. He stared outside for several long moments, then turned back to her.