Not only to find someone who could help her lose herself. But to find a man who would possess her body in the darkness, then make her laugh in the light.
Zach’s power was extraordinary over her, inside of her, sweat from his chest mixing with hers. She wanted to touch him, wanted to run her hands over all those muscles, the unwavering strength. But at the same time, how she loved holding his hands...and being held right back.
Her hips moved with his, rising to meet each powerful thrust, falling as he pulled back before coming into her again, seemingly deeper every time. She could feel her body tightening, inner muscles not used to such exquisite pleasure, almost aching with how sensitive her aroused flesh now was.
“Again,” he gritted out, she was sure from between clenched teeth, as he worked to hold onto his own control. “Come for me, Heather. I need to feel you around me.” He plunged in harder, deeper. “Now.”
She was the one who gave the orders, the one always in control. Even as far flown as she was into the sensual spell he’d wound around her with kisses, and caresses, and mysterious darkness, her brain tried to send out a warning. A warning to hold something back. A warning to be the one dictating pleasure for herself, rather than having it given to her as a gift.
But even as flashes of sense came at her through a thick fog of desire, how could she do anything but obey Zach’s order? Especially when he was only telling her to do what her body so desperately wanted?
Yes, she thought as she released her remaining hold over herself and let the plunge and pull of Zach’s body take her careening over the edge one more time, this was exactly what she wanted. To allow herself a pleasure she’d never been able to find with anyone else.
She would heed the warnings, she would guard her heart, but she wouldn’t deny herself any of the primal need, the elemental desire for this man. For as long as it lasted, she would take all he had to give.
“Sweet Jesus,” he groaned as her inner muscles gripped him and she ground her hips up against his to prolong the pleasure, “why did I wait so long to take you?”
She should have been insulted by the way he spoke about taking her and maybe she would be later, but she knew the truth.
Until this very moment, he’d been giving to her, everything she needed, everything she wanted. All he’d cared about was her pleasure. Yes, her pleasure pleased him, but that wasn’t why he’d touched her, kissed her, loved her the way he had.
He’d done it all for her, had been minutely attuned to every breath, to every heartbeat, to her scars, and then to every gasp of pleasure. Only now that he knew she was completely satisfied, did he let himself take.
Heather knew the precise moment their lovemaking went from being all about her to being for him. The tenor changed as he let go of her hands and slid his palms over her br**sts, cupping her, squeezing her before moving his hands lower, to cup the curve of her hips in his hands.
It was perfect, the shift from her pleasure to his. It was just how it should be, just how she wanted it, that they were equal partners in each other’s pleasure. She wanted to give Zach what he’d given her.
Complete freedom to fall apart, with no repercussions waiting afterward.
As he gripped her hips tighter and tighter, she could feel him growing even bigger, even harder with each powerful thrust. His focus might not be entirely on her pleasure anymore, but even so, she could feel herself on the verge of flying again.
Finally able to touch him, she reached up, ran her hands over his chest, then over to his upper arms. His muscles and tendons flexed beneath her fingertips and she marveled at his strength even as she used her own to hold onto him with her hands on his sweat-slickened skin, her legs tightly wrapped around his hips as she met him thrust for thrust.
She wanted to focus only on him now, needed to make sure he felt as good as she did, but she couldn’t stop her body from responding to how good it felt. Only, she didn’t want to go there alone this time.
“Zach.” She tried to warn him, but it was too late, she was already falling. “Please,” she heard herself beg through a fog, knowing he wouldn’t understand what she wanted, that he would just think she was pleading for him to prolong her next climax. Still, she said it again, the only two words she could form. “Please, Zach.”
It didn’t take more than a split second for Heather to realize she’d underestimated him yet again. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it occurred to her that he understood her desires, that he quite likely knew her body, her sensual needs, better than she ever had herself.
In the next sweet, perfect moment, Zach’s name was falling from her lips like a benediction as he stilled above her, then pulsed long and hard with his own powerful release.
And, oh, how she loved the way he threaded his hands into her hair, then covered her mouth in a kiss that told her just how much she pleased him. At least as much as he’d pleased her.
Finally, he came down over her, breathing hard, his weight heavy over hers as he pressed her even deeper into his mattress. She didn’t mind his weight or the dampness that stuck between them, not when she could wrap her arms around his back and simply hold him.
Chapter Eighteen
Heather woke up a few hours later in the circle of Zach’s strong arms. Instinctively, she snuggled into his naked body, but the warnings that hadn’t been able to pierce through the arousal clouding her brain before, now rushed in with unrelenting fury.
Here lay danger, feeling soft and warm and safe with Zach Sullivan.
She was a woman, so she would allow herself a little softness. Warmth couldn’t be helped, either. Not when Zach was a walking, breathing heating unit.
But safe?
Only a complete fool would let herself believe she was safe with him.
Besides, their agreement in the ball park’s alley had been perfectly clear. Their relationship was all about sex.
Nothing else.
Oh God, how could she already be in so far over her head with this man? She’d thought she was tough enough to make a pleasure-only deal with him...but if she’d known the way he was going to make love to her last night, that it would feel like he was giving his heart and soul to her, too, she never would have been so stupidly arrogant as to think that she could be the one woman on the planet not to lose her heart to Zach Sullivan. Adding in the way he’d found her scars, and asked how she’d been hurt, like it broke his heart to even think of anything happening to her—not to mention the way she’d completely lied to him about how the scars had come to be—had a shiver of warning skittering up her spine.