by Zara Cox
He grabbed a large glazed earthenware pot and set it on the far side of the island.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a tagine pot.” He lit the portable fire underneath it before he returned the middle of the island where the chopping board was set.
Sunlight slanting through the large bay windows glinted off the knife and the short silky hairs on his wrist as he chopped vegetables and diced chicken. He tossed the chicken into the pot with herbs and a dash of oil then started on the salad.
“Where did you learn to cook?”
He shrugged. “Here and there. I picked up quite a bit on my travels, but I don’t always get the chance to indulge.” He looked up at her. “Forgive me if I’m a little bit rusty.”
“You’re talking to a girl whose other best friend is the local Italian take-out menu. You won’t get any complaints from me.” She took a sip of wine and told herself that watching him chop vegetables really wasn’t as sexy as her jumpy hormones were trying to imply.
But she couldn’t look away.
He stepped to the tagine pot and raised the lid. The smell of sizzling, smoky chicken filled the air. Twenty minutes later, Zach served up their meal and took a seat next to hers.
Forking a mouthful of golden, herb-infused couscous and a bite of chicken, he held it out to her. “I need a verdict.”
She opened her mouth and took the mouthful and chewed. Rich textures exploded on her tongue and she barely managed to stop from groaning in pleasure. Forcing herself to keep a straight face, she shrugged.
“It’s okay, I guess.”
His eyes widened a touch before he frowned down at his plate. “What’s wrong with it?”
“I’m not sure, exactly. Perhaps another bite to make sure?” she suggested.
Still frowning, he heaped another forkful and fed her. Again she sampled the exquisite dish and shook her head. “I just don’t know, Zach. I think you’ll have to feed me the whole plate before I can make my mind one way or the other.”
“I have to…” He caught the quiver of laughter moving her shoulders and dropped the fork onto her plate.
“Gotcha,” she crowed.
He grabbed either side of her stool and swerved her round to face him. Leaning forward, he kissed her hard. It was meant as punishment for teasing him, but it was a price she was more than willing to pay.
He cut it agonizingly short and glared at her as he raised his head.
“Eat your food, Green. You’ll need your strength to make it up to the chef for that ego-shredding insult.”
***
The next three days passed in slow, sultry bliss. She sunbathed in the solarium before the midday sun flared too hot or later in the afternoon. She listened to music on her iPhone or caught up with her emails while Zach swam, a ritual she was learning he repeated twice a day for almost an hour each time.
After the first time she’d seen him walk indoors, droplets of water clinging to his skin and his thick cock firmly outlined in his trunks, she’d given up pretending not to stare.
She squirmed now as she heard him turn on the shower after his swim. No matter how many times they’d devoured each other that desperate need for him refused to diminish.
Her nipples peaked beneath her white bikini top as she listened to Pink scream about being a slut.
Welcome to my world, sister.
She didn’t even need to be in the same room as Zachary Savage to hit the state of wet anticipation. And when he walked in with that sure, sexy stride and his eyes zeroed in on her as they were now, she knew squeezing her thighs together to stem the ravenous ache building inside her was no use.
“Good swim?” she asked, her voice breathy in that slutty way Pink would be proud of.
“Hmm,” he murmured, heavy-lidded eyes sliding over her scantily clad body. “But it would’ve been better with you.”
“Nah, I would just slow you down. Or jump you mid-stroke.”
“Hmm.” Determination flared in his eyes but he banked it a moment later.
Bethany was thankful that he wasn’t pushing her to overcome her fear. It was something she’d lived with for so long she wasn’t sure she would ever get over it and she was glad Zach was letting it be for now.
As she watched, he slowly peeled off his swimming trunks and kicked them away. “Feel free to jump me now,” he offered magnanimously. His thickening cock rose from the silky hair that covered his groin.
One thick vein pulsed underneath the stiff length and her mouth watered with anticipation of sliding her tongue over it.
Nervously, she glanced towards the open French doors leading inside. “Aren’t…aren’t the staff around?”
“Nope, I’ve given then the day off. We have the whole place to our selves. All day long.” He reached forward and tugged at the bow holding her bikini bottoms together. “Come on, Peaches. Time to work on those tan lines.”
Within seconds he had her gloriously naked. Her favorite brand of sunscreen stood on the table next to her lounger. He grabbed it and tipped the oil into his cupped palm. Slowly, he rubbed his hands together, his gaze drifting heatedly over her body.
Seating himself on the edge of her lounger, he lowered his hands to her stomach. Her sharp intake of breath brought a smile to his lips.
Zach loved the effect he had on her, seemed to crave it, in fact. She only needed to be within arm’s length for him to find an excuse to put his hands on her. Not that he needed an excuse. She craved having his hands on her as much as he did.
His hands moved sideways over her waist and down to her hips before drifting back up to glide beneath her breasts. He repeated the motion, over and over, each time sliding close to, but avoiding, her hard nipples.
Desire tore through her and her hips moved restlessly. A moan rose up in her throat but Bethany forced it down. She refused to beg. She’d begged too many times since she met Zach Savage, and although she’d had him at her mercy the day they’d arrived in Marrakech when she’d given him the blow job, she’d soon learned that the moment would not be repeated. Sure, she’d given several blow jobs since, but that moment of fractured control had remained elusive.
She forced her hips to still and inhaled deeply to regulate her soaring heart rate. Her skin continued to tingle and arousal continued to bite deep, of course, but she intended to cling to her control for as long as possible.
His eyes slowly narrowed as his hands glided up her shoulders in a smooth, devastating caress. Intense eyes gauged her reaction as he moved back down and around her breasts. When she remained motionless, he went lower, over her stomach to the pelvic bones. He kneaded her flesh, the warmth of his hands sending electric currents along her nerve endings.
Another moan threatened and she swallowed it down. His hands left her body for a moment but only to drizzle more oil into his palm before he started an even more intensive assault on her thighs. Firm thumbs dug into her skin in erotic circles, each rotation drawing close to her sensitive inner thigh.
He was a whisper way from grazing the outer skin of her sex, when she jerked away.
“I’m all done on the front, I think.”
She flipped over and was rewarded with a moment’s triumph when his breath hissed out. For several seconds, he didn’t move. Then she heard the slow glide of his palms rubbing together. He went straight for her ass, as she’d known he would.
Shielded from his probing, electric gaze, she reasserted her slipping control. But even with her eyes clamped shut, she couldn’t deny the sizzling arousal that stormed through her body. Pleasure soared higher and higher until she hovered on the brink of bliss.
Bethany was contemplating giving in and pleading for him to take her when his breath brushed her left ear.
“Bravo, Peaches. I think you’re ready to visit my toy room.”
Her head snapped round and her gaze collided with his.
Stormy grey eyes regarded her with a mixture of admiration and speculation.
“Excuse me? You were testin
g me?”
He shook his head. “Not consciously. I like your uninhibited response. But I think we can have even more fun if you’re willing to practice a little bit more restraint.”
“And you’ll only allow me into this toy room of yours if I don’t give in easily?”
“You’ve always had access to it. I told you about it before we left Paris, but you’ve shown no interest in it.” He shrugged. “You don’t have to see if you don’t want to.”
She licked dry lips, unsure of where this conversation was going. And whether she wanted to pursue it further. But excitement tingled along her skin, her curiosity piqued.
Fun. That was why she was here. Wasn’t it? Being brave enough to grasp the adventure?
“Well, since I’ve never seen a toy room before, I can’t tell you one way or the other.”
His eyes gleamed, darkened a touch. “So you’d like to see it?”
She thought for a second and shrugged casually. “Sure. Why not?”
The slow, wicked smile that spread across his face made her self-preservation radar vibrate hard.
He stood to his full length, his erection thick and proud.
Her stomach flipped over as a weakness invaded her bones. She could barely lift her hand when he held out his to her.
“Come.”
Chapter Thirteen
He led her along the long hallway that went past his suite in the west wing of the house.
The thought that she was walking through a veritable palace, naked, added to the surreal moment.
But she didn’t have time to dwell on it. The fingers wrapped around hers gave no room for ambivalence or chickening out. And the excitement that was escalating through her made it impossible to change her mind.
Zach stopped in front of a large arched door and entered a code in the security panel set into the frame.
The mechanism clicked and he opened it. Stepping to one side, he gently pushed her into the room.
Bethany hadn’t been sure what to expect from a toy room. In her wildest imaginings, she’d expected a replica of the decadent lounges on Zach’s airplanes.
She couldn’t have been more wrong. When he’d mentioned toys, he’d really meant toys.
Gadgets, large and small had been arranged around the room, each one more suggestive than the next.
In the middle of the room, a large leather swing, complete with cradle and harness, stood a sturdy tripod. She’d seen one at a bachelorette party once, but it’d been nowhere near this sophisticated. Mesmerized by the ideas tumbling through her mind, she lifted her hand and brushed her fingers over the sleek, cool leather.
“Are you imagining yourself strapped in, Peaches?” Zach whispered in her ear. “Your beautiful body wide open to me as I pound into you?”
Heat from his body caressed her back and she shivered at the decadent sin in his voice. Her nipples peaked at the thought of enacting that scenario and desire twisted in her pelvis. She forced herself to breathe through it.
Restraint.
“Hmm, maybe.”
Dropping her hand, she moved to the next piece of equipment.
The indigo-colored, high-backed chair looked innocuous enough until a simple press of a switch to the side had her gasping. The dildo that rose from the middle of the seat was black, huge and veined, and so life-like she stepped closer to touch it, only to have her hand firmly grasped.
“You won’t be needing that.”
She laughed. “Do I detect a hint of jealousy there, lover boy?” she teased.
“No, baby, the only time you get to use that is if I’m too worn out from fucking you to move a single muscle. And I guarantee you, that will never happen.”
He led her past a modified gurney fitted with handcuffs and a glass cabinet that held everything from anal beads and nipple clamps to bull whips and cock rings.
“Wow, and here I thought my toy drawer was impressive.”
He grinned. “I take pleasure seriously,” he said.
“I can tell,” she replied. She reached another cabinet labeled “Truth or Dare” and stopped. Inside it were a pack of cards and two items—an exquisitely crafted unisex chastity belt and a black silk blindfold.
Zach stopped beside her and followed her gaze. “Another thing you won’t be needing.”
“What makes you sure?”
“Because we don’t play games. We’re way past that.”
“But games can be fun, Zach. And having fun was the reason I came on this trip, remember?”
She wasn’t sure whether she was reminding herself or him. Somewhere along the way, she’d begun to lose sight of why she’d boarded The Indigo Lounge plane in the first place.
Heck, she’d never even got the chance to experience one single lounge event. And with each day she spent in Zach Savage’s sphere of existence, she slipped deeper into unknown territory. Territory where the ground shook beneath her feet at the thought of this trip ending and the thought of walking away from when it did.
Because regardless of what he’d said in Paris, this thing between them…this fantasy had no real shelf life. The worlds they came from were too different for any sort of relationship to work between them.
Her life was in New York. His was not. And if Chris had taught her anything, it was how easy it was to be fooled by someone you loved even while living in the same city.
Zachary Savage was a sexy, dominant, infinitely charismatic man who had women throwing themselves at him. He also had international business interests that took him all over the globe. She would tie herself into knots the moment he walked away from her until he returned. Her ability to trust had been whittled down to nothing thanks to Chris.
Was that a life she wanted for herself, even in the short term? Her breath shuddered out, and he turned sharply to face her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, eyes narrowed.
She quickly shook her head. “Nothing. What’s that?” She pointed to the last, large item in the room.
It was draped with a black silk cloth and set against the far wall of the room.
Sliding another sizzling smile at her, he pulled her after him until they stood in front of the piece. With a firm tug, he pulled the cloth away.
A St. Andrew’s Cross made of steel and leather and easily seven feet tall rested at an angle. Stirrups for hands and feet lay undone, ready for a willing victim to step up and splay themselves for pleasure. Double rivets lined the edges of the cross and, closing her eyes for a second, a shocking image of herself on that cross, her body rubbing against those rivets, flashed through her mind.
A furtive glance at Zach caught his intent gaze on her. The small smile that crossed his lips said he’d read her mind.
“Now, this we can certainly have fun with.”
“You mean you can. Don’t bother denying it, Savage. I can see you salivating at the thought holding me captive and having your way with me.”
He laughed and she was helpless to resist that deep, rich sound reaching under her skin and seducing her. When he curled his hand over her nape and pulled her close, she went willingly. He rubbed his thumb back and forth over her lips before lowering his head to seal his mouth over hers. When they came up for air several minutes later, they were both breathing hard. “Can you blame me? Discovering varied ways of making you come is becoming my obsession. I simply can’t get enough of you, Bethany.”
The weakness that invaded her body was nothing new. But knowing that she was at serious risk of falling in love with this man was.
“So, you wanna pick something out and try it? The cross, maybe?” he murmured against her lips.
She wanted to answer yes so badly, her body shook with the desire. It took every ounce of her control to say, “Maybe later.”
His stunned surprise bought her the time she needed. Whirling she rushed out of the room. She was halfway down the corridor before he caught up with her.
“Bethany?” his voice held puzzlement.
“I just need to—�
�
He caught her wrist and forced her to stop. “What the hell’s going on?” The worry in his voice was unmistakable.
She shook her head. “All this, what we’re doing…it’s way out of my comfort zone.”
He frowned. “Isn’t that the whole point of what you were doing when we met?”
“Yes. But that doesn’t mean I don’t get to freak out a little every now and then.”
His gaze flicked to the door behind them and back to hers. “And that back there freaked you out?”
“No. Okay, maybe a little. But right now, I just want to take a little breather.”
He inhaled sharply. “A little breather? What exactly does that mean?”
She bit her lip. “No sex. For one day.”
“No. Hell, no.”
“Zach—”
“Bethany,” he growled back. His lips were pinched and the lines bracketing his mouth had deepened. “I’ll give you whatever you want, except that.”
“But that is what I want. I can’t think straight when we’re like this.” She waved a hand between them.
He stepped up, closing the gap between them. He slid both hands around her nape and tipped her head up. “I don’t want you thinking straight. I want you as mindless with me as I am with you.”
“Zach, this is insane…”
He stared down at her for several seconds before he sighed. “It’s not insane, but you win. No sex for the rest of the day.”
“Really?” She wasn’t sure how to take his capitulation.
Leaning down, he skimmed her mouth with his. “Don’t sound so pleased. All you’re doing is torturing us both. Unnecessarily. But I guess we can try and occupy our time some other way. Go get dressed. I have an idea of what we can do.”
She smiled then quickly straightened her features when he frowned at her glee.
“Umm, anything in particular I should know?”
He shook his head, stepped back and took her hand. “It’s a surprise. But you’ll need to dress comfortably, preferably in pants. And you’re allowed to wear panties. Just this once.”
Intrigued, she slowly nodded. They entered his room and he drew to a stop. “What?” she asked.