She looked up at him from beneath hooded lids, her mouth full. Then her clever tongue licked a heated circle around the head. His entire body jerked. She pulled away long enough to ask, “Do you trust me, Zach?” Then she pressed her tongue into the slit at the tip, and the electric shock torpedoed his resistance.
If he could trust her with his dick in her mouth, he supposed he might as well go all the way. He nodded. She grinned, then tied his feet to the footboard, one at a time. When she was done, she leaned across him to check all the knots, her hair teasing his already over-sensitized skin. Despite the freezing air in the cabin, he burned with need and eagerness.
She maneuvered herself between his spread-eagled legs and planted her hands on either side of his hips. With another sultry glance and a smile, she dipped her head and took him all the way into her mouth. Slowly, she pulled away, grazing her teeth against his skin before taking him deep again. Her hot tongue swirled around the tip, pressing against the slit, tasting him. Killing him.
His hands clenched and unclenched as she grasped the base of his penis and stroked in time with her sucking mouth. His feet flexed and strained against the ropes, the coarse hemp digging into his skin.
“Please, Ava. Untie me. I want to hold you.”
“No.” She continued to suck on him, driving him just to the edge before pulling away.
“Untie me.”
“No. Not until you realize you can trust me.” She fondled him with her hand. “Every time we’ve been intimate, you’ve done all the work. This time, it’s my turn. So my suggestion to you is quit trying to run things, relax, and enjoy the show.”
With her expert mouth and hands, she coaxed him into flight. She licked a slow path from the base of his cock to the very tip, and his blood roared through his ears like a jet engine taking off down the runway. She wrapped her lips over the head, her fingers around his shaft. Her gentle but insistent pumping with her mouth and hands lifted his hips off the mattress, and he strained against his bindings. God! The pressure inside him picked up speed, and the back of his head pressed into the pillow.
He couldn’t take much more of this before he—
Heat ripped through his body like a lightning bolt. His release roared into the stillness of the cabin as he spurted deep into her throat. She continued licking and caressing until she’d extracted every last bit of pleasure from him. He shuddered and bucked at every touch of her tongue and lips around his sensitive organ.
Finally, he collapsed, sated and exhausted, his ankles and wrists limp against the restraints. She draped herself across his still heaving torso. He ached to run his hands across her hair and down her back. He tugged against the ropes. “Any chance I can talk you into untying me?”
“I’m not done with you yet.” She climbed off the bed, and crossed her arms to pull the T-shirt over her head. Then she bent and slipped out of her lacy panties. Gloriously naked, her skin shone golden in the firelight.
“God, you’re beautiful, Ava.”
She smiled and climbed back onto the bed, straddling his hips. Placing her hands on either side of his head, she bent forward until her breasts dangled right over his face. He had to turn his head only a fraction to catch a rosy nipple in his mouth. She moaned at the contact, her hair falling across her face and onto his, tickling his sensitized skin.
As she moved on top of him, Zach felt his penis coming to life again. It poked against her hot opening. “I have condoms in my bag,” he muttered, pulling against the ropes.
“I’m on the pill,” she said. She wriggled her hips against him, teasing him.
“You trust me enough not to use a condom?”
“Do you trust me enough to believe I’m on the pill?”
He stared into her eyes, fringed by dark lashes, and knew he could. He would trust this woman with his life. He nodded, lifting his head off the soft pillow, willing her mouth forward. As she leaned in to kiss him, his penis slipped inside her hot, tight folds.
He groaned at the intimate contact, skin to skin. “You feel amazing,” he whispered against her mouth. He gave up fighting his ropes, and let her have her way with him. She rode him hard, her breasts bobbing with her frantic movements, her hair a wild, sweaty mess. God, she turned him on. Made him hot. Drove him crazy. Her vagina squeezed his shaft as she rose and fell, over and over, her bare bottom slapping against his pelvis. Her nipples hardened, casting shadows across her breasts.
“Touch yourself, dollface,” he urged, knowing he couldn’t last much longer, wanting, needing them to come together.
She did, and within seconds she arched her back, screaming her orgasm into the quiet cabin. The spasming of her tight walls took him right over the edge, and he exploded into her, bucking off the mattress, his wrists and ankles jerking against their tethers.
She collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily. His heart pounded in his ribcage, and he wondered if she could feel it beneath her cheek. As if she sensed his thoughts, one of her hands splayed across his chest, right over his heart.
He knew at that moment he loved her. He trusted her, heart and soul. For the first time in his life, he’d let himself be completely vulnerable with a woman. And also for the first time, he allowed himself to dream that maybe, just maybe, he’d found someone he could grow old with. She moved off him, and he immediately missed her warmth. Before he could ask where she was going, she’d untied one of his hands, then the other, caressing and rubbing his wrists where they’d chafed against the ropes. She moved to the end of the bed and untied his feet, treating his sore ankles to the same loving attention. Then she climbed in next to him, pulling the quilts on top of them and snuggling up against his body as he wrapped his freed arms around her. He inhaled the flowery scent of her hair, kissed the top of her head, and fell sound asleep.
Chapter Ten
The next morning, Audrey woke to the sound of tap, tap, tapping against the log cabin wall and the feel of strong, male arms around her waist.
“Good morning,” Zach whispered, pulling her tighter against him, spoon-fashion.
She turned in his arms. “Morning,” she said. One long look into the deep blue of his eyes, and she realized there was no other place she’d rather be.
He moved his head enough to kiss her softly on the mouth. “I like waking up with you in my arms,” he said.
She smiled. “I like it, too.” She snuggled deeper into his embrace. His chest rose and fell against her back, and his warm breath whispered in her hair.
“Last night was amazing,” he said.
She smiled against his forearm. “Glad you enjoyed yourself.”
Silence pervaded the cabin as he held her. Finally, he said, “Do you ever wonder if things are too good to be true?” His quiet words conveyed a serious tone.
Without turning to face him, she asked, “Are you talking about right now?”
He kissed her shoulder and pulled her even closer. “I could stay like this forever, here in this cabin, in this bed, with you.”
His words were like a straight shot of hard liquor-a jolt of pleasure and warmth through her veins, followed by a bittersweet aftertaste. “Are you worried that when we head back to civilization, things will be different?”
“It’s pretty perfect right now.”
“And you don’t think perfect can last?” Her chest tightened as she waited for his answer.
He didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally, he said, “I don’t know. I’ve never had perfect before.”
Audrey’s eyes burned with tears. “Me, either,” she said, her voice raw. “Whenever I thought I did… Well, um, Audrey says it’s kind of like that scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy’s all excited and ready to go home. Everything is great…and then the balloon leaves without her.”
“I’ve been left behind by that proverbial balloon a few times in my life.” His warm breath ruffled the hair at her temple. “Do you think this balloon is going to take off without you?”
She refused to think about
it, and curled her fingers around his arm. “I hope not,” she said honestly. That brought another warm kiss to her shoulder. “You know, another thing Audrey says is-”
Zach pressed her into the pillows, and stared down at her. “Dollface. That’s the second time in the past minute you’ve brought up your sister.”
Audrey looked away, her cheeks buzzing with warmth.
He guided her chin with his index finger until their gazes locked. “I’m thinking that maybe you’re a little envious of her. I think you’re jealous of Audrey.”
“You don’t understand.”
“I think I do. From what you’ve told me, your sister is happy. Even though her life might be humble, she has everything she needs. While you and me…” He glanced away a moment. “We’re cut from the same cloth. We’ve spent a lot of time pretending to know what we’ve needed, but actually having no clue. Everything we need has been right in front of our noses for a while now. We just didn’t bother sitting still long enough to see it.”
She had to ask. “Do you want what Audrey has? Would you be happy with her life?”
Zach gave her a gentle smile, almost as if he felt sorry for her, then turned her until she was cradled against him. “I’m sure your sister is a lovely person, but I don’t want what she has. I want what I have right now.” He kissed the top of her head.
Audrey batted back tears. She’d dug herself a hole, and would have a heck of a time climbing back out. On a long breath, she relaxed into his arms. She didn’t want to think about that now. Like Zach said, she wanted what she had right now, too.
They stayed like that until the sun came up over the mountains and spilled its light through the tiny, dust-covered windows of the cabin. Audrey knew they’d have to get up eventually, but she’d let him make the first move.
She heard the tap, tap, tapping again. “What’s that?”
“Woodpecker. I’d have thrown something at the wall to scare it, but I didn’t want to wake you.”
He was so sweet. So different than the man she’d first assumed. “Mmm,” she murmured, cozying back into his arms. His erection pressed against her hip. “Speaking of peckers,” she said.
He choked on a laugh, and flipped her onto her back. “That’s what I love about you, dollface. I never know what you’re going to say or do.”
Love.
She stared up into his handsome face, and realized exactly what she loved about him.
Him.
As soon as they returned to Sun Valley, she’d tell him the truth, despite her fears and anxiety. Telling him here, right now, wouldn’t give him the space he might need to let the information sink in. She pulled his face down and captured his mouth with hers, scraping her fingernails down his back until he was as caught up in the moment as she.
He spread her thighs with his knees. Poising at the brink of her femininity, he leaned down to kiss her mouth at the same time he entered her.
“Oh, dollface,” he groaned into her ear as they neared climax. “I adore you.”
The dam around her heart burst, flooding her soul with pleasure and pain. Please, please, please let him adore the real me. Please let him understand why I lied to him.
He might be thinking he was loving Ava Divine, but it was Audrey Thompson who loved him back.
*****
Zach kept a close eye on Audrey throughout the short flight back to the Sun Valley Airport. He told himself his concern was over her fear of flying, which he still thought rather ironic. But he knew in his heart the real reason: he’d fallen for her. Hard.
As they approached the airport, her lips pressed tightly together, and she looked about as rigid as the blades on the rotor. “You doing okay?”
She nodded without looking his way. She’d told him earlier if she moved her head, she might throw up.
The primal need to protect her tugged at his heartstrings. “We’re almost there. Just a few more minutes.”
“If I never see a helicopter again, it’ll be too soon.”
“That’s too bad, because the only other way to reach my cabin is to hike in.”
She looked this time. “You’re inviting me back?”
He grinned. “Absolutely.”
A flush lit her face, and she smiled. “Okay. Maybe I can manage this flight again. But next time, I’m bringing tequila.”
Once they were on the ground and back in his Jeep, she checked her reflection in the tiny mirror on the visor and gave a loud sigh. “Well, here goes the game again.” She rummaged through her purse, and pulled out a tube of lipstick.
He worked his jaw a few moments. “It’s not a game for me anymore, dollface.”
He felt her gaze on him. He stared at the road ahead, shocked at what he was about to say to her. “I’m in love with you.” He had to shout it over the wind rushing through the topless vehicle.
She didn’t say anything, the lipstick poised over her lips. She bowed her head and closed the lipstick tube, lowering her hands to her lap.
Zach’s heart spiraled to the ground, a nosedive to the gut. He should have known better than to blurt out his feelings like that. She’d told him time and time again how she didn’t want to get serious with anyone, how her career and life were fine without a man.
He floored the Jeep, and they drove the rest of the way back to his family’s estate in silence.
As he pulled up to the eight-car garage behind the house, he said quietly, “I’ve scared you off.”
For a moment, he worried she wouldn’t respond. “You scared me,” she admitted, and his stomach plunged a thousand feet. “But you didn’t scare me off.”
He swiveled in his seat. “You haven’t said a word for the past ten minutes.”
She finally met his gaze, and he saw moisture rimming her beautiful green eyes, making them sparkle like the stream behind his cabin. “I’ve never felt like this before, Zachary. Ever. And I’ve never felt the urge to tell a man other than my father that I loved him, but…” A tear spilled onto her cheek. “We barely know each other. You…don’t really know me.” Her throat contracted with a hard swallow.
He sucked in a long breath. “I’ve been with enough women to know when something is different, special. I’ve never felt this way, either. I don’t think it matters if we’ve known each other a day, a year, or a decade.”
He pulled her into his arms, and she opened to him without hesitation.
A few minutes later, as they walked up the cobblestone path to the house, she said, “There’s something I need to tell you before we take our relationship any farther.”
But before she could utter another word, the double doors swung open in front of them, and his mother stepped out. “Well, it’s about time you returned. You’ll never guess who’s here.”
Warning bells went off in Zach’s head. His mother only looked that pleased with herself when she had something up her sleeve. He held back a groan, and waited for the bomb to drop.
His mother, seeing she had their full attention, said, “It’s Ava’s twin sister. Audrey.”
*****
Audrey’s feet ground to a stop, embedded in concrete. Ava? In Sun Valley? Oh, God.
“Are you all right?” Zach asked, turning to look at her.
No, she wasn’t all right. She was going to throw up. All over her designer jeans. “I-I’m fine,” she managed to sputter. More like shell-shocked.
Moving like a robot, she stepped inside the foyer and came face-to-face with Ava-dressed as Audrey, wearing beige capris, pink tank top, and slip-on flats.
“Surprise,” Ava-as-Audrey greeted them, coming forward to wrap Audrey into a hug.
“What are you doing here?” Audrey whispered into her twin’s ear.
“Saving you,” Ava hissed back. She pulled away, and Audrey thought her legs might buckle beneath her. The real Ava turned to Zach. “You must be Zachary Banister.” She held out her hand and waited for him to shake it. “I’ve heard a lot about you. Gosh, I feel like I already know you.”
&nb
sp; Audrey wanted to strangle her. She watched Zach’s face carefully, waiting to see when he figured it out. But he just smiled and shook Ava’s hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Audrey,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot of nice things about you, too.”
Ava pressed her hand to her heart. “Well, you know what they say about twins-we’re always on each other’s minds.”
Audrey wanted to punch her. She wanted to scream, to cry, to do something to get out of this mess, but she was paralyzed.
“I’m just making sure my sister isn’t getting herself into too much trouble. You know how she can be.”
Zach smiled, and gave Audrey’s waist a squeeze. “Don’t worry. I’ve kept a good eye on her.” She knew he probably expected her to look up at him, but she couldn’t.
Finally, she choked, “When did you get here, Audrey?” She practically spat out her own name.
“I just flew in. I was about to share some tea with Mrs. Banister. She’s been a perfectly lovely hostess.”
Audrey grabbed her sister’s arm, pleased to hear the soft gasp of pain. “Tea does sound perfectly lovely.” Gag. “But I really need to get cleaned up first. Audrey, you can keep me company.” With a frazzled smile in Zach’s direction, and a quick glance toward Mrs. Banister’s smug expression, Audrey dragged her sister across the marble foyer and up the curving staircase.
She didn’t stop until they were inside her room with the door safely closed behind them. She swung to face Ava. “What the heck are you doing here?” Her skin burned, and her stomach cramped like she’d just done a thousand sit-ups.
“‘Hell,’ Aud. You can say ‘hell.’ It’s a bit more apropos than ‘heck’ when you’re this uptight.” Dropping all pretenses, Ava sashayed across the floor, then plopped onto the edge of the bed. “Like I told you, I’m here to save you.”
“Save me from what?”
Ava studied her short fingernails as if they held the secret to world peace. “I can’t believe I removed my nails for you. Oh, well. It was time for new ones anyway.”
“Ava! Save me from what?” Tension pounded against the inside of her skull like a child pounding on a locked door.
Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set: Love in Bloom Page 133