by Dakote Trace
"I can't believe you sank that!" Annabelle said fiercely.
"Beginners luck. But don't worry, Annabelle, if you sink it this time, you'll still win. And get ten extra pieces of chocolate to boot." He stepped closer to her as she lined up her shot. Leaning in, he smiled wickedly. What he was about to do wasn't fair play at all. But who ever said he played fair?
"Hmm, you smell good! I wonder if you'll taste just as good." He nuzzled her ear as she swung her club, and as he expected, her ball careened into the pole and bounced back, landing two inches from the hole.
"Zephyr Raincloud, that wasn't nice," she said as she walked back over to her ball.
"And you assumed I played fair." He picked her up and set her on the fence railing next to the course.
"And what exactly do you think you’re doing?"
"Thinking about claiming my prize." He raised his eyebrows.
"But we're not done playing!" she protested.
"It won't matter if you sink the ball on this stroke. To win the game, you had to sink it on the first shot and I had to go over. Hell, to even tie the game up, you’d have had to sink that last shot." He lowered his head. Annabelle's dark eyes widened as she watched him come closer and closer.
"But the wager was at the end of the date!" she said wildly. Zephyr narrowed his eyes as he stopped, then smiled.
"So it was." He slowly released her.
* * * *
As they walked out of the building, Zephyr stared at the starry night. He had never had so much fun in his adult life.
"You know, I had a real good time tonight, Annabelle." He stuck his hands in his pockets as they approached her car.
"Not bad for a white girl, huh?" She leaned against her car. "So where's my chocolate?".
"I figured you’d start demanding it. It's at my shop."
"You didn't bring it with you?"
"No. I didn't want it to melt." He shrugged at her obvious look of disbelief.
"Then let’s go to your shop, so I can get my chocolates and go home."
"I don't think so." He placed an arm on either side of her, effectively pinning her to the car.
"You promised!"
"You'll get your chocolate, but you won't be going home just yet. You owe me four hours of paperwork."
"I can't believe you’re going to hold me to that tonight!" she wailed.
"Why did you agree to the wager then?" Zephyr nuzzled the side of her long neck.
"The chocolate made me do it!" she cried.
"And you thought you could whip the pants off me, right?" He drew ever closer to her ear.
"Yes," she moaned softly.
"Then next time, be careful what you wager." He dipped his tongue into her ear. "Because I always collect!"
She gasped and lifted her hands to his shoulders as goose bumps ran across her flesh. Who would have ever thought her ear was that exquisitely sensitive?
* * * *
Annabelle sat down behind Zephyr's desk and looked at all the paperwork that had piled up again. How had she managed to land herself back here? Did the man ever do any of his paperwork? Zephyr leaned against the door frame and watched as she took the first paper she saw. He frowned, as it was one of his handwritten recipe cards. He watched as she placed it with similar cards. When she looked up, she saw his puzzled stare.
"What? You wanted me to do this."
"I know." He still couldn't place what bothered him. He brought over a piece of fudge to her. "Here you go." He watched as she snatched it up and hungrily devoured it.
* * * *
When she’d finally plowed through all the paperwork on his desk top, Annabelle realized she’d only worked off an hour of her lost wager. Sighing deeply, she decided she’d just have to grin and bear the other three hours, and firmly resolve not to wager against the man ever again. Speaking of...where had he run off to? She stood up and decided to go and investigate.
* * * *
Zephyr was waiting for Annabelle to finish the work in his office. Standing at his work counter, he mixed another batch of fudge. His double Dutch chocolate fudge had been selling well lately, flying off the shelves. Smiling broadly, he poured it into the waiting pan. And that's where Annabelle found him. Walking up behind him, she couldn't help but reach around his arm and run her finger slowly over the edge of the bowl. Zephyr stilled instantly, watching in amazement as the finger returned again and stole some more deep, rich fudge.
"Do you know what I do to little thieves?" He slowly turned around after setting the large steel bowl on the counter.
"What?" Annabelle sucked the rest of the chocolate off her finger. He growled low in his throat before yanking her into his arms.
"In your case, you have to kiss the cook," he said as he lowered his head towards hers.
She gasped when she felt the warmth of his lips settle on hers. Who would have ever dreamed he would be such a wonderful kisser? He obviously didn't adhere to the old Native American tradition of no kissing. When her lips parted with a sigh and she wrapped one arm around his neck, he thrust his tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers. She tasted of his best Dutch chocolate and that was one of his own personal favorite flavors. By the time they came up for air, they were both breathing raggedly. "Zephyrus," she moaned softly.
"I know." He bent his head for more. She tasted of his chocolate and something even more tantalizing under it—her own unique flavor, he decided, as he delved further into her mouth. Before long they were plastered against each other; and even knowing it was going too far, too fast, they couldn't stop the headlong rush of desire filling them both.
When he slid his hand down to her bottom to pull her closer to his need-filled loins, she arched into him. Pulling his head away for air, he looked down into her passion-filled eyes. Groaning, he turned and lifted her onto the long table behind him. "If you're going to stop me, Annabelle, you have to do it now." He gasped deeply as he fought with an intense desire he barely could control.
"Who said anything about stopping?" She reached for him again.
With a rumble, he snatched her up off the work counter and carried her into his office. Kicking the door shut behind him, he carried her over to his desk and, sitting her in the chair, he knelt between her feet. Leaning over intently, he captured her lips again. Annabelle moaned as pleasure shot through her once more.
Reaching behind his neck she toyed with the thong holding his long silky hair back. When she tugged on it, he stilled. Lifting his head, he stared deeply into her eyes. Zephyr had never made love before with his hair unbound—in his eyes, only his mate had the right to untie his hair. Not even Hestia had ever untied it. But after a moment, he closed his eyes, and made his decision.
"Go ahead. Untie it!" He groaned with pleasure as she did. Annabelle murmured her approval at the silkiness of his hair between her fingers. The man's hair was longer than her own waist-length hair.
"Oh my." She threaded her fingers through his hair. Zephyr groaned, low and long at the sensation of having his hair played with. Leaning in, he captured her mouth under his once more. She gasped and tried to wriggle closer. Growling, he pushed her legs up and over the arms of the chair, spreading her totally open. He placed his hard bulge against her femininity and started to rub. Annabelle stilled and then grasped tightly at his shoulders.
"Zephyrus?" she gasped uncertainly.
"Shh. It'll be all right." He ran his mouth down her throat.
Pausing to suckle on her slender shoulder, he couldn't resist leaving a raspberry-colored love mark. Pulling back, he looked at it with special satisfaction—any man who saw it would realize at once, she was taken. He watched with pleasure as she arched under him as he continued to rub against her. Reaching down, he started to slowly peel her shirt upwards, revealing her luscious breasts. He rumbled deeply when he saw she wasn't wearing any undergarment.
"Pretty," he whispered.
"I'm small." She tried to pull her shirt back down. She stopped when she felt his hands on hers –
holding her wrists lightly.
"No! Perfect." He leaned down to nuzzle one peak and then the other. Reaching behind him, he yanked his own shirt up and over his head. Tossing it on the floor, he leaned forward and rubbed his chest across hers. They both groaned at the sensual pleasure of skin meeting skin. Annabelle panted as Zephyr rubbed his golden copper skin against her pale cream—the contrast was erotic as hell. Pulling her legs off the arms of the chair, Zephyr coiled them around his hips.
As he continued to rub against her, he growled, "Damn it, Annabelle, I want you."
"Oh please! Yes, please." She rocked back against him.
"Oh yes," he whispered against her ear. "I want you to let go, Annabelle. It's too soon for total intimacy. But let me give you this?" He locked eyes with her as he continued to rub back and forth against her ardently aroused body.
"Zephyr, please," she whispered. "I ache."
"I know, let me take care of that." He bent back to her tight, hard, erect nipples. Toying with the button on her jeans, he briefly debated on stripping the clinging denim down her long legs, and decided he couldn't resist. Nothing said he had to complete their intimacy. Untangling her legs from his hips, he pulled them back to their previous position over the arms of his chair. Trailing his fingers over the damp denim at the junction of her thighs, he kept rubbing softly. Looking up at her, he captured her dazed, awestruck passionate eyes.
"Can I take these off, Annabelle?" He tugged on the brass closure of her jeans.
"Yes, please." She lifted her hips, bringing her long legs together to help him pull off her confining jeans and panties. When he finally had them down around her ankles, she kicked them off. Shoving her legs back up onto the arms of his chair, he huskily moaned before leaning forward and burying his face in her fragrant curls.
She went rigid when she felt the wet probe of his tongue. This was totally outside of her experience. Even though she’d been raised to be a modern woman, her family still valued chastity. She’d never even attempted to be this close to an aroused male, and she knew she’d never be this close again. She knew he didn't love her—but like her mother before her, she was going to give her body to the only man who had ever completely stirred her passions.
"Please?" She arched in his arms as the coil wound tighter inside of her. She knew it wouldn't take much to make her climax peak. She might have been a virgin, but she was far from unknowing or innocent.
Lifting his head, he smiled rakishly at her.
"I intend to." He reached down and loosened his jeans.
When his manhood sprang forward, Annabelle gasped. She’d never seen a man up close before, and pictures and videos were a pale comparison to the reality of Zephyrus Raincloud’s aroused cock. It was swollen with passion, its tip gleaming with a bead of moisture. Taking his manhood in his hand, he gently rubbed it up and down against her.
When she cried out and arched into him, he gritted his teeth. He’d promised himself he wouldn't take advantage of her. His ‘honor’ demanded he court her properly, so total intimacy wasn't an option at this time. Resting his hips against hers, he slowly rubbed his erection through her curls and smiled savagely at her moan.
"That's right, Annabelle. Come for me," he whispered into her ear. She twisted helplessly against him as she felt the peak—her first real climax—coming.
* * * *
Damn, she felt like she was going to jump out of her sensitive skin.
Whimpering, she pulled his head back down to hers, fastening her mouth on his and burying her fingers in his tousled hair. Tensing, she fought her need to climax immediately. She didn't want to come alone. This would be the first time another person had made her come, and she didn't want to be alone. She needed him to be with her...in her.
"Zephyr, please. Not alone." She edged closer to climaxing.
"Shh, little one, it's all right." He rubbed against her and coaxed her ever closer to that unique precipice.
"Not without you," she protested unhesitatingly.
"Let go. I'll catch you." Moving back slightly, he ran his thumb through her drenched curls and pressed hard against her erect clitoris.
"Zephyrus!" She stiffened as her first real orgasm poured over her, her entire body quivering with the release.
"That's right, little one, it's me that's giving you this." Zephyr continued to rub himself against her thigh. He was so close he was unprepared for Annabelle to push him hard enough so he tumbled backwards under his desk and sprawled full length on the floor.
Gasping with excitement, Annabelle knew this was her opportunity to make love to Zephyr. Before he could sort himself out, she pounced on him, straddling his hips. She raised up and slowly rubbed the head of his wet cock against her.
"No. Annabelle!" He grabbed her hips and protested anxiously.
"Let me!" She struggled to position him where she needed him the most – right at the entrance to her achingly wet folds.
Zephyr groaned as he felt her wet heat coat the head of his cock. Between being half under the desk and the fact his jeans had fallen down to his knees, he couldn't even crawl out from under.
"Little one, not yet." He felt her try and take him inside of her lush but slippery body.
"I want you, Zephyrus. I need you inside of me." Annabelle felt his cock butt up against the fragile barrier of her innocence.
"You're a virgin!" He shook his head in denial. "Oh no! Not like this, Annabelle."
"I have to." Annabelle jerked as his hands wrapped around her hips tightly. Pushing uselessly at his strong hold, she wiggled, trying to get more of his length inside of her.
"I don't have a condom, Annabelle. You could end up pregnant—this way I can't protect you."
"I don't care!"
She slapped at his hands before she reached behind her and lightly cupped his semen-filled balls. Letting her fingers drift below them, she gently rubbed the area directly behind them. She had been told that it was the most sensitive spot on a man's entire body. It must be, she thought, as Zephyrus growled loudly and lifted her off him. Crying out in protest, she was unprepared for him to yank her back down as hard as he could. As he met her downward movement with an upward thrust, he broke cleanly though her fragile barrier. Her pain was nothing compared to her joy as he filled her completely.
"Fine! But be prepared for the consequences," he warned as he started raising and lowering her on him. He gasped as pleasure ran through him and Annabelle moaned happily as her body finally accepted the delicious length of him inside of her. Moving her hips slowly, she met the slow surge of Zephyr's hips. She could tell it wouldn't last long by the way that he was groaning under her. The thought of him exploding inside of her fertile womb was enough to make her teeter on the edge of another orgasm. Whimpering, she started bouncing more forcibly on him.
"Annabelle, I'm gonna come." He jerked under her. "You need to stop, let me pull out," he pleaded with an definite rasp.
"Oh, I'm gonna come again!" She started to tremble and convulse on top of him.
"Yes, little one, come. Then pull off me." He fought to hang on long enough to let her finish.
"Yes!" she squealed as her orgasm raced through her lower body. Zephyr started tensing as he felt her warm sheath spasm around him. His own climax was eminent and he fought it off as hard as he could.
"Now, little one, now." He tried to push her off his close-to-exploding cock.
"No," she protested. "Fill me!" She hung onto him as he fought to control his body’s immediate response to her strong orgasmic spasms.
"Annabelle, you don't know what you're asking." He squeezed her hips.
"Yes, I do. If I can't have anything else, please give me this." She locked eyes with him.
"Hell," he growled, unable to deny her. "Annabelle!" he roared as his seed exploded out of him.
"Yes. Oh yes!" She squirmed as she felt the warmth of his seed hit her waiting womb.
* * * *
Annabelle sat on the edge of her bed and watched as Zephyr p
aced back and forth. He was going to wear a path in her carpet if he didn't stop soon.
"Are you sure you are okay?" he asked for the millionth time.
"Yes."
"There's no choice, Annabelle. We have to get married." He came to a sudden stop in front of her.
"Do you love me, Zephyrus?" Annabelle asked softly.
"What does that have to do with us getting married?" He looked at her, puzzled.
"Everything." She shook her head sadly. "I won't marry you without it. So it's time for you to leave."
"We're not done here," Zephyr said hotly.
"Yes, we are. We were done before we even truly got started." She turned and walked over to the window, barely hearing the door open and then close.
* * * *
Annabelle watched the TV mindlessly. It had been about a month since she’d seen Zephyrus Raincloud, and she missed him like crazy. Not to mention that she’d started feeling nauseous in the mornings. Now she didn't know which way to turn. She’d taken a home pregnancy test and it had come back positive. If she didn't want to be married because he had taken her virginity; she definitely didn't want him to marry her just because she was pregnant.
So there she sat on a Saturday night, watching TV instead of sitting in her favorite chocolate shop with her best friend. She wanted so very desperately to talk to Hestia about it, but she knew Hestia would tell Zephyrus about the baby.
Well, that's what you get, she told herself, when you sleep with your best friend's younger brother. But she didn't regret her one night with Zephyr, or the fact that they had created a child together. She just missed him and his luscious chocolates as well as her best friend.
She wasn't surprised when she heard the loud, insistent knock on her apartment door. Walking over, she looked through the peephole and saw the object of her thoughts standing in her hall, a chocolate box held in front of him. Damn, the man sure knew how to tempt her. She jumped when he knocked loudly yet again.
"Annabelle, I know you’re home. Hestia told me she just got off the phone with you. Please open the door?" His voice muffled by the door. Sighing under her breath, she unlocked her door and pulled it open. "Can I come in?" His voice was as quiet as his knock had been loud.