by HELEN HARDT
She stood there, naked from the waist up. Zach was puzzled. He waited for her to move, but she didn’t. How was he supposed to handle this? His desire for her was like lightning in his veins, but she needed him to be calm, to take care of her. He took a deep breath, lifted her onto the counter, and pulled off her boots. “This okay?”
She nodded, so he pulled her down and unbuckled her belt and unsnapped her jeans. She shimmied out of them and stood before him wearing only a pair of lacy bikinis. His cock stiffened, but she was so distraught. He had to control himself. He touched her hips—God, the fire in his loins—and gently eased the panties downward. Ah, sweet golden curls, beautiful pink woman. He willed himself to soften, without much luck, and he lifted her and placed her in the tub.
Her sigh was like a gentle breeze as she leaned back. He turned to leave.
“Zach.”
Her voice cut right into his heart.
He turned, and the sight of her beautiful body soaking in the fragrant water about undid him. When she held out her arms to him, he thought he might melt into a puddle right there on the bathroom floor.
“You want me?”
She nodded.
“In the tub. With you?”
She nodded again. If only she would smile that sweet smile, curve those cherry lips upward. He couldn’t take advantage of her like this.
“Please, Zach.”
He wasn’t made of stone. Well, one part of him was at the moment. Within seconds, his clothes were in disarray on the floor. He stepped in behind her and nestled her into his chest.
He wanted to help her, to comfort her, to take away whatever was hurting her. So why didn’t his dick understand that? Her beautiful body felt perfect against him, like she was created to fit into him. The Honey Milk softened the water, and the slickness of her delicate skin against his chest…
He couldn’t hide his arousal. He would control himself, but his erection was there to stay. He hoped it didn’t bother her.
She seemed oblivious. He was hyper-conscious of her breathing. Every rise and fall of her chest sank her more deeply into him. He reached to the side, grabbed a bar of soap, lathered it between his palms, and spread the silky suds onto her arms, caressing her lightly. She sighed, a delicate flutter against his arms, so he lathered up some more and ran it over her breasts, pausing for a moment to squeeze them lightly.
“That’s nice,” she whispered, turning her head slightly. He lowered his mouth to her cheek and gave her a chaste kiss.
She surprised him when she turned around and hugged her cheek to his hard chest. When she wrapped her arms around him, he exhaled slowly, hoping his hardness didn’t disturb her relaxation. They stayed in that position for a while, until the water became lukewarm.
Zach kissed the top of her golden head. “The water’s cooling off, darlin’. Do you want to get out now?”
She nodded, sat up, and stepped out of the tub. He stepped behind her and wrapped her in a towel. He dried her and sheathed her in a fluffy white robe provided by the hotel. After drying himself and donning another robe, he led her to the bed and laid her down. She curled onto her side and closed her eyes. He lay down behind her, spoon fashion, and wrapped her in his arms. Soon the heavy breathing of her slumber calmed him, and he fell asleep.
* * *
He awoke to her caresses. She was touching his face, running her slender fingers over his cheekbones, his nose, his lips. He puckered his lips and kissed her fingers.
“Thank you for taking care of me,” she said.
“You’re welcome. I was glad to do it.” He cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over her delicate skin. “Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?”
She shook her head and then leaned down and brushed her cherry lips across his. “I don’t want to talk,” she said. “I just want to make love.”
Zach’s heart leaped, and another part of his anatomy responded, as well. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I’m sure. And I’m sorry I ran from you so many times. I was frightened. But I’m not anymore. I want you.”
“Don’t you think we should talk first?” Talk? A beautiful woman wants you and you’re trying to talk?
“We can talk later.” Her voice sounded sweet, yet sultry. “Right now I want you inside me.”
Jesus, she didn’t have to ask twice. He sighed as he pushed her beautiful golden waves out of her eyes. “Darlin’, I want you so much.”
“I want you, too.”
“Come here.” He pulled her to him and kissed her beautiful mouth, running his tongue over the seam of her lips and coaxing them open. When her tongue darted out and touched his, he nearly came right there. The sweet spiciness of her mouth, the silky texture, the scent of her hair, of her arousal. He kissed her with a strange mixture of reverence and a strong passion he had never known. He was going to make this good for her. So good.
He continued to kiss her as he caressed her neck, her shoulders. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “I’ve never seen anyone more lovely.”
Dusty closed her eyes and leaned her head back. Zach nuzzled her neck, her pulse point, inhaling her sweet fragrance. “Come here, darlin’,” he said and pulled her down on the bed. He pushed the robe from her lovely body and removed his own. He leaned over her and kissed her again, thrusting his tongue into her mouth with urgency. Taking. Giving. She responded with a frenzy.
Yes, she wanted this as much as he did.
He broke from her mouth and licked his way down to her beautiful breasts, circling each pebbled nipple, biting and tugging. Her sighs and moans fueled him as he worshiped her. When her nipples were deep ruby from his attention, he kissed her belly, pushed his tongue into her navel, and buried his nose in her golden curls. Oh, the sweet scent of her arousal, muskiness mixed with fresh apples. He could drown in it. He moved his mouth just a hair’s breadth farther down and kissed her swollen folds.
Her sex glistened with cream. He almost felt he could be satisfied just to look at her.
Almost.
Then he dove in.
Sweet, sweet ecstasy. She made such sexy, exquisite noises as he feasted. She urged him on, told him how much she loved what he was doing. Her folds were soft and silky against his tongue. He brought her to the edge several times before he let her come, and then he slid two fingers inside her and felt each and every spasm as she shouted his name.
“Oh my God,” Dusty said breathlessly. “That’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt.”
The most she’d spoken since he’d found her. Was it possible that she had never experienced an orgasm? Not likely.
Zach crawled atop her body and kissed her slowly. “Let me come inside you, darlin’,” he rasped.
“Yes, please.”
“I’ll be right back.”
“No. Don’t go.”
“It’ll just be a minute. I need to get a condom.”
“No. No. I can’t get pregnant. And I don’t have any…other issues. Please, just you. Just you inside me.
Sweet God, she was on the pill. And she was clean. Instinct told him to trust her. The thought of sheathing himself in that tight body of hers with no barriers made his erection swell even bigger.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes. Yes, I’m sure.”
“I’m clean, too, I promise,” he whispered. He positioned himself at her entrance and plunged inside.
Her shocked gasp surprised him momentarily, but he was overcome with pleasure at her tightness, her silkiness, her sweet suction hugging him. “Oh, darlin’, you feel so good.”
She squirmed and arched closer to him, moaning. Her breathy sobs threatened his control. He wanted her to climax again, but he wasn’t sure how long he could hold out. Deftly, he reached between their sweaty bodies and found her clit, wet with her nectar. He circled it with his fingers in tandem with his thrusts. When her walls clenched around him, he let go and groaned her name as he spilled into her.
Chapter Seven
She moved gingerly, the soreness between her legs more pronounced than she had expected. Perhaps he had been larger than normal. Not that she would have known the difference.
Absolutely wonderful. A mistake, of course.
But a wonderful mistake.
She got up quietly and shuffled into the bathroom. Gazing into the mirror, she was startled. Her hair was a mass of waves, yet it looked sexy. Her cheeks were flushed and her nipples a deep crimson. She looked well used and well loved. She felt the same.
Looking down to the triangle between her legs she noticed a few rust-colored smudges on her inner thighs.
Her virgin’s blood.
She moistened a washcloth in warm water and cleansed herself. The warm dampness soothed the sting of her tissues.
“Darlin’?”
She looked up. Zach stood in the doorway, naked and regal. Oh, he was beautiful. His broad shoulders glimmered in the fluorescent light of the vanity, the lines of his muscles a pleasure to behold, and the patch of dark hair on his chest was so rugged. So manly. Between his legs, his sex hung loosely, surrounded by a nest of black curls. And those eyes… She wanted to melt into them.
“Darlin’?” He spoke again. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No.” Warmth crept up her neck.
“That wasn’t your—”
“My first time.” She rinsed out the cloth. “Yeah.”
“I didn’t know.”
“I know. It’s okay.”
“But how? Why?”
She turned and walked into his arms. “I never wanted anyone enough. Until now.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I’m honored.”
Okay, now she was embarrassed. “It’s no big deal.”
“Are you kidding?” He grasped her shoulders, pushed her away, and bored his eyes into hers. “It’s a huge deal. And if I had known, I could have made it better for you.”
“No, you couldn’t have. It was perfect. Thank you.”
“Aw, hell, I’m the one who should be thanking you. You gave me a priceless gift. I’ll always treasure it, darlin’.”
Dusty didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing.
“And it’ll be better next time. Just wait and see.” He winked at her.
Of course, there wouldn’t be a next time, but she didn’t want to tell him that yet. She wanted to hold him and pretend nothing else in the world existed.
His voice breached her thoughts. “If you weren’t, you know, active sexually, why are you on the pill?”
“What? Oh, yeah, the pill.” Dusty cleared her throat. “Irregular periods.”
“Oh.”
“Let’s go back to bed,” she said.
“You’re sore. We should wait—”
“I didn’t mean it that way. I just want to lie with you. In your arms.”
He smiled down at her, took her hand, and led her back to the bed. She snuggled into him, sighing. “You smell good.”
“Like honey and milk?” His eyes twinkled.
“Kind of.”
“That’s what I put in the bath.”
Dusty giggled softly. “Somehow you don’t seem the milk bath type.”
“What a man’ll do for his woman.” He squeezed her breast playfully.
His woman. Wow. She did like the sound of it. If only it could be. “It’s not just honey and milk. You smell fresh, and musky.”
“That’s you, darlin’. I smell like you.”
“Oh.” She heated.
“It’s the smell of sex. Of our scents mingled together.” He inhaled deeply. “There’s no sweeter perfume.”
She breathed in and had to agree with him.
“Dusty?”
“Yeah?” She winced. She already knew him well enough to know that when he used her name, instead of calling her darling, something was up.
“What was going on with you earlier?”
“I’m hungry.” She wasn’t, but she had to change the subject.
“I’ll call room service.”
“No, I should go… I’m barrel racing tomorrow.”
“Oh. Shoot.”
“What?”
“I’m one of the judges for the barrel racing. I guess I’ll have to disqualify myself.”
“Why? You’re not even a real judge. There’s no subjectivity in barrel racing.”
“Still—” He pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. “I can hardly be impartial when I’m sleeping with one of the contestants.”
“There’s no impartiality. You just record the time and watch if any barrels get knocked over. I trust you to be fair.” She smiled. “I’m going to win, anyway. Sydney Buchanan’s the only one who has come close to my record time, and I already know I can beat her.”
He kissed her again. “Just the same, I’m recusing myself. But I’ll be there to cheer you on.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Woman, I want to. Now if you’re hungry, I’m calling room service, and we’ll have dinner together up here. And we’ll talk.”
He stood and went into the living area.
Talk? Why did he want to talk? Weren’t men supposed to hate talking?
He came back in with the room service menu and tossed it on the bed. “Order whatever you want.”
“I’m not really hungry.”
“Damn it, Dusty, you just said you were.”
“Oh. Right.” She had to get out of here. “I should go, though. I haven’t given Regina a workout today, and we’re competing tomorrow.”
“You know as well as I do that a day off before a competition is good for an animal.”
“Not everyone subscribes to that viewpoint.”
“But I’m willing to bet you do. With your love of animals.”
She sighed. He was right, of course. “I should get back though. I’ll need a good night’s sleep…”
“Dusty, it’s six o’clock, and we spent half the afternoon sleeping.”
“I need to call Sam.”
“So call him.”
“I don’t have a cell phone.” She grimaced at the look of surprise on Zach’s face.
He pointed to the phone on the nightstand. “So?”
“Fine.” She quickly dialed the hotel and left Sam a message.
When she was finished, Zach took the phone from her.
“This is suite twenty-five hundred. I’ll have the Chateaubriand for two, please, with green beans and garlic mashed potatoes. Oysters on the half-shell for an appetizer.” A pause. “Yeah, that’d be great. And a chocolate soufflé for dessert.” He started to put the phone down, and then spoke again. “You still there? A bottle of your best Bordeaux. Thanks.”
Dusty’s mouth dropped open. He had just ordered about three hundred dollars’ worth of food. That was her and Sam’s grocery budget for a month. At least, it had been while they were saving for this trip to Denver. The steak dinner the previous evening must have set him back about a hundred and fifty, but this was plain crazy.
“Uh, Zach?”
“Hmm?”
“You don’t need to spend that much money on dinner for me.”
“For you?” He grinned and touched her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I thought I might eat some, too.”
“Of course, but—”
“You said you’re hungry, and you need to eat a good solid meal so you’re at your best for competition tomorrow.”
“And the wine?”
“Goes great with the meat.” He gave her a lazy half-smile.
“What I don’t need is a hangover.”
“You won’t have one. I’ll take good care of you tonight. I promise.”
Dusty sighed and smiled. Why not share a meal with him? She had shared her body, and she had no regrets. She wanted to let him take care of her. She wasn’t re
ady for it all to end.
“You want another bath?” he asked. “It’ll help the soreness.”
It did sound heavenly. “Yeah, but I need to wash my hair. So I’d better take a shower.”
“Nah, a bath.” He grinned at her. “And I’ll wash your hair.”
Now why in the world did the thought of Zach washing her hair completely turn her on?
“Only if I get to wash yours.” The idea of threading her fingers through his black silk thrilled her.
“I won’t turn that down, darlin’.” He started for the bathroom. “I’ll run the bath and call you when it’s ready.”
“Mmm,” Dusty purred, and then lay back on the bed. She missed him already, and he was only in the bathroom. She ran her hands over her breasts, cupping them, squeezing them, making her nipples harden. She moved one hand down to her triangle of curls, imagining Zach’s silky head between her legs, his hot mouth pleasuring her.
“Now that’s a lovely sight.”
Zach stood in the doorway between the bathroom and the bedroom, his eyes smoldering.
Dusty warmed and redness crept to her breasts. She stilled her hands.
Zach grinned. “Your bath is ready, darlin’. Though I think I’d rather join you.”
Though embarrassed, she couldn’t help but chuckle. How she wished she could forget everything about her life and stay here in this room forever, making sweet love to this phenomenal man.
“Come on,” he said. “I promised you a scalp massage.”
“A scalp massage? I just need my hair washed.”
“There’s more to hair washing than shampoo and conditioner.” He winked. “It’s an erotic art.”
She smiled. He was so damned adorable. “An erotic art, huh? This an invention of yours?”
“Yeah. As of five minutes ago. Come on.”
Erotic art, indeed. Zach’s strong and talented hands reduced Dusty to a pool of jelly by the time he had rinsed and conditioned her. As an added benefit, her hair felt extraordinarily clean.
“Your hair is beautiful,” he said. “And so long.”
“I’ve been growing it out for a while. Almost five years.”