HIGHER (The Indigo Lounge Series)

by Cox, Zara

  Keely’s mouth dropped open. “Are you kidding me?”

  Bethany finally managed to unglue her tongue to string words together. “Wait, what do you mean you trusted her to take care of me?”

  Both Keely and Zach stared at her. Guilt flicked over Keely’s face but Zach remained tight-jawed and unapologetic.

  Her insides hollowed out. “Someone better answer me, right now. Did you plan tonight with him, Keely?”

  Her friend flushed and shook her head. “No. Not exactly.”

  “Then how…exactly?”

  “He was just supposed to turn up and wish you happy birthday. At least that’s what we agreed. I had no idea he was going to turn into a homicidal maniac the moment another guy looked at you.”

  Zach’s hands curled into tight fists at his side.

  “He was doing a hell of a lot more than looking,” he growled, low and dangerous.

  Keely stepped back, her eyes widening as her gaze flicked back to Bethany. “Let’s go back inside, B,” she said.

  “No—”

  “Hell, no,” Zach tagged on harshly. “The only place Bethany’s going is home with me.”

  “If you think I’m letting you anywhere near her—”

  “I’m going home. On my own,” Bethany slid in quietly. “Keely, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Bethany—” Zach stepped toward her. She turned away sharply. A cab was offloading a couple headed for the club.

  The moment the couple alighted she dived into the back and slammed the door shut.

  “Shit, wait!” He lunged for the door but the driver was already pulling away.

  Her last glimpse of Zach and Keely showed their astonished faces as the cab sped away.

  She lost track of time as her brain reeled from being bombarded with what had just happened. Zach had colluded with Keely to turn up and see her on her birthday. In that moment, Bethany wasn’t sure whether she was madder at Zach or at Keely. Or whether she could stop her heart from slamming excitedly against her ribs when she recalled Zach’s face. His eyes. God, his hands…

  He was waiting when she stepped out of the cab at her apartment. How the fuck had he gotten here so fast?

  Shock held her immobile for several seconds before the cab driver’s impatient prompt pulled her gaze away. She refocused to find Zach slipping him a handful of bills.

  Her breath evaporated from her lungs when he turned to face her. “If you do that to me again, I’ll put you over my knee and spank the hell out of that tight ass of yours.”

  “You…God, Zach, what will it take for you to get the message?”

  “What will it take for you to understand that I’m going nowhere? That I’m not prepared to let one question and one answer stop us from happening?” he grated out.

  His fury hadn’t abated. In fact, if anything, it’d escalated. He reached out and grabbed her arms, jerked her forward until she collided into him.

  Heat from his body rushed over her burning her from the outside in. He lowered his head until his face was one heart-stopping inch from hers.

  “You got into a cab, alone, after fuck knows how many drinks. And after you nearly let another guy put his hands on you. Tell me why I shouldn’t be hauling you off somewhere to teach you a lesson?”

  “Because you don’t own me,” she yelled. “Because this is my life! Because what you told me is life-changing enough for me to want to reassess whether I let you near me ever again.”

  He frowned. “Let me near you…what the hell are you saying? That you’re afraid for your life?” He uttered the words with a shocked breath. A shade of color receded from his face and his eyes widened. “You think I’d ever deliberately hurt you?”

  He looked so stunned, a wave of shame rushed through her. But then she shook her head. “I won’t let you guilt me into defending my feelings, Zach. The reality is I don’t know what to think. You’ve given me nothing, and you expect me to just trust you when you don’t trust me enough to be open with me. I can’t live like that.”

  He clawed a hand through his hair. “Why can’t you trust that if it were up to me, you’d know everything by now?”

  “Oh, change the tune, I’m over hearing your excuses. As for the cab thing, I’m a big girl, Zach. A whole quarter of a century old as of,” she peered at her phone, “thirty-one minutes ago. As you can see, I’m pretty good at getting myself home in one piece.”

  “Be that as it may, you’re drunk and I’m still seeing you upstairs.”

  She lurched away from him and walked into her foyer. “Do what you want. It’s not going to get you anywhere.”

  “It’s going to give me peace of mind to know you’re safe, Bethany. I told you, taking care of you is now my job.”

  She couldn’t stop her heart flipping over as she stabbed the button for the elevator. “If that’s supposed to make all soft and gooey inside, you’re outta luck. I don’t know if you do it deliberately or if you’re just so used to getting your way, you refuse to see or acknowledge anyone else’s way, but you don’t stop to think twice before you hurt me. So pardon me if I find it hard to believe every word that falls from your mouth.”

  He stared at her for long seconds, his hot angry eyes raking her from head to toe. Then he sighed. “Baby, I warned you that returning to the real world would be difficult for us. You’re not making things easier by showing off that sexy body and letting assholes leer over you. And if you think I’m going to stand by idly and watch that happen, you’re seriously deluded.”

  He turned away and watched the floors count down.

  Suddenly she wanted to lash back at him. “What if I liked it, Zach? Other men watching me?”

  He stilled, those piercing eyes cutting straight into her. “Are you sure you want to go down that road, Peaches?” He taunted softly.

  “Don’t call me that.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Want me to stop? Come over here and make me.”

  She actually took a step before she realized his trick. He wanted contact. He knew it would give him the advantage. One touch from him and she would be putty in his hands. She locked her knees and glared at him. “Nice try.”

  His smile was filled with pure masculine confidence and gritty determination. “I play to win, baby. Never forget that.”

  The elevator arrived. She stepped in and held her breath as he entered behind her. With a hand she willed not to shake, she pressed the button for her floor and clutched her tiny purse, avoiding eye contact.

  He lounged against the opposite wall, his eyes never leaving her. His scent surrounded her, invading her senses, viciously reminding her of the hunger clawing through her belly.

  “Peaches,” he murmured in a low undertone. The anger still vibrated in his voice but alongside it reeked dark, dirty sex. Pure, lethal Zach Savage, intent on getting his way. “Stop pushing me away.”

  “No. I can't keep doing this.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Going against my better judgment. Believing that things will turn out okay. I did that with Chris. I refuse to do that again.”

  His jaw clenched hard. “I'm not fucking Chris, Bethany. If you’re saying that to drive me away, I suggest you quit while you’re ahead.”

  Her breath shuddered out. The elevator slid open and she rushed out to her door. Inserting the key, she opened the door and turned to face him. “I’m home now. You can leave.”

  His eyes narrowed. “I’m not leaving.”

  “Yes, you are. I have a birthday date with my vibrator and I’m not going to let you keep us apart.”

  His eyes darkened dramatically. His jaw clenched hard and he breathed in deep. “I can't go. I've been without you for a week. It's driving me fucking insane. You're upset and you’re determined to make me suffer. I get it. But I'm not leaving. Not until you tell me you can find it in your heart to give me one hour of your time soon.”

  Looking at him hurt so much, she turned away abruptly. His low growl the burn of her skin told her his gaze had
found his favorite part of her body - her ass. The magnetic pull of his gaze threatened to undo her.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she sent him a brittle smile.

  “Stay. Leave. I don't care. But don't interrupt me,” she said with more bravado than she was anywhere near feeling.

  With every step she took her legs shook with the need to reverse her direction. She wanted to run into his arms, jump his bones. But she didn't.

  She entered her bedroom and stopped. Breathing in deep, she dug her feet into the carpet, fighting the screaming desire to give in.

  No way was she giving in. Zach would get the message eventually. She'd been blind where Chris was concerned. She'd made a fool of herself in Marrakech for Zach. She'd given him her love and he'd thrown it back in her face. He loved to fuck her. But he didn't love her. Would never love her.

  His heart belonged to a wife long dead and buried and she sure as hell wasn't about to compete with a ghost whose life…and death she still had no clue about.

  Her hand trembled and she hesitated, then her mouth firmed.

  It was her birthday.

  And she had needs, dammit. She'd denied her body's craving for far too long. With an angry jerk, she tugged off her dress and let it drop to the floor, followed quickly by her panties and strapless bra.

  She left her jewelry on and sat, naked, on her bed and slid the bedside drawer open. The rabbit Keely had gifted her what felt like a lifetime ago was still wrapped in its package. She ripped it off and flicked it on. The low hum thrummed along her nerves.

  Her heart began to pound. Heat raced under her skin, flaring within her at the excitement building inside.

  She slid onto the bed and braced her back against the headboard. Her nipples were puckered hard, her breasts heavy and aching as desire rampaged through her. Her bracelets jangled as she slid her hand down her body toward that tight, needy place that throbbed its incessant demand between her legs.

  At the first touch, she gasped.

  She was wet. God, she was so wet. And hot. And agonizingly hungry for the one thing she wouldn’t let herself give in to.

  The door she’d left ajar slowly gaped wider.

  Zach stood on the threshold, those sizzling, intense eyes zeroing in on her with the force and heat of a laser beam.

  She froze, her fingers a bare inch from her clit. Her breath panted out as he took another step into the room.

  “Don't stop on my account.”

  “Go away,” her voice was a hoarse croak. “I don’t want an audience.”

  His laugh was low and mocking. “Yes, you do. You left the door open deliberately. You knew I'd hear everything you were doing in here.” His eyes moved from her face to her breasts, over her stomach to the glistening arousal between her legs. “In fact, you were counting on it. Weren't you? Did the thought make you wet?”

  “No.”

  A tense smile twitched his gorgeous mouth. “Liar.”

  Her clit swelled and throbbed under his feverish scrutiny. His mouth dropped open and his tongue flicked against his lower lip. “God, how much do you want to punish me, Bethany?”

  She slowly slid two fingers on either side of her clit, the sensitive flesh screaming for attention. “Very, very much.”

  His harsh laugh echoed within the room. “Well this is extremely effective.” He stepped deeper into the room, and kicked the door shut. His hands fisted and released at his sides. His eyes never left her, and his breathing grew harsher by the second.

  Seeing the torment in his eyes soothed her bruised heart. Witnessing how much he wanted her satisfied her battered feminine defenses. For as long as she'd known Zachary Savage, this had been her only effective weapon. The urge to hit him where it hurt roared through her.

  Keeping her eyes on him, she slid her fingers faster on either side of her clit. The movement was so intensely pleasurable, she groaned. His raw moan echoed around the room but he didn't move from where he'd frozen in the middle of her bedroom. She cupped one breast with her free hand, squeezing and fondling as desire tore through her.

  She bit her lip as another moan vibrated through the devastatingly gorgeous man who stood frozen with lust in her bedroom. Wetting her forefinger, she twirled it over her hot and tight nipple. Her breath shuddered out of her, her need growing to astronomical proportions. Feeling her orgasm build she slid one finger inside her wet and yearning sex. The slick passage immediately closed hungrily over her finger. Pleasure raced up her spine, curving it so her back arched off the bed. But it wasn't enough. She squeezed in another finger and smothered a scream as the climax surged closer.

  “Bethany...Jesus, Bethany. Look at you, so wet. So fucking tight.” His hand closed over the tent in his trousers and his breath hissed out. “God!”

  She squeezed her nipple between her thumb and forefinger. Oh God. Oh...God! Her hips surged off the bed, her fingers plunging faster in and out. She threw her legs open wider and fucked her fingers in desperate lunges.

  “Fuck...Peaches.”

  Her fingers stilled for a second. “Don't call me that,” she rasped as pain and pleasure congealed into a tight knot beneath her breastbone.

  His fists clenched at his sides, and his nostrils flared. Mouth open, he gulped in desperate breaths. “Do it, baby. Please, don't stop.”

  She didn’t really need that imploration. She couldn't stop. Wouldn't have been able to if her life depended on it. She threw her head back but kept her eyes on him. “You're not supposed to be enjoying this.” With a shaky hand, she grabbed the rabbit, knowing she was close, so very close.

  “I'm in fucking agony. Know that as a certainty, Bethany. But I see how much you need this. And I want you to come before I pass out. Come, Peaches. Come without me inside you. It'll kill me but I'll stay right here.”

  That was the problem. She hated that he wasn't inside her right that moment. But he was right, she needed this more than she needed her next breath. And there was a different, almost sadistic pleasure coursing through her at the knowledge that he was so very much at her mercy.

  She held the rabbit against her clit and screamed as pleasure shot through her.

  Zach squeezed himself and gave a pained groan. Stumbling forward, he dropped to his knees. Gripping the edge of the bed he watched her, his intense grey eyes fixed on her as if she was the one real thing in his universe. He swallowed hard as she rolled her hips, another low moan reverberated through the room.

  Through the waves of ecstasy washing through her, she heard him mutter Fuck, Fuck, Fuck under his breath. She cried out as bliss crashed over her. She threw her legs wider and buried her two fingers into her soaked heat.

  A harder, darker anguished, “Fuck!” roared through the room. The sound of Zach losing it on the floor in her bedroom sent her over the edge. She screamed her climax, gripped her sheet with her free hand, seeking an anchor other than the one she craved. Liquid heat spurted out of her, drenching her sex and soaking the bed. Sweat coated her skin as savage pleasure roared through her.

  Minutes later, she collapsed back on the pillows, spent. When she managed to pry her leaden eyelids back open, she couldn’t see him. But she knew he was there. She could hear his harsh breathing.

  “Jesus, Bethany,” he muttered under his breath, but she caught it all the same. She was too attuned to him not to. “What the fuck are you doing to me?”

  Chapter Seven

  Minutes passed in silence. She wanted to get up, go jump in the shower. But several things stopped her. First, she wasn’t sure whether she was capable of walking after that intense orgasm. And second, and most terrifying, she wasn’t sure she could walk past Zach without jumping on him, begging him to fuck her pain and confusion away. Because the ache hadn’t abated. Not one little bit. Her insides still remained shredded, and her sex just as empty without him. And her body was acting independently of her heart and head.

  Slowly, heart thumping enough to drown her hearing, she rose onto her elbows and glanced down at the floor.
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br />   Zach lay on his back, his chest rising and falling in rapid breathing, his eyes squeezed shut.

  Finally, he rolled upright. His face was taut with held in emotion, his nostrils flared wide as he breathed. The anguish and fierce arousal stamped so severely on his face made her breath catch. His eyes snapped open. Dark, turbulent eyes zeroed in on her, fixing her with that unwavering focus that had never ceased to unnerve her since their first meeting.

  “You will come back to me, Bethany.”

  She shook her head fiercely, holding on to her pain and reminding herself why she couldn’t give in to his iron will. He didn’t love her. He loved someone else. A dead someone else.

  “Yes, you will. I won’t stop trying until you do,” he continued harshly. “And then do you know what’s going to happen?”

  The aggression in his voice sent a tremor of apprehension up her spine. “What are you going to do, Zach?” She dared him.

  His teeth bared in a parody of a smile. “I’m going to punish you for what you’re doing to us. I’m going to fuck you raw for days. Until your vocal cords stop working from screaming for mercy. And you know what? I won’t stop. Because every day you keep us apart, every minute you maintain this distance, I get that little bit crazier, that little bit out of my fucking head with craving you. And you will pay, Bethany. Dearly. Take a few minutes. Think about that and assess how much you want this thing to drag on. I’m not going anywhere. Now where’s your bathroom?”

  “My bathroom?”

  He looked down at his crotch and back at her, one wry eyebrow lifted. “I blew my load watching you finger fuck that tight, sweet cunt. I’m a fucking mess right now.’

  There was no hint of embarrassment in his voice. Not a single shred of it. He rose off the floor with a litheness that was beautiful to watch. He took a step toward the bed and raked her naked body with hot, lethal eyes. They burned even hotter when they rested between her legs. She knew the evidence of her climax was pretty hard to miss. Hell, she was drenched with it.

  “The cunt that belongs to me. That’s something else you’ll have to pay for, by the way. Bathroom?”