HIGHER (The Indigo Lounge Series)

by Cox, Zara

  God, he really was magnificent. The timer hit sixty laps and he continued to swim, his energy not showing signs of depleting.

  Recalling him expending that energy on her last night, her belly grew hot. Heat arrowed between her legs and she bit her lip on a soft moan. By the time he hit eighty-five, she was struggling to breathe.

  Jesus, she was so pathetic. And helplessly addicted to everything about Zachary Savage - his inhuman strength, his determination, his body.

  Her legs slowly slid open and water lapped against her heating sex. She rocked her hips and sensation built. Her eyes started to drift shut and her breath grew shallower as memories of last night rushed into her mind.

  He’d feasted on her like a man starved for a century. And she’d loved every single minute of it.

  Dimly, she heard the timer beep. She opened her eyes to see him stroking toward her, his wet hair slicked back and his magnificent eyes taking in her shameless stance.

  “I see you started without me.” His eyes lingered on her peaked nipples, visible through his T-shirt before drifting down.

  “Watching you swim made me hot,” she confessed breathlessly.

  His eyes dropped to her open sex and his nostrils flared. “And wet.”

  His hands surged out of the water and traced her inner thighs. One thumb brushed her clit and a cry ripped from her lips.

  “I can’t get enough of you, Zach.”

  Grey eyes grew molten hot and ravenous. “I never want you to. I want you to remain as insatiable for me as I am for you.”

  Rising like an ancient sea god out of the water, he bore her back, parted her thighs wider and delivered the poolside fuck he’d promised.

  ***

  The rest of the day passed at a steady pace of final preparations for the IL trip. Since she needed to do nothing on the actual flights, she concentrated on double and triple checking the arrangements for the ground events.

  At about midday, Zach received another phone call from his attorneys. Her heart tripped over as his face hardened and he walked away from where he’d been sitting next to her in the living room.

  She forced herself to concentrate on her work but when he remained locked in his study for two straight hours her anxiety started to escalate.

  What if he never found a way round the non-disclosure agreement? Zach had shown her in Paris that his integrity meant a great deal to him. She had no doubt that there was far more than his integrity at stake here. But it was still a major issue. Knowing he would hate himself if he ever had to compromise that too in order to find a solution round his promise he’d made her heart ache.

  When he emerged just mid-afternoon, his hair was in disarray from raking his hands through it and his jaw was set in a tight knot. Not that he looked anything less than jaw-dropping in his designer khaki shorts and white T-shirt.

  She rose and went to him. He caught her in his arms and kissed her like she was his lifeline and he was near death.

  When he reluctantly set her free, she looked into turbulent eyes. “On a scale of one to zombie apocalypse, how bad is it?”

  One corner of his mouth twitched upward. “The fires have started and the bodies are stirring.”

  The rock of despair that had lodged beneath her breastbone that last night in Marrakech and never really gone away, dropped into her belly. She witnessed that same despair in his eyes and smoothed back his hair. “Do you want to get out of here for a while?”

  “Unless we’re using the chopper, it may not be wise. Philip tells me there are reporters downstairs.”

  Her despair grew. “Taking the chopper to go get an ice cream cone wasn’t quite what I had in mind.”

  He smoothed a strand of her hair behind her ears. “Sorry, baby. I can arrange for the ice cream to come to you?”

  She frowned and shook her head. “Not quite the same thing. But does that mean I won’t be able to go home to pack for the IL trip?”

  “I have a service that you can use. Or we can get you new things. Is there anything in particular you need from your place?”

  She nodded. “My passport.”

  He grimaced.

  “I suppose I can get Keely to go get it for me.”

  He thought for a moment and nodded. “It’ll give you girls a chance to catch up too. I’ll even make myself scarce if you want me to.”

  Her mood lightened. She gave him a quick kiss. “Thank you. I’ll call her now.”

  He caught her hand as she started to walk away. “Does that win me brownie points?”

  She smiled, feeling lighter than she had five minutes ago. “It does indeed, Savage. And you’ll gain even more when you answer my question of the day later.”

  To his credit he didn’t flinch or look uneasy. The only sign of his distress was the slight darkening of his eyes and the shallow rise and fall of his chest as he nodded. He kissed her fingers and released her.

  Her smile widened as she walked away to call Keely. Her man was doing better. He was willing to attempt change in order to keep her. There were a great many things out of her control. Maintaining an open channel of communication was one she would fight tooth and nail to hang on to.

  Keely was in a much calmer mood when Bethany called.

  “Dinner at your rich boyfriend’s Upper East Side penthouse in exchange for a quick trip to your place? Why not?” There was mild snark in her tone but Bethany chose to overlook it. Keely was still smarting and Bethany didn’t really blame her. She would forgive her in her own time.

  She gave her the list of things she needed and hung up.

  By the time she returned to the living room, Zach was once more shut off in his office.

  Trying not to let it affect her mood, she returned to the living room and continued working.

  ***

  Zach walked into the kitchen as she was uncorking the bottle of red Keely had chosen from Zach’s extensive wine collection. He’d changed out of his shorts and T-shirt into a pair of slim black chinos and another indigo shirt.

  He crossed over to her side, took the bottle from her and carried on with the task.

  “Everything okay, Miss Benson?” His glance held a touch of wariness which Bethany found cute.

  Keely rolled her eyes. “It’s fine, Savage, you can call me Keely, I won’t bite. As to my state of being, it’s nothing a hot new interesting boyfriend won’t cure. The men I’ve been attracting lately bore me rigid.”

  Zach nodded seriously. “I know a few guys. I’ll make some calls.”

  Keely’s eyes widened. “Whoa, hold your horses there, Savage. I can find my own dates, thanks.”

  “And I can put you in the position where you can assess and select your next…conquest.”

  Keely’s head whipped to where Bethany stood at the kitchen counter. “Is he seriously trying to set me up?” Without waiting for an answer, she turned back to Zach. “I bet you can’t find me one hard core nerd among all your high flying friends.”

  “Is that a challenge?”

  Bethany groaned. “Oh God.”

  Zach lifted a brow at her and Keely glanced between them. “What did I say?”

  “He devours challenges for breakfast. And more often than not, he sees one where there is none.”

  “Oh. Right. Well.” Keely smiled and Bethany watched Zach’s reaction to her friend’s traffic stopping smile. To his credit, he didn’t react. She released a breath she hadn’t realized was trapped. “If your heart is set on winning some sort of challenge, then by all means, have at it.”

  “What are you doing next weekend?”

  “Why?”

  “We’ll be in Amalfi. I’ll fly you over and you can join us for a dinner party. I’ll invite a few friends.”

  Keely’s mouth dropped open. Bethany tried to keep hers from following suit. “Umm, I’ll check my calendar and let you know.” Her eyes met Bethany’s with a WTF just happened expression clear in her eyes. Bethany fought not to laugh.

  Zach poured the first glass and offered i
t to her. Then he slid one to Keely and set the bottle on the counter. Going to the fridge, he took out a bottle of water and walked over to Bethany. His kiss was short and sweet but no less mind-altering.

  “Thai food will be here in forty-five minutes. Is that okay?”

  She nodded. “Great. Thanks.”

  He nodded to Keely and walked his fine ass out of the kitchen.

  Bethany eyed her best friend. “Are we good?”

  Keely rolled her eyes. “Of course. My diva fit needed to be thrown but I’d never stand in the way of you going after what you want. You know that, right?”

  “Bethany nodded. “Thank you.”

  Keely glanced back at her. “So,” she drawled, thoughtfully passing a forefinger over the rim of her wineglass. “He doesn’t really strike me as a ruthless killer of first wives.”

  “He isn’t,” Bethany replied, the knowledge a rock-solid certainty in her gut.

  Keely nodded. “Are we one hundred per cent certain of this?”

  “I’m in a relationship with a rich, powerful guy who wears his secrets like a second skin, Keel. Nothing is ever one hundred per cent guaranteed. Do I think he’ll take a butter knife to my throat while I sleep? I’m certain he won’t. Am I terrified that I still don’t know him nearly as well as I want to and that I’m falling harder for him regardless? Fuck. Yes.” Her breath shuddered out.

  Her best friend studied her for several minutes, then leaned forward and covered her hand with hers. “I hear you. But Aunt Keely wants to know, what now?”

  Bethany clutched her glass tighter and tried to smile through the anxiety storming through her body. “Now, I stay the distance and see where this takes me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The Indigo Lounge plane took off mid-afternoon on Monday. Her first time on the trip, she’d been so overwhelmed by Zach that she hadn’t really found time to experience the unique concept he’d created.

  Of course, he was no less overwhelming now and she would probably never get used to the force of his magnetism but at least she was learning to absorb the mind-altering shock that he was hers without it affecting her thought processes too much.

  The seat-belt sign winked out at thirty-thousand feet and she stood up from where they’d been watching the clouds from Zach’s suite.

  “You wanna buy me a drink at the bar, big guy?”

  He remained seated and eyed her attire and a frown started to form. “You sure you want to go out like that?”

  She looked down at her leather dress, the same one she’d worn when she accepted his indecent proposal three weeks ago in this same suite. “There’s nothing wrong with my dress, Zach. The only change is I don’t have any pantyhose on.”

  His frown deepened. “But you’re wearing panties, right?” he bit out.

  She sighed and linked her fingers through his, choosing not to remind him that there’d been a time when he’d forbidden her from wearing any. “Yes. As ordered to.” She pulled him up. Or tried to. He looked intensely irritated.

  “God, what now?”

  “I’m wishing I hadn’t burned that chastity belt.”

  She laughed. “Sorry. Can’t help you there.”

  His mouth twitched and he finally rose. Tightening his fingers around hers, he brought them to his lips. “I’ll just have to be your human chastity belt, then.”

  The image his words evoked made her cheeks burn. He quirked a brow at her.

  “I see that turns you on, Peaches. I can give you a demonstration right now if you want?”

  “You get that the more you try and keep me from going out the more I want to, right?”

  His jaw tightened. “Unfortunately, I do. Come on.”

  They left his suite on the third deck of the plane via the private lift. Zach bypassed the second floor in favor of the first and she tried not to let her smirk show. They had seven hours on board before they landed in Rome. She was dying to see how he intended to keep her from the second floor.

  The lift opened onto the main lounge. The venture capitalist CEO she’d met at the pre-flight drinks, Mike Henson, was at the bar with his Russian girlfriend when Zach steered her in and pulled out a seat for her. His narrowed gaze fell to her bare thighs as she perched on the stool and his mouth pursed.

  “Behave,” she whispered.

  He gave a low growl, turned to the bartender and ordered a caipirinha for her and a beer for himself.

  Mike straightened from where he’d been leaning against the bar and came toward them.

  “Hey Savage, I was just saying to Olga that I think this plane is your best one so far,” he said.

  The bartender placed their drinks in front of them and Zach handed over hers. “Glad it’s living up to your standards,” he replied.

  “Shit, it’s a dream! If you ever want a partner in any future venture, you know where to find me.”

  “Thanks, I’ll bear it in mind.”

  Another two couples drifted in. Gabriel Antonelli introduced his stunning black girlfriend, Angela, and Damon Sinclair introduced his wife, Birdie.

  As the introductions were reciprocated, Bethany noticed how Zach kept his body between hers and the men and curbed a smile. Her guy was unashamedly territorial. She had no problem with that.

  Although she was beginning to get irritated with Olga subtly eye-fucking Zach.

  The conversation inevitably drifted to business but she noticed there wasn’t that aloofness when Zach interacted with the guests on her first Indigo Lounge flight. When the other couples drifted away, she looked at to Zach.

  “They’re your friends?”

  “We move in the same circles and get together every now and then.”

  “So they’re your friends.”

  He shrugged. “More like business acquaintances I’m familiar with.”

  She frowned. “Do you have any real friends?”

  His eyes shadowed as he stared down at her. “Yes. You.”

  She should be used to the way he frequently kicked her feet from under her with his words alone, but Bethany had a feeling she would never get used to Zach’s power with words. “I seriously like you, you know that?”

  His smile was a little forced, and the hand drifting down her cheek trembled slightly. “You more than like me, but I’ll take this for now. You want another drink?” he asked.

  She drained the last of her cocktail and shook her head. “I want to keep a clear head. Technically, I’m supposed to be working.”

  “Not while we’re flying.”

  Stepping down from the stool, she tugged down her dress. “I know, but getting to know the guests now will help me service them better later.”

  He froze. “Fucking wrong choice of words there, Peaches.”

  “God, are you going to be like this throughout the trip?”

  His nostrils flared. “Things are still unsettled between us. I can’t help think something’s around the corner waiting to fuck us up even more.”

  She reached for his hand and slid her other hand around his nape. “Shit is going to happen no matter how much you may try to prevent it. What you can control is how you live in the moment, right now.”

  He swallowed and the fierce light from his eyes burned right through to her soul. “You’re mine. Nothing and no one is going to alter that. I won’t let it happen.”

  She smiled and his breathing altered. Her hand slid from his nape to his chest and as she kissed him, his heartbeat escalated. “I like that sound of that. Know what else I like the sound of?”

  “Will I regret asking?”

  “I like the sound of you taking me to the second deck. I wanna see who’s getting frisky with whom.”

  His breath hissed out. “God. You’re a closet Peeping Tom. How did I not know this about you?” he grumbled.

  She laughed and tugged him to the glass staircase.

  They entered the bar area and she felt Zach’s finger tighten on hers. Glancing at him, she saw his face set in hard, unreadable lines. She noted w
hy a second later.

  One of the guests, a young German heir to a sport car giant was busy fondling his companion, who was naked from the waist up. She had both hands tied behind her back, giving him free access to her heavy breasts.

  As Bethany watched, he slapped one breast and made a sound of pleasure when her nipple immediately peaked. Cupping her, his other hand reached between her thighs. At the first touch, her head rolled back and her mouth dropped open.

  The man’s eyes flicked to them, his eyes glazed. He started to smile at Bethany, then noticed Zach and immediately looked away. To his credit, he became completely engrossed by the sight before him again. Leaning down, he rolled his tongue over his woman’s nipple, sucked hard on it and groaned.

  “Seen enough?” Zach rasped. She glanced at him, wanting to see his reaction but he’d retreated behind an inscrutable wall as he stared down at her, one eyebrow raised.

  “Umm…maybe.” Bethany wasn’t sure how she felt about witnessing another couple’s blatant enjoyment of each other. She felt hot and guilty at the same time.

  “You don’t have to be ashamed about how external stimulus makes you feel,” he whispered in her ears. “As long as you bring all your wants and needs to me, we’ll be fine. Deal?”

  Biting her lips, she nodded. Zach’s hand slid around her waist and he guided her forward, past the couple who were now completely lost in each other. The passed another couple getting heavy in the next spot and walked through to the games room.

  Bethany’s stomach twisted as they walked into the chill out room to see Mike and Olga and Damon and Birdie lounging in the seats. Two of the screens had descended and as they moved into the room, Bethany heard hoarse Italian swearing followed by a very feminine cry of pleasure. Gabriel and Angela.

  “Join us,” Olga invited, her eyes latching on to Zach.

  Bethany had never really tested their relationship against the rigors of close proximity. Sure, she knew how Zach felt about Chris, her ex and she’d made her feelings clear about the belly dancer who’d got a little too close in Marrakech. But this was different. Olga was blatantly eyeing up her man. She needed to set boundaries. Fast.