by Jen Talty
Her climax grew deep in her gut. Her muscles trembled. “Zane,” she whispered. “Yes.” She dropped her forehead to his and stared into his dark eyes. Their bodies moved as one. “Zane. Now. I need it now.”
He slipped his hand between their bodies, finding her swollen nub. He flicked it gently but firmly, sending her into a tailspin. As she convulsed, shaking uncontrollably, he gripped her hips tight, thrust deep inside, and spilled his climax with the same passion and fire as he had the other night.
While she exploded into a second orgasm. “Oh, my God. Zane. Yes.”
Cupping her face, he kissed her lips with sweet tenderness. He filled her with a combination of passion, desire, and temptation. Wrapping his arms around her, he nuzzled his face against her neck. “Best dessert I’ve ever had.”
She giggled like a silly schoolgirl as she relaxed against his strong body. Normally, she’d be looking for a blanket to cover herself.
But not this time.
Not with Zane.
She rested her head on his shoulder and kissed his neck. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know. Dinner and a couple of orgasms?”
He brushed her hair from her face. “You’re welcome.” He kissed her nose. “You should know I’m a one-woman kind of man, and I want you to be my one special lady. Are you up for that?”
“Hell, yes.”
He laughed. “You’re not going to get jealous of me at Club Temptation?” He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her head. “I love my job. I’m not giving it up.”
“I wouldn’t ask you to.” She ran her hand through his gorgeous hair. It wasn’t right that he had better hair than she did. “I might have some body-image issues, but I’m not a jealous or insecure woman. Still, I do have a question about that.”
“Okay.”
“Am I allowed to come to the club?”
He laughed. “I can make some arrangements during my days off for us to go if that’s what you want.”
“I might like that.” She sat up, cupping his face. “Want to go skinny dipping?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Chapter 6
“Where are you taking me?” Dixie glanced out the window of her car. Zane had had to practically pry the keys from her hands. It wasn’t that she didn’t like people driving her vehicle. But she preferred to be in control, and she didn’t like surprises. “Why are we getting off here?” Butterflies filled her stomach as they headed miles south of Seattle, closer to the Sound. In the distance, she could see Vashon Island.
Zane stretched out his arm and squeezed her thigh. “Relax.”
“Easy for you to say. You know the agenda.”
“You say that as if I have something nefarious planned.”
“For all I know, you do,” she said with a playful tone. Over the last couple of weeks, she’d gone from single and ready to mingle to happily attached without so much as a wandering eye.
Well, maybe she had glanced a time or two. Who didn’t? But no one compared to Zane.
No one.
He laughed, a deep, sultry sound that ignited her insides. “You’re going to love this.”
“Like I loved ‘Let’s recreate the scene from the movie 9 ½ Weeks where we feed each other random things blindfolded…and you fed me cauliflower mash, and I almost barfed on you?” While everything else about that night had been sexy as hell, she could have done without that part.
“Lesson learned. You don’t like cauliflower no matter how doctored up it is with sour cream, bacon, and chives,” he said. “Any food involved in today’s festivities will be of your choosing.”
A thick lump formed in her throat as they pulled into the parking lot of Up in the Air, a local hot air balloon adventure tour. “You’re joking, right?”
“No. You mentioned you’ve never been, so I thought it would be fun.”
“Is your superpower remembering everything I say?” She held onto the clasp of her seatbelt as if it were a lifesaving apparatus, and she’d fallen into the ocean. She blinked. Thankfully, she hadn’t said that out loud, or next thing she knew, she might be scuba diving.
Something that wasn’t on her bucket list.
He leaned in and kissed her cheek, his hot breath sending warm chills across her skin. “No. My superpower is giving you regular—and multiple—orgasms.”
“I doubt that will happen at five thousand feet while I’m utterly terrified. I’m afraid of heights.”
“That family over there will probably be in the balloon with us anyway, requiring us to keep it PG-rated.” He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. “Are you the kind of afraid everyone is while on a plane, but you get on anyway? Or is it the paralyzing kind? Because if it’s the latter, I’m the world’s worst boyfriend. For the second time.”
She palmed his cheek and stared into his dark gaze that always gave her strength and comfort. “I’m right in between the two. And you’re the best boyfriend ever.” She brushed her lips over his in a promise of what might happen later—when they were alone. Perhaps even on the car ride home. “I’ve always been too timid to do something like this. I would never go on my own, and if you’d asked, I would have said no.”
“If you want to back—”
She covered his mouth. “Don’t give me the option. I need to step out of my comfort zone. I mean, people go up in those contraptions every day, and nothing happens to them. Right?”
“Right.” He tapped her nose. “Besides, I’ll be holding onto you the whole time.”
“Awesome. We can plummet to our death together.” She unhooked her seatbelt.
He groaned. “Now you’re giving me second thoughts about my decision to sweep you off your feet—quite literally.” He stepped from the car and jogged around the hood.
She’d never tire of watching the way his hair got caught in the wind, or how he always smelled a little bit like morning dew on a chilly fall day. When she’d stepped into Club Temptation, she’d been looking to jump-start her dating life.
Not find a man who made her heart swell with something akin to…
No. She wasn’t falling in love with him.
Heavy like? Absolutely.
And it helped that he was damn fucking good in bed.
He laced his fingers through hers and tugged her in the direction of the big, floating balloons.
A man wearing a pair of low-hanging jeans, boots, and a cowboy hat strolled by—more like sauntered. He had that blond-haired, blue-eyed movie-star quality that was hard to miss.
“So, you like cowboys, do ya?” Zane said, giving her a little hip-check.
“Not sure I’d kick him out of bed.”
“Neither would I,” Zane mused.
She glanced up at him, and he winked. But something told her he wasn’t kidding, which made her want to give him an extra little treat on the ride home. She had no clue why she was so turned on by the idea that he might have been with a man once in his life or that he’d perhaps fantasized about it. But she was, so she rolled with it.
Zane checked them in while she stood and stared at the balloon. Her heart beat so fast, she thought she might spontaneously take flight.
They’d lucked out with the weather—which in Seattle, was nothing short of a miracle. A few big, white, puffy clouds floated overhead, but for the most part, the sun had command of the sky. She pulled her sweater across her body as a breeze came in off the Sound.
She hated flying, but she loved the last twenty minutes, where she got to see all the details of the world below.
“How are you holding up?” Zane asked as he looped a protective arm across her shoulders.
Craning her neck to catch his gaze, she smiled. “I haven’t vomited out of fear, so that’s good.”
“We’re both going to love it. I just know it.”
“You’ve never done this?”
He shook his head. “But I have gone skydiving, so if I can jump from a perfe
ctly good airplane, I think I can handle this.”
“You’re not hiding a parachute or any other surprises anywhere, are you?”
“Nope.” He kissed her temple. “I’ve got you, babe.”
Two teenage boys raced by, shoving each other and laughing. They stopped near who Dixie assumed were their parents and stood in front of the steps to get into the big basket hanging by mere ropes and tied to fabric that could easily tear.
She blew out a puff of air. Thankfully, she hadn’t said that out loud. If she weren’t careful, her sarcasm would ruin the day, and that was the last thing she wanted. Zane had gone out of his way to do something special for her.
Jeff had never done that.
Not even her mother had taken the time to make Dixie feel as though her thoughts and feelings were the most important things. Not even on her birthday. Hell, she’d once video-called the day after Dixie’s birthday, arguing that she knew damn well what day her daughter had been born. Dixie had to pull out her driver’s license and prove to her mother she’d missed it by twenty-four hours.
Nothing about today was special.
Except for the fact that she’d be spending it in public with the man who’d managed to make her not think about how his waistline was smaller than hers.
The pilot—or the aeronaut, as he called himself—went over the safety measures and procedures for their flight.
Dixie hung on his every word, memorizing the details, while the two teenage boys seemed more interested in their social media accounts.
“Ready?” Zane asked.
“Born ready,” she said, taking his hand. She climbed into the basket and flung herself at Zane.
“Whoa.” He fell back against the side of what could only be described as a wicker laundry basket attached to a partially inflated oversized kids’ balloon.
The boys laughed.
“I think maybe I want to just stand in the middle,” she said, hugging Zane tightly.
“I suggest you hang onto the side. Standing in the center, you’ll get bounced around. Trust me,” the aeronaut said.
“Come on.” Zane helped her ease into one of the corners. “Grab hold of the side. I’ve got you. Promise.”
She nodded, ignoring the peanut gallery commenting on her fear while the boys’ parents quietly scolded them and then politely apologized. Instead, Dixie focused on the feel of Zane’s arms around her body, making her feel cared for and protected.
As the helium filled the fabric, the basket shook.
Zane kissed her temple. “I’ve got you, babe.”
“What are we, Sunny and Cher?”
“God, I love your humor.” He brushed her hair from her face and quickly tied it back in a low ponytail at the nape of her neck.
She sucked in a deep breath as the balloon slowly took flight. Her stomach floated to her throat, dropped back down, then rose again.
It did that about four or five times as they lifted higher and higher.
She dared to take a peek over the side and gasped. “It’s so beautiful up here,” she said quietly. The boats in the Sound became smaller. In the distance, she could see more of the islands and the ferries bringing both tourists and locals from one glorious stop to the next.
No view was like this one.
She turned and blinked out a tear. “Thank you.”
He brushed her cheek. “I seem to have made you cry. That is never my goal.”
She smiled. “These are happy tears. And this is the most beautiful gift anyone could have ever given me.”
“You won’t be thanking him when we land,” one of the boys said. “It’s not always fun.”
“So not cool, dude.” Zane arched his brow.
“Hey, young man. Apologize right now,” the mom said as she tugged at the boy’s ear.
“It’s okay,” Dixie replied. “Thanks to this guy. A bad landing is not only worth the view, it’s worth the risk.” She palmed Zane’s cheek and gave him a more PG-13-rated kiss—tongue and all.
Chapter 7
Zane sat outside of Dixie’s office building and tapped the photo icon on his cell. He couldn’t go an hour without looking at a picture of her. How had he gotten so lucky as to land such a sweet and sexy girl?
It had been nearly two months since they’d started dating, and he knew she was the one.
The only one.
He’d fallen head over heels in love with Dixie Gaynor.
Zane: Hey, babe. How’s your day going? Almost done?
He glanced at the time. He was fifteen minutes early, and it was possible she was with a patient. When the bubbles appeared immediately, it shocked him but excited him more.
Dixie: Just finishing up paperwork. Did you hear from your brother?
Zane: Still at the hospital. Still no baby. He said it could be a while.
Dixie: Are you sure you want to go to this party? You don’t have to come with me if you’d rather go be with your family.
Zane: I want to come. I want to meet your friends now that we are all official. Besides, there is nothing I can do at the hospital but sit in a waiting room. As soon as Gayle has the baby, I’ll go visit them.
Dixie: Okay. But you can back out at any time. However, I have to warn you that Jagar is like a big brother to me, and he can be overprotective. He’s been weird about me ‘hiding’ you all this time. His wife isn’t any better. So, be prepared for some obnoxious questions.
Zane: I’m sure I can handle the big-brother type. I’m in the parking lot. Ready whenever you are.
Dixie: On my way down.
Zane leaned against his pickup. He preferred his Harley, but it was supposed to rain. Besides, Dixie wasn’t a huge fan of his motorcycle, and he was all about pleasing his girlfriend.
Girlfriend.
Wow.
He didn’t think he’d be thinking in those terms after his last one plastered their failed relationship all over Page Six. Of course, that’s what he got for dating an actress, but still. His sexual tastes didn’t need to be exposed to the world. Not that he cared if anyone knew he’d once dabbled in bisexuality. That was his business, not anyone else’s.
In actuality, his only grievance with his ex had been that she’d made public their private life, and only because she wanted to hurt him. In the process, she did a world of damage to other innocent people who had nothing to do with their problematic romantic entanglement.
The building’s front door swung open, and the most amazing woman in the world stepped into the sunlight. Her bright copper hair bounced over her shoulders, and she smiled.
“Hey, good-looking,” he said as he pulled open the passenger-side door. “Your chariot awaits.”
“Mmmmmm. Aren’t you sweet?” She patted his chest.
He pulled her close, pressing his mouth to hers, slipping his tongue between her lips. Shamelessly, he squeezed her ass. God, he loved everything about this woman. He never wanted to go a day of his life without her in it. “This might not be the best place to do this, or the most romantic, but I need to tell you something.”
“Oh. That sounds slightly ominous.”
“Not really,” he said, tucking a piece of her thick hair behind her ear. “I want you to know that not a minute goes by that I don’t think about you.”
“Just so you know, I have it on good authority that you are most likely going to get laid tonight.”
He chuckled. “Good to know, but not where I was going with this.”
“Okay. Then I’m all ears.”
It shouldn’t be so hard to get out three little words, but he found himself sweating and speechless.
“Dixie, you rock my world.”
“That’s it?”
He shook his head. “This isn’t going as planned.” He rested his hands on her hips and stared into her sweet green eyes. “You are the sun to my sky. The moon to my night.”
“I’ve never seen you this corny.”
“Oh, wait. I’m sure I’ll come up with more weird, subpar, not-very-ro
mantic crap,” he said with a nervous laugh. In his thirty-one years on this planet, he’d loved only once, but that relationship had been vastly different. Looking back, no one had ever stolen his heart the way Dixie had. “But in the meantime, you should know that I love you,” he said. The last time he’d said those words to a woman, he hadn’t meant them. And it had cost him dearly.
But Dixie would never betray his trust, this he knew deep to his core.
Her green eyes grew as wide as the Emerald City. “You what me?”
“You heard me.”
She stuck her finger in her ear and wiggled it. “They must be full of wax because I could have sworn you said you loved me.”
“I did.” He swallowed his beating heart. “Too soon?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m just...just...stunned.”
Shit. His mother had always told him that wearing his emotions on his sleeves was both a blessing and a curse. “You don’t feel the same—”
She covered his mouth with her hand.
“Oh. No. I love you, too. I just don’t know that I’m ready for this.”
“You and me both,” he said. “There is something else I need to tell you.” He knew he should have told her about his past sooner. Probably before he declared his love, but every time he thought it might be the right time to bring it up, he either chickened out or something came up.
She tilted her head. “You’re not a natural brunette?”
He would never tire of her quick-witted remarks. But when she got scared or concerned, she sometimes used them to deflect. “There’s something from my past that I kind of left out.”
“As long as you’re not secretly married or have a bunch of kids somewhere, I don’t care.”
He laughed. “It’s nothing like that.”
“Well, there are a few things I haven’t told you about me, too.”
He arched a brow. “A few?”
“Okay. Just one.”
“Looks like we both have confessions to make.” He held her tight, not willing to let her go. He loved everything about her, so whatever this little revelation was that she needed to get off her chest, he figured it would be no big deal. He just hoped she was open-minded about the fact that he had once been in love.