Celine drew in a deep breath, wondering exactly what that meant. Did he plan to kiss her like he had at the escape room, or was he thinking about doing more? Her body had begun responding the moment she saw him walk off that elevator and it was still responding. She was getting aroused by everything that was Zion Blackstone. His looks, his dress and even the way he smelled. It was weird how her erogenous zones were igniting and he had yet to touch her.
When he came to a stop in front of her she had to tilt her head back to stare up into his dark eyes. “Break another rule? Do you think that’s wise?”
Her stomach tightened at the way his mouth eased into a smile. “After deliberately pushing all my buttons, Celine, are you now trying to talk me out of anything?”
Was she? Frankly, she wasn’t sure what he had in mind. Did it matter? All she knew was that it was close to two in the morning, and they were alone in the cellar, surrounded by thousands of bottles of wine and encased in sexual chemistry.
“Well, are you?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not trying to talk you out of anything.”
He nodded. “Now that we have that cleared up...”
Zion reached out and touched her arms, and she pulled in a sharp breath when a sensuous shiver flowed through her. It was as if every hormone in her body was suddenly sizzling. No other man had ever made her feel the things Zion was.
“What you said about this sexual chemistry between us was right,” Zion said, in a deep, throaty voice. “There is too much of it between us to waste.”
A spike of heat hit her dead center at the juncture of her legs. “So, what do you plan to do with it?”
“For starters, this.”
He pulled her to him, lowered his head and kissed her. The moment their mouths connected, a tiny moan broke past her lips, only to be captured by his mouth as it devoured hers with a hunger she had not been prepared for. A hunger she felt all the way to her toes.
Instinctively, she pressed her body closer, and when she felt his hard erection against her, she knew it was solid evidence of his desire for her. Would he settle for just this kiss? Would he want to do more to kindle the passion between them? Did she want him to? They had met only yesterday. Weren’t they moving a little too fast?
Too late to consider that now. She was consumed by something so delicious, the last thing she wanted was for him to stop kissing her. She loved the feel of his tongue in her mouth, loved the erotic movements that were causing all sorts of sensations to flood her nervous system. She was convinced no man’s tongue should be able to do the things to her that his was doing. It was giving her pleasure to a degree she didn’t think was possible from a simple kiss.
And then suddenly, he pulled his mouth away, leaving her breathing hard.
* * *
Zion stared down at Celine. What was there about her that made him want her so badly? The intensity of the kiss they’d just shared had shaken him to the core, had given him the purest pleasure a man could get while inside a woman’s mouth. It tempted him to get inside her body, as well.
Damn, at that moment he didn’t just want her—he needed her. And he resented it, because he had never needed any woman. He refused to need one. No woman would ever become so essential that he’d break any of the rules he’d made. Yet here he was, doing that very thing.
He knew he should be fighting temptation with everything within him, but was unable to do it. Instead, he reached out and curved a hand to her neck, bringing her mouth back to his, needing to kiss her again.
Zion wanted her and consequences be damned. He was about to undress her when he suddenly realized he’d left his wallet upstairs. Inside that wallet was the condom he needed. That realization was like ice water being poured on him and he suddenly broke off their kiss.
“Zion?”
He looked down at her and saw how wet her lips were. Wet from how he’d made love to her mouth. Knowing he should be feeling thankful rather than frustrated, he drew in a deep breath and took a step back. He inwardly fought to reclaim control of his senses while ignoring the throbbing ache behind his zipper. He’d wanted her. He still wanted her. But deep down he knew having her would be a mistake.
He broke eye contact with her and hung his head as if deep in thought. He couldn’t think straight, looking at her. When he glanced up again the gaze that met his was so intense that he knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
Considering the circumstances, he knew the only way their time together could end. He took a step closer to her, leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, feeling a sense of loss all the way to his toes. “Goodbye, Celine.”
He saw something—he wasn’t sure what—flash in her eyes before she said, “Goodbye, Zion.”
He turned and was headed to the elevator when she called out to him. “Zion?”
He slowly turned around and met her gaze, bracing himself for what she would say. “Yes?”
“Thanks for breaking your rule again tonight. I needed it.”
He was tempted to cross the room, sweep her into his arms, carry her over to that table and take her long and hard on it. Instead he said, “I needed it, as well.”
Then he turned and, forcing his legs to move, continued toward the elevator.