Megan

“So this is your room?” Megan asked breathlessly.

“Tis,” Zander replied placing her gently on his bed.

Megan sat on her feet, trying to right her strapless dress, which had turned sideways during her whirlwind journey atop Zander’s shoulders. They’d skulked through a maze of secret passageways to get back to Zander’s bedroom, and now that they were there, Megan could barely control her glee.

She watched Zander walk back to his door. His slid the lock home, its echo thrumming through her with the promise of pleasure. She swallowed hard, begging her lungs to take in enough air as Zander swaggered slowly toward her, undoing his belt buckle. He swiped the bottle of champagne from Megan and popped the cork, spraying a mist of sticky, sweet bubbly onto the bed.

She giggled. “Ah, it’s okay, handsome. Sometimes I have that effect on guys.”

“Minx,” he muttered giving her a smoldering look. He took a swig from the bottle, offering it to her when he was done but she shook her head. She was already love drunk just looking at him.

Zander placed the bottle on his nightstand and locked Megan with his gaze. “Come here.”

She couldn’t believe this was really going to happen. She was trembling by the time Zander reached for her. He pulled her to her knees and kissed her like he had in the hall—hard and deep. She tugged at his shirt, quickly undoing buttons until he shrugged out of it. The feel of his skin was like fire beneath her hands as she explored each ridge of his rippling muscles. He may not play soccer anymore, but his body hadn’t given up any ground. She couldn’t stop her fingers from caressing every fine inch of him, especially the patchwork of Celtic tattoos that started at his shoulders and wrapped around his back. He was a god swathed in ink.

Zander pulled her closer, tugging her dark hair free from its pins. His hand slipped through her thick black mane, fisting her locks to pull her head back just enough to give him access to her throat. His mouth moved down her neck in a flurry of hungry nips and kisses. His teeth grazed the swell of her breasts as his hands tore impatiently at her dress.

Megan’s hands flew to the zipper at her back. She wanted her dress off now—before she caught fire. The zipper slipped halfway down before snagging. Megan tugged desperately but it wouldn’t budge. “It’s stuck,” she whimpered.

Zander’s gaze met Megan’s and for a moment she felt she could drown in the darkness she saw in the endless pools of his emerald eyes. Then his hands were on her again. He gripped her dress on either side of the zipper and in one powerful move, tore it in half.

Megan yelped as she watched the helpless pink fabric flutter to the floor. Zander pulled her to him, pressing his burning flesh to hers. Her rapid breathing pressed their chests together. The feel of Zander’s heart beating against hers made it impossible to think.

Zander leaned in, kissing her hungrily. “Tell me this is what ye want,” he said against her mouth.

“It is,” she panted.

“I need to hear ye say it, Megan.”

“I want you, Zander,” she pleaded. “I need you.”

He pushed her down on the bed, both of them tearing away the last of their clothes. “Tell me yer mine,” he murmured as his fingers traveled slowly down the smooth slopes of her body.

“I’m yours, Zander,” she whispered. “I’m yours.”

She said it again and again, until she didn’t know where he began and she ended. There was only the building ache between them and then unrestrained bliss as the world shattered apart.

Zander

A slash of moonlight spilled over Zander’s bed, illuminating Megan’s porcelain skin. She’d fallen asleep in his arms after they’d exhausted each other. As tired as he was he couldn’t bring himself to close his eyes. Having Megan in his arms was like being in a dream and he was afraid to do anything that might make it dissolve into the illusion it surely was.

Zander hadn’t expected tonight to go as far as it had, but as he stroked Megan’s silky black hair, all the tension seeped out of him. How could he ever think he wasn’t ready for this? Or that he could fight it? He’d never felt such a connection with anyone before. Megan was the only person he’d ever let in. And it was only because he’d never thought he could have her. She’d always seemed safe—far enough away not to be a real risk.

But here she was—in his bed, in his arms, and dangerously close to finding a way into his heart. If he was honest, he knew she already had hold of it. She had from the moment he’d seen her smiling face on Sam’s computer screen years ago.

He couldn’t explain it. Megan just had a way of settling him and he craved her for it. Yes, it might have been a risk to let himself want her, but it was too late now. And since when did he play things safe? He’d always been a risk taker. That’s how he’d gotten Cor-Tec. And now, maybe, the girl of his dreams.

Zander exhaled a shaky breath as he wrapped his arms tighter around Megan. She sighed contently in her sleep and he tried to stave off the fear that began to snake its way to his heart. The problem with having something he cherished was that it put him at risk to lose it.

He kissed the top of Megan’s head, inhaling her calming floral scent, praying it would be enough to settle his nerves and keep his clawing demons at bay.