She waves and I turn my attention back to my handsome date. “Did you have Mrs. Anderson for history?”

“No.”

“I liked her.” I brace my chin on my fist and watch Zack happily. “What’s wrong?”

“Absolutely nothing. Aside from your ass being in the air for everyone to see for longer than I’m comfortable with.”

“Who gives a shit if anyone could see my ass?” I shake my head and sip my wine. “My man just told me he loved me. I had to get to you as quickly as possible.”

“And right over the top of the table was the quickest route?” He offers me a half smile, his brown eyes shining with happiness.

“Yes.”

“Good to know.” Our dishes are served and my stomach growls in anticipation. “Hungry?”

“Oh my God, so hungry.” I dive into my chicken marsala with gusto.

“Didn’t you have lunch?”

“Yes, I ate a whole foot-long sandwich. I don’t know why I’m so hungry lately.”

“Speaking of feet,” Zack says dryly, “Seth needs new boots. Since you have Friday afternoon off, do you want to ride with us to pick some out?”

“Sure,” I reply and take another bite of food and then I remember my appointment. “Oh, crap. I can’t.”

He cocks a brow in question.

“I just made a doctor’s appointment.”

“Are you okay?” He lowers his fork to his plate and frowns at me, giving me his undivided attention.

“Oh, I’m fine.” I take another bite of food and shake my head. “I have issues regulating my cycles, so sometimes I have to go in and have it taken care of.”

He grimaces and then takes a swig of wine. “That’s a little TMI, baby. A simple ‘I need a checkup’ would have sufficed.”

“Sorry.” I laugh and butter a piece of warm bread. “I need a checkup. But if you want to come to my place after, I can make you guys dinner.”

“I think Seth is going to go to Josiah’s for the night. They seem to be inseparable these days. Plus, Seth needs something to do. This whole being on winter break thing is getting old.”

“Ready to go back to school, is he?” I ask with a laugh.

“Yeah, we’re both ready. If I hear ‘Dad, I’m bored’ one more time, I might kill him.”

I giggle and finish my dinner. “I doubt that. Does he go back Monday?”

“Yes, thankfully. But if Josiah’s family decides to adopt him over the weekend, I won’t put up a fight.”

“I might put up a fight,” I reply seriously. “I’d miss him.”

“I love that you love my kid,” Zack says softly and takes my hand in his, lacing our fingers.

“This wouldn’t work if I wasn’t fond of Seth, Zack. You’re a package deal, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I know, and that’s just one of the things I love about you.”

“I like hearing that.” The waitress returns with our paid check, and without another word, Zack stands and helps me into my coat and out to his truck.

“When I heard that we were celebrating, I asked Josh and Cara if they’d let Seth bunk with them tonight.”

“Does that mean . . .?”

“It means,” he says as he pulls into my driveway and cuts the engine, “that I don’t have to race out of here in the middle of the night.”

I smile widely and watch him with hungry eyes as he walks around the truck and lifts me out of the passenger seat and holds me close to him as he carries me up to the front door.

He sets me down and waits patiently while I unlock the door, step inside, and shed my coat. He’s not speaking, and he seems calm, but there’s a new intensity to him. When I turn around to face him, he’s removed his suit jacket, and he backs me up against the wall without touching me. He pulls at his tie, loosening it, staring down at my lips, my eyes.

My breasts.

“Do you have any idea,” he murmurs softly, “how fucking gorgeous you look tonight?”

My breathing quickens as he unbuttons the cuffs of his shirt and then down the front, pulls it out of his pants, and peels it off his broad, muscled shoulders and drops it to the floor.

“What are you wearing under that dress?” he whispers.

“Why don’t you take it off me and find out?” I reply with a saucy smile.

“I’m going to touch you, Jilly,” he breathes and barely drags the tip of his nose down my cheek to my neck. “I’m going to explore every amazing fucking inch of your body.”

“Oh my.”

“And baby?”

“Yeah?”

“Keep those shoes on.”

I smile as his nose glides back up my neck to my ear. If the wall weren’t at my back, I’d be on the floor because I’m pretty sure my knees gave out on me a while ago.

He wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me straight up off the floor, so my feet are dangling and his face is pressed to my throat. He’s panting now, as turned on as I am. I want to cry out when my breasts press against his chest, but suddenly, he sets me back on my feet next to my bed and turns me away from him so he can lower my zipper. The motion is so fucking slow, I want to scream at him to hurry up.

“Zack, hurry,” I whisper instead.

“Oh no. This isn’t going to be fast.” When the zipper is down, the dress falls and pools at my feet. “Fucking A, Jilly, it’s like unwrapping the most amazing Christmas present.”

My lips twitch into a smile. “Can I turn back around now?”

“Not yet.” His hands glide from my shoulders down to the hooks of my bra. He unfastens it and it falls away, making me gasp softly.

“Okay?” he asks.

“I’m a little tender,” I reply.

“I’ll be gentle.” His hands journey down my back, my sides, to my hips, where he hooks his fingers into my black lace panties and tugs them down until they also pool at my feet. “I fucking love your ass.”

“It’s a little round,” I murmur and bite my lip when I feel him squat behind me, cup my ass, and place wet, sucking kisses on either cheek.

“Perfect.” He spreads the cheeks of my ass and presses his face to my core, licking my pussy lips, up and down and back and forth, and I have no choice but to lean forward against the tall mattress.

“Holy shit.” I reach behind me to bury my fingers in his hair, but he takes my wrist in his grasp and holds my hand against the small of my back, rendering me helpless as he stands, and, keeping me pressed to the mattress and my arm behind my back, unbuckles his belt, and releases his pants. I hear them hit the floor with a clang and suddenly, he’s guiding his hard erection through my folds and pushes inside me. I gasp in surprise and then moan with the intensity of it all.