Chapter 56

Together, we practically fell through the door to his suite. Already, I was desperate for him – wet and ready, even though all we'd done was kiss.

In the back of my mind, I still couldn’t believe that I was doing this. And yet, I knew that not doing this was too impossible to consider.

I was in his arms, and his lips were on mine. The door swung shut behind us, and I gave a shiver of anticipation.

Zane pulled back to ask, "Are you cold? Want me to turn on the heat, or—"

A nervous giggle escaped my lips. "Actually, I'm pretty hot already."

He pulled farther back and gave me a long, appreciative look. "Got that right."

He had to be kidding. Belatedly, it occurred to me that I was still wearing the same clothes that I'd worn all day around the city. Probably, I should've changed, but at the time, I'd been in such a hurry to be with him that I hadn't even thought of it.

I glanced down at my wrinkled shirt and shorts. "I probably should've gotten freshened up, huh?"

But Zane was already shaking his head. "You're perfect just the way you are."

"Perfect? Now, I know you're joking."

"No joke," he said, looking surprisingly sincere.

I had to laugh. "Oh come on. Are you seriously telling me that I don't look like I need a shower and fresh clothes?"

He gave me a slow, secret smile. "Hey, I've got a shower."

Yes. He did. Actually, he probably had more than one, with multiple shower heads and everything. But that wasn't the thing that set my pulse jumping.

It was the look in his eye. It was a look that told me I wouldn’t need to shower alone, not unless I wanted to.

And I definitely didn't want to.

Almost in a trance, I felt myself nod. To what, I wasn't even sure. The shower? Him? Both?

"And," he said, "who says you need clothes?"

I heard myself whisper, "Not me."

In spite of my best intentions, we never did make it to the shower.

In fact, we barely made it to the bed. It all happened so suddenly. One moment, we were standing there, like two regular people, with a decent amount of self-control.

And then, I reached for his shirt. And he reached for the buttons on mine. I tugged his shirt upward and savored the sight of his rock-hard abs with all their valleys and ridges.

Suddenly, I was desperate to see more. I moved my hands higher, taking more of his shirt with me as I went. Soon, it was over his head, and then, tossed onto the floor, giving me a nice close view of his upper torso.

Oh. My. God.

I felt my lips part, and my breath catch. I might've looked longer, except soon, something even more compelling claimed my attention. It was his lips on mine and his arms pulling me close.

His lips were full and oh-so sweet as they moved against mine, teasing and promising, just like the telltale hardness I could feel pressing against me through his jeans.

I wanted him like I'd never wanted anything else in my whole life. And if he were any other guy, I might've believed that he felt exactly the same way.

But like so many other things, that was too ridiculous for words, so I didn't dwell on it or let it consume me, even as he kissed and caressed me all the way to the bedroom, removing clothing as we went – a shirt here, shorts there, his jeans along the way, and socks who-knows-where.

Almost before I knew it, we'd tumbled onto the king-size bed, with me in my bra and panties, and him only in his briefs.

Already, I was finding it hard to breathe. I reached for his hardness, only to feel him pull back, leaving my hand way too lonely.

In a teasing tone, he said, "Remember the reason for going out?"

Already, I was so lost, I could hardly think. But then, I remembered. "You mean so you'd behave?"

He gave a slow nod. "And the rule still applies."

"What? Who said anything about rules?"

"Me." He ran a smooth hand over my bare skin. "You're like a present, and I want to unwrap you nice and slow." With that, he lowered his head and brushed his lips softly against my ear and then moved his lips downward, kissing his way to my throat and lower still, toward the center of my breasts.

With warm fingers, he nudged aside the lace of my bra and took a nipple into his mouth. His mouth was warm, and his tongue was enticing, teasing me to distraction, even as his hand trailed enticingly toward the intersection of my thighs.

I was beyond wet and craving him like I'd craved nothing else during my twenty-three years on this Earth. When his fingers grazed that special spot, I gave a moan of pure pleasure laced with frustration – pleasure because it felt too good for words, and frustration because I wanted him inside me like ten minutes ago.

He lifted his head and looked down toward his fingers. In a low, seductive voice, he said, "I like your panties."

I almost wanted to giggle. "You should. I'm pretty sure you bought them."

"Did I?"

"Maybe." My mind was growing fuzzier with every stroke of his finger. Somehow, I managed to say, "You should probably take them off and check."

"Or," he said, with a particularly enticing stroke, "I could watch you squirm like you've made me squirm."

If I weren't so breathless, I might've laughed. Zane Bennington, squirm? "Oh, please. You're so full of it."

"You think so, huh?"

Honestly, I was finding it hard to think at all.

It didn't help when he slipped his finger beneath my panties and then inside me. I was so hot and so wet that I literally ached for him, even as a second finger joined the first, and his thumb danced across my swollen clit.

I heard myself whisper, "I want you."

"I know."

"What?" Even as breathless as I was, I made a move to sit up, but gently, he pushed me back onto the bed. With a smile, he said, "Where do you think you're going?"

Already, his fingers were moving again. All I could say was, "Nowhere."

"Damn straight," he said. "Wanna know what I want?"

I only prayed it was me. Because if it wasn't, I was in serious trouble. Somehow, I managed to ask, "What?"

"I want to take you hard and fast…"

That sounded so good. I gave a little moan of encouragement.

And then, he said, "But not yet…"

My breath caught. "You are such a tease."

"So are you."

"Me? No way."

He leaned his mouth close to mine and whispered. "Yes." He grazed his lips across my mine, teasing me even now. You know what it's been like, wanting you, thinking of you, watching you, and knowing that I couldn’t have you?"

I had no idea what he was talking about, but it sounded oh so good – and eerily familiar, because there was a part of me – a very shameless part of me – that had been feeling the same way for longer than I'd ever admit, even to myself.

But I refused to dwell on that now, because this had been one of the most wonderful days of my life, and it was getting better with every stroke, every whispered word, every motion of his fingers as they made love to me on that giant bed of his.

And then, just when I thought I couldn't wait another minute, he was tugging down my panties, even as I frantically worked to free his body from his briefs. Soon, he was poised above me, with his thumb still in motion, and his gaze on mine.

I reached between us, guiding his massive hardness to my opening, and then gave a moan of contentment when he finally entered me, claiming me like he'd already claimed the world.

Soon, I was lost to everything but him – his body moving with my own, his hands caressing my skin, his back muscles shifting in time to our motions.

I ran my hands down his sides, up his back, and through his hair, feeling like I couldn’t get enough, even as he filled me almost to the point of bursting. When we reached our peak, he held me in his arms for the longest time, almost like he never wanted to let go.

If that was the case, he wasn't the only one.

And when we did let go? It was only to run a steaming hot bath in his massive whirlpool tub. Together, we lingered, chatting and laughing until the water grew cold and we grew hot – for each other, that is.

When the first hint of dawn began creeping through the windows, I drifted off, more satisfied than I'd ever been in my whole life.

And it was all because of him – Zane Bennington, the guy who was impossible to figure out, especially a couple of hours later, when reality came calling in the form of too many people I'd been hoping to forget.