Chapter Two
River
––––––––
In the dark, Zane parked his motorcycle outside the two-story garage next to the house and strolled toward the walk-through door. River watched him until the door shut. He was the sexiest man she'd ever seen.
Thick brown hair, a full beard, and covered in tattoos, he'd scare most people away from him. But to her, he was tall, strong, honest, and loving.
Dropping the curtain, she returned to the desk beside the queen-size bed. She stayed up late every night, hoping he'd enter the house instead of going to the garage apartment. The times he came into the house, he always waited until late, probably hoping she was asleep.
His determination to stay out of the house was the only sign that he remembered the night they had sex. He never spoke about it. He never hinted that he remembered. For the longest time, she thought maybe he had too much to drink, and the moment completely slipped his mind. Like, he'd blacked out.
But Zane never came to her drunk.
She could see he remembered what they'd done. His refusal to stay in the house with her spoke volumes. If she didn't know him better, she'd take his lack of addressing what happened as a sign that he hated her.
But he was always kind to her.
His attitude hadn't changed after they had sex. He was the same kind, caring, and protective man who'd rescued her from a hard life.
Their time together through the years was her best-kept secret. Going off his cue when she was a child, she understood her foster parents must never know about him. To those living in Gem Haven, she was the girl who lived in the big house by herself and worked for Zane.
She exhaled, sputtering her lips. How stupid could she be, asking if she could go to town with Taylor?
She was fine with Zane dropping her off, but she'd tested him. It would've devastated her if he had allowed her to traipse off to town with Taylor. His protectiveness was one of the things she loved about him. His possessiveness fed into her insecurities and gave her the confidence that he would never leave.
After the last time they were together, she needed to know he still cared.
Now, she had to work at the campground. She rubbed her temples. That would be a nice break from the kitchen, but now she was stressed about a new job.
No one put ultimatums in front of Zane and walked away happy with the results.
What would she do in September when the campground closed for the winter?
She needed to earn more money. Zane had told her it would take at least thirty grand to hire a private detective to find Kenna. With the money she made, plus paying five hundred dollars a month to rent a room in Zane's house and her groceries, it would take her two more years before she had enough to put a detective on retainer.
She was grateful to Zane for all he'd given her. She'd done her homework and found out it would cost three times the amount Zane charged to rent an apartment in town, not counting utilities. Plus, she'd need to buy a car if she lived off Gem Haven property.
A door shut in another part of the house. Her heart rate spiked, and she froze, straining to hear. Her desire that Zane would walk into the house, grab her, and put his lips on her again was a constant wish.
Some days, she hurt for how much she wanted him.
Not wanting him to leave before she could see him, she jumped from the chair and hurried down the hallway, taking the stairs at a run. She skipped the last few steps and jumped into the foyer.
The house was big, with four bedrooms upstairs and two downstairs at the back. The foyer split the house in two. The kitchen and laundry room were on the right, and the living room and rec room were on the left. She tried to sense where he'd be.
Knowing his inclination for late-night snacks, she went to the kitchen in time to see him heading toward the back door.
"Zane." His name came out breathless and quiet, but he'd heard her.
He turned around. His heated gaze settled on her, taking in every square inch of her. It was only then that she remembered all she had on was a tank top and a pair of panties that barely covered her.
The air sizzled between them. She stepped forward, drawn to him like a ghost seeking a warm body in the dead of night.
Around the others, she kept her distance from Zane. But she couldn't hide her feelings when they were alone in the house.
She placed her bare feet on the toes of his boots, making herself taller, and wound her arms around his neck. Even then, she was too short to kiss him.
A whine slipped out of her mouth. Zane picked her up by her waist and pressed her against the wall, claiming her mouth. She fisted the ends of his hair, keeping him close and within her grasp.
Yes. God. Yes.
This is what she wanted. Just him. Just her.
He pushed his body against her, pinning her to the wall. She tangled her tongue with his, sucking and drawing him into her mouth.
He palmed her ass, dragging her up his body until the hard ridge in the front of his jeans pressed against her pussy. Her insides clenched, knowing precisely what he could do with his cock.
She'd been a virgin the last time they were together. Her shyness was gone. Her body was ready for him to fill.
He swung her away from the wall, carrying her up the stairs. She wrapped her legs around him and used her hands to keep his hair from falling on his face, blocking him from her. She caught his bottom lip between her teeth, tugged, and then sucked on the abused lip.
He grunted, knocking his shoulder into the doorframe. She tore her mouth off him and stared into his angry eyes. She framed his face with her hands, looking at him closer. Not angry. Heated. Violent. Scary.
She'd never seen him that way, and it turned her on. It wasn't anger but raw sexual tension feeding his emotions.
She pressed her breasts against his chest. He wore too many clothes, but she could tell he wanted her. She wiggled until he set her on her feet beside her bed. Hooking her thumbs under the band of her panties, she shimmied until the material fell to the floor. Then, she pulled her tank over her head and shook her hair. She wasn't going to give him a chance to change his mind.
He came to her.
He always came to her.
His gaze dropped to the apex of her thighs. "You're wet."
She nodded. "I want you."
"You shouldn't."
"But I do." She stepped toward him, reaching for his buckle. "You don't have to worry about hurting me now."
He'd taken her virginity—something that had sent him running off into the night, angry at himself. Angry at her.
She unclasped his buckle and worked the front of his jeans until the button came undone, and she pulled the zipper down. A voice in her head told her she had no idea what she was doing, but she knew what she wanted, and to get there, she needed his cock.
He cupped her breasts, tweaking the hard nipples. "Can you feel what you're doing to me?"
Her fingers slid between the denim and his skin, wrapping around his cock until she had him in her grasp.
His breath hissed between his teeth, and he rocked his hips forward. She gingerly pulled his cock out from his jeans, setting him free.
Gazing into his eyes, she wasn't sure how far to go. It wasn't that she had no idea how to go from standing in front of him to fucking, but she liked when he took control—like last time.
The scent of amber mixed with smoke wafted off him. It'd taken her years to discover what he smelled like. Several months ago, Taylor and she had gone Christmas shopping at the mall while Zane followed them from shop to shop.
When she described the woodsy smoke and sweet honey aroma to the sales lady, she'd brought her a bottle of cologne that had amber in it. It was the one thing she splurged on—a bottle to give Zane for Christmas and a bottle for herself that she kept in her backpack.
She smelled the cologne and felt like Zane was close to her when he wasn't around.
His cock pulsed in her hand. She raised her gaze, questioning Zane on what to do next.
Then, his lips calmed her worries. He kissed her with confidence, dominance, and the promise of never leaving. She opened her mouth, letting him in. He was hot and penetrating, leaving her lightheaded.
Her back landed on the bed. She gasped, realizing he had taken her across the room and planted himself between her legs without her even knowing she'd moved.
"Take my cock and show me what you want." He took her hand and wrapped it around his hardness once again.
She squeezed. "I want you ."
"You have me." His voice dropped an octave. "Show me what you want."
She caught her lower lip between her teeth and wiggled underneath him until she could bring the end of his cock to her pussy. Having never held the chance to play with his cock before, she rubbed it in her wetness and skimmed the head over her clit.
Her eyes bugged at the sensation of his hot, silky skin caressing her. The sensation was nothing like his fingers or her fingers.
"Look at me."
She raised her gaze as she rubbed the end of his cock against her. "It feels so good."
Her chest constricted. She panted, moving underneath him while using his hardness for her pleasure.
"That's nothing." He slipped out of her hold and crawled down her body.
He pushed her legs wider apart, grasping her behind her thighs and lifting her knees. His head disappeared.
A warm, smooth, wet caress licked her slit, zeroing in on her clitoris. Her hips pumped uncontrollably as tiny shockwaves of pleasure coursed through her.
"Oh, God." She grabbed onto his hair and held him against her pussy.
That was way better than his cock rubbing against her. His tongue was like nothing she'd ever experienced before. Even her fingers from working in the kitchen weren't that soft when she touched herself.
"Zane." She closed her eyes.
Warmth flushed through her whole body as if the sun had come out. She flashed between screaming inside for him to lick her more and shock that having his face in her vagina was not freaking her out but turning her on.
His hands gripped her legs tighter, keeping her from moving. Under the control of his mouth, she clutched the bedspread in her hands and rode the waves of pleasure consuming her.
"Oh. Oh." A moan ripped from her throat.
Her orgasm held her hostage. All the strength left her legs, and Zane moved her like a doll he could pose.
He got up on his knees, grabbed her hands, and pulled her into a sitting position in front of him. "Push your tits together."
She cupped her breasts, but it was his hand wrapped around the base of his cock that tossed her out of the euphoric high and grabbed her attention.
A drop of cum dotted the head of his cock. She leaned forward, drawn to the sight of him. His forearm bulged with the grip he had on himself. The size of his cock throbbed in front of her, rock hard and intimidating.
He moved closer, rubbing the liquid seeping from him between her breasts and sliding his hardness between the mounds she'd created with her hands.
Though her body was warm and flushed, his cock was hot against her, sliding through her cleavage. She lowered her chin to her chest, not wanting to miss a single second.
"Does this feel good to you?" she asked.
"You feel good to me." He removed his hand from his body and cupped her breasts, pushing them together.
She put her hands on his hips, holding on to him as he thrust into the plush crevasse. The head of his cock stabbed her in the chest before pulling back and then sliding forward again.
Her lips parted with each breath, understanding what he was doing. He fucked her breasts like he fucked her pussy.
Instead of her wetness coating the way, he'd used his arousal to lubricate her skin. He slipped between her breasts, leaving a blazing path.
She stared into his face, hardened in concentration, highly focused on her breasts. She could see why men feared him in Gem Haven.
But she knew him. She would never be afraid of him.
She fell in love with that dedication and fierceness many years ago.
He thrust. The head of his cock pushed past her breasts and erupted at the base of her neck.
Zane inhaled deeply and then pulled back, letting go of her breasts. They fell back into their natural position, and a chill swept over her.
He picked up her tank from the floor and handed it to her. She wiped her neck and breasts clean.
"Will you stay?" she asked.
Zane fastened his jeans. She slid off the bed, wanting to keep him here. It was his house. He should stay. If not with her, then in his bed down the hall.
He walked to the door. A lump of emotions swelled in her throat. He was going to walk out again.
"Please, Zane."
He stopped. A year after he moved her into his house, he kept trying to push her away while giving her anything she wanted as long as he wasn't required to spend more than stolen minutes with her.
He treated her like someone he cherished, wanting to ensure she had everything she needed. Yet, he harbored such coldness, ensuring she couldn't have all of him.
The juxtaposition of love and hate created an emotional home life. Their warm relationship was constantly shadowed by his refusal to be with her.