Chapter 12
12
“You have a ballroom?” Bethany gasped and moved deeper into the large circular room. Frescoes depicting turbaned sultans and voluptuous half-naked servants colored the walls and soared up the Moroccan ceilings. Beneath her feet, the marble floors gleamed with high polish, and she had no trouble imagining the room filled with beautiful people enjoying beautiful music, while sipping champagne and nibbling on canapés.
Unable to help herself, she twirled in a perfect pirouette, followed by a quick fist-pump in celebration that she hadn’t forgotten how.
Zach was smiling when she turned to face him, his head tilted slightly as he watched her. “It came with the house. It serves as a perfect entertainment center when I’m this close to Europe.”
“Wow. I seriously love it.” They had passed the entrance to the room on their way to Zach’s bedroom, but she hadn’t had a chance to see it fully. She glanced around again. Then she self-consciously tucked her hair behind her ears when she realized how intently Zach watched her.
“Enough to do that pirouette thing for me again?” he asked with another devastating smile.
With an answering smile, she stepped back to give herself enough room. Then, raising herself on her toes, she performed the move for him again, and added a couple more just for good measure.
When she finished her last twirl, he caught her face in his hands and kissed her. “That was beautiful. Stay here. I have a present for you.”
He left her standing in the middle of the room and walked to the far side, where a box she hadn’t spotted when they entered the room stood. Striding back to her, he held out the large ribboned package to her.
The most glorious satin ballet slippers lay within luxury tissues. She caught sight of the specialized designer label and gasped. “Oh, my God, Zach. These cost thousands of dollars!”
He shrugged and dropped the empty box. “Money doesn’t matter. Do you like them?”
“Are you kidding? I love them!” Stupid tears stung behind her lids. She forced them away and glanced up at him. “But I don’t know when I’ll ever use them.”
“Have you given any thought to dancing again, just for your own pleasure?”
“Not really. But I suppose it’s not out of the question.” She stroked the slippers, the old yearning rising to the fore. “I’ve put on too much weight to even think about it.”
“Bullshit. You’re perfect. If it makes you happy, do it.”
Tears stung harder, and her heart did that stupid little kick again. Suddenly, breathing became difficult as sensations, which had nothing to do with sex, pounded at her. She could fall for this guy so very easily.
“Besides, my motives weren’t altogether altruistic.”
She blinked. “Oh really?”
He shook his head, caught her around the waist and twirled her once before pulling her close. “Ever since you told me about your ballet training, I’ve dreamed of fucking you while you hold the arabesque position,” he breathed into her mouth. He swallowed her gasp and let her come up for air a full minute later.
“I think I’ve fallen into the arms of a kinky freak.”
He laughed. “You have no idea.”
Taking the slippers from her, he placed them back in the box and set it down on the floor. He took her hand. After kissing her knuckles, he wove his own through them and led them from the room.
The hallway held the same elaborate frescoes but in a broader subject matter, leaning towards more Eastern influences. “These are stunning,” she said.
“They were crumbling a little when I bought the house. Restoration took a while, but I’m glad I stuck with it.”
“You keep calling it a house. I think the right term is palace. It’s huge. Certainly more than big enough for one person.”
He turned his face away from her. “I needed a private place. It suited my purpose.”
He led her out onto a wraparound terrace that overlooked the mountains. The air was dry and humid and stung her lungs. But the combined scents of spices and clean air thrilled her sensory receptors. She took another breath, turned around and saw the enormous hot tub.
Frozen, she stared at it.
Zach glanced from her stricken face to the tub and back again. She heard him speak, but her attention was riveted to the sight in front of her.
“Bethany!”
She turned wide eyes to him.
“What is it?”
“I don’t… I don’t like water.”
He frowned. “It’s just a tub.”
She shook her head. “Not to me,” she blurted.
His frown intensified. “Do you want to leave?”
“No. I love this place.”
“Aside from the water.”
She tried for a shrug. “As long as you don’t expect me to swim in the pool or take a bath with you, I think I’ll be okay.”
His eyes dimmed with disappointment, and he walked her back inside the house. The rest of the tour was conducted in a subdued manner. Each time they neared his pool or the fountain, he glanced anxiously at her.
Bethany knew she’d grown pale by the time they entered the bespoke kitchen. He led her to one of the large islands and pulled out a stool for her. Pouring a glass of mineral water, he set it in front of her.
“How long have you had a fear of water?”
She shrugged. “I don’t remember when it started exactly. But I nearly drowned when I was younger. Twice. Once by accident. And the other time…”
His eyes narrowed. “Someone deliberately tried to drown you?”
She nodded.
“Who?” he breathed in that quietly dangerous way she’d come to denote as fury. She’d heard the same note in his voice when she’d talked about Chris.
The power behind it sent a shiver over her skin. As cowardly as it was, she wanted the atmosphere gone. “It doesn’t matter, Zach. I don’t want to talk about?—”
“Who was it, Bethany?”
She passed a hand over her nape to soothe the anxiety rushing through her. “Our neighbor’s son. He was a little older than me and used to come over to swim in our pool when he was home from college. I was fourteen at the time and he… he used to watch me.” She shrugged. “I kinda had a little crush on him. But I never thought…”
“He would return the crush?”
“Yes. Anyway, one day he tried to kiss me. Things got a little heavy. I tried to get him to stop. He got angry.”
“And he tried to fucking drown you? Where were your parents?” His nostrils were pinched, and his eyes were a dark, furious grey.
“They were next door with his parents. It all happened so fast.”
“It only takes seconds, Bethany.” His eyes grew stormier. “Did you tell your parents?”
“No.”
“Surely they must have wondered why you didn’t swim anymore?”
She shrugged again. “I think they assumed my old fear had come back. It’s not a big deal, Zach?—”
“It is to me.” Cradling her face in his large palms, he tilted her head and looked deep into her eyes. “You’ve suffered two near-death experiences and contended with that asshole of an ex too. It may not be much to you, but it’s a fucking big deal to me. Tell me how to make it better,” he said.
Her heart lurched. “Zach, you don’t need to,” she replied.
“I do. So many things could’ve kept you from me. I will take away all of your fears, Bethany. Each and every one of them. Or fucking die trying.”
Her gasp made them both freeze. His eyes remained squarely on hers. Unwavering. Nonetheless, she felt him withdraw slightly, as if he’d also realized the emotive and shocking meaning of his words.
Abruptly, he dropped his hands. “Come on. We’re almost done.”
She followed him, sedate on the outside, raw and shaky on the inside. Lush plants, palm trees and luxury hammocks made up the elaborately designed garden.
But again, Zach’s love of water was what caught her attention.
The pool extended from underneath the west side of the house and dissected the garden before dropping off in an infinity-style design almost a hundred meters away. Lined in slate grey, the bottom of the pool was almost indiscernible, escalating her nervousness.
Zach’s fingers curled around hers, and he forced her to stop.
“The water isn’t deep at this side. You don’t need to come out here if you don’t want to. The other side of the house has a garden without a pool. If you need to come out here for any reason, I’ll be with you. If not, a member of my staff will always be with you.”
She gave a jerky nod, and his fingers relaxed a touch.
He curled a hand over her nape and pulled her close. “Don’t let the assholes win, Bethany. Just say the word and I’ll help you put the bad memories to rest.”
She pulled back and looked into his eyes. “Will you let me do the same for you?”
His eyes shadowed immediately, and he looked away, staring off towards the white peaks of the Atlas Mountains. “No need, baby. I have my demons well and truly covered.”
“So you do have them?” she probed, her heart stalling then accelerating in anticipation of finding out a little bit more about this enigmatic man.
“Don’t we all?”
“That’s not really an answer, Zach. You’re ready to cut down the people you think have wronged me, but you refuse to tell me even a little bit about what created those shadows in your eyes.”
His frown made her pulse stutter, but she refused to look away or cower from it. “They don’t impact us in any way, so they’re irrelevant.”
Again, she noted the evasive non-answer and curbed the frustration rising inside her. In the grand scheme of things, she was in danger of losing sight of the fact that she’d only known this man for three days.
Three. Short. Days.
It seemed as if a lifetime had passed, yet in all ways except carnal, they were virtual strangers.
Patience.
It wasn’t a virtue she possessed in abundance, but she knew deep down that Zachary Savage wasn’t a man you pushed.
Her stomach growled loudly, breaking the tension.
The smile that replaced his frown held a hint of relief. It was also blatantly calculated to fry her insides with its brilliance. “I guess our final destination is now determined.” He tugged her after him as he rushed through the rest of the tour.
Twelve bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms, a golden-domed tower room accessed by interconnecting arches, and endless hallways later, they ended up back in the lavish kitchen.
Ordering her to sit at the high stool set into the center island, Zach strode to the giant fridge and started setting out ingredients on the counter.
“Can I do anything?” she asked, although secretly she wanted to do nothing more than sit and stare at the graceful movements of the man who succeeded in taking her breath away, even as he performed the most mundane of tasks.
“You can get us some wine.” He indicated the deep alcove that held rack after rack of wines. “I’m making us a chicken couscous salad. Is that okay with you?”
She nodded as she slid off the stool and went to the wine chiller. She was by no means a wine connoisseur, but she guessed that anything she chose from Zach’s selection would be a good choice. She grabbed the most familiar-looking label and returned to the island, fetching two glasses from the cabinet on her way.
Uncorking the wine, she poured and passed him a glass.
Eyes on hers, he took a long sip, set the glass down and moved the preparation to the center island. As he passed her, he stopped and dropped a kiss on top of her head.
He grabbed a large glazed earthenware pot and set it on the far side of the island.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a tagine pot.” He lit the portable fire underneath it before he returned to the middle of the island where the chopping board was set.
Sunlight slanting through the large bay windows glinted off the knife and the short silky hairs on his wrist as he chopped vegetables and diced chicken. He tossed the chicken into the pot with herbs and a dash of oil then started on the salad.
“Where did you learn to cook?”
He shrugged. “Here and there. I picked up quite a bit on my travels, but I don’t always get the chance to indulge.” He looked up at her. “Forgive me if I’m a little bit rusty.”
“You’re talking to a girl whose other best friend is the local Italian takeout menu. You won’t get any complaints from me.” She took a sip of wine and told herself that watching him chop vegetables really wasn’t as sexy as her jumpy hormones were trying to imply.
But she couldn’t look away.
He moved to the tagine pot and raised the lid. The smell of sizzling, smoky chicken filled the air. Twenty minutes later, Zach served up their meal and took a seat next to hers.
Forking a mouthful of golden, herb-infused couscous and a bite of chicken, he held it out to her. “I need a verdict.”
She took the mouthful and chewed. Rich textures exploded on her tongue, and she barely managed to stop from groaning in pleasure. Forcing herself to keep a straight face, she shrugged.
“It’s okay, I guess.”
His eyes widened a touch before he frowned down at his plate. “What’s wrong with it?”
“I’m not certain, exactly. Perhaps another bite to make sure?” she suggested.
Still frowning, he heaped another forkful and fed her. Again, she sampled the exquisite dish and shook her head. “I just don’t know, Zach. I think you’ll have to feed me the whole plate before I can make up my mind one way or the other.”
“I have to…” He caught the quiver of laughter moving her shoulders and dropped the fork onto her plate.
“Gotcha,” she crowed.
He grabbed either side of her stool and swerved her round to face him. Leaning forward, he kissed her hard. It was meant as punishment for teasing him, but it was a price she was more than willing to pay.
He cut it agonizingly short and glared at her as he raised his head.
“Eat your food, Green. You’ll need your strength to make it up to the chef for that ego-shredding insult.”
* * *
The next three days passed in slow, sultry bliss. She sunbathed in the solarium before the midday sun flared too hot. Later in the afternoon, she listened to music on her iPhone or caught up with her emails while Zach swam, a ritual she was learning he repeated twice a day for almost an hour each time.
After the first time she’d seen him walk indoors, droplets of water clinging to his skin and his thick cock firmly outlined in his trunks, she’d given up pretending not to stare.
She squirmed now as she heard him turn on the shower after his swim. No matter how many times they’d devoured each other, the desperate need for him refused to diminish.
Her nipples peaked beneath her white bikini top as she listened to Pink scream about being a slut.
Welcome to my world, sister .
She didn’t even need to be in the same room as Zachary Savage in order to hit the state of wet anticipation. And when he walked in with that sure, sexy stride and his eyes zeroed in on her, like they did now, she knew squeezing her thighs together, to stem the ravenous ache building inside her, was no use.
“Good swim?” she asked, her voice breathy in that slutty way Pink would be proud of.
“Hmm,” he murmured, heavy-lidded eyes sliding over her scantily clad body. “But it would’ve been better with you.”
“Nah, I would just slow you down. Or jump you mid-stroke.”
“Hmm.” Determination flared in his eyes, but he banked it a moment later.
Bethany was thankful that he wasn’t pushing her to overcome her fear. It was something she’d lived with for so long, she wasn’t sure she would ever get over it, and she was glad Zach was letting it be for now.
As she watched, he slowly peeled off his swimming trunks and kicked them away. “Feel free to jump me now,” he offered magnanimously. His thickening cock rose from the silky hair that covered his groin.
One thick vein pulsed underneath the stiff length, and her mouth watered with the anticipation of sliding her tongue over it.
Nervously, she glanced towards the open French doors leading inside. “Aren’t… aren’t the staff around?”
“Nope, I’ve given them the day off. We have the whole place to ourselves. All day long.” He reached forward and tugged at the bow holding her bikini bottoms together. “Come on, Peaches. Time to work on those tan lines.”
Within seconds, he had her gloriously naked. Her favorite brand of sunscreen stood on the table next to her lounger. He grabbed it and tipped the oil into his cupped palm. Slowly, he rubbed his hands together, his gaze drifting heatedly over her body.
Seating himself on the edge of her lounger, he lowered his palms to her stomach. Her sharp intake of breath brought a smile to his lips.
Zach loved the effect he had on her, seemed to crave it, in fact. She only needed to be within arm’s length for him to find an excuse to touch her. Not that he needed an excuse. She craved having his hands on her as much as he did.
His caress moved sideways over her waist and down to her hips before drifting back up to glide beneath her breasts. He repeated the motion, over and over, each time sliding close to, but avoiding, her hard nipples.
Desire tore through her, and her hips moved restlessly. A moan rose up in her throat, but Bethany forced it down. She refused to beg. She’d begged too many times since she met Zach Savage. Although she’d had him at her mercy when she’d given him the blow job the day they’d arrived in Marrakech, she’d soon learned that the moment would not be repeated. Sure, she’d given several blow jobs since, but that moment of fractured control had remained elusive.
She forced her hips to still and inhaled deeply to regulate her soaring heart rate. Her skin continued to tingle and arousal bit deep, of course, but she intended to cling to her control for as long as possible.
His gaze slowly narrowed as his hands glided up her shoulders in a smooth, devastating caress. As he moved back down and around her breasts, intense eyes gauged her reaction. When she remained motionless, he went lower, over her stomach to the pelvic bones. He kneaded her flesh, the warmth of his hands sending electric currents along her nerve endings.
Another moan threatened. She swallowed it down. His hands left her body for a moment, but only to drizzle more oil into his palm before he started an even more intensive assault on her thighs. Firm thumbs dug into her skin in erotic circles, each rotation drawing close to her sensitive inner thigh.
He was a whisper away from grazing the outer skin of her sex when she jerked away.
“I’m all done on the front, I think.”
She flipped over and was rewarded with a moment’s triumph when his breath hissed out. For several seconds, he didn’t move. Then she heard the slow glide of his palms rubbing together. He went straight for her ass, as she’d known he would.
Shielded from his probing, electric gaze, she reasserted her slipping control. But even with her eyes clamped shut, she couldn’t deny the sizzling arousal that stormed through her body. Pleasure soared higher and higher until she hovered on the brink of bliss.
Bethany was contemplating giving in and pleading for him to take her when his breath brushed her left ear.
“Bravo, Peaches. I think you’re ready to visit my toy room.”
Her head snapped round, and her gaze collided with his.
Stormy grey eyes regarded her with a mixture of admiration and speculation.
“Excuse me? You were testing me?”
He shook his head. “Not consciously. I like your uninhibited response. But I think we can have even more fun, if you’re willing to practice a little bit more restraint.”
“And you’ll only allow me into this toy room of yours if I don’t give in easily?”
“You’ve always had access to it. I told you about it before we left Paris, but you’ve shown no interest in it.” He shrugged. “You don’t have to see it if you don’t want to.”
She licked dry lips, unsure of where this conversation was going. And whether she wanted to pursue it further. But excitement tingled along her skin, her curiosity piqued.
Fun. That was why she was here. Wasn’t it? Being brave enough to grasp the adventure?
“Well, since I’ve never seen a toy room before, I can’t tell you one way or the other.”
His eyes gleamed, darkened a touch. “So you’d like to see it?”
She thought for a second and shrugged casually. “Sure. Why not?”
The slow, wicked smile that spread across his face made her self-preservation radar vibrate hard.
He stood to his full length, his erection thick and proud.
Her stomach flipped over as a weakness invaded her bones. She could barely lift her hand when he held out his to her.
“Come.”