SEVENTEEN
“TWICE?” she asked as Roxie turned on the spot and sashayed away, Zairn in her wake.
“They stayed at mine in California for a while.”
“I thought they lived in New York.”
“Officially,” he said. “They’re kind of nomads. More so than the rest of us.”
“Roxie is certainly full of energy. I can’t imagine how Zairn keeps up.”
“He gives as good as he gets. Now…” He wrenched her closer. “Enough about them, what about us?”
“What about us?”
“You want to go back to mine?”
“Yours? Isn’t this—”
“I’ve been staying in a villa by the beach,” he said. “Near where we first met.”
“The light,” she whispered. “You live in the light.”
“I… guess,” he said and snickered. “Don’t worry, any other day of the week, this place is yours to explore. We can kick Roxie and Zairn out if it means—”
“No. Roxie’s… overwhelming, but she’s kind too. She told me about your friends. About your brother… and his wife.”
“Roux is a step up in the sassy stakes from Roxie, but she aims it at Rourke. And he laps it up. You don’t have to worry about her mouth turning on anyone else.”
“I’d like to meet him, them, some time.”
“Any time you want. You’ll meet everyone eventually.” That suggested more, suggested a future. “If you want, we can go back to our hammocks on the beach…”
“No, I should get back to Alessia, I left her in the spa with her friends hours ago.”
“You should stay for dinner.”
“No, I—”
“It’s important,” he said. “The plan is to talk about the Roman situation. And you have a unique perspective on that.”
“It’s not my business to—”
“Family doesn’t have to be blood in this house. When there’s a problem, we pull together the people we care about, the people we trust, and we hash it out as a group. Alessia’s welcome to join us if—”
“No, that wouldn’t help. She can’t be objective. I’m not sure I could be either. And I’m not sure I’d trust myself around your cousin.”
“Hey, if you want to lay it out for him, feel free. The rest of us are about as mad as you were, and with good reason.”
“He abused your trust,” she said. “He scared my sister, harassed that server, and betrayed a man I care about. It’ll take a lot for me to volunteer to hang out with him any time soon.”
“I never want to hang out with him. To say we tolerate him is generous.”
“You did it for Struan, that’s what Roxie said.”
“A cousin I actually like,” he said, easing her away from the wall. “There’s time for a drink before the others show up.”
She resisted. “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve been having Sex on the Beach with Roxie all day.” His lips quirked and she laughed. “You know what I mean.”
“I’m jealous.”
“She’s very spoken for.” When he walked, she went with him, pinned to his side with his arm holding her there. “She says the drink is a tribute to Lilya, us drinking the cocktail lets her live vicariously.”
“Lilya’s expecting with Kintyre. They’re getting married in a few weeks.” They crossed into the house. “I’ll need a date.”
“Plenty of women on the island who’d jump at the chance to escort you.”
“Only one I’m asking.”
She smiled up at him expecting to join Roxie and Zairn wherever they were. Instead of going further into the house, he went toward the front door only to lead her up the stairs.
“Where are we going?”
“There’s a better view.”
“Better?”
“You like to take it all in, I’ve noticed.” How could he not when she went dashing around the beach and wading into the water any chance she got? “I think you’ll like this.”
From the second floor, they went into an enclosed staircase that curved upward too. And she couldn’t deny being intrigued. Light from above lured them. Zane pressed something on the wall and a whirr from above signaled a glass panel sliding aside.
They went up, at the top, Zane held a hand out for hers, which she gave as she emerged and…
“Oh my God,” she whispered, her breath stolen.
On the roof, she could turn any way, all around, and the world was laid out for her. The island, the sea, she could see it all, three-hundred and sixty degrees, back over the island toward the resort, the canopy of trees and…
“What do you think?”
Her heart raced. “I think it’s amazing.” Letting go of his hand, she went closer to the water, except… every way got her closer. She laughed. “Zane, this is incredible.”
“Yeah, it still gets me too.” Loungers, a couple of couches, a firepit, this wasn’t just a walk on the roof, they could really hang out there. “Cam’s good at utilizing space. Making the most of the artificial in a natural environment.”
“It’s impressive.”
“Now you want to meet him too?”
When she whirled around, still beaming, exhilaration heated her more than the sun. “You live an amazing life.”
He sauntered over. “I’m with an incredible woman. Do you want a drink?” She shook her head, sliding her hands up his body when he wrapped her in his arms. “We’ve got some time before dinner.”
And she didn’t want to waste it sipping drinks politely, making small talk. Not that small talk with him was ever…
“I feel like I’m on top of the world.” Literally and figuratively. “Like we’re the only two people left in existence.”
“Then we’ve got nothing but time.”
“Still…” she murmured. Her hands ascended until her fingers met his jaw. “We shouldn’t waste it.”
Drawing him down, her eyes sank shut and she breathed as his mouth touched hers. A kiss. One that was more profound than any that had come before. Was it possible to convey, to talk, to breathe, to kiss, to express how deep her need for him went?
For a glimmer, she’d severed their connection. There in that moment, their souls linked as she rose higher, pulling him down, begging to complete the link that drove her desire.
He backed them up and picked her up just long enough to sit on one of the loungers. Maybe he could read her mind. Maybe their bodies communicated without words. Each beat of her heart was echoed by his, their pulses providing a bassline for the deeper thump of desire that undulated her hips. Rubbing herself against him, the full weight of her body, pressed down, hard, trying its best to merge with the thick line of his want, trapped within fabric.
“Babe,” he gasped under his breath, tipping his head back. “Slow it down.”
“You want to slow it down?” Stroking his face, she tempted his mouth back to hers. “If this is too much—”
“No, baby, but we’re not in any hurry.”
Except she was, her need was in a hurry, the functions of her being would cease if he didn’t respond, if he rejected her, if they were to part again without…
“We’ve been good.” Her mouth brushed across hers. “So good, Drift. Will you make me beg?”
Grabbing her ass, he yanked her tight to him. “Never, baby. Anything you want is yours.”
“Anything?” she asked, her lips curling to a smile as they touched his again. “Anything I want?”
“Mm hmm.”
His hands stayed where they were as she pressured her weight on her knees to loosen the cord of his shorts. That proud smile on his face knew exactly where they were going. He could’ve walked her to it, manipulated her into thinking this was all her idea. Maybe. Except he’d proved himself, how he valued and respected her.
So as she curled her fingers around him, tightening, loosening, guiding him from his shorts and edging closer, she kissed his smile and rested her cheek against his face.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his fingers threading into her hair.
Oh, it was that restraint, that he could be so hard, so in need, yet still prioritize what was best for her over everything else.
Inhaling through her nose, her eyes closed, and she guided his cock into her, slow, in a tender move she wanted to memorize. This was it. Their first time. And damn, if felt too good.
“Mmm,” she moaned, sliding lower, giving herself time to adjust and experience every second.
“Shit, baby.” His whispered words got lost in her hair and his hands snatched her ass again.
The thread of his restraint had to be stretching. The strength of his grip wanted to pull her lower, wanted to force her down. His hips rose, not a lot, but in an automatic, instinctive need to fully occupy her.
She wanted it too, wanted him.
“Zane,” she said, rising again the very moment she completed their union.
Down, and up, slow, breathing, she held his shoulders, and tipped her head, accepting each move of his mouth on her skin. His kiss goaded her, provoked her, stimulated that encompassing comfort of his acceptance.
He groaned as she sped up. Instinct of her own bred with impulse. The more she moved, the more she wanted. The faster, higher, lower, oh, shit. Her muscles burned, her hands gripped tighter and—
Snatching her waist in an explosion of movement, he put her on her back and hammered in, hard and fast.
“Yes,” she whispered, though it was more of a gasp. “Zane…”
“Baby,” he groaned against her, his body working itself in hers, firing, heating, stirring hormones to a boil beyond a simmer.
“Zane!” she called, her hips jolting upward, staying there as her muscles tightened. Everything in her cried in silent harmony to bathe in bliss forever. “Zane…” His name again, and he kept going, shifting enough to meet her eye. “You’re… oh!”
Another orgasm burst, and her next cry got locked in her burning throat. Had she been—had they been? Was it—
“The…”
His own throat barely let out the first syllable of her name before it became a growl that eventually stilled him. Then breath was all there was to hear, to feel. Together, panting, pulses still racing, their gazes lounged in each other as endorphins dwindled.
“Zane,” she managed to whisper and her fingertips met his cheekbone, just lightly.
A smile creased his dimples. “You really liked the view, huh?”
She laughed but clung onto him when he tried to move. “I like this view. You… there…”
He dipped quick to kiss her forehead. “It’s one you’ll be seeing so often, you’ll get bored of it.”
“Never.”
Letting him go, she pushed down her dress as he tied his shorts again, and they adjusted to lie on the lounger together, her held to his side.
Turning her face to his chest, she glowed against his sure heartbeat. “How long do we have?”
“We can stay up here all night if you want. Gets colder after sunset, but we can—”
“Until dinner, was what I meant,” she said on a laugh. “What a disappointment though, just the night? What if I never want to leave here ever again.”
“Then I’ll get someone to bring blankets.”
“I really did just come here to apologize.” Her hand moved up and down, stroking him, still trying to convince herself this was really real. “If you can believe it.”
“Best apology I’ve ever had. By far.”
She sighed and skimmed her hand across his ribs to pull herself against him. “Just a few minutes more.”
“Baby, we really don’t have to—”
“Your people come together.” She sat up. “When there’s a problem or a scene, that’s how your group works.”
“This is not really my group. Rourke and the guys wouldn’t traipse all the way over here because Roman’s an asshole. If they did that, we’d all have to live with the idiot.”
She patted his chest. “If you ever think of telling me that being with you means living with Roman Lowe…”
He laughed. “I’d dump myself if I ever said that.”
She bowed to steal a kiss. “Is there somewhere I can wash up before…?”
“Sure,” he said, vaulting up with a frustrated exhale. “I suppose the world won’t stop for us.”
He extended a hand to pull her onto her feet. “Maybe later?”
“No,” he said, holding her again. Though the rejection seemed—“Not maybe.”
Oh, Zane Dyce. How had this happened? It didn’t matter, she never needed it to happen again because… Shit, that was dangerous territory. She’d never gone ga-ga for a guy, but with Zane it was… What was it? Figuring that out while still drenched in the satisfaction of desire might be dangerous. For now, it was dinner with his people, those he cared about, in his life, with him.
She’d just keep her opinions to herself.
She could do that.
Easy… maybe not so much.