He knew exactly what she meant. She’d wanted a relationship that progressed into a commitment before she had become pregnant. But that hadn’t happened and there was no way to go back and change things. The way he saw it, they should move forward and make the best of the situation.
“Let’s just take it one day at a time and see where it takes us.” He slid his hand over her side, then around to her back to pull her closer. “But I’d like for you to promise me that you’ll at least give me—give us—a chance. Can you do that, Arielle?”
He could see the uncertainty in the depths of her hazel eyes before she finally spoke. “I’ll think about it.”
Immense relief washed over him at her concession. If she was willing to give the matter some thought, he was wearing her down and that’s all the opening he needed to achieve his ultimate goal.
Giving her a little more encouragement, he covered her mouth with his, and at the first touch, he felt a spark light his lower belly. But when she put her arms around his neck and eagerly accepted his kiss, the spark quickly turned into flames.
As he deepened the kiss, he reached down to lift the hem of her gown. Sliding his hand underneath, he caressed her leg from knee to thigh. Fire immediately streaked through his veins at the feel of her satiny skin beneath his palm and her eager response to his tongue teasing hers.
He slid his hand up her side to the swell of her breast, then took the weight of her in his hand. When he teased the tip with the pad of his thumb, his blood pressure went through the roof at the sound of her soft whimper. But it was the feel of her warm touch when she placed her hand on his bare chest, doing a little exploring of her own, that caused his body to tighten almost painfully.
He wanted her with a fierceness that defied every good intention about waiting until she was ready. And when she moved her hand to his abdomen to trace her finger down toward his navel, he was pretty sure she wanted him just as much. But he had to know for certain.
“Darlin’, we’ve reached a line here and once crossed, there won’t be any turning back,” he implored, kissing his way to the hollow of her throat. “At least not without a cold shower and a lot of suffering on my part.” Raising his head, he caught her gaze with his. “So if this isn’t what you want, too, you’d better tell me right now and show me where you keep your bath towels.”
Just when he thought she was going to tell him to take that cold shower and go back to the couch, she took a deep breath. “There are a lot things about us that I’m unsure of. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is how much I want you.”
“Are you…sure, Arielle?” he persisted, finding it hard to draw in his next breath.
“No. But where you’re concerned, being certain doesn’t seem to matter.” The look in her eyes robbed him of air and caused the flames in his belly to burn out of control. “Please make love to me, Zach.”
Chapter Six
As Zach brought his mouth down to cover hers, Arielle wondered if she’d lost the last traces of her sanity. Not once since their unexpected reunion had he apologized for what had taken place in Aspen. He’d explained using an alias and leaving without telling her goodbye, but hadn’t said he was sorry. That didn’t change the fact that with one kiss, one touch of his hand on her body, she was completely lost. It had been that way almost four months ago and it was that way now.
Wrapping her arms around him, she briefly considered how she would survive if she found him gone the following morning—or any other morning for that matter. But as he kissed and teased her with such infinite care, she quickly abandoned her disturbing thoughts and gave in to her feelings.
Heat shimmered behind her closed eyes and a tingling excitement skipped over every nerve in her body as he caressed his way to her panties, then eased them down and with her help, took them off. But when he moved to lift her gown out of the way, her heart skipped several beats and she suddenly wished for darkness.
“Zach, would you…please do something for me?” she asked, easing her lips from his.
“What’s that…darlin’?” He sounded as if he had as much trouble breathing as she did.
“Would you please turn off the light?”
Leaning back, he propped himself up on one elbow. “If you’re worried about what I think of your figure now that you’re pregnant, don’t.” He shoved the sheet to the end of the bed. Then, grasping her nightgown, slid his hands up her sides and along the undersides of her arms, raising them over her head as he went. He lifted her slightly as he whisked her gown away in one smooth motion. His eyes never leaving hers, he eased her back down on the bed. “You’ve always been beautiful, Arielle.”
It wasn’t until his survey drifted ever so slowly along the length of her body that she truly believed he meant what he’d said. It almost felt as if he had physically caressed her.
“I was wrong,” he amended, gently placing his hand on her tummy. He leaned down to press a kiss just above her navel. When he raised his head to look at her, the light shining in his dark green gaze stole her breath and erased every one of her reservations. “You’re more gorgeous today than you were in Aspen and I have no doubt you’ll be even more beautiful tomorrow.”
Keeping his eyes locked to hers, he got out of bed. Hooking his thumbs in the waistband of his boxer shorts, he slowly lowered them down his long muscular legs. His sculpted physique was every bit as breathtaking as she remembered. As Zach revealed himself to her, her eyes widened when she noticed the strength of his thick arousal rising proudly from the patch of dark hair at his groin.
But it was the heated look he gave her when he got back into bed that rendered her utterly speechless. “I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you again,” he confessed, gathering her to him.
The feel of hard masculine flesh pressed against her softer feminine skin, the scent of his woodsy cologne and the sound of his harsh breathing sent sparks skipping along every nerve in her body. But when he caressed her back, then traced his hands the length of her spine to cup her bottom and pull her forward, his groan mingled with her moan and she instinctively knew that he was experiencing the same intense pleasure she was.
Heat thrummed through her veins as he covered her mouth with his. When he deepened the kiss, she threaded her fingers through his thick hair and boldly met his tongue with her own. She wanted him to know the degree of passion he instilled in her, the urgent hunger that only he could create and quench.