With a husky groan, Zack rolled onto his side, taking her with him. He reached up with one hand and dragged the spare blanket off the chest at the foot of the bed. He spread it out on the carpet with a quick snapping motion, as though he were throwing out a fishing net.
The next thing she knew she was on her back on the blanket, looking up at Zack. He levered himself into a sitting position. She watched, utterly enthralled, as he pulled the black T-shirt over his head and tossed it aside.
Firelight gleamed on his sleek shoulders. Filled with a profound sense of wonder and discovery, she reached out and touched the sinewy curve of his upper arm. He caught her hand in his and dropped a warm, damp kiss into her palm, making her fingers curl in reaction. Something curled deep inside her, too, something that ratcheted up the delicious tension several more degrees.
She circled his wrist with her fingers and tugged him down on top of her, needing to feel the weight and strength of him.
His low, soft laugh was intoxicating, empowering.
“I do like a woman who knows what she wants,” he said against her throat.
He slid one leg between her thighs and kissed her deeply. All her senses were ignited now, normal and paranormal. Impulsively she clung to him, savoring the erotic feel of his muscled back beneath her hands. Deliberately she dug her nails into his warm skin.
“Sweet hell.” He bit her ear very gently. “Got any idea what that’s doing to me?”
In a heartbeat she discovered a new, sexy, sultry side to her nature, a side she had never even dreamed existed.
“Tell me,” she whispered. “Tell me exactly what it does to you.”
“Makes me hot.” His voice had thickened noticeably in the past few minutes.
“Hot is good.” She drew her thumb down his strong spine. “What else?”
“Hard.” He nipped lightly at one nipple and let her feel his fierce erection pressing against the inside of her thigh. “Very, very hard.”
“Hard works, too.” She lifted her hips against his. “Go on.”
He raised his head and framed her face between his bent arms.
“You know, I’m not feeling real verbal at the moment,” he said. “I’m more into show than tell.”
She smiled slowly and gripped his shoulders. “Then, by all means, show me.”
“With pleasure.”
He reached down. She heard the scrape of belt leather and then the rasp of his zipper. He sat up again, just long enough to get rid of his pants and briefs. He took another few seconds to remove a small packet from the pocket of his pants, extract the condom inside and sheath himself in it.
He settled down beside her, pulling her close. When he moved his hand between her legs she lost her own ability to communicate verbally. Within minutes she was clutching at him, trying to wrap herself around him, trying to get him inside her before the exciting tension dissipated.
“Hurry.” She sounded desperate, even to her own ears. “Please. Hurry.”
“Not so fast.” He leaned over her, kissing her throat again, his hand still doing magical, tormenting things between her legs. “We’ve got all night.”
This was a fine time for him to be regaining his verbal skills. She seized him by the shoulders and tried to shake him to get his full attention. It was like trying to shake a massive boulder.
“You don’t understand,” she got out through clenched teeth. “I think I’m going to come.”
“Oh, yeah.” His eyes gleamed in the firelight. “I know you are.”
“You don’t get it,” she gasped. “I’ve never been able to do that with anyone before. Don’t mess this up, Jones, or I’ll never forgive you.”
“You’re in charge, babe.” He moved on top of her. “This time.”
The implied threat only heightened her anticipation.
“So close,” she gasped. “So close.”
At last he was easing himself into her, stretching her, and somehow still using his hand.
“All you have to do is hang on tight,” he whispered. “Real, real tight.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and tightened herself around his rigid length.
“That’s it,” he said. “Squeeze me like you’re never going to let me go.”
He began to move slowly in and out of her. She was vibrantly aware of the psychic energy flaring between them. It was like being caught up in the eerie, shifting aura of the northern lights. They were creating their very own aurora borealis right here in room number six of the Shelbyville B and B.
And then she was there, catching one of the glorious, pulsating waves of night light, riding it across a starry sky. She couldn’t breathe but it didn’t matter. She wanted to laugh, wanted to cry, wanted to sing. But all she could do was allow herself to be flung away into the darkness.
She was vaguely aware that she was pulling Zack with her. The muscles of his back were marble hard beneath her hands.
She heard his long, drawn-out growl of triumphant release. For a timeless moment he pulsed deep inside her.
When it was over he collapsed along the length of her, crushing her into the blanket.
He dragged himself reluctantly out of the luxurious state of relaxation that had overtaken him following the climax to end all climaxes and opened his eyes. Raine was lying on her side, facing him, one arm tucked under her head. In the fire-lit shadows her eyes were deeper and more mysterious than ever. She was watching him as if he were some new, intriguing creature, one she had never before encountered. He figured he was probably watching her with a similar expression.
“Damn,” he said, stretching his arms high overhead, “if I hadn’t believed in the existence of the paranormal before tonight, I’d sure as hell be a believer after that experience.”
She blinked, startled, and then she laughed, a light, sparkling laugh that made him want to hug her close. He did just that.
She was still smiling a short time later when he picked her up and carried her to the bed.
Thirteen
She came awake to the insistent ringing of the room phone. Without opening her eyes she reached out and groped for the receiver.
Her hand collided with a solid masculine shoulder.
She did open her eyes then. Fast. She also sat bolt upright in bed, startled panic snapping through her.
“What?” she managed. The single word came out as a squeak.
“Take it easy.” Zack levered himself up on one elbow and regarded her with sleepy-eyed amusement. “It’s me. You do remember me, don’t you? The guy who was rolling around on the floor with you last night?”