her arm, the feel of his rough flesh against her softer skin sending a rush of sensation up her spine. “Are you absolutely certain you want to leave this bed?” He nudged her hair aside with his chin, and the rasp of his overnight beard against her earlobe felt far too good. “Because I’d love for you to stay a minute,” he whispered wickedly before catching her lobe between his teeth in a gentle nip.
His leg slid between hers.
She was in so much trouble.
Grace could feel the wild intensity building between them like a thunderhead. She’d spent so many years holding so much back that she had no idea how to let the wildness within her free.
The very thought of doing so was terrifying.
“Made up your mind yet, Grace?” he asked softly, an obvious dare in his tone.
Questions, questions.
Unfortunately, she knew the answer to this one.
She was about to step willingly into a heartache that there would be no turning back from—she could feel it all the way to her bones.
And there was always the chance Zack was just teasing her, tormenting her. After all, he’d done no more than flirt for years, keeping her hanging, keeping her hoping. He had never called her himself, never invited her out, never seemed interested in more than the friendly flirting they engaged in.
“Do you remember the first time you called me?” Zack asked curiously, a hint of a smile in his voice as he pulled the strap of her gown down the curve of her shoulder. “You were, what? Seventeen?”
She did remember the first time; it was burned into her mind. She’d attended a concert at the park with friends that night, and while walking to her car, she collapsed from a ruptured appendix. Zack had been there. He, Slade, and Jazz rushed her to the hospital, called her family, and Zack had stayed until she was out of surgery and in recovery.
“You gave me your number while I was in the hospital,” she reminded him nervously. “You told me to call anytime.”
She was sure he hadn’t thought she’d take his words as literally as she did.
“You called me at three in the morning,” he remembered, his lips lowering to her shoulder. “You instantly informed me that I should be there with you, because whatever drugs they’d given you were keeping you awake and you were bored.”
She’d done just that. “And you came to the hospital and talked to me until I went to sleep.” And she never had the nerve to ask him why he’d done it.
“I thought for sure the staff would tell Cord, and he’d rip my head off.” He brushed a kiss against her bare shoulder. “I knew then you were trouble when I walked in and that little smile curled your lips and you told me you were certain it was going to be nice knowing I’d come when you called.”
“You said you’d always come when I called,” she remembered, her breath catching as he nipped at her shoulder. The feel of his teeth against her flesh was a shock and a pleasure she wouldn’t have expected.
“You should have called the minute Vince learned you could be in danger, brat,” his voice rumbled with displeasure just before he licked over the spot where he’d nipped her. “I’ll spank you for that at some point.”
The muscles of her rear tightened at the threat, at the involuntary curiosity that surged inside her. “Zack…” she breathed in roughly. “It’s not like that. I didn’t have a chance to call. We’d just learned the night before—”
“Grace, you really shouldn’t lie to me, baby. It just makes me want to smack that pretty ass of yours that much more.”
Oh, wow. What was she supposed to say to that?
Yes, please?
She had a feeling this was a bit more than she was ready for right now. No, asking for the punishment wasn’t a good idea, no matter how interesting it might sound. And it sounded very interesting. Zack could make the experience a life changer for her. She was having enough life-changing moments right now—she didn’t know if she could handle
His leg slid between hers.
She was in so much trouble.
Grace could feel the wild intensity building between them like a thunderhead. She’d spent so many years holding so much back that she had no idea how to let the wildness within her free.
The very thought of doing so was terrifying.
“Made up your mind yet, Grace?” he asked softly, an obvious dare in his tone.
Questions, questions.
Unfortunately, she knew the answer to this one.
She was about to step willingly into a heartache that there would be no turning back from—she could feel it all the way to her bones.
And there was always the chance Zack was just teasing her, tormenting her. After all, he’d done no more than flirt for years, keeping her hanging, keeping her hoping. He had never called her himself, never invited her out, never seemed interested in more than the friendly flirting they engaged in.
“Do you remember the first time you called me?” Zack asked curiously, a hint of a smile in his voice as he pulled the strap of her gown down the curve of her shoulder. “You were, what? Seventeen?”
She did remember the first time; it was burned into her mind. She’d attended a concert at the park with friends that night, and while walking to her car, she collapsed from a ruptured appendix. Zack had been there. He, Slade, and Jazz rushed her to the hospital, called her family, and Zack had stayed until she was out of surgery and in recovery.
“You gave me your number while I was in the hospital,” she reminded him nervously. “You told me to call anytime.”
She was sure he hadn’t thought she’d take his words as literally as she did.
“You called me at three in the morning,” he remembered, his lips lowering to her shoulder. “You instantly informed me that I should be there with you, because whatever drugs they’d given you were keeping you awake and you were bored.”
She’d done just that. “And you came to the hospital and talked to me until I went to sleep.” And she never had the nerve to ask him why he’d done it.
“I thought for sure the staff would tell Cord, and he’d rip my head off.” He brushed a kiss against her bare shoulder. “I knew then you were trouble when I walked in and that little smile curled your lips and you told me you were certain it was going to be nice knowing I’d come when you called.”
“You said you’d always come when I called,” she remembered, her breath catching as he nipped at her shoulder. The feel of his teeth against her flesh was a shock and a pleasure she wouldn’t have expected.
“You should have called the minute Vince learned you could be in danger, brat,” his voice rumbled with displeasure just before he licked over the spot where he’d nipped her. “I’ll spank you for that at some point.”
The muscles of her rear tightened at the threat, at the involuntary curiosity that surged inside her. “Zack…” she breathed in roughly. “It’s not like that. I didn’t have a chance to call. We’d just learned the night before—”
“Grace, you really shouldn’t lie to me, baby. It just makes me want to smack that pretty ass of yours that much more.”
Oh, wow. What was she supposed to say to that?
Yes, please?
She had a feeling this was a bit more than she was ready for right now. No, asking for the punishment wasn’t a good idea, no matter how interesting it might sound. And it sounded very interesting. Zack could make the experience a life changer for her. She was having enough life-changing moments right now—she didn’t know if she could handle
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