be happy he wanted to talk since Zane could be a man of few words, always keeping things close to the vest. But in this situation , talking was not a good thing.
She nodded anyway. “All right.”
Zane hesitated for so long, she began to fear whatever he had to say was really, really bad. Like I’m-sorry-I-kissed-you-since-I-have-a-wife-and-three-children kind of bad. Missy braced herself for the worst as he opened his mouth and drew in a breath.
“My father promised to invest a million dollars in the security company my teammates and I want to open, but only if I started dating you. I’m guessing your father’s bid for the presidency was too much for dear old dad to resist.”
As his confession spilled out in a tumble of words, s he didn’t know which was worse. That he’d asked her out originally because his father was paying him to. Or that even for a million dollars, Zane couldn’t bring himself to continue doing it.
On top of that, s he might just be the only female alive who Zane Alexander had taken parking and didn’t have sex with. How humiliating was that?
“Oh.” Missy bit her lip and pondered what to do. What to say. How to feel . . . besides sick to her stomach.
“Missy, listen to me. You have every right to hate me or at least be pretty damn angry. I called you because he wanted me to, but the more time I spent with you the more I liked you. That was the main reason why I walked away from this deal. I couldn’t live with myself. I don’t want to lie to you.”
“Because you like me.”
“Yes. A lot. Anyway, now you know. I’ll take you home.” Zane leaned back and turned to face forward in his seat.
“Wait . Before we go back, can I ask you something first?”
He rested one had on the steering wheel as he turned his head to look back at her. “Of course.”
“Why did you kiss me just now if you weren’t interested in me?”
Zane sent her a sideways glance and reached for the ignition. “I never said I wasn’t interested.”
Missy reached out and laid her hand over his, pulling it into her lap. “Zane. Don’t take me home yet.”
His eyes narrowed as his gaze moved over her face. “Why not?”
“This is why not.” Missy tugged on his hand, pulling him closer. She reached up, grabbed his head and pressed her lips against his.
This time he didn’t stop. He didn’t pull away. He kissed her the way she’d always dreamed he would. He tangled his hands in her hair and angled his head, kissing her deeper, harder. His tongue stroking against hers set a rhythm that had her needing more of him. All of him.
“We should put the roof up,” he said between kisses.
Frustrated that she couldn’t get close enough to him as it was, Missy shook her head. The roof above her would only make things worse. “No. We should get out and lie on the grass where there’s more room.”
Zane let out a laugh and ran his hands down her arms. “God, you’re amazing. But it’s winter.”
“We’re in the south. It’s warm enough.”
“Not for what I want, it’s not.” He drew in a breath and reached for the buttons of her coat, unfastening one at a time. When it was open, he slid his hands beneath the coat and ran his palms over her. “It nearly killed me seeing you wearing this dress all day.”
She smiled. “You like it?”
“Yes.” He moved to press his lips against her ear. “Of course, I’d like to see it off you too.”
Missy couldn’t agree more. She’d spent many a summer day waiting by the pool for Zane to take off his shirt just so she could get a glimpse of his lean muscled body as he cut through the water with a perfect dive off the high board. Now that she finally had her hands on him, he was fully dressed. But where could they go if he wouldn’t take her to a hotel? Her head spun.
The answer hit her like a lightning bolt. “My boss.”
“What about your boss? And shit, I don’t even know what you do for a living.” Scowling, Zane shook his head as he
She nodded anyway. “All right.”
Zane hesitated for so long, she began to fear whatever he had to say was really, really bad. Like I’m-sorry-I-kissed-you-since-I-have-a-wife-and-three-children kind of bad. Missy braced herself for the worst as he opened his mouth and drew in a breath.
“My father promised to invest a million dollars in the security company my teammates and I want to open, but only if I started dating you. I’m guessing your father’s bid for the presidency was too much for dear old dad to resist.”
As his confession spilled out in a tumble of words, s he didn’t know which was worse. That he’d asked her out originally because his father was paying him to. Or that even for a million dollars, Zane couldn’t bring himself to continue doing it.
On top of that, s he might just be the only female alive who Zane Alexander had taken parking and didn’t have sex with. How humiliating was that?
“Oh.” Missy bit her lip and pondered what to do. What to say. How to feel . . . besides sick to her stomach.
“Missy, listen to me. You have every right to hate me or at least be pretty damn angry. I called you because he wanted me to, but the more time I spent with you the more I liked you. That was the main reason why I walked away from this deal. I couldn’t live with myself. I don’t want to lie to you.”
“Because you like me.”
“Yes. A lot. Anyway, now you know. I’ll take you home.” Zane leaned back and turned to face forward in his seat.
“Wait . Before we go back, can I ask you something first?”
He rested one had on the steering wheel as he turned his head to look back at her. “Of course.”
“Why did you kiss me just now if you weren’t interested in me?”
Zane sent her a sideways glance and reached for the ignition. “I never said I wasn’t interested.”
Missy reached out and laid her hand over his, pulling it into her lap. “Zane. Don’t take me home yet.”
His eyes narrowed as his gaze moved over her face. “Why not?”
“This is why not.” Missy tugged on his hand, pulling him closer. She reached up, grabbed his head and pressed her lips against his.
This time he didn’t stop. He didn’t pull away. He kissed her the way she’d always dreamed he would. He tangled his hands in her hair and angled his head, kissing her deeper, harder. His tongue stroking against hers set a rhythm that had her needing more of him. All of him.
“We should put the roof up,” he said between kisses.
Frustrated that she couldn’t get close enough to him as it was, Missy shook her head. The roof above her would only make things worse. “No. We should get out and lie on the grass where there’s more room.”
Zane let out a laugh and ran his hands down her arms. “God, you’re amazing. But it’s winter.”
“We’re in the south. It’s warm enough.”
“Not for what I want, it’s not.” He drew in a breath and reached for the buttons of her coat, unfastening one at a time. When it was open, he slid his hands beneath the coat and ran his palms over her. “It nearly killed me seeing you wearing this dress all day.”
She smiled. “You like it?”
“Yes.” He moved to press his lips against her ear. “Of course, I’d like to see it off you too.”
Missy couldn’t agree more. She’d spent many a summer day waiting by the pool for Zane to take off his shirt just so she could get a glimpse of his lean muscled body as he cut through the water with a perfect dive off the high board. Now that she finally had her hands on him, he was fully dressed. But where could they go if he wouldn’t take her to a hotel? Her head spun.
The answer hit her like a lightning bolt. “My boss.”
“What about your boss? And shit, I don’t even know what you do for a living.” Scowling, Zane shook his head as he
Similar Books
