Page 43 of The Gilded Lady
The corner of his mouth tipped up again. “I have several. You can’t think I’d care about that.”
She shook her head. This wasn’t coming out quite right. “It’s from that night…” Her stomach churned. This was a bad idea. Why had she ever thought that she could do this? She didn’t want to mention the pregnancy, so she said, “The night I was pushed down the stairs.”
“Hey.” His arms went around her waist, encircling her and making her feel safe. “You’re here now. I’ve got you.”
Such a small statement, but it somehow gave her the strength to keep going. She had the memories, but she didn’t have to get taken back to that place. She was here. Zane was here. She liked here. The pressure that had started squeezing her chest eased up and she could breathe again. “There was a problem and…well, I have a scar from the procedure the doctor performed to get th-the baby out.” It had also ensured that she’d never bear another child. Dubose had seen to it.
She watched his face carefully for some change in his expression, but nothing happened. He must be an excellent poker player. She regretted telling him already. Not because she didn’t want him to know, but because she’d completely ruined the moment. Who would want her after that confession? She should’ve simply tried to keep it hidden. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” He held her tight against him and dropped light kisses on her cheeks, her forehead, her chin, and finally her lips. “But I’ll ask you again, did you think I would care about a scar? It doesn’t change that I want you.”
She had thought it would change things. She realized that she’d expected him to pull away. There were plenty of women who weren’t scarred, and he could probably have any one of them. She hadn’t realized how utterly ridiculous that sounded until she found herself almost saying that to him. “It seems minor when you put it that way.”
“I know it’s not minor to you, but I want you, Glory, you and your scars.”
The air around them had changed, charged with an energy that seemed to draw them together. Without even quite realizing how it had happened, her body was against his and he was lifting her into his arms. He was strong and solid, and she was happy that while she felt anxious because this was new and exciting, there wasn’t an ounce of fear in her. Desire left no room for that.
Desire and a sneaking suspicion that she’d allowed her heart into the mix. But as she looped her arms around his shoulders and brought his mouth down for a kiss, it didn’t feel wrong or dangerous. It felt exactly right.
Chapter Eighteen
Zane held her tight as he released her legs, letting them slide down his body in a smooth glide that left his blood rushing through his veins. He couldn’t stop staring down at her. The elegant sweep of her cheekbones, the perfect fullness of her lips, and the intoxicating look in her hazel eyes. He knew that look. Christine had given him that look, which is why her betrayal had ripped his heart out.
He could’ve better dealt with the fact that she hadn’t loved him after all. That their relationship had been built on lust he’d mistaken for love. It would’ve been easier to handle when she’d left him broken and bleeding in the dirt. But that hadn’t been the case. She’d loved him. He’d seen it in her eyes and felt it in her touch. The simple truth was that she’d chosen something else over him, despite their love.
The pad of his thumb traced over Glory’s brow as he saw an echo of that look in her eyes. She was falling in love with him. He swallowed thickly, aware that his hand held a slight tremor as he touched her. She closed her eyes and leaned into his caress, asoft sound at the back of her throat letting him know how much she enjoyed being touched by him. They’d agreed to not talk about the future, but he couldn’t go further with her until he was certain that she understood.
“Glory?”
“Mmm….” She opened her eyes and there was that look again. Warm and open and trusting and part of him wanted that, reveled in it even; but, with that longing came dread and certainty that they were headed for a cliff and the inevitable fall.
“I need you to know that this…” He broke off and had to swallow again past a tongue gone thick and clumsy with all the things he didn’t know how to say. “I can’t promise you more than tonight. Hell, we both know I can’t even promise you tomorrow.”
She gave him a slow nod, her teeth working her bottom lip. “You make me feel like no one ever has, Zane. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life regretting not holding on to this moment. We both know tomorrow isn’t certain. But tonight can be.”
He wanted to crush her against him, but holding her was like holding something very precious. He didn’t want to chance breaking her, so he very slowly and with infinite tenderness brought his lips to hers. She opened beneath him, enthusiastically deepening the kiss, and he was lost. All his careful intentions fell to the wayside. She tasted so sweet and good that he drank from her lips, wanting more.
She groaned in the back of her throat, a sound that moved through him, thickening his blood and driving it south. He held her closer, but it wasn’t close enough. Suddenly her gown was too much, he wanted her naked and beneath him. His hands tightened at her waist as he held her flush against him, the hard steel of his arousal pressing into her soft belly. Hard where she was soft. Rough where she was smooth. The differences between them begged to be explored.
Breaking the kiss enough to take a deep breath and calm himself down, he looked down at her. To his surprise she gave him a coy smile.
“I want to see you without your shirt again. I didn’t get to touch you last time.”
He grinned, amazed and in awe of the beautiful woman before him. She was a contradiction of eagerness and hesitancy. His fingers were already on the buttons of his shirt before he’d even realized he’d moved, so he had to remind himself to go slow and let her set the pace. He was the luckiest man alive right now that she was letting him in and allowing him to show her how good things could be between a man and a woman.
Without looking to see where it would fall, he tossed his shirt to the side. His chest swelled with an emotion he couldn’t be bothered to name as her gaze raked over him hungrily. Gently taking her hand, he brought it to his chest. Her teeth tugged at her soft bottom lip as she ran both palms over him, making him want to take her lips again. So he did.
Her hands gently squeezed his chest muscles as she opened for him, allowing his tongue to delve inside and taste her sweetness. He wanted to taste her everywhere, but he’d take what he could get for now. As they kissed, she explored him. His chest, his back, the planes of his stomach. Her fingers stopped at the top button on his pants.
“Go ahead.” His voice was a breathless whisper when he pulled back.
She hesitated. Her fingers traced over his skin, making everything in him tighten and burn with need. Slowly so that she could tell him to stop if she wanted, he reached for his pants, his fingers finding hers at the button. Very gently he popped it open. She took in a harsh breath, but she didn’t draw away. Instead, he felt her fingertips tracing over his belly, playing in the light matting of fur that led down into his pants.
Gritting his teeth against the pleasure, he stood there for her, letting her explore him. He was throbbing, needing her to touch him, wanting to be buried inside her, so he closed his eyes and thought of anything but her soft hands playing over his skin.
“You’re so beautiful,” she whispered.
He grinned. “I’ve been called a lot of things, but never that.”
