Page 25 of Finding Haven
Thrummingdoesn’t even begin to describe my pulse.Palpitatingmight be a better word. It sure as heck feels like I’m having heart palpitations. Hot, deep, heavy heart palpitations.
He waits for me to move out of the way and then grabs the handle, opening the door for me. I step up to him, wrap a hand around the back of his head, and pull him down to press a gentle kiss to his cheek before climbing into the passenger seat. The gesture seems to catch him off guard, his lips curling into a soft smile as his cheeks redden. Seeing Zack Mercer blush might just be my new favorite thing.
The air inside the car grows thick as he drops into the driver’s seat. He grasps the steering wheel with both hands, the veins in his forearms becoming more prominent as he grips it so tightly that his knuckles turn white as he quickly maneuvers out of the beach parking lot.
My stomach flutters, tightening with anticipation and a hint of unease as I watch him from out of the corner of my eye. His jaw clenches as his gaze quickly scours our surroundings. He spends his days ensuring that everyone is safe, and it seems like the habit has become a reflex.
Does he ever relax?
Maybe he’s just as desperate to get out of this car and finally have the privacy and space to explore one another as I am. His hand finally slips from the wheel and falls to my leg, resting just above my knee. He squeezes gently, and my breath catches in my throat as I clench my thighs. Liquid heat pools low in my belly as his fingers slowly trace up the inseam of my jeans. “Zack,” I breathe out.
I move a hand to his leg and mirror his movements, trailing my fingers up his thigh. My grip tightens just as my fingers dip dangerously close to where I’m desperate to feel him, and his hips press up into my touch. He turns his head to look at me as the corner of his lips twitch. “Be patient, Sugar. You’re playing with fire.”
Right, okay. I can totally be patient. Because that’s so easy to do right now. It’s not like I’ve been fantasizing about who my top subscriber might be or wondering what he might be like in bed. And I most definitelyhaven’tbeen picturing Zack in every single scenario my mind conjures up. Nope. I most certainly haven’t done that.
Patience. How hard can that be? He works at the hotel, so he must not live too far away. Suddenly, I’m imagining what his home might looklike. Does he live in some sort of bachelor pad apartment? He’s a little too old for that, right? I don’t even know how old he is, but he seems old enough to have his life together.
Then again, most people seem to have their lives together in comparison to me. It feels like I’m the only one who’s struggling to stay afloat most days. I’ve never been great at multitasking. If I start one thing while doing another, something will inevitably be forgotten. I will become completely absorbed in the new task until something triggers a thought of the previous task, and suddenly, I’m right back where I started. It’s a surefire way to end up with a lot of half-completed projects.
His deep chuckle filters through my mind, settling my racing thoughts. “Breathe, baby.”
Was I not breathing before? Just to be sure, I slowly pull in a deep breath and then release it, encouraging my lungs to function the way they’re supposed to.
Zack’s house isn’t what I imagined it would be. While he typically exudes an icy exterior and seems to keep a wall up, preventing anyone from getting too close, his home is the epitome of warm and inviting. It’s a modestly sized two-story home with an amazing view of a small secluded beach, which doesn’t surprise me given what I know about him.
The tension radiating between us has only amplified now that we’re hidden away from the outside world. But he hasn’t made a move to push for anything intimate, not since we left the beach. If anything, he seemsto be hesitating, as if something has suddenly changed now that I’m here in his space. I can feel the heat of his stare on my back as I move slowly around the main living space, taking in all of the small details as if they will somehow provide me with more insight into who Zack Mercer is at his core.
The silence is grating on my nerves, and I finally turn to face him. He’s standing in the kitchen, his hands braced against the marble countertop as he watches me.
“So, is this why you wanted me to come home with you?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest. I watch as his brows furrow in confusion, a soft laugh escaping me. “You just wanted to watch me wander around your living room?” I tease.
His chin dips to his chest, his shoulders visibly rising and falling with slow, deep breaths. When he lifts his gaze to meet mine, there’s a weariness in his eyes that almost makes me wish I hadn’t said anything. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a woman in my home,” he says.
His confession surprises me. “Has it been a long time since you’ve—”
“I have a room at the hotel.” His words are cold and clipped. Guarded. But the fire burning in his eyes beckons me towards him.
“We can leave and go somewhere else,” I offer, placing my hand on top of his as I reach him. “Or… I can leave. We don’t have to do this.” I don’t want him to think that he’s locked into anything with me simply because in the heat of the moment, he chose to bring me here.
“No.” He pulls his hand out from beneath mine and takes a step back. His eyes travel over my body, the heat of his gaze searing into my skin. “I don’t want to go somewhere else, and I don’t want you to leave.”
“Tell me what it is you do want,” I say, slowly stepping towards him to close the distance between us. He doesn’t break eye contact, and he doesn’t move away as I trail my fingertips up the length of his arm.
“You,” he says, his body shuddering when my touch brushes the base of his neck.
Daring to push him a little further, I run my fingertips along his jawline and lean in, my lips a breath away from his. “Then take me, Zack.”
19
Zack
Iwasn’tpreparedforthe way it would feel to have Quinn in my home. I told her that it had been a long time since I’ve brought a woman here. The truth is, she’s the first one. After Tiffany, I made a promise to myself to never again get close to a woman. My heart wouldn’t survive that kind of devastation a second time. Yet here I am, breaking my own damn rule for the stunning woman in front of me.
Then take me.
She has no fucking idea what she’s inviting me to do, no idea just how little of my restraint I’m currently holding on to. I wasn’t lying when I told her that I won’t be able to be gentle with her. That I have nodesireto be gentle with her, but she deserves someone who is going to take their time.
I grasp her hips in my hands, pulling her body against mine as I lower my mouth to hers. Her lips are soft and pliant as I swipe my tongue against them, a silent request for her to open for me. Her breath hitches as her lips part, allowing me to deepen the kiss as my fingers slip beneath the fabric of her shirt. Her hand slides to the back of my neck, pulling me in closer as her tongue flicks against mine, a deep groan rumbling from my chest.
