Page 54 of Ruined
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“I have been waiting all damn day to do this.”
She didn’t have time to open her mouth and speak. I slanted mine over hers in a needy kiss. It baffled me how every time I tasted her lips, it was better than before. This past week had been nothing but amazing; Zoe had come over for dinner every night, which had put my little Molly in seventh heaven.
It also gave me the opportunity to kiss her senselessevery single night.
However, I was turning into a greedy bastard when it came to her and a few hours every day weren’t enough. During my lunch break three days ago, I’d asked her to meet me at the creek close to my place. No sooner had she arrived before I’d assaulted her with my mouth. I didn’t think she minded since she showed up again yesterday and today.
Sixty glorious minutes of nothing but Zoe was exactly what I needed to make it through the day.
Although almost everyone knew that there was something going on between us, we didn’t even hold hands in public. It wasn’t like we were being sneaky; we simply weren’t ready to let the rest of the world into our little bubble.
And I knew that Zoe needed to take things slow.
Right now, though, the only words running through my brain werehardandfast. Who could blame me when this gorgeous creature’s body was pressed up against me while her tongue dueled with mine?
Damn…
A week of nothing but hot kisses would drive any man to the brink of insanity, and it was getting harder and harder — pun intended — not to take things further. After that night at my place, I’d made a vow that I’d wait until she was the one who instigated anything sexual.
As difficult as that may have been.
That look in her eyes had been haunting my dreams since the first time I’d seen it. I had a suspicion what had put it there, but I was really hoping that I was wrong. The only person who could set me straight was Zoe, unfortunately, she wasn’t doing any talking.
Quite possibly because I devoured her whenever we were alone.
I couldn’t remember ever being this insatiable when it came to a woman, but then again, Zoe wasn’t just any woman.
She wasthewoman.
The one who’d shown me how to smile again. How to feel again.
Speaking of feeling… “Sunshine,” I said on a ragged breath, as soon as I managed to tear my mouth away from hers. “You know kissing you is my favorite pastime, but…uh…I think we need to slow down.” Leaning in so my lips were just beside her ear, I whispered, “If we don’t, I might end up taking you against this car.” I pressed a kiss to her skin and tiny little bumps popped up all over; I marveled in the fact that I had this effect on her.
I drew back, enabling me to look at her beautiful face; those big eyes glittering with joy and want. Shiny, plump lips wet from our kiss. Damn…just, damn. I couldn’t help myself; running a thumb along her cheeks, the confession rolled off my tongue. “You’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Yeah, I knew how cheesy that sounded. It didn’t make it untrue, though.
Her cheeks turned rosy while mirth sparkled behind her hazel irises. “Seems to me like I won first place.” She parked a hand on her jutted-out hip. “What’s my prize?”
A slow smile spread across my face as I dipped my head to nuzzle her neck; whenever I kissed her there, the sexiest sounds came from her mouth. As it always did, the smell of apples teased my senses right as I pressed my lips to her skin. “What.”kiss“Do.”kiss“You.”kiss“Want.”kiss.
“You…” she admitted breathlessly, and damn if that wasn’t music to my ears.
I straightened far enough so I could lean my forehead against hers. “You have me, sunshine, for as long as you want.”
Zoe’s hand came up to caress my cheek. The cheerfulness that’d burned in her eyes a few moments ago had made way for a hell of a lot of doubt. Not for the first time, I had to bite my tongue, because I wanted to know why she thought she didn’t deserve happiness. Instead of voicing that question, I pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.
Sliding my hand down her arm, I took her hand as I started walking toward the water. “How would you feel about spending the weekend with me?” She aimed a quizzical expression my way, which prompted me to add, “That school trip Molly told you about, it’s this weekend.”
As much as this woman’s physical attributes got my heart pumping, the way she was with Molly sent it into overdrive. The two of them had become thick as thieves. I wasn’t the least bit bothered that my girl preferred Zoe over me in the evenings; you’d understand if you saw the sparkle I saw in my daughter’s eyes every time she merely looked at Zoe.
Hell, I was pretty sure I had the same goofy look on my face whenever I ogled her.
Zoe’s free hand curled around my arm as she rested her head against my shoulder. “I think an entire weekend with you sounds pretty fantastic.”
This damn day had gone to shit so fast it wasn’t even funny. When I returned to the station after my lunch date with Zoe, I’d walked into pandemonium. Somewhere during the morning, one of Stracey Donnelly’s cows had been shot and killed. She, of course, suspected that Joy Romero had something to do with it.
