Page 97 of An Inconvenient Marriage
Another one of his low chuckles filled the air and coated my insides with warmth. Out of all the things in the world, that was by far my favorite sound. I wanted to record it and play it on a loop.
Before I could lose myself in the thought, another bite of something went into my mouth. Orange, chocolaty, silky goodness covered my tongue and lit up my taste buds. I remembered it from when we’d first come to the Castilla.
“Oh, this is that delectable flan from the other night.” Rolling my lips over each other, I begged, “Another bite, please.” I was pleasantly surprised when he obliged and allowed me to indulge some more.
When I finally swallowed down my third bite, I figured it was safe to open my eyes. I’d only seen four containers, and I’d just sampled four incredible desserts. But as I parted my lids, Zach’s deep timbre rolled over my skin.
“I’m not done.”
Squeezing my eyes shut again, I held my breath and waited. Instead of container lids opening and closing, the sound of paper crinkling echoed through the air. Zach shifted again, but I couldn’t tell where he was.
My heart furiously hammered against my ribs, and my skin stretched tight over my bones with every ragged breath I took. Still, he didn’t move. Anticipation crawled down my spine, firing up my blood and electrocuting the butterflies in my stomach.
Still nothing. He didn’t move. I couldn’t even hear him breathe.
“Zach?”
The beating inside my chest grew faster and louder. And getting air into my lungs seemed harder by the second.
Then just when I couldn’t take it anymore, Zach’s warm hands cradled my face and his lips crashed to mine. His tongue slipped into my mouth, and the first thing that registered was the deep, rich taste of dark chocolate.
Zach kissed me long and slow, teasing every hope and desire from the darkest corners of my being and putting them at the forefront of my mind. But because I couldn’t dare hope for anything more than what he was giving me, I focused on my desires instead.
And right now, the only thing I desired was Zach.
Reluctantly breaking our delicious kiss, I pulled back far enough to lose myself in those dark eyes.
“Zach, I want…” The rest of my sentence died on my tongue. I knew exactly what I wanted, it was just hard finding the words to say it.
But when he studied me like he was doing now, like I was something wonderful and maybe even someone he could care for, I found the courage to try again.
“Zach, I want you to have me. All of me. It’s yours, if you want it.”
Strong hands dug into my waist and pushed me back a little further. His already dark gaze darkened even more, the intensity in his eyes heating me to my very core.
“What are you saying?” His question came out strained. Almost like he was desperately trying not to snap.
I licked my lips. “I want to feel you inside me.”
“Here? Now?”
“Yes.”
Deep lines formed on his forehead as he searched my eyes for what felt like hours but were probably just seconds.
What did he see?
What was he looking for?
If it was assurance, I could wholeheartedly give him that.
“Please don’t ask me if I’m sure… I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” I leaned forward and kissed his lips. “And I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want you.”
He drew back and stood up so fast, I fell forward. Bracing on my hands and knees, I tried hard not to focus on the sting of his rejection. But it was impossible. I’d offered myself on a silver platter, and he couldn’t get away from me fast enough.
How disappointing.
Sitting back on my legs, it shocked me to see an outstretched hand in front of my face. I stared at it for a long moment, then gingerly pressed my palm against his and allowed him to pull me up.
