Page 59 of An Inconvenient Marriage
Lifting my gaze to his, I shook my head. “No buts.”
He stared at me for a few moments, then turned around to face the stove. My gaze stayed glued to him as he removed the lid and stirred the contents inside the pot. When he was done, he lowered the heat, and I had his undivided attention again.
Cocking his head to the side, he studied me. Could he read my thoughts? Did he know I was back on the table in the wine bar, desperate for his mouth? For his touch? Gosh, I wanted him so bad, I couldn’t see straight.
This wasn’t normal, was it? Who watched a guy cook for them and immediately thought of hopping on the counter and doing unspeakable things?
Ugh, I had to get my mind off the ever-present ache between my thighs and the ways Zach could relieve it. Because deep down, I didn’t think I had it in me to be bold enough to ask for his touch.
And I definitely wasn’t brave enough to even attempt to satisfy an experienced man like Zach.
With that disappointing revelation, I thought it best to pass the time by talking rather than doingother things. “It’s easy to see this place means a lot to you. Thank you for sharing it with me today.”
Those dark brows dipped low, and his tongue slid over his lips. I tried very hard not to think about how crazy he drove me when he had it in my mouth. Or how it would feel to have it all over my body.
That last thought hit so hard, I couldn’t stop the shiver from rattling down my spine. Thankfully, Zach didn’t notice.
“You’re right.” He folded his arms in front of his chest. “The vineyard and the winery are my passion. It’s more important than the casinos and the money. It’s…” He took a deep breath. “It’s home.”
I felt his emotion all the way to my bones. It was so strong, I had to swallow a few times before I could speak. “And you shared it with me.”
“I figured we deserved a do-over. Letting you in on something that’s important to me seemed like a good place to start.”
This was the nicest thing anyone had ever said and done for me. And gosh, it stirred up all sorts of emotions. Doing my best to shove them aside, I smiled brightly. “Well, then I officially like do-overs.”
Zach’s frown deepened, and for a moment I thought he was going to ask me what was going on. But then his mouth curved into a panty-melting smirk.
“Good. Now tell me if you like this.” He fiddled with the pot again, then walked over and held up a spoon.
It already smelled amazing, so taking the bite was a no-brainer.
An explosion of flavor burst on my tongue. “Mmm.” I closed my eyes and savored the taste of meaty chorizo, cumin, and pepper. “Wow, Zach, this is delicious.”
Because I wasn’t expecting it, I started when he dragged his thumb over my bottom lip. My eyes flew open just in time to see him stick it into his mouth.
“Delicious indeed.”
Kiss me. Touch me. Teach me.
The words were there on the tip of my tongue, but I still wasn’t brave enough to voice them.
“If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll be the only one who ends up eating.”
My skin heated. The urge to avert my eyes and hide was strong. But I didn’t. Holding his dark gaze, I tilted my chin up and swallowed my nerves. “Like what?”
The spoon he’d been holding fell to the counter between us, and he immediately gripped my chin between his fingers and thumb. “Like you want me to strip you bare and lift you onto this counter.” He leaned in closer, his gaze deliciously dark. “Like you want me to spread your legs and make you come so hard you’ll forget your name.”
Holy moly, I never knew words alone could have such a profound effect on my body. He hadn’t said much, and it wasn’t that filthy, but it was the promise in that low, gravelly voice that made my underwear wet and had me throbbing with need.
“Is that what you want, Natalie?”
I closed my eyes and prepared to free-fall. “Yes.”
Zach cursed under his breath, then his lips were on mine. Somehow, he’d moved from around the counter to stand in front of me. He gripped my thighs just above my knees and pushed my legs apart so he could step between them.
His hand slipped under my dress, fingers curling around the waistband of my underwear. But because I was still sitting, he couldn’t pull them off. Heaving out a frustrated sigh, he stopped kissing me long enough to grab my hand and tug me off the stool.
Completely out of breath, I huffed out, “Where are we going?”
