In Zach's Arms (Once a Marine, Always a Marine Book 1) (5 page)

Turning his attention to her rosy nipples, he took one into his mouth, nipping lightly. He heard her moan and felt her tremble, as he gave an equal amount of attention to the other. Her back arched as her fingers tunneled into his hair. The feel of her hands was a little piece of heaven, urging him to claim her.

But he needed to slow down or this show would be over too quickly.

Zach slipped between her thighs, nudging the bulge in his jeans against the heat of her. The sweet scent of her arousal engulfed him. He flexed his hips against her.

“Oh, God,” Beth moaned. “That feels really good. But I want more.”

She stroked her hand down his firm stomach to the button that was undone. He turned so she could touch him. The hiss of his zipper as it went down made him pause and groan as his erection sprang free of the tight confines.
 

Beth palmed him, before giving a squeeze. She rubbed up and down his length giving him so much pleasure he was ready to go off in her hand like a teenager.

“I want to see all of you,” she said.

“I aim to please.” Zach left her to slide his jeans off and kick them across the room, drinking in the sight of her flushed body the whole time. Her eyes raked him from head to toe as he stood there. The hunger on her face matched his own.
 

Zach bent over and hooked his thumbs under the white string edges of the sexy lace underwear and slowly pulled it off. “My turn.”
 

He pulled her up by her hands and ordered, “Kiss me again.”

***

Elizabeth took her time, running her hands over his thickly-muscled chest and arms. He was so hard and such a contrast to her soft body. Darkly tanned from time spent out of doors, it was a thrilling little shock to see her pale hand up against his darker skin.

She smiled and reached up to give him a lingering kiss. “I’ve wanted this for a long time, Zach.”

He chuckled lightly. “I won’t lie, I’ve thought about this myself. More than I want to admit.”

“You always were stubborn.”

With his tongue and lips, he blazed a trail of heat from her neck down to her stomach. He kissed his way past her belly button and blew gently on the blonde hair shielding the bundle of nerves that craved his attention.

The cooler air made her whole body vibrate and tingle, but before she could catch her breath, she felt his tongue. Zach licked her in one long, deliberate swipe, wrenching a moan out of her.

“Oh, yes,” she panted, gripping the bedspread.

Her thighs opened wider in invitation as she felt his fingers start to explore. Zach’s dark head between her creamy thighs was such an erotic sight that her entire body tensed with need. Never in her entire life had she wanted a man as much as she wanted him.

Her body was molten lava under Zach’s touch. It was a revelation.

One finger entered her and she was dizzy with pleasure. But when his mouth covered her and began sucking and licking, she just let go and moaned…long and loud.

“God, you taste good.”

“I need more,” she said, mindlessly lifting her hips. She was almost there. Almost over the edge with pleasure. He gave one last lick and crawled back up her body to take her mouth. She tasted herself on his tongue, tangy and sweet.

He moved to the side to open the top drawer of the nightstand and grab a condom. Donning the latex, he nipped her neck and then he whispered, “Wrap your legs around me.”
 

Heat licked across her skin consuming her as she felt him slowly penetrate her. Her legs were up around his middle as inch-by-glorious-inch, he pushed into her, stretching her. He rocked in and out, going in further and further with each thrust.

Elizabeth gasped as he thrust hard one more time and was seated to the hilt. He held still then, letting her adjust to his size. His breathing was hard and his body was tense. She loved his control and strength.

“How does that feel?”

“It’d feel better if you
moved
,” she said, straining closer. Her arms locked around his neck as he teased her with long, drugging kisses.

“I want to make this good for you.”

“It’s already better than anything I’ve ever experienced,” she whispered. When she felt him stop, she worried that her words were a turn off. Who wanted a woman everyone else said was frigid?

“Jesus,” he said in a strangled voice, looking deep into her eyes. “I’ll make sure it’s the best. Hold on.” Then he exploded in movement, rocking in and out of her harder, and faster. “Is this what you want?”
 

Her head thrashed back and forth on the pillow, “Yes, oh yes.”

The pleasure was so intense, she worried she would fly apart. Her thighs trembled as she held on.

How often had she dreamed of this? Zach loving her, pleasuring her, making her his for the night. He sat up on his knees and hooked her legs over his forearms, still thrusting into her. And when he used his thumbs on her, the world tilted. She convulsed around him, her orgasm harder and better than anything she’d ever done herself.

“Look at me,” he demanded. When her eyes found his, he thrust harder, watching her every movement. “Who’s in your bed, Beth? In your body?”

“You are,” she rasped. Elizabeth’s orgasm still rolled through her, wrenching another moan out of her.

Zach’s breath hissed through clenched teeth as he ground his hips against her, drawing out her pleasure as he found his.

 
“Oh. My. God…Zaaaccchhh!”

Releasing her legs, he collapsed with a groan, landing on his elbows, on either side of her head. He kissed her closed eyes and then moved to her lips, kissing her over and over as he gathered her into his arms and slid them both under the covers.

She curled into his side and threw an arm across his chest.
 

“That was way better than anything I’ve ever written about.”

“Yes, ma’am. It sure was.”

She grinned, “You’ve been spending too much time with Jesse. He’s rubbing off on you.”

A swat on her fanny turned the grin into a laugh before she got a kiss on the head and an aggravated, “Stop thinking about my best friend.”

“You sound a little nervous. Afraid I will try and seduce your buddy now that I’ve had a taste of the good stuff?”

Zach shook his head and closed his eyes. “Go to sleep.”

She didn’t want to sleep. She wanted to talk about the amazing thing that just happened between them. But Zach was right. He’d been up at Lord knows what hour this morning and then he’d come to her rescue during the storm.

And then there was the sex. Her steamy novels were about to hit a whole new level.

Elizabeth yawned, warm and content. When he growled sleepily and pulled her closer, she tried to keep still. Her last thought was filled with satisfaction.
 

She
definitely
wasn’t frigid.

***

The rain kept the nosy people inside their homes, huddled under the covers. That suited the secret admirer just fine. He was up the tree and at her apartment window in no time. He popped the screen and set it safely into the groove he’d notched into the bark of the branch he was on. Then he used a screwdriver to jimmy open Elizabeth’s window.

It took him less than three minutes.

Everyone underestimated his strength and ingenuity. Even his own family, but that was fine with him. Being thought of as inferior gave him the kind of camouflage he needed to go about his business.

The apartment smelled like her. That’s what he liked about Elizabeth, that she was clean and pure. Not like the others. Fucking sluts out to take everything they could from a man.

But not his Elizabeth. She was special.

Taking out his pen light, he swept it around the bedroom. She still wasn’t home, but she would come back. And when she did, she would find his gift. A little token to show his affection. An apology, of sorts, about the mess.

Humming a little tune, he moved around the room, cleaning and placing everything back the way she liked it. He pulled out the pictures he had of the bedroom. It had to be perfect.

He hadn’t meant to scare her, but he’d been angry and confused that she hadn’t been home to greet him the last time. He’d planned everything down to the last detail, but she hadn’t come home at her normal time. That’s another reason he planted the camera. He wanted to be prepared next time.

But that was in the past. She would come back and she would be overjoyed by his surprise.

Then she would give herself to him. In all the ways he imagined.

Chapter 6

Elizabeth followed her nose to the kitchen and found hot coffee waiting after waking alone. Pouring a cup, she leaned back against the counter and took her time looking around. She loved that the kitchen and living area were one big open room. The ceiling was high and huge windows showcased the beauty of the forest landscape outside.
 

Zach craved large amounts of light and space, neither of which he’d had at the foster home. He’d created a beautiful home, made to fit his size and needs. He was an amazing man. And boy oh boy, did Zach know what he was doing in the bedroom. There wasn’t a part of her body that he hadn’t touched, licked or kissed. She smelled like sex and Zach.
 

Zach strolled in through the patio doors carrying a load of firewood. He hadn’t seen her behind the counter yet and she used that moment to watch him. Moving silently, his dark green thermal shirt molded to his muscular chest and traced the lines of his biceps. And when he bent down to unload the firewood, faded blue jeans cupped an ass that made her mouth water.

Elizabeth stifled a moan but must have made some kind of noise, because she watched Zach’s shoulders tense and then relax again. He finished what he was doing and then stood, turning those deep blue eyes on her.
 

“Did you get enough sleep?” he asked.
 

Elizabeth set her mug on the counter. “You were there. Do you think I got enough sleep?”

He was the only person in the world that she felt like she could be herself around.

“I think you need more. Maybe you should go back to bed.”

“Only if you come with me.”
 

She couldn’t believe that popped out of her mouth. Did they have support groups for sex-starved writers? Elizabeth didn’t know, but she wasn’t sure she would ever be able to get enough of Zach. Once was not going to be enough for her.

She watched with interest as he prowled around the overstuffed couch toward her. “I have work to do.”
 

“What kind of work?”
 

“Jesse and I have a client to meet today at noon. I want you here, where I know you’re safe, and I want you to rest.”

“I’d rather we both went back to bed.”

Instead of answering her, Zach leaned in close and gave her a long, slow kiss that curled her toes.

“Good morning, Beth.”

“Good morning, Zach.”

It shouldn’t be legal what the man did to her. Used to being an independent person, Zach’s kisses made her a slave to his taste.

“I need to shower and get ready for the meeting. I’ll make you something for breakfast before I go.”

Elizabeth stood there only half-hearing what he said. She hated that he was so composed, while she felt out of control about last night. Just once, she would like to catch him off-guard and crack that composure.
 

“No, I’m fine. Go get ready and I’ll fix a small breakfast for myself. I’ve been taking care of myself for a while now. What’s in the locked room?”

“Some dream I used to have.” He shrugged and didn’t say anything more.

Elizabeth tried to gave him a shove. He didn’t even budge, merely lifted an eyebrow. He knew how much she hated secrets. And locked doors. Hated even more being told how to feel or act. And even if this was his house, it pissed her off.

She didn’t have experience sharing space with men, but she knew Zach. It wouldn’t be his intent to make her angry. And sex didn’t need to change everything. She didn’t want to lose her best friend over
her
childhood issues.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled and let go of her issues. At least for a moment.

***

The stubborn tilt to Beth’s chin wasn’t the only evidence of the temper lurking underneath the stillness. Fire flashed in her eyes when she’d tried to shove him. Planting a quick kiss to her pert nose, he left her fuming in the hall and went to take a shower.

A cold shower.

Zach wasn’t a fool, but he’d made a tactical error in giving in to her and his own raging lust. When he was younger, he’d wanted everything from Beth, not just her body. He’d wanted her mind, her soul, and her heart. He’d left when it was clear she wasn’t willing to even entertain his marriage proposal. She’d hurt him by turning him down.

Now that she was here, he was having a hard time keeping things light. Especially after last night.

The primitive caveman that lurked inside of him smiled when he’d woken up with her in his arms. It demanded that he keep his woman, no matter what she had to say about it. The more enlightened side knew he was going to have to battle her history to win her.