“Here.” She snatched the key from him and slid it into the lock. The door swung open. Since he was braced against the door, he pitched inwards into blackness. He flicked on the lights and shut the door behind him; she took a step back only to come forward to meet him again.
He couldn’t keep his hands off of her, needing the burn of her skin against his palms and he thanked god for halter tops. She framed his face in her hands and kissed him, insistent and wanton. Their lips crashed together, their tongues entwined. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she nipped him and his resolve snapped.
They got no further than the kitchen. Picking her up, he plunked her down on the table, wondering for a moment’s time where the usual clutter had migrated off to, but not caring as she kissed him again. His mouth drifted down her throat, nipping along her pulse, skimming across her collarbone. Her fingers unbuttoned his shirt while his stripped her until all she wore was skin. He shimmied out of his tight pants and rose to greet her once more.
“I want you,” he rumbled out, suckling on her earlobe. He pressed her against the table, his fingers finding her hot and ready and the need coiled low in his gut, making him ache.
Her eyes flashed and her excitement tasted like cinnamon. “You have me.”
As the words left Charlie’s lips, Zane spun her around and bent her over the table. He found her wet, ready, and it twisted something inside of him. His wolf howled with the need to mate, the need to claim her over and over again, but deeper still was the spark in his heart. All the songs she’d inspired. Every one he’d written was about her, for her, even though she never knew it. As if he could win her heart with a simple love song.
After fishing out a little foil packet from the wallet on the counter, he pressed against her. Her legs spread wider, allowing him access, and he filled her in one solid thrust. She gasped, pushing back against him, and his hands found her waist.
They moved together in a frenzied, rapid beat, heat pulsing from their very cores. His teeth found the back of her neck and with one hand, he loosed her hair from its ponytail. It fell over her shoulders in a wave of midnight black and the roar of their souls was deafening as they merged.
And when she shuddered beneath him, his name spilling from her lips just like every other fantasy he had of her, he burrowed deep and came. They seemed to melt together in the aftermath, her back hot against his chest, and he took her in his arms.
He grinned against her neck, breathing in her scent. “Next time, for the love of God—wear a skirt.” His wolf now sated and relaxed beneath his skin, he carried her into the bedroom. Placing her gently down on the violet sheets, he flicked the light switch, then turned the knob to dim it down.
She smirked at him from her spot on the bed, sprawled out like languidly, like a lioness baking under the rays of the savannah sun. “Does that come in handy when it comes to the women?”
“Depends—is it working for you?”
When she reached out, he took that as a yes, and went to her side. Unlike before, the roar of need was quiet, simmering low, still there but not as demanding. He crawled towards her and kissed her, his mouth gently taking what he wanted. The backs of his fingers brushed her cheek, brushed dark hair out of her face, and when he spoke, his voice was low.
“I’ve wanted to do this ever since I met you…”
No longer rushed by a pounding urge, he took his time. He laved over every inch of her. His touch was a feather light caress, tracing paths across her flawless skin. He wanted to worship her… Which was insane, especially for him. He’d never before felt the need to treat his woman like a queen—but Charlie was different from anything he’d ever experienced. He’d always known she was.
His lips trailed kisses down her throat and she rolled her head back to give him access. Her skin, her sweat, they tasted like sugar. His hands trailed down that long, lean length of her body, bared for his eyes alone. His fingers found and circled her sweet spot and just the scent of her made him hard all over again.
When she writhed beneath him, his wolf burned and clenched, possessive. She was his. Nipping at her collarbone, his teeth catching her just hard enough to make a mark, he dipped in slowly, savoring every silken inch of her. Her legs rose and hooked around his waist, drawing him deeper as they rocked together. Step by step, he built the burn from the ground up, and this time when they rose, they came crashing down together.
As they lay coiled in each other’s arms, skin to skin, basking in the afterglow, only one thing was cemented in his mind.
He wanted to keep her. Not just for a few nights, not just until the end of the tour, but for good. For forever.
Their eyes met, her pale eyes like cooled steel and his still fiery, and she smiled. He kissed her once, then drew her closer and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
His…
Chapter Nine
She woke to someone holding her.
Inhaling, her nostrils flared as the spicy scent of man engulfed her senses—and memories of last night came racing back in full glory.
Zane, her, the concert, insanity, and intense pleasure.
They’d barely made it back to his trailer before the pleasure had started and throughout the night and well into the hours of the morning, they’d continued to reach for each other. She didn’t know who exactly reached for whom, just that the wolves slumbering beneath their skin had been egging them on.
She shifted and couldn’t stifle the groan as her deliciously sore muscles protested. Zane had been…incredible. Creative in more ways than one and definitely in his prime, he’d made her mind blank out everything except for him.
The arm wrapped just under her breasts tightened and, with little effort, she was rolled over and found herself nose to nose with Zane. Unsure of what exactly was the right thing to say, she went with simple. “Hi.”
“Hi.” His voice seemed to have deepened overnight and the smile that split that too-handsome face somehow managed to have an air of sheepishness about it.
Charlie tried to will herself to get up and get dressed, to give herself some space, some time to try and process last night, but she was so…sated. Sated in a way that she’d never felt before, not in any of her past relationships, and she couldn’t help but savor the feeling. Sure, she’d had a few lovers in the past, but they all had been disappointments in one way or another.
“You seem like you’re on another planet entirely, sweeting.”
The term of endearment snapped Charlie from her musings and despite the smile that found its way to her lips, she tried again to shift and put distance between them. Nerves and second thoughts were setting in, fast, and she needed time to think things through.
“Where are you going?”
“I’ve got to get up and get dressed.”
“Why?”
The reality set in, dark and brooding in the corner of her mind. “Because I’m naked in your bed and what we did last night was completely inappropriate. You’re my boss.”
“It’s fine, Char. Nobody is going to mind.”
“
I
mind. You’re my employer. I’m supposed to be protecting you, not…”
“Screaming my name throughout the night? Scratching my back to ribbons? Pleading for more? Tell me just what, exactly, was so wrong and I promise I’ll do better next time.”
“Zane, you have to stop. We can’t behave like this.”
“Damn it, I love it when you use my name and look so serious.”
When he smiled at her, she gave a heartfelt groan and flopped back to stare sightlessly up at the ceiling. The damage had been done—no matter what she did to rectify the situation, to bury the budding feelings she felt for him, he was only ever going to see her as one of his many lovers that she knew he’d taken throughout his years of fame and fortune.
The rustling of the bed gave way to his movements and suddenly she was staring into his eyes with him over top of her, his hands flat on the mattress just above her shoulders. Just like last night, when they had both been hanging onto the edge of passion and had finally allowed themselves to lose all reason in each other’s arms.
“What’s wrong?” His smile faded and the curious expression mixed with the slightly furrowed brow led Charlie to conclude that this time, he was going to take what she had to say a little more seriously.
Pushing on his chest to get a little breathing room, Charlie pulled herself up to sit primly on the bed with the dark sheet wrapped around her body. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest.
“I told you, what we did was wrong. I work for you.”
“I don’t buy it. Nobody else has ever given a damn about who sleeps with whom, but when it comes to you and me, it’s suddenly an issue?”
“Yes.”
He growled, frustration etching lines in his forehead. “That’s incredibly fucking stupid.”
“No, it’s not. Just because I don’t expect others to behave a certain way, doesn’t mean I don’t have certain expectations for myself. Last night was wrong.”
“Don’t say that. I don’t ever want to hear that again. Not only was last night beautiful, but it’s going to happen again. Do you really think that I’ll be able to keep my hands off you now that I know what’s beneath the surface? And before you go getting all huffy on me, I’m not talking about physical beauty, because even though you’re exquisite, you and I both know that I don’t have to really do much of anything and I could have my pick of beauties for a night.”
“Oh, gee, I sure feel special now.”
“You are. You’re mine.”
“W-What?”
“You heard me. The reason we’re going to wake up together, time and time again, is because you’re mind. I intend to claim you in time and I’m telling you that nobody is going to be particularly surprised by that announcement.”
She prickled, unease washing down her spine. Wasn’t this what she wanted? His loyalty, his honesty? Him? Why was she suddenly getting cold feet? She bit her lip, shaking her head. “You’re out of your mind.”
“I beg to differ. I’m just done fighting my attraction to you.”
“That’s just it, you said it yourself. We have attraction. But what are we going to do once that attraction has the time it needs to extinguish itself? If I’m right and you claim me anyway? We’re going to end up hating each other’s guts—or worse—and there’s not going to be a damn thing either one of us can do about it.”
“Bullshit.”
The curse was the final straw and, forgetting her modesty, Charlie flung the sheet from her naked form and stormed into the bathroom. It was obvious that he was out of his mind; all she could do was give him time to figure out that she was right. A shower would clear her mind and give him the chance to calm down.
The hand on her arm had Charlie glancing up into his stormy eyes. “I’m tired of you walking away from me.”
“Excuse me?”
“You must be hard of hearing today, because I know I’m damn well enunciating when I speak. Every time you get annoyed with me, you just walk away.”
“It’s called being mature.”
“Then be immature. I meant what I said. You’re mine and I don’t give a damn what has to happen for that to be finalized.”
“Oh, so what I feel and think and
want
don’t matter?” Fire leapt up her throat.
“Don’t twist my words, Charlie. It won’t end up well for either of us.”
“Look.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t understand what there is to talk about. We both lost control and ended up in bed together. I’m not saying it wasn’t fantastic, but it’s also not something I plan on repeating. You, on the other hand, are having a hard time accepting what I’m saying and I think you need a minute or two to think about it.”
If possible, his eyes grew even more intense, staring her down and showing the true alpha inside. His scent filled her, overwhelming her senses as he walked her back into a wall. She watched him with a mix of excitement and fear as she found herself trapped. His thighs caged her hips and his forearms pressed against the wall on either side of her head, the picture of dominance.
“You’re the one having a hard time with the whole acceptance thing, though we’re making progress since you aren’t screaming at me like a shrew.” He paused, looked right into her eyes, his own swirling with emotion. “You’re. Mine. Deal with it.”
Charlie didn’t realize she had been holding her breath until he slowly backed away and gave her the space she needed to be able to draw in a gasping breath of air.
Dear lord, she had awakened his beast and it was the equivalent of hell breaking loose. Since she had the sinking feeling that he would grow bored of her sooner rather than later, she decided maybe she should let him win. Or rather, let him think that he’d won. Keeping her eyes on him, knowing she was the prey and being careful not to entice her captor, she raised a hand, hoping it resembled a sign of cease fire.
“Friends with benefits. Take it or leave it. If you’re so sure that I’m the one you’re going to lay claim to, we might as well start there. I’m not going to let you put your mark on me and then have to deal with the aftermath when I’m correct and you grow bored of me.”
She saw the fire flash through those molten eyes and hastily continued before he could open his mouth. “Prove me wrong. Put your money where your mouth is.”