Tempting Dusty (Temptation Saga Book 1) (10 page)

“Yes, I want you.” How could she lie? He knew, anyway. She had never known such wanting, such desire, such incredible depth of feeling.

“Slide my pants over my hips, darlin’. Be careful of the bandage.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“God, you won’t. I promise you won’t. Right now I feel like I’ll die if I can’t have you.”

Dusty leaned down and circled her lips over one fleshy nipple, twirling her tongue in Zach’s chest hair, as she slid her hands down his ribbed abdomen to his pajama bottoms. She felt him suck in a breath as her fingers slid under the waistband. She dived in farther with one hand, the hardness of his erection too great a temptation to resist. She touched it tentatively, and he groaned, jerking slightly.

“I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?”

“God, no.”

“I just wanted to touch you.”

“You can touch any part of me.” He chuckled softly. “Especially that part.”

She gathered her courage and grasped his cock. He was so big and so hard, yet smooth. Smooth and velvety and perfectly formed. Magnificent.

“That’s great, darlin’, but it’ll work better if we lose the pants.”

“Oh.” Dusty chewed on her lip and wiped her clammy hands on her jeans. “Right.” The pants. That’s what had started this in the first place. She gently eased the soft fabric over his hips and beheld his arousal springing from its black nest. Her sense of touch had been right—perfectly formed and magnificent.

“You’re beautiful,” she said.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He laughed.

“Oh, it is. It
so
is. I… I want to put my mouth on you.”

He groaned. “Oh, God. Please.”

“I think it’s only fair to tell you,” Dusty hedged, embarrassed. “I-I don’t exactly know what I’m doing.”

“It’s okay. You’ll be perfect. I know it.”

Dusty nodded, and then pressed her lips gently to the head. A drop of clear liquid emerged, and she smeared it over the head with her thumb and licked it off.

Zach began panting. “Dusty. Go lock the bedroom door. Then take off your clothes.”

Z
ach McCray’s
cock was in her mouth. It was smooth. And hot. And salty. And delicious. And she was enjoying every minute of it. Judging from the moans coming from Zach, he was, too.

Such power. Such complete recklessness. She could get used to this.

“I want to taste you too,” he rasped. “Come here.” He pulled her to him and turned her around, positioning her over his head. “Sit here.”

“Zach…”

“Sit here, darlin’. We can both have our fun.”

His tongue found her and drove into her. She squirmed on him, too timid to push down with her weight. When he grabbed the cheeks of her bottom, spreading her, pulling her tightly against his face, she figured it would be okay to grind into him as she desired. She wasn’t disappointed.

Between his legs, his cock beckoned. Yes, they could both have their fun. She leaned forward and took him into her mouth, and suddenly his assault on her became more urgent, more relentless. As she climaxed, she forced her mouth down upon him, taking as much as she could. He ripped his mouth from her, his breath coming in rapid puffs against her damp thighs.

“Come ride me. I need to be inside you.”

Dusty crawled forward, turned, and positioned herself over his massive erection. Slowly she eased herself downward until she had completely sheathed him.

Oh, the sweet sensation of being filled to the brim. Of being stroked and caressed so perfectly.

“That’s right,” he said. “Move on me.”

She slowly rode him, up and down, circling her hips so he touched every inch of her moist walls.

“You’re so tight, darlin’. So sweet. Come here.”

She leaned forward for his kiss, continuing her motion, wanting him deeper, harder. She thrust downward as he thrust upward, their bodies meeting, the slapping, sticky sounds of their lovemaking a sensual symphony to her ears.

She broke the kiss and sat straight up, taking his full length inside of her. She closed her eyes and cupped her breasts, sliding her nipples between her fingers and tugging on them.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Zach said. “I love to watch you touch yourself.”

Dusty panted and breathed. “I wish it were your tongue on my nipples, Zach.”

“Bring ’em here then.”

She obliged, and he took a nipple between his teeth. The jolt from his attack went straight to her sex. She came with a startling vibration.

“Oh, yeah,” Zach said, his mouth still pressed to her breast. “Ride me hard. I want to come with you.”

She pounded on top of him, digging her fingernails into his chest.

“That’s it, that’s it,” he groaned. “Damn. Damn, that’s good.” He thrust into her, and the spasms of his orgasm fluttered against her walls.

She fell forward into his arms. “Zach, Zach,” she whispered.

“What?”

“Nothing.” She lifted herself from him, the wetness between them making little suction noises. She nestled herself into the crook of his arm, and then remembered his wound. She rose into a sitting position and turned to look at the bandage.

“Are you all right?” she asked. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“Are you kidding? This is the best I’ve felt since the last time we did this. Damn, I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too. But shouldn’t we take care of your bandage? Do you need it changed?”

“It’ll be okay for a while. Come lie with me for a few minutes. Then we’ll order some dinner.”

“Zach, your mother and Angelina will be back soon. We should really get dressed and invite them to join us for dinner.”

“I don’t want to have dinner with them. I want to have dinner with my woman.”

“Your woman.”

“Yeah.” His beautiful eyes twinkled. “I like the sound of that. I like that you’re my woman.”

“Zach…”

“Don’t you want to be my woman, Dusty?”

More than she wanted to breathe, at that particular moment. But, “Zach?”

“Hmm?”

“Did you and Angelina…sleep together?”

He sighed into her hair. “What was between Angelina and me has nothing to do with us.”

“Yeah, I know, and I also know it’s a stupid question. I mean, you’re thirty, and you were engaged to her.”

“I haven’t lived like a monk, darlin’.”

Of course he hadn’t. He was amazing. “I never thought you had.”

Zach took her hand and caressed it. “Dusty, let me be serious for a minute, okay?” His gaze darkened, and his tone lowered. “I’ve never made love lightly. I always had feelings for the woman. But I can tell you, honestly, that what I felt for Angelina isn’t anything compared to how I feel about you.”

“But you were engaged.”

“So?”

“You made a commitment to her.”

“It was a mistake.”

“And she broke it off, not you.”

“If she hadn’t, I would’ve.”

“What happened?”

“It’s a long, boring story, Dusty. A story of two families and a lot of money and a lot of land, and I promise I’ll tell you sometime, but right now, can we just be together and not talk about Angelina?”

Dusty smiled, lay down next to him, and buried her face in his shoulder. “I suppose so.”

“You’re the only woman I want.” He entwined his fingers through her thick golden hair. “I love your hair. It’s so beautiful. It’s like silk in my hands.”

Her hair.

What a shocking jolt back to reality. Her long, beautiful hair. Would he still love it when it was falling in clumps in the bathroom?

“I have to go, Zach. Sam is expecting me.”

“Dusty, please don’t run from me again. It’s getting old.”

“But—”

“Sam’s a big boy. He can take care of himself. He and Chad are probably drinking beer and chasing women.”

“I know.” She sighed.

“Are you ever going to tell me what’s going on with you?” Zach asked, still stroking her hair.

“There’s nothing going on.” She hid her face and inhaled. Even his armpits smelled good, like musk and cloves.

Zach nudged her and turned on his side, wincing. “Fuck.”

“Don’t move. Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Yeah.” He tipped her chin upward to look into her eyes. “Look, I won’t push you to talk, but if you’re going to be with me, don’t ever lie to me again.”

“I’m not lying.”

“Damn it, Dusty. I know there’s something going on. If you’re not ready to tell me, I can accept that. I don’t like it, mainly because I want to move heaven and earth to help you, but I can accept it.” His blue eye glowed the color of a hot gas flame. “But do not lie to me.”

“All right, Zach. I won’t lie to you. Just don’t ask me anymore.”

“Fair enough,” he said. “Just know that whatever it is, it won’t make a damn difference to me.”

“How can you say that without knowing what it is?”

“Because I care about you, you damn stubborn woman!”

No. He couldn’t care for her. He’d get hurt. “Zach, you hardly know me. We really only just met a few days ago.”

“Don’t try to tell me what I feel. I’m thirty years old, and I never say anything other than what I mean. I care for you. I want to be with you. I think it’ll grow into something more. Something amazing.”

“Zach, I don’t know…”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

Dusty burst into tears.

Zach sighed. “Not exactly the reaction I’d hoped for.”

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed. She wanted to return his feelings. She wanted to profess her undying love and stay with him forever, but that wouldn’t be fair to him. He deserved better than what she could offer him. “Just don’t pressure me, okay?”

“I won’t. I know you’re not ready to talk to me yet, but when you are, I’ll be here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“What did I ever do to deserve you?”

He chuckled. “You’re so adorable. So damned perfect.”

Perfect
. Perfect she was not. If he only knew. But she didn’t want to cry anymore. She wanted to share this night with Zach and pretend everything was all right, but it wasn’t right to lead him on.

“I can’t stay with you tonight, Zach.”

“Yes, you can. You have to.” His eyes smiled at her. “You’re the reason I’m in this situation, darlin’. I need you to take care of me.”

“I think your ma and Angelina can handle that.”

“I don’t want them. I want my woman to take care of me.”

He sure knew how to get to her. She wanted to be his woman. She wanted to take care of him, and the territorial lioness in her didn’t want Angelina anywhere near him. True enough—it was her fault he was wounded. She owed him her care. And it was a good excuse to spend the night with him, anyway.

“I’ll stay,” she said.

“Wonderful. Let’s order up some dinner, and then I’ll let you play nursemaid.” He grinned rakishly. “You may have to bathe me.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

“Darlin’, the pleasure will be mine.”

Z
ach couldn’t immerse
his wound, so Dusty gave him a sponge bath after dinner. It was a pleasure to cleanse his strong body. She especially enjoyed washing his genitals, seeing his cock grow before her eyes as she fondled him. “This is a bath,” she teased, “not foreplay.”

When she finished bathing him, she helped him on crutches to the bathroom and shaved his face.

“Have you ever thought about growing a beard?”

“Not really. Why?”

“I like the feel of it when we kiss, and when you do…other things.” She warmed.

“Then I’ll grow a beard for you. But I’ll have to start tomorrow, because you just shaved it off.”

“A short goatee would look good on you. With your long hair, it would be a nice contrast. You’d look even more like a movie star than you already do.”

“You think I look like a movie star?”

“The handsomest one in Hollywood.” She rinsed his face with a warm cloth. “Now lower your head. I’m going to wash your beautiful hair.”

When she finished, she changed the linens on the bed, which were damp from his sponge bath, and helped him get comfortable.

“Okay, soldier,” she said. “Time to look at the wound. Tell me what to do.”

“The dressing and antibiotic ointment are in the top dresser drawer,” he said, motioning. “You’ll need to clean it with peroxide first.”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath and removed the bandage slowly, trying not to hurt him. She gasped when she saw his wound—several tight black stitches laced around a pinkish gash. “You poor thing. I’m so sorry!”

“I’m fine.”

“Zach, it’s all red, and it’s swollen. It’s oozing a little, too. It doesn’t look right to me. I hope it’s not infected.”

“It’s not deep,” Zach said. “I didn’t need surgery or anything. I’ve seen worse, believe me. Much worse. It’s just a nick. They wouldn’t have let me out of the hospital if it was bad.”

“How can you still want to be with me after I did this to you?”

“You didn’t do anything. It was Diablo, last time I checked.”

“Still…”

“Darlin’, you’re my woman. I want you. Nothing will change that.”

If only that were the case, Dusty thought. No matter. Right now Zach needed her, and she wasn’t going to let him down. She saturated a cotton ball with peroxide and cleaned the wound. The solution bubbled as it touched the injury, and Zach tensed.

“Okay?” she asked.

“Yeah. Fine,” he said through clenched teeth.

Once she felt it was clean enough, she smeared it with antibiotic ointment and covered it with gauze and a clean bandage.

“Do you have any pills you need to take? Pain pills? Antibiotics?”

“I took both of them with dinner.”

“Okay. Anything else?”

“Just you in my arms. That’s all I need.”

She smiled. “I guess I can handle that.” She shed the robe she wore and crawled into bed next to him. “No funny business. I want you to sleep. You need your rest.”

“You take the fun out of everything.” He yawned.

“See? You’re exhausted.”

“Mmm,” he said. “Maybe a little sleep wouldn’t hurt.” He wrapped his arms around her. “As long as you’re here when I wake up.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah.”

For now, anyway.