What a Woman Wants (16 page)

Shannon slept in
late, waking past noon. She quickly showered and, with nothing planned for the rest of the day, she slipped into a sundress and flat sandals before heading downstairs to see what Faith and Monique were doing.

She still found it amazing that her body was humming in sexual satisfaction nearly twenty-four hours after the fact. Just what kind of lovemaking had Adam laid on her? Not that she had any complaints, mind you. The man was a master at tuning up a woman’s body the same way he tuned up cars. Somehow he’d known it was time for her to get a service check, and not only had he tuned her up, but he’d done a great job of replacing her spark plugs as well. It seemed her entire body was now sensitive to the touch, as potent as a magnet, and all revved up for more sexual pleasure of his making.

She frowned when she came back to the thought that had consumed her lately: Adam Corbain could become her obsession. No man had ever gotten to her like that. It was up to her not to let that happen. She may become
his
obsession, but hell would freeze over before he became hers.

A few moments later she found Faith sitting outside on the patio sipping wine and reading a book on the wicker sofa, totally entranced. Shannon hated disturbing her, but she wanted to make sure Faith and Monique weren’t still so worried about her.

“That book’s interesting?”

Faith almost bolted upright out of her seat. She threw her hand over her chest as if to calm her heart and said, “Shannon, you scared me to death!”

Shannon smiled apologetically and stared at her friend with interest. “Just what kind of book is that?”

“A thriller. A serial killer who calls himself the Hilton Head Slicer is going around killing women who’re vacationing on the island. The lady at the bookstore on the strip recommended it. I’ve been reading all morning and only have a few chapters left. Do you want to read it when I’m done?”

Shannon strolled over and dropped down into the chair across from where Faith sat. “No, thank you. I have a book of my own that I need to start reading.
A Man Before His Time.
It’s a book written in the seventeen hundreds by Alexander Hamilton on the economic problems of their day.”

Faith sat back and looked at her. “Do you ever consider reading a book just for pleasure?”

Shannon grinned. “No, reading does not give me pleasure. When it comes to what gives me pleasure, I can write my own book.”

Faith chortled, leaning back in her seat. “I’m sure you can if you still have the brains to do it. According to you, they were almost screwed out.”

“You make it sound like a bad thing.”

Faith said teasingly, “Hey, girlfriend, I ain’t mad at ya.”

Shannon laughed before saying, “Maybe I should be mad at myself, but I’m not. Too much afterglow for that. But I wanted to assure you and Monique that I am okay. Adam was as much of a gentleman as he could be under the circumstances.”

She then glanced around. “And speaking of Monique, where is she?”

“Beaufort.”

“Beaufort? What she’s doing in Beaufort?”

“She went there for the weekend with Lyle Montgomery. She won’t return until sometime tomorrow evening,” Faith said.

“Ha!” Shannon exclaimed, bouncing around excitedly in her seat. “I knew it! I just knew something was going on between them and that ‘he’s just a friend’ stuff was for the birds.”

Faith gave her a pointed look. “You can’t really say that, Shannon. Right now they’re just friends, but it could escalate into more if that’s what the two of them want. But don’t assume it
has
to move in that direction.”

Shannon made a face. “I know, I know, but I want her to be happy. Although she’s been seeing other men, I don’t think she’s gotten over losing Paul.”

“He’ll be a tough act to follow,” Faith said, studying the contents of her wineglass and thinking just what a sweetheart Paul Grier had been. Not only had he been a wonderful husband to Monique, but he’d also been a good friend to her, Cely, and Shannon. When it came to the friendship the four shared, there hadn’t been a jealous bone in his body—unlike Virgil’s. Her ex had envied the close friendship she, Cely, Shannon, and Monique had shared and resented the fact that Faith might be sharing too much information about their personal business with them. In the end, she could understand his concern, considering what she’d found out.

“So what are your plans for this afternoon?” Shannon asked.

“Mmm, don’t have any,” she said, trying not to remember Shane’s invitation to come over to his place again. She would see him for her tennis lessons on Monday, and as far as she was concerned, that was soon enough. Too much of Shane Masters wasn’t a good thing. “I might go to the clubhouse and practice my tennis strokes and later take a walk on the beach when the crowd thins out. What’s yours?”

Shannon shrugged. “Do like you’re doing now and read a bit. I plan to stay in tonight. Adam invited me over to the garage tomorrow.”

“They’re open on Sundays?”

“I don’t think they are on a regular basis, but he’s working on this one particular car.”

“Are you going?”

Shannon shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet. I think he intends to put me to work.”

Faith smiled. “It might be fun doing something out of the norm. Doing something wacky every once in a while isn’t bad,” she said, wondering if she should take her own advice.

Memories flooded Shannon’s mind. “Trust me. I’ve been doing a number of things that’s out of the norm with Adam.”

Anna walked out
onto the porch and found Zach standing with his back to her as he looked out over the waterways through the marshland. They had spent most of the day on the water, and when it had gotten too hot, they headed back to shore.

They’d played cards, checkers, and had even watched a DVD movie he had rented before finally throwing something together for dinner. Since then they had showered, and she figured with nothing else to do they would hang out here and enjoy each other’s company. Tomorrow she would pose for the portrait Zach was doing of her, which would probably take most of the day—he wanted to finish it before they left the island. And once their families arrived, there wouldn’t be any more private time in which to do it.

He evidently heard the sound of her feet on the wooden floor. When he turned, his eyes softened. “Come here. I want you to see something.”

She quickly crossed the porch to where he was standing. “What is it?”

“That,” he said, pointing toward the marshlands and thick underbrush.

She squinted her eyes and saw it, the setting of the sun, and it was so beautiful that she held her breath. The sun appeared as a huge ball of orangey red fire slowly descending into the ocean. The clouds in the sky appeared to be holding still for this majestic departure.

“Have you ever seen anything so beautiful, Zach?” she asked in a quiet voice.

“Truthfully, I have.”

Anna glanced up to find him staring at her in a way that made her pulse race.

“You’re more beautiful than a sunset, Anna,” he said in a husky voice, reaching out to lift strands of hair away from her face. “You’re so beautiful that each time I see you, you take my breath away.”

His words played through her mind like notes from a well-strung instrument, softly touching parts of her that had never been touched before. She couldn’t believe he had said such a thing and truly meant it. She knew he dated a number of beautiful women, and for him to say she was beautiful to the point of taking his breath away was a compliment she would always cherish.

“Thank you, Zach.”

He reached out, and his hands settled on her shoulders as he held her gaze. “You don’t have to thank me,” he said, before reaching up and releasing the knot that held her hair up, making it tumble wildly around her shoulders.

He smiled as if proud of his handiwork. “I like your hair down this way.”

She couldn’t break the eye contact even if she wanted to. “I never knew you preferred that I wear it down.”

Zach’s smile widened. There was a lot she didn’t know when it came to him and her. Maybe it was time he spelled a few things out for her.

Slowly the hands he had on her shoulders draped around her neck as he moved closer to her, not able to resist the temptation of her lips any longer. Any willpower he once had was all used up.

Anna saw what
was coming and held her breath. It would be just the way she had played it over and over in her mind countless times.

She continued to look at him, to study the darkness of his eyes, the perfection of all his features, but it was his lips, about to be joined with hers, that made heat settle in all parts of her body. She watched as his head lowered, not for one minute thinking she should pull away. This was Zach, the man she loved. The man she said a special prayer for every night before going to bed. The man who filled her nightly dreams with fantasies. The man who at this moment was taking her breath away. Had already done so.

“Anna.” He whispered her name seconds before taking her lips in his. The expertness of it almost brought her to her knees, and in her mind everything faded, including the beauty of the setting sun.

Everything was replaced with another beauty. The feel of his mouth gently, slowly, and thoroughly feasting on hers, the way his hands that had been draped around her neck were now wrapped around her in a warm embrace. His hands were firm, strong, and caring. Just from the way he had them around her neck was stirring every nerve she had in her body.

Moments later when he released her mouth, the eyes holding hers almost burned through her, fanning the familiar heat. “Zach,” she breathed, needing to speak his name to make sure what was happening between them was real and not another dream she wasn’t ready to wake up from.

Instead of answering, he leaned down and captured her lips again, this time with startling possession. The first time was the blissfulness of slow discovery; this time around was the audacious awakening of desire, pleasure that was meant to flare through her body like wildfire.

And it was.

His kiss was more than just physical. It was so generous and selfless that it nearly brought tears to her eyes. No one, not even Todd, had ever kissed her this way, and as if with a mind of their own, her hands moved to his shoulders, then moments later wrapped firmly around his neck as his mouth mated unhurriedly, yet hungrily, with hers.

A shiver passed through her when she felt his body shift, bringing her closer to the fit of him, making her front mesh with his muscular form. She felt him, every inch, the hard form of him through his shorts, but instead of feeling tense, she felt safe, protected and secured in his arms.

When he finally lifted his lips from hers, her head was left swimming in desire, her body was drumming to the beat of a heat she didn’t know could exist, and her mind was fully absorbed in sensations she had never felt before. That kiss had unleashed a sensuality within her she had been afraid to expose. Would it be a turn-off when he found out just how little experience she had at thirty-four? Would he be totally shocked to discover that technically she didn’t have any at all?

Each and every time they had been together, she had been tempted to take the initiative and kiss him, but she’d been too afraid, too unsure of herself to do so. But he hadn’t. He had solved her problem—or it could be that he’d created a new one, because she wasn’t sure what had driven him to kiss her. Had it been the heat of the moment, or had it been something else? The big question of the hour was whether or not there could or would be anything more than this, a stolen kiss under the setting sun.

“
I’ve wanted to
do that for a long time,” he whispered, caressing her bottom lip with the tip of his finger. Blood was rushing hard through his veins.

“How long?”

He smiled gently. Leave it to Anna to ask him that. “Umm, maybe from that first day we met, when I walked into your office and found you all serious and self-protective, ready to do battle to defend your right to use your father’s full name as your surname. I admired your spunk, your ability to stand up for yourself and not take anything off of anyone, even the rich and powerful Fuller family.”

Taking her hand in his, he continued. “Yet at the same time I felt your hurt for being rejected, and a part of my heart that had been closed suddenly opened and I knew two things. That I would protect you no matter what, and that I had fallen in love with you.”

She raised a surprised brow. “Just like that?”

His smile deepened. “Yes, just like that.”

She shook her head. “And you’ve felt this way for an entire year?”

“Yes, but I only finally admitted it to myself within the last few months.”

She took a deep breath, inhaling slowly. This was almost too much. “But what about Shaun? How can you make sure what you’re feeling is real?”

Zach knew why she was asking him that. There was another man she had believed loved her, but in the end he had turned his back on her when he should have remained by her side and fought for their love to anyone crazy enough to ridicule it.

“Oh, I know it’s real, sweetheart, and as far as Shaun, she is a part of my past that I will always cherish, and I know she would be happy to know I was able to find love once again.”

Anna tipped her head back as if measuring his words. “And you’re sure about this? Your feelings?”

He chuckled. “Trust me, I am, but the question I should be asking is what about yours? How do you feel about me, Anna?”

Anna held her
breath. She could easily tell him that she loved him, too, and had loved him for just as long as he’d said he loved her. That she had also fallen in love with him that day in her office when he had sat in the chair across from her desk looking like he had stepped off the cover of a
GQ
magazine.

For some reason that day she had felt she could trust him, and when he had convinced her to travel back to D.C. with him, she believed that no matter how things turned out, he would always be her friend—her true friend. And he had been, easily stepping into a role no one else had held before him.

And if he truly felt the way he said, he would be stepping into another role no one else had filled before, the role of her lover.

“Anna?”

The sound of her name from his lips soothed her. She knew he was waiting for a response but wasn’t sure she was ready to tell him what he wanted to know, since the truth could potentially complicate things. But then there was no way she could not tell him.

She said, “My feelings for you are the same as yours are for me, Zach. I fell in love with you that day as well, and yes, I’ve been keeping my feelings to myself because I wasn’t sure they were reciprocated. Even now I’m not sure I’m doing the right thing by telling you what they are.”

He smiled and reached out and kissed her lips. The thought that she loved him, too, seemed to overwhelm him. “Why, sweetheart?”

“I can see problems.”

“What kind of problems?”

“How our families will feel about an involvement between us? Your parents are my godparents, Zach. Then there’s Uncle Randolph and—”

“They gave us their blessings.”

“What?” she said in surprise.

“My parents and your uncle gave us their blessings. I talked to them before coming to Hilton Head. And I’m sure your grandparents won’t have a problem when we tell them. The reason I spoke to my parents and your uncle was that I knew what my intentions were in coming to see you and wanted them to know as well.”

She looked at him curiously. “And what were your intentions?”

“To let you know how I felt.” Zach decided he would let her get used to how he felt about her before hitting her with the news that he wanted them to marry and share their lives for always. He also would wait to tell her about his political aspirations. He wanted to take one step at a time, and the most important thing right now was letting her know how much he cared.

“And just in case you’ve forgotten,” he said, leaning in closer. “Let this serve as a reminder.” And then he was kissing her again.

Anna closed her
eyes, thinking that she could get addicted to this, Zach’s touch, the taste of him, and the sensations he was evoking. These were moments she wanted to file away and always remember. And the way his fingertips were caressing her bare arms while his mouth mated deliciously with hers was making everything female inside of her come alive.

While she was in college, the girls she’d roomed with had tried convincing her that it was okay to engage in sex with the guys on campus even if she didn’t love them. They claimed making out was a healthy and normal release. She was glad she hadn’t bought into that theory. She was also glad she hadn’t caved in under Todd’s persistence that they sleep together before getting married. Again, she felt like waiting had been the right thing to do.

But now I don’t want to wait any longer.

All the sensations that Zach was making her feel led her to believe the next part, beyond kissing, would be just that much more pleasurable. And she wanted to share all of that with him, the man she loved.

She could admit now that she probably never really loved Todd, not to the extent that she loved Zach. If she thought she did once it was because Todd had promised her all the things she’d never had and had always longed for: love, family, and devotion. In the end he hadn’t delivered any of those things. He had let her down.

But she believed in her heart that Zach would never let her down. He was a man with high principles. He was a man who could be trusted. He was the man she would gladly spend the rest of her days with.

She opened her eyes when she felt him break off the kiss, but she wasn’t ready for things to end. She wanted more. She needed a connection to him, one she’d never shared with another man.

She lifted her gaze and met his. She saw the dark desire in his eyes, the heat, the wanting, and knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him, but he wouldn’t suggest it or ask. He was too much of a gentleman to do that, so she decided to do it for him.

Up on tiptoe, she leaned close to his moist lips and whispered, “Make love to me, Zach.”