Page 17 of Heart of a Defender

“Wow,” she whispers.

“Yeah,” I agree, awestruck by her soft lips, brilliant eyes, and how my heart swells when she’s near. I brush my thumb across her cheek. “You’re incredible, Madison.”

The chemistry between us is undeniable, the air charged with hope and unspoken desire. We stand on her doorstep for a moment longer, the world and all its minutia fading to nothingness. For a fleeting moment, it’s just the two of us, caught in a perfect, electrifying moment. But I’m well aware of my promise to keep tonight expectation-free.

“I should go in.” Madison tilts her head, eyeing me with those chameleon eyes of hers. She weaves a certain kind of magic over me, the kind that stops me in my tracks. “Unless you want to–”

I capture her lips, hungry and desperate for her, my resolve broken. Her heartbeat quickens against my chest, spurring mine to a gallop. My heart pounds erratically, bruising my ribs. The kiss is intense, desperate, and full of heat. My hands rove her curves as she presses against me, our reckless behavior on full display for anyone to see.

When we finally pull apart this time, we’re both breathless. My lungs burn as I gasp for air.

“There’s something about you. I can’t stop thinking about you,” I murmur, my voice husky. “The way your eyes dance when you laugh, the way your hair bounces along your shoulders when you walk, and the way you taste when we kiss.”

“I feel the same about you, Zach,” she whispers back as she traces the edge of my jaw with her fingertip. “What are we going to do about it? At the end of the day, I’m still me, and you’re still you.”

“I don’t know.” It’s difficult to wrap my head around the fact that I’ve fallen for someone, especially a reporter. But I can’t deny my racing pulse when she’s near or how my mind goes down the rabbit hole fantasizing about her when we’re apart. “But I don’t want to stop.”

“Neither do I.” She smiles, and her glimmering eyes dance under the moonlight. She dangles her key between us. “Come inside, Zach.”

I take a deep breath and eye the keys, symbolic in a way, opening a door of opportunity I never thought possible. “Are you sure? I don’t want to rush things.”

Madison tips on her toes and brushes her lips against mine, slow and tender. “We’ve got all night to take things nice and slow.”

She jiggles her keys again, and I can’t help but hope she’s offering me more than entrance to her apartment. I want the key to her heart.

CHAPTER 9

SLOW AND EASY

***

Madison

I lead Zach through the darkness of my living room to my bedroom. Nervous jitters creep into my nervous system, causing my stomach to somersault and my pulse to accelerate. Each step heightens my awareness of what this moment could potentially lead to–a new beginning or potential heartbreak.

It’s silly to be so anxious. Zach has seen my nude body before. We did the deed numerous times the last time we were alone together, but this time feels different. I feel different. I’m not some hockey fangirl looking to hook up with the team’s star player. And Zach doesn’t seem the type to rack up notches on his hockey stick.

This is real. At least, it is to me.

Moonlight trickles through the sheer organza curtains, casting a romantic, silvery glow over the bedroom. The room seems smaller with Zach in it. His size dwarfs mine, making me feel more petite than I am. My heart flutters as Zach steps closer to me, his hands reaching for my waist.

He leans in, and our lips meet in a slow and tender kiss, then deepens into something more passionate and rawer. Our lips move together seamlessly as if we’ve kissed a thousand times before.

His hands grip my hips, pulling me closer, and I lose myself in the sensation of his commanding touch. Shivers traverse my spine as Zach’s hands glide up my back. I press closer, needing to feel every inch of him pressed against me.

Zach breaks the kiss too soon, leaving me wanting for more. He presses his forehead to mine. “Are you sure about this?” he whispers with a ragged breath, his voice filled with concern and dripping with unharnessed desire.

When I look into his eyes, I see a future there, a glimmer of what happiness could look like if I take a leap of faith. I nod, unable to put into words what my heart whispers to my soul.

I raise my arms, giving him all the permission he needs to undress me. He brushes a strand of hair from my face, his touch gentle and reverent. My pulse quickens. Everything about Zach and this moment feels like I’m at the precipice of a cliff, seconds from free-falling into eternal bliss.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs as he undresses me slowly, savoring the seconds.

His hands roam my body, touching me everywhere, exploring and caressing as he pulls away layer after layer of my clothing and the figurative bandages that have safeguarded my emotional wounds. He sets my skin on fire. Every touch and kiss ignites something deep inside me, and I can’t get enough.

Zach’s touch is tender and possessive as he lays me out on the sheets. He moves over me, and I feel a sense of belonging that I’ve never felt before. Every kiss and caress is a promise, a connection beyond the physical. He treats me as a partner, an equal, rather than just a body to fulfill his needs.

As we move together, I’m overwhelmed by the intensity of the emotions coursing through me. Zach’s touch elicits more than desire–it coaxes trust, affection, and an unspoken understanding that we’re equals in this coupling. I cherish every touch, every emotion as I fall madly, deeply in love with him.

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