Page 39 of Deep Waters
Yes, I’d slept around. I enjoyed feeling good, liked feeling connected, even if it never lasted. It wasn’t a crime. But deep down, I’d beensearching for something I’d never find: another woman like her. Every encounter left me a little hollower inside, but that didn’t stop me from trying. Hoping for that spark.
“Is that going to be a problem?” Was she going to hold my past against me?
Her eyes darkened. “Only if you think one woman at a time is a bore. I’m not built for that kind of casual.”
I laughed, the sound rawer than I’d intended, giving away more than it should. I’d flirted and charmed but not taken anyone home with me in the last few years. It hurt that she hadn’t noticed.
Simon had only come to visit once since he joined the military. But he’d stayed onSailor Swiftwith Rae that long-ago weekend. I’d tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Railing at how tacky it was, that they were probably going at it a few feet from my head. Now, I could name the real emotion: jealousy. Then? I’d just decided to be the better neighbor. Quit bringing women home. But in reality? I’d dwindled until I quit other women altogether.
“Not a problem.” Something flared behind her eyes at my answer, washing away thoughts of the past. Wiping away memories of her and Simon. How they’d fooled me. “So. We’re doing this?” I asked. Maybe it was vague. I needed her to fill in the blanks. Exclusivity was a low bar.
“I think so.”
“Weak, Dawkins. If you’re not ready, I’m not ready.” Rushing her straight into my arms after Simon without any breathing space didn’t sit right, but I also wasn’t going to allow anyone else to wriggle between us.
“You have a lot more experience than me.” She said it with hesitation.
“So you and Simon never…” It never would have occurred to me before learning the truth about their relationship.
“No, but I’m not a virgin.”
“Me neither.”
She rolled her eyes, but it didn’t wither my cocky grin. One of us had to project confidence.
Asking for body counts wasn’t my style. But part of me was relieved I wouldn’t be her first. Even as my other side mourned that I couldn’t be the one to introduce her to the joys of a joint orgasm.
“Zach, I’m trying to be serious.”
My cheeks fell, folding my face into a more sober expression. How long until she realized I was nothing but serious about her?
“Rae, I only want to make you feel good. How about just a goodnight kiss? Then I will shuffle off to the guest room and enjoy sweet dreams about your sexy body. I—”
Rae attacked me. There was no other word for it. She launched herself at me, wrapping her legs around my waist as I gripped her ass, stumbling to brace us against the wall.
My lungs forgot how to work for a second, caught between a laugh and a gasp.
Her mouth dove for mine, turning our kiss from a basic exploration into an all-out war for territory. She was lush and sweet, sending my pulse pounding as I reveled in each eager nip. I sank forward, loving the way her hips tilted toward me. I wrapped one fist in her hair, using it to tilt her head to one side, exposing her neck to my quest for the source of her unique scent. The essence of Rae.
She rumbled, giving a sexy little growl as I licked a path along the tendon in her neck. The sound sent an answering flash, tightening my groin and making it difficult to catch my breath.
“Zach,” she whispered, yanking me gently by the hair at the nape of my neck.
Slowly, I straightened, meeting her fiery gaze. Struggling for control, the faint tremble in my fingers no doubt gave me away.
She tilted her head toward the bedroom door. “Let’s take this somewhere more private.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.” Her expression was fierce with need that echoed my own.
I hoisted her higher, penguin-walking my way into her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind me. The bedroom was dark. Gently, I eased her onto the bed and flicked on the bedside lamp. Rae sprawled across the comforter, her arms relaxed above her head, her thighs spread wide, her expression soft and hazy. The picture of abandon. An invitation to sin.
“You have the most beautiful mouth I’ve ever seen,” I said huskily. “It’s so puffy for me right now. So pink. So wet. Are other parts of you just as ready for me?”
Her mouth pursed, a playful tilt of her chin my only other warning. She reached for the hem of her shirt, stripping it and the tiny shorts away in seconds, leaving her in nothing but tiny bikini underwear. With my face on them.
I must have looked as shocked as I felt. My chuckle took me by surprise, filling the room with soft laughter. After waiting so long for her, I had convinced myself there was nothing new to uncover. That we knew each other completely. But she had surprised me again with her boldness. With her underwear.
