Page 40 of The Boy With The Sharp Teeth
Shecould see him weigh the offer in his mind before he eventually shook his head."No," he rasped. "Not here. It's too open and…I wouldn’t be ableto control myself."
Reliefand desire entwined within her, confusing her but emboldening her at the sametime. Lifting up higher on her knees, she kissed him slowly, just how he hadtaught her, reversing their usual roles. Pliant and soft beneath her lips, Zachlet her subdue him in the ancient dance between them as he let out a deep,shuddering groan.
"Whathave I created?"
~*~
Turningrestlessly in her bed, Sana stared up at the ceiling. Earlier that day, Zachhad walked with her back from the beach, holding her hand until they reachedthe road that led to her grandparents' house. Walking into the forest tree-linethat bordered the road, Zach had followed her the rest of the way. She had toforce herself not to watch his tall figure slinking between the trees with easeas he trailed after her. Only when she stepped onto her porch did she allow hergaze to sweep to the forest's edge, looking for a glimpse of those watchfulgolden eyes.
Nothingthis summer was going according to plan. She had told herself when they leftSeattle that she would hold her head up high and ignore him if she saw him. Fordays she prepared her heart to accept the sight of Zachariah with a girlfriendor maybe his cold sneering indifference if he saw her. If he had treated herlike a shameful indiscretion or even ignored her, she would have beenprepared—his professed love for her, however, was not at all what she expected.
Turninginto the pillow, Sana smiled as she envisioned his stern face and fierce eyeslooking at her.
Therewas a tapping sound at her window.
Holdingher breath, Sana froze before startling at the tapping sound again. Turningover in her bed, she looked at the curtain-covered window for a second fromwhere she lay. She knew who it was. Standing up, she hesitated for a moment andlooked down at her ratty Looney Tunes shirt and mismatching pink shorts.Feeling more than a little self-conscious, she pulled the elastic from her hairto let it down before she reached the window and pulled back the curtain.
Standingin the dark, Zachariah stood on the other side of her window, giving her aburning look.
Reachingup to unclasp the window, she realized it was still unlocked. Has it beenunlocked ever since that night last summer? Sliding the window open, she gavehim a questioning look.
"Ican’t stop thinking about you," he said, his voice rough as both handsgripped the window's sill. He stood there like a man standing at a dangerousprecipice. She could see the taut lines of his shirt stretched across hisdefined chest as he braced himself away from the sill while at the same timelooking as if he would vault inside any second. "I can’t calm down. Itfeels like my body is clawing at itself. Let me touch you," he whisperedraggedly as his gilded eyes glinted almost imploringly in the darkness. Leaningforward until his nose brushed hers, he spoke even lower. "Let me hold youand listen to those beautiful sounds you make."
Inside,her sensible thoughts clashed with her overwhelming want and clawed their wayforward to be heard. "Everyone is-"
"Asleep,I know," he answered for her with a rueful sigh and a drop of hisshoulders. "You're right. It's a bad idea. I shouldn't have come…Ijust…" Zach turned his burning gaze away from hers and closed his eyes.
Aneed to reach out and touch him stirred inside of her to the point of pain.Sliding the window further open, she looked as Zach's head turned back to her,and she stepped back further into the shadows of her room. Zach's eyesglittered with dangerous satisfaction as he braced his weight with ease onto hisarms and climbed through with the graceful silence of a jungle cat.
Sana'sheart clenched at the feeling of deja-vu as she stared at Zach's tall framedraped in the barely-there streams of moonlight coming in through her window.
"Wehave to be quiet," she whispered.
Steppingcloser, Zach nodded as he reached out and laid his hands on her shoulders."I promise, baby."
Thesensible part of her brain finally gave way, and Sana tilted her head up to hisas Zach lowered his mouth to hers. With searing gentleness, Zach's lips movedagainst hers in soft coaxing demand. Sana couldn't help but moan at the slowstrokes of his tongue dueling against hers and barely noticed as the back ofher legs hit her bed. Had they been moving?
Breakingthe kiss with a deep rumbling sound in his chest, Zach pushed her back onto thebed until her back hit the soft mattress. With a quick removal of his shoes anda click of her door's lock, Zach kneeled onto the bed and followed her in andstraddled one of her legs. Keeping her eyes on his, she shivered as his gazewarmed over her form, moving slowly down her body. Wordlessly his hands movedto her shirt and began to pull it upward, baring her stomach and bra. Helpingher pull the garment silently over her head, Zach leaned forward and pressed atender kiss to her stomach even as his hands moved to the hem of her shorts.Within seconds his quick hands divested her of all her clothes, leaving hercompletely bare for his roving eyes.
Sanatried to control the sudden tremor of nerves that racked her body. She wantedto cover herself with the blanket. Here she was naked as he sat fully clothed,staring at her with an expression of hunger that left her breathless.
Asif sensing her rising fear, Zach lowered himself down to her, stretching hisbody partially over hers as he settled down in the space between her and thewall. Grabbing the sheets, he pulled them up and around her, letting themsettle lightly over her breasts.
Sanasighed in relief and turned to him. She wanted to apologize for some reason.She wanted to assure him that she wanted this and explain her suddennervousness, but Zach spoke first.
"HaveI ever told you how beautiful you are?" he asked, his voice strained. Hishand that rested on her stomach moved in slow lazy circles.
"Notnearly enough," she tried to quip, but the nervousness in her voice madethe soft laugh sound more like a croak.
Zach'swhite teeth flashed in the darkness as he smiled before leaning over to kissher on the cheek. "Well, you are," he confirmed. "But it's notjust your stunning looks that drive me crazy or your soft round baby cheeksthat make me want to nuzzle you all night and day, it's you. It's everythingabout you. Watching you be patient with your brother and Elijah, or how youhelp out anyone who asks, and even how you smile to yourself when you think noone is watching. You drive me fucking crazy, Sana. I will never want anyone theway I want you."
Eachword he spoke felt like kindling being added to the fire inside of her. Overand over again, his sweet words stoked the flames within her until Sana wasleft beyond frustrated and filled with a need so powerful, she thought shemight die. Turning to him fully, she ignored the sheet that fell partially awayfrom her breasts and pressed herself against his long, lean body. Exhilarationbloomed within her as his hands snaked around her and pulled her even closer,mashing her soft frame to his hard one.
"Goddammit,"he whispered in a shaking growl against her lips as he tried to keep pace withher fervent kiss. "We don't have to do this," he growled as hetrailed hot searing kisses down her neck and collarbone and stopped at herchest. "If you're not ready, we can-"
Sanaalmost laughed at the soft whine in his voice. He was desperate and burningwith desire just as much as she was. Kicking the sheet that lay between themdown her body, she opened her legs to him, allowing his hips to slip into thespace of her legs.
Zachlet out a strangled grunt against her chest.
