Zack Baker
The Sooner The Better
When he’d asked her to dance tonight, he hadn’t intended to kiss her.
But now that she was in his arms, cradled against his body, he didn’t intent to let her go without doing so.
A surge of possessiveness walloped him, unwelcome and unwanted.
It had taken him years to exorcize the scars Gena left on his soul. And on the day he’d finally thrown their wedding pictures into the fire, he’d sworn he’d never let a woman get close.
But now…
Now, he not only wanted Tegan close, he intended to keep her there.
He didn’t like his own emotional response to her. That, however, didn’t stop him from moving. Cupping her chin, he led her still for his kiss.
“Zack…”
He liked the way she said his name, with a tremor of desire that said she wanted his kiss, even if she fought that desire. “Yeah?”
“I…”
Before she closed her mouth, he caught her bottom lip between his teeth. He gently laved his tongue against the fullness of her lip, then suckled it.
She sighed. He half expected her to pull away, but she didn’t.
“I’m going to kiss you, Tegan.”
He eyelids flickered, and he caught a glimpse of her green eyes, the color lightened—by expectation? He wondered.
Not letting go of her, he brushed his lips against hers, once, then twice, waiting for her surrender.
She didn’t disappoint.
Slowly she opened her mouth for him.
As if he’d waited half a lifetime for this, he claimed what she offered.
Primal and primitive, need consumed him.
He deepened the kiss, his tongue seeking hers. With a tiny moan, she responded.
This hadn’t been the way it happened the first time. Back then, she’d been unsure. But this Tegan was asking form something in return.
If he found her sexy before, he now found her undeniable. She swayed toward him, and he moved, placing one of his legs between hers for support.
Leaning into him, she took the initiative, and he felt her tongue against his, tasting, exploring. Her warmth washed over him, making him hard.
It was too soon, he knew.
He’d wanted to dance, nothing more. He’d wanted to chase away her loneliness. He hadn’t thought the same feeling would seep into his own soul.
Until this moment, he hadn’t given loneliness a passing thought. But this afternoon, the house had no longer rung with hollowness. When he’d returned from his chores, he’d known she was inside, waiting for him. For the first time in years, Zack felt alive.
Before he lost all control, he ended the kiss. His heart hammered, like it had when he’d sneaked Hailey Peterson into the neighbor’s barn.
Alive. Yeah, that was a good word for it.
“You’re an excellent dancer, Tegan.” He looked into her eyes. They were barely open, but hazel spikes across the rich green reflected her inner thoughts. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Surprising him, she didn’t immediately pull away. “This won’t work,” she warned.
“What won’t?” He prayed she had no idea of the effect she had on him.
“This…”
“Go on.”
“Kissing me won’t convince me to let you run my life and make my decisions.”
No, but it might scramble his brains. “That wasn’t what I was doing,” he stated.
The flare of desire faded into a frown of distrust. It was back, her wariness of him.
Reflexively his grip tightened. Drawing a breath, he forced himself to relax.
“So what were you doing?” she asked.
“Dancing with my future wife.”
“Why?”
“Why?” he repeated.
She waited.
“Because I wanted to.”
She laughed, a disbelieving little sound.
“Surely you can’t think I’m not attracted to you?” He frowned. “I get it,” he said. “You think I was touching you, kissing you because I wanted to manipulate you. So that you’ll agree to my demands.”
“That’s what it seems like.”
“Tegan,” he said softly, very, very softly. “I don’t know what your experience was with Aaron, but I don’t manipulate the women I’m involved with. If I want something my way, I’ll say so.”
With his index finger, he brought her chin back around. “And when I kiss you, you can be damn sure it’s because I want to, because I’m hot for you.” He proved his point with another deep kiss, leaving them both out of breath.
“And unless you want me to take you upstairs and prove this is about sex, a pure physical attraction for you, I suggest you find your own room and lock the door.”
With her shoulders squared, she turned on her heel and walked quickly up the stairs.
The slam of her door shook the landscape painting on the wall.
Zack paced the living room, emotional and physical energy churning in his gut. It was about desire, as he’d told her. But he hadn’t been walloped with this kind of feeling in more years than he cared to count. There was something else. He wanted her to want him, like she had that night. Like she’d never wanted another man.
He wanted her, right, marriage, baby and all.
The sooner the better.
It was going to be a long night, he knew, with temptation only one door down.
But now that she was in his arms, cradled against his body, he didn’t intent to let her go without doing so.
A surge of possessiveness walloped him, unwelcome and unwanted.
It had taken him years to exorcize the scars Gena left on his soul. And on the day he’d finally thrown their wedding pictures into the fire, he’d sworn he’d never let a woman get close.
But now…
Now, he not only wanted Tegan close, he intended to keep her there.
He didn’t like his own emotional response to her. That, however, didn’t stop him from moving. Cupping her chin, he led her still for his kiss.
“Zack…”
He liked the way she said his name, with a tremor of desire that said she wanted his kiss, even if she fought that desire. “Yeah?”
“I…”
Before she closed her mouth, he caught her bottom lip between his teeth. He gently laved his tongue against the fullness of her lip, then suckled it.
She sighed. He half expected her to pull away, but she didn’t.
“I’m going to kiss you, Tegan.”
He eyelids flickered, and he caught a glimpse of her green eyes, the color lightened—by expectation? He wondered.
Not letting go of her, he brushed his lips against hers, once, then twice, waiting for her surrender.
She didn’t disappoint.
Slowly she opened her mouth for him.
As if he’d waited half a lifetime for this, he claimed what she offered.
Primal and primitive, need consumed him.
He deepened the kiss, his tongue seeking hers. With a tiny moan, she responded.
This hadn’t been the way it happened the first time. Back then, she’d been unsure. But this Tegan was asking form something in return.
If he found her sexy before, he now found her undeniable. She swayed toward him, and he moved, placing one of his legs between hers for support.
Leaning into him, she took the initiative, and he felt her tongue against his, tasting, exploring. Her warmth washed over him, making him hard.
It was too soon, he knew.
He’d wanted to dance, nothing more. He’d wanted to chase away her loneliness. He hadn’t thought the same feeling would seep into his own soul.
Until this moment, he hadn’t given loneliness a passing thought. But this afternoon, the house had no longer rung with hollowness. When he’d returned from his chores, he’d known she was inside, waiting for him. For the first time in years, Zack felt alive.
Before he lost all control, he ended the kiss. His heart hammered, like it had when he’d sneaked Hailey Peterson into the neighbor’s barn.
Alive. Yeah, that was a good word for it.
“You’re an excellent dancer, Tegan.” He looked into her eyes. They were barely open, but hazel spikes across the rich green reflected her inner thoughts. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Surprising him, she didn’t immediately pull away. “This won’t work,” she warned.
“What won’t?” He prayed she had no idea of the effect she had on him.
“This…”
“Go on.”
“Kissing me won’t convince me to let you run my life and make my decisions.”
No, but it might scramble his brains. “That wasn’t what I was doing,” he stated.
The flare of desire faded into a frown of distrust. It was back, her wariness of him.
Reflexively his grip tightened. Drawing a breath, he forced himself to relax.
“So what were you doing?” she asked.
“Dancing with my future wife.”
“Why?”
“Why?” he repeated.
She waited.
“Because I wanted to.”
She laughed, a disbelieving little sound.
“Surely you can’t think I’m not attracted to you?” He frowned. “I get it,” he said. “You think I was touching you, kissing you because I wanted to manipulate you. So that you’ll agree to my demands.”
“That’s what it seems like.”
“Tegan,” he said softly, very, very softly. “I don’t know what your experience was with Aaron, but I don’t manipulate the women I’m involved with. If I want something my way, I’ll say so.”
With his index finger, he brought her chin back around. “And when I kiss you, you can be damn sure it’s because I want to, because I’m hot for you.” He proved his point with another deep kiss, leaving them both out of breath.
“And unless you want me to take you upstairs and prove this is about sex, a pure physical attraction for you, I suggest you find your own room and lock the door.”
With her shoulders squared, she turned on her heel and walked quickly up the stairs.
The slam of her door shook the landscape painting on the wall.
Zack paced the living room, emotional and physical energy churning in his gut. It was about desire, as he’d told her. But he hadn’t been walloped with this kind of feeling in more years than he cared to count. There was something else. He wanted her to want him, like she had that night. Like she’d never wanted another man.
He wanted her, right, marriage, baby and all.
The sooner the better.
It was going to be a long night, he knew, with temptation only one door down.