Nicole Edwards: Zane

“It’s not going to work, V.” Zane’s words broke through the haze of lust that was clouding her thoughts.

“What?” V felt as though she missed a vital part of the conversation.

“Trying to push me away is only going to make me come after you more.”

One thing she had learned about this man, he didn’t say things he didn’t mean. He’d been pursuing her for about a month before he was attacked and she’d tried to push him away. He didn’t listen; always coming back for more, no matter how cruel she was with his feelings.

Whatever he thought this was, it wasn’t. What was happening between them was nothing more than a highly reactive proclivity to lust. It was one hundred percent physical reaction between two people who were attracted to one another, spurred on by some wild and impassioned urges. Oh, and pheromones. Yes, definitely those too.

“What do you want from me?” V asked the question although she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.

“Everything.” The way Zane articulated each syllable had V’s pulse soaring. The way he looked at her like she was everything and then some made her wish that there actually could be something between them. The fact was, they came from different worlds, and she wasn’t so sure that there was a way for them to meet in the middle.

Now, if he were talking about sex, V could see the potential in a short term fling with him. The man inspired orgasms with just a tilt of his head, and V could attest to what he was capable of doing with his mouth. Anything more than that was out of the question, and she didn’t want to lead him on.

“You think that somehow sex is going to make me fall in love with you?” She let the words drip with her incredulity.

“Baby, you keep saying that word like that’s all you want from me,” Zane grinned and V was damn near blinded by the intensity of his beautiful smile.

“That’s all you have to offer me, Zane,” she whispered, trying to sound convincing.

“That’s what you think. Give me a chance, V. Stop trying to push me away at every turn. All I need is a chance.”

“You don’t need to prove anything to me,” V said honestly. She knew just how real he was. She’d experienced just how incredible it felt to be in his arms. She also knew just how devastated she would feel when it was over.

“Maybe not, but I need to possess you. All of you.” Zane’s mouth was brushing against hers with every breath he took, every word he spoke.

Fuck. She was a goner, and she knew it. She couldn’t get another word out if she tried. He wanted to possess her? V knew exactly what he was referring to. He’d mentioned it before. She had seen a glimpse of his dominating side on more than one occasion, and she had a feeling he knew how worked up she got because of it.

She found herself leaning closer to him, although she knew she was supposed to be pushing him away. She was taunting him, daring him to kiss her. If nothing else, at least she could get lost in the kiss and forget about all of the emotions this man stirred inside of her.

Thankfully, Zane stole her ability to think anymore.

He crushed his mouth to hers, the evidence of his desire pressing intimately between her thighs. When his strong, warm hand slid down the back of her thigh, then behind her knee, she knew there was no more fighting him. The only thing she needed was his touch for her brain cells to stop functioning properly.

Holding her leg against his thigh, V welcomed him by pressing her hips against his. She was trapped between his muscular body and the hard pane of glass at her back, unable to move in any direction and for some strange reason, V found comfort in his touch. Zane controlled her movements, controlled every ounce of her pleasure by the way he took his time with her. If she had learned anything, it was that he wasn’t a man to rush through anything.

When his lips scraped against the side of her mouth, down her chin before trailing down the side of her neck, V tilted her head to the side, giving him better access. She reveled in the warmth of his body, the strength she could feel in every move he made. Having extraordinarily limited experience due to not having been with many men in her life, V was still thoroughly convinced that no one compared to Zane.

“I’ve missed you.” Zane’s raspy words tickled her senses and had her thrusting her hips against his more firmly, trying to increase the friction against her clit. “Tell me you haven’t missed me, V.”

She couldn’t speak, much less lie to him. She’d missed him more than she was willing to admit to herself.

“Tell me how much you’ve missed this, and I’ll give you everything you want. I’ll bury my tongue in your sweet pussy and make you come with just my mouth. You want that, don’t you?”

More than she wanted water or air or any life sustaining substance. Not having known his touch for the last three months had been hell. Having it now was like a sudden plunge into warm water, her body was overheated, and her nipples pebbled, her skin sensitive and aching for more of his touch.

“Tell me, V,” he growled as he nipped her shoulder, pulling the loose collar of her sweater down as he went. She wanted him to rip her clothes from her body and ravish her the way only Zane could.

“I’ve missed this.” She managed to say the words, trying hard to sound normal and not entirely out of her mind with desire. “But I don’t want strings, Zane. It can only be sex.”

Zane’s chuckle sent throbbing need directly to her clit. The deep, dark rumble of his voice made her even crazier with lust. “If that’s what you want, then yes.”

Why didn’t she believe him?

His mouth began moving back up her shoulder, his hand sliding up to cup her head as he lifted her face until their eyes met. “But until we decide otherwise I want all of you. No holding back, V.”

She wasn’t sure she could give all of herself because up to this point, she’d already given him more than she should have. He was putting fissures in that hard shell she’d wrapped around her heart, and she knew that any time spent with him would only increase her chances of falling for him completely.

But what else could she do? This was the only way to prove to herself that she didn’t need him. Sex and love were two different things, and she feared she was already beginning to confuse the two.

“All right.” Before she was prepared for them, the words escaped. But once her acceptance was out there, V realized there was no turning back.

Zane pressed his mouth to hers forcefully, taking everything he wanted and giving back tenfold. His tongue was cool, and he tasted like mint and man, and she couldn’t help herself. V pulled his head closer to hers, tightening her fingers in his hair as she tangled her tongue with his, licking him, tasting him, taking everything he had to give her. His taste, the strength in his touch, the sleek texture of his skin had her aching to be naked beneath him.

“I need you, V. Right now,” Zane growled as he broke the kiss, his hand still holding her face, his thumb brushing her cheek while the other lifted her leg higher on his hip, his erection grinding between her thighs.

She nodded, unable to speak.

Removing her hands from around his neck, she hurriedly fumbled with the button on his jeans, anxious to take what he was offering without having to think anymore. She lowered the zipper and pushed the denim down just enough to free his thick, heavy erection.

He didn’t let her go, one hand still squeezing her leg, the other splayed across her neck, the crook between his thumb and index finger tilting her head up so she was forced to meet his gaze.

“Pull your panties to the side,” he growled, piercing her with those glowing blue gray eyes. He didn’t pull away; he shifted his hips back ever so slightly so she had room to maneuver.