Midnight Under the Mistletoe (7 page)

“So ill matched and not what I want,” she said, looking into
eyes that had darkened to a cobalt blue. “A total disaster.”

“You want this with all your being. You can’t stop,” he
whispered. His mouth ended her argument. Knowing he was right, she wanted him
and she wasn’t inclined to stop. She kissed him even though she’d declared their
lovemaking a disaster and meant every word.

With deliberation he held her away to look at her and she
stepped out of her pooled slacks. He pulled free her red sweater and her
unfastened lacy bra went with it. His seductive gaze inched slowly over her,
made her pulse race.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, caressing her breasts.
Pausing, he tossed away his sweater and she inhaled deeply at the sight of his
chest that tapered to a flat washboard belly ridged with muscles.

His hands rested on her hips as his gaze dallied over her,
taking in the sight with measured thoroughness. “You’re gorgeous,” he whispered
hoarsely. “You take my breath.”

She tingled beneath his sensual perusal. Wherever his gaze
drifted, she reacted as if it were his fingers instead of eyes that trailed over
her.

He untied her hair, pulling loose the delicate silk scarf,
letting the free end slip down in a feathery whisper over her breast before he
let go and the scarf fluttered away.

“Your hair is meant for a man’s fingers. I’ve thought that
since I saw you get out of your car the first day.”

“Zach,” she whispered, shaking with need as she reached to pull
him close. He resisted, catching her hands, finishing his study. Caresses
followed with his fingers touching where he had looked.

“Zach,” she gasped, closing her eyes, trembling when she
reached for him. He held her away, continuing his sweet torment. His feather
strokes started at her throat, moving to her nape and down her back, up her side
and then over her breasts, lingering, circling a taut point with his palm. She
inhaled and moaned. “Zach,” she protested, tugging on his waist because she
wanted to press against him and kiss him, to caress him. “We shouldn’t
kiss.”

“Neither of us wants to stop. You want this and I want you.
We’ve been headed for this moment from the first. Ah, Emma,” he whispered. His
fingers slid over her belly, drawing light circles that tormented and heightened
desire.

She throbbed with need. Hunger to love him built swiftly. His
fingers slipped up the inside of her thigh and she gasped, spreading her legs.
Then he caressed her intimately. Her heart pounded and her eyes flew open as she
pulled him roughly to her and kissed him, pouring out her need.

With shaking fingers, she unfastened his belt and then his
jeans, shoving them off.

“Your foot?”

“It’s protected by the shoe. Ignore it.” He yanked off his
loafer and then his briefs followed.

She drew a deep breath at the sight of him.

His arms held her tightly. His rock-hard muscles pressed
against her while his manhood thrust insistently. He picked her up to carry her
in front of the fire, lowering her to an area rug. Flames warmed her side, but
she barely noticed for looking into hungry blue eyes.

“You’re beautiful.” Kneeling, he showered kisses on her. She
couldn’t stop. Couldn’t tell him no. A disaster was blowing in with the storm
that raged outside. His hands strummed over her, building need. Her pulse
thundered in her ears as she wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting to devour
him.

As his hands stroked her, her hips arched to meet him. She
wanted more, had to have his hands on her. He stretched out beside her, turning
her into his arms while he kissed her and his hand stroked her thighs, moving
between them to heighten her pleasure.

“Zach,” she breathed, sitting up and leaning over him. She
trailed her fingers over the hard muscles, tangling her hand in his chest hair,
showering kisses on his shoulder and down over his chest to his belly, moving
lower.

As she kissed and caressed him, Zach combed his fingers through
her hair. In minutes he sat up to roll her over while he kissed her.

“Zach, I’m not protected,” she whispered.

“I’ll be right back,” he whispered, his tongue trailing over
the curve of her ear, stirring waves of sensation while his hand drifted down
over her. He rolled away and stood, crossing to get something from the pocket of
his jeans and return. He came down to hold her and kiss her, loving her until
once again she thrashed beneath him.

Kneeling between her legs, he picked up a packet he had laid
aside earlier. She drank in the sight of him while her heart thudded with
longing. She had gone beyond the point of saying no, caught up in passion,
wanting him.

Stroking his thighs, rough brown curls were an erotic sensation
against her palms. He lowered himself, kissing her. His tongue went deep into
her mouth, stroking her while she returned his kiss and clung to him. He eased
into her, pausing, driving her to a desperate need as he thrust slowly.

Her pounding heart deafened her. Consumed by passion, she
wanted him, longed to give herself to him. She had shut off thought earlier and
was steeped in sensation, knowing only Zach’s body and his loving.

She arched, moaning, crying out until his mouth covered hers
again and his kiss muffled sounds she made.

Zach maintained control. Sweat beaded his brow as he continued
to thrust slowly. Dimly, she was aware he held back to heighten her pleasure, a
sensual torment that made her want more. Urgency tore at her. As she clung
tightly to him, beneath her desire ran a current of awareness that she bonded
with Zach during this snowy night. This would be a forever event, always in her
memory, burning deeply into her life no matter what he felt.

She tossed wildly beneath him until his control vanished. Zach
pumped frantically, thrusting deep, his hips moving swiftly.

She arched, stiffened and cried out, her hips moving while
ecstasy burst over her, showering her with release.

He shuddered while she clung to him, moving with him, for once
both of them, in this moment, well matched. Maybe the only such time. Rapture
spread in every vein, running in streams of satisfaction. Sex was breathtaking,
incredible, earthshaking in her world.

She could no longer turn back time or erase the occasion. Zach
had just become a facet of her life. He could disappear tomorrow, but this night
had happened.

“How did we get here?” she whispered, stroking damp curls off
his forehead.

“We walked in here with our eyes open. We’re where we both
wanted to be. You can’t deny that.”

She kissed his shoulder lightly. “No, I can’t,” she said,
smiling at him and winding her arms around his neck. Tonight she had made him
significant in her life, something she shouldn’t have done.

“I think it’s the perfect place to be,” he said, combing long
strands of her hair away from her face. “Snow outside, cozy and warm in here,
you in my arms, wild lusty love. Totally gorgeous. Best sex ever. I couldn’t ask
for anything more.”

“At the moment, I have to agree.”

“For the first time, I’m glad I hurt my foot. Otherwise, our
paths would have never crossed. If I had passed you in the Dallas office, I
would have noticed you, but I wouldn’t have gotten to know you. Not unless you
had become my secretary there.”

“Not likely. This Friday night hasn’t gone according to
plan.”

“It definitely changed for the better,” he whispered, showering
kisses on her face and caressing her. “How about a hot tub together?”

“I think that’s a great suggestion, but I thought you had to
keep your foot out of water.”

“I do. I’ve gotten very adept at hanging my foot out of the
shower. I’m sure I can prop it on the edge of the tub.”

“You can’t hop into a tub,” she said, laughing.

He laughed and stood, scooping her into his arms. “I’ll carry
you to a hot shower instead.”

“No,” she said, alarmed. “Zach, put me down. You’ll hurt your
foot.”

“Nonsense. I carried you earlier and I didn’t hear a protest.
We’ll do it this time the same way,” he said, kissing her and ending her
argument.

Carrying her to a bedroom with an adjoining shower, he set her
down. He had to give up showering together. As soon as they returned to bed, he
pulled her into his embrace to kiss her.

Past midnight Zach held her close. “Ready now for some of
Rosie’s chili?”

Emma stretched lazily, kissed his cheek and smiled at him. “I
think I’ve lost my appetite.”

“I’ve found mine. Let’s go and when you smell it, you’ll
probably want some. Want a glass of wine or one of my margaritas first?”

“Seems like this is the way we started the evening,” she said,
wrapped in contentment. She suspected she had already complicated her life and
she refused to worry about it on a wonderful night that had turned special.
Tomorrow’s worries would come soon enough.

“I think you’re right.”

He stepped out of bed, went to a closet and returned wearing a
navy robe. He handed her a dark brown robe. “For you, although I definitely
prefer you without it.”

“No way, for dinner.”

Zach placed his arm around her shoulders as they walked to the
kitchen.

“The chili has cooked on low all evening, so it’s ready,” he
said, getting out a covered dish. “I’ll get our margaritas, build a fire and
we’ll eat when we’re ready.”

In minutes he had drinks mixed and logs stacked to get a fire
blazing. He turned out the lights, leaving just firelight and the snowy view
outside.

She walked to the window. “Zach, it looks even more beautiful
than earlier today. Tomorrow morning we have to build a snowman if it’s wet
snow.”

“Don’t count on it. This is a cold night outside. It couldn’t
be hotter in here,” he added in a husky voice.

She smiled at him. “When did you last build a snowman?”

“Probably when I was five. I don’t remember exactly, but we did
when we were little. A bunch of little boys—of course, we did.”

She smiled and he walked to her, carrying their drinks.

“Here’s to the very best night ever.”

Surprised, she touched his glass with hers. “I’ll drink to that
and I agree,” she said. She sipped the margarita and looked at the snow. “It’s
beautiful out there, but I’m ready to sit by the fire.”

“In front of the fire is much cozier than here by cold
windows.”

Tossing a bunch of pillows from the sofa to the floor in front
of the fire, he held out his arm. “Come here and enjoy the warmth.”

She sat on the floor and he drew her back against him. “This is
great, Zach.”

He curled a lock of her hair in his fingers. “When do you plan
to go back to college?”

“I’m saving money and this job helps. I hope to start again
next September. I’ll take night or Saturday classes or on the computer.”

“You can’t just take a year off to go back to college?”

“I like my job at your office. I hate to leave it.”

“I can promise you it’ll be there if you want to come
back.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks, but I probably need the income,
too. I don’t think I can save that much.”

“Do you have to get presents for that enormous family of
yours?”

“The adults draw names. We all give to Mom and Dad. Right now
we don’t draw names for the kids because there aren’t that many and they’re
little, so they’re easy, but I expect the year to come when they do draw kids’
names. Our family is growing and two of us are still single.”

He took her drink and placed it on the table. One look in his
eyes and her pulse jumped while he drew her to him.

“Zach,” she said with longing. Sliding her hands over his
muscled shoulders, she wrapped her arms around him to kiss him as he pulled her
down on the pillows.

* * *

Hours later Zach emerged from his bathroom and went to
the kitchen. Emma wasn’t there and the fire was dying embers. The longer he had
been with her, the more he had wanted her. Now he felt insatiable. Lovemaking
should have cooled him. He had broken his own rules to avoid emotional and
physical entanglements with employees. With Emma, he couldn’t turn back time and
now he didn’t want to. Last night had been fantastic, red-hot and unforgettable,
making him want her more than ever. He grew hot just thinking about her. She
excited him beyond measure and was unbearably sexy. He hoped she didn’t expect
more than he could give because she was sentimental, someone he never expected
to become involved with.

She was totally the type of woman he had always avoided going
out with. Always, until now. They were captives of circumstances that placed
them in the same room, close proximity day and night. There were too many sparks
between them to avoid fire. When had he been unable to use more control or
maintain his cool resistance and good judgment?

“Here I am,” she said, coming through the door.

“You changed,” he said, looking at her jeans and thick blue
sweater. “You look great.”

“I was just going to tell you that. And you also changed. I
like your black sweater. And your tight jeans,” she said, wriggling her
hips.

“You’ll never get dinner if you keep that up,” he said, a husky
note creeping into his voice as his temperature jumped just watching her twist
her hips.

She held up a hand. “No, no. I get to eat.”

“I know what I want.”

“Let’s try chili right now. If it isn’t cooked beyond the point
of being edible.”

“Not at all. Cooker on low, remember? Rosie left us salads in
the fridge. I’ll get them before I serve the chili. Want a glass of wine or
margarita first?”

She laughed. “I think we’ve done that before. We can’t seem to
get past it to dinner.”

“It wasn’t the drinks that interrupted. We’ll try again. Do you
want wine?”

“I’ll take the margarita. Maybe this time, I’ll actually drink
one.”

He left to mix her drink and she followed him to the bar.