Initiate Me (10 page)

His gaze narrowed. The atmosphere around us was electrifying.

I lifted myself onto my toes and whispered, “Bring it on.”

He licked his lips and cupped my chin in his palm. “You’re going to push me too far one of these days, angel.”

I didn’t speak.

I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I just stood there, our bodies barely touching, Zane staring at my gaping mouth. When he released me and stepped back, I nearly wilted. Did I want him to kiss me? Hell yes, I did! I craved his touch and I wanted him to kiss the ever-living hell out of me.

Three days. Three whole days of Zane Mitchell with me at a Brunetti Resort.

Yep, it was official – I had totally lost my mind.

***

ZANE

I
fixed my gaze on her as I watched her quietly leave my office, my eyes glued to her hot-as-fuck arse. The navy, knee-length skirt fit her just right, hugging her hips and arse like it was a work of art. I didn’t let myself smile until she’d pulled the door closed.

I mentally started rearranging meetings. The convention was the following week, and I had plenty of work to get through before then. Thankfully, I’d planned ahead and asked Winter to register Mia and me for the convention weeks before. Winter reserved two rooms and she’d also taken care of the flight details. The itinerary for the event sat on my desk for all to see. For a minute there when Mia was in the office, I was worried she had spotted it, but I managed to cover it with some folders in record time.

Sweet Jesus, three days of Mia Brunetti. If everything went according to plan, I’d be spending the entire three days exploring her delectable body. Fuck the convention; all I could imagine was her naked, that sassy mouth wrapped around my cock as I licked her slick pussy.

I still couldn’t believe she was a virgin. Why hadn’t I worked it out before? Now that was a dumb question. How the hell was I supposed to have worked that out?

She was always so secretive and avoided me every chance she had, right up until the wedding. And to admit she fantasised about me all those years. Hell, that was a shock. For years, I thought Mia just had a teenage crush on me which she grew out of once she went to university. I was wrong.

Since we were working together, we were both too busy verbally sparring. Mia was particularly adept at keeping me at a distance. She guarded her emotions around me. I had asked her out to lunch, coffee and even a drink at my pub but she never let her guard down. If I wasn’t careful, I’d end up blowing any chance I had left with her. Instead, she went out to lunches and lattés with that new accountant, Brandon. Damn, I was jealous of the young guy.

I’d been drawn to Mia since the day I first met her when I accidently hit her in the face with the football. It was her fiery attitude and quick wit which had sucked me in. Every time after that when we came into contact, she’d push me to the very limits of control without even trying. She could pull emotions out of me I never knew I even possessed. One minute she’d have me laughing over her antics and arguments with her brothers, and the next I was ready to take her to bed. But I kept my distance for years, convincing myself I was way too old for her. If our age gap bothered her, she sure didn’t show it. Mia was anything but frivolous and nothing like my ex, that was for sure.

It was time for me to explore all her secrets. I still wasn’t ready for a relationship but Mia knew that, so I was even more eager to pursue her. Max and Marco wouldn’t like it, but I was going to being honest with them all from the start.

I buzzed my intercom. “Winter, can you come in here? I need you to make sure everything is perfect for those three days up in Port Douglas.” She was in my office within seconds.

“Okay, what is it this time? I’m pretty sure I’ve covered all bases. You do realise you’ve reminded me about this convention every day for the last few weeks. Anything else you need me to do, or should I say anything new?”

“Don’t be a smart arse,” I chastised her. “You know I want this to run smoothly.”

“Oh, yes, I sure do. What I don’t understand is what has taken you so long? I thought the two of you had it in the bag at the wedding. And that was almost a month ago.” She shook her head. “You are losing your Adonis touch.”

“Ha, very funny.”

“Look, I’ve known you for years, Zane, and I don’t want Mia to get hurt. She’s not at all like the women you’ve dated in the past. She’s special.” Winter walked back to her desk, leaving me thinking about how special Mia really was.

While some women filled their lives with meaningless bullshit like manicured fingernails and expensive clothes, Mia only concerned herself with her work and family. She had an understated beauty and a straightforward attitude which I admired. For an heiress to the Brunetti fortune, she was simple, wearing very little makeup and simple clothes. Winter had kindly informed me Mia rarely dated, which pleased the hell out of me. When she’d gone out with Brandon, all I wanted to do was beat the crap out of him for stomping on my territory. After the way I let her go the night of the wedding, I had no right to Mia. She could date anyone she wanted, but soon I would change all that. By the end of the convention, the only person she’d want to date would be me.

MIA

I
read the same sentence several times before I finally gave up and put the magazine down. My heart just wasn’t in it. The only thing on my mind was how much trouble my big mouth had gotten me into this time.

Three days alone with Zane, in Port Douglas, Queensland. Could I be any more stupid? What the hell had possessed me to agree? He’d challenged me, and I never could resist a challenge. Zane knew me too well; he knew I’d accept the minute he told me I was scared.

After meeting with Zane, I couldn’t focus on work at all. I tried to think of ways to try and get out of going with him but I came up with nothing. Did I really want to back out? Part of me did because yes, I was scared! But if I did, it would mean I couldn’t handle being alone with him and then he’d win. I was way too competitive and I also wanted to prove it to my brothers I could do it.

The house was so quiet and felt so big without my parents there. Marco, as usual, was dropping in every few nights to see if I was okay. Between him, Milan and Max and Jada stopping by, I rarely had a night to myself. I got back to my magazine and tried to push Zane out of my head. I was halfway through the
Lose Five Kilos In Two Weeks
article when I heard the intercom of the electronic gates beep.

It must be Milan.
Marco, Max and Jada had access so they’d just come on in. I stepped over my patent-leather skin-tone heels I’d kicked off earlier and went to look at the video screen on the wall. Crap, it was Zane!

“Shit!”

I buzzed him in and flung the door wide. When I saw him, I said, “What the hell are you doing here?”

His lips quirked. “Nice to see you, too, angel.”

“I could have been out for dinner; how did you know I was home?” I made a point of avoiding looking at his hot body, even though I desperately wanted to. If I looked at the black t-shirt he was wearing, which was sure to be stretched across his to-die-for muscular chest and the tight jeans cupping his package, I’d start stuttering or something.

He propped his hand on the doorjamb of the double black-lacquered doors. “Mmm...a lucky guess? Or maybe I’m stalking you, sweetheart.”

“Ha! Yes, a very lucky guess, I say.”

“So, are you going to invite me in?” he asked as his gaze perused my body.

I sighed and stepped back. “Come in.”

“Thanks.” Zane moved around me, our bodies touching as he passed. Every nerve ending in my body felt completely wired and my heart was beating so fast, I thought even he could hear it.

“It looks different in here; what have you done? It looks great.”

I wanted to redecorate the house while my parents were away. We hadn’t decorated in over fifteen years, and I wanted to surprise then when they returned in just under three weeks. I had taken great care in re-decorating the house, and it boosted my ego to have Zane’s genuine approval. I’d gone with a simple look with sleek, modern lines and smooth surfaces. I loved it; it felt clean and fresh.

“I decided to redecorate.” I shrugged, feeling a touch nervous.

“Did you get some guru to do that feng shui?”

“Yes, I did actually. I hired a local from Nuriootpa. She’s amazing. I can give you her card if you want to redo your place.”

Zane walked over to the bookcase and picked out one of Marco’s finance books. “I like the bookcase. It’s unusual with these added shelves on the ends.”

“Thanks, I love it, too.”

“Ah,” he said as he sat on the sofa, almost squashing my magazine.
Oh, God, please don’t look at the article I was reading!

“Do you want something to drink, a coffee?” I noted it was almost eight in the evening and I knew how much he loved his long black espresso.

“I’ll have a beer.”

“Oh...um...ah...right.”
Yep, here I go, stammering like an idiot.
“I’ll go grab it.”

“Thanks,” he said, turning back to the magazine.
Shit, he’s going to read it.

My gaze shot to his crotch and...damn. I shouldn’t have looked; I would be drooling soon. I stalked out of the room to go get his beer. The sooner he drank his beer, the sooner he’d leave.

While I was in the kitchen, I realised he’d never answered my question as to why he was there. Crap, my nerves were getting the better of me. He’d sought me out yet again, but it had gone way beyond text messaging or cornering me in the office.

Zane was almost ten years older than me and definitely way more experienced sexually. I should never have flirted with him at the wedding. I quickly got his beer from the refrigerator and thought of what all that experience could mean for me if I ever chose to sleep with him. I sure wanted to. I fantasised about it enough and he knew it, too.
Damn it. I’m sure he’d be a great teacher
.

It was obvious he wanted me just as much. Somehow I knew if I ever let my guard down enough to sleep with him, I’d most definitely fall hard and fast.

I knew he wouldn’t want anything more than sex, and I was so scared I would fall in love with him. I didn’t want to fall in love with any man. I just wanted, needed to experience sex. And I wanted him to show me.

I walked back into the living room, holding his ice-cold beer, and I stopped abruptly when I saw Zane sitting on the sofa, legs spread in front of him, reading. God, the man was hot. His long, muscular legs and flat abs made me wish I was confident enough to crawl up his body and plant one on him. I needed wine. Brunetti wine!

I realised he was reading the article, and my face burned with embarrassment. He must have sensed my return because he looked over at me, waving the magazine in the air.

“What are you reading this shit for, sweetheart?” He waved the magazine in the air and said, “Interesting reading material you have here, baby.”

I handed him the beer, not saying a word. He took it, and I held out my hand. “I was just filling in time. Give it back to me.”

“Angel, you sure don’t need to lose five kilos. Trust me, your body is to die for.”

I could feel the heat rise from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. I still didn’t speak.

He grinned and waved his hand in front of my face. “Did you hear what I said? You have a hot, voluptuous body, Mia, and I would never want you to lose any weight.”

“Oh, really? The word
voluptuous
means chubby!” I shouted at him.

He pulled out his phone. “According to
thesaurus.com
, the word
voluptuous
means: sensuous, sexy, desirable, enticing, erotic...you want me to keep going?”

“Yes. Because I’m pretty sure you will eventually get to the words like ample, curvy, busty, and fat!”

“Mia, angel, you are anything but fat,” he laughed.

“Laugh all you want, but I have to watch everything that goes in my mouth,” I answered.

“Really? I can think of something that won’t cause you any weight gain, and I’d be happy to watch it going in and out of your mouth.”

Holy crap!

He stood, and I instinctively sank back into the sofa.
Oh, shit!
He wouldn’t let me retreat. Before I knew it he was bent over me, cupping my chin in his palm. “I think you’d like that, wouldn’t you, angel? You said you wanted me to teach you everything I know about sex. We could start right now, right here, on the sofa.”

I never had time to answer him. Without warning, he kissed me, and his soft lips lingered on my lips for a few seconds. I moaned. God, I couldn’t resist him. The doorbell rang.
Saved!
I pushed his bulky frame off me as I ran to the door and opened it without even bothering to check who it was.

“Oh, my God! Milan, it’s you!” I hugged her, so happy to see her. She laughed and wrapped herself around me.

“What’s up, you had enough of living alone?”

I looked over at Zane; I was most definitely not alone. He was standing with his fists clenched at his sides. He looked angry; too bad. I was happy we had a distraction as things were moving way too fast. Grabbing Milan by the hand, I pulled her inside and shut the door.

“Oh, hi, Zane; I didn’t realise you were here. Is it your turn to check up on Mia? Who sent you, Max or Marco?” Milan asked him innocently.

Zane moved up close beside me, as if to show Milan I was very safe indeed. I tried to discreetly step away, but he only followed me.

“So, how’s the shoulder coming along?” Milan questioned him. “I get to work on you next time you come into the clinic, isn’t that great?”

“Yeah, great, Milan. I can’t wait. You’ll probably cause me even more pain.”

“Hey, that’s not fair! I think I’m a great physical therapist. However, if you give me grief about it, I may just make it hurt.” She flopped down on the couch and stole a swig of Zane’s beer. “You
are
here to check up on her, right? Or is it something else.” She eyed the both of us.

Before either one of us could answer her, Marco stormed through the door.