Zack (Armed and Dangerous Book 1) (11 page)

“No, it wasn’t.” She clenched the edge of the quilting basket in her hands as she could almost feel him thrust in and out of her slick core. “It should never have happened.”

Zack glanced down at his hat again that he was slowly turning around by its brim. “I’m not going to apologize for something that was meant to be.”

“Then what are you here for?” She let the words out with a bite to her tone. “I’ve already made it clear you’re not welcome.”

“I fucked up.” His voice had a harsh edge to it. “I shouldn’t have lost control with Larson. I should never have let you see me like that.”

Sky didn’t know what to say as she looked into his gaze.

“And I don’t know how to fix this.” He glanced at his hat before looking at her again. “I don’t know how to fix us.”

She could feel her heart crumbling. Why was he doing this? To let him into her life again... she couldn’t let him hurt her like he had before. She wouldn’t let him hurt her again.

When she could speak, she said, “How many times do I have to tell you there’s no
us
to fix?”

He looked away and when he turned back she was startled by the pain etched into his features. She had the instant desire to wrap her arms around him and draw that pain away. His expression filled with so much self-loathing that something hard twisted inside her belly.

“I saw it in your eyes when I was arrested for beating the shit out of that bastard.” Zack got to his feet and looked down at her. A muscle in his jaw ticced. “You were revolted.”

Sky was shaking her head. “Never—”

“That’s why I left like I did.” His gut churned as her eyes widened. “You deserved better than some out-of-control bastard like me.

“A decade later I thought I’d changed.” His skin felt stretched tighter with every word he spoke. “God, when I saw you again, I thought maybe we had another shot.” Zack pushed his hand through his hair, wanting to rip a chunk of it out just to feel the welcome pain. “But Friday night I proved I’m the same stupid son of a bitch.”

“Zack!” Sky’s shout, the red flush in her cheeks, and the anger in her eyes brought him to a complete halt. “I knew then and I know now that you’d never hurt anyone—except that worthless scum who deserved it.”

She looked like she was ready to come out of the rocking chair despite her messed-up ankle as she went on, “Ellis Kerrigan was a lousy son of a bitch who deserved every damned punch you laid on him for what he did to your mother.” Sky’s voice escalated as she tossed the basket she’d been holding onto the floor. “You never gave me a chance. You were so wrapped up in your own pity party that you couldn’t see anything past your own misery.”

Cold prickled Zack’s insides as he continued staring at Sky, suddenly not knowing what to say or do.

Her green eyes glittered with moisture right before a tear rolled down her cheek. “Goddamn you, Zack Hunter. I loved you.” More tears followed the first as she yelled,
“I. Loved. You.”

For a moment he didn’t know what to say. Ten years ago she’d told him she loved him, but he hadn’t let himself believe her. But the way she said it now, the hurt and anger in her voice—it was like a punch to his gut.

A wash of pain hit him like a tidal wave, for what he’d done to Sky. And to himself by leaving her. “God, I’m sorry.”

Zack knelt in front of her rocking chair. He reached for her hands, but she folded her arms across her chest and looked away. “Save it,” she said, her voice shaking. “Just go home.”

He leaned forward and slipped his hands behind her back, drawing her close to him and pressing his face into her hair. “Listen to me.”

She tried to shrug him off, still hugging her arms tight to her chest.

“I’m the world’s biggest ass.” His gut churned from the strength of his pain for having hurt Sky then and now. He drew away, caught her chin in his hand, and forced her to look at him. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s supposed to make it all better?” She closed her eyes while more teardrops slipped from beneath her eyelids. “I loved you so much,” she said in a voice hoarse with pain.

All this time lost. Goddamnit. I’m a fucking idiot.
He stroked her wet cheek with his thumb. “I was young and stupid.”

“What do you mean,
was?”
She opened her eyes and tried to pull away from his touch as he rubbed his thumb across her cheekbone. “You’re still stupid. You’re still an ass.”

“I know.” Zack slid his fingers from her face into her hair and lowered his face. He kissed her forehead and drank in her orange- blossom-and-woman scent. “Can you forgive me for then? And now?”

When he drew back, her eyes met his. “I don’t know.” She wiped the back of her hand across one of her cheeks. “I can’t afford to lose my heart over you. Especially not to you. You’ll just take what I have to give and leave me again. Disappear into the sunset, or whatever.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He brought her head against his chest and squeezed her to him. “And I intend to make up for every lost minute.”

Sky didn’t know what to think. How to feel.

Except for the fact that no matter what promises Zack made, she wasn’t about to give him her love again. Been there. Done that. Had the boot prints on her heart to prove it.

“Come here,” Zack said, and somehow she couldn’t protest as he gently scooped her out of the rocking chair.

He carefully moved her with him onto the couch so that she was sitting on his lap. She winced as pain shot through her ankle when he arranged her foot on the couch and he frowned. “You okay?”

She nodded and he brought her tighter into his embrace and held her close. She sank against him and let out a shuddering sigh. He felt so good. So, so good with his hard muscled body cradling her softer form. And the scent of him. Warm, masculine, spicy.

Despite the fact that she planned to keep an emotional distance, she wanted him. Wanted more than his arms around her—she wanted him inside her, too. Rocking in and out in a steady rhythm as he took away every bit of the pain of their loss and replaced it with the love she knew they could never have again.

For a long moment Sky’s breath caught as Zack’s gaze held hers. His gray eyes seemed to drink her and his expression was hungry.

He brushed her hair away from her cheek with his thumb and the gentle touch sent a shiver through her. Slowly he skimmed his fingers along her jaw, down the curve of her neck, continuing on until his palm rested above her breast, right over her pounding heart.

Sky barely noticed his bruises as her gaze moved to his firm lips. She could almost feel the imprint his mouth had made on hers twice since he’d come into the barn and back into her life.

She breathed in his scent that was an aphrodisiac to her senses. At that moment she could practically taste him on her tongue, feel his hard body against hers as he took her and his cock thrust deep inside her core.

Zack’s lips were inches from hers, but he didn’t move closer. He just studied her as if looking for answers she couldn’t give.

Right now she’d give him anything. Anything but her heart.

God, she had to have him if only for now.

Sky raised her free hand and fire flashed in Zack’s eyes as she drew him to her. Tingles spread through her belly and she gave a low moan that was like a soft purr as their lips met.

He groaned as he held her close and she sank farther into him as they tasted one another. It was so incredible being with him and all that he was. Spice and man and everything erotic and dangerous. He felt so good.

Need built up inside her like an oncoming storm. Her nipples tightened beneath her T-shirt as he moved his lips from hers and kissed her forehead, then nuzzled her hair. He started to draw back, but she kept him close by tightening her grip. His eyes turned slate gray as he studied her with hunger and need as obvious as her own.

She didn’t know how she had endured ten years without feeling his length and thickness driving in and out of her. At this moment Friday night seemed so long ago and she couldn’t have him fast enough again.

It was clear that he was ready and willing—she didn’t even need his large erection pressing against her ass to tell her that. His expression was definitely perilous to her libido, and he gave a low growl that sounded primal and filled with need that matched hers.

Thoughts of him taking her again made her clench her thighs together as ripples of desire traveled from her belly to her now-damp folds.

Zack gave a throaty groan as he looked at her. “Controlling myself with you—damn, Sky. I want to be inside you. Now.”

Sky moved her mouth closer to his. “Yes,” she said before she kissed him again. It was a demand she was more than happy to fulfill.

The instant Zack’s lips touched Sky’s, his hunger grew, so deep and fierce he knew he’d never be satisfied.

All he wanted was to bury himself in her as he covered her soft body with his and possessed her in every way possible.

While clenching his hair in her fists, Sky ran her tongue over his lips. That sweet, sexy tongue that always drove him wild was now about to make him insane.

Soft moans came from her throat as she nipped at his bottom lip. He groaned and her tongue darted into his mouth.

Oh yeah, he had to taste her. Had to feel her. His arms tightened around her as he explored her mouth with his tongue, plunging and retreating and plunging again, showing her how badly he wanted her and what he’d like to be doing right now.

He slid his fingers to the back of her head and took the tie off the end of her braid. He speared his fingers into her hair, unraveling her braid until a silken mass tumbled over his hands to her shoulders. He picturing them both naked, her hair like burnished copper against his skin.

Sky squirmed in his lap as she kissed him, her round little ass rubbing against his erection. He was so damn hard the pressure of her movements and the tightness of his jeans nearly strangled his cock.

She dragged his T-shirt out of his jeans, then pushed it up and slid her hand over his abs. She trailed her fingers across his chest and down, down to the waistband of his jeans.

Before she could go any lower, he caught her hand and broke their kiss.

“I need to feel you,” she whispered.

Zack released her hand to run his finger along her jawline, feeling her tremble at his light stroke.

Her eyes focused on him, Sky took his hand from her face and moved it to her breast. “Touch me, baby,” she murmured in that husky voice he loved, using the name she’d called him when they used to make love all those years ago.

Baby.

The way the word came out of her sensual mouth and the feel of her nipple pushing against the lace beneath his palm just about undid him. The softness, the warmth, the fullness of Sky’s breast sent a bolt of lust through his body.

With his thumb and forefinger he teased her nipples through the thin fabric of her T-shirt and her lace bra. He moved his mouth to her breasts, replacing his hand. She gasped and arched her back as he licked and sucked her through the cloth.

When her shirt was wet over her nipples, Zack pushed her T-shirt up to expose her lace-covered breasts. “God, you’re gorgeous.”

He caressed the swells with his gaze and his hands, circling the mole above her left breast with his finger. Sky had beautiful breasts, large and full, her nipples a deep rose and so hard they were like pebbles. And yes, she felt like satin as he touched her, just as he remembered. “You okay?” he murmured.

“More than okay.” Sky’s eyes were such a deep green from passion they almost looked like emeralds. “This isn’t even close to being enough.” She glided her fingers into Zack’s hair again and pulled him down to her breasts.

He grinned, remembering how uninhibited she always was when they made love. Such a willing and apt lover. It was like she’d been born to love him and only him.

Trailing his tongue over her cleavage, Zack tasted her salty flesh as he leisurely made his way above her breast to the beauty mark. He circled it and then continued his exploration of her body.

Sky moaned and squirmed in his lap, her backside rubbing against his cock. He used one hand to tug down her bra, releasing both her breasts. As he moved his mouth from one breast to the other, Zack moved his palm down her flat belly, her skin soft to his callused palm. He stopped to tease her navel, running a finger around it.

“Baby, you’re driving me crazy,” Sky whispered while he slowly drew his finger along the silky skin above the waistband of her jean shorts.

He lifted his mouth from the nipple he was devouring and looked at Sky. “You’ve always made me crazy.”

Her eyes were heavy lidded, her lips still swollen from his kisses. “I want your cock inside of me.”

Instead, he took possession of her lips, kissing her hard, thrusting his tongue into her mouth as he slid his hand down her jean shorts. “Spread your legs,” he murmured.

She opened for him, and he trailed his fingertips over the denim crotch of her shorts. He traced lazy circles over the warmth, imagining that he could almost feel the dampness of her folds through the heavy material.

Sky shifted her hips against his hand, but he deliberately took his time. He rained kisses over her face as he moved to unbutton her shorts, and then eased the zipper down.

He brought his lips to her ear as he ran a finger up and down the lacy black underwear. “You’re so damn sexy, I can hardly stand it.” He dipped his tongue in her ear and then nipped at her lobe. “Every time I’m near you I want to throw you over my shoulder and take you. I want to take you until neither one of us can walk straight.”

“My fantasy.” She laughed, soft and husky. “Being thrown over a desperado’s shoulder and taken away to be ravished.”

“Desperado, huh?” Zack watched her react to his voice, then kissed her smile. He slipped his fingers beneath her underwear to tease the curls just within his touch.

“Sí, señor.” She squirmed as she moved her hand to the bulge in his pants. “What’s your fantasy?”

“You. And those garters.” Zack’s voice caught at the memory. “Damn, but you looked so hot.” He trailed kisses down her neck. “You’re hot in anything. And nothing.”