Where Dreams Begin(95)

“My sweet, proper lady,” he said softly, “have I shocked you?”

“Yes,” she whimpered.

“Put your legs over my shoulders.”

She stared at him in helpless mortification. “Zachary, I couldn't…”

“Now.” And he breathed between her thighs, making her entire body quiver.

She closed her eyes and did it, resting her calves and heels on his muscled back. His fingers stroked and opened her, and then she felt his mouth, the slide of his tongue, and the pleasure of it seized her in a swift, scorching whirl. It did not seem possible that this could be happening to her, this terrible sweet intimacy that threw her into utter confusion. She felt him nibbling, licking, and the sensation thickened and spread inside her until she made sounds she had never made before. Her mewling gasps and pleas seemed to excite her bold lover. He growled a little and gripped her bu**ocks with his hands, urging her higher against his mouth. His tongue swirled and teased until she felt the pleasure rushing too fast and hot to bear…she gave a wild cry, the torment flowing into quivering release. His mouth remained upon her until the last exquisite tremor had faded and she was left weak and dazed.

Easing her trembling legs away from his back, Zachary moved over her, his powerful sleek body settling into the cradle of her hips. She felt the big, insistent shape of his sex pressing against her. “Zachary, have mercy,” she whispered through dry lips.

“No mercy for you, my lady.” He cupped her head in his hands, kissing her as he pushed inside her wet, swollen flesh. She inhaled sharply, writhing to accommodate him, the plundering invasion stretching her tight. He spread her legs with his own and filled her more deeply, until she moaned into the depths of his mouth. The feel of him excited her, and despite her weariness, she arched in welcome. He began a steady rhythm, his h*ps delving into hers, the hair on his chest brushing over the hardened tips of her br**sts. She tilted her head back in ecstasy as she felt him cover her neck with kisses and gentle bites.

“You're mine,” he whispered, riding her faster, his rhythm turning impatient. “You belong to me…Holly…forever.”

“Yes,” she moaned as he drove the sensation to another peak.

“Tell me.”

“I love you, Zachary…oh…I need you so much…only you…”

He rewarded her with a thrust that reached the tip of her womb, and she convulsed with pleasure, shuddering, pulsing, overwhelmed by a physical joy that had been, until now, unimaginable. His body went incredibly taut over hers, muscles bunching into steely curves, his throat catching on a groan. Her flesh worked sweetly on his, closing around the invading hardness as he pumped and throbbed inside her.

Sighing deeply, Holly wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding him tightly as the sensations subsided to a warm glow. She felt him try to move off her, and she murmured a protest.

“I'll crush you,” he whispered.

“I don't care.”

Smiling, he moved to his side and kept her with him, their bodies still joined.

“That was even better than in the summerhouse,” Holly said wonderingly.

A quiet laugh rumbled in Zachary's chest. “There are many things I'm going to enjoy teaching you.”

Her faint smile dissolved as she considered the prospect. “Zachary,” she said gravely, “I can't help but wonder if a man like you will be content to stay with just one woman.”

He cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to her forehead. Drawing back, he stared into her questioning brown eyes. “I've been searching for you my entire life,” he said seriously. “You're the only one I want, now and forever. If you don't believe me, I'll—”

“I believe you,” she said hastily, touching her fingers to his lips. She smiled into his dark face. “There's no need for proof or promises.”

“It would be no trouble to prove it again.” He nudged deeper inside her, making her gasp a little, and she cuddled against him with a pleasured moan.

“No, I want to talk,” she said breathlessly. “I want to ask you something…”

“Mmmm?” He stroked her bu**ocks, seeming to delight in the soft shapes in his hands.

“Why did you turn away Mr. Somers when he came to ask for Elizabeth's hand in marriage?”

The question distracted him, and he glanced alertly into her face. His black brows lowered in a slight scowl. “How did you know about that?”

Looping her arms around his neck, she shook her head with a faint smile. “Answer my question, please.”

He swore a little and dropped his head to the pillow. “I turned him away because I'm testing him.”

“Testing him,” Holly repeated. Considering the words, she drew apart from Zachary, wincing a little as his heavy shaft slipped from her body. “But why? You can't possibly think he only wants to marry Elizabeth because of her—your—fortune.”

“It's not outside the realm of possibility.”

“Zachary, you can't manipulate people as if they're pawns in a chess game. Especially people in your own family!”

“I'm only trying to protect Lizzie's interests. If Somers still wants her without my approval—and the dowry that comes with it—then he'll pass the test.”