HIGHER (The Indigo Lounge Series) (23 page)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Zach slid a finger into her
tight, wet heat and felt her jerk against his hold. They’d fucked for hours
since returning home but they were as insatiable for each other as they had
been the first time they made love.

Her eager response to his touch
blew his mind, made him crave more of her with each orgasm he pulled from her
body. But more than that he’d felt a different, almost spiritual closeness to
her after coming clean about his past that made his chest hurt every time the
emotion surged through him.

If he had a choice he would stay
here with her forever.

“You having fun down there,
Peaches?” He added another finger and gloried in her moan.

“Hmm.” She pumped his straining
cock a few times before her mouth closed over him. The sensation of her hot,
expert suction made his breath shudder out.

Her beautiful body was spread out
over him, her pink pussy wide open to his hungry exploration. He adored her
body, would happily dedicate hours to worshipping her. That he was getting a
blowjob out of it while he did so was a pleasurable bonus.

She sucked him harder, determined
to unravel him. Raising his head, he tongued her clit before sucking it into
his mouth.

Her cry was pure bliss to his
ears. “You like that, baby?”

“God yes, I love that. Love your
mouth,” she panted.

His heart jolted and a dart of
anxiety surged. The words he craved every time they fucked remained unsaid. He
knew he would have to work hard to earn it but he was greedy enough to want it
here, now.

He worked harder on her clit,
watched her body jerk and shudder beneath his hands. When she came into his
mouth, her release was so powerful she burst into tears. Fuck, she was so
beautiful. Moisture dampened his own eyes as her tears drip onto his thighs.

Getting up, he walked them into
this outdoor, enclosed shower. The sun was still high enough to warm their skin
as he turned on the cool water. He stood with her for long minutes, just happy
to be with her and embrace the heady feelings coursing through him.

He would earn her love.

Because he loved her.

More than he could bear. More
than he’d ever dreamed it was possible to love another person.

“You’re thinking awfully hard
there, Savage. Or is the problem somewhere else?”

Her hand grasped his still raging
cock. He rested the subject of earning her love for a moment and just stared at
her stunning face.

“I’m beginning to think you’ve
upped the sass lately because you love getting spanked.” He delivered a sharp
smack and watched her eyes grow dark with desire. “If that’s what you need, all
you have to do is ask.” He spanked her again then soothed her stinging flesh
with a firm caress. He continued to lazily explore her as they kissed. She
nipped at his mouth then sighed with pleasure when his middle fingers slipped
between her crack. He teased her puckered hole and slowly pushed in.

She froze. “Zach, no.”

He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

She flushed. “Nothing.” He raised
an eyebrow and she bit her lip. “I just…Chris—”

He jerked back. “Are you telling
me that every time I touch you there, you think of that fucking bastard? That
every time I come anywhere near that sweet spot you think of another man?”

Bethany’s heart jumped into her
throat, stopping her denial for a second. But it was a second too late. Fury
washed over Zach’s face.

Rough hands turned her around. “Put
your hands on the wall.”

“Zach, wait! It’s just…I’ve never
understood the big deal--”

“Did you enjoy your little
present back in Bangkok?”

Unable to lie, she nodded.

“The wall, Bethany. Now.”

“What…what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to erase that
bastard’s memory from your mind once and for all.”

Slowly she turned around. Looking
over her shoulder, she saw him grip his thick cock and pump it once. Twice.

He stared down at her ass, his
breaths coming out in harsh, aggressive pants.

Apprehension, real and hot and
fuelled with enough adrenaline to knock out an elephant coursed through her. His
cock was a whole different animal to the butt plug.

And the mood he was in, the fury
stamped on his face, didn’t give her comfort.

“Zach,” she tried again.

Grey eyes slid up her back to
clash with hers. “Your ass belongs to me. Your body belongs to me. I can’t have
you thinking of another man when we’re apart. And I sure as fuck am not going
to allow you to think of another guy when we’re this close.”

“I…wasn’t. Not really…”

Another wave of fury surged. She
bit her lip and jumped at his ferocious growl. “Put your hands on the fucking
wall, Bethany.”

Knowing she only making things
worse, she clamped her mouth and placed her hands on the wall. Slowly
excitement filled her.

She’d never done this before.
Chris, before he’d confessed to his love of male assholes had suggested it a
few times but she’d refused, too uncomfortable with the idea.

Now…her breath hitched with a
completely different emotion.

God
—

“What are you thinking about, Peaches?”
His voice was a low, growled warning. A warning of punishment should she give
the wrong answer.

She quickly shook her head and
forced her eyes shut. No thinking about Chris. Not now, not ever. “I’m thinking
of you. Of this.”

“Then look at me. Are you
thinking of how your beautiful ass is going to take my cock?”

She slowly opened her eyes and
turned her head to look over her shoulder the way she knew he loved. “Yes.”

He breathed out in satisfaction.

“Good. Now watch what I’m going
to do you. I want you in no doubt as who’s fucking your ass, Bethany. Who’s
owning your body, mind and soul. Understand?”

She nodded quickly and looked
down.

Jesus. He was so big. There was
no way he would fit. No way—

She cried out as his fingers slid
over her clit, and pushed inside her, testing her wetness. And she was plenty
wet. He spread her juices over pussy and up against her hole. Then he reached
up on the wooden shelf and grabbed a tube of lube. He smeared a blob against
his finger and rubbed it against her hole. Pressure scrambled up her spine as
he spread another blob on his cock and slowly rubbed himself before positioning
himself between her spread legs.

Her hands shook. “Jesus, this is
happening.”

A raw, masculine smile curved his
mouth. “Yes, Peaches, it’s happening. And from now on, every time I touch your
ass, you’ll remember me and only me. You’ll take my cock inside you and you’ll
remember how fucking beautiful it feels. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“Now, keep your eyes on me. I
want to see your pleasure. You can watch mine.” He gripped her waist with one
hand and his wide head pushed against her. “Relax and breathe for me, baby.”

A shocked laugh ripped from her.
“You expect me to relax? You’re fucking huge.”

“I know,” he replied without a
hint of arrogance. “Try anyway.”

At the first touch of his smooth
head, she tensed. Then forced herself to relax. He pushed again and smooth
became hard. She bit her lip to stop a groan. She felt herself opening up,
unfurling at his searing demand. Excitement tore through her. She arched her
back and he groaned.

“Yes. Work me in. God, Bethany. Yes,
that’s it. Oh, fuck!” he muttered hoarsely.

His cock head popped in and
electric pleasure sizzled up her spine. Her channel burned at the forceful
invasion but the exquisite delight was beyond anything she’d ever experienced. She
took another inch of him, cried out as he took over, filling her with sure,
powerful thrusts.

“Christ you look so fucking
amazing.” His voice was barely recognisable with the depth of his rough
pleasure. “The way you’re taking me…” He slowly established a rhythm, holding
her steady with an iron grip on her waist as he fucked her ass.

“Look at me.”

She raised her eyes to his. Pleasure
scoured his cheeks, throbbed the body possessing hers.

Eyes connected, he surged deeper
and fuelled the flames of ecstasy roaring through her. “You’re mine. Every
single inch of you.”

His dark ownership of her
triggered her climax but he controlled it, refused to let her soar until he was
good and ready. Then he slid a hand between her legs and plunged two fingers
inside her.

“Come for me, Bethany. Now.”

She came with a scream that
ripped through the air. She bucked, cried, and trembled in his arms as the most
sublime orgasm she’d known tore her apart.

He pulled her back and banded his
arms around her. Against her ear, his breath was harsh but his voice was full
of awe, adoring her as she trembled in her arms. “You’re a dream come true.
My
dream come true.”

He held her like that, skin to
skin as he groaned his release, long and hard inside her. Several minutes later
he still trembled.

His hands shook as he pulled out
of her and washed her. Turning off the shower, he dried her body then swung her
in his arms and took her back to bed. He pulled the covers over them and cupped
her face to deliver a sweet, adoring kiss. His mouth quivered against hers and emotion
welled inside her.

God, she loved him, especially
when he was caught in the grip of his own overwhelming emotions.

“Zach…”

Something in her voice must have
given away her feelings. His breath hissed out and those intense eyes devoured
her.

“Tell me you love me,” he
demanded hoarsely. “Please baby, I need to hear it.”

Bethany opened her mouth to tell
him. But found herself shaking her head. “No.
You
tell me you love me. You never have. Because you don’t love me.
Why should I be the one to bare my heart and soul to you?”

He looked shocked. Genuinely
shell-shocked as if he’d been shot.

“What the fuck are you talking
about? Of course I love you! Why else would I be ripping myself inside and out
for you if not because I’m insane about you?”

In that moment, Bethany was sure
she knew what it felt like to be completely insane with both fury and love.

She went to pull out of his arms
but he caught her back.

“Wait!”

“Let me go, Zach. You’ve just
ruined what should’ve been a beautiful moment. I am not fucking psychic! How
would I know you love me? There are a hundred different emotions besides that
love that could be motivating you.”

His eyes widened. “Like what?”

“Obsession. Possessiveness.
Insane sexual chemistry
.”

A haze of red flared across his
taut cheekbones. “You think that’s all this is? That my heart turns over every
time you look at me because I’m crazy about the
sex
?”

“Those are powerful emotions,
Zach.”

“God...Bethany, I love you,” he
repeated. “I love you. So much. So very much that sometimes I wonder if I’ll
ever be able to take a breath without craving you.”

She trembled at the strong,
powerful words. “Do you want to?”

“Hell no. But I want your love,
too. I foolishly threw it away when you offered it. I’m not ashamed to beg you
for it. But only if you feel it.” A shadow of anguish clouded his eyes. “Do you
feel it, Bethany?”

“Tell me you love me again.”

“I. Fucking. Love. You.”

Her heart soared, joy and love
and screaming happiness fizzing inside her. Her smile felt as wide as the sky
and his breath hitched as he gazed down at her.

“Bethany?”

“I feel it, Zach. With every
breath in my body, I feel it.”

Epilogue

“Get up, I have a present for
you.”

She groaned and burrowed deeper
into the pillow and tucked another one over her head for good measure. “Give it
to me later.”

“No, it’s nearly ten. You have to
get up anyway. Your parents will be here in half an hour.”

“God, I can’t believe you invited
them to brunch without telling me.”

“It was a spur of the moment
thing,” he answered before yanking the pillow away.

She turned over and watched him
stride naked into the dressing room. “Sure, which was why you arranged it two
days ago, then dragged me onto yet another plane and flew us back to New York
last night?”

His shrug was unrepentant. “They
love you. I love you. I thought it was time we bonded over our mutual
interest.”

She rolled her eyes. “When you
put it like that, it’s so
sexy
!”

He laughed as he tugged on blue jeans
and paired it with a fitted stripped grey shirt that did amazing things to his
physique and eyes. Strolling back to the bed, he gazed down at her. The
adoration in his eyes fractured her breath.

“I know they were concerned about
that photo of us this week.”

“I explained things to them. They
know who you are now and they’re okay with it.”

“I still think they deserve to
have their concerns put to rest properly, don’t you agree?”

Her heart melted. “I love you.”

His smile widened. “You still
have to get up, Peaches.”

With a groan she rolled over. The
smack that landed on her ass made her yelp. She rose and lunged for him and he
caught her up in his arms and strode into the bathroom before setting her on her
feet.

“Shower. Now. I’d join you but
I’d prefer your parents not to receive audible evidence of me defiling their
daughter.” His eyes raked heatedly down her naked body, then he swallowed and
jerked around to walk out of the bathroom.

“What about my present?” she
asked.

One wicked eyebrow arched her
way. “You’d definitely have to shower and dress for that one. It’s in Bora
Bora.”

***

Sugar white sand crunched between
her toes as Bethany lifted yet another shell and looked underneath it. So far
she’d searched from trunks of palm trees to the fruit sculpture their chef had
created this morning for her. She’d even considered diving into the natural
water feature outside their bedroom at Zach’s villa but she hadn’t quite
reached that stage yet.

But she
was
fast reaching the end of her tether.

“Do you give up, Peaches?” Zach
strolled a few feet behind her, his bare chest making her insides heat up all
over again.

“No.”

“Do you really want to tie me up
that badly?” The dark anticipation in his voice made her pulse race.

“Yes, I do want to win that
badly.”

Half a day of Zach as a slave to
her every whim was too tempting a chance to pass up. Trouble was, she had to
find the tiny flat white box he’d hidden somewhere on the premises.

His Bora Bora villa wasn’t huge,
which was an advantage. But it was breath taking in an utterly distracting way.
The water was impossibly blue; the sand impossibly white and the man she loved
impossibly gorgeous and utterly bent on impeding her search.

“Just say the word and I’ll end
this. We can go back to bed and I can have my way with you until the sun goes
down.”

She blew out an exasperated
breath and faced him. His blue shorts were snug enough that she would’ve noticed
if he had anything in his pocket. And his chest was bare, so no hidden treasure
there aside from the obvious hard torso she loved to explore.

And she hated that his baseball
cap and sunglasses hid his expression so she couldn’t get further clues…

His baseball cap.

She walked slowly toward him,
swaying her hips in a seductive way that made his arms slowly drop from their
folded stance. Her tiny white bikini had already caused major concentration
issues for him and when his lips parted and his tongue traced the inside of his
lower lip, she knew she had him.

“Zach?” She reached him and
tugged off his glasses.

Molten grey eyes stared at her,
their focus unwavering and adoring. “Yes?”

“I need to kiss you.”

“You don’t need to ask, baby.
Just take what you need.”

“Take your cap off.”

He tensed. “Ah…”

“Do you want to win so badly?
It’ll be equally pleasurable for you if I win.”

His nostrils flared. His eyes
dropped to her hips and he swallowed before glancing back at her. “Take what
you need.”

She closed the gap between them
and slowly slid the cap off. His tension increased. She looked from his face to
the cap. Taped inside was a flat box from a jeweller whose name made her jaw
drop.

She looked from the box to Zach’s
face.

Guarded expectation blazed from
his eyes and he swallowed again. “No matter what your decision, I love you. I’m
thankful that you love me in return. Know that. Believe that.”

“I do.”

He nodded. She opened the box.
The diamond ring was huge and gorgeous and a perfect fit when he placed it on
her finger.

Her heart leapt into her throat.
She tried to speak but no words were adequate for the feelings rampaging
through her.

“Speechless, Peaches? I believe
that wins me a year’s brownie points.”

“You win all the fucking points,
Savage. A lifetime of them.”

“And I intend to collect. Often
and thoroughly.”

Tears swam into her eyes. “God, I
love you.”

His smile slowly disappeared and
his eyes grew solemn with a deep, unwavering promise. “Not as much as I love
and cherish you, Bethany. Always.”

Zachary Savage would probably
never be the guy to wear his heart on his sleeve but she knew him inside and
out. And she loved every single inch of him.

That he felt the same about her
was pure icing on the cake.

THE
END