“Did you really think that, after today, I wouldn’t come?”
“No.”
“Is Hallie asleep?”
“She fought some, but I got her down about thirty minutes ago.”
He nodded. “Good. Can I come in?”
Tessa hesitated. She’d yearned to be with Zy for lonely, seemingly endless months, ever since she’d lost her heart to him. She wanted him so badly right now she could cry. But if they crossed this line from friends to lovers, it would change everything. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“Did you get a new contract today?”
Slowly, she nodded. “Joaquin emailed it to me.”
“Did you sign?”
“Zy…”
“Did you?” He wouldn’t stop, wouldn’t rest, and wouldn’t give up until she answered.
Tessa gave in. “Yes.”
“So did I, first thing this morning. The restrictions keeping us apart are gone.”
“They are, but—”
“There are no more buts, Tessa.”
“How did you know?”
“The bosses told me.”
“Why?” She couldn’t think of a single reason they would have told Zy they’d presented her with a revised agreement that no longer precluded her from having any non-work contact of a sexual nature with him.
“Because when they changed mine, I asked about yours. You know the reason.”
“I do.”
He wanted her every bit as badly as she wanted him. At the thought, heat flashed through her, making her aware of her peaking nipples and the sharpening ache between her legs.
“Can you think of a single reason I can’t come in, strip you down, and make love to you? Tell me right now.”
His demand made the heat clawing up her body rush to her cheeks. Her heart thudded even harder. “Did you mean what you said on Christmas Eve?” Do you love me?
She needed to know. If she didn’t have Hallie to think about, it wouldn’t matter if Zy only wanted to take her to bed for the night to scratch the itch he’d been fighting all these months. She would risk using her body to tempt him into opening his heart to her. But she had too much responsibility to throw caution to the wind now.
“Every word,” he vowed.
Tessa dragged in a shaky breath and studied his face. He meant that.
God, she loved him so much.
She hadn’t told him yet. She’d been afraid the admission would set fire to the powder keg of desire between them. She’d also been terrified he would break her heart.
She stepped back and opened the door wider. “Then there’s no reason at all. Come in.”
Her breathy answer seemed to still the air and stopped time between them.
A visible shudder wracked Zy’s body. “Do you want me?”
“I always have.”
“I’ve wanted you, too, baby.” Something needy and tormented twisted Zy’s face as he stepped over the threshold, kicked the door shut, locked it, then took her shoulders, dragging her against every hard inch of him. “So fucking bad I can’t stand another second of not touching you.”
Zy stood in Tessa’s little foyer, gripping her tight against him. His lungs worked hard, breath sawing in and out, as he searched her face.
“I can’t stand it, either.” She slid her palms up his chest to clutch his shoulders. Her eyes burned hot as she trembled in his arms. “Kiss me.”
“Fuck, yes.”
He took her face in his hands. Tessa’s lush lips were mere inches from his, and all he could think about was covering them with his own while he stripped off everything that shielded her body from his stare. He ached to carry her to bed, work every inch of his cock into her, and indulge in all the fantasies he’d had of her seemingly forever.
Tonight. He’d give himself that long to drown in Tessa, in their pleasure. Then he’d have to focus on proving her innocence so the trio of paranoid fuck-bags they worked for didn’t fire her. Yes, he hated that tonight was only possible because they had forced his hand. But right now, he only cared that Tessa belonged to him.
“Baby…” he breathed as he brought her closer and seized her nape, tilting her head to meet his descending mouth.
Their lips connected. Finally. Right there in her tiny entryway, the impossible happened.
She gasped. His body jolted. Everything stopped—breath, thoughts, heart, and time.
Fuck, she was so soft. He was greedy to have all of her.
Zy shoved her lips apart and surged into her mouth. She was warm and sweet like honey. He wanted to drown in her, die with her. Need soared. His cock turned to steel. His impatience climbed.
Damn it, if he couldn’t keep it together now, how was he going to give Tessa the kind of ecstasy that ensured she’d never look at another man? Never want to leave him?
His crumbling restraint shouldn’t shock him. Before he’d even walked through her door, this need had been a fever boiling his blood. But now that he’d laid his mouth on hers… Game over. Their kiss had torched his good sense and sent his best intentions up in flames. The way he burned for her was unlike anything he’d ever felt. The simple touch of her fingers clinging to his arms as her little whimpers filled the air was like kindling on a roaring blaze.