Zac smiled at her genuine concern, and dropped a brief kiss on the top of her head. ‘They can ticket it, tow it—do what they like with it. I…’ He was going to say he could not do without her, but stopped. ‘I insist on seeing you safely to your door,’ he amended.
He had never actually needed a woman so badly that he could not do without her for a night, and it worried him. He had the troubling thought that it would take a whole lot longer to physically tire of Sally than any other woman he had ever met or was likely to.
The elevator doors opened and he paused for a moment. Maybe he should walk away now…Then he saw her standing in the hall, and she glanced over her shoulder at him, a question in her brilliant blue eyes. He put his hand on the elevator door to stop it closing and followed her.
‘Give me your key.’ He took it from her hand, opened the door to her apartment and ushered her inside. Before she said a word, he turned her into his arms and bent his dark head to taste her sweet, intoxicating mouth.
A long, breathless moment later, Sally stared up into Zac’s dark eyes. ‘Would you like a coffee?’ she asked softly. Held close against him, the strength of his arousal pressing against her belly, she was achingly aware of what he wanted—and it wasn’t coffee…
He smiled—a slow curl of his firm lips. ‘No, I want to undress you.’ And, reaching for the buttons of her dress, he began to unfasten them one by one.
Sally let him.
She told herself there was no point in resisting, but the reality was she didn’t want to, as excitement fizzed in her veins like the finest champagne.
He reached her waist and unfastened the belt. Slipping his hands beneath the collar, he eased the dress down her arms to let it fall in a pool at her feet. He lowered his head and covered the pulse that beat madly in her throat, sucking gently.
‘And then I want to put you to bed,’ he murmured, his breath warm against her ear as he unfastened her bra and peeled it off, exposing her naked breasts to his intent gaze.
‘That’s better,’ he said huskily, and, dipping his head, he licked each rosy peak before slipping his hands underneath the lace of her briefs and sliding them down to her hips.
A gasp of surprise escaped her as he knelt down in front of her and, lifting her feet one at a time, removed her sandals, before reaching once more for her briefs. Slowly he peeled the scrap of lace down her now trembling legs and repeated the procedure, finally removing them completely.
He looked up at her though the thick curl of his lashes. ‘Exquisite…’ he murmured, and before she knew what he intended his hands had grasped her waist. He kissed the flat plain of her stomach and lower, to nuzzle at the apex of her thighs.
‘No!’ She tried to pull back.
‘You are right. You are not ready yet for what I had in mind.’ Zac rose to his feet and, swinging her up in his arms, carried her to the bed. He pulled back the coverlet and laid her gently down, then pulled the cover back over her and straightened up.
She stared up at him, her luminous blue eyes reflecting her puzzlement. Surely he was going to join her? Then she remembered—he had said she was not ready…
‘So I am not mistress material after all?’ she murmured.
He did not answer, but looked down at her with a strange expression on his face, broodingly solemn. Then, taking his wallet from his pocket, he flipped it open and took out a card. ‘These are the numbers you can contact me on any time. The last is my personal cell phone.’ He dropped it on the bedside table.
‘That isn’t necessary. You know where to find me.’ She did not fully understand what had happened from his stripping her naked to becoming the cool, aloof man before her.
‘Let me be the judge of what is necessary.’ And, bending over her, he kissed her slowly, tenderly. ‘Go to sleep, Sally. I’ll see myself out and see you tomorrow.’
The night air was cold, and Zac stopped on the pavement to put his sweater on before getting into his car. He started the engine, a tender smile curling his mouth as he thought of the look of puzzlement on Sally’s face when he had tucked her up in bed. It had stretched his control to the limit to leave her instead of joining her. The image of stripping off her clothes and her standing naked in his hold flashed in his head. Not a good idea when he was driving, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
He hadn’t intended on having sex with Sally tonight, and strictly speaking he had not—the pain in his groin could testify to the fact. But he had not walked away as he’d intended. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her.
A frown pleated his broad brow. He had realised when she’d murmured about not being mistress material that Sally really wasn’t, and it bothered him. He wished that he had never made the distasteful deal with her, but dated her in a conventional way…
As for her guidelines…He shook his dark head. He had nothing to worry about; he was seeing her tomorrow night. She had agreed to have a look at his apartment, and once she saw it he knew her guidelines and hopefully their deal would be forgotten. The next time they had sex would be in a king-size bed, and he could hardly wait.
Sally lay wh
ere Zac had left her, her body aching with frustration, hardly able to believe he had walked out. She told herself she didn’t care, that she was glad he was gone and had spared her another night of sex, but in her heart of hearts she knew she lied. Obviously to a worldly, sophisticated male like Zac she fell short of what he was used to in the bedroom stakes. She should be pleased if he had tired of her already. She knew he was a man of his word and would not renege on his deal with her father, but bizarrely the thought gave her no joy.
Chapter Ten
THE next evening Sally walked out of the museum and her heart leapt. Her blue eyes landed on Zac, who was standing on the bottom exit step. Immaculately dressed in a dark business suit and snowy-white shirt, he was the epitome of a sophisticated mega-tycoon, and Sally had trouble believing she had actually made love with the man. But the sudden rush of heat to her face reminded her all too swiftly.
He covered the steps between them in a few lithe strides.
‘At last,’ he murmured and, taking her head between his hands, he kissed her firmly on the mouth. ‘You’re late.’