She set it down and stripped her clothes off. He looked surprised when she stepped into the shower behind him. “How about if I wash your back?” she said.
“Fuck, I’d love that.”
“Okay.” She put soap in her hands and spread it over his body. She started at his neck and moved down, not missing any part of him.
“Jesus, it’s like I’m having a dream,” he said.
“It’s no dream.”
“Now it’s my turn to wash you.”
She stood still as his hands roamed over her body. The alcohol in his system made him clumsy, but there wasn’t an inch of skin he missed. By the time she rinsed, she was quivering with need.
“Let’s get out,” he said.
“Okay.” She turned off the water and grabbed a few towels.
He dried himself and then wrapped the towel around his waist. Then he brushed his teeth and then pulled her into the bedroom. After he lifted her onto the bed, he pulled the towel from her and then the one around his waist before curling his body around hers with her back to his chest.
“I just need to hold you for a while. Is that okay?” he asked. “I want to be more coherent.”
“Yes. I want that, too. I haven’t been able to get any sleep since that night.”
“Me, either. We’ll talk when we wake up.”
“Okay.” She didn’t care as long as she was in his arms.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Zachary woke up and thought he was dreaming at first. He’d had this dream of having Anna in his arms several times, but every other time he woke up, she hadn’t been there, and the pain seemed to worsen with every realization that he’d lost her.
She moved and stretched before looking over her shoulder at him. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He smoothed the hair from her beautiful face and stared at her. He couldn’t get over how beautiful she was.
She rolled to her other side, so they faced each other. They both ran their hands over each other and stared.
“Show me where you got shot,” he said.
She turned her arm so he could see the cut the doctor glued together. It looked to be healing okay, but he would keep his eye on it. He gently ran his fingertips over it. “Does it hurt?”
She shook her head. “No, not at all.”
“I’m sorry, baby. The thing I was worried about the most happened, and I had no idea.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for. This wasn’t your fault, and I don’t blame you at all.”
He pressed his lips against hers. When her arms tightened around his neck, he deepened the kiss and rolled them until he was on her and between her legs.
“I know we should talk, but I need you so much. I need the bond that making love will give us.”
She nodded. “I want that, too.”
“That means I’m taking your cherry.”
“I know. I want that more than anything,” she said.
Zachary kissed her. After her mouth was ravished, he slid down. “I want to taste all of you.”