I stifle my laughter and feel a little pity for the handsome man who has made me care so much for him so effortlessly. “Aw. Don’t get grumpy. Where there’s a will there’s a way, right?” I cock a mischievous brow, bringing the berry to my lips and taking a bite, making sure to chew slowly so that the chocolate melts and mixes with the juice of the ripe strawberry in my mouth. I run my tongue across my lips and crook my finger at the handsome, brooding man in front of me.
A sweet smile tilts his lips as I motion for him to lean in. My lips cover his and for right now, I’m leading the kiss. I’m giving him what he wants on more than one level. My chocolate-laced mouth draws him in, closer and closer, until his hips have mine pinned against the edge of the counter. I fist my hands in his sloppy cinnamon hair. Zander groans appreciatively into my mouth. My tongue slides against his. His hips thrust forward subtly against mine.
“You’re going to be sore after this, Sadie” he whispers breathily against my lips. He completely releases me and steps back, looking at me with fierce intensity. “I’ve always prided myself on being a man who can predict things. There are no curve balls as far as I’m concerned. Everything I do, I see coming. Except you. I never expected this. I never expected you.” Zander steps so close to me again that the tips of our noses graze lightly against each other. His broad chest heaves up and down, mirroring my own labored breathing. The air between us thickens and feels charged to the point of spontaneous combustion. A red hot flush rolls through my body, gaining momentum as it unfurls from somewhere deep in my stomach. The subcutaneous heat wave that this closeness has created reddens my cheeks like the best sort of sunburn. “I never saw you coming,” he whispers, his lips brushing mine so lightly that I wonder if they actually did or if my need for him has me imagining things. “But I’m so glad you did.”
I gasp at his confession just about the time that he pulls me to him hard, tangling his fingers into my hair and consuming my mouth with his perfectly dominating lips. His other hand splays against the small of my back, pressing my hips against him. All thought escapes me. All I am, all I can think of, all I can manage to be right now, is Zander’s.
It’s all I can do to keep up with him. I drop what’s left of the strawberry and my hands go to his jaw, holding him to me, or rather, me to him. His mouth moves rhythmically against mine, his lips luring mine into a kind of seductive dance. I can feel his lips part, encouraging mine to do the same. His tongue slides deep, caressing mine.
“I saw you on that beach and I knew that you had to be mine. I had to have you. I knew that you were who I was looking for. I would have waited for you forever if I had to. Whether by design or just plain dumb luck, I’m the one who was meant to find all the pieces of you so that I might put them back together. Let me put you back together, Sadie. I need you,” he pleads, his forehead resting against mine.
I all but launch myself at him. My legs wrap around his waist. Our mouths crash together. He groans and carries me to his couch, desperation dominating his features. I’ll give in to Zander. I’ll give him all that I have to give and work on the rest, the parts of me that are still spoken for. He deserves that much. I deserve that much too.
Chapter Eighteen
Pick
Sadie
April 26, 2013
“Up and at ‘em, sleepy head,” Zander whispers in my ear.
I groan and roll over, hiding myself beneath the covers.
“Nuh-uh. We have a flight to catch.”
I spring up in bed and give my sleepy eyes a moment to adjust to wakefulness. “What?” I ask, looking at a sharply-dressed Zander. He has on a pair of black dress slacks and a crisp navy blue dress shirt that has the top buttons undone, exposing enough flesh to make my mouth water. His hair is actually combed and it’s clear that it doesn’t really matter if his hair is a mess or neatly styled, he is god-like in my eyes.
“We have a flight to catch. Dad’s jet will be waiting for us in an hour and half,” he explains, checking the hardware on his wrist (high end, no doubt). “C’mon, the shower is already running for you. I’ve got to run to the pharmacy for some of my meds, but I’ll be right back. I’ll bring breakfast. Okay?”
“Um, okay. You’re hot,” I mumble, feeling suddenly insecure. I don’t look nearly as good when I attempt dressing a little nice. I still look plain in no matter what I have on. Zander? Not so much. Not at all, actually. He looks like a fucking mogul or a globetrotting playboy or…the goddamn governor’s son.