Bridgette glanced nervously at Willow.
Willow knew her sister wanted to be saved from having to dance, but she really wanted Bridgette to break out of her shell, and Aiden was not only hot, but he’d been flirting with Bridgette all night. Surely any man who’d raised his sister wouldn’t have issues with Bridgette being a single parent. But Willow knew there was a problem, and she had to wonder if Bridgette saw it, too. Aiden was too good. Too perfect and proper. He’d stifle the side of Bridgette that Willow, and everyone who knew her sister, wanted to revive. But Willow still thought a dance would do her sister some good. Maybe even make her want to do it more often.
She’d catch hell for it later, but instead of saving Bridgette, she said, “She hasn’t danced in a long time. But she was one of the best dancers around before she had Louie. Nothing could keep her off the dance floor.”
Willow quickly turned away from Bridgette’s glare and said, “Dance with me, Z?”
He rose to his feet and guided her to the dance floor, whispering in a voice as hot as liquid fire, “I’d say I’m up for anything.”
When he drew her into his arms, dancing slowly despite the quickening beat, her pulse was as erratic as a summer storm. His hand slid to the base of her spine, and he touched his cheek to hers. Every time he did that, it stole a little of her anxiety but amped up her anticipation. She loved when he whispered dirty things to her at the most unexpected times as much as she loved his tender and loving side. Now his warm breath slid over her skin, but no words came. She ached for his words as much as she longed for his touch. Was that crazy? Was she hopelessly in love with him or hopefully in love? She closed her eyes, fighting her overthinking mind, and settled in against him.
“Sweet girl,” he finally whispered, bringing her eyes open. “That was a cruel thing to make me think of you bare beneath this dress.” He kissed the tender skin beside her ear. “Now all I can think about is slipping my fingers inside you and teasing you nice and slow until you’re so swollen and wet you can’t sit still.”
“Z,” she said breathlessly, feeling herself go damp.
He moved his fingers along the dip at the base of her spine, holding her tight against his arousal. “Feel what you do to me, baby. I’m enjoying our dinner, but I can think of something else I’d rather feast on. So how about we change the rules?”
She opened her mouth to answer, but he trailed kisses down her neck, and everything other than his hot, sensual mouth faded to black.
He brushed his lips over hers and said, “If they say hard four more times, I’ll be your sex slave, baby. Anything you want, for as long as you want, anywhere that you want.”
Desire sizzled low in her belly. She lifted her gaze, riveted by the mix of hunger and love in his. Tightening her hold on his shirt to combat her weakening knees, she said, “Hard, hard, hard, hard.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
PASSION POUNDED THROUGH Zane’s veins as he took Willow’s hand, apologized to the others about suddenly feeling ill, and quickly paid the bill—leaving an exorbitant tip, along with an extra two hundred bucks in case they wanted dessert and more drinks. Hell, he’d have paid thousands to get out of there without any questions. He was pretty sure Ben didn’t buy his too-ill-to-stick-around act, but he didn’t care. He had tunnel vision. Willow had taunted him all evening with seductive looks and tempting brushes of her leg, her fingers, her gaze, until he felt imprisoned by a web of arousal.
Every step toward her car was a test of control. When they reached the dark, deserted corner of the lot where he’d parked, he took her in his arms and finally—finally—kissed her as he’d been dying to do all evening. His mouth moved over hers, devouring its softness with urgency. He tried to throttle the dizzying current racing through him, but when his hand touched her thigh and she rocked against him, he couldn’t hold back. He’d waited all night to feel her, and he pushed both hands beneath her dress, filling his palms with her exquisite ass. His breath sailed from his lungs in a sigh of sweet relief, like a drowning man getting a foothold on dry land.
He kissed her again, stumbling to the far side of the car without breaking their connection and trapping her between the cold metal and his hard body. He ground against her, pushing his fingers between her legs from behind, teasing her slick heat. She moaned into the kiss, moving her hips and widening her stance to allow him better access.
“Need you, baby,” he said between kisses.
“Take me.”
Keeping hold of her with one hand, he moved his other to the front, thrusting into her velvety heat and earning a sweet, sexy sound. She palmed him through his pants, stroking him to the same rhythm as he moved over the secret spot that drew a delicious whimper from her lips. He swallowed the sinful sound as she continued stroking him and driving him out of his mind with every tight stroke of her hand.
“I need more,” she pleaded.
A quick sweep of the lot assured him they were out of eyesight, and he dropped to his knees and ran his hands up her thighs, kissing them as she tangled her fingers in his hair. She spread her legs wider, the scent of her arousal drawing him in, but even though they were alone, shielded from anyone who might come or go from the restaurant, he loved her too much to take her here. He touched his lips to the tender skin below her belly button and rose to his feet, lowering her dress.
“Not here, baby. I don’t want to chance anyone seeing us.”
“Take me to the bridge,” she whispered.
“The bridge?” The covered bridge was about a mile from Tasker’s Chance and had been known as Make-Out Point when they were in high school.
“Yeah.” She pointed to his mouth. “You have lipstick all over your face.”
He wiped his face on his sleeve, and she took his face in her hands and kissed him.
“Come on, big boy.”
Ten minutes later they parked just beyond the covered bridge, which offered an even more majestic view of the town than the restaurant had. He reached over and brought her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to it.
“Why are we here, baby?”
“Because I’ve never been here with a guy, and you were my first, so I wanted to experience this with you as my first, too. Nobody comes here anymore. It’s all ours.” She took off her heels, opened the glove box, and popped the hood. With a coy smile, she stepped out of the car.
He followed her to the front of the car. She lifted the hood, and he was astounded to see the blue-and-green blanket they’d made love on all those years ago. She rubbed her shoulder against his before grabbing it and closing the hood.