Again and again they rocked together, hard flesh against soft, Heather possessing him every bit as much as he was possessing her. They rolled so that she was on top, her strong muscles flexing as she rode him harder, faster, their mouths still fused in passion. His hands couldn’t decide where to go, to her br**sts or her hips, and he ended up stroking her again and again from curve to curve, her skin growing hotter, slicker beneath his palms, as he drove higher into her with every caress.

And just as he felt her inner muscles tighten down over him, he confessed, “I need you, too. More than I’ve ever needed anyone.”

He could hardly believe the beauty before him as his heated words gave her the final push she needed to tumble into a powerful climax. One so strong that despite how badly he wanted to stay lucid enough to watch her, to drink in every second of her pleasure, Zach had no choice but to join her.

It took a long while for them to catch their breath, and when he moved to lift her up again, she was half asleep against him as he carried her into the bathroom.

“Too tired for a massage,” she murmured against his chest.

He kissed her forehead, then turned on the tub, making sure the water was warm before lowering them both into it. She sighed as she felt the water move over her naked skin, but she didn’t open her eyes. Instead, with her back to his front, her hips between his thighs, she leaned her head back farther against his shoulder.

“So comfortable with you,” she said in a sleepy voice.

He smiled against her hair, happy to be her pillow for as long as she liked. Another time, he’d show her all the fun they could have in the tub together, but knowing she’d appreciate waking up clean and fresh, he softly ran the bar of soap over her beautiful skin.

She practically purred beneath his touch, but even though he knew she was enjoying the sensuality of their bath, nothing could trump her need for sleep right now. Still, he wasn’t even close to being a saint, so when her thighs instinctively opened for him to soap her up, he let himself play over that soft skin a little more than he had everywhere else.

Even half-asleep, she bucked up into his hand, and made little pleading noises for pleasure that he couldn’t help but want to fulfill. Dropping the soap, he swirled his fingers into the curls between her thighs.

He could tell she was somewhere between a dream and the bathtub as she breathed out his name. God, he loved hearing her say it. Whether she was horny or angry, laughing or irritated, he wanted her.

Needed her.

He already knew just how she loved to be touched. Moments later she was shuddering against him, her eyes still closed, a smile curving up her lips before every muscle, every bone in her body finally went lax against him.

He lifted her from the tub, toweled her off, and tucked her into bed. As she curled against him, one thigh over his, her face pressed into the crook of his shoulder, her arm across his chest, he was surprised to realize he actually didn’t mind going to bed without having her take care of his pleasure again.

Not when the chance to be with Heather like this, when she was soft and supple and perfectly trusting, was already more than he thought he could ever have.

Chapter Twenty-two

Heather was just waking up when she realized Zach wasn’t in bed with her. She couldn’t believe how late it was. She never slept past 6:30 a.m., so how could the clock say 10 a.m.?

Sitting up in bed, she looked through the slightly open bedroom door into the penthouse living room, where she could hear Zach speaking on the phone.

“I don’t know if I can do this one, Tommy. Are you sure no one else is available?” came before a slightly resigned, “Sure, I can be there by this afternoon for some practice runs with the crew.”

She grabbed a super-soft robe from the armoire and walked into the living room just in time to hear Zach curse as he dropped his phone onto the coffee table.

“Good morning to you, too,” she teased him.

He reached out and grabbed for her so fast that she found herself sprawled on his lap with his mouth on hers. She should have gotten enough of him already. Instead, every time he kissed her, touched her, she only found herself wanting more.

“I had so many plans for a Sunday alone with you,” he murmured against her mouth when he finally let her up for air. “My buddy Tommy just screwed them all up.”

Heather had to work hard—really hard—to keep from showing her own disappointment that he had to leave already. She hadn’t planned to spend any part of the weekend with him, but after the way Friday night had turned into Saturday morning and then was repeated all over again Saturday night, she’d started to get used to having him around. Enough, at least, that a Sunday together wouldn’t have killed her.

She almost asked him where he needed to rush off to, but it was the kind of thing a girlfriend needed to know. Not a sex buddy like her.

Fortunately, he told her anyway. “Tommy was a good friend of my father’s. My dad taught me how to build an engine, and then Tommy showed me how to drive one real fast.” He was pressing soft kisses along the underside of her jaw as he spoke. “His doctor wouldn’t sign off on him to get into the car this time around and he needs someone to sub for him in a race on Monday morning. I’ve got to get to Southern California by this afternoon to do some practice runs with the crew.”

Of course he raced cars, she thought. A man like Zach wouldn’t be content with just being a business mogul. It wouldn’t be enough that he could slay at least half the human population just by glancing in their direction. He would need the rush of testing the limits of the fast cars he built, too. And she had a pretty good sense that he wasn’t afraid of getting hurt, that those kinds of fears wouldn’t hold him back the way they might with other people.

But just thinking about Zach getting into a race car and driving real fast had her heart pounding. What if he got hurt? What if these past few days with him were the only ones she ever got to have?

She was surprised to realize the scars on her arms were tingling, like a mainline from her emotions to her body.

Working to sound like it was no big deal, she asked, “How long have you been racing?”

Just because she was sleeping with him didn’t mean his grin had any less impact. If anything, it hit her even harder now. Because she knew how fast that grin could bend into a sensual look that melted down her should-stay-icy core.

“Pretty much since the day I got my driver’s license.”

“Sounds like fun,” she said, but then couldn’t stop herself from adding, “but isn’t it dangerous?”