And when he thought he couldn’t stand the pace anymore, that he had to slow or risk exploding before he ensured her pleasure, she cried out his name. He’d heard his name in the realm of passion before but never before had it made his chest tighten. Nor had it ever made him feel a swell of unbelievable possessiveness. But before he could examine what it meant, her body contracted around him, her orgasm milking him, and pulling him into the bliss of release. With a low growl, he tilted his head back and drove into her one last time, shaking with the intensity of what could only be described as complete, utter satisfaction.
When he finally caught his breath, reality sliding back into focus, he realized Zoe had draped her upper body across the counter. He covered it with his own, and nuzzled her ear. “You’re amazing,” he whispered.
She laughed, soft. “I could say the same of you, but right now, my legs are about to buckle.”
“Oh,” he said, “sorry, sweetheart.” Grabbing a towel nearby, he handed it to her and then pulled away from her. Oddly, he felt the separation like a loss. He didn’t remember ever feeling such a thing with a woman before.
By the time Declan has his clothes intact, Zoe had done the same. “Well,” Zoe said with a smile. “Looks like the coffee is ready. Want some?”
Yes, he wanted, but not coffee. He wanted Zoe.
He felt like he could never get enough of her. A woman who hated his career. A woman he hardly knew. There was no logic to what he felt, yet it lived inside him and demanded to be heard. Zoe was under his skin and he didn’t know what to do about it. Maybe some quality time with her would allow him the chance to figure out what it was about Zoe that made him like this.
“Why don’t we walk to the corner bakery and get some croissants to eat with it?” he suggested.
She studied him without speaking, but try as he might, Declan couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. “Okay,” Zoe finally responded. “I’ll throw on some jeans.” Her eyes lit. “I haven’t had a chocolate croissant in forever. It sounds really good.”
The way she said the statement, with a lift of excitement to her voice, made Declan smile. For a woman who could be an absolute sex goddess, at that moment, she looked as cute as a kitten. “Then chocolate croissants it is,” he said and winked. She smiled and rushed from the kitchen.
Letting out a breath, Declan felt the relief of Zoe’s agreement. Damn. Why did her walking to the damn corner with him matter so much? But he knew the answer without even asking the question. He was officially in deep shit. Declan knew damn well he was
falling for Zoe. This should be a bad thing but it felt too good to be anything but exciting. Yet, his job occupied his life and demanded his time and energy. In other words, he had no time for a relationship. And until now, no interest. But everything about Zoe felt different. And right.
Now, he just had to figure out why.
* * * * *
“Oh, that looks good,” Zoe said, pointing at the glass surrounding all kinds of freshly made goodies. Inside sat everything from donuts to cookies and cakes. “I want one of those big cinnamon rolls with extra icing.” She motioned toward the biggest, yummiest-looking one near the front so the man behind the counter would know she’d claimed it.
Beside her, Declan smiled. “I thought you wanted a chocolate croissant?” “I do,” Zoe confirmed, eyeing him. “I want both.”
He laughed. “First the ice cream and now this. A little sweet tooth, I take it?”
Zoe nodded. “I do like my sweets. It’s one of the things I love about living in the city. We have bakeries where you can not only get your sugar fix, but they sell pizza too. Gotta love that.”
“Actually, I do. I live in a whirlwind of crisis management and these little bakeries have kept me fed many a night.”
“Hmm,” Zoe said. “Right. Planning those opening statements and tangled webs of courtroom storytelling.” She turned away to accept a bag from the man serving her.
Her response held just a hint of bite, and Declan wanted to call her on it, but the store attendant had turned expectant eyes on him. “Three chocolate croissants,” he told the man.
“Three?” Zoe teased. “Must be hungry.”
As much as he didn’t want to let her escape her comment, to call her on it, and clear the air, he didn’t. Now wasn’t the time. “I seem to have worked up an appetite,” he teased.
“Me too,” she responded playfully. “But wasn’t it fun?”
Any sign of the negativity her little comment had held was gone, and he found himself wanting to forget it even happened. Instead, he laughed, loving how lighthearted he felt at that moment. When was the last time he’d spent Saturday morning relaxing? But just as soon as he had the thought, guilt washed over him. His mother…he should go see her.