But for now, she would settle for what she could have.
Julia grabbed the front of his flight suit and jerked him to her. Not that he needed much coercion. Apparently his intention to hold out for an invitation to her bed had combusted in the moment. His mouth sealed over hers, open and needy, tongue thrusting while his hands slid low to cup her bottom, lifting, molding her against him.
No gentle meeting or mating, she gripped at his shoulders, crushed herself to him. She explored the moist heat of his mouth with her tongue, battling for dominance with a man who never relinquished control.
She couldn't win. She understood that all too well. The best she could hope for was some kind of equality here in this moment, a victory in knowing he became as mindless as she whenever this desperate craving between them ignited.
Control spiraled elusively away, and Julia grappled for some stronghold to steady her long enough to drag Zach into abandon with her. She skimmed down his broad shoulders, over the muscles rippling along his back. Sliding a hand between them, Julia scored a nail down his chest, along the links of the zipper on his flight suit, a zipper perfectly designed for her intents since it opened from the bottom as well as the top.
No slow sensual glide, she yanked it halfway up his chest and dipped her hand into his boxers, finding him hard and hot and so ready for her.
Groaning, he stumbled. Not much, just a slight lurch before he braced a hand on the desk.
A thrill of feminine victory trilled through her.
Then he scooped and lifted her to the edge of the desk and she lost serious ground in the battle for control. Zach burrowed a hand under her sweater, palming her breast, his thumb stroking, tantalizing until she groaned into his mouth. Without raising his lips from hers, Zach swept open her wrap-around jean skirt, tore her panties down and off.
His chest heaving against hers, he paused to kiss her eyes, her ear. "If this isn't what you want, you'd better say something now."
"I only want you to finish what you've started." How could he even talk? Forming words or coherent thoughts proved almost impossible. "I just want..."
She let her body speak for her as she kissed him, her fingers encircling him, guiding him forward. One bold thrust and he was inside her, then she couldn't have spoken even if she'd wanted to.
And she definitely didn't want to talk.
Her legs locked around him, heels digging in to hold him closer, safe and alive, oh so alive, against her, inside her, all around her.
So very alive when she could have lost him.
She could have still been standing on the runway, waiting for a plane that would never land and that scenario made her long to grab what she could from life and this man.
Faced with the possibility of losing him, the sense of what it would be like never to have any of him ever again, made her wonder if she could settle for less than everything.
Although, right now he was giving her everything she could handle and more.
Forget control. She collapsed onto her elbows. Her head flung back as she met each thrust, surrendering to the sensation of Zach moving within her. Maybe she could live without his love if they never had to talk, if they just plunged into this desire for each other until it consumed them both.
In her heart and even in her mind, she knew better. But that didn't stop her from wanting to be unwise and reckless, taking what she could from a life that had already taken so much from her.
She fought to hold on to Zach and this stolen pocket of time until the need for release clawed at her with painful intensity. She arched up, flinging herself against his chest, clinging, moving, straining toward...
Zach.
His mouth muffled her scream. Or had she taken his shout into hers? She couldn't pull together enough thoughts for more than melting into the moment and against him as wave after wave of completion crashed over her.
Trembling in the aftermath, Julia cradled his head in the curve of her neck and savored each caress of his heated breath over her skin. He filled her body and heart so completely.
Why couldn't she be content with that? Instead, she could only mourn that she would never fill his heart as fully.
Zach held Julia against him until they both stopped shaking.
And until he could be certain his legs would hold him if he backed away from the desk.
Just the scent of her drifting over him stole what little control he had left. He wondered if he'd ever find stable ground again. Or if he would even be given the time to try.
All his progress in convincing her to stay had been blown away in a day. In one flight.
Who the hell was he kidding?