Crawling back up her body, Zach settled between her legs and captured her mouth. His hand trailed down her side, her body trembling beneath his touch. He loved the feel of her beneath him, loved knowing his sheets would smell like her long after she was gone.
When he reached for the bedside drawer, she gripped his shoulders. “No.”
Zach froze. “No?”
“If you’re clean, I know I am,” she told him, her gaze darting away as if this was uncomfortable for her to discuss. “I’ve only been with two guys and that was years ago. I’ve had physicals since then. There’s no risk of me getting pregnant, either.”
So she was on birth control, yet hadn’t been intimate with anyone? That she hadn’t slept with Martin shouldn’t have thrilled Zach as much as it did, but he couldn’t help it. He was human and he was a jealous bastard.
“Unless you’re not sure,” she added as she brought those wide eyes back to focus on him.
Making love to the woman he’d wanted for years with nothing in between? He’d be a fool to turn this away.
“Look at me,” he demanded a moment before he joined them.
Words didn’t even describe this euphoric state. Everything he’d ever fantasized about was absolutely nothing in comparison.
Kissing Sophie, having her moving in unison with him, was everything he’d ever wanted and everything he didn’t deserve to have.
“Stay with me,” she murmured against his lips. “Just us, Zach.”
Pressing his lips to that tender spot below her ear, Zach concentrated on Sophie. His Sophie. His everything. Her fingertips dug into his shoulders as her back arched. Her body sliding beneath his, on his bed, was every single fantasy come to life.
Sophie’s soft pants and moans nearly undid him, but he held her, made love to her, and focused on her needs.
He didn’t know who was comforting who here. He had no idea if she was rescuing him from the ugliness that consumed him from within, or if he was giving her something she’d wanted from him for so long . . .
There was just too much to think about, and all he wanted was to get lost in her touch, her soft cries, her body wrapped all around him.
Just as Sophie’s body tightened and she cried out, Zach followed her over the edge. He trembled against her, forced himself to keep his eyes locked onto hers, and staring back at him was one emotion he feared would enter this scenario . . . love.
But more than being afraid of her loving him, Zach was terrified she saw the same thing staring back at her.
* * *
Flowers. He was surrounded by a field of flowers.
Zach shifted beneath his sheets, pulling in a deep breath of that familiar scent. Sophie. He wasn’t surrounded by flowers, he was surrounded by all woman.
The bed shifted and her hair tickled his bare shoulder. Just the slightest touch had him smiling. But he didn’t open his eyes. He didn’t want to be removed from this moment, didn’t want to face the reality that their night was over.
Zach eased closer, reaching out and encountering . . . more hair?
His eyes flew open and Sophie wasn’t in his bed. A sleeping, furry Lab was.
Seriously? What the hell was the mama dog doing in his bed? Where was Sophie?
He glanced around, not seeing any of her clothes, but his eyes landed on the dog bed and the puppies. Sleeping puppies.
Confusion hit him hard as he rubbed a hand down his face and glanced at the clock on his nightstand. No wonder he’d slept so well. Between the sex and the lack of barking, he’d caught up on some much needed sleep, but where was Sophie and why were all of these dogs in his bedroom?
Having Sophie in his bed had been beyond amazing, but he’d never expected to wake
to canines.
Had she left? She’d obviously put the dogs in here because that dog bed didn’t climb the stairs. Why had she done that? There was no way he was going to start letting these dogs sleep in his room. They could stay in the laundry room where they . . .
Zach eyed the pups, all curled and intertwined with each other, sound asleep. Okay, so maybe they didn’t like the utility room. There had to be another option. He wasn’t a dog person.