Zed made his way out to the bedroom ahead of me, his towel still around his waist. "Here, you can have one of my shirts." He grabbed one from the dresser and tossed it over to where I stood in the bathroom doorway. His bedroom lights were still off, making it hard to see him, but a small voice in my head whispered that he was just passing the ball back into my court. Like he’d said, he wasn't going to push me. But if I wanted to take things further...
"Can you unzip me?" I asked, a bit breathy with anticipation as I turned around to offer my back. The dress zipper was well within my own reach. I knew it, and so did he.
Zed padded back across the carpet, pausing a second before dragging the zipper of my dress down. He didn't move away when it was done, and neither did I. After a frozen moment, his hands went to my shoulders, his fingers caressing my skin as he pushed the dress fabric aside. I made no attempt to catch it, simply letting it drop to the ground and leave me in a sexy, black push-up bra and matching thong. Like I'd said, I’d dressed with Zed on my mind.
"Fucking hell, Dare," he breathed, his fingertips skating ever so lightly down my spine. "Are you trying to kill me?"
Pushing aside my doubts and anxiousness, I turned around to face him, meeting his eyes with confidence this time. "No," I replied, reaching up and linking my arms around his neck. "I'm trying... to take a leap." I wrinkled my nose, feeling like a total dork for reusing his metaphor.
He understood me perfectly, though. His hands gripped my bare waist, pulling me closer to him as his face dipped down to meet mine. He didn't kiss me, though. His lips stopped just an inch away, and he just fucking waited, wanting me to take that final step and close the gap between us.
"If we do this," I whispered, already dizzy with his nearness, "our friendship is totally fucked."
His lips curved. "It already is. Has been for months. This will only make us stronger."
I groaned, but he was right. So I closed the gap and threw myself off the metaphorical trust bridge.
Zed kissed me slowly, lingering like he was savoring every stroke of my tongue, every slide of our lips, every breathless gasp. His hands gripped my waist tight, and he started to lift me up before I stopped him with a hand to his chest.
"Do not try carrying me after I just patched up a knife wound in your side, Zayden De Rosa," I warned, giving him a push further into his bedroom.
It was only a few steps across to his bed, and we kissed the whole damn way before he shot me a smirk. "It's just a scratch, gorgeous." Then he winked and picked me up and dropped me onto my back in the middle of his bed with one swift movement. Somehow, magically, his towel was still wrapped around his waist. But it wouldn't be for long, if the shape of it was any solid indication.
Zed followed me onto the bed, his lips finding mine again with ease in the near darkness, the only light in the room pouring from the bathroom. I arched into him, spreading my legs in a clear invitation to get closer, and he gave a groan.
"You can still change your mind," he murmured as he kissed down my chest, his fingers finding the fancy front clasp of my bra and snapping it open. His breath hissed between his teeth as he caressed my breast, then he closed his lips over one taut nipple.
"I'm not changing my mind," I replied, breathless as I wriggled free of my bra. "Just... I don't know. Just be patient with me?"
Zed pushed up on his forearms, giving me a dead-serious look. "How is that even a question?" He arched a brow, and I gave him a knowing smile. Of course it wasn't a question. Just because this was new territory for us didn't mean we were new people. He was still Zed. He was still the boy I'd befriended at killer camp. I couldn't believe I'd been pushing him away for so long.
Winding my arms back around his neck, I crushed my mouth to his and kissed him hot and heavy until his fingers found my nipple once more and made me gasp with ecstasy