Hell, I asked you a month ago and you didn’t say anything about . . .”
“About the fact that I’ve been in love with you since we were kids?” A wry grin tugged the corner of his mouth up. “Come on, Abs. A month ago, you’d just had that asshole fiancé of yours all but kick you in the face. If I’d said . . . hey, Abby . . . I know I’m not Roger, but I’ve loved you forever. Will you give me a go?”
She glared at him even as her heart skittered around her chest like it was trying to take flight. I’ve loved you forever . . . “And what about the other day, damn it?” She slammed her fist against his chest. “I . . . I was trying to work up the courage to tell you that I . . .”
She snapped her mouth shut as the words tried to break free.
It was hard, she realized. Harder than she’d expected.
Fire burned in his eyes and hard, strong hands closed around her hips. The room whirled around them and seconds later, she found herself seated on the hard, unyielding surface of his desk. “Tell me what?” he rasped.
She leaned back, sucking in a breath as she tried to calm the racing of her heart. But all Zach did was brace his hands on the desk and lean in over her, crowding in around her until he was all she could see. All she could feel. And all she was ever going to want, she realized. Everything.
His gaze rapt on her face, he rested a hand on her thigh as she remained silent. “Tell me what, Abby?”
“I . . .”
He stroked his hand higher, a small, almost sad smile curving his lips. “It’s not as easy as you think, is it?” The tight material of her skirt caught around his wrist and he stopped.
Almost desperate for air, she watched his face. “That’s why I didn’t say it then,” he murmured as he stroked his thumb over the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh. “It’s something I held trapped inside me for seventeen years, Abby. Seventeen long years and letting it out was almost impossible. Even though there were times the words wanted out so bad, they all but choked me.”
“Are you going to say it now?”
“Maybe . . .” He bent his head, pressing his lips to hers. “I guess maybe it’s time. Past time even.”
Her heart stuttered and slowed to a stop as he kissed her, soft and slow. It was almost like the first time they’d kissed. Not that breathtaking free fall like that first kiss, but still. It was like everything else in the world just stopped. Nothing mattered but the touch of his lips on hers, light, easy . . . and sweet. Her heart ached inside her chest, swelling until she could barely breathe around it and then he lifted his head and stared down at her. “Abby,” he murmured, lifting a hand to curve around her neck. “I love you.”
A sob slipped free and she wrapped her arms around his waist.
One of his hands cupped the back of her neck and cuddled her in close. As he bent around her, he whispered, “I’ve loved you so long, I can’t remember what it’s like to not love you. And I’ll go to my grave loving you. You’re my everything.”
“Zach . . .”
Blindly, she sought out his mouth and when he met hers, she almost cried, it felt so good.
All this time.
He’d been here . . . all this time.
Desperate for him, she reached behind for the zipper of her dress, but he caught her hands, eased them back down. “Zach, please . . .” she whimpered against his lips.
“Shhh . . .” He eased the zipper down.
Splaying a hand wide over his chest, she stared at the tattoo of the heart, at the dagger before shifting her attention to the A. Leaning in, she pressed her mouth to it and she would have done more, but he eased her off the desk and reached for the hem of her skirt, dragging it upward. “Damn it, Abby, what did you do, paint this on?” he muttered, his voice a ragged growl in her ear.
“Just about.” She could hardly breathe, she thought, sagging back against the desk and bracing her hands on it as he tossed the dress on the chair nearby.