That grin on her face danced into somewhere just shy of devilish. “I need some help, Zach,” she said. “The skirt and the petticoat are a handful.”
He blinked, a little dazed. “Petticoat . . . ?”
Then he looked down and saw the black sliplike thing under it. Petticoat. Yeah, he knew what that was. Peeking out from under the skirt, tangling around her legs. He swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth and started to drag it up and then his heart really did stop.
Yeah, she was wearing stockings . . . and garters. And they . . . He closed his eyes and said hoarsely, “You’re keeping the damn panties on. You need to tell me where in the hell you got them because I want to buy stock in the place.” Tangling his hands in the layers of skirt and petticoat, he held all of it up to her waist and stared.
Black silk stretched over the round curve of her hips. He could see himself gripping those hips, holding her steady as he settled between her thighs and started to ride her. She’d cradle him just perfectly, all lush curves and sweet heat. Dark silk encased her thighs and those thighs . . . damn. A thing of beauty, he knew.
The straps of her garters ran down from her panties to hold up her stockings and he slid one finger under the strap lightly as he leaned in and pressed his mouth to her.
Abby gasped and braced her hand against his shoulder. “Zach . . .”
And before he let himself do anything else, he stood up.
* * *
Dinner was at an exclusive little spot overlooking the desert. The music was low, the conversations were muted, and Abigale found herself tucked into a little alcove with Zach where the waiters were silent and the food appeared almost like magic.
There had been a few times when she’d been wined and dined before, but never like this.
After the dinner plates had been cleared, Zach turned toward her, half curving his body around hers as he leaned in to murmur, “I keep thinking about what you’ve got on under that skirt and it’s killing me.”
Tipping her head back, she met his gaze. “Well, now you have an idea how I’ve felt ever since you left me high and dry.”
The flash of his smile in the dim room had a fist closing around her heart. “So is this about punishment, sugar?”
“Maybe.” She reached for her wineglass and took a sip. She was so parched, she could have downed the entire thing and still needed more. But her head was already spinning. Because of Zach. Getting tipsy on wine wouldn’t be wise. Especially since she had every intention of getting him inside her house tonight. And doing more than showing him her panties.
A reckless thought occurred to her and she almost blurted it out. She didn’t want to show him her panties. She wanted him in her panties . . . inside her. Muffling a groan, she took another deeper drink of the wine but it only made her feel even hotter.
Zach’s hand curved over her thigh, resting just above her knee.
Turning her head, she stared at him under her lashes.
He watched her from under a hooded gaze and murmured, “Just what are you thinking right now, Abby? That look on your face is pure sin.”
“I’m thinking about you.” Biting her lip, she reached up and touched his cheek. “I’m having a hard time processing all of this, but it’s like you’re inside my head all the time. Ah . . . are you going to come home with me tonight?”
He turned his face into her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “I brought you on a date . . . I have to see you home, right?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck. “I know. But there’s no rush on this . . . no timetable.”
Chapter Nine
“This is insane,” Abigale muttered as she slumped in the shower.
One more burning hot dream.
One more trip to the shower just to get through the day without falling down in a quaking spasm. Those nifty showerheads were like the most amazing gift to womankind ever, she had to admit.
But after two more dates with Zach, and no sex, she was getting desperate. It had been a week since they’d decided to have an affair.
And she hated that word. Hated it. With a passion. But