looked far too amused. More than that, the grip he had on her hair didn’t budge, which meant she had zero wiggle room. “Slow down,” he repeated.
She bit off the growl that had escaped involuntarily, closing her eyes and picturing herself in the middle of a yoga session to try and find some control.
With the front of her body pressed against his, his hands slid further around until she was wrapped in a tight hug.
The big breath of air she’d taken escaped slowly as, one vertebrae at a time, she relaxed against him. No use in fighting, not with the ironclad clasp he had around her.
To tell the truth, the immovable hug felt good.
Her cheek pressed against his, Julia allowed herself to embrace him as well. Bodies meshing tighter as she relaxed against his muscular torso.
He held on, and for the next however many minutes, she sat there. Her blood still pounded, tingling sensations zipped over delicate portions of her anatomy, but the largest sensation was—comfort.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the hug gentled. Julia remained relaxed, curious now for his next step.
Zach twisted his face the slightest bit, nuzzling against her neck. His lips moved against her skin in a teasing caress. Nibbling, nipping.
The shivers had returned, but this time instead of grabbing hold with both hands and trying to steer the boat, Julia allowed Zach to lead.
Which turned out to be a wonderful decision because those kisses she’d enjoyed from him before? They’d only been the beginning. Now that he had the go-ahead, he wasn’t content with simply putting their lips together. He explored her jawline, teased and licked his way around her earlobe, and found a magical spot at the base of her neck that seemed to have a direct connection all the way down between her legs.
She let her hands roam where she wanted, matching the speed he’d set. Fingertips traced slowly over his shoulders and down his back. Palms circling over firm muscle as his biceps curled.
Reaching down his torso caused a thrill as his six-pack flexed against her exploring touch.
At some point she went airborne, and suddenly she was flat on her back on the bed, looking up into bright blue eyes.
His fingers teased along her collarbone. “You said naked was on the books.”
Most definitely. “For you as well, I hope.”
His teeth flashed white for a moment then he reached over his head. An instant later he’d peeled off his T-shirt and tossed it to the floor. “I’m all about equal opportunity.”
When she would’ve helped him take off her own clothes, she found one hand pinned to the bed. He caught her by the other wrist then firmly planted her palm just over his right nipple.
Wordlessly, he slid his hand under the base of her shirt at her waist and spread his fingers over her belly button.
The flash of heat was instant. “You have big hands,” she told him seriously.
Zach grinned. “Thanks.”
Dear God. His reaction was off the charts. “Did I just make some sort of sexual reference I failed to understand? Like, are guys with big hands supposed to have big penises?”
His gaze was fixed on her breasts, but amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes. “Since we’ve established that very large penises are not necessarily better than small ones, no.” His fingertips were in motion now, teasing her skin and slowly making her T-shirt ride higher, higher, until he exposed her breast. “Just warning you that I do have big hands, which includes big fingers, so if I do anything you don’t like, let me know.”
Those fingertips were now skimming in concentric circles that grew closer and closer to her nipple as it tightened into an aching peak. “Okay. I’ll also let you know what I like.”
“Please do.”
His gaze rose to her lips, and he leaned in and kissed her again. His body pressed tight against hers, hand teasing along her rib cage before fluttering back to where she needed him. The small tweaks he gave her nipple weren’t enough, but it wasn’t the same kind of frustration as when she knew somebody was trying to get her off and getting bored.
She glanced down, but nothing about him said anything except to reaffirm what seemed to be happening. Zach was one hundred percent enthralled with touching her.
Julia closed her eyes, tugging slightly to pull him over her. His weight pressed down, pinning her in place for barely a second. He was gone before any fear had time to kick in.
And then he was kissing