said, “Did you know Char swears the inn works some sort of magic that makes people fall in love?”
He waggled his brows and said, “Maybe I should hold you hostage here for the week so you have no choice but to fall for me.” He pushed open the door and Bandit barreled out, tail wagging. The happy pooch went paws-up on Zev’s legs, and Zev loved him up. “Hey, buddy. Did you miss me?”
Bandit barked and went to greet Carly, licking her leg.
“Hi, sweetie. Is Uncle Zevy being good to you?” She crouched, letting Bandit lick her face. “I missed you, too.”
The way she said Uncle Zevy made him wish he was an uncle just so he could hear her say it more often. “I’ve got to admit, I’m a little jealous of that dog right now.”
Bandit bounded down the steps and into the yard as Carly rose to her feet, slowly dragging her eyes down Zev’s body, heating him up from the inside out. “You’re the one who wanted to behave.”
Fuck behaving. He took her in a rough, demanding kiss, struggling to hold back all that he wanted to give but unwilling to be toyed with anymore. When their lips parted, he kept her body flush with his, her heart pounding against him, and he gritted out, “I was giving you time to be sure you wanted to go further before I unleashed all my hotness on you.” He paused to let his words sink in, enjoying the need simmering in her eyes. “But the hell with being chivalrous.”
He sealed his mouth over her neck the way he knew she loved. She grabbed his arms, rising on her toes as he dragged his tongue all the way up her neck to her ear, and said, “I don’t want to fuck this up, Carls, but don’t take that to mean I don’t want to fuck you six ways to Sunday. I have wanted you in my bed every day of my goddamn life.”
She made a hauntingly sexy sound and said, “I forgot about your dirty talk.”
“No you didn’t,” he challenged, holding her gaze. “You haven’t forgotten a damn thing about us. You just buried who you used to be the same way I buried the boy I was.” Her eyes narrowed slightly, the confirmation clear. “The question is, my beautiful adventurer, can we find a way to blend the people we’ve become with the kids who fell so deeply in love they refuse to stay hidden?” He knew he was coming on strong, but he didn’t want to leave any room for misunderstanding. The adventurous Carly had only begun climbing out from under her careful facade, but he was beginning to wonder if her cautiousness wasn’t a facade after all, but rather the traits of the stronger woman she’d had to become because of him. He was more careful, too, which was why he’d slowed them down in the cave.
She swallowed hard and said, “That’s a big question.”
“A question we might not be ready to ask ourselves.” They’d both grown up, and being cautious was just one of many changes that had come from what they’d been through. But one thing definitely hadn’t changed. The desire in her eyes wasn’t thwarted by his pushy question. He kissed her softly, feeling her restraint, needing to see where she really stood, because he truly did not want to mess this up. “So I’ll ask you this question instead. Do you remember all the dirty things I loved doing to you?”
“Zevy.” Her eyes flamed, but in the next second, control overtook the heat, giving him more silent answers even before she said, “Wouldn’t you like to know? But speaking of dirty, I really should rinse off if we’re going somewhere.”
Talk about conflicting messages, my sweet girl. Was that an invitation or a statement? There was only one way to find out. “Sounds good to me.” He ran his hand down her hip, earning another flare of desire. “I’ll wash all your good parts.”
His cell phone rang, and Bandit bolted up the steps, banging against Carly’s legs on his way inside. She wobbled, and Zev caught her around her waist.
“Geez! What is he, your wingman?” she teased as his phone rang again. “Don’t you want to get that?”
She might be speaking more sassily, but the desire in her eyes remained, and he wasn’t ready to let that go yet, so he said, “Not as badly as I want to get this.” He squeezed her