“I think we’re better off if we’re alone. Come to my place. I’ll cook.”

  “You can cook?”

  “Don’t sound so surprised. I can absolutely kill it in the kitchen.”

  In truth, she was almost aggrieved. The talents Zach possessed were too many to count. What was next? Was he also a master woodworker? Perhaps an aspiring botanist? “Is there anything you don’t know how to do?”

  “Plenty. Aside from a few insults and tawdry phrases I know in French, I don’t speak any foreign languages. I don’t have the slightest clue how to repair a car. And I...well, this next one is downright embarrassing. I don’t think I can tell you.”

  “What is it?”

  “No. No. It’s too humiliating.”

  “Oh, come on. You can trust me.”

  He sighed. “Fine. I don’t know how to whistle.”

  Paige laughed. He was so clever and quick. “This is perfect. I can teach you.”

  “I don’t know. I’m worried it’s too late for me. I’m turning thirty-one in a month.”

  Just like that, Paige felt as though she’d dropped back down to earth. An age difference of over a decade might not seem like much later in life, but it was significant now. “Are you sure you want to cook for me? This was supposed to be my way of thanking you. I could bring takeout.”

  “Paige. I want to make you dinner. Please. And I’m sure I can think of some way for you to express your gratitude.”

  Waves of impossible heat radiated through her body. Part of her loved it. Part of her worried she was only going to get burned. “Zach. Come on. We’ve talked through this. It’s not a good idea.” She hated pointing out the problem again—it only made her feel weak—but she also knew that honesty was the best policy with Zach.

  “You’ve talked through this, Paige. Not me. I mostly listened and agreed because I didn’t want to argue with you. I always want to be respectful of a woman’s boundaries.”

  That gave her pause. He was dead-on about that. She’d dictated everything and had given him very little say. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  “But for the record, I think the reasons you’ve given me are silly. Nobody cares that our two agencies have a messy past. Tom has very little involvement in the day-to-day operations of Armstrong, and he’s far more focused on his life with my mom than the company. A heart attack will do that to a guy.”

  Paige pressed her lips together tightly. Zach’s rosy view of their situation was due in part to him not knowing the full breadth of her grievance with Tom, but maybe his stepdad really had changed. She knew from experience that traumatic experiences could make a person rethink their priorities. Her mom had certainly changed when she got sick. “How about this? We can talk about it when I come over. What can I bring?”

  “A bottle of wine? I’ve already got a whole collection of bourbon. I can even pour you the one you had in Vegas.”

  Memories of their tryst during the expo played in her head in a hot and constant loop. Would she be able to have dinner with him at his apartment and keep things platonic? It wouldn’t take much to change her mind—a sexy glance or a flirtatious turn of phrase, which she already knew Zach was more than capable of. “It’s a deal. When?”

  “Tonight. Seven?”

  Her vision flew to the clock on her computer screen. She was going to have to go home early to get ready. Her hair would need tending, as well as her makeup and of course a bit of perfume. And there was no telling how long it would take her to pick out something to wear. “Text me your address.”

  “Will do.”

  She took one final deep breath for courage. “Perfect. I’ll be there.”

  “I knew you would.”

  Eight

  Zach was finished getting ready for Paige’s impending visit, but he was also such a ball of nerves that he needed to give himself a pep talk. “Just keep it together,” he muttered as he checked himself out in the mirror. “It’ll be fine. You’ve got this.” He’d gone with tailored gray trousers and a crisp white shirt, no tie. It was a bit more casual than he’d wear to work, but far more polished than what he might wear on a regular evening at home. Paige not only deserved the best version of him, he wanted to impress. He wanted to erase any reason she might have to dismiss him. He only hoped that these carefully chosen clothes ended up on the floor by the end of the night.

  He’d had his taste of Paige in Vegas, but after the flight home together, during which they eventually flirted like crazy, he knew that there was something more between them. The spark was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. And who in his right mind would stay away from that? Certainly not him.

  He clicked off the bathroom light, wound his way through his bedroom and made one last pass through the apartment. Of course, he’d already done his part to ensure that the evening went smoothly. He’d kept dinner simple. A bottle of wine was at the ready. Every room was pristinely clean and tidy, while the lighting was soft and moody, allowing his stellar view from the floor-to-ceiling windows on the fifty-ninth floor to shine. Outside, the night sky was darkening, the only light coming from the sparkle of the city. This was seduction, Zach-style.

  His doorbell rang and his heart jumped into his throat. Paige was there. He hurried to open the door and was instantly overwhelmed by the sight of her. His eyes traveled the length of her gorgeous body and blood coursed through his body so fast it made him light-headed. As much as he’d prepared, he wasn’t ready for a snug-fitting dress the color of cabernet wine, following her sumptuous contours and curves. Her lush blond tresses tumbled over her shoulders in sexy waves. She was the whole package. For him, she was the beginning, middle and end.

  A smile bloomed on her face and she held up the bottle of wine she’d promised to bring. “Hi there. I come bearing gifts.”

  “Hi there, yourself.” Clearly his brain was too busy processing Paige’s beauty to bother with things like a clever greeting. He took the bottle from her. “Thank you for this. Please. Come in.” He stood back and she stepped past him, filling his nose with her sweet smell and further clouding his thoughts. You’ve got this. Breathe.

  “You have a beautiful apartment. I mean, what I can see.” She craned her neck, peeking around the corner.

  “Come on. Let me give you the tour.” His instinct was to reach for her hand, but he caught himself for a split second. Was it a good idea? Would he be starting off the evening with rejection? He knew the answer to neither question, but if he didn’t demonstrate his intentions, he’d be mad at himself later. It was time to go for it. Tonight was about romance. This was not a work meeting.

  Paige peered down as he wrapped his fingers around hers. Slowly, she raised her chin and delivered a questioning look. “Zach. I thought we were going to talk about this. Are you ready to dive into this subject already?”

  “I am.” He set the bottle of wine she’d brought on the side table in his foyer and then stepped a little closer, watching a sexy smile play at the corners of her tempting lips. Having her all alone again was all the fuel he needed to formulate his argument. “I know you’re worried about what people will think. But no one else is here. No one else has to know that we’re together. No one else has to know how I feel about you.”

  “And how is that, exactly?”

  He scanned her stunning face, feeling as though he had the makings of a dictionary in his head. There were so many words fighting to leave his mouth. “You’re incredible and gorgeous and so damn smart. I’d be a fool not to want to be with you.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it softly, then kept it close to his mouth. “We work well together. We mesh. We learned that in Las Vegas. Don’t you want more of that?”

  She inched closer as he kissed her hand again. When he glanced at her face, her eyelids were getting heavy, exactly like they had in the bar in Vegas. It made his whole body draw tight with need and want. “I feel like I should be stronger than this. But I don’t know how to do that around you. You make me want to give in.”

  “So give in.” He turned her hand in his and kissed the underside of her wrist, feeling her pulse against his lips, then continued along the tender skin of her forearm.

  Paige sighed and took one final step, bringing her within inches of him. “If we do this, you have to promise not to hurt me. I’ve had my fill of that, okay?”

  “Promise.” He smiled, knowing that he was on the right path. With his other hand, he reached for her silky hair, gently combing a few strands over her ear. Then he trailed his fingers along her jaw, watching as her lips parted and she seemed to struggle with desire. Good. He was grappling with it, too. He’d wanted this since the moment they parted at the airport, and now that Paige was right in front of him, it couldn’t happen fast enough. Heat stormed through him, making him impossibly hard.

  He took her hand and led her down the hall to his room, but the instant they were inside, Paige took the lead, stepping in front of him and walking backward to the bed, towing him along. When she reached their destination, he wrapped her up in his arms and drew down the zipper of her dress as he kissed her. With every inch, he was closer to his prize, and that mix of anticipation and gratification was so damn delicious it made his head spin. He pulled her dress from her shoulders, then she wriggled out of it. He quickly unhooked her bra and she ruffled it from her arms, revealing her stunning breasts. They were so full and perfect, he could hardly believe that he got to touch them as he cupped them with his hands and she responded with a low hum. He could hardly believe he got to taste them as he lowered his head and wound his tongue around her nipples, which drew tight beneath his touch.

  He slowly skimmed his hands along her waist and hips, then slipped his fingers into her panties and pushed them down to the floor. “Go ahead, Paige. Lie down.”

  “No. You. Let me take off your clothes.” She kissed him softly as she unbuttoned his shirt and tugged it up and out of his pants. Every loop of her tongue and brush of her fingers against his overheated skin was only confirmation that this was right. They worked together.

  As soon as she’d shucked his pants and boxer briefs, she took his cock in her hand and stroked from base to tip, only amping up his need for her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and delivered a passionate kiss while placing a knee on the bed and pulling her along with him. Paige stretched out before him, raising her arms above her head—an invitation he was so ready to accept. Gathering her wrists in his hand, he pinned them against the bed as he straddled her waist. He wanted so badly to be buried inside her right now, but that would have to wait.

  He lowered his head, and he licked the velvety skin of one breast, then the other, over and over again. Her nipples were impossibly taut and tight, and every time he touched them, her skin flooded with warmth and she moaned her approval. He’d never wanted a woman the way he wanted her. It didn’t take much to imagine a lifetime of exploring her luscious body, learning what she liked and delivering it every time.

  He released her wrists and shifted himself until he was kneeling, bracketed by her legs. He reached for one of her ankles, lifted her leg and trailed his other hand along the creamy skin of her inner thigh, traveling down toward her center, but only teasing and tempting by stopping for a second or two before retracing the trail back to her knee. Paige bucked her hips and closed her eyes. His heart worked its way up into his throat, knowing he had her at his mercy. With every pump of blood through his body, he needed her a little more. He was that much more willing to give her everything.

  But because of that, he needed everything from her. He lowered her leg, then himself, kissing her deeply. He skimmed her jaw with his lips as she combed her fingers through his hair, curling them possessively. He continued down along her throat, then brushed the undersides of her breasts, coaxing sharp breaths from her. Every kiss, soft or hard or somewhere in between, felt like it was bringing him closer to her. It was hard not to believe that he was erasing the reasons they shouldn’t be together and creating new justification for why they should.

  “I need you, Zach. So bad,” Paige muttered.

  It was sheer music to his ears. He pressed a few gentle kisses against her belly. “Let me get a condom.” He got up, hating even a moment away from her, and reached into his bedside table for the packet. It was so hot to have her do it, but the truth was that he didn’t want to wait any longer, so he tore open the packet and rolled it on himself. His own touch made the tension in his hips nearly impossible to take. Things were going to be so fiery and intense once he was inside her.

  Paige pushed up on her elbows and smiled at him. “Get over here.”

  “Gladly.” He stretched out next to her on the bed, his pulse beating wildly.

  She rolled to her side to face him, and she pulled her leg up over his hip and kissed him with an open mouth and eager tongue. Heat did more than radiate through his groin and belly, it steamrollered him, enveloping his hips and racing down his thighs. He cupped the side of her face as he took the kiss even deeper, wondering if this was the way to unravel the mystery of Paige. The way to figure out what she wanted and if that thing could ever be him. She rolled to her back and brought him along for the ride. With little effort, he positioned himself at her entrance and drove inside. The moment felt monumental. Las Vegas had been a spur of the moment hookup; this was something more. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to wrap his mind around her impossible warmth and the way she held on to him so tightly.

  Now that their bodies were joined and moving in near-perfect sync, he drew in her sweet smell and kissed her neck. She wrapped her legs around him tighter and slanted her hips whenever he was deepest. It was that extra inch of closeness that left him meeting on the edge of release. His breaths became so shallow that they redefined the word gasp. Paige’s were coming hard and fast now, her lips open and begging for another kiss while her eyes remained closed, lost in the utter bliss of that moment. He willed his peak away while he waited for hers, then she began to claw at his back and he took his chance to capture her mouth as she gave way. It gave them one more way to be impossibly close while they were both at their most vulnerable.

  The kiss was chaotic and frantic and he couldn’t imagine anything better as the pleasure barreled through him, causing his muscles to freeze and relax, freeze and relax, over and over again. His mind was a torrent of sensations and feelings, making him feel like he was being hurtled through space. Then he suddenly went into the floating feeling of a free fall, bringing him back to the present, where Paige was beneath him and all was perfect with the world.

  He eased off her to catch his breath and she was quick to curl into him. As their breaths became more even, she smoothed her hand over his chest and nudged at his cheek and chin with her nose. Then they fell into another kiss, and he realized that he didn’t want to be anywhere other than with her. He only hoped that she would eventually feel the same way.

  * * *

  Whoa. Paige was startled by how quickly things got hot with Zach. It was as if someone had poured a gallon of gasoline on them, then lit a match and walked away. Even so, it wasn’t like she’d had the inclination to fight it. Zach was right about one thing for sure—no one needed to know. And for now, naked in Zach’s bed, she was perfectly happy with that idea.

  “Hungry?” he asked, pulling her closer.

  She laughed. “Oh, right. I forgot I’d come over for dinner.”

  “I’m not sure if what just happened makes me a terrible host or a great one...” Zach got up from the bed and stepped into his boxer briefs.

  Paige followed suit, scooting across the mattress and finding her bra and panties on the floor. “I lean toward great.”

  He glanced over at her. “Do you want something else to wear? I mean, you look spectacular in that dress, but maybe I have something more comfortable for you?”

  “Yes. I would love that. Thank you.”

  Zach headed into his closet and Paige followed. He headed straight for a shelf where there were several stacks of T-shirts and a few sweatshirts. “How about this?” He presented a large gray pullover sweatshirt with a Harvard logo on it.

  “Definitely the closest I’ll ever come to getting into Harvard.”

  “Perfect.” He tossed it to her. “Now to find you some pants.”

  She threaded it over her head and pushed up the sleeves. It was a little big on her, but not too much. When she looked over at Zach, he’d put on a pair of gray pajama pants and was sifting through a drawer. She stepped closer to him and put her hand on his bare back. She loved being able to touch him like that, without reservation. “Any luck? I mean, I don’t need to wear pants.”

  Looking her up and down, he sent ripples of heat through her. “You do look spectacular just as you are.” He fished out a plain T-shirt for himself, then shut the drawer. “So that’s settled. Now let’s go get you fed.”

  After he put on a shirt, which was a bit of a disappointment for Paige, they exited his bedroom and padded down the hall to grab the bottle of wine she’d brought, and eventually they walked into his kitchen and great room. Everything was of the finest quality, with high-end chef’s appliances, marble countertops and custom cabinetry. He flipped on the light above the range, but the lighting was otherwise quite soft and romantic.

  “Can I open the wine?” she asked.

  “Yes. That would be great.” He pulled a corkscrew out of the kitchen drawer, then two glasses from an overhead cabinet. “I’ll get going on dinner. It won’t take long.”

  Paige tackled her one job while Zach got out a large, deep pasta pot and filled it with water from the pot filler at the back of his range.

  “I made puttanesca sauce before you came over.” He went to the fridge and brought out a glass bowl, which he emptied into a medium saucepan.

  “Yum. That’s one of my favorites. I love the olives and capers and chili flakes. I’m impressed.” Paige poured the merlot she’d brought into the two glasses. Then offered one to Zach.

 

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