Chapter Four
“You’re going to have to invite me in,” Zane said as he pulled up in front of Nicki’s house.
Refusing to give in to the sudden fluttering in her chest, Nicki pretended a casualness that she didn’t feel. “And that reason would be what?”
He grinned. In the dimness of the SUV, the only light came from the streetlamp. She was able to see the outline of Zane’s face and the flash of his white teeth.
“You promised to get me drunk. Besides, it’s barely ten-thirty. I have a reputation to think of. What would my neighbors say if I pulled in this early on a Friday night?”
“Of course,” she murmured. “Your reputation.”
There was no reason to refuse his request, she thought humorously. He didn’t know about her out-of-control hormones. Nor was he likely to feel trapped if she had a brain hiccup and suddenly made a pass at him. No, the worst that could happen would be unfulfilled expectations on her part and Lord knew she’d been living with those forever.
“Far be it from me to ruin your stellar reputation,” she said easily. “Come on in.”
He turned off the engine and pocketed the keys. After collecting her wheelchair from the rear, he brought it around to the passenger side and locked the wheels. Then he opened her door and scooped her into his arms.
“Great perfume,” he said as he settled her onto the chair’s seat.
She could say the same thing except she knew Zane wasn’t wearing a scent. That delicious fragrance she inhaled whenever they were close was nothing more than the man himself.
“Want a drink?” she asked when they were in the one-story house.
“Nothing alcoholic.”
She tossed her purse onto the narrow table by the front door and wheeled into the living room. “There’s an assortment of sodas and juices in the refrigerator. Help yourself.”
“You want anything?”
“No thanks.”
Zane sidetracked down the short hallway into the modified kitchen. She shifted restlessly in her chair, not sure what to do with herself. Or with him.
She glanced around at the clutter-free living room. She wasn’t neat by nature, but she’d long ago learned that dropping items on the floor meant maneuvering around them later. Rather than turning her life into an obstacle course, she’d learned to tidy as she went.
The pale green walls picked up color from the striped green sofa. She’d picked the scaled-down piece of furniture because the firm back and arms allowed her to brace herself when she moved from her chair to the sofa. She’d placed a tall table behind the couch, rather than in front, and used floor lamps for light. There weren’t any rugs to impede her progress, but she’d used prints, cushions and stackable tables to provide spots of color and warmth.
Zane returned from the kitchen with a can of soda in his hand. Instead of flopping down on the sofa, he crossed to her DVD collection and flipped through the movies.
“There’s not enough death here,” he complained as he held up a DVD with a picture of a couple on the front. “Too many chick flicks.”
“Maybe because I am a chick.”
He frowned. “Seriously, Nicki, there’s not a decent car chase in the bunch.”
“Amazingly enough, I didn’t buy the movies for you.”
“You can’t tell me Brad enjoys these.”
She shook her head. “You know his name is Boyd and I know you know, so why do you insist on pretending you can’t remember?”
He blinked at her, his face an expression of innocence. “Know what?”
She sighed. “Fine. Be difficult. But I’ll have you know that Boyd enjoys romantic comedies as much as I do.”
Zane snorted. “He’s lying.”
“He is not. He likes the kissing.”
Zane walked to the table behind the sofa and set down his drink. “Yeah, the kissing is okay, but the rest of it is boring.”
As he spoke, he bent over her and pulled her from her chair to the couch. Nicki didn’t have time to protest, not that she was sure she would have. She liked sitting somewhere other than her chair, although she usually preferred to get there by her own power. Still, she couldn’t complain about a few seconds spent in Zane’s strong embrace.
He settled next to her and reached for the remote. “You have cable, right?”
“Of course.”
“Maybe there’s a game on.”
“Wouldn’t that be special,” she muttered.
He glanced at her. “What’s wrong? You’re into sports.”
“I know.”
She enjoyed a good football or baseball game as much as the next person, but didn’t Zane want to pay attention to her instead of a bunch of sweaty guys?
Obviously not, she thought as he flipped through over a hundred channels in less than two minutes. Note to self—this was not a real date and if she allowed herself to forget that, she was going to get her feelings hurt.
On his second round through the channels he stopped on a familiar scene with Tom Cruise. It took her a second to recognize the movie Top Gun.
She laughed. “Okay, so this is the perfect movie, right? Planes, death, macho moments and kissing.”
He chuckled. “You’re right. Something for everyone.”
He angled toward her and reached for his drink. After taking a swallow, he put the can back, but left his arm up on the back of the sofa.
His fingers were less than an inch from her shoulder. The second she realized that, she became painfully aware of how close they were sitting, of how she could feel him breathing. Tension crackled. Unfortunately it was all on her side. She doubted he was the least bit aware of her.
She told herself to pay attention to the movie. Tom and Kelly were having a heated argument, which meant the good parts weren’t that far away. But she found her gaze being drawn back to the man sitting next to her. To his strong profile and the stubborn set of his jaw. To the long, dark lashes and the scar at the corner of his mouth.
“You’re not watching the movie,” he said as he tugged gently on her hair. “You’ll miss the kiss.”
She knew he was right, but she couldn’t turn away. Zane was right there…close enough to touch. What would happen if she did something? Would he be shocked? Embarrassed? Would he let her down gently or would an answering desire flare in his eyes? Had he ever thought of her as something other than his friend?
There was only one way to find out, but Nicki didn’t think she had the guts. Yeah it was a new century and women were equals and all that but she was just plain scared. If Zane rejected her, it would change their relationship. Was she willing to risk not being his friend anymore?
The last question was easy to answer. She wasn’t. So she looked at the screen and did her best to ignore Zane.
The scene shifted, the music swelled and the screen filled with the two lovers. Nicki allowed herself to get lost in the moment and forget about her own needs.
“Movie kisses are the best,” she murmured without thinking. “Sometimes better than the real thing.”
Zane had been drinking and he nearly choked. “Then Brad has been doing it all wrong.”
She looked at him. “Boyd does it just fine. That’s not the point. Movie kisses are often highly romantic. That’s important. Not that you know much about romance.”
He set down his drink. “I know plenty about bodies and that’s what kissing involves.”
“It’s not just a function, like sneezing. It can be spiritual. The mind, the body, the heart are all engaged.”
“You think too much.”
“You don’t think enough.”
“Maybe not, but I sure as hell know how to kiss.”
Nicki opened her mouth to shoot off some snappy retort when Zane suddenly shifted toward her. Before she could stop gasping like a fish, he wrapped his arms around her, pulled her closed and lowered his head.
She had just enough time to clamp her lips shut when he kissed her. A for real, skin on skin, bodies pressing, he
at generating oh-my-is-this-really-happening kiss.
It was heaven. It was five kinds of wonderful and if she died right this second, her life would end on a really high note.
He pressed his mouth against hers with a firmness that spoke of confidence and authority, but with enough gentleness for her to know that he wanted to share, not just take. His scent surrounded her, allowing her to get lost in the moment as she breathed in the essence of the man.
His lips brushed against hers, exploring, teasing, before settling in place. She was still caught up in the wonder of what exactly was happening when he touched the tip of his tongue to her lower lip.
Heat exploded inside. Funny how that tiny point of contact could make her body go up in flames. She was aware of her breasts, her legs and that suddenly wet and swollen place between her thighs. She wanted Zane with a desperation that made her catch her breath. She supposed it came from fantasizing about him for so long…not to mention close contact with a man who knew how to excite a woman.
He traced the curve of her lower lip in a slow, delicious movement that made her mouth part. When he slipped inside and lightly stroked her tongue with his, her entire body clenched. Then he angled his head and deepened the kiss.
He touched and tasted and explored all of her. With each movement of the dance, she found herself melting into a puddle of desire. She didn’t want to stop him—if anything she wanted to beg him to kiss her forever. But even if she’d wanted to put the brakes on, she was incapable of speech or movement or breath. She could only feel and savor those feelings.
His hands rested against her back. As the kiss continued, he began to slide them up and down her back. Strong fingers stroked against her. When he dipped lower and cupped her hip with his palm, she pressed into the contact.
She ached everywhere. The wanting grew until it was all she could think about. Need spun through her like a tornado; powerful, all-encompassing, overwhelming.
He shifted slightly and broke their kiss. Before she could protest, he pressed his mouth to her jaw, then along her neck. Hot tingles shot through her. At the same time he slipped his hand from her hip to her waist, then higher still. Anticipation made her cling to him. She dug her fingers into the tight, honed muscles of his shoulders and arms.
More. She needed more.
He pressed an openmouthed kiss to the sensitive skin just below her collarbone at the same time his hand closed over her breast. She sucked in a breath as his gentle touch soothed her aching flesh. His thumb brushed against her nipple and she gasped as fire jolted through her. Exquisite pleasure joined the out-of-control need. Between her legs, she melted, swelling, readying, wanting.
What had started as a simple kiss turned into something more. While Nicki wanted to lose herself in the moment, a persistent voice in her head screamed a single question over and over.
“What on earth are you doing?”
Did she want to be sensible and stop this? Did she want to ask Zane if he knew what he was doing? Not “did he know he was making love?” but “did he know he was doing it with her?” Never once in two years of friendship had he ever hinted that he saw her as someone other than a buddy. So why was he suddenly acting as if he knew she was a woman? And did she really want to know?
As if sensing her internal confusion, he sat up and stared at her. Passion darkened his eyes to the color of midnight. His mouth was damp and swollen, his hair slightly mussed. He looked so good that had he been a magazine ad, she would have assumed he’d been digitally enhanced.
The sound of a jet taking off cut through the silence. Zane turned, grabbed the remote and turned off the movie. Then he moved his hand from her breast and rubbed his thumb across her lower lip.
“Still think movie kissing is better than the real thing?” he asked softly.
Despite her questions and uncertainty, she smiled. “No. Doing is better than watching.”
“Told you.” He put his hand on her leg, then groaned softly. “You’re not wearing panty hose. I noticed when I lifted you into the SUV. It’s been driving me crazy.”
Wow. Really? Did he mean that? “You try putting them on while sitting down. It’s a pain.”
He stroked her thigh. “I’m not a panty hose kind of guy.”
She chuckled. “How awkward things would be if you were.”
He didn’t smile. Instead his already serious expression turned intense. “I didn’t plan this Nicki. I don’t make moves on women involved with other guys.”
Other guys? Oh. “Boyd?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m not…” She cleared her throat. Discussing this was difficult enough without the distraction of his hand moving up and down her thigh. “We haven’t…That is to say things never got this far with him.”
Zane’s eyebrows lifted slightly. “If you tell me that you were willing and he held back I’m going to have to nominate him for stupid guy of the year.”
The compliment delighted her. “I’m not sure either of us were interested.”
“So I’m not trespassing?”
She shook her head, then nearly fell over from shock. They were talking about this whole thing as if they were going to keep going. As if it hadn’t all just ended with a kiss.
Before she could ask, not even sure she wanted to know, Zane pressed his mouth to hers again. The kiss was long, slow, deep and impossible to resist. She surrendered to the feelings surging through her, to the taste and scent of him, to the hands roaming over her back and sides. When he slipped them up her ribs to her breasts, she could only breathe her pleasure.
He cupped her curves, then gently stroked her nipples with his fingers. She thrust her chest forward, silently begging for more.
When he responded by moving away, she moaned in protest. Against her mouth, he smiled.
“Impatient, aren’t you?” he murmured. “I’m not going anywhere.”
When he reached behind her, she understood his intentions and shifted so he could more easily reach the zipper of her dress. He pulled it down and slipped the silky fabric from her shoulders.
“Better,” he whispered when he’d dragged the material to her waist. Expert fingers unfastened her bra.
She had a brief moment of concern, wondering if he would find her more modest charms interesting, but when he lowered his head and pressed an openmouthed kiss to her already sensitized flesh she found she didn’t care about anything but making sure he never stopped.
He licked her breast, then drew her nipple into his mouth. While his hand mimicked the movements on her other breast, she dug her fingers first into his shoulders and then ran them through his hair.
“Zane,” she breathed.
Wanting filled her. The intensity of her reaction should have frightened her but thinking about it took a level of rational thought she no longer possessed. She squirmed to get closer, then pressed herself against him. He was aroused. She could feel his hardness against her hip. Unable to stop herself, she dropped her arm to her side and reached between them so she could touch him there. At the first brush of her fingers, he swore and stiffened.
When he raised his head the fire in his eyes had been dampened slightly by questions.
“Nicki?”
She pressed her lips together, not sure what he wanted to hear and what she wanted to say.
“I want you,” he breathed. “If you’re waiting for me to be sensible, hell’s going to freeze over first. But I’ll listen if you tell me to stop.”
Stop? Was he kidding? She smiled, then brushed her fingers against his cheek.
“I would like it very much if you would stay.”
Zane hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until he released it. He hadn’t planned to start kissing Nicki and he’d never intended for things to go this far. Had he thought it through, he would have assumed she would slap his face and toss him out on his butt. Yet if the warmth of her smile, not to mention her sensual reaction was anything to go by, she was more than interested.
He was smart enough not to question his good fortune, or risk the mood by considering the consequences. Instead he returned his mouth to her breast, while trying to stay focused enough to consider logistics.
He knew she wasn’t a virgin. They’d talked about their dates enough over the past couple of years for him to know that while she was particular about who she invited into her bed, she did sometimes issue the invitation. He also knew that despite the lack of strength in her legs, she could feel everything.
He had a brief debate about moving things to the bedroom or continuing them right here, and decided the sofa would work just fine.
That decided, he closed his mind to everything but the pleasure in touching her, pleasing her, and brought his hand up to her breast.
She tasted sweet. The flavor of her lips, her mouth, her skin all lingered on his tongue like fine wine. As he licked her tight nipple and felt her body shiver in response, he focused on the feel of her warm skin and how soft she was.
He brushed his fingers against her nipple, then gently teased it with his thumb. Her hands stirred restlessly along his back. Her nails scratched erotically. Heat swirled between them, enchanting his senses, making him want more.
He’d been hard since ten seconds into the first kiss and was getting harder by the second. The trick was going to be staying in control.
While he continued to lick and suck her breasts, he worked the bottom of her dress toward her waist. It was a dirty job, he thought humorously as he was forced to slide his hands against the silky smoothness of her thighs, but he was man enough to see the task through to the end. When there was nothing between himself and paradise but a pair of very skimpy bikini panties, he raised his head from her chest and shifted until he knelt on the floor.
Nicki opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Is this the part where you promise to be my devoted slave for the rest of your life?”
He smiled. “Would you like that?”
“Maybe. What duties come with that sort of servitude?”
A Little Bit Pregnant Page 5
