Izzy snaked her arms around his neck, stepping up on her toes so she could keep that magical connection with his mouth on hers. She kissed him with the passion that had been lying dormant inside her body, just waiting for someone like him to awaken it. She had never felt the full force of it before. She’d felt paltry imitations of it, but nothing like this.
This was fiery.
This was unstoppable.
This was inevitable.
‘I want you.’ Izzy couldn’t believe she had said the words out loud, but even if she hadn’t done so her body was saying them for her. The way she was clinging to him, draping her body over him like a second layer of skin, was surely leaving him in no doubt of her need for him. She pressed three hot little kisses, one after the other, on his mouth and repeated the words she had never said to anyone else and meant them quite the way she meant them now. ‘I want you to make love to me.’
Zach brought his hands back up to cup her face. ‘Sure?’
Izzy gazed into his beautiful haunted eyes. ‘Don’t you recognise consent when you see it?’
His thumbs stroked her cheeks, his eyes focused on her mouth as if it were the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. ‘It’s been a while for me.’
‘I’m sure you still know the moves.’
One of his thumbs brushed over her lower lip in a caress that made the base of her spine shiver. ‘Are we having a one-night stand or is this something else?’
‘What do you want it to be?’
He took a while to answer, his gaze still homed in on her mouth, the pads of his thumbs doing that mesmerising stroking, one across her cheek, the other on her lower lip. ‘You’re only here for another couple of weeks. Neither of us is in the position to make promises.’
‘I’m not asking for promises,’ Izzy said. ‘I had promises and they sucked.’
His mouth kicked up at the corner. ‘Yeah, me too.’
She placed her fingertip on his bottom lip, caressing it the way he had done to hers. ‘I’ve never had a fling with someone before.’
Something in his gaze smouldered. Simmered. Burned. ‘Flings can be fun as long as both parties are clear on the rules.’
Izzy shivered as he took her finger in his mouth, his teeth biting down just firmly enough for her insides to flutter in anticipatory excitement. ‘You’re mighty big on rules, aren’t you, Sergeant? I guess that’s because of that gun you’re wearing.’
His hands encircled her wrists like handcuffs, his pelvis carnally suggestive against hers. ‘I’m not wearing my gun.’
Her brow arched in a sultry fashion. ‘Could’ve fooled me.’
He scooped her up in his arms in an effortless lift, calling out over his shoulder as he carried her towards the bedroom, ‘Start without us, Max. We’ve got some business to see to.’
Izzy quaked with pleasure when Zach slid her down the length of his body once he had her in the bedroom. And there was a lot of his body compared to hers. So tall, so lean and yet so powerfully muscled she barely came up to his shoulder once she’d kicked off her heels. His hands cupped her bottom and pulled her against him, letting her feel the weight and heft of his erection. Even through the barrier of their clothes it was the most erotic feeling to have him pulse and pound against her. He kissed her lingeringly, deeply, taking his time to build her need of him until she was whimpering, gasping, clawing at him to get him naked.
‘What’s the hurry?’ he said against the side of her neck.
Izzy kissed his mouth, his chin, and then flicked the tip of her tongue into the dish below his Adam’s apple. ‘I’ve heard things go at a much slower pace in the Outback but I didn’t realise that included sex.’
He gave a little rumble of laughter and pulled the zipper down the back of her dress in a single lightning-fast movement. ‘You want speed, sweetheart?’ He unclipped her bra and tossed it to the floor. ‘Then let’s see if we can pick up the pace a bit, shall we?’
Izzy whooshed out a breath as she landed on her back on the mattress with a little bounce. As quickly as he had removed her clothes, he got rid of his own, coming down over her, gloriously, deliciously naked.
The sexy entanglement of limbs, of long and hard and toned and tanned and hair-roughened muscles entwining with softer, smoother, shorter ones made everything that was feminine in her roll over in delight. His hands, those gorgeously manly hands, sexily grazed the soft skin of her breasts. That sizzling-hot male mouth with its surrounding stubble suckled on each one in turn, the right one first and then the left, the suction just right, the pressure and tug of his teeth perfect, the roll and sweep of his tongue mind-blowing.
Izzy had never been all that vocal during sex in the past. The occasional sigh or murmur perhaps—sometimes just to feed Richard’s ego rather than from feeling anything spectacular herself—but nothing like the gasps and whimpers that were coming out of her now. It wasn’t just Zach’s mouth that was wreaking such havoc on her senses but the feel and shape of his body as it pinned hers to the bed. Not too heavy, not awkward or clumsy, but potent and powerful, determined and yet respectful.
He moved down from her breasts to sear a scorching pathway to her bellybutton and beyond. She automatically tensed when he came to the seam of her body, but immediately sensing her hesitation he placed his palm over her lower abdomen to calm her. ‘Trust me, Izzy. I can make it good for you.’
Should she tell him she had never experienced such intimacy before? She didn’t want to make Richard sound like a prude, but the truth was he had made it clear early on in their relationship that he found oral sex distasteful. In spite of her knowledge as a doctor to the contrary, his attitude had made her feel as if her body was unpleasant, unattractive and somehow defective. ‘Um...I’ve never done it before... I mean no one’s done it to me...’
He looked at her quizzically. ‘Your ex didn’t?’
She knew she was blushing. But rather than hide it she decided to be honest with him. ‘It wasn’t Richard’s thing.’
He was still frowning. ‘But it’s one of the best ways for a woman to have an orgasm.’
Izzy was silent for just a second or two too long.
He cocked an eyebrow at her questioningly. ‘You have had an orgasm, right?’
‘Of course...’ Majorly fiery blush this time. ‘Plenty of times.’
‘Izzy.’ The way Zach said her name was like a parent catching a child out for lying.
‘It was hard for me to get there...I always took too long to get in the mood and then Richard would pressure me and I...’ Izzy gave him a helpless look ‘...I usually faked it.’
His frown had made a pleat between his grey eyes. ‘Usually?’
‘Mostly.’ She bit her lip at his look. ‘It was easier that way. I didn’t want to hurt Richard’s feelings or make him feel inadequate. Seems to me some men have such fragile egos when it comes to their sexual prowess.’
He stroked her face with his fingers. ‘Being able to satisfy a partner is one of the most enjoyable aspects of sex. I want you to enjoy it, Izzy. Don’t pretend with me. Be honest. Take all the time you need.’
Izzy pressed her lips against his. ‘If we take too long Max might wonder what we’re doing.’
He smiled against her mouth. ‘I reckon he’s got a pretty fair idea.’ And then he kissed her.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
‘THANK YOU SO much for stepping in last night,’ Margie said when Izzy arrived at work the next morning. ‘Doug and I had the most wonderful time. It was as if the last twenty-three years hadn’t happened. We talked for hours and hours. Just as well Zach didn’t get back till midnight.’ Her eyes twinkled meaningfully. ‘Must have been a pretty decent dinner you cooked for him. He looked very satisfied.’
Izzy had all but given up on trying to disguise her blush. Her whole body was still glowing from the passionate lovemaking she had experienced in Zach’s arms last night. He had been both tender and demanding, insisting on a level of physical honesty from her that was way outs
ide her experience. But she had loved every earth-shattering second of it.
The things she had discovered about her body had amazed her. It was capable of intense and repeated orgasms. Zach had taught her how to relax enough to embrace the powerful sensations, to let her inhibitions go, to stop over-thinking and worrying she wasn’t doing things according to a schedule. He had let her choose her own timetable and his pleasure when it had come had been just as intense as hers. That the pleasure had been mutual had given their sensual encounter a depth, an almost sacred aspect she’d found strangely moving.
The only niggling worry she had was how was she going to move on after their fling was over? Falling in love with him or anyone was not part of her plan for her six months away from home. She had only just extricated herself from a long-term relationship. The last thing she wanted was to tie herself up in another one, even if Zach was the most intriguing and attractive man she had met in a long time. Strike that—had ever met.
‘Yes, well, there’s certainly nothing wrong with his appetite,’ Izzy said as she popped her bag into the cupboard next to the patients’ filing shelves.
‘Are you going to see him again?’
‘I see him practically every day.’ Izzy straightened her skirt as she turned round. ‘In a town this size everyone sees everyone every day.’
Margie pursed her lips in a you-can’t-fool-me manner. ‘You know what I mean. Are you officially a couple? I know the gossip started the moment you showed up in town but that was Charles Redbank’s doing. He just wanted to make trouble. He’s never forgiven Zach for booking him for speeding a couple of months back.’
‘We’re not officially anything.’ Izzy resented even having to say that much. She wasn’t used to discussing her private life with anyone other than Hannah and even then there were some things she wasn’t prepared to reveal. Even to herself.
‘It’d be lovely if you stayed on a bit longer,’ Margie said. ‘Everyone loves you. Even that old sourpuss Ida Jensen thinks you’re an angel now that you’ve sorted out her blood-pressure medication. And Peggy McLeod’s thrilled you suggested she help start up the playgroup again. She’s already got a heap of toys and play equipment donated from the locals. She even got Caitlyn Graham’s boyfriend, Wayne Brody, to donate some. He dropped by a bag of stuff yesterday, most of it brand new. Wasn’t that nice of him?’
Izzy kept her features schooled, even though inside she was fuming. ‘Unbelievably nice of him.’
Margie glanced at the diary. ‘Your first patient isn’t until nine-thirty. You’ve got time for a coffee. Want me to make you one here or shall I run up to the general store and get you a latte from Jim’s new machine?’
‘I’ll go,’ Izzy said. ‘There’s something I want to see Sergeant Fletcher about on the way past.’
* * *
Zach was typing up an incident report on the computer at the station when he heard the sound of footsteps coming up the path. He knew it was Izzy even before he looked up to check. His skin started to tingle; it hadn’t stopped tingling since last night, but it went up a gear when he caught a whiff of summer flowers. He had gone home last night with her fragrance lingering on his skin. He had even considered skipping a shower this morning to keep it there. The way she had come apart in his arms had not only thrilled him, it had made him feel something he hadn’t expected to feel.
Didn’t want to feel.
He stood as she came in. ‘Morning.’ He knew he sounded a bit formal but he was having trouble getting that feeling he didn’t want to feel back in the box where he had stashed it last night.
His manner obviously annoyed her for her brow puckered in a frown and her lips pulled tight. ‘Sorry to disturb you while you’re busy, but I forgot to tell you something last night.’
Would this be the bit about how she didn’t want to continue their fling? He mentally prepared himself, keeping his face as blank as possible. ‘Fire away.’
Her hands were balled into tight little fists by her sides, her cheeks like two bright red apples, and her toffee-brown eyes flashing. ‘The toys you left for Caitlyn’s kids?’ She didn’t give him time to say anything in response but continued; ‘Wayne wouldn’t let her give them to the kids.’
Zach was so relieved her tirade wasn’t about ending their affair it took him a moment to respond. ‘There’s not much I can do about that. They were a gift and if Caitlyn didn’t want to accept—’
‘You’re not listening to me,’ she said with a little stamp of her foot. ‘Caitlyn would’ve loved them for the kids, I know she would, she’s too frightened to stand up to Wayne. But even worse than that, he passed them off as his own donation to Peggy McLeod for the community centre playgroup. He’s passing off your gift as his own largesse. It makes my blood boil so much I want to explode!’
He came round from behind the desk and took her trembling-with-rage shoulders in his hands. ‘Hey, it’s not worth getting upset about it. At least the kids will have a chance to play with the toys when they go to the centre.’
Her pretty little face was scrunched up in a furious scowl. ‘If that control freak lets them go. He’ll probably put a stop to that too. Can’t you do something? Like arrest him for making a false declaration of generosity or something?’
Zach fought back a smile as he rubbed his hands up and down her silky arms. ‘My experience with guys like him is that the more you show how much they get under your skin the more they enjoy it. Best thing you can do is support Caitlyn and the kids. Helping to build up her confidence as a parent is a great start.’
She let out a sign that released her tense shoulders. ‘I guess you’re right...’
He tipped up her chin and meshed his gaze with her still troubled one. ‘Do you have any plans for tonight?’
Her eyes lost their dullness and began to sparkle. ‘I don’t know. I’ll have to check what Max has got planned. He might want to hang out. Watch a movie or something. He gets lonely if he’s left on his own too long.’
Zach had no hope of suppressing his smile. ‘Then why don’t we take him on a picnic out to Blake’s waterhole? I’ll bring the food. I’ll pick you up at six-thirty so we can catch the sunset.’
She scrunched up her face again but her eyes were dancing. ‘I’m not sure Max has a pair of bathers.’
Zach gave her a glinting smile as he brought his mouth down to hers. ‘Tell him he won’t need them.’
* * *
Izzy spread the picnic blanket down over a patch of sunburned grass near the waterhole while Zach brought the picnic basket and their towels from the car. The sun was still high and hot enough to crisp and crackle the air with the sound of cicadas. But down by the water’s edge the smell of the dusty earth was relieved by the earthy scent of cool, deep water shadowed by the overhanging craggy-armed gums. Long gold fingers of sunlight were poking between the branches to gild the water, along with a light breeze that was playfully tickling the surface.
Zach put the picnic basket down on the blanket. ‘Swim first or would you like a cold drink?’
Izzy looked at him, dressed in faded blue denim jeans with their one tattered knee, his light grey body-hugging T-shirt showcasing every toned muscle of his chest and shoulders and abdomen. He looked strong and fit and capable, the sort of man you would go to in a crisis. The sort of man you could depend on, a man who was not only strong on the outside but had an inner reserve of calm deliberation. He was the sort of man who wasn’t daunted by hard work or a challenging task. The way he had moved back to the bush to help his father even though it had cost him his relationship with his fiancée confirmed it. He was a man of principles, conviction. Loyalty.
It made her think of Richard, who within a couple of days of her ending their relationship had found a replacement.
Zach, on the other hand, had spent the last eighteen months quietly grieving the loss of his relationship and the future he had planned for himself, devoting his time to his father and the community. Doing whatever it took, no matter how diff
icult, to help his father come to terms with the limitations that had been placed on him. He didn’t complain. He didn’t grouse or whinge about it. He just got on with it.
Zach must have mistaken her silence for something else. ‘There are no nasties in the water, if that’s what’s putting you off. An eel or two, a few tadpoles and frogs but nothing to be too worried about.’
A shiver of unease slithered down her spine. ‘Snakes?’
‘They’re definitely about but more will see you than you see them.’ He gave her a quick grin. ‘I’ll go in first and scare them away, OK?’
‘Big, brave man.’
He tugged his T-shirt over his head and tossed it onto one of the sun-warmed rocks nearby. ‘Yeah, well, that’s more than I can say about that roommate of yours squibbing at the last minute.’
Izzy feasted her eyes on his washboard stomach and then her heart gave a little flip as he reached for the zipper on his jeans. She disguised her reaction behind humour but was sure he wasn’t fooled for a second. ‘It wasn’t that he was scared or anything. He’s got very sensitive skin. He was worried about mosquitoes. One prick and he might never recover.’
Zach’s smile made her skin lift up in goose-bumps as big as the gravel they had driven over earlier. He came and stood right in front of her, dressed in nothing but his shape-hugging black underwear. He flicked the collar of her lightweight cotton blouse with two of his fingers. ‘Need some help getting your gear off?’
Izzy found it hard to breathe with him so deliciously close. The smell of him, the citrus and physically active man smell of him made her insides squirm with longing. His grey-blue eyes were glinting, his mouth slanted in a sexy smile that never failed to make her feminine core contract and release in want. Her body remembered every stroke and glide and powerful thrust of his inside hers last night. Her feminine muscles tightened in feverish anticipation, the musky, silky moisture of her body automatically activated in response to his intimate proximity. ‘Are you offering to do a strip search, Sergeant Fletcher?’ she asked with a flirty smile.
Flirting with the Socialite Doc (Mills & Boon Medical) Page 11
