I forced myself to open my eyes. “I probably shouldn’t.”
Her hand stilled on my face. “Oh. Well, that’s okay. It was a long day.”
“It’s not—” I scrubbed a hand over the back of my neck. “I just…I have some things I need to do at home.”
A small crease formed between her brows. “You don’t need to explain. I get it.” She pressed the button on her seat belt, releasing herself. “I’ll see you at work. Good night, Maccie.”
“Good night, Zara.”
She climbed out of the truck and shut the door with a soft thud. I stayed where I was, hands gripping the steering wheel, watching her cross the yard. The porch light flicked on automatically, bathing her in a soft gold glow. She looked over her shoulder once and gave me a small wave.
I lifted my hand back.
She reached her door, dug her keys from her purse, and bent slightly to fit the right one in the lock, and all my muscles went taut.
My chest felt like it was being hollowed out with a dull spoon. What was I doing sitting here? Going home now or later wasn’t going to hurt any less, and sure as the sun would rise in the morning, I knew I’d regret driving away.
“Fuck it,” I gritted out.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I killed the engine and shoved the door open. Gravel crunched under my boots as I crossed the yard in long strides. The night air bit at my lungs, but it did nothing to cool the heat roaring through me.
Zara spun around, eyes wide, the door cracked open behind her.
“Cormac?”
I kept walking, colliding with her, pushing her back, my arm snagging her waist. She inhaled sharply, grasping my T-shirt in her fists. Our bodies melded, her head tipped back to see me.
Kicking the door shut, I spun her around and pressed her against it. She blinked up at me with surprise, but no fear or hesitation.
“Zara.”
That was all the conversation needed. She pushed up on her toes, and I leaned down, our mouths meeting somewhere in the middle. This time was different. Her lips parted on a groan. I slipped between them, and the sound she made went straight to my bloodstream.
Her fingers twisted the fabric of my shirt, dragging me closer even though I wasright there. I braced one hand beside her head against the door, the other sliding from her waist to her hip, hauling her flush against me. And god, did she feel so damn good. All sleek, curvy lines, soft in all the right places, smooth strength in others. I was a foot taller, but there was nothing awkward about our fit. We found a way to make it work without any thought or negotiation.
Teeth scraped. Breath tangled. My name broke from her mouth in a whisper. I pulled back just enough to look at her. Her pupils were blown wide, lips swollen, chest rising fast.
“This what you want?” I asked. I had to. This mattered.
Instead of answering, she tugged my shirt up over my head and tossed it somewhere into the dark.
That was answer enough.
Her laugh was breathless and wild as I kissed her again. And when I shifted forward, we stumbled away from the door together, my shoe catching on the edge of a rug.
“Careful—”
We bumped into the side table. Something clattered to the floor and shattered.
“Shit.” I turned to see what I’d broken, but Zara caught my face with her hands then my lips with hers, making me forget anything else.
She let out a gasp when I lifted her, her legs wrapping around my waist. My hands slid under her thighs, gripping tight as I carried her forward.
We made it three steps before I hit the back of the couch with my knee. Another couple steps, and I bumped her coffee table then bounced off the corner of a wall. I barely felt any of it. Not with Zara’s mouth on mine, her in my arms, her hands roving my torso.
The house was dim, lit only by spillover from the porch light through the front windows and a thin strip of moonlight cutting down the hall. That was all we needed.
Her shirt came off somewhere between the hallway and her bedroom door. I wasn’t sure who’d removed it, but it didn’t matter. Her skin against mine was the most important part.
