True Bliss (Bliss #2)(35)
Author: B.J. Harvey

Remember the drooling at both ends text? Times that by one hundred and that was me, standing in the doorway staring at my date.

Which leads us to now, finishing up at the restaurant after an awesome meal. Zander really did well on the restaurant research. He has almost eliminated my last horrible restaurant dating story from my subconscious. I said almost.

Throughout the meal, he has been very attentive and sweet. Hand holding across the table, a touch here, a foot rubbing against mine there. And now my body is humming at such a high heat I’m afraid I’m going to combust if this man even looks at me the right way. I’ve never felt like this before. It’s never been this exciting, thrilling, and terrifying, all at the same time. Whatever he has planned next, I say bring it on. Whatever happens, by the end of the night, something is going to happen, three date rule be damned.

ZANDER

Tonight has been beyond perfect. All my planning has paid off, and Kate seems relaxed, happy, comfortable with me. It has been one of the best dates in my life. Honestly.

Checking my phone and seeing that it is only nine o’clock, I quickly rack my brain for somewhere else for us to go.

When we step outside the restaurant, I reach between us and grab her hand, spreading her fingers with mine and entangling them. She pauses, looking down between us before turning her gaze up to me, a huge grin on her face. But it’s not just a smile. There’s something more there. I hope like hell I’m not seeing things.

“I was thinking we could go for a walk around the park? I don’t know about you, but I don’t want this date to end just yet,” I say.

Kate grins up at me, her eyes sparkling in the street lights. “Me either. I’d love that, Zan.”

We start walking and she shocks and amazes me by wrapping her arm around my waist, ducking her head under my arm and cuddling into my side as we reach the park. God damn, she feels good in my arms. I knew she would, but the heat coming off her body is setting my mind into overdrive. I hear her sigh as I place my hand on the curve of her hip.

“Are you cold, babe?”

“Not anymore,” she murmurs, nestling in deeper.

Fuck, this is hard. Fuck, I’m hard. Her soft, hot as f**k body resting against mine, and of course my dick would think that it was on like Donkey Kong. All I want to do right now is get down on my knees and worship this woman. Or better still, get down on my knees, strip her naked, and worship her in a myriad of ways, some of which I probably haven’t even thought of yet.

Unable to stop myself, I lean down and kiss her on the top of her head, then smile to myself when I hear and feel her release a sigh of contentment.

We reach the center of the park, and I see a small clearing lined with tall trees. With the chance to get some privacy, I can’t stop myself moving in that direction. To my surprise, Kate doesn’t hesitate; she simply holds on tight to my chest and continues to walk with me. At the edge of the clearing, I stop in front of a large tree trunk. Putting my hands on her hips, I push her out slightly so that she’s facing me.

Those gorgeous blue eyes of hers look up at me, and I’m shocked when I see that they’re sparkling with dirty thoughts. In fact, they’re mirroring the exact thing that is going through my mind right now, I’m f**king sure of it. When I see her bite her lip and look down at the ground bashfully, I lose the ability to think with any part above my waist.

I move my body close to hers, slowly dragging out the moment until we touch again, loving the fact that she doesn’t shy away from me as I step toward her.

Lifting my hand up to her face, I push a wayward hair that has fallen across her cheek, sweeping my fingers across her warm skin as I tuck it back behind her ear.

“Do you know how beautiful you are?”

She shakes her head, and I see the blush crawling up her cheeks. God, I love that blush. It makes me want to trace my tongue along her collarbone and up the soft skin of her neck until she moans for more. What I wouldn’t give to have her coming apart under my hands as I take her to the edge over and over again. Shit. Back it up, Roberts. You’ll end this for everyone before you’ve even begun.

“Beautiful is not enough of a word to describe you. You’re electric, you’re alive and vibrant, and when you look up at me like that, you make me feel invincible. I’ve been staring at you all night, wondering how on earth I got so lucky to have met you, to spend time with you, to get to know you.”

I run my hand down her cheek, turning it over and trailing my fingers down her neck, holding a grin back when I feel her heartbeat racing under my touch.

“I feel lucky too. I thought you didn’t want me,” she replies softly.

I grit my teeth, and I can feel the tick in my jaw going crazy. She really doesn’t see herself how the world sees her, and it grates on me that my one moment of chivalry-that took every ounce of my self-control to do-made her feel unwanted.

Taking a step forward, I push her slightly backwards until her back is against the tree trunk. I know we’re alone in this clearing at the moment, and I know that what I’m about to do will push her limits more than I was intending to tonight. But it’s time my little firebird understood exactly what she does to me, and how much I truly want her.

Her little gasp as she realizes what’s about to happen spurs me on as I lift my hands to her jaw and move my mouth in close to hers, waiting just inches away and staring into her eyes as we breathe each other in.

“I’m the lucky one,” I say, peppering kisses along her jaw before circling my tongue just below her ear. Her head falls away as she offers more of herself to me. It’s taking everything I have to hold back. “God, you are sexy,” I murmur against the soft skin of her neck as I trail my tongue down to her exposed collarbone. I feel her body shudder against me.

“Zander,” she whimpers. “Someone could see us.” I lift my head and tangle my hand in her hair, my other hand possessively gripping her hip as I lean into her, letting her feel every inch of me.

“Let them see, babe. You’re beautiful, stunning, and I’d love someone to see that I’ve got a woman like you rubbing her body against mine.” I move the back of my hand down her neck, and around the swell of her gorgeous breast. Cupping my hand around her, I love how she fills my hands perfectly. What did I tell you? Every man’s wet dream and I’m the lucky bastard with her right now.

“Tell me to stop, Kate. I don’t want to push you too far.”

“I can’t stop.” Her voice is low, full of want and need. It is the sexiest sound I’ve ever heard. “Don’t stop.”

“You need to know the affect you have on me. You need to feel whatever this thing is that’s going on between us.”