Holy fuck, he was. Thanks to my car being a low-slung coupe, his face met the apex of my thighs perfectly. Both hands held my ass, keeping me in position. I couldn’t move, even if I wanted to. I pressed my hands flat onto the hot roof, anticipation burning in my veins.
I felt his breath first. It seared my flesh, and I trembled. He hadn’t even touched me, and I was weak in the knees. The flick of his tongue made me moan. He licked a teasing path up and down, skirting around my clit, no matter how much I tried to push my hips forward. He was playing with me, and I luxuriated in it.
He closed his mouth around my clit and sucked. A myriad of sensations bombarded me and all my nerve endings erupted. I whimpered. The sound dragged from my throat, and I clenched my fists on the roof. I was a heartbeat away from coming, and I wouldn’t have cared if a busload of tourists had parked next to me. I was blind and dumb, only aware of the pleasure Zack spun out of me.
I didn’t notice one of his hands moving, but a long finger slid inside me and I cried out, clenching around the digit, my hips bucking as though they had a mind of their own. He tortured me, kept me hanging on the edge while he lapped and licked, his finger lazily sliding in and out.
I’d never handed control to my lover before. It scared me how right it felt.
The dark part of my soul pushed my fears aside and concentrated on what he was doing. His finger pumped harder and curved to hit my sweet spot, and the breath stuck in my chest.
Another suck to my clit sent me spiraling headfirst into my climax, and I sagged as the tremors wracked my body, unable to stand by myself. He’d done it again. Reduced me to a liquid mess in a public place. My eyes were shut tight, and I sucked in a ragged breath before I dared open them.
I blinked in the bright light and scanned the car park. Still empty. What was it about this man? Why was I so reckless with him?
With Zack’s arms around me, I felt invincible. I sighed, fully sated and reluctant to move, and leaned down to press a series of tiny kisses along his stubbled jaw. He pulled my skirt back into place, smoothing it across my bare ass. Where were my panties? Oh yeah, on the ground. I took a deep breath and leaned down to pick them up, only to see Zack reaching for them. I held out my hand but he shoved them in his pocket.
My mouth fell open. A myriad of thoughts jogged before me, but no words actually made it to my tongue.
He shrugged. “They’re covered in gravel.”
Rather than burning up with embarrassment asking for them back, I tried to appear nonchalant and stared into the distance, as though admiring the view. He’d taken my panties. That was sexy and outrageous at the same time.
It was a while before I could speak again. “So why did you want to come up here? What’s special about this place for you?”
In reply, he snagged my hand and scrambled out of the car, then tugged me to follow him, walking to the very edge of the car park. A waist-high metal barrier was there to stop small children and dogs from running toward the cliff, but the grass extended for several yards before it became dangerous. “Come on. Up here.” He patted the barrier, then picked me up and swung me up to sit astride it. The width of a stair banister, I could balance easily, and I watched in amusement as Zack vaulted right over it. He beckoned me to join him and then turned to stand with his back to the barrier, with me nestling in his embrace.
“Now turn around, baby. I’ll hold you.”
The view was breathtaking. Without the barrier in the way, I had an unobstructed sight of the cliff dropping to the sea so very far below. The sun beat down on us, creating sparkles in the water and bouncing off the cars on the highway. From here they looked like toys. I laughed, delighted, and Zack kissed the back of my neck.
“It feels like the top of the world.” His hands rested on my waist, strong and firm. “Did I give you a good new memory, Holly? Something to remember me by?”
Chapter Fifteen
Zack drove carefully down the hill, and I tried to focus on something else. I had to get some groceries, but apart from making sure my brother was okay, and walking the dogs, I was free for the afternoon.
I traced little circles on Zack’s thigh with my finger, enjoying the solid strength of his muscles. He scooped up my hand and kissed the palm. “Come back to my place?” I nodded, my cheeks warming under his intense gaze. His focus shifted back to the road, but he kept hold of my hand. “You said you have some errands?”
With an effort, I tried to remember my shopping list. “Yeah. The little shop in the village is fine.”
He flashed me a filthy grin. “I need to buy condoms.” I squirmed in my seat, instantly wet. Oh yes, please. Lots and lots of them. When I waved him good-bye tomorrow, I wanted to be so well shagged that I ached for a week. Would my heart ache for longer?
When he’d held me at the top of the cliff and asked if he’d given me a good memory, I’d wanted to say so many things all at once, and so I said nothing. The moment was too powerful, too intimate, to sully with bad jokes. I’d grasped his hands and leaned back in to him, and just felt. I’d never forget that. In years to come I’d remember the feeling of him behind me, the world spread at our feet.
Lost in thought, I glanced up and realized we were almost home. I directed him to the corner shop, and we walked inside, hand in hand. Like a heavy overcoat, his somber mood wrapped around him once more. I would do everything I could to distract him today. I saw his reluctance to let me go, but I slipped free, grabbed a wire basket, and went to get the food I needed, leaving Zack to buy some condoms.
As I scanned the rack of eggs, looking for the free-range ones, I felt a prickling at the back of my neck. Pausing, I glanced over my shoulder to see Zack gazing at me. The raw emotion on his face stole the breath from my lungs.
There was a long moment where we just stared at each other, and then he strode toward me, claimed the basket, and took my hand. “Nearly done?” His voice was gruff, but the brief kiss he dropped on my knuckles was tender.
The shop was just a few minutes drive from Jasper’s house, and it was with a spring in my step that I led Zack in through the back door. He carried the milk, while I had the eggs and a loaf of bread. Jas would be fine without me for one night. I’d tell him I’d come back for dinner and to walk the dogs, but would be out tonight with a friend. But was Zack a friend, or just a lover? A one-night random hookup?
Jas leaned against the counter, staring blankly at the garden when we walked in. He straightened and turned to us, a dazed look on his face that worried me. “Hol.” His voice trailed away when he saw Zack. Frowning, he stared at the man by my side. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”
“Don’t think so.” Zack placed the milk carton on the table and held out a hand to Jasper. “Zack Winter.”
“Jas Clarke.” They shook hands, and Zack flashed me a puzzled glance.
“You have different surnames?”
“I didn’t change back after my divorce,” I said, volunteering no more than that. Eager for a diversion, I moved to the fridge and opened the door, ready to stash the groceries, but Jasper caught my arm.
“I got some bad news, sis.” He swallowed and then rubbed his eyes. He looked terrible, pale and shaken. Fear rattled around my stomach, and I stared at him. What could possibly have happened now? “A friend of mine has died. I can’t believe it. I only just picked up the text telling me about her. I’m trying to find out when the funeral is.”
A horrible sense of foreboding settled in my chest. Was he talking about Marnie? “Who?” I breathed. Please let it be someone else.
“Marguerite. She worked in the café by the station.”
My split second of relief was punctuated by Zack clearing his throat. “My sister’s funeral was earlier this morning.”