“Better?”
“Somewhat. Know what would make them feel even better?”
“I’m afraid to ask,” he said, laughing.
“Feeding me some of that delicious smelling coq au vin. Did you know that’s one of my favorite things to eat?”
“Is it? Good. It’s very easy to make. You’ll have to make me a list of things you particularly like. If you can do it by tomorrow midday, I can relay it to Thom, and he can bring us anything we need that wasn’t already stocked.”
“How are you with shellfish?”
“I make a scallop risotto to die for.”
“Yum! I want that.”
“I’ll see that Thom picks up what we need,” he said, standing.
“Where are you going?”
“To get you that coq au vin.”
Zara watched him walk back to the kitchen. His jeans, while not tight, fit his butt as if someone had painted them on. She was quite certain he would win any contest for Fine Ass Friday. That ass, those muscular thighs and core were what made him such a powerhouse in bed. Her pussy clenched in anticipation of the night to come. She was quite certain she would feel each of those seven welts as well as the hand spanking that had preceded it but was just as certain Noah’s skills as a lover would make the pain the least of the things she felt.
She shook her head. Already, he knew her body as well, if not better, than she did. Yes, he was extremely dominant when they made love, but he was right—that was part of his allure. She’d really forgotten what it was like to be with a man who took command where sex was concerned. The thing that made it even better was he always ensured she derived just as much pleasure from the act as he did. Even when he was fucking her mouth, he managed to get her very aroused and hungry for his touch.
Zara watched him return and smiled.
“What’s that for?” he asked.
“Just thinking. I can’t decide which view is better—you walking away with your great butt or coming at me with that nice big bulge in the front of your jeans.”
“Wanton woman,” he scolded with a smile.
“Your wanton woman,” she replied.
“Damn straight.” He sat next to her, brushing his lips against hers.
Using the fork to spear a piece of chicken and vegetables, he dipped them in a bit of the sauce, then lifted it to his mouth to blow on it before offering it to her. She accepted it greedily.
“Oh my God, that’s good,” she exclaimed.
“Careful, you’ll make my head swell.”
Zara reached onto his lap and gave his package an affectionate squeeze.
“Which one?”
“Both,” he said, kissing her.
That was another thing she liked about Noah. He wasn’t stingy with kisses or tactile expressions of how he felt—although she could do with fewer displays of his discipline.
Zara couldn’t remember a dinner she enjoyed more. They bantered easily with each other as though they’d been lovers for years. There was an ease about Noah that captivated her every bit as much as the demanding alpha who had laid claim to her. She found him to be a quintessential warrior but also an incurable romantic with a wicked sense of humor.
“Do you ride?” she asked. “Finn says they have horses.”
“Yes, to both, and they also have mules. Do you like to ride?”
“Very much, but it’s been years, and I’m nowhere near as good as Finn.”
“Me, either. I’m not anywhere as good as Mac or Croft, but I like to trail ride. There’s a peace when you’re out in the wilderness—just you and a horse—and a certain clarity. My favorite time to ride is at sunrise. I try to find a place where I can watch the sun come up over the horizon.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Know what would make it better?”
She shook her head.
“To share it with you.”
Zara wasn’t sure why, but something about that simple gesture touched her deeply, and tears welled in her eyes.
“You don’t have to…” he started, misinterpreting the tears she was sure he had seen.
She came up off the couch and kissed him, not minding the pain that radiated across her backside as her ass came into contact with the seat cushions.
“No,” she said softly. “I was just thinking that sounded so amazing and like something you’d want to do by yourself. That you want to include me means a great deal.”
“You, Zara Hughes, mean everything to me.”
Zara didn’t trust herself to speak, so she pressed herself against him and kissed him again, darting her tongue into his mouth and inviting him to haul her into his arms and make her his once more. His tongue danced with hers, pushing it back to take control of the kiss and of the rest of her. She sighed and gave herself over to him.
Noah pulled her gently onto his lap and soothed her when she hissed when her backside made contact with his hard, jean-clad legs. He cradled her against him, so she was mostly on her side and began the tantalizing caresses she had come to crave in so short a time. His powerful fondling evoked sensations and tactile responses in a way no man before him had ever done. She gave herself over to his care with a sigh.
Zara was surprised when he didn’t lift her off the couch and take her to their bed, content to simply hold her and express his feelings in a demonstrative, caring, and sensual way. She didn’t doubt he wanted her; she could feel how hard he was. With the way he had laid into her earlier, she would have thought the pain would be a distraction instead of enhancing everything.
She realized how quickly she had come to revel in the feelings he invoked. He was infuriating, to be sure, but he was also intoxicating. She felt as though she were drunk on the lifeforce that was Noah.
Stretching her neck back, she offered her throat. He nibbled and kissed his way down its slender column, reaching up from the bottom of his shirt she was wearing. He briefly stroked her mons, and she spread her legs for him involuntarily. Noah’s hand moved up, skimming along her torso until he reached his destination. He fondled her breast and nipple, squeezing and kneading the fleshiest part, then zeroing in on its nerve center.
Moaning in response, she cupped his head and encouraged it to travel down and replace his hands. Noah unbuttoned her shirt, moving his lips to where she wanted. He sucked in her whole areola, then closed on her nipple to bite it gently, laving his tongue around the whole area, and suckled.
He stroked down her body, slipping between her legs and playing with her clit. Zara wasn’t sure which sensation was the keenest—his hand or his mouth. In any event, it wasn’t the discomfort from his harsh discipline that had her complete focus. Her breath caught as he increased his fondling, and she quickly found herself on the precipice of an orgasm. Noah’s thumb replaced his finger on her swollen nub, and his fingers briefly caressed her labia before penetrating her. Feeling him stroke her inner walls, Zara shuddered in climactic response to his handling.
“Noah,” she said in a breathy whisper, grasping his arm.
In response, he brought his mouth back to hers and drew her into a close embrace.
“Good girl,” he whispered.
“Bastard,” she responded, making him laugh.
He stood easily, still cradling her in his arms.