Page 40 of The Perfect Blend
I quickly looked away, trying to calm my racing pulse. But Zach just chuckled, the sexiest sound I had ever heard and murmured, “Why don’t you come join me on the sofa, Robin.” But the slight rasp in his voice gave away how my perusal had affected him.
I slowly made my way over and perched next to him, wine glass still gripped in my hand.
“I asked Sharon if she could take care of Beanie overnight,” I said, finally remembering that he had actually asked me a question, before I had become completely distracted. “I refused to promise not to do anything she wouldn’t do.”
He turned his body to face mine and raised a brow. “I’m glad. I wouldn’t want you to have to break your promises.”
My core clenched at the idea, and my mind continued to conjure up filthy images. I smiled and filled my voice with innocence as I said, “Oh I don’t know, I think I’d like to see you try and persuade me,” I watched his eyes darken at the thought, and raised my glass in the air toward him. “To a successful market, and a successful team,” I said. He clinked his glass to mine.
“To us,” he agreed, and we both took a sip.
Outside the wind picked up, and I imagined the freezing storm pressing against the glass beyond the curtains.
“It really is just like the song,” I said, thinking of us acting out ‘Baby it’s Cold Outside’ and now having a drink beside the roaring fireplace.
“I always felt kind of odd about that song,” he said. “It's such a cosy christmas classic, but depending on who’s singing it and how, it can sound kind of …”
“Yeah, I get that. But it didn’t feel off just now when we were, well, speaking it.”
“No,” he agreed, smiling. “It didn't.”
We sat in companionable silence for a while, sipping our wine and watching the fire together, before we decided to raid the record collection. The next few hours were a delightful blur of nostalgia, wine, good company and cosiness. Under it all, that attraction between us simmered away. We danced badly to old songs, sang along heroically to christmas favourites, and kept an ever burning fire fed. It was my idea of the perfect time.
We ended up sitting right by the fire, wine glasses empty and forgotten on the side, gesturing as we argued and laughed over fire building techniques, just like we used to as children.
“No, no, no, no!” I said. “You’rebefuddled. It might look pretty at first but laying it like that just doesn’t pick up fast enough. You want to lay it to have a roaring fire in no time, so my way is the best.” We were sitting shoulder to shoulder, I could feel his warmth through my shirt. The wine had made me bold and I let my eyes linger on his face. For the 100th time today, I noticed just how gorgeous he was. Face a little red from the heat of the fire, firelight dancing in his eyes, he looked delectable.
“Okay,” he said, and I was startled out of my staring.
“Okay?!” He’d never said ‘Okay’ in all our years of debate.
“Okay,” he said, leaning only a little bit closer, but that little bit was enough to ignite something in me to rival the fire next to us. “I’ll surrender. You were always right and I’ll admit it freely, forever, if you give me just one thing in exchange.”
My mouth suddenly felt dry, and the world seemed to hold its breath.
“And what would that be?” I asked slowly.
“Just one kiss,” he murmured, and my eyes floated down to settle on his full, sculpted lips.
“Just one?” I breathed. “What a shame.”
He brought his hand up from where it had rested on the floor, gently skimming up my body setting every nerve on fire till he gently cupped the back of my head.
“Well,” he said, voice low, “we can negotiate.” His lips came down on mine and I came apart. I slid my arms past his shoulders and pulled myself to him as he kissed me with passion, one strong arm holding firm around my waist. A good job, too, as without his support I might have melted into a puddle on the floor. I had thought the kiss at the pub had been perfect, but this was even better. Every touch had an electric charge to it, our motions became more passionate as we spurred each other on, finally giving in to the profound chemistry between us.
∞∞∞
The next day I opened my eyes to a bright winter's morning. It took me a moment to work out where I was, and then a small smile tugged at my face and I sighed in contentment. I was lying in the old king size bed in the master bedroom at the farm. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, illuminating the faded old wallpaper and ancient carved bed. The door in the corner wasn’t quite straight, and the floorboards curved towards the middle, but to me it was perfect. Years I’d spent as a kid wishing I could wake up every day on the farm. Even if it was for only one night, I would always treasure it, though I prayed it wouldn’t be just a one time thing.
I was naked under the covers, but it was toasty and warm, namely due to the human radiator whose arms I was still wrapped up in. But, while I never wanted to leave the cocoon I was currently snuggled in, I knew I needed to get up soon as I had to use the bathroom. I smiled secretly to myself and basked in the feeling of the strong arms curled around me, the hard chest to my back and the unmistakable feeling just below that. I turned around in his arms, looking up at his face as he began to wake drowsily. Just as handsome in the cool morning light as he had looked last night in the warm glow of the fire, I was feeling unmistakably smug.
“Hey,” I whispered.
“Morning,” he replied, voice deliciously low and rough from sleep.
“As much as I’d like to stay and explore this,” I said, hand skimming down his hip, delighting in the little shiver that ran through his body in response. “I really need to use the bathroom and it’s bloody freezing out of these covers. Do you have a dressing gown and some slippers I could borrow?”
I had forgotten how damn cold this house could be. Zach pressed a kiss to my forehead and, with a groan, pulled himself out of the bed. I was not ashamed to enjoy the view. He picked up a bundle of fabric and scooped up some slippers and smirked when he noticed me taking all of him in. He deposited the things by my side of the bed before diving back under the covers, putting his cold feet right on mine.
