Page 27 of The Sailor

“You have to be tired too,” she felt obligated to say. “You’ve been up at the same time I have each morning, and you’ve been working just as hard. How do your knees feel? Are they okay?”

“They’re fine. And I’d give up any amount of sleep to have the privilege of holding you while you rest.”

Marit was at a loss for words as to what to say to that. Had any man ever said something so sweet to her before? No. Not even close.

The stress of the day was gone. Melted away, forgotten in a haze of good food, good company, and this man’s arms around her. Sitting up, Marit adjusted so she was straddling Zach’s lap. Her knees easily fit on either side of his thighs in the big chair. As she’d thought, she more than fit in the recliner with him. Thankful for her small size for once, Marit put her hands on Zach’s shoulders.

“I’ve never felt safe enough to fall asleep in a man’s place on one of our first dates. And to fall asleep in his arms? Not a chance. But there’s something different about you, Zach Young. You make all my shields evaporate as if they were never there at all. You make me want to be a different person.”

“How so?” he asked, his gaze locked on hers.

“More direct about what I want.”

“What do you want?”

“You.”

Silence met her pronouncement.

Just when she thought she’d blown it, that Zach would think she was easy or promiscuous or something, one of his hands grabbed her nape. It felt as if his fingers could almost meet all the way around her neck, his hand was that big. He made her feel even more petite than she usually did.

“I promised you’d be safe with me, and I wasn’t just saying what I thought you needed to hear.”

“I know.”

“I want you too.”

Marit smiled at him, loving that she was eye level with him, sitting on his lap as she was. “So what are we going to do about it?”

“Whatever you want. I’ll follow your lead.”

“And if I want to lead you to your bed?” She felt his dick twitch under her. His reaction made her more confident. Made her want him more.

“Be sure,” he said in a serious tone. “I’m not playing around here. There’s something about you that’s different than anyone I’ve ever been with, Marit. And I don’t want one night. That’s not who I am. If we do this, we’re doing it because we both want more than a fling.”

Nothing he said turned Marit off. It was a relief to hear him admit the same things she’d been feeling about him. “I don’t want a fling either,” she assured him.

To her surprise, Zach scooted forward on the recliner with her still in his lap and stood. His hands went to her ass to hold her up, and she let out a little screech, then a laugh as he walked the few steps it took to get to his bed. He dropped her on the mattress, then quickly climbed over her.

Marit scooted backward until her head was on one of his pillows, and he followed right along until he was hovering over her on his hands and knees.

“Be sure,” he repeated.

“I’m sure,” Marit said. And she was. She’d never been as sure of anything in her life as she was that she wanted this man. Right here and now.

Without a word, he straightened and stripped his T-shirt off over his head.

Marit stared up at him, her mouth literally watering. The man was gorgeous. He had a smattering of dark chest hair, and every time he moved, his pectorals flexed. He undid the button on his jeans and unzipped them, pushing them down far enough that she could see those muscles inside his hips that most women lusted over, and the happy trail that led between his legs.

But he stopped there, much to her disappointment.

He sat back on his heels, not putting any pressure on her legs but pinning her in place nonetheless. “May I?” he asked, as his hands hovered over her chest.

Marit nodded eagerly, squirming a little under him in anticipation.

His hands went to her belly, over her tank top, and smoothed upward. They went over her breasts, to her shoulders, then he caressed her arms as he made his way down to her hands. He moved to her belly again but this time eased his hands under her tank, so he was caressing bare skin.

She sucked in a breath at the first touch of his calloused hands on her body. The same zing she’d felt when they’d first touched hands coursed through her. But this time it was more intense—and she felt it right between her legs.