Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Los Angeles, California

24 Months Earlier

FINN HELPED Zo out of his Jeep, and with his hand resting lightly on the small of her back, he walked with her to the elevators. The condo's parking garage was brightly lit, which was great for security, but the intimacy that had been building between them during the evening had largely dissipated.

"When you said you wanted to go dancing, I didn't expect big band."

Zo pushed her hair behind her shoulder. "Regular dance clubs are too frenetic, and they leave me exhausted. The Anacapa Club is more relaxed. Dreamier."

The elevator arrived, and Finn waited for Zo to enter before following her and pressing the floor for her condo. Dreamier. Did that mean something? Finn had been trying to read her since earlier this evening when she'd made her appearance from her bedroom. The black dress hugged her curves, giving him hope, but it also had long sleeves, a high neckline, and the hem ended right above her knees, and he couldn't be sure it meant a damn thing. Maybe sexy, but prim was how she always dressed when she went out. It was the first time they'd gone anywhere that required something more than jeans.

He rolled his shoulders. Fuck it. He said they'd go at Zo's pace, and they would. He could be patient, especially for her.

Sharing space with her for a week and a half had made it clear how well they fit each other. They'd worked out together, cooked together and cleaned up afterward, and they talked. A lot. He never ran out of things to say to her, and he never became bored. Maybe he'd followed Zo to LA because he'd known it would be like this between them. She was as introverted as he was, she liked to read as much as he did, and she was happiest staying home. Like he was.

Their biggest difference so far, was how cautious she was about their relationship. They'd shared a lot of kisses, but as soon as he'd tried to take things further, Zo retreated. He got it, and when he needed a reminder, Finn would think about San Isidro. They'd both lost control, and it hadn't taken much. If she wasn't ready for sex, then stepping back early was the smart choice.

Their hands brushed, and Zo linked her fingers with his. Such a simple gesture shouldn't affect him as strongly as it did, but this was his loquita—everything she did impacted him.

"You're a good dancer," she said. "I didn't expect that."

"One of my foster mothers was a dance teacher." Finn stroked Zo's hand with his thumb and felt her shiver.

The doors opened on their floor. Zo didn't let go of him. Instead, she led him out of the elevator until he fell into step beside her. The hall wasn't as brightly lit at this time of night as it was earlier in the day, and her pace was slow, almost an amble. She leaned into him when they reached her unit, waiting for him to unlock the door.

They'd left a few strategic lights on, and the space was softly lit. Finn locked up while Zo walked deeper into the condo. Damn, she had legs that went on forever, and the heels she had on made them seem even longer. His gaze traveled up, admiring the sway of her hips and the way the dress clung to her ass. He took a deep breath and then another, dredging for some self-command before following her.

Zo met him, her arms sliding over his shoulders until her fingers stroked his nape. In heels, she was only a few inches shorter than he was, and Finn loved the hell out of that. His lips brushed across hers before he went back for a longer, deeper kiss.

He kept his hands at her waist, cognizant of the line she'd drawn, but he was already starting to get hard, and with her body plastered against his, she'd notice and back off. His control should be better—it always had been in the past—but not with Zo. With Zo, his senses were deep in sheer bedlam.

Finn broke the kiss. He figured he had seconds before she backed away and said good night, and while he might not get to take her to bed, he wasn't ready for the evening to end. Not yet. "Want to dance?" he asked, voice thick.

For a moment, she stared at him and then asked, "You want to dance? Now?"

"No." He struggled to leave it there but lost the battle. "I want to strip us both naked, throw you on the bed, and spend the rest of the night making you come."

She appeared stunned, but instead of pulling away, Zo's lips quirked up. "I like that idea better. Let's have sex instead of dancing. Do you have condoms?"

Had she said what he thought he heard? "Yes. Are you sure, loquita?"

"Positive." She stepped back, but instead of walking away, Zo took his hand and headed for the hallway to the bedrooms. They passed his room, the other bedrooms, and her office. The master suite was at the end of the hall, and she didn't release him until they were inside her sanctuary. She'd left a few lights on here, too.

Checking out the space was instinctual, but the second scan was born from curiosity. The suite was enormous with its own fireplace, a sitting area complete with a television, and the king-size bed faced the windows, giving him an incredible view of the lights of Los Angeles. Most of the room was sandy beige, but she'd gone with Caribbean blue as her color here. The stack of books on the coffee table in front of the sofa made it pretty clear that this is where she hung out—she'd spent time in the living room the past couple weeks to be with him.

In a split second, he had all the details, and he returned his gaze to Zo. She'd moved out of arms' reach, and her fingers were interlaced at her waist. She appeared nervous, and it was the last thing he wanted. Curving his lips, he said the first thing that came to mind. "I like this. Much more peaceful than the guest room."

She smiled in return, some of the tightness leaving her shoulders. "I like color"—she indicated the blue couch, chairs, chaise, and bedspread with a sweep of her hand—"but I also wanted to sleep."

"As opposed to your guests."

"Hey, the green wall is behind the bed. You're facing the neutral one. If you can't sleep, don't blame it on me."

"Loquita," his voice dropped lower, "my restlessness is 100% your fault." Her tension returned, and he worked to rein himself in. One obvious reason for her apprehension came to mind immediately. Damn it. "It's not a problem if you changed your mind. Just let me know, okay?"

"I haven't changed my mind."

Finn raised his brows. "I can see your anxiety."

She huffed out a long breath. "It's not because I've changed my mind, it's because this is a big step. I don't take sex lightly. "

He had to swallow hard to clear the lump in his throat before he could speak. "I don't take what's between us lightly either, Zo."

This got him another small smile. "I know. It's part of what makes me nervous." She moved close enough to take his hands in hers. "I want you, Finn. I'll let you know loud and clear if that changes. Now, about those orgasms you promised me…"

He tugged her closer, freeing his hands to rest them on her hips. Zo was outspoken, and if she promised to say something, she would. "Yeah, let's get started on that."

Despite her assurances, Finn held on to his restraint. He wanted her with an intensity he'd never felt before, and if it made him uneasy, it would scare the hell out of Zo. "You,"—he nipped at her bottom lip—"have been driving me,"—he ran his tongue over where he'd bitten her—"out of my head since I first saw you."

Slowly, as if he weren't burning for her, Finn kissed and nipped his way from her chin and along her jawline until he reached her ear. Her long hair was loose tonight, and he splayed his hand through the side to move it out of his way.

He left his fingers tangled in her mane and fought off a shudder. One of his fantasies, while he'd been in prison, had involved her hair flowing free like this. Pushing aside the memory to focus on the now, he nibbled her lobe and traced the edge of her ear with his lips before returning to her mouth. Zo opened for him, and Finn dipped inside. A little tease before he bit her chin.

Her gasp made him struggle to maintain his shaky self-command. Damn, she shredded his restraint without even trying. He kissed her mouth again, savoring the taste of her.

His control teetered even more as she pressed her hips more firmly into his and tugged the tail of his shirt free from his trousers, her fingers stroking his bare skin. Stepping back, Finn shrugged out of his blazer and tossed it on the chaise lounge. The dazed expression on Zo's face and the fever in her eyes killed the rest of his self-command. Finn didn't bother opening every button on his shirt. He only hit enough to pull it over his head. It landed near the chaise and his shoes and socks ended up next to it.

Zo took a step back when he started toward her, stopping Finn in his tracks. "Do you want to call it a night?" He sounded strangled.

"No, I want to continue." There wasn't any hesitancy in her voice. "I haven't seen you without a shirt since you nearly tackled me in the bathroom at the inn. I was admiring the view." Zo closed the distance between them. Her fingers stroked his sides, his stomach. "I want this. I want you . Go faster."

"I can do that." He found the zipper beneath the fall of her hair, and he slowly lowered it until he reached the end, past the small of her back. The dress was so tight that he had to peel her arms free to lower it to her waist. "You are wearing a bra. I wondered."

"Yep." Zo reached behind her back, opened the hooks, and let it drop.

The groan started low, originating from somewhere deep inside his core before reaching his vocal cords. Finn watched her lips curve, but he also saw her swallow hard. Her nerves were returning. Reaching out, he lightly stroked her tight nipple with the knuckle of his index finger. Zo's eyes half-closed, and she shivered from pleasure, so he did it a second time.

Finn reached out, planning to pull her against him again, but he became distracted by her smooth, bare skin. He wanted the dress off of her.

With his hands on the inside of the garment, he swept them down, touching as much of her as he could as he maneuvered the fabric until it fell to the floor. She stepped free, half turning as she did so, and the shreds of control he'd held slipped away. "Damn, loquita, if I'd known you were wearing a G-string, I would have embarrassed both of us on the dance floor."

"I thought about going commando."

The expression on her face told him she'd deliberately said it, that she wanted to tease him, but it didn't matter a damn.

Finn stepped back and worked on regaining control as he unbuckled his belt. Stepping out of his slacks, he left them in a heap on the floor. His cock was so hard that the head had pushed past the waistband of his briefs. He needed her under him. Soon.

"Turn for me. Please?" he added to soften the order. Finn wanted to see all of her, to appreciate every inch of the woman who left him wild with want.

The request made her uneasy, he could see that, but she turned, arching her back slightly to make her ass stick out more. He cupped one cheek, his fingers sliding between her thighs before stroking her. Zo was wet, and Finn's lips curved. They hadn't even done much. Yet.

He moved, pressing his cock into her ass while fighting the urge to grind against her. Zo leaned into him, her head falling back on his shoulder. He angled her face for a kiss. She was the one who rolled her hips against him. "You're killing me," he muttered, but he went back for another kiss before she could reply.

Leaving one hand around her waist, he moved the other up to stroke her breast. She gasped against his mouth as he pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

"I planned on more foreplay than this." Finn cupped her sex, running his finger under the G-string and finding the center of her pleasure. He circled his fingertip lightly over it, hardly touching her.

She put her hand over his, encouraging him to press more firmly as he stroked her. "We've had weeks of foreplay. It started in Puerto Jardin. "

Zo had a point. They'd been building toward this every time they were together. The hell of it was that there were a thousand things he wanted to explore with her, but he wasn't going to get to any of them. "We have all night," he said, talking more to himself than her.

"At least that long." Zo freed herself and pivoted to face him. "Think we can make it to the bed?"

It was iffy, but Finn swung her into his arms and moved before he lost that sliver of command. When they were next to the bed, he set her down on her feet. She was still wearing her heels, and combined with the G-string… Finn closed his eyes and fisted his hands, taking a few deep breaths. He heard Zo moving, but he didn't dare look. Not when he was so close to coming.

When he thought he could handle the visual of his loquita, he opened his eyes again. She'd pulled down the covers, stepped out of her heels, and was now standing next to the bed, watching him. Her eyes were hot. Finn pushed his briefs down and proceeded to rid her of the tiny scrap that passed for panties.

In the next heartbeat, they were pressed against each other, their mouths open as they devoured each other. "Loquita. Need you."

"Condoms," she said, stopping him before he lowered her to the bed.

"Yeah." Cursing silently as he crossed to his blazer, Finn pulled one out of the breast pocket. The rest of the box was in the guest room. Later. He'd get those later.

He opened the thing as he crossed back to Zo. Not wanting to wait any longer, he started to roll it on as he walked. The interruption had been annoying, but now that he had a minute to cool down, he was grateful. He might not be able to give Zo the long lovemaking he'd planned to wow her with, but at least he wouldn't get off in two seconds.

Zo was in bed. Finn's lips quirked. Yeah, he might last four seconds. He crawled in beside her, and with a shaky hand, he cupped her face before leaning over for a kiss.

She'd tensed again. Damn. Finn eased back. "You can still say no."

His loquita growled at him, baring her teeth. "I'm not saying no. I want you. I'm nervous, that's all."

"Let me see if I can fix that."

Finn gave her mouth another kiss before working his way down her body. He paused briefly at each breast and her navel, but he wasn't in any condition to linger. He licked his way between her legs. Zo jumped when he ran his tongue along the seam of her sex. Her legs fell open, giving him more room.

Another time, he'd tease her. Another time, he'd go down on her until she'd had so many orgasms, they'd blend into each other—another time, but not this time.

Finn had to use his hands to hold her hips steady as she writhed, but he didn't let up.

Not until she was on the verge of coming.

Zo's groan of protest as he pulled away was cut short when he kissed her. Then slowly, carefully, and with sweat beading on his brow, Finn slid his cock inside her. He kept himself braced above her, watching her eyes, but the unease didn't return. Instead, she arched, taking him faster. They both gasped when he bottomed out.

After giving her a moment to get used to him, he started to move. She met his thrusts, her hands clutching his shoulders, and brought her legs up, wrapping them around him. It allowed him to go a fraction deeper and he groaned. "So good, Zo."

"Finn." His name was little more than a breath, but he heard it. Felt it in his soul.

He'd pushed her close to coming before entering her, so it didn't surprise him when she arched hard against him. Finn worked to make sure Zo's orgasm was as long and intense as possible. As she started to fall from the peak, he stopped fighting for command and let himself enjoy the squeeze of her body around his.

His orgasm was powerful enough that his brain exited his body. When it returned, he realized he'd collapsed on top of Zo. Her hands were stroking his back, soothing him. Finn pressed a kiss against her throat, content in a way he'd never been before. After years of searching, he'd found home.

Zo was his home.