After adjusting my b.o.o.bs in my push-up bra, I check my lipstick and grin when I hear the doorbell, then Zack coming inside. I love that he feels comfortable enough to make himself at home here.

"I'm almost ready!" I call out and stuff my lipstick, phone, and debit card in a small clutch bag then smooth my hands down my long, black fitted dress. It falls to my feet, but is strapless, so I added a simple necklace and earrings. My hair is held on my head with about fifty pins.

"Jesus Christ, Jilly." I turn to find Zack leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest, as his eyes take me in from head to toe. He's delicious in a dark gray suit and royal-blue tie. He's clean-shaven and his hair has been tamed, begging for my fingers to mess it up.

"You look fantastic." I cross the room to him and reach up to adjust his tie, although it doesn't need to be adjusted at all. I just want to touch him.

"You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He cradles my face gently in his hands and lowers his face to mine, tenderly sweeping his lips back and forth, barely touching them, and it drives me crazy. My thighs clench and I grab onto his tie, pulling him in closer.

"Say stuff like that and we won't leave my house," I whisper.

"I'm okay with that," he replies with a wolfish smile.

"I have lots to celebrate," I reply and pull away.

He holds my black peacoat up for me and then lifts me in his arms and carries me out to his truck so I don't have to trudge through the snow in heels.

"You're very chivalrous," I comment and plant a kiss on his cheek.

"No need to get your fancy shoes wet." He sets me in the truck and drives us to a restaurant that sits on the lake. It's one of the more expensive places in town, with white tablecloths and excellent food.

"Sw.a.n.ky." I wink at him as he leads me inside.

"I'm in a tie, sugar. And you're celebrating." The hostess guides us to a table in the corner, looking out on the lake. It's dark now, but the lights from the houses along the sh.o.r.eline reflect in the water.

It's romantic.

After taking our wine order, the waitress leaves us to read over the menu.

"So what, exactly, are we celebrating? I've been in suspense all day."

"Do you know Bryan and Whitney Peterson?" I ask. Zack frowns and moves his head side to side, thinking.

"I don't think so."

"They moved to town about a year ago, and started looking for a house to buy last summer. I've shown them fifteen houses, and they didn't like any of them. I think all of us had given up hope that we'd ever find the right one. Then, this morning, I saw a house that was just put on the market today, and I had a gut feeling."

"So you showed it to them . . ."

"And they bought it!" I announce and clap my hands. "They loved it. Jumped right on it. I'm so happy for them."

"Well done, baby." He smiles widely and clinks his wine gla.s.s to mine. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you." I feel my cheeks heat as the waitress returns to take our order.

"So what happens now?" Zack asks and takes my hand in his.

"Well, I already sent over their offer. There will be an inspection, and if all goes well, they should be proud new homeowners soon."

"Talk to me about your job."

I c.o.c.k my head to the side and think about his request. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything. Why you chose it. What you enjoy about it."

"I got into it because I like looking at houses. Always have. Maybe I'm just naturally nosy." I wrinkle my brow as I think about it. "So it seemed natural to sell houses. It's a puzzle."

I lean in, getting excited as I describe my job to Zack.

"Finding the perfect home for a family or couple is fun. Everyone has different expectations. Different needs. So, I enjoy talking with those I'm working for, get a feel for what they want, and find the perfect home for them."

"So it's about the people you work with."

"It really is." I nod as I think about it from that perspective. "When I'm working with a client, I speak with them frequently. Whitney Peterson and I email back and forth at least once a day. I develop a relationship with these people. Of course," I add and sip my wine, "some people are weird. Those I don't speak to as frequently."

"Your eyes light up when you talk about your job," he murmurs. "I love you, sugar."

I feel my eyes grow wide as I stare at this dear man before me and feel the floor drop out from under me.

Did he just say what I think he did?

He blinks, as though coming out of a trance, and begins to look embarra.s.sed, but before he can apologize or say anything else, I lean way out over the top of the table to plant my lips on his. He grips my wrists, as though grounding us both, and kisses me back with all of the pa.s.sion and love that were just in his eyes. I pull back just an inch and stare into his deep chocolate gaze.

"Say it again."

"I love you so much it hurts." He raises a hand and brushes his fingertips down my cheek to my jaw. "You are the most amazing person I've ever met, sugar."

"I love you too," I whisper. "And it scares the s.h.i.t out of me."

He kisses me again and suddenly I hear someone clearing their throat from beside us.

"Your a.s.s is in the air. You know that, right?" Zack asks.

I pull away and glance around the busy restaurant, which has now gone quiet. Everyone is watching us raptly.

"He just said he loves me!" I announce with a wide smile. There are smiles and cheers and applause. Zack laughs and stands to guide me back to my chair. From across the room, I can see my eighth-grade history teacher. "Hi, Mrs. Anderson!"

She waves and I turn my attention back to my handsome date. "Did you have Mrs. Anderson for history?"

"No."

"I liked her." I brace my chin on my fist and watch Zack happily. "What's wrong?"

"Absolutely nothing. Aside from your a.s.s being in the air for everyone to see for longer than I'm comfortable with."

"Who gives a s.h.i.t if anyone could see my a.s.s?" I shake my head and sip my wine. "My man just told me he loved me. I had to get to you as quickly as possible."

"And right over the top of the table was the quickest route?" He offers me a half smile, his brown eyes shining with happiness.

"Yes."

"Good to know." Our dishes are served and my stomach growls in antic.i.p.ation. "Hungry?"

"Oh my G.o.d, so hungry." I dive into my chicken marsala with gusto.

"Didn't you have lunch?"

"Yes, I ate a whole foot-long sandwich. I don't know why I'm so hungry lately."

"Speaking of feet," Zack says dryly, "Seth needs new boots. Since you have Friday afternoon off, do you want to ride with us to pick some out?"

"Sure," I reply and take another bite of food and then I remember my appointment. "Oh, c.r.a.p. I can't."

He c.o.c.ks a brow in question.

"I just made a doctor's appointment."

"Are you okay?" He lowers his fork to his plate and frowns at me, giving me his undivided attention.

"Oh, I'm fine." I take another bite of food and shake my head. "I have issues regulating my cycles, so sometimes I have to go in and have it taken care of."

He grimaces and then takes a swig of wine. "That's a little TMI, baby. A simple 'I need a checkup' would have sufficed."

"Sorry." I laugh and b.u.t.ter a piece of warm bread. "I need a checkup. But if you want to come to my place after, I can make you guys dinner."

"I think Seth is going to go to Josiah's for the night. They seem to be inseparable these days. Plus, Seth needs something to do. This whole being on winter break thing is getting old."

"Ready to go back to school, is he?" I ask with a laugh.

"Yeah, we're both ready. If I hear 'Dad, I'm bored' one more time, I might kill him."

I giggle and finish my dinner. "I doubt that. Does he go back Monday?"

"Yes, thankfully. But if Josiah's family decides to adopt him over the weekend, I won't put up a fight."

"I might put up a fight," I reply seriously. "I'd miss him."

"I love that you love my kid," Zack says softly and takes my hand in his, lacing our fingers.

"This wouldn't work if I wasn't fond of Seth, Zack. You're a package deal, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I know, and that's just one of the things I love about you."

"I like hearing that." The waitress returns with our paid check, and without another word, Zack stands and helps me into my coat and out to his truck.

"When I heard that we were celebrating, I asked Josh and Cara if they'd let Seth bunk with them tonight."

"Does that mean . . .?"

"It means," he says as he pulls into my driveway and cuts the engine, "that I don't have to race out of here in the middle of the night."

I smile widely and watch him with hungry eyes as he walks around the truck and lifts me out of the pa.s.senger seat and holds me close to him as he carries me up to the front door.

He sets me down and waits patiently while I unlock the door, step inside, and shed my coat. He's not speaking, and he seems calm, but there's a new intensity to him. When I turn around to face him, he's removed his suit jacket, and he backs me up against the wall without touching me. He pulls at his tie, loosening it, staring down at my lips, my eyes.

My b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

"Do you have any idea," he murmurs softly, "how f.u.c.king gorgeous you look tonight?"

My breathing quickens as he unb.u.t.tons the cuffs of his shirt and then down the front, pulls it out of his pants, and peels it off his broad, muscled shoulders and drops it to the floor.

"What are you wearing under that dress?" he whispers.

"Why don't you take it off me and find out?" I reply with a saucy smile.

"I'm going to touch you, Jilly," he breathes and barely drags the tip of his nose down my cheek to my neck. "I'm going to explore every amazing f.u.c.king inch of your body."

"Oh my."

"And baby?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep those shoes on."

I smile as his nose glides back up my neck to my ear. If the wall weren't at my back, I'd be on the floor because I'm pretty sure my knees gave out on me a while ago.

He wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me straight up off the floor, so my feet are dangling and his face is pressed to my throat. He's panting now, as turned on as I am. I want to cry out when my b.r.e.a.s.t.s press against his chest, but suddenly, he sets me back on my feet next to my bed and turns me away from him so he can lower my zipper. The motion is so f.u.c.king slow, I want to scream at him to hurry up.

"Zack, hurry," I whisper instead.

"Oh no. This isn't going to be fast." When the zipper is down, the dress falls and pools at my feet. "f.u.c.king A, Jilly, it's like unwrapping the most amazing Christmas present."

My lips twitch into a smile. "Can I turn back around now?"

"Not yet." His hands glide from my shoulders down to the hooks of my bra. He unfastens it and it falls away, making me gasp softly.

"Okay?" he asks.

"I'm a little tender," I reply.

"I'll be gentle." His hands journey down my back, my sides, to my hips, where he hooks his fingers into my black lace panties and tugs them down until they also pool at my feet. "I f.u.c.king love your a.s.s."

"It's a little round," I murmur and bite my lip when I feel him squat behind me, cup my a.s.s, and place wet, sucking kisses on either cheek.

"Perfect." He spreads the cheeks of my a.s.s and presses his face to my core, licking my p.u.s.s.y lips, up and down and back and forth, and I have no choice but to lean forward against the tall mattress.

"Holy s.h.i.t." I reach behind me to bury my fingers in his hair, but he takes my wrist in his grasp and holds my hand against the small of my back, rendering me helpless as he stands, and, keeping me pressed to the mattress and my arm behind my back, unbuckles his belt, and releases his pants. I hear them hit the floor with a clang and suddenly, he's guiding his hard erection through my folds and pushes inside me. I gasp in surprise and then moan with the intensity of it all.