“G-green,” she managed, but her knees jerked, testing the ankle restraints. Zoe mewled at the fierceness of his thrusting fingers…and the precision. Colin was hitting her G-spot, and a spot for every other letter of the alphabet. An orgasm hit her like a storm, more sudden and deep-seated than anything she’d ever experienced. She cried out his name and bucked, contracting around his strong hand, riding the long, crashing waves of pleasure so intense, it left her light-headed.
When her spasms finally ceased, Colin removed his hand. “Are you okay?” he murmured.
She nodded against the bed. “Yes.”
“Do you want me to release you?”
She hesitated, flexing her hands and feet to test her circulation. Then she lifted her head and smiled in his direction, wishing she could see him. “Only if you’re finished.”
In response, he left the bed. For a few seconds, Zoe panicked, thinking she’d said something wrong. Then she heard the sound of a condom package being ripped open. And then she was being engulfed by his big warm body. He kissed her, exploring her mouth with his tongue while the tip of his cock teased her clit. Zoe moaned into his mouth, and kicked at the ankle restraints in frustration.
Colin broke the kiss. “Is this what you want?” He moved his hips a fraction, inserting the knob of his stiff shaft into her.
Zoe moaned and clenched around him. “Yes…please…now.”
With a guttural noise, he buried himself inside her, filling her completely. Zoe gasped, longing to wrap her arms around him, to feel the muscles in his back. But with his weight on top of her, the restraints pulled tighter, applying more pressure, the tension just short of pain. Colin pumped into her like a machine, dropping hard kisses and bites on her collarbone, the hair on his chest teasing her sensitized nipples.
The onslaught to her senses began to coax another climax from her belly. She clenched around him, meeting him thrust for thrust as the tremors in her midsection began to consume her. From his ragged breathing, she knew he was also nearing the end, and the knowledge spurred her passion even higher.
She climaxed with a full-body contraction, wrenching against the straps that pulled her in all directions, tightening around him like a spring. “Oh, Colin…Colin…yes…yesss.”
With one powerful thrust, his body shuddered like an earthquake between her thighs. He bellowed his satisfaction against her neck and pulsed inside her for long minutes as their hearts thumped against each other. Cloaked in darkness, Zoe was disoriented. For a while she felt as if she were floating, suspended in air. Then she felt the coverlet at her back, the bindings on her limbs, and her equilibrium slowly returned. Once their bodies had quieted, he withdrew, still breathing hard, and removed her blindfold.
Zoe blinked into the sudden light, shocked and excited by the image of her bound body, his nudity covering hers. The intensity in Colin’s hooded green eyes gave her pause, but it was the flutter of her heart that planted a seed of worry in her mind.
In the middle of their lovemaking, she had unconsciously compared Colin’s techniques to Kevin’s, and found Kevin wanting. And now this strange sense of exhilaration came over her when she looked at Colin. Was she starting to have feelings for this man?
Then, thankfully, his gaze turned teasing. “For a moment there, I thought I might have a heart attack.” He pushed himself up and discarded the rubber, then quickly freed her wrists and ankles. From a nearby closet, he removed two white spa robes and extended one to her before shrugging into one himself.
Zoe sat up, determined to keep the mood light. “And what would I have done?” She pulled on the robe, rubbing a reddened wrist.
He retrieved a jar of lotion from the nightstand, unscrewed the lid and dipped his fingers inside. “You would’ve had to gnaw your way to freedom,” he said, his eyes twinkling. Then he picked up her arm to massage the cool white lotion into the skin where the straps had left marks.
Zoe stared at his hands, so large and strong, yet so gentle. Neither one of them spoke while he moved to the other wrist, then administered to both ankles. Her heart swerved crazily in her chest. It was the most intimate moment she’d ever shared with a man. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome,” he said, and for a split second, that intensity was back in his eyes. He flashed that disarming smile. “I’m ready for some nourishment. How about you?”
She nodded enthusiastically, hoping this strange feeling in her stomach was simply hunger.
After they ordered room service, Colin poured them both another drink and made small talk. Zoe kept waiting for awkwardness to descend, but he was at ease and confident and she was happy to follow his lead. It made her feel very adult, that she could indulge in her sexual fantasies with a man who took it in stride, without labeling her as strange or lascivious. And without making her feel the least bit threatened.
“So…what are your plans for tomorrow?” he asked lightly.
Zoe shrugged. “Nothing definite, but I’d like to visit Manly Beach before I leave, so I might take the ferry over.”
Colin handed her another “extra dirty” martini, thick with olive juice and studded with olives. “I have a better idea. I’ll take you to Manly on my boat.”
“That’s not necessary—” she protested.
“We’ll make a day of it,” he cut in congenially. “It’ll be great fun.”
It would be fun, she conceded. But spending the day on a boat with Colin in the open air and sea seemed too much like a date, and their arrangement was supposed to be strictly about sex.
“A boat has lots of ropes,” he added with a wicked smile.
Zoe’s mouth curved in relief that he, too, was mindful of their agreement. And she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t titillated by the prospect of being bound to this man’s mast. “What time do we set sail?”
10
ZOE HAD NEVER SEEN SO MUCH rope in her life—white rope, striped rope, nylon rope, cotton rope, thin rope, thick rope. Rope tied to cleats, rope tied to sails, rope tied to the dock and rope simply lying on the floor of the boat tied in neat bundles.
Colin grinned up at her where she stood on the dock. “For the record, on a boat, rope is referred to as line.”
Zoe’s midsection tightened—her body responded to him as if a bell had sounded. Considering their lovemaking session the night before, she marveled that she could be aroused so quickly, but so far, no matter how sated she was, she still wanted him. Even accepting his strong hand to steady her as she stepped down into the sparkling white sailboat gave her a thrill.
From the desire that smoldered in his eyes, Colin was also affected by their nearness. “Later I’ll show you how to tie a few knots,” he murmured, his voice teasing.
“I’ll take you up on that, Captain.”
His laughter carried over the breeze blowing. She wished she could have taken a picture of him at that moment, smiling wide, his eyes bright, his blond hair wind-ruffled. He was so handsome, he made the breath hitch in her lungs. Dressed in blue swim trunks and T-shirt, he looked every inch the athlete that he’d been most of his life. Her mouth watered to ask him about his past, but she’d been the one who’d insisted that they not ask each other personal questions. Instead she swept an approving glance over the boat named Horizon Bound. “How big is it?”
“She is about ten meters long,” he said cheerfully. “Boats are female, you know, to keep a lonely sailor company when he’s out on the water.” He pointed up. “Her sail is about three meters. Big enough to be a comfortable ride, but small enough for one man to handle alone. And there’s the outboard motor if the wind fails me.”
So he often went out on his boat alone? As soon as the question materialized, Zoe chided herself—it wasn’t any of her business. And maybe he manned the boat alone even when he had company. Or, considering his wealth, he probably had a larger boat for entertaining.
“Do you swim?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“How well?”
“I’ve had lifesaving training.”
“Excellent. Maybe we can stop and take a dip along the way. You did wear your cossie, didn’t you?”
She squinted. “Excuse me?”
“Bathing suit,” he clarified, grinning. “No worries if you didn’t. We’ll just find somewhere private.”
“I’m wearing it,” she said with a laugh. “But I was hoping to actually make it to Manly Beach.”
He pouted, then nodded toward a small open door. “You can take your bag belowdeck and look around if you like. There’s a head if you need to use it.”
Zoe carefully descended the narrow steps to the cabin. To her left was a small bathroom—the head. To her right was a bench seat and a foldaway table. Past the bathroom was a tiny kitchen with a sink and miniature appliances. Straight ahead through another door was a bed that ran wall to wall—big enough to sleep two, she couldn’t help noticing. It was close quarters, especially for a man of Colin’s size, but more than adequate for a day’s outing. And it was another glimpse into Colin’s lifestyle, one totally foreign to her.
From her bag, her cell phone pinged, indicating she had e-mail. Zoe sighed and pulled out the phone, glancing at the subject lines as the notes downloaded. Three more messages from her mother, two concerning changes to the reception dinner seating chart, and one about the florist.