WindSwept Narrows: #6 Eve Hastings Read online

  Zach looked over at her as he slid the key into place.

  “Eve? Are you okay?”

  “Me? I’m fine…really, really fine…” she answered softly, full lips pulled into a bow when he laughed.

  Zach turned slightly to face her, his palm up and touching her chin lightly.

  “Look at me, Eve,” he waited while she did as he asked, his finger drawn down her cheek. “Honey….what did you think was going to happen?”

  Dark lashes widened. “Zach…I’d ask you not to laugh, but I’m okay with your laughter, it’s nice. There’s a time line here…” She looked down at his fingers twining with hers. “Most of my life…then my decision…then I met you…then Chloe gave me the book,” Eve pushed a long breath between her lips. “I never thought about it…the…the behaviors I’d witnessed…seemed to back up the basic belief that it’s nothing more than a muscular contraction,” she glared at him, his laughter echoing in the car. “And…and for some men, it is nothing more than that. However…”

  “I think I’ll head us home now,” Zach chuckled and started the car.

  “I was never interested before,” she said honestly.

  “Where’s the book?” Zach asked.

  “On the shelf by the TV,” she looked at him. “You don’t need it. You’re very good at that…whole…”

  “I need to know what I’m up against,” Zach answered with another laugh. “And I don’t ever want to stop learning.” He paused a moment, reaching over and twining his fingers with hers. “You had no interest? None at all?”

  “Not for a very long time,” she said quietly. “I…logically, I know it was the scene with my father. But…I think I might not have felt it safe to trust men. You want to believe in honesty inside, but…then I got involved in the sex trade in Asian countries…” Eve exhaled sadly. “I spent so many nights just crying in anger, Zach. Believe me…it was probably safest for men to avoid me during that time. I was so furious…not just at the ones using the children, but at the ones who won’t do anything to stop it!”

  “How long did you and Sam work over there?”

  “Almost two years before things went…upside down. We kept out plans random and varied but…I still think they out bought us and got to one of our local resources,” Eve told him quietly.

  “Does your book talk about masturbating?” Zach asked carefully.

  “Yes…yes, it does…it’s a process…I haven’t gone there yet. Have you?” She looked over at him and saw the set of his jaw that said maybe it wasn’t a car discussion. “It must be easier for guys because of the…well, there’s an actual process…but for females…it’s more mind oriented with a lot of the body points that go so well together…I’ll get it figured out.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Zach allowed them to settle into that peaceful kind of quiet that surrounded them when they were together. She jumped radio stations and sang along, a sweet happy sound he knew he would always enjoy hearing. They ran to the house with full arms, the winds closing the door behind them with a slam and their joint laughter filling the room. Eve dumped his clothes on the bed and went to turn the fireplace on before digging in the freezer for something for dinner.

  Eve set her computer to music and settled down for a little gaming. Zach was working on setting up some shelves that had been in the garage. She had tried to help.

  “Zach…this is not…” Eve reached out and smacked what she could see from her upside down position over his shoulder. Then she grabbed for the belt loops on his jeans when he returned the smack. “You’re going to hurt yourself trying to maneuver those things on your own…why are you so stubborn?” She growled loudly, teetering when he set her on the floor and went back to the garage without answering.

  She watched him ‘walk’ the tall oak shelf into the house, rising and carrying a small towel and spray bottle to clean the shelves before he moved them into the room he was making into an office.

  “Why is that stuff in the garage instead of your car?” Zach dusted his palms over the thighs of his jeans when he came out of the back.

  “I haven’t found a way to get the stuff to the hospital thrift store and then I got busy with hiring and…” she made a face at the arched eyebrow.

  “After I pick out what I want, I’ll get the stuff moved for you, Eve. Send me the address it goes to and I’ll have a couple of my guys with a truck take it there for you…” he walked up to her, tipping her chin back with his palm. “My stuff is being brought here next week…I’ll add it to the garage and slowly sort through it. You see if there’s anything there you want before we get rid of it all and use the garages.”

  “I like parking under the carport by the front door and I always set my alarm.” She said when he opened his mouth to protest. “But you may park the pampered SUV in the garage,” she told him, moving quickly out of reach and into the kitchen. “Finish your moving, Zach…”

  Two hours later he had the furniture that had been scattered stacked and taking up a fraction of the space in half of one of the garages. He pulled the SUV into the double portion, nodding in satisfaction as the garage door closed behind him, the opener being worked onto his keychain.

  Eve looked up from the computer with a frown.

  “What?”

  She pulled out her phone and quickly snapped a few photos, chuckling when he glared and headed to the bedroom grumbling. He returned half an hour late in his sleep pants with a plain t-shirt on top.

  “That was a far cry from the vest and tie thing…” Eve said with a shake of her head.

  “When was the last time you were in that garage?” Zach looked at the food she was laying out, finding two wine glasses and pouring from the remaining bottle in the fridge. “Whatever it is, it smells delicious.”

  “Kind of Salisbury steaks with mashed potatoes and broccoli and a small salad,” Eve was satisfied and sat down to eat.

  “I’m definitely going to have to get back into running,” Zach said as he began eating.

  “I’m sure the things I cook are less calories than what you’d buy on the run,” Eve said. “I didn’t see much cooking type food at your apartment.”

  “I think I lived off fruit and coffee…and cereal…I like oatmeal or granola.”

  “I’ll find some when I go shopping this week,” she promised him, eating slowly. “You…” She stopped, searching for the words and knew he was watching her. “You aren’t as angry as you were…those first two times we met…”

  “I’m not angry at all,” Zach told her, surprised and uncertain what she was thinking about. “Something wrong, Eve?”

  “Wrong? Oh, no…” her head shook slightly. “I was thinking of our first meal. I know you were furious…I had hoped that food and music…” She looked up into his eyes. “You know…the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach and music soothes the savage beast…I figured I might need all the help I can get.”

  Zach laughed. “You kept throwing me off guard, Eve. Believe me, I wanted to and intended to be furious for the rest of my life.”

  “I’m glad you’re not,” she said quietly. “If…if you had…I mean if we couldn’t at least be friends…I would have given you the property, Zach. I don’t want it and what you’re doing in the reclamation is so very important to so many people. I just wanted you to know…I’m glad we can be friends.”

  “Sweet Eve,” he lifted her palm and carried it to his lips. “I’m glad we can be friends, too.” He drained his wine. “What about your plan?”

  Eve shrugged and began cleaning off the table. “It’s not so important. I’ve got a couple dozen kids I can play with every day, so it would be fine.”

  Zach carried his plates to the sink and took her hands in his. “Go into the bedroom. I put what I want you to wear on the bed. I’ll load the dishwasher.”

  “Zach…” Eve scowled at him pushing her, the socks on her feet sliding over the hardwood flooring. “My pans do not go in the dishwasher! Just…just put them in the sink
with hot water in them…”

  “Eve, go…” Zach turned her toward the dining room with a little shove.

  Eve vaguely listened to what was happening in her kitchen, her fingers turning the light on by the bed and eyes widening. She lifted the large towel and looked all over the bed.

  Nothing but a towel? A towel? Seriously? She sat on the edge of the bed, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

  Zach sat on the floor and pulled his shirt over his head, dropping it to the sofa and watched the long legs and bare feet come across the carpeting. He had a feeling her knuckles were white from the tension in her hands as they held the towel tightly in place above her breasts. It was a very large bath sheet and easily covered her to the middle of her thighs.

  “Eve…stretch out on your stomach…”

  Her lips were poised into a taut bow, her knees bending easily and resting on the thick mat of quilts he had prepared. She put one palm out and lowered herself to the floor.

  “Now you have to take off the towel,” Zach told her, a smile in his words.

  “I think you’re enjoying this,” she said quietly, leaning up and opening the lock she’d put on the towels, pushing the opening to the outside.

  “I…” Zach stopped when he pulled the towel free, his hand shaking slightly as he touched her middle back. “What happened, Eve?”

  She sighed and turned her face toward the fire.

  “They use thin bamboo strips to whip you with…all part of breaking your spirit,” she told him quietly. “Evidently I can be terribly stubborn.”

  Zach rose up and leaned at her side on his knees.

  “How do I begin?” He asked even as he allowed his eyes to take in the long, slender form.

  “You always stroke toward the heart. Upward sweeps…the pressure you use depends on the tolerance of the person you’re massaging. One hand and then the other or two together. You kind of find what works best for you from practice…” Eve tried to keep herself from gasping when his hands touched her, the scented oil gently massaged along her shoulders.

  Only when his palms were gently massaging her did he realize how very small she was outside her clothes. Every time his hands worked over the long scars on her back the word ‘mousy’ came to mind, the untouched anger in him wanting to cause serious damage somewhere.

  “Okay…this position doesn’t work,” Zach stood up and looked down at the long, slender form, the full rise of her behind, the narrow waist and very long legs. He moved to her feet, gently nudging them apart and sinking to his knees between her thighs. He lifted the bottle of oil and dribbled it over her lower back before she could protest his position. He recalled the way she had used her hands, the strokes and pressure. The anger seemed to evaporate when he heard the soft sigh ease from her.

  “How come you have pants on?”

  “Because, my sweet Eve…you set the parameters…and at the moment, having my pants off would be a serious threat to those parameters.”

  “Parameters?” She repeated, her hands beneath her head. It was definitely warm in here.

  “Tomorrow after dinner and dancing,” Zach reminded her, his palms moving along her sides in long, firm strokes before moving to her behind. He knew she heard his sigh when his hands began massaging, his fingers dipping now and then between her thighs before moving down each thigh. The dark enticing scent of the oil, the heat from the fireplace and the red glow of her flesh because of the oil were heady aphrodisiacs.

  “Oh…those…” Eve sighed and settled down. “This is much more relaxing than I thought it would be…”

  “I’m glad one of us is relaxed…” He looked up when she giggled.

  “This was your idea, Zach,” she reminded him.

  “Yeah…I think my sanity is slipping lately…”

  “You have very good hands,” Eve complimented with a long sigh. “Very soothing…”

  Zach sat back a short time later, his hands wiped on the towel before he stretched out beside her. He tapped lightly on her shoulder.

  Eve turned her face from the fire and rolled to her side. She saw her fingers shaking when she brought her palm up to his face, gently urging him closer until she was next to him, pressing against his chest. He was warm and solid. And she wanted him to touch her, hold her and kiss her.

  “You should be naked,” she whispered against his mouth, her hand moving to press heavily along his erection. A feminine thrill shot through her when his groan rippled from deep in his chest. “I like touching you, Zach…I like your muscles and the contrast between the hard and soft…I like this…” she raked her fingernails through the hair on his chest, drawing one nail down the center of his ribs and onto his stomach.

  “Eve…” Zach met the dark eyes when she pushed against his shoulders until he was laying flat on the floor.

  “It’s okay, Zach…you want to know why the book is such a good teacher of sexuality and sex? She’s funny…and honest…” Eve put her hands on the band of his shorts, opened the snaps and tugged them down his legs.

  She sat at his feet for a quiet minute staring at him. Then she moved carefully, slowly, up the length of his legs, her breasts dragged over him as she moved higher to stretch out on top of him. She felt his palms leave the floor and grip her waist when their chests were lined up, her elbows on either side of his head and mouth down softly on his.

  “This is nice…” she whispered against his mouth, one finger drawn along his jaw. “Can you open your eyes a minute…I promise not to hurt you…” She teased, relaxing when the corner of his mouth lifted.

  “You have no idea how difficult…” Zach knew he was grinding his teeth even as her pelvis rotated against him, making him even harder.

  “Shhh…it’ll be okay in a few minutes…I promise…but I have something I want to say first…”

  “I’m listening…it would be a lot easier if you didn’t…yeah…that…stop moving…”

  “No…it feels good…what I want to say…is that our friendship…our relationship….can not be based on scoreboards…” Eve saw her meaning register in his eyes. “I’m okay…seriously…honestly…okay. Perhaps it would be best for you to read the book and understand that I like what she wrote. Women are different in their needs…I like your touch…I really liked this morning…but not now. Not tonight…” she put her palm over his eyes and whispered. “Now close your eyes and relax…”

  Eve slid very carefully to the side. She gripped his palms and urged him onto his side, her body stretched out in alongside him, but with her head level with his lower body. She stared for a few long seconds, remembering what she read. It wasn’t something to be afraid of at all. Her tongue was out, stroking gently around him, learning the shape and feeling the strength as her hand moved lightly down his length.

  Zach was positive he was losing his mind. He felt the softness of her hair against his stomach seconds before her fingers began exploring. She was using both hands, soft delicate touches; gently lifting and caressing while her mouth toyed with the rounded head of him. His groan was loud, his body hardened even more as he watched her draw her tongue along the length and then back to the top. Feathery touches with her fingers and the occasional teasing of her teeth and tongue were too much.

  She continued her play for several long minutes, tasting and stroking him before Eve felt him stiffen. She felt his body begin to convulse and was prepared for it, her tongue swirling and stroking. She heard the deep, masculine shout, a long husky groan that filled her senses. She was patient, letting him finish before dropping a light kiss on his stomach and all the way up his chest until she lay in his arms, his palm on her head and their kiss long and slow.

  “I have got to read that book,” Zach whispered against her mouth, one last shudder racing through him. “And send a note to the author.”

  Eve laughed before sitting up and reaching for her towel. “I think it’s time to sleep, Zach.”

  Zach watched her stand up and wrap the towel around her before disappearing down the h
all. His head thumped back on the pillow for several long minutes before he kicked his sleep pants up and grabbed them in the air. He was still considering the changes in his life and outlook when he entered the bathroom, aware of Eve stretched out beneath the quilts.

  He turned the low light on next to the bed, reading for half an hour before sinking beneath the quilts. His palm ran lightly over her head, a soft murmur leaving her lips as she turned to him, fitting comfortably into his arm.

  “G’night, Zach,” Eve breathed thickly.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Zach doubted he would ever get used to the occasional way she bolted upright, barely breathing after the small scream she uttered. His hands gripped her arms and turned her to face him, his voice even and stern, ordering her to close her mouth and slow her breathing. Dark eyes met across the scant few inches seconds before her body collapsed against him. Within minutes she was fast asleep again, tucked safely next to him. She could keep the demons at bay while she was awake, but in her sleep, they returned to haunt her.

  Zach felt her stir next to him. It was barely six in the morning and he was awake, the scent of freshly brewed coffee had teased its way into his sleep. He frowned when he realized Eve was still cuddled next to him, stretching slowly and turning to face him.

  “G’morning,” Zach met the dark eyes and sleep tousled hair with a smile.

  “Hi,” was the mumbled response as she curled against his body with a shiver. “Is there snow outside?” She didn’t look when he laughed. His mouth brushed the top of her head and she sighed. “I guess it is morning…”

  “Which brings up the question…why do I smell coffee and you’re still in bed with me?” Zach felt his head bounce repeatedly on the bed, a sudden burst of exuberance sending Eve to her knees at his side. But only for a second before she fell across his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck.