Brenda Jackson The Westmoreland Collection: ZaneCanyonStern Read online

  He felt the rise and fall of her chest. He’d missed this, her falling asleep in his arms. But what he’d really missed was waking up with her draped over him, their legs entwined on those nights when he had stayed at her place or she had stayed at his. Upon waking, they would make love again. And again. His body hardened at the memories, and his erection poked her in the backside.

  Zane noticed the movie screen. Although there was one more movie to be shown, a lot of people had already left. Half the number of cars filled the lot than there had been an hour ago. He glanced at the clock on the car’s dashboard. Was it after midnight already? This was a weeknight. A number of people would have to be at work tomorrow.

  In his mind, he tossed around plans for tomorrow. He didn’t intend to let a single day go by without spending it with Channing. He would ask her to ride with him to Richmond.

  She shifted in sleep, and the jacket covering her slid down an inch, exposing a plump breast and a juicy nipple. His mouth twitched, and the heat of desire rippled through him like a wave. The position wouldn’t have been so bad if he wasn’t inhaling her scent each and every time he took a breath.

  Deciding he should take a quick nap as well, he closed his eyes and rested his chin on her forehead.

  * * *

  “Wake up, sleepyhead. Time for me to take you home.”

  Channing slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times. Zane’s face came into focus. She then gasped when she realized she was naked in his arms with only his jacket covering her. She scrambled to move from his lap, but Zane’s hands tightened around her.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, his mouth quirking in a smile.

  “I need to put on my clothes.” She glanced out the window. The first thing she noticed was that the movie screen was black. The next was the absence of other cars. “Please don’t tell me we’re the last car here.”

  He chuckled. “Okay, I won’t tell you.”

  “Zane!”

  “Okay, we’re not the last but pretty close. I will admit we’re the only one on this row and the only vehicle that’s still parked. Everyone else is leaving.”

  “Then give me my clothes.”

  “Hmm, the idea of driving you home with you wearing nothing is tempting.”

  She frowned. “Don’t play with me, Zane. I need to get dressed before someone comes over here.”

  He smiled as he released her and watched her ease her panties up her legs and thighs before wiggling into them. The shorts were next. Then came the bra and tank top. He always liked watching her get dressed. As a doctor, she had to be prepared for any emergency, so she had a knack for dressing quickly when she needed to.

  Channing glanced over at Zane while running her hands through her hair. “What are you looking at?”

  “You.”

  “Shouldn’t you start the ignition so we can leave?”

  “In a minute.” He leaned over and kissed her.

  She frowned when he straightened and then started the car. His lips had been warm, and she could feel her bones turning to mush. Trying to ignore the way her belly was flipping all over the place, she asked, “What was that for?”

  “I want you to dream about me tonight.”

  She drew in a deep breath. At least he hadn’t suggested that he stay the night. Zane’s kisses were always the prelude to something else. Specifically, the prelude to more intense lovemaking.

  She didn’t say anything because her head was already filled with memories of what had happened earlier. No sex but a degree of kissing only Zane could deliver. As she focused straight ahead, they left the drive-in theater, and she recalled how he had stripped her naked and feasted on her body. Why did the man have such a skillful mouth?

  “I’m driving to Richmond this morning. You want to go with me?”

  Channing glanced over at him. “Richmond?”

  “Yes. Last year we sold a client in Richmond a couple of our horses, ones that I trained. I thought since I was in the area I would check on them. I talked to the guy yesterday, and he’s all for it. In fact, he wants to talk to me about buying several more.”

  Channing stared at him. When they’d been together before, he would often tell her about his work, but there had never been a time when he’d invited her to go with him on any of his business trips. She’d always hoped he would ask.

  “So will you go?”

  “I had planned to spend time on the beach tomorrow.”

  “We can do that on Thursday.”

  Her forehead bunched. He was making plans for them to spend even more time together? “When are you going back to Denver?”

  He shrugged. “It depends.”

  She lifted a brow. “On what?”

  “You.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you. I told you why I’m here.”

  “Yes, but I’ll be staying in Virginia for another two weeks. Surely you don’t plan to hang around here all that time.”

  He smiled over at her as he turned the corner into her beach community. “I don’t see why not.”

  Her belly flipped again at the idea of him wanting to stay here in Virginia to be with her. “Don’t you have work to do back in Denver?”

  “Yes, but I’m doing some of it here using my laptop. I’m going through files and purging a number of accounts we’ve closed over the past year.”

  She knew how much he detested any sort of administrative work, yet he was doing it. So he could stay here with her. Zane preferred working outdoors with the horses. Did being with her mean that much to him? She shook her head, rejecting the notion.

  “Channing? Ready for me to walk you to the door?”

  She blinked upon realizing she was home already. When she opened the door, he grabbed the basket out of the backseat. They had finished off all the food, and the only things left in the basket were the wineglasses and wine bottle. “Keep these for whenever we finish off the rest of the wine.”

  She didn’t say anything as she took the basket from him. He was beginning to sound sure of himself. Too sure of himself.

  Channing would have walked quickly to the door, but he held her hand, deliberately slowing her pace. He didn’t seem in any hurry, but she already had the key in her hand. “Thanks. Tonight was fun.”

  “Glad you enjoyed it, and about Richmond... You will take the drive with me, won’t you?”

  She swallowed as she tried to decide what she should do. “Yes, I’ll go.”

  He smiled. “Great. I’ll be here to pick you up around nine.”

  “All right.”

  He leaned in close and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Need me to check inside before leaving?”

  Channing shook her head as she opened the door. “No. I’ll be fine.”

  “Okay. But how about giving me a sign after you get inside that everything’s okay? I’m not moving the car until you do.”

  “Okay. Good night.”

  He smiled down at her. “Good night, Channing.”

  She closed the door, and after placing the basket in the kitchen, she went to the living room window and looked out. Zane’s car was still in the driveway. She waved to him and watched him wave back before he backed out into the street.

  She watched until he was no longer in sight. Then she went to the kitchen and pulled the wine bottle out of the basket, along with wineglasses. She poured wine into the glass that bore her name, thinking how pretty the glasses were and how thoughtful and touching it had been for Zane to buy them.

  Taking her glass into the living room, she eased down on the sofa, fully aware of what tonight had done to her. It had pulled Zane deeper into her heart. She couldn’t help but wonder if tonight had changed anything in his heart.

  Probably not. She hadn’t been the pusher this
time but instead had been mainly a satisfied recipient. He had been the dominating male who took charge, and she had let him.

  He needed to chill and let her handle things her way. Already he’d planned tomorrow for her, and if she let him, he would dominate the rest of her time in Virginia.

  Channing suddenly realized that the one thing she’d never done before in their relationship was to take control. Whenever they’d made love, he’d been the one to initiate it.

  Suddenly she had a plan.

  “Not so fast, Zane Westmoreland,” she muttered to herself. “Later today will be my time, and I intend to push you right off your feet.”

  * * *

  Zane tossed his car keys on the table the moment he entered his suite, feeling good about his date with Channing. The look on her face as she’d stood at the window and waved goodbye had been priceless. His stomach had clenched tightly at the thought of actually driving away from her instead of staying the night to finish what they’d started at the drive-in.

  It had been hard to keep driving without making a U-turn back to her. But she had set the “no sex” rule, and he’d given his word that he would adhere to her wishes. But like he had shown her tonight, he had no qualms about stretching the limits of that rule to his advantage whenever he could.

  He was about to toss his jacket across the chair when his cell phone rang. Pulling it out of his jacket pocket, he gritted back a curse. It was Megan. A part of him didn’t want to answer it, but with his luck, she would call Channing next and he definitely didn’t want that. He didn’t need Megan sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. How he and Channing decided to work things out was no business of his sister’s.

  He clicked on the phone. “What do you want, Megan? It’s late.”

  “I know what time it is, Zane. I had emergency surgery at the hospital and I’m on my way home. I also know where you are.”

  “And?” He braced himself for his sister’s tirade. Since marrying Rico, his emotionally detached sister had been showing all kinds of emotion. She’d become expressive as hell, and for someone who’d once prided herself on having self-control, the new Megan took a lot of getting used to.

  “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses.”

  He raised a brow. “Meaning?”

  “Meaning, I talked to Channing yesterday, and I believe it.”

  He paused to lean in the doorway that separated the sitting area from the bedroom. “Believe what, Megan?”

  “That you finally realize you love her.”

  Zane let out a relieved breath. At least his sister believed him. Too bad the woman he loved wasn’t there yet. “What made you change your mind?”

  “You would not have lied to Rico. You had no reason to do so. And then you dropped everything to fly out there to plead your case and surrender your heart.”

  “Yeah, for all the good it’s doing,” he said, suddenly feeling frustrated. He was glad his sister didn’t consider his actions suspect, but he still had his work cut out for him. Channing wasn’t making things easy for him.

  “Don’t give up, Zane. You hurt her, and she has to learn to trust you again. You have to give her a reason to believe in you. She has to know that she can win your heart fair and square.”

  “She’s won my heart already, Megan. I love her. But she doesn’t believe me because I made the mistake of telling her so many times that I didn’t love her.”

  “Um, like the boy who cried wolf. He cried it so long that when the real wolf came along, no one wanted to believe him.”

  “I know, and I only have myself to blame.”

  “Well, we’re all rooting for you.”

  He chuckled. “We?”

  “Yes, the entire Westmoreland clan. At least those of us who understand what true love is about. After loving Rico, I can’t imagine a person not being with the one person who has their heart. The one person they know will make them happy.”

  Less than an hour later, when Zane eased into bed and slid between the sheets, he thought of his conversation with Megan. He was grateful that she believed him. Now he had to make Channing believe.

  He smiled, thinking that in a few hours he intended to turn up the heat.

  Eleven

  “Ready?”

  Channing blinked at the sensations twirling around in her stomach.

  They could have been caused by the deep, husky timbre of Zane’s voice or by the way he leaned in her doorway, dressed in a pair of jeans and a chambray shirt, with his Stetson riding low on his head. His navigator sunglasses finished off the package, and she was convinced he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

  Why did his smile seem so luscious and sexy this morning?

  “Yes, I’m ready. Come on in,” she said, stepping aside. “I just need to grab my purse. I figure we can come back here later and eat dinner. I still have a lot of leftovers.”

  He took off his sunglasses. She could tell he was surprised by her invitation. “All right. Sounds like a plan to me.”

  She was about to walk off to get her purse when he touched her arm. “Not so fast.” He pulled her into his arms and let his gaze move up and down her body. “You look pretty.”

  “Thanks.” She had taken great pains to look nice today. From the appreciative look in his eyes, she knew it was worth it. His desire caused goose bumps to form on her arms. “And you look nice yourself.”

  They stood for a moment, staring at each other. Channing could feel the heat and the charged air between them. She couldn’t help but remember what had happened last night at the drive-in. Those same memories were what had kept her up most of the night as primal needs ripped through her.

  She absently licked her lips and heard Zane’s breath catch. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  Instead of answering, he held her gaze. She felt the fire in every part of her body.

  “Nothing’s wrong, baby. In fact, everything is right.” He drew her close and lowered his mouth to hers.

  If he thought she would resist, he was wrong. Channing even stretched up on tiptoe to meet his mouth. His hands went around her waist, and she grabbed his massive shoulders, pressing her body against perfect abs and muscular thighs.

  But what made her breasts throb was the engorged bulge pressing hard at the juncture of her thighs.

  If he needed to be pushed, then she would push with all the strength she could muster.

  She hoped she wasn’t making a mistake.

  Nothing, and she meant nothing, was better than the way Zane’s mouth mated with hers. He relished her with a hunger that made her moan deep in her throat and made her wet between her legs simultaneously. A sense of intimacy that she’d fought for the past day overtook her, had her needing sexual fulfillment as much as she needed her next breath.

  When her body began to quiver, he slowly pulled his mouth away and stood holding her until the last shiver left her body. As if to satisfy her one last time, he licked his tongue across her lips before nibbling the corners of her mouth with his teeth. Tingles swept through her.

  “If we don’t leave now, we’ll never get out of here,” he whispered against her lips. “My self-control is slipping, and I’m tempted to say to hell with your ‘no sex’ rule, lift up this sundress and ease inside of you.”

  She could imagine it happening. Her body was ready, aching for the feel of his shaft thrusting in and out of her. She was intensely aroused and knew there was no way he hadn’t realized it. He was very acute when it came to that.

  “Um,” she said, backing out of his arms. She needed to put some space between them. “Excuse me for a minute.”

  “Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

  She moved toward her bedroom, but before opening the door and stepping inside, she paused and glanced over her shoulder. He stood ther
e, looking so incredibly sexy that the sight was an assault on her senses in every way.

  “If you prefer that we spend the day here doing nothing, our plans can be changed, Channing.”

  She was tempted. Boy, was she tempted. But she wanted to go with him to Richmond and do something with him she’d never done before... She wanted to see a part of his life he’d kept from her. “No. I’m looking forward to going to Richmond with you.”

  “All right.”

  Lust surrounded them, but she was determined to change all that lust into love. More than anything, she wanted to believe that she could.

  “Need my help, Channing?”

  She blinked upon realizing that she’d been standing there staring at him like a dimwit. She had wanted to change into new underwear, a special pair just right for the heat building between them. Suddenly, she could see him kneeling before her and easing her panties down her legs, helping her into a new, lacy pair. She opened her mouth to tell him that she didn’t need his help but then decided it was time she tested his control.

  “If you like.”

  She saw the heat that flared in his eyes. “Yes, I would definitely like.”

  Channing nodded before continuing to her bedroom, and he followed. She moved to the dresser and pulled out a pair of black lace panties. She held up several. She knew that was his preference.

  A smile curved his lips.

  She closed the drawer and brought the pair of undies to him. He took them from her fingers and slowly knelt down in front of her. Reaching out, he ran his calloused hands up her dress and between her legs. The contact with her skin had blood rushing through her veins.

  Channing met the dark, heavy-lidded eyes gazing up at her, saw how his control was being stretched. His jaw clenched tight, and his nostrils flared while he eased her plain panties down her legs. She could hear the intensity of his breathing, and her breasts felt tight. When her panties were down to her knees, his hand paused, and then heated fingers inched back up between her legs to caress the folds of her womanhood. She drew in a quick breath when he slid two fingers inside of her.

  “Zane...” His name eased from her lips. An intense desire stirred in the pit of her stomach when he stroked her. Automatically, her inner muscles clenched as his fingers gave her a sensuous workout. Then, as if he’d merely wanted to remind her of what gifted fingers he had, he withdrew his touch. She watched as he took those same fingers, wet with her moisture from her body, and inserted them into his mouth. He sucked hard, as if relishing the taste of her nectar.