Page 40 of The Cinnamon Spice Inn (Maple Falls #1)

THIRTY-THREE

MADISON

Madison felt the heat of his hands through the thin fabric, but it wasn’t close enough. There were benefits to being with a man who worked with his hands all day. And in that moment, Madison wanted to feel those callused hands all over her soft skin.

She lifted her arms for him to tug the sweater off over her head. And then her lips were back on his. She cupped the back of his head, holding him steady so she could kiss him.

“How… are you… so perfect?” he asked between kisses. “So… beautiful.”

Madison reached behind her back, her fingers fumbling slightly before she unclasped her bra and slid it off, tossing it aside without hesitation. The cool air brushed against her skin, causing her nipples to tighten, or maybe it was because Zach’s eyes darkened as he took her in.

“Perfection,” he said.

His hands were slow, deliberate as they traveled down her stomach, his fingers brushing her skin in a way that sent sparks dancing along her nerves.

He paused at the curve of her waist before sliding back up, his touch leaving a trail of warmth in its wake. When his hand cupped her breast, Madison’s breath hitched, and her body instinctively leaned into his touch.

Zach lowered his head, his lips brushing a featherlight kiss across her chest before he took her nipple into his mouth. The sensation was electric, his tongue swirling in deliberate, torturous strokes that made Madison’s back lift off the couch.

She moaned softly, her hands tangling in his hair, holding him close. Suddenly Zach scooped her up as if she weighed nothing. Madison let out a startled laugh, the sound bubbling up before she could stop it.

He didn’t have to travel far, laying her back on the ottoman, the sheepskin throw beneath her. Madison’s hair spilled over the back of the low bench, her arms stretching above her head.

Zach slowly peeled her jeans off and she looked up at him. There was no shyness, no uncertainty. Only desire. She wanted this. She wanted him.

Zach dragged the ottoman closer, his movements slow and deliberate. He sank onto the couch, his hands resting on her thighs, spreading her open before him. Madison shivered in anticipation.

He bent forward, his lips brushing over her inner thigh before dipping between her legs. Her head fell back, a gasp tearing from her lips.

Every nerve ending lit up, every coherent thought obliterated, as Zach’s mouth worked its wicked magic.

She fisted the soft sheepskin throw beneath her, her knuckles aching from the strain as wave after relentless wave of pleasure rolled through her body.

Zach was thorough, always had been. He knew exactly how to draw every ounce of pleasure from her, and he remembered all the ways she loved to be kissed and touched, as if no time had passed at all.

“Zach…” she whimpered, her voice trembling as the pressure built higher and higher. She didn’t want to let go yet, didn’t want to give in so soon. But Zach was persistent, his tongue and fingers working in perfect harmony, pushing her closer to the edge with every deliberate stroke.

Her body tensed.

And then she shattered.

Finally. And my God, it was worth it.

Beyond anything she could have dreamed of, bigger than anything she had ever experienced.

Her climax ripped through her with a force that left her gasping for air, a broken cry of his name spilling from her lips.

Pleasure consumed her. For a moment, she literally couldn’t even remember where she was—only that she was in his hands, his arms, his orbit, and she never wanted to leave.

Zach chuckled, his lips pressing two soft kisses on either thigh before pulling back. The sound of his laughter—low and rough, filled with satisfaction—sent a fresh wave of heat through her. And she knew there was more.

“Come here,” he murmured, scooping her up in his arms.

Zach carried her over to the four-poster bed, setting her back gently against the pillows like she could break.

Madison was still breathless, her heart slamming wildly against her ribs.

“Why are you still dressed?” Madison asked, her tone playful as she moved to sit up.

“Trust me, I’m about to fix that,” Zach replied, his voice thick with want.

He unbuttoned his jeans and stepped out of them, taking his boxers along with them.

Madison sucked in a breath because, good God, he was beautiful. All lean muscle, bronzed skin, and hungry eyes locked on her like she was the only thing he needed in the whole world.

She came up onto her knees, meeting him halfway.

“There,” she whispered, pulling him in for a kiss. “That’s better.”

Zach groaned low in his throat, letting her guide him down onto the bed with her.

Madison loved the weight of Zach on top of her. The feel of him pressing her back into the mattress. She parted her legs and reached down to guide him.

Zach stilled, his forehead resting against hers.

“You sure?” he asked, voice hoarse, strained with restraint.

“I’m sure,” she breathed.

Still, he paused, giving her that look—the one that said he would stop if she even hesitated.

“Please,” she whispered, body full of need.

That was all the permission he needed.

Madison gasped as he slid into her, slow and thick and deep, filling every inch of her until there was no space between them anymore.

Her body stretched to take him, welcoming him like he belonged there.

He did belong there. He always had.

Zach cursed low under his breath, his forehead pressed against hers as he stilled inside her, giving them both a moment to feel it, to feel everything.

“I knew you’d feel good,” he said, his voice filled with wonder. “You always felt so good.”

“You feel even better than I remember,” Madison confessed, her body melting into his.

“Is that so?” Zach replied, rolling his hips just right, drawing a moan from her lips.

He leaned down, kissing her slow and deep, his fingers threading through her hair.

Every stroke of his hips, every grind of his body against hers, sent her spiraling higher and higher.

She was going to fall again—she could feel it building, wild and inevitable.

“Come for me, Madison,” Zach murmured, his voice rough and commanding. “Let me feel you.”

He leaned back just enough to slip a hand between them, his thumb tracing deliberate circles over the sensitive nub between her thighs. His other hand found her breast, pinching and rolling her nipple in rhythm with the growing tension inside her.

Madison came apart, her body convulsing around him, clenching so tightly that Zach lost control too.

He groaned her name like a prayer, thrusting once, twice, and then he was spilling inside her, his body shuddering with release.

They stayed like that for a long moment, tangled together, their breathing rushed.

And for the first time in a long, long time, Madison felt whole again.

She didn’t know what tomorrow would bring.

But tonight, Zach Whitaker was hers.