Rhythm of My Heart

forgot to breathe too.

“Eve.” He held her gaze. “I’ve slept with hundreds of women. I can’t hide from that, can’t pretend I haven’t. It’s part of who I am…or rather, who I was. And yeah, some of those people were Australian. But—” his voice softened, “—but I can promise you that before tonight I have never made love to an Australian.” His eyelids drooped sensually. “Never wanted to…until I met you.”

Something in her chest lurched. “Zachary…” She couldn’t finish. Didn’t know what to say.

“What we did together? That wasn’t just sex. Not by a long stretch of the imagination.”

And just like that, he put the spectacular back into their sex.

She smiled at him. “We hardly know each other. How could we possibly have made love?”

“Lady, you’ve seen inside my head. You’ve lived through an experience that changed my life. How could you possibly say you hardly know me?”

“I experienced a child’s emotions. You’re a man now. It’s different.”

He laughed, a hoarse, soft chuckle. “Yeah? Well it was the man who made love to you. The man who tasted you. Who lost control inside you. The man who ripped himself wide open, showing you his soul as he came.”

Damn it, this man was dangerous to her heart. “Be careful, Mr. Pace. Carry on talking like this, and I might not let your red-haired future anywhere near you when she finally makes an appearance.”

Zachary blinked, and his eyes creased with displeasure. “Can you please not do that?”

“What? Keep her from you? Uh, I think we both know that would be impossible anyway, what with her being your destiny and all.”

“No. I mean can you please not keep bringing her up?”

“Uh…”

“She might be my future, Eve, but this is my present. And it’s a present that’s all wrapped up in you. I’m with you. The last thing I want to do is think about another woman.”

Stunned by his words, she placed her hand between her breasts, over the edge of her scar, and rubbed.

His concern was instant. “Does it hurt?”

“No.” Not anymore anyway. “It’s not that. It’s just… It’s just that every time you say something like that, like…like you’re all wrapped up in me, my chest feels funny. It’s as if my heart forgets how to beat properly.”

His eyes twinkled. “Is that a bad thing?”

“You make my heart skip a beat. Often. You tell me if it’s a bad thing.”

He took her hand from her chest and threaded his fingers through hers. “It’s the best thing I’ve heard in months.”

He said something else, but Eve didn’t hear him.

Her hand tingled. Electricity shot through her arm. Spots danced in front of her eyes as the world around her darkened.

Bam!

A punch of desire hit her in the stomach, so fierce it took her breath.

Want her, she thought. Want her so bad I can’t stand not to touch her.

That wasn’t her thought. Wasn’t her desire. It was Zachary’s. Adult Zachary’s.

Wanna sit back on my throne and haul her with me.

The adult Zachary stared across the backstage chaos, focusing all his attention on the beguiling makeup artist.

Wanna strip every stitch of clothing from her body, pull her onto my lap and let her take us for the ride of our lives.

He narrowed his eyes, watched her, didn’t take his gaze off her. Couldn’t.

Everything went black. The tingles ceased. So did the electricity.

“…so fucking stupid of me.”

Her hand was free.

“Eve, baby, come back to me.”

She opened her eyes and found herself lying on her back with Zachary kneeling over her, his hands in her hair, holding her head up.

The zing of Zachary’s acute desire left her heart pounding and her breath uneven. A low-grade ache pulsed in her pussy.

“Ah, fuck. Thank you, God.” His eyes danced with panic. “You okay, Tiny? You back here with me?”

“I’m okay.” Her voice was a soft murmur. She couldn’t manage more than that.

“Dizzy?”

“Mm. Yeah. Just gonna lie here a while.”

Gently he laid her head on a pillow.

“Take your time. Get your bearings.” His hands feathered over her hair. “I lost you for a minute there.”

She lifted her hand, intending to show him why, but her arm was heavy as a concrete slab and fell back to her side uselessly.

“I know, I know. I tried to hold your hand.” His tone was apologetic, worried. “Wasn’t thinking. I’m an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot. It felt nice.”

“I thought so too, ’til you zoned out on me. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. It happens.” She closed her eyes, rested a moment. “Zachary?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ve never heard of a throne before.”

“A throne?”

“Yeah. Your drummer stool.”

“You saw my throne now?” He sounded confused.

“Uh, not really. I saw you thinking about your throne.” Well, technically, she hadn’t seen him. She’d been him.

He snorted. “There’s an awe-inspiring vision for you. Me, thinking about a seat.”

“It was awe-inspiring.” She let a self-satisfied grin tug at her lips and opened her eyes. Better. Not so dizzy anymore. “You were imagining me, naked, riding you while you sat on your throne.”

“Ah. Right.” He had the grace to blush. “Yeah. Um, that would have been earlier. After the concert.”

“I’m flattered.” She was. And still turned on—a stunning achievement considering Zachary had just made her come three times. “But the whole doing-it-in-front-of-twenty-thousand-people thing? Yeah, not gonna happen. Ever.”

It was his turn to grin. “How about the whole doing it on my stool thing?”

“Onstage?”

“There are drums in this suite. Complete with a throne and drumsticks. Private as it can get.”

“Tempting though it sounds, I have no coordination whatsoever. If I even tried something like that, I’d likely fall on my ass before I ever had the opportunity to ride you.”

“Have faith.” He winked. “I’d never let you fall. And just wait ’til you see what I can do with a pair of drumsticks…”

The laughter pealed out of her. “Oh, I can only imagine.”

He smiled with her. “You feeling better?”

“I am.”

“You mad at me?”

“For what?”

“Holding your hand.”

“No.”

“How about fantasizing about you at a live concert?”

“I’m flattered.” Beyond words, actually. “Uh, are you mad at me?”

“For what?”