Sapphire Falls: Going Too Fast (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Big Easy Book 7) (4 page)

Tacy shrugged. “I’m used to getting up early. Most of our workouts started at the crack of dawn. Are you still planning to leave tomorrow?”

He shook his head. Zac wasn’t sure what was going on between them, but he wanted more time to explore it. “No. I think I’m going to stay a little longer.” Maybe the whole week. It would cut into his West Coast time, but he didn’t doubt it would be worth it.

“Good.”

The genuine pleasure on her face was more than he could resist. Zac reached out, cupped her cheek and kissed her.

He’d kissed his fair share of girls, but none of them—not one—impacted him like Tacy.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, her breasts pressing against his chest. He tightened his hold on her, moving his hands to grip her hips, to pull her more firmly against him.

She tasted like apples and sugar, remnants of the caramel apple they’d shared. His tongue swiped against hers, exploring the warmth of her mouth.

Tacy ran her fingers through his hair, turning her head so that he could deepen the kiss. Zac didn’t have a clue how long they stood there. It didn’t matter. He didn’t want this to end. Ever.

She was the first to pull away, to suck in a deep breath. “Wow. Not sure, but I think I might have seen some fireworks there.”

He chuckled, her openness and humor inviting. “Me too. It’s been a while since I’ve actually kissed anyone. Was afraid I might be a little rusty.”

“I think it’s like riding a bike.” She looked over her shoulder at the inn, and he thought he saw something like regret on her face. Was she sorry to leave him? To see the night end? He knew
he
was.

“Well,” she started.

“What’s on the celebrity’s agenda for tomorrow?” he asked. “Need an escort?”

Her face brightened. “There’s a softball game, but I’m not playing in it. Not sure my knee is ready for that. So I’m free. I was hoping we could ride the Ferris wheel and check out the haunted house. And maybe after…”

She flushed as her words faded away.

“After…” he prompted.

“I was hoping you’d give me a tour of your RV. My parents weren’t campers—tent, RV or otherwise. Always wanted to see the inside of one of those.”

The idea of having Tacy alone in his RV was going to wreak havoc on his self-control. Even now he was rock hard and hurting.

But he’d only met her a few hours ago. And Tacy wasn’t the sort of woman you had a one-night stand with. She was too sweet, too nice…too special.

Unfortunately, they were living on borrowed time—approximately seven days’ worth—and then they were heading in different directions to places unknown. He needed to make every second of it count.

Maybe he was going too fast. But the way he saw it, they didn’t have any other choice.

So it was going to be life in the fast lane this week. After so many years of plodding along in slow motion, he liked the idea of a whirlwind.

With Tacy.

In Sapphire Falls.

Chapter Three

Tacy didn’t even bother to dim her smile as she and Zac sat side by side atop the Ferris wheel. The sky was bright blue without a single cloud to mar the vivid color. The late afternoon sun was shining but not blazing too hot, and there was a slight breeze that had their seat swaying gently.

Up here, she could see forever, could take in the beauty of this quaint little town, nestled in the midst of the sea of green farms that surrounded it. The carnival was hopping, loads of people milling around below them, playing the games, eating junk food, laughing and talking. The soft strains of Frank Sinatra singing in the background of all the normal fair sounds simply added to the ambiance, the sheer magic of the moment.

Of course, the fact she was sitting next to the sexiest southern doctor she’d ever met didn’t hurt either.

Tacy had felt like a teenager on her very first date last night as she and Zac spent hours just walking and talking. He’d been completely engaged, interested in hearing what she had to say, and when he spoke, she found herself equally enthralled.

So much so, she’d woken up excited and energetic, despite the fact she hadn’t managed more than a few hours’ sleep. And she’d been thrilled to discover he was awake and thinking of her too when he texted to see when she wanted to meet.

Zac had joined her and Lauren for breakfast and they’d been together every moment since then. The more she learned about him, the more her infatuation, her attraction grew.

He was a fascinating man, to have achieved so much when he’d clearly come from such a rough beginning.

And when he’d kissed her…

Oh man. That kiss last night had knocked her socks off. Perfect amount of pressure, tongue, and his hands gripped her in just the right places. She’d had good kisses and she’d suffered through some shitty ones. Zac’s was, by far, the best ever.

In fact…

She turned to face him at the same time he looked at her. Her gaze landed on his lips, and she noticed his stare was in the exact same place.

“I’m going to kiss you, darlin’.”

She licked her lips as she grinned. “That’s funny. I thought
I
was going to kiss
you
.”

They moved toward each other without another word. And just like that, Tacy was blown away. Again.

She was vaguely aware of when the Ferris wheel began to move again. She sort of thought she heard some catcalls and whistles when they whizzed by, closest to the ground, but none of that mattered. Not the view. Not the public display of affection. Nothing.

She was Tacy Bradford, former soccer player. A woman with no job, no home, no clue. And she didn’t give a damn because she was kissing Dr. Zac Lewis at a carnival.

The kiss might have gone on forever if not for the interruption of someone clearing their throat nearby. She and Zac both turned their heads in unison, surprised to find themselves face-to-face with the carnie running the ride. He was amused and patiently waiting for them to debark.

“Sorry ’bout that,” Zac said in a tone that was far from sorry.

The man lifted the bar securing them inside the car and they got out. Tacy giggled as Zac warned the man they would be back later with double the tickets. He wanted a longer ride.

The man chuckled as he tipped his head, drawing her attention to his dusty ball cap emblazoned with the words Midway Magic Carnival Supplies on it. “I’ll be waiting.”

Zac took her hand as the two of them debated their next move.

“We could grab something to eat from a booth now,” he suggested. “Or head over to the haunted house first, and then hit the diner for a sit-down supper.”

She grinned at his twang as he rolled his eyes. Tacy found it hard to resist mimicking some of his more southern sounds. Zac didn’t take offense. Instead, he turned it up a notch for her entertainment. “We can see if Dottie will whip us up some shrimp and grits.”

“Hey, there you are.” Lauren walked up with her daughter, Whitney. “Heard you two just put on quite a show on the Ferris wheel.”

Tacy laughed. “Dear God. There’s no way you could have heard that already. It literally just happened.”

Lauren shrugged. “News travels at a normal pace in Sapphire Falls. Gossip flies at the speed of light. Softball game is about to start. I’m heading over to watch. Wanna join me?”

Zac looked at Tacy, clearly leaving the decision up to her. She loved how considerate he was. “Maybe we’ll meet up with you later. Right now, we’re going to check out the haunted house.”

Lauren’s eyes narrowed as she studied Zac more closely. “Ferris wheel
and
haunted house? You sure you’re not a local boy, Zac?”

Confused by her question, he asked, “This accent doesn’t prove that?”

Tacy giggled. “Apparently the local guys have learned how to incorporate the Ferris wheel and haunted house into their seduction routines.”

Zac wrapped his arm around Tacy’s shoulders. “Thanks for the tip, Lauren.”

Lauren rolled her eyes as she waved. “Go have fun. But be warned. You get too carried away and I’ll know about it before you manage to get to the ball game.”

“We’ll behave,” Tacy promised.

“Don’t write checks you can’t cash, sweet pea,” he teased Tacy, before looking at Lauren again. “We’ll be discreet,” Zac amended as Lauren’s loud laughter caught the attention of several people walking by.

“Text me later, Tace. Let me know if you two want to meet up for dinner with me and Travis.”

They waved goodbye, Lauren heading for the game as they took off for the haunted house.

Zac claimed her hand. She loved the feel of his fingers looped through hers. It made her feel safe, protected, cared for. Probably strange emotions considering she wasn’t in danger, but after a lifetime of fending for herself, this one simple act—holding hands with Zac—had her longing for so much more.

“Am I the only one who thinks a haunted house in June is strange?”

Tacy paused as they passed one of the craft booths. “Oh, I love that scarf. Remind me to come back,” she said as they continued walking. “Lauren says they all know it’s weird to have a haunted house this time of year, but I think they keep it going because the local boys don’t want to have to find some other way to get a girl they like alone in a dark room. Guess they’re fans of the tried and true.”

“Well, when you put it that way, it’s not so weird after all.”

Zac handed the man at the door their tickets to enter, then grinned when Tacy wrapped her arm around his waist, clinging to him tightly.

“Scared already? We haven’t even walked in.”

“I’m going to warn you right now. Stuff like this gets to me. People jumping out of dark corners. Loud, unexpected noises. Every horror movie ever made. I’m the girl who closes her eyes, screams and startles easily. I’m probably going to look like a lunatic.”

“Then why are we here?”

Tacy gave him a flirtatious smile. “I’m hoping you’ll take advantage of my irrational fears.”

“Challenge accepted.”

They walked in together as Zac wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Not going to lie. I like playing the role of protector. I haven’t been in a haunted house since I was a teenager.”

“Man, you really
have
been in a rut.”

“Yeah. Just needed to find a pretty girl to help me break free.” He looked around the dark room with the scary music playing. “Oh yeah. This place is great.”

“Figures you’d like it. I bet you’re the type who loves horror movies too.”

Before he could reply, a zombie seemed to detach itself from what Tacy had thought was a blank wall, approaching them with a loud groan.

She jumped at least five feet in the air and screamed.

Zac laughed as he quickly guided her away from the horrible creature and into another room.

While she’d feared how she would react, she had actually believed she could control it better. After all, she knew none of this was real. “Shit. That was embarrassing.”

“It was ador—”

Before Zac could finish, a spider dropped from the ceiling right in front of her. Even though her brain said fake, the rest of her reacted instinctively.

“Oh my God! Motherfucker!” She dodged behind Zac, gripping his shirt so tightly she
was in danger of tearing it right off him.

Zac batted the plastic thing away and pulled her farther along, not bothering to loosen her grip on his shirt. “Maybe we should walk faster. Get this over with. I’m starting to worry about you, darlin’.”

“I thought I could handle—”

The sound of a witch cackling loudly filled the room and Tacy screamed in outright terror.

“That’s it.” Zac reached out to open a closed door nearby. He pushed her inside, following quickly before shutting them in.

Tacy gazed around the dim room. “Um, Zac. I think this is a closet.”

“Yeah. I thought you might like a breather before we go back out there and try to find the exit.”

Her heart was still racing, her hands shaking, but now that she knew nothing was going to come at her, she was beginning to relax. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

She released a long breath just before Zac stepped closer.

“Besides, I seem to recall a challenge being laid down earlier.”

Tacy laughed softly. Obviously she stood corrected. There was something coming at her in here too. And it made her heart race even faster.

The difference was this time she wasn’t afraid. Not even a little.

She lifted her arms to his shoulders as he bent to kiss her. Three kisses in, and every time, he took her breath away. Zac kissed her as if she mattered, as though she was special.

There was no denying the intensity of the kiss, but there was also a gentleness behind it. She appreciated that care as much as it drove her nuts. She felt as if he was holding back.

This time when their lips parted, she decided to test the waters. She nipped at his lower lip, slowly increasing the pressure until Zac pulled away.

There was a tiny, frosted window in the far wall, but there appeared to be a large tree blocking the sunlight from streaming in. As such, the room was painted in a dim gray that left her and Zac in shadows. Nevertheless, she could still make out his hungry expression.

She’d surprised him. And aroused him.

“You wanna play rough?” His voice was deep, husky, that gorgeous southern accent adding even more wetness to her already-damp panties. Tacy hadn’t had sex in one year, two months, three days and a handful of hours. And sadly, it hadn’t been much to write home about.

Zac set her body on fire. Her nipples were tight, her pussy clenching. She feared one touch from him in the right spot and she’d spontaneously combust.

God. She was so tired of finding her own lukewarm orgasms. Tired of being alone. Tired of feeling out of control.

Everything she’d known, planned, and expected in life had been blown to bits in one stupid fall.

Maybe she didn’t know where she was going in the future, but she knew exactly what she wanted right now. And it was Zac.

“Yeah,” she replied. “Rough is good.”

Zac closed his eyes at her response. She wasn’t sure if he was turned on, praying or overwhelmed. All three ideas described her current state of mind fairly well. She liked the idea that he might feel the same.

When his lids lifted, she was treated to the sexiest, horniest look ever cast her way.

“We’ve only known each other a day. I was trying to be a gentleman.”

Zac wasn’t saying anything that hadn’t crossed her mind every second since they’d struck up that conversation over caramel apples. Perhaps if they’d met under normal circumstances, they would have moved at a steadier, slower pace. Gone on a few dates, spent several weeks talking on the phone and texting, taken the time to get to know each other before jumping into something sexual.

But this wasn’t a normal situation. Zac was only here for a few more days and then he was on the road again to Big Sur, and then his future as a doctor in New Orleans.

As for her, her life was one big question mark. All her belongings were packed in boxes in her parents’ garage in Longview as she tried to figure out what came next. Maybe if she weren’t in such a state of flux, of utter confusion, she’d be better able to figure out what it was about Zac that was pushing all the right buttons and making her act so out of character.

Her gut told her it was vacation brain. Both of them were taking a break from real life and stress and…common sense. People did things on vacation they would never do in their everyday lives. Scuba diving, zip lines, luaus on the beach, making out with a sexy doctor in the closet of a haunted house in June.

“Zac?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t care how long we’ve known each other. And I don’t mind that it’s moving way too fast. I just really,
really
want to be with you.”

He didn’t reply, didn’t smile. As far as she could tell, he didn’t even take a breath. Instead, he pressed his lips to hers firmly and gave her the kiss she’d been waiting for. The one that told her everything she needed to know. Zac might be a sweet, patient, funny, easygoing doctor on the surface, but underneath, he was a bad boy.