She swallowed past a lump in her throat, and when the doors opened to reveal the plushly carpeted corridor of her hotel level, she released a breath. Of relief, and gratitude.
‘This is me,’ she said, reluctant to move.
‘So I gathered.’
He moved then, extending a hand to keep the doors open, his eyes on her with an emotion she couldn’t fathom. ‘After you.’
She nodded once, tried to make her legs move, but there was a lack of synergy between her brain and body. Or maybe it was that she was right where she wanted to be—close to Zeus—and so she found herself stuck there.
He held out his other hand to her then, broad and tanned, inviting her to put her own in his. More than a gesture, it was a sign of trust. Of him asking her to trust him, and when she placed her hand in his palm, and he closed his fingers over hers, it was as though she’d agreed.
She hoped she wasn’t wrong, that this wasn’t all an awful mistake.
They stepped off the elevator together. ‘Which way?’
She gestured to the left and they began to walk, hand in hand, towards her door. She paused outside the front of it, then swiped her key, which she was still holding in her other hand.
The door clicked to show that it had unlocked, and Zeus pushed it open, standing where he was but holding it back against the wall, so Jane could enter first. She took a step, then realised he wasn’t following.
‘I can leave, Jane,’ he said, misreading her hesitation. Because she wanted him to come in. She wanted everything to happen between them that the flame and flares seemed to promisewouldhappen. But she just didn’t knowhowto give in to that. She’d spent so long fighting this part of herself, forcing it down. Or maybe it just hadn’t even been an issue, because she’d never met anyone since Steven who’d made her want to try this again. With Zeus, it didn’t even feel like a choice.
‘No,’ she demurred, the word thick with urgency. ‘I really do want you to come in. It’s just—’
He waited, looking at her in that inquisitive way he had.
‘I don’t know what happens next,’ she said, honestly, shrugging her shoulders. ‘It’s been a long time, and I’m—’
He reached forward and pressed a finger to her lips. ‘We’re not sleeping together tonight.’
Her heart sank to her toes and her brows drew inwards as she tried to process that. ‘Oh.’
‘Not because I don’t want to,’ he assured her quickly, as though he understood the doubt and uncertainties that had instantly plagued her. ‘But because I think you need time to get used to the idea. To make sure it’s what you really want.’
Her pulse ratcheted up. ‘What if I already know it’s what I want?’
His eyes widened and then swept shut, and she somehow just knew that he was fighting a battle of his own—between what he wanted and what he knew he should be doing.
‘Then you’ll still want it tomorrow night. Or the night after that. We don’t have to rush this.’
Which was exactly whatsheshould have been saying. Because this was about distracting him from getting engaged—except it wasn’t. When she was alone with Zeus, it was about this and only this. Desire, need, want, pleasure. Lottie’s plans were the furthest thing from her mind.
She nodded slowly, and only then did he step inside the hotel room. The door clicked shut between them and there they stood, toe to toe, just as she’d wanted to be in the elevator.
Her own breathing was rushed, her chest moving rapidly, so she was aware of the way her dress tightened across her breasts.
‘This dress,’ he muttered, reaching behind her and pressing a finger to her exposed back, ‘should be illegal.’
She laughed softly, pleasure trilling in her veins. ‘You like it?’
He grimaced. ‘A little too much.’
‘That’s a shame. I was thinking of getting changed out of it.’
‘Jane,’ his voice held a warning.
She held one hand up between them, to reassure him. ‘It’s a beautiful dress. It’s just not that comfortable.’ She met and held his gaze. ‘I want to take it slowly, too, Zeus. I need that. I just—still want to—’ She tapered off, not sure how to express what she was feeling.
‘Do something?’ he prompted, putting his hands on her hips and holding her there. She shivered from desire, and in the back of her mind, she marvelled at how calm she felt. Where usually being alone with a man who was attracted to her flooded her veins with fear, she felt nothing like that now.
