Innocence Defied (New York) by Lainey Reese Page B

he’d done it while she was bent over his desk at work. His mouth had been between her legs so many times she thought she’d become addicted to it because she started craving him there again almost as soon as he finished.
    Gage’s hands were on her constantly. Even if they were just watching a movie before bed, he was touching her in some marvelous and intimate way. Zoe smiled to herself, thinking that street went both ways. Finally, she was free to touch him too. With her hands and her mouth, she was doing to him everything she’d always dreamed of. Well almost , she amended to herself. Starting tomorrow, it would be everything.
    “You ready, darlin’?” Gage poked his head into her bedroom where he’d left her an hour ago to get ready for dinner. She was delighted to see his expression go slack with surprise, then darken with desire.
    She was wearing a white dress tonight—it seemed fitting since it was her last night as a virgin. It was strapless and hugged her form all the way down to her thighs before the long skirt loosened and flowed out. In her heels, the skirt flirted with the floor and there was a slit in the side that went more than halfway up her thigh. She had a cashmere wrap for her shoulders and she shrugged it on as she turned to him with a smile.
    “All set.” With a last pat at her hair that she’d piled up in loose curls, she walked past him out the door. Zoe couldn’t help the purely female glow she felt that he still stood there dumbstruck as she started down the hall.
    Zoe stepped out of the cab and let out a gasp of delight when Gage asked the driver to stop. There was an open carriage with a gleaming white horse waiting for them. The driver tipped his top hat at her and hopped down to open the door with a flourish and a bow.
    She turned to Gage and wrapped her arms tight around him. “Oh, Gage. How perfect. How do you always know just exactly what to do?”
    He only smiled at her and, with a steady hand, helped her in to the carriage.
    Central Park was full of magic at twilight. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and as dusk began to fall, stars blinked on and filled the night with diamonds. The horse drew them along a lazy path through the elaborate gardens and the fragrance of a million flowers perfumed the air. Zoe let her head rest on Gage’s shoulder and he draped his arm around her to pull her close.
    With tears in her eyes, Zoe told him, “I love you, Gage. I’ve loved you my whole life and every day we’ve had just gets more and more perfect.”
    His arm tightened and she felt him kiss the top of her head. She knew he was still conflicted about them. He loved her too—she knew he did. She also knew that he was having trouble with the transition from the love he felt for the little girl to the feelings he now had for the woman she’d grown into. She smiled up at him, unafraid to let him see the tears swimming in her eyes. “I’m so glad I waited for you. This week has been the best in my life and if I could have known what to wish for and written out a list, I would have written it out exactly like this.”
    His hand cupped her cheek and he stared into her eyes for a long silent moment before tipping his head down and kissing her. He kissed her lightly at first, just gentle sweeps of his lips against hers. Then he added more and more pressure until her lips opened, and he gave a soft groan as his tongue swept in. For endless moments he kissed her with deep sweeping thrusts of his tongue, alternated with soft featherlight brushes.
      She was panting and her head was fuzzy with desire when he pulled away. Zoe whimpered and tried to pull him back for more, but he said, “The carriage stopped, darlin’. We’re here.”
    Zoe looked up and the tears sprang back to her eyes at what she saw. They were in a secluded glen without another soul in sight, and there was a table set fit for a king. There were silver platters and gleaming china. Long-stemmed crystal glasses, white linens