23. Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Three
MIA
Was it a full moon or something? It felt like every time I completed one call, another one was coming in right on its heels.
I finished updating the status of the units I’d assigned to a multi-vehicle crash site, dispatching a second ambo to their location at the request of the incident commander on scene. And, shocker, my screen lit up with another call. I took a deep breath before answering.
A construction worker was injured at a local building site. I had to request aid from a nearby town because ours were still tied up with the three-car accident.
Yep, definitely a full moon. This past week had felt like a whirlwind of craziness, too. Both at work and personally.
In those first few days after the fire, we visited Adam and Lyla at the hospital several times.
I felt guilty hiding my relationship with Zack from my best friend.
I wanted to confide in her, but I knew she wouldn’t understand.
She was built for a solid relationship, and had never truly understood my need for casual.
I smiled. Sneaking around with Zack was a much-appreciated type of chaos, though.
Now that we’d crossed so far over the line, it was like a dam had burst. Neither of us hid our need for each other, taking advantage of every opportunity we had to be together.
And damn, it was so much better than I’d imagined.
Only thing that sucked was that he’d been on night shift for the last three nights and I was working day shift, so I was desperate to see him again.
I shifted in my seat, imagining his lips and tongue gliding across my skin, sucking on my neck and then trailing lower…
“Not sure I’ve ever seen that smile.” Charlie’s voice broke through my thoughts.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be dramatic. I smile.”
“Yeah, like the Cheshire cat.” He pointed at me. “Now that smile is one that says you finally hooked up with that hot firefighter of yours.”
“Or I was just remembering something funny,” I scoffed.
He raised a brow and studied me. I quickly pulled my gaze away and back to my screen, not giving him the opportunity to read the truth in my eyes.
“Really? Holding out on me?”
I shrugged. “Nothing to tell. Even if there was, it wouldn’t be something we would want anyone to know.”
“That sounds like a recipe for disaster.”
I gritted my teeth at the reminder that this could all blow up in my face. Could cost me multiple friendships, not to mention the best sex I’d had…ever.
Luckily, my screen lit up again, giving me an out from this conversation. And, thankfully, after a few more less-intensive calls, it was time to clock out.
Excited to see Zack, I hurried to my car.
Halfway across the parking lot, an eerie feeling overcame me, like someone was watching.
I froze and glanced around the area, scanning the cars and then the tree line.
Police still hadn’t located the Taylor kid, and everyone was still on high alert.
Including me, apparently. To say that was nerve-racking would be an understatement.
He was out there, ready to strike again, and there was nothing much we could do about it.
I forced my feet to move, climbing into my car and locking my doors. Relieved to be in the relatively safe confines of my vehicle, I took a deep breath and looked around the lot again. Nothing unusual. But I still wasn’t ready to let my guard down completely.
Bringing up my texts with Zack, I noticed I had an unread one from him.
Zack: Still coming out tonight?
Me: Yes. Remember your promise.
Zack: I remember. I’ll do my best to tease and torment you like I usually do so no one thinks anything’s amiss.
Me: Perfect. Shouldn’t be hard to act like I want to smack you then.
Zack: I’ll just snatch your fries. That works every time. You’re really not good at sharing.
Me: Shut up. I like my food. Nothing wrong with that
I chuckled and put my phone in the center console before pulling out onto the main road.
Driving through town, I tried to ignore the anticipation that coursed through me at the thought of seeing him.
That feeling mixed with nerves as I made my way through the bar, searching out our group of friends.
Adam was still home on concussion protocol restrictions, and Lyla wasn’t leaving his side, so it was just Zack, Seth, Logan, and Izzy.
Violet was working overtime on the arsonist case and Nicole had a shift at the hospital.
I couldn’t help but wonder what everyone thought of me coming out tonight.
Zack glanced over his shoulder, a huge grin on his face as he watched me approach. I held his gaze, feeling the heat of it on my skin like a featherlight caress. I swallowed, trying to ignore the urge to be touched and kissed by him until I couldn’t breathe.
“No Jay?” I asked as I climbed up on the stool next to Zack, trying not to look at him.
Logan shook his head. “Nope. He’s probably passed out on the floor of labor and delivery.”
I smiled. “Sarah having the baby?”
“Yeah, he texted us all an hour ago telling us he couldn’t make it out,” Zack offered.
I looked around for our waitress, suddenly needing a drink.
“Ordered you a Long Island.”
This time I turned to him with a glare. “I can order my own drinks.”
His lips lifted into that cocky, playful grin of his, and damn it if it didn’t do crazy things to my lady bits. But I didn’t back down from my glare. The last thing we needed was our friends questioning why he was doing something like that.
“I’m well aware, Raven.” His tone was mostly teasing, but I could hear a hint of annoyance. “Waitress is new and seems flustered. Thought it was best to get all of our drinks in sooner rather than later.”
“Oh.” I turned my focus toward the bar—it did seem a bit more crowded than usual, especially for a weeknight— and wondered if they’d ordered any food yet.
“Thank you so much for thinking of me, Zack,” he said in a more feminine, mocking tone.
My lips twitched as I turned my attention back to him, a flirty quip on the tip of my tongue. I had no problem thanking him. Later. On my knees as I took him in my mouth. His gaze flared as he read my thoughts.
Izzy sighed. “Are you guys going to bicker the whole time?”
“Probably,” Zack and I said in unison.
“At least they agree on that.” Seth chuckled and took a swig of his beer.
The waitress came and delivered our drinks, taking our food orders before disappearing again. She got our drinks correct, so I had hope the food orders wouldn’t be any different.
“Is there a full moon tonight or something?” I stiffened in my seat as Zack’s hand found my bare thigh under the table. I was glad I’d picked out a skirt and boots for work today, hoping I would get to see him after shift.
His hand stayed put just above my knee as he looked at me. “This weekend.”
My brows shot up. Was he serious? “Really?”
“Zack likes to track that shit,” Logan offered. “I don’t really believe in all that, but I have to admit, he usually gets it right.”
“What can I say?” The way Zack’s gaze heated with desire as he stared at me caused me to clench my legs together. “I like being prepared for anything.”
He shrugged, all innocent in front of his friends, then gripped the inside of my thigh, pulling them apart and trailing his fingers under my skirt. I swallowed down a whimper and shifted again, anticipation building in my core.
The guys started talking about the crazy calls today and how Zack might be onto something. I tuned out the rest of what they were saying, focusing on the way his fingers moved slowly up my leg. In the smallest increments ever.
“Do you agree, Mia?” Logan’s question startled me, and I blinked.
“Agree?” The single word squeaked out, and everyone’s expression took on questioning or concerned looks.
Well, everyone but Zack. He still held that same smug knowing look. Thankfully, he brought his hand back up on the table before I melted into a puddle of pliant goo on the barstool.
“Have you seen an increase in calls this week?” Logan clarified.
“Oh, yeah. It kind of seems like we have in the last few days.”
Our food was delivered, and before I could even grab one, Zack reached over and stole a fry.
“Seriously?” I glowered at him in exasperation. Even though he’d said he would steal my fries, I didn’t think he actually would. Not with his own freaking basket. “You have your own.”
“I know. But you know I can’t pass up an opportunity to rile you up.”
I sighed. “You’re annoying.”
He just laughed. A mix of cockiness and desire.
As we ate, I asked Izzy how the wedding plans were coming along. She was excited for her farm-chic wedding and was over the moon about the venue they’d found for it.
I picked at the last of my fries and cleared my throat to cover the sharp intake of air as I felt Zack’s hand back on my thigh. His fingers landed higher than they were before, and I almost jumped off the stool when he inched them even higher, brushing along the seam of my thong.
Jesus Christ. Was he trying to tell the whole table we were fucking? Even more surprising, I found myself not mad, but rather embracing it as I shifted to open my legs wider.
I struggled to keep my breathing even as he brushed his fingers over my skin, so close to where I wanted him. I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek as his pinkie ghosted over my clit.
Unable to take it anymore, I shifted suddenly and hopped off my stool, excusing myself to the bathroom.
If I stayed there and let him touch me like that for even another minute, there was no way the entire group wouldn’t figure it out.
The asshole. So much for keeping it quiet and low-key around our friends.
But dammit, I was as much annoyed with him as I was turned on. I could already feel that I was soaked.