25. Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Five
MIA
The door to the Victorian swung open and I let my gaze roam down Zack’s body. How he made sweats and a T-shirt look so good, I didn’t understand. He looked down at the tote bag slung over my shoulder and smiled.
I sighed, knowing that would be his response.
“Don’t go reading too much into it. It’s late.
” Until now, we’d gotten together at my place.
Well, except for one night when I came by right after work, but I didn’t stay the night.
“And I don’t want to be driving home late tonight, especially since the arsonist is still out there. ”
His jaw locked tight. I knew he was pissed that the fucking kid still hadn’t been caught.
He ushered me inside, and we went through our normal small talk, covering how my shift was and what he did on his day off, but something felt off.
Even when deciding what we wanted to eat, there was an eerie quiet about him that had me worried.
I listened to him order the food, coming up with different names for each dish, and it made me laugh.
I loved that he could make me laugh.
I’d come to realize that when he was quiet, it was because he was in his head. Thinking and stewing about something. It wasn’t very often, but it was obvious to me when it did happen. Kind of like that time after the kid got stuck in a tree and I found Zack sitting at the bar, quiet and broody.
I sauntered over to him, trailing one finger up his arm, and then threaded my fingers through his hair. “Something on your mind?”
He hesitated, searching my face, and the words that left his lips didn’t surprise me. “Are you bringing a date to Logan and Izzy’s wedding?”
I couldn’t help my reaction to the disgust in his tone. God, I shouldn’t like it, but the way his eyes flared and he looked like he wanted to strangle some imaginary man…it made me irrationally giddy.
“Would that make you jealous?” I hummed, running my hands down his body.
He gripped my wrist and spun me, bringing my back against his chest with a thud. His hand wrapped around the front of my neck, cradling my jaw in his large palm, and he brought his lips to my ear. “Insanely fucking jealous.”
“That sounds fun, actually,” I teased, purposely trying to avoid the question because I knew he wasn’t going to like the answer.
“You know what also sounds fun?”
“Hmm?”
“Spanking this pretty little ass of yours.”
Hot desire shot straight to my core at his words. I smirked, rubbing my ass against his very hard cock. “You keep promising that but—"
I gasped, not even getting the rest of the sentence out, as he bent and yanked my leggings and panties down my legs. My ass suddenly exposed to cool air had me sucking a breath in.
I swallowed, anticipation and excitement mixing into a heady combination.
“You want that?” He rubbed a hand over one cheek. “My hand on your ass, leaving its mark.”
God, I knew what he was asking. The meaning behind his words was clear. Mine.
I should stop this. Say no, I didn’t want that. But that would be a lie, so I nodded.
“Need your words, Raven.”
Not baby. Or vixen. But Raven. He wanted me to say the words. Give him this. Give us both this.
“Yes. Slap my ass. Make it red so I can remember it every time I sit down.”
“That’s my good girl,” he murmured against my ear.
The term shot straight to my pussy, making it throb. I’d never been this turned on before. This ready for a man to touch me.
He pressed a hand to my back, urging me to bend forward. “Lean on the table.”
I obeyed, something I never thought I’d do, bracing my forearms on the cool surface. A gasp tore from my mouth when his hand came down hard on my right cheek and then on my left.
“Like that?” he asked.
I bit my lip thinking he was too gentle, but was I about to admit that? “I want to feel it.”
He slapped my ass again, harder this time, and I hissed through my teeth at the bite of pain. Pausing for a moment, he ran his hand over the affected area before switching to the other cheek, making it burn too.
“You didn’t answer my question earlier.” He peppered my backside with two more swats.
My breathing came in shallow, short pants and my pussy was already dripping. “What question was that?”
Another slap against my skin echoed around us. “Are you bringing a date?”
I was afraid my answer would stop the fun, but I wasn’t about to lie to him either.
“Yes,” I whispered, so low I wasn’t sure he’d heard me.
He was quiet, and I was scared to look back at him, but I couldn’t stop myself. Once I glanced over my shoulder, I wished I hadn’t. The look of pain and disbelief on his face made my gut clench.
I tried to convey in my eyes that it wasn’t what he thought. “He’s just a friend.”
His hand came back around the front of my neck, under my jaw, raising me up flush against his chest. His lips and warm breath brushing my ear sent pleasure racing through my system.
“Friends like us?” he hissed.
I shook my head, at least as much as I could within his hold. “No. Not like us. Not like that.”
Why in the hell was it turning me on so much that he was being so possessive? I should hate it. Definitely not encourage it. But damn, it made me want to get on my knees and show him that I was his. Even if I couldn’t give him forever, I could give him right now.
“There’s no one else, Zack. I promise.” The words were a plea, and I prayed he could hear that.
“Good.” He lowered me back to the table and ran his hand over my ass cheeks. “How’s it feel?”
“Stings a little bit.” I bucked against his hand when he slid two fingers between my legs.
“You’re so fucking wet, baby.”
I smiled. We were back to baby. “You make me that way.”
“You liked that?” He dipped his digits inside of me and I cried out, arching my hips up to give him more access.
The chime of the ring camera sounded through the kitchen, and he swatted my ass. “Do not move. I’m not done with you yet.”
I huffed in frustration as he removed his fingers, sucking them clean as he walked away.
Did he seriously lick my arousal off his fingers like he’d stuck them in a bowl of cookie dough?
Less than a minute later, he returned and, without another word, his hand went back between my legs. As he drew them out then thrust them back in again, he leaned down and whispered in my ear, “You’re going to come on my hand before we eat.”
It wasn’t a question. And my arousal amped up even higher at the raspy sound of his voice.
“What if I want your cock instead?”
“Later. I don’t like to be rushed. I want to take my time with you.”
I smiled, knowing exactly how much I wanted that too.
His fingers moved inside me, targeting that perfect spot he found quickly and worked hard. Within minutes, he had me close to the edge. My core tightened, and spasms tore through me as I moaned his name. Collapsing onto the table, I gasped when I felt his tongue on me, lapping and licking me clean.
Jesus, who was this man?
He peppered kisses over the heated skin of my ass, and then worked my thong and leggings back up my legs.
He helped me stand, then turned me toward him, cupping my face.
My gut flipped at the vulnerability in his eyes.
I didn’t deserve it, and it killed me that I couldn’t give him everything he wanted. Everything he deserved.
His lips met mine in a gentle kiss, and then he pressed one to my forehead. Why was that so fucking hot?
“Ready for food?”
I couldn’t speak. The experience, the intimacy of it, the way he made me feel safe…it was overwhelming.
I nodded and he walked over to the bag of food, pulling containers out. I took a deep breath, moving to the cabinet I remembered the plates were in. I took in the kitchen again, curiosity getting the better of me.
“How did you end up with this place?” I brought the plates over to the counter where the food was.
He put a spoon in the last container of food and took a plate from me. “It was my late grandmother’s.”
“Oh.” I spooned a helping of moo goo gai pan onto my plate. “Were you two close?”
“Very. I spent a lot of time here with her when I was growing up. We would sit and talk about little ways she could keep the history of this house but still give it a modern feel. She loved my ideas. In the last few years before she died, she even let me do a few things. The amazement on her face with the way it turned out was worth it.”
“Like what?”
“The front stairs, for instance.”
“The railing is stunning. Is it original to the house?”
“Yeah. Just needed a little paint.”
“Did you do everything yourself?”
He shrugged. “Most of it when she was alive. After she passed and I took possession of it, I hired contractors to come in to do some of the major stuff like the kitchen and bathrooms.” He leaned back against the counter, plate in hand, waiting on me to finish loading up.
“Probably took me close to a year before everything was exactly the way I wanted it.”
“It’s breathtaking,” I said with a sigh, looking around with an even more appreciative eye.
He pushed off the counter and leaned down close to my ear. “So are you.”
I couldn’t stop the smile that lifted my lips as I followed him downstairs to the theater room.
He picked the movie this time, and I was surprised by his choice. Not what I’d expected at all.
“You like rom-coms?”
He grinned. “Who doesn’t? Love and laughs, what’s to hate?”
I rolled my eyes at that. Me. I didn’t like those things. Although, I liked when Zack could make me laugh.
He started the movie, and once we were both finished eating, I found myself scooting over to him and curling into the crook of his arm.
He placed a kiss on my temple, curling his arm tighter around my shoulders.
I tried not to overthink how much I enjoyed the nonsexual moments like this with him.
If I was being honest, I enjoyed them just as much as the sexual stuff.
After a bit, I shifted and hissed when a tender spot on my ass flared from the movement. Zack chuckled above me and I looked up with a scowl.