Chapter 15 Dare
FIFTEEN
DARE
“Good morning, sunshine!” he said.
I walked into the living room and Zach turned to me with a smile that warmed my heart.
I may have been knocked down longer than I would have wanted but having Zach by my side, in my bed and in my life, made it easy to let go. To put my feet up and be taken care of for a change. It had been such a long time since I’d had that.
Too long.
And it was so easy to get used to this, to him, to our life under this roof.
“I was just about to bring your breakfast,” he said and pointed to fresh baked slices of bread, cheesecake muffins with blueberry coulis that I’d fallen in love with in the last few days, a fruit bowl sprinkled with honey, a hard-boiled egg on an egg stand I didn’t even know I had, and of course a whole cup of steaming hot coffee.
I felt full just looking at the tray and fuller still knowing how much he’d done for me while I was down for the count. How could I not get used to this when it was so cozy, so domestic?
It was certainly a strange progression to our relationship from two strangers, to a loyal patron of his business, to roommates but I couldn’t be mad at it.
It didn’t, however, help with my infatuation with the man.
One would think living together would bring out all the cracks, all the imperfections, all the pet peeves. Yet there were none.
It was as if we were made for each other, which was a ridiculous notion by all counts.
“Thank you. But I’m feeling so much better today,” I said and approached the counter.
Zach talked me through all the options on the tray as if I’d never seen a boiled egg before, but it was cute, nonetheless.
“And lastly your favorite muffins,” he said, smiling broadly.
I chuckled and leaned into him, hand on the small of his back, and planted a kiss to his forehead.
“Thank you,” I said and took a seat at the counter.
I knew it was inappropriate, but I’d been waiting all week to do that—to show him my appreciation—but I couldn’t risk infecting him.
“Sorry,” I mumbled an apology when he still hadn’t moved moments later.
“No. No…uhm…it’s okay. Coffee!” he announced and turned his back on me heading for the coffee machine. “You need coffee.”
“I’ve got one,” I said and raised my cup in the air.
“Right. Then I need coffee,” he insisted without looking at me.
“Isn’t that cup yours?”
“Okay. Lookah?”
He glanced at my dog, and I bit back a laugh.
“Have you been feeding him coffee all this time?”
“No!” he exclaimed and headed for the fridge. “I meant food. He needs…food. Yeah. That’s it. Food.”
Lookah followed him to the fridge and sat impatiently while Zach got his food out but one glance at his bowl told me he’d already been fed.
I decided not to comment on that.
Clearly my little show of gratitude had unsettled him more than I thought it would have. I simply tucked into my breakfast and kept my mouth stuffed so I didn’t say or do anything more inappropriate.
I finished by shoving two mouthwatering muffins in my mouth and retreated to the shower to get rid of my shame and my night sweats.
It was so awkward sharing a bed with a guy I liked while I was at my lowest, sweating profusely all day—and night—long and being able to do fuck-all about it. And yet, Zach hadn’t complained. He hadn’t minded. He hadn’t even flinched when I knew I was not very pleasant to be next to.
But that was Zach. He’d always been sweet, kind, and beautiful.
I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes as hot water trickled down my taxed muscles. I rubbed body wash all over, trying to get the stench out.
Of course he was there, in my imagination every time I closed my eyes, smiling and taking care of me. Lighting up when I made any kind of sound that signaled how much I loved his baking.
The more I lathered myself, the more persistent the image of him got. I tried to ward it off. I opened my eyes, shook my head—anything to cast him out of my mind, but it was too late.
My cock pulsed, begging for attention and release.
I huffed.
I guess I am feeling better.
I wrapped my fingers around my length and put my free hand against the wall to support myself. I closed my eyes and bit my lip as I stroked my cock.
I didn’t manage two tugs before dream-Zach materialized in front of me, down on his knees, worshipping my cock with his mouth.
He parted his lips and sucked me. He sucked me so fast and hard and he looked up at me while he did as if he was waiting for me to tell him how proud I was or how good a job he was doing.
I stroked my cock faster and Zach got off his knees and climbed my body, planting kisses on my crotch, my abdomen, my chest.
He got to my neck, and a soft moan escaped my lips. I wrapped my arm around him and held him close.
I throbbed the more I imagined him sucking on my neck, leaving his mark on me and checking with me between each kiss. Desire crawled up my stomach and seized my lungs, but I didn’t stop. I was close, but I didn’t stop.
Not when he went back to swallowing my cock, nor when he found himself behind me, sliding in me, pressing me against the wall and fucking me with wild abandon.
I gasped and hoped to god the sound of the shower was enough to cover my imminent orgasm.
Zach spread my cheeks and buried himself deeper and deeper with every shove before turning me around, lifting one leg up in the air and pressing his cock back up inside me while fondling my own.
I jerked faster. My toes curled, trying to grip harder against the porcelain floor of the shower. My fingers twitched around my pulsing cock and dream-Zach sent his hands to explore my body, my neck, my face.
As he gripped my jaw and made me look at him, he thrusted inside me and I watched him come undone as I blew my load and my cum painted my bathroom tiles creamy white.
I panted.
I tried to compose myself as the air around me got chillier and I turned up the heat of the water in an effort to warm myself, but it only made my breathing harder.
Thankfully, by the time I was out of the bathroom, I was somewhat back to normal again and there were no hints of what I’d done in private.
“Any hot water left? I’d love to take a shower too,” he said from my bedroom door, making me jump.
My cheeks felt warmer and my back tensed as I turned to look at him. It was amazing how much of his features I could picture in detail when I’d been touching myself. I almost feared that it had really happened. Or that he’d caught me somehow.
“Yeah. There’s plenty,” I answered and I couldn’t help but feel so much guilt for abusing his perfect little image like that in my head.
I finished getting dressed and returned to the kitchen so I could catch up with work on my laptop.
Whilst Warren had helped with deliveries while I was down, there were still a few pending and I checked on my jam stock and my pantry for ingredients for my blueberry pies.
Zach came out of the bathroom as I taped shut a box of jams ready to haul it to the car. He glared at me.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“What does it look like I’m doing? Getting back to work.”
He put his hands to his hips and sighed.
“Are you sure? Maybe we should call Ari. See if he gives you the green light.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not a car stuck in traffic. I know my body,” I said and fearing I might have come across too harshly, I walked up to him and took his hand in mine.
“Thank you for your concern. You have been really so sweet taking care of me while I was sick. I honestly don’t know what I’d have done without you. ”
“Probably wouldn’t be sick,” he mumbled and I chuckled.
“Still. You’ve been amazing. But I need to get back to work. I’m okay. I’m feeling a hundred times better than I did two days ago and it’s all thanks to you.”
“And those magical little pills,” he added.
“Yup. Those helped too.” I smiled and before I could stop myself, I squeezed his cheek between my fingers. “I’ll see you later, for lunch?” I said, pulling away.
He pouted.
“Actually, do you mind if I join you?”
My smile dropped.
“Zach, you know it’s dangerous.”
He rolled his eyes.
“I know. I’m fully aware, but…I miss people. I miss my life.” He stopped and took a deep breath as if composing himself then continued, “I know you’re scared for me. I’m scared for me. But I can’t hide away forever.”
“I’m not asking you to hide—”
“Yeah, I know. But I need…I need to do things. My insurance asked me to stop by to sign some papers last week, but you were sick and I knew you wouldn’t let me go—”
I interrupted him with a deep sigh.
He had a point. He’d stopped living his life overnight as if he had no responsibilities, but…that asshole was still out there and I didn’t want him to be put in any unnecessary danger.
Then again…
“Okay. Fine. But only if you stick by my side at all times. Okay?”
He nodded, and his smile grew, making him look like the cute, adorable Zach I knew and loved.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!” he said and leaned in, planting a kiss on my cheek.
A kiss that set my body and my heart on fire.