Chapter 30 - Zoe
Lydia once described to me the relief she felt after she and Sebastian worked everything out and put their problems behind them.
It sounded so serene and fulfilling. Almost like coming home after being away for too long.
She was the happiest I had ever seen her, aside from after Callie was born. There was something different about how she smiled and acted around him as if they had nothing to worry about.
Before, I assumed I would never have that feeling from myself. Despite being unwaveringly happy for them, a small piece of me envied the look of sheer peace and joy that she eventually wore.
However, Ezra managed to prove me wrong. After putting his life on the line to fight for us and our bond, I could feel that once-in-a-lifetime relief for myself. I was lucky enough to know what it was like to not only have a mate bond but also to be blessed by the calm after the storm.
Ever since he won the fight against his dad, we have never heard anything from them or Kody Arron. Dane took Ezra’s word for it and stayed away, and while his fate was unknown after the fact, it didn’t matter either way.
After sticking to his convictions, he managed to get his parents off his back, and in the end, we didn’t have to convince them of anything to make that happen.
Fortunately, the contentment we felt extended to the rest of the group. All at ease with those issues behind us, Ezra decided to celebrate with a bonfire several nights later.
Gathered together in the backyard with a roaring fire between us, we sat around it in the dark as the flames reached for the night sky, and it lit up our smiling faces.
Ethan was busy rotating sausages over the fire, nearly drooling as he watched the greases drip down into the coals. Despite having eaten numerous ones right before, he still looked at them as if he was starving.
“If you eat one more of those, you’re going to turn into one,” Levi said after a moment of watching the other.
The blonde chuckled, undeterred by the playful jab. “There are worse fates.”
With a forced sigh, Levi sat back in his chair and brought his beer to his lips, speaking over the rim. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
“At least we don’t have to watch you scarfing down those crappy wings from the bar,” Jacob said, shaking his head absently.
Ethan hummed to himself in thought. “They’re so shitty, yet so worth it somehow.”
We chuckled, able to feel the light-hearted air around us all.
It was unusual for Ezra and me to get along during those gatherings, but I was relieved not to feel like I needed to be guarded around him for once. It was a lot more enjoyable knowing we weren’t at each other’s throats.
I was sure the others likely thought the same thing.
“Do you need anything?” Sebastian asked Lydia as he leaned over her shoulder from where she sat in her chair and watched the fire with a blanket over her more pronounced belly.
She smiled up at him and shook her head. “I’m perfectly comfortable.”
“Good.” He grinned and kissed her cheek before pulling back up and meeting my gaze from across the fire. He motioned for me to join him.
Curious, I got up and gave Ezra’s hand a gentle squeeze before letting go, and then I followed my brother away from the fire.
Hands on my hips casually, I looked up at him. “What’s up?”
Giving me a genuinely apologetic expression, Sebastian took a deep breath. “I wanted to apologize again for what happened after the baby shower the other day. For getting angry about you two and behaving like I did.”
I softened slightly. “You already apologized, you know.”
He sighed. “I know, but I just need to again. I apologized to Ezra earlier and wanted to make sure the two of us were square, too. You were right—I had no right to lose my shit about you and Ezra when my situation with Lydia was no different. I can’t help but feel like I was a catalyst to everything happening with you being taken, so as your brother who cares very much about you and what you think of me, I’m saying I’m sorry. Genuinely.”
Touched by his sincerity, I smiled and nodded. “I accept your apology.”
At my acceptance, Sebastian managed to crack a smile of his own. “But that’s not all. I’m officially giving you two my complete blessing…not that you need it, of course.”
“Oh, of course not.”
He chuckled and put a casual arm around my shoulders. “Listen, smart ass, what I’m saying is, if it has to be anyone, I’m glad you’re with Ezra. But I’m warning you, I won’t be saying that again. That was enough of a hit on my pride.”
I snickered. “And you were so brave saying it, too.”
“I’m still not used to the idea of my baby sister having a mate, but I guess I’ll just have to get used to it,” Sebastian said with a louder laugh of his own as he tightened his arm around my neck in a light headlock while he messed with my hair.
I joined in on that laughter at his affectionate bullying while simultaneously trying to squirm out of his hold. I lightheartedly shoved him off when he loosened his grip, still amused with himself. “You’re the biggest pest I’ve ever known.”
“And you have to deal with me anyway because you love me.”
Rolling my eyes playfully, I follow him back to the fire. “Only because I have to.”
Chuckling to himself, Sebastian joined Ezra by the food table and chatted about the meat spread he got for the night. It was almost odd yet nice to see how easily they were able to get along again after everything.
I couldn’t help but feel even more relieved knowing that the strain between them was gone, and we didn’t have to worry about Sebastian being angry with us.
Beau sipped from his beer, grimacing to himself as he threw a look at Ethan. “Why do you buy this brand? It’s terrible.”
“Told you,” Jacob quipped.
Ethan waved them both off dismissively. “You two are just too finicky from being spoiled with those luxury brands. Sometimes, you have to humble yourself by going back to the basics. It’s called having humility.”
Beau scoffed. “If I wanted to drink water, I would.”
As the guys continued their usual antics, Ezra returned and sat beside me with a plate of meat and cheese.
“That smells good,” I murmured, grabbing the blanket behind me and pulling it over my shoulders.
“Want some?”
At my nod, Ezra grabbed a piece of salami and held it out for me, letting me take it between my teeth as he grinned, thoroughly amused.
I hummed a laugh as I accepted it and began to chew, feeling warmer from how he studied my face as if he had never seen anything quite like it before.
For half a beat, eyes locked on his, I forgot everyone else was around.
Regardless of how many times he looked at me, I knew I’d never fully get used to the way he took me in, almost like it was the first time every time. It made me feel like I really was the center of his world, and he would do anything to have the chance to make me happy.
Sharing that lovestruck grin with him, I knew I didn’t want to be without that opportunity either.
“Does anyone else’s teeth hurt?” Sebastian asked.
Glancing over at him, I caught his shit-eating grin, along with everyone else’s eyes on us.
“Now that you mention it, yeah,” Ethan joined in, chuckling to himself. “Those two are about to rot mine right out.”
“I think I’m going through actual shock witnessing you two doing something other than bickering,” Jacob teased.
Lydia put her hands around her mouth as she said from across the fire. “It’s about time!”
We both wore sheepish expressions at the mention of it, and as Ezra tried to mask it with his usual indifference, he scoffed. “Oh, come off it.”
Everyone laughed then, and even Ezra smiled as I leaned against him, looping my arm through his affectionately.
Despite how embarrassing it was to be singled out like that, I couldn’t complain. It really was a significant change to how we used to be around each other.
Plus, if I had to withstand a bit of teasing to be with him and openly express our affection for one another, I knew it was worth the price.
***
The campfire smell lingered on our clothes and skin as we entered the house after everyone left. By ourselves then, Ezra’s fingers found mine, hooking them together while he pulled me forward and guided me up the stairs.
Wordlessly, we moved together, well aware of that lingering tension, sparked by an evening of being close, yet not as close as we wanted. Those exchanged glances and vague brushes of skin were enough to light the fuse and set the tone between us.
Catching the way his eyes lingered each time he glanced over his shoulder at me, as if worried I wasn’t still following, I could sense his intentions with ease. He didn’t need to say a thing—especially not when I was feeling it all the same.
A gentle smile played on my lips as he pulled me into the bedroom, but to my surprise, he detoured and whisked us to the ensuite bathroom. I lifted a brow, curious, as he flicked the light on and turned to face me, taking the hem of my sweater between his fingers.
“Are you trying to give me a hint?” I asked with a teasing tone.
Ezra hummed his amusement, looking down at me intently as he pulled the material up and tossed it aside before pulling his top off, revealing the firm muscles of his abdomen to me, along with the tattoos that spanned across his body. “As much as I find bonfires relaxing, I’d rather smell you than smoke next to me in bed.”
A thrill moved through me all the while I took in his gorgeous body, excited by the prospect.
“If it means showering together, I won’t complain.”
“I figured as much,” he said with a chuckle, stripping out of his jeans shamelessly, left in just his dark briefs. He reached a hand out and hooked a finger in the waistband of my bottoms, then pulled me closer. That knowing grin claimed his lips as he absently played with the hem, eyes set on mine. “It’s more fun than showering alone, hm?”
I nodded as my heart picked up at the prospect and the sizzling tension within those tiled walls. “Always.”
Vaguely amused by the effect he was already having on me, Ezra began easing the fabric down my legs, fingers gliding across my skin as he did so. The touch made a shiver run down my spine, and after our night spent avoiding what we both truly wanted, I knew there was no way either of us could ignore what we really wanted.
Once they were low enough, I carefully kicked my pants off. The moment we were left in only our underwear, Ezra gave me a satisfied grin as he reached for the taps. Turning them easily, a steady stream of water poured out. He held a hand out beneath it to get a feel for the temperature, and his opposite hand held my hip affectionately.
Seemingly satisfied, he pulled me closer and turned to give me his full attention. Face close to mine, I felt the gentle fan of his breath against my lips while his fingers toyed with the hem of my panties. “We should do something about these…”
Unable to fight the grin on my face, I nodded and reached back for the clasp of my bra while he worked the material down my hips. Working together, we cleared my body of the last of my clothes, and at once, his eyes raked down my body.
Satisfied with his reaction as that hunger entered his eyes, I hummed, then stepped forward into the shower. I gave him a knowing look as I stood beneath the water and let it rain down on me.
I could feel his stare burn through me, and he sighed. The shuffle of his briefs moving down his legs barely cut through the sound of the shower running. “Tease…”
As I laughed to myself and ran my fingers through my wet hair, his hands landed on my waist while he moved in behind me until we were skin to skin. They shifted to my hips while we soaked in the warm water. Given the proximity, his grip was possessive yet satisfied, sending another shiver down my spine.
It was a relief to be so close after craving that alone time with him, yet the charged air seemed to make us both somewhat tense with anticipation.
He hummed his contentment and let his palm glide across my stomach before reaching for my shampoo bottle, popped the top open, and put some in his palm. With a quick lather between his hands, he brought his soapy fingers to my hair and gently massaged against my scalp.
With my head angled back to avoid washing the suds away immediately, I closed my eyes and smiled at the wonderful feeling of his fingers continuing their work. Tingles moved across my scalp, bringing me that specific kind of bliss.
“You’re enjoying this a lot, aren’t you?”
My lips pulled even more at his question, knowing he was all too aware of how much I enjoyed it. It was never a secret. “Of course. I’d never pass up the chance for this kind of treatment.”
Ezra gave a content sound from his chest as he gently massaged and scratched my scalp before carefully guiding my head beneath the water again. His fingers moved through the water curtain of hair under the stream as he worked the shampoo out again. “It’s fortunate that I never plan to stop offering this treatment.”
“Good…I like being spoiled.”
He chuckled then, reaching for the soap next. After pouring some into his hand, he started gently sliding it around my skin. “As you should be.”
His touch was deliberate yet gentle as he lathered me up thoroughly, sure to get rid of the fire smell completely. He worked deliberately as if trying to break through that lingering scent just to get down to my natural one.
As the soap slipped down my body and gathered in the drain, Ezra leaned forward, nose pressed gently against my neck. “Much better…”
My eyes shut as the water ran over me, and I soaked in his closeness while his hands continued exploring despite the soap being completely gone. His lips just barely brushed against my pulse point and sent a shiver through me.
At this, another hum of appeasement came from his chest as he connected his lips to my neck firmly, hands gripping my hips.
Tingles moved through me as I let go of a breathless sound the moment I felt the slight pinch of his teeth at my skin, followed by the languid brush of his tongue. I melted immediately, aware of the wash of desire that moved through me.
Everything from that evening culminated in that moment, and I let myself bask in it, savoring his attention.
Heat pooled between my legs as his hand slowly moved down my side, hipbone, and then to my thigh. His touch was light yet reverent, ending with an affectionate squeeze before his fingers brushed against the sensitive skin of my inner thigh.
By then, I leaned back against him and felt my skin warm beyond the water’s effect. Those gentle breaths left me all the while I anticipated more of his touch.
My sharp inhale came to me as Ezra’s finger brushed against me in time, and his opposite hand pulled me impossibly close by my hip. I hummed and relaxed into the touch, noting the sparks of pleasure that started to fill my mind with a haze.
As he rolled slow, addictive circles against my clit, I hummed my satisfaction, already aware of how light my legs felt then. I was grateful for his tight grip on me, aware that I wouldn’t even have the chance to slip.
“I want you to know I’ll never get enough of you,” Ezra murmured against my skin as he towered over me, drawing pleasure from my core while he nipped and kissed my neck. “Of how you taste, how you feel...the sounds you make when I hit every perfect spot.”
My breath hitched as he paused his circles to slide further down until he slipped it right in, feeling my immediate arousal. A quiet whimper left my lips as he added another, aware that I could take it with ease.
He chuckled right next to my ear as he captured the lobe between his teeth playfully. “You’re just like a siren…so enticing.”
I moaned as he picked up the pace, feeling as his fingers moved in and out of me with a consistent pace. That heat seemed to burn within my stomach as I felt needier than ever, regardless of the pleasure I was actively receiving. It still didn’t feel like enough.
Feeling his hard length pressed against my ass, I shivered and tipped my head back against his shoulder, panting quietly.
“Shit…please,” I murmured, eyes closed in pleasure as I took it all in. “Please…I’ve been wanting you all night…don’t make me wait anymore.”
Ezra chuckled again, yet the sound was somewhat tense as his own desperation was begging to be let out. He gave a few more strokes with his fingers inside me before he pulled out and dragged them across my clit.
My breath caught from the friction, but before I could dwell on that sudden emptiness for too long, I felt his hands on my hips as he guided me closer to the wall.
Instinctively, my hands went out to brace myself while he shuffled a bit, pulling my hips back in his direction while he nudged my thighs apart with his leg. I swallowed hard as I felt the cool tiles beneath my palms, my heart squeezing with anticipation.
“Since you asked so nicely,” he teased, bringing his body even closer as he palmed at my ass and teasingly ran himself through my heat.
My breath caught as my eyes closed, whining from the friction.
Ezra hummed his approval deep and low while he lined himself up with me, just barely pressing against me. His breaths were already ragged and needy while his fingers dug into my skin. “You ready for me?”
Bracing myself against the wall, I swallowed a whimper at him being so close yet not quite giving me what I wanted. I nodded without a second thought.
Then, his grip on me tightened to bring me closer at the same time as he pressed into my heat. He grunted as he pushed in, slowly filling me with care from that angle.
My jaw went slack as I felt him stretching me from behind, forced to push back against the wall to keep myself upright. Despite my breath catching in my throat from the overwhelming sensations, a broken moan soon followed.
I could tell it took a lot of willpower for him to not give out right from the start, likely constricted even more from that angle. It didn’t help how I subconsciously clenched around him every now and then as the brutal pleasure coursed through me.
Ezra groaned as he filled me and surrounded me completely, one hand propped him up against the wall while the other was wrapped firmly around the front of me. He leaned close enough to nip at my shoulder before kissing the back of my neck. His nose brushed against my skin there, seemingly savoring my scent again.
“Fuck…you’re so tight,” he uttered, voice strained as he remained like that for a moment before pulling back.
I whimpered as he pulled out, sure to keep my pressure against the wall solid as he slid back in again.
My back arched at once, eyes firmly closed all the while he fed me that pleasure. It was intense and unavoidable, and every moment felt like pure ecstasy.
His strained noises turned into a guttural groan the moment Ezra developed a sinful pace. Trusting me to keep myself propped up against the wall, he returned his hand to my hips as he held me firmly. With that leverage, he held me still as he thrust into me, breathing harder all the while he picked up his speed.
My heart raced as I felt wave after wave of pleasure all the while he moved, sinking so impossibly deep that my eyes rolled back, and there was no silencing me then.
Between moaning and whimpering, my head was a complete mess. The pleasure, unrelenting and addicting, coursed through me with such intensity that I couldn’t even will my eyes to open.
Everything about that moment was perfect, and with every sense fraying from the overwhelm, it all felt much more substantial.
Ezra’s grip on me was tight and demanding as he drove his hips into me again and again, causing the delicious slap of our skin to echo within the shower. His huffed breaths hit the back of my neck while he focused on giving us both as much bliss as possible.
I didn’t know how he did it or how we always managed to reach those impossible angles together, but the pleasure hit me so hard that I could see stars. Every moment that passed only made me more addicted, and I knew I’d never be able to get enough.
Before long, we were both a mess as he kept up his relentless pace, making our skin beyond hot as we stood within the scorching fog of the shower. Our groans and pants were so loud that we nearly drowned out the sound of the water running.
The coil in me was wound up so tight that I knew it would be any moment—any moment and I’d crash right into that high.
With several deep, hard thrusts, Ezra hit that perfect spot inside me enough times to make my whole body tense and clench around him as my jaw fell open. My moans broke apart in my throat as I came undone, gasping at the feeling of my body finally releasing all that tension.
Ezra groaned in time with my cry for him, hips rutting into me until he couldn’t hold back, and he stilled against me through his orgasm. Grunting, he spilled inside me and propped himself against the wall, hand resting over the top of mine.
“Fuck…I love you,” he panted against my neck, breathless and spent as the water pelted against his back.
Even through the haze of my bliss, my heart squeezed, and my whole body filled with a pleasant fog as I took in his words.
When he softened and pulled out of me, I turned around on shaky legs to look up at him. I met his gaze with a warm expression. Our cheeks were both flushed and hot from the overwhelming warmth of it all.
Reaching up to cup his cheek, I searched his eyes for whatever I could find. “You do?”
Catching his breath, Ezra kept his steadying hold on me, and he nodded with a serious expression. “I do. I love you more than I ever thought possible.”
Maintaining that eye contact, flush with those warm, soft feelings, I couldn’t fight the smile that spread across my lips. My thumb gently stroked his cheek. “I love you too, Ezra. Without a shadow of a doubt.”
Leaning into that touch, he looked beyond grateful to hear my words. His eyes closed for a moment as he soaked it all in, then he let go of a pensive breath.
Unable to resist, I pulled him closer by my hold on his cheek and melded our lips together.
Ezra hummed into the kiss as he returned it fervently, pouring every ounce of affection he could into it. His grip against my back tightened slightly as we both gave everything we had.
My heart felt so beyond full, and the bond between us seemed to bask in that bliss alongside us.
With nothing but relief, contentment, and love between us, we let the water run far longer than we should’ve, all while we got lost in that solidifying kiss.
Despite all odds, Ezra was my mate and the one man I only ever wanted to be with. Thanks to his willingness to fight for us, we had the privilege of sharing those deeply intimate moments together.
After exchanging those declarations, I knew it wouldn’t be long before we’d end up back in the shower all over again.
*****
THE END