Chapter 28 – Victoria
twenty-eight
Victoria
I feel his fingers rub over my back and then down on the curve of my ass.
My legs automatically open for him, even when I’m half asleep.
“That’s my girl,” he praises as he slides a finger in me.
My back arches, giving him even more access to me.
“Hmm,” he groans out. My eyes open and look over my shoulder at him, his cock already with a condom on it as he lifts my hips off the bed.
“Zane,” I say, leaning on my arms as he rubs the tip of his cock up and down my slit before sliding into me.
He bends forward to kiss my shoulder before his hands move my hips away from him and then brings me back slowly.
“Hmm,” I murmur as he bites my shoulder, this time slamming into me.
His hands move from my hips to my tits as he pinches my nipples.
“Yes,” I hiss as my ass pushes back into his cock.
“Take it, baby,” he grits out as I move forward and then push back.
“Stop fucking around, Zane, and fuck me the way you want to fuck me. The way I need you to fuck me,” I snap, frustrated I can’t go as fast as I want to.
He chuckles and then stops when my pussy contracts on his cock.
He grips my hips in his hands, and I barely have time to grasp the sheets in front of me as he pounds into me, my back arching to make him go deeper.
One of my hands snakes in between my legs to play with my clit.
“I’m so close,” I groan and he hisses as I feel his cock swell inside of me.
You would think, after all this time, I would be used to his size, but I’m not.
“I’m so close,” I repeat, feeling the buildup of the orgasm and trying to push it away, just a little more, so it can be even better, but I can’t hold it this morning.
“I’m—” I don’t say anything else because Zane hisses, grunting out and thrusting, and I know right behind me.
His thrusts slow as he slips out of me and I collapse on the bed, turning to my side and seeing him fall on his back. “Well, good morning to you.” I put my hand on his stomach as he tries to catch his breath.
“Figured since you woke me up with your mouth on my cock yesterday, I owed you this.” He puts his hand on mine, bringing it to his mouth and kissing me.
“Well, I guess there are pros and cons to falling asleep naked.” I look down at our naked bodies.
“You didn’t fall asleep naked,” he counters, laughing. “I think you passed out.”
“It’s the same thing.” I chuckle as he moves out of the bed and looks down at me.
“That’s what you get when you answer the door naked.” He winks at me, and I look at his retreating ass as he goes to the bathroom to dispose of the condom.
“I wasn’t naked!” I shout back at him. “I had a robe on!” I roll my lips when I look over at the see-through robe that he ripped off as soon as we got into the bedroom. His clothes are also scattered all over my room.
“Is that what you’re calling it?” he questions, walking out of the bathroom, his cock at half-mast as he searches through the clothes for his boxers. “You want me to make you coffee?” he asks me, coming to my side of the bed and kissing my neck.
“Yeah.” I stretch. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen,” I tell him, getting up and walking to the bathroom.
I walk out wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top, my hair piled on my head. He takes one look at me and picks me up, placing my ass on my island. “You do that often,” I tell him, laughing as he hands me my coffee.
“That’s because I like to stand between your legs.
” He kisses my neck. “I like doing a lot of things between your legs.” He turns his head to the side and starts to kiss me when we both hear a car door shut.
He looks at me and he’s about to say something when the doorbell rings, and then the knocking starts.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Jaxon crows and my eyes go big as he moves away from me, gripping my hips and putting me on my feet.
“Go and hide in my room,” I hiss-whisper at him. “I’ll get rid of him.”
“You’re naked.” He points to me, looking at me and then the door.
“Wakey, wakey,” Jaxon calls out.
“I’m not naked,” I deny, pushing him out of the kitchen and toward my bedroom.
“Your nipples are on display.”
“They’re just nipples,” I hiss at him but grab my terry cloth robe. “There, now hide.” I urge him as I walk to the door. My heart is hammering as I look up and try to act calm when I open the door. “This is almost criminal,” I say, trying to pretend I’m rubbing sleep away from my eyes.
“It’s the ass crack of dawn,” I point out as he comes in holding a bag in his hand.
“It’s almost ten and I’ve actually been up since the ass crack of dawn.” He walks into the kitchen.
“And you’ve already been up since your coffee is made,” he remarks, pointing to the cup that Zane was handing to me before he knocked. I look over at the coffee maker seeing Zane’s cup there.
“What are you doing here?” I walk into the kitchen, picking up the cup of coffee before turning and giving him my back. I try to make a plan to move the cup without him knowing, but it will draw even more attention to it.
“I’m here because Ariella was craving those cinnamon buns, and I thought I would be a great brother and bring you one.” He holds up his hand. “But if you don’t change that attitude, you’ll get nothing.”
“Thank you.” I grab the bag from him. “That was very kind of you.”
“You okay?” he asks me. “You look flushed.” He tilts his head to the side. “You aren’t coming down with something, are you?” He puts his hand in front of his face. “I can’t get sick.”
“I think”—I fake cough—“I can’t come over.” I cough again, this time in his direction. “I’m sick.”
“Why are you so evil?” he asks, edging his way to the door.
“Because I’m the middle child,” I sass, making him laugh.
“We’re having dinner tonight since I leave on Tuesday,” he says. “Jagger misses you. You haven’t been over in a month.”
“Six days is now a month? I visit when you aren’t there,” I tell him, “so I can avoid you.”
He laughs. “I’ll tell Ariella you’re coming for dinner,” he states, opening the door. “I have to go!” he shouts back as he slams the door. I hold out my hand on the island and hang my head, breathing out a sigh of relief.
His car door slams shut and then starts before he drives off. “He’s gone,” I call toward my bedroom and then look up when Zane comes back into the kitchen.
“That was not fucking fun,” Zane declares, running his hand through his hair.
“I don’t know about you”—I grab my coffee—“but I had a great time.” He glares at me.
“Do you know how small your closet is?” He puts his hands on his hips. “It’s small.”
“It’s not that small.”
“It is when you are six foot six,” he hisses at me, “and as wide as your closet.”
I try not to laugh at him, but I can’t help it. “And your closet is like packed to the fucking gills, so I had to literally stop breathing so I wouldn’t move and make a sound.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation,” I put my foot on top of the other, “you did a great job.” His glare makes me burst out in laughter. “I’ll give you a gold sticker.”
“Let’s go have breakfast,” he suggests, and I tilt my head to the side.
“I thought we just had breakfast.” I point to my bedroom.
“We’ll go to my house first, so I can change.”
“I mean, we can go with you in that suit. That would scream I just had sex,” I singsong, holding my hands up in the air.
“No,” he says, and I silently laugh as I follow him back into my bedroom, where I put on a pair of yoga pants with a matching bra and a sweater.
“I really like these pants,” he growls when he steps behind me while I’m brushing my teeth, his hands rubbing my ass. “I’m going to like them even more when they are on the floor of my bedroom.” I shake my head as he kisses my neck.
We walk out of my house with him wearing his suit from last night. Well, half the suit, his jacket is in his hand. I get into the passenger side as he makes his way home to his house. It takes him ten minutes to change into a pair of blue pants and a sweater.
After breakfast, we decide to hit up the farmers market. He parks in the parking lot and when I walk around to the back, he’s there waiting for me. He slides his hand in mine as we walk around. “We should get some flowers for your house.” I point to the arrangement of flowers they have.
“I’m leaving for three days,” he mentions as I stop beside him, and he smiles down at me. “But if you want to get them, Victoria”—he bends to kiss my lips—“get them.”
“Tori.” I hear my name being called from behind me and he slides his hand out of mine, as if someone poured cold water on him.
I look back at him, seeing him duck his head and move five steps ahead of me.
“I thought that was you,” Nicole, one of the girls from my workout class, says.
“You missed boot camp this morning,” she notes and I smile at her.
“It was my Sunday lazy day,” I reply to her, and a couple of minutes later she’s on her way and I look over to see Zane at the end of the row of vendors. I suddenly hate this hiding and sneaking around.
I bend my head as I walk to him. “Hey.” I suddenly feel off. “I’m ready to go,” I murmur, and he looks at me.
“Aren’t you going to get your flowers?” he asks me, pointing, and I just shake my head.
“You’re leaving anyway,” I say and he just nods his head and turns around, and we head back to his SUV. I get in, looking out the window, my head going around and around, and when I get to his house and walk into the kitchen, he is the first one to say something.
“What’s going on with you?” He looks at me. “You became quiet all of a sudden.”
“I know you’ve said you wanted to keep our relationship on the down low,” I start to say nervously, “but maybe we could, I don’t know, let it out of the bag?” I look at him. “Open the top just a bit, let some people in, or spill the bag on the counter and show everyone?”
He puts his hands on the side of the counter. “There is so much going on right now,” he starts to say. “I’m in the press every single day. They literally destroy me.” I swallow down the lump. “I just don’t want that to affect you.”
I try to hide the hurt from my face. “I understand.” I force a smile on my face. “Yeah, you are probably right,” I tell him. “I think I’m going to head out.” I point over my shoulder. “Go and visit with Jagger.”
“Victoria,” he says my name and just the way he says it, it gets me in the middle of my chest.
“It’s fine, Zane,” I reply. “I’ll talk to you later.”
I’m starting to walk out when he grabs my hand. “Victoria, can we talk about it?” he says softly, and I close my eyes for a second.
“There is nothing to talk about, Zane.” I look over at him. “You’re right, it’s not a good time.” His hand falls from mine. “I’ll talk to you later,” I repeat and walk out the door.
I get into my SUV and pull out of his driveway. The tears escape as soon as his house is in my rearview mirror. My phone rings and I see it’s him. I want so much to send it to voicemail, but my finger hits accept. “Hey,” I answer, trying not to sound upset.
“Victoria,” he says my name softly, “we need to talk about this.”
“There is nothing to talk about, Zane. We’ll keep it to ourselves. Everything stays status quo.”
“But you’re upset.”
“I am,” I admit to him, “but it’s fine. We’ll talk when you come back from the road.” He doesn’t say anything. “I’m at Jaxon’s,” I say, pulling into the driveway. “I’ll call you later.”
“Okay,” he replies, and I hit disconnect. I get out and head up to the door, ringing the doorbell before walking into the house.
“Hello, hello,” I call out, my voice trying to sound chipper as I walk into the living room and see Jaxon on the couch with Jagger playing by his feet. “There he is, the love of my life.” I hold out my hands and he runs to them. I bend to kiss his head before sitting on the floor.
I watch Jagger play, not saying a word, my eyes in a trance. “What’s up with you?” Jaxon asks. “You look sad.” I shrug. “Did you and your guy have a fight?”
“Sort of. I don’t think it’s going to work out with him.”
“Is that why you didn’t introduce him to us?” he asks me, the worry on his face now.
“I wanted to get to know him a bit before I just introduced him to my family,” I defend myself.
“You should get Ariella to fix you up with someone,” Jaxon suggests, and I shake my head.
“I think I’m sort of in love with the guy,” I confess, and he gasps. I’m even shocked I’m admitting this to him. “I’m just trying to figure things out.”
“If he hurts you,” Jaxon declares, “I’m going to find out who he is.” I chuckle.
“Thanks for having my back,” I tell him and take a deep inhale.
“Always,” he assures me. “I’ll always have your back.” I don’t say anything else to him. We spend the day at the park, and that night when I get home, there is the bouquet of flowers we were going to buy at the market.
A note on top.
Wanted you to have these.
Z.
I walk into the house and put the flowers in water and, for the first time in a month, I go to bed without calling him.