Jaime
JAIME
Lips press to my forehead in a barely-there kiss and, as the bed dips, I pry my eyes open to find Zak pulling on his dark gray sweats. I watch him for a moment as he searches for a t-shirt, enjoying the view before he realizes I’m awake.
Yesterday was perfection. If I forget about the whole getting fired thing. We ate pizza in bed and then alternated between fucking and talking until falling asleep. I’ve no idea what time it was. I’m deliciously sore, and I stretch beneath the covers, enjoying the way my body remembers every place Zak squeezed, licked, and sucked over the last eighteen hours.
“I didn’t mean to wake you.” He sits down on the bed and strokes my cheek with the back of his hand. “I was going to run to Grinds and get us some breakfast.”
I’m still wearing my watch, and I lift my wrist to find that it’s seven thirty. I don’t have class until eleven, so I sink back into the pillow with a smile. “That sounds good.”
Zak doesn’t move, instead staring at me, his fingers running through my hair and a worried expression on his handsome face.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
He sighs and drops his hand. “Please still be here when I get back.”
My heart constricts. If I could go back, I wouldn’t leave that hotel room. We would have eaten room service in bed and then got nasty in the shower. But I did leave. And now he thinks it’s going to happen again.
“I will.” I reach up and run my fingers along his jaw, the usually smooth skin rough with stubble. “I promise I’ll still be here.”
After a second, he nods and stands, grabbing his phone from the desk, but my heart continues to ache long after he’s gone. I shouldn’t be here, hiding from my life, but it’s what I need. Just a minute to take stock and gather myself.
Zak told me last night that I knew what to do. That I was a force to be reckoned with. I’d scoffed, unable to see my way through the shitstorm of the morning’s events, but now, in the clear light of day, I know what he meant.
I’ve always walked through life with confidence. Whether that comes from being born into a family with more money than God, I don’t know. But I’ve always been sure of myself. I’m smart. I’m beautiful. I’m powerful. These affirmations are ingrained in my psyche and make up the very essence of who I am.
I’m not sure when I forgot.
Maybe it’s when other people grabbed the steering wheel and pulled my life off track without my permission. I’ve always known Louis was my future, but everything veered off course so quickly it gave me whiplash.
Now, I need to take back control.
Sitting up, I frown as I remember there’s no ensuite. Fuck. Well, there’s no way I’m going to be sitting here, a mess with morning breath, when Zak comes back. Sliding from the bed, I root around in his closet until I find a navy t-shirt and a pair of black sweats. The t-shirt goes halfway to my knees, and I just stand and laugh at the sweats. There’s no point even trying to roll them. I swear, Zak is a freaking giant.
Kicking them off, I dig around in his drawers until I find a pair of shorts and pull them on. Even rolled at the waist, they still fall past my knees, and I’m sure the ensemble makes me look like a child playing dress up. But I don’t care. I just need to be decent enough to go to the shared bathroom.
My heart speeds at the thought of running into the Wolves who share his floor, but then I realize they probably heard us going at it all night anyway. My skin heats to nuclear proportions as I grab a towel from Zak’s closet, taking a second to breathe before lifting my chin and opening the door.
Fortunately, the hallway is empty as I tiptoe along to the bathroom. Other than the use of gray marble instead of white, it’s exactly the same as the one in the Hive. I find some toothpaste and use my finger to clean my teeth before shutting myself in a shower stall and washing. It’s not great, but it’ll have to do.
Next time, we’ll stay in my room and—
I freeze, my chest squeezing. Next time. There shouldn’t even be this time. Panic flutters through my veins as I dry off and pull Zak’s baggy clothes back on. What am I doing? I’m literally playing make believe. This is not my life. Zak is not my future.
As much as I chant the words in my head, they don’t seem to want to stick.
The hallway is still empty when I leave the bathroom, although I can hear voices downstairs and music coming from more than one of the rooms. I let myself back into Zak’s bedroom and drape the damp towel over the door of his closet before reaching for my purse, abandoned beside the bed and pull out my phone. It’s almost dead, and I scroll through the notifications expecting something from Louis, but there’s nothing. I sigh through my nose. The bastard said he was on my side. That he would always put me first. And then he goes behind my back and takes away my career. What’s worse is, he hasn’t even messaged to explain himself. Couldn’t even give me a heads up. The coward.
Frowning, I pull up my family group chat and tap out a message.
ME: I need to speak to you ASAP. Let me know when’s a good time for a video call
I plug into Zak’s charger on his desk and then settle back down on his bed, inhaling his scent with a smile. My heart swells at the unwavering faith that man has in me, but I meant what I’d said to him. As much as he says he hasn’t put me on a pedestal, it sure feels dizzy as hell up here. Especially when I know I’m going to fall. He said he’d catch me, but who’s going to catch him? There’s only one way this can end, and it’s with Zak’s heart in pieces.
Burying my face in his pillow, I inhale, trying to convince myself it’s not true. Just as my throat starts to tighten, my eyes burning, Zak springs back into the room, his dimples on full display as he finds me still in his bed.
“You’re here,” he says, placing two brown paper bags and two take out cups on his desk.
I sit up, pushing my fingers through my hair and forcing a smile. “I promised I would be, didn’t I?”
Zak shakes his head and swoops on me, his body pressing me back down onto the bed as he claims my mouth. He tastes of chocolate and peanuts, and I smile against his lips.
“Candy at this time of the morning?” I tease. “When did you sneak that in?”
“I needed energy for the run across campus.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re addicted.”
“There’s only one thing I’m addicted to.” He grins down at me, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively, and I laugh. His smile fades as his eyes rake over my body, swimming in his clothes. “I like you in my clothes, Kitty Cat.”
He grinds his hips against me, punctuating just how much he likes it, and my hands go to his firm ass as I wrap my legs around him, keeping him in place.
“You want to fuck me in your clothes?” I ask, my body waking up at the warmth of him against me.
Zak groans and drops his head to my shoulder. “I really, really do. But I also need food. And coffee. Someone kept me up all night.”
I laugh, grinding against him one more time before releasing him. He stands to fetch our food and coffee and I bite my lip at the way his hard cock pushes against the fabric of his sweats.
“I got you a panini and a brownie,” he says, handing me one of the paper bags. “And a vanilla oat milk latte. Is that okay?”
I tear open the bag with a grateful groan. “More than okay. Thank you.”
He sits down on his desk chair and tears into a sandwich that seems to be more filling than bread, and I smile.
“What?” he asks, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, his brown eyes dancing with amusement.
I shake my head. “Nothing. I’m just . . . happy.”
The word takes me by surprise, but it’s true. Right here, right now, I’m truly happy. And as Zak’s smile grows, both dimples in full force, my happiness only increases.
“I’ve been thinking,” I say, putting down my cheese and ham panini and reaching for my latte.
Zak’s smile falters as he stares at me. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. About what we talked about on the phone on Saturday.” I break off a piece of brownie and pop it in my mouth. When Zak frowns, I clarify, “After college.”
“Oh.” His frown deepens and he pulls a piece of tomato from his sandwich before popping it in his mouth. “I told you I had it sorted. Porn star, remember?”
I roll my eyes. “Have you thought about staying with lacrosse?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “I’m honestly not good enough to go pro and although I love the game, the idea of playing professionally just doesn’t do it for me. And that’s the fucking problem. Nothing does.”
My chest pulls at the frustration in his muttered words. I’ve known what I wanted for as long as I can remember. I can’t imagine not having something that fills me with purpose.
“I didn’t mean going pro,” I explain. “There are other things you can do, right? Have you thought about coaching?”
Zak’s gaze snaps to mine, his eyebrows raising. “What?”
I shrug. “Makes sense to me. You’re so good with people, and the way you talk about your nieces, I just know you’re good with kids.”
The look of wonder that crosses Zak’s face has me pressing my lips together to hold in a giggle.
“That’s interesting, Kitty Cat,” he mutters, placing his nearly demolished sandwich down as he picks up his iced coffee. “Real interesting.”
My heart sings at the idea that I might have helped him. After all, he’s helped me so much. With that in mind, I’m going to speak to my parents today, no matter what. I’m taking back the wheel, and so help anyone who gets in my way.
Taking another bite of brownie, I glance at where Zak is staring into space as he sips his coffee. Last night, when he promised he’d catch me, he was talking about the mess with my family—with Louis—but I really hope he means it in all ways. Because I can no longer deny what’s happening between us. The little shoot I’ve tried to suppress and keep from growing all these years has taken root and is now a vine, wrapped around my beating heart. I’ve fallen for Zak Aldridge.
And now I have to decide what I’m going to do with that.