Chapter 30
Chapter
Thirty
ZACK
T he moment the waiter clears away our plates, Jenny leans back in her chair, her glass of iced tea nearly empty. She glances toward him with a gleam in her eye that doesn’t sit quite right with me. Before I can say anything, she signals the waiter.
“I’ll have another one,” she says lightly, motioning toward her drink.
The waiter hesitates, glancing at me briefly before nodding. Before he can leave, I speak up. “Actually, no, she won’t.” My tone is firm, leaving no room for argument.
Jenny stiffens, her lips parting in disbelief. “Excuse me?” Her voice is sharp, but there’s a hint of vulnerability beneath it.
I keep my eyes on hers, steady and unflinching. “You’ve had enough.”
She glares at me, her cheeks flushing. “I really don’t appreciate you doing that. I can decide for myself.”
The waiter awkwardly lingers, unsure of whether to leave or stay. I nod toward him, dismissing him with a polite but firm, “Thank you.”
Jenny’s eyes narrow as the waiter walks away. “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Zack.”
I lean forward slightly, lowering my voice. “You’re going to have a raging headache tomorrow, and you'll have to work. It’ll be hell.”
She smiles, crossing her arms. “Your concern is much appreciated but I can handle my liquor, thank you very much.”
“No,” I counter, my tone calm but unwavering. “You can’t.”
Her eyes flash with defiance, but there’s something else there too…a flicker of uncertainty.
“Maybe I don’t want to handle it,” she says softly, her voice dropping to almost a whisper.
Her words hit harder than I expect, the weight of them settling between us like a storm cloud. I lean back in my chair, studying her carefully. The defiance in her gaze falters slightly, giving way to something raw, something honest.
I know what she's referring to, and I cannot believe it. But at the same time, I wonder if I’m just reading incorrectly into the situation. This has to be the case, right?
I take a slow breath, choosing my next words carefully. There is no need to guess or pretend. It has never been my style to do that, and I’m not about to start now.
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” I ask.
Her gaze lowers as she stirs the empty drink glass before her. Then she lifts her eyes, staring up at me from beneath her lashes.
“Yes,” she replies, though her voice is quite shaky. “It’s what I want.”
At this confirmation, to say that I’m dumbfounded is the least of it. It takes me a while to weigh the pros and cons of following through with her request, but in the end, I throw all of it out and speak directly to the woman in front of me.
I take a slow breath, choosing my next words carefully. “If that’s what you want, Jenny…” I pause, letting the silence stretch just long enough to feel heavy. “Then you don’t need to get drunk to make me give it to you.”
Her lips part as if she’s about to protest, but no sound comes out. Her hands tighten around the edge of the table, her knuckles white. I can see the war raging inside her, the push and pull of her emotions as she processes what I just said.
Finally, she exhales shakily and nods, her voice barely audible. “Yes. That’s what I want.”
For a moment, the world around us seems to fade. The chatter of the other diners, the clinking of glasses, the soft strains of music from the speakers…it all disappears as I hold her gaze. Her vulnerability is palpable, and it hits me harder than I care to admit.
I let the silence linger for just a moment longer before I nod and signal for the check. The waiter approaches quickly, sensing the tension but wisely saying nothing as he places the bill on the table. I pull out my wallet and pay, sliding the leather folder back toward him with a quiet, “Thank you.”
Then, I stand, tapping the table lightly with my knuckles. “Let’s go.”
Jenny hesitates for a split second before rising to her feet. She smooths her dress, avoiding my gaze as we leave the restaurant. But I can feel her beside me, her presence charged with an energy that’s impossible to ignore.
As we step out into the warm afternoon sun, I place a hand lightly on the small of her back, guiding her toward the car. The touch is brief, almost automatic, but it’s enough to send a jolt through me…a reminder of everything that’s waiting for us in just a little while.
I waste no time in getting us back to the hotel, and soon we get on the elevator. There are others amongst us, but still, they might as well have been invisible because she is all I can feel and sense.
The moment the elevator empties out, the tension between us becomes nearly unbearable. I can feel her hesitating, lingering just a little too long, her hand brushing the panel behind her as if delaying the inevitable. Her breathing is shallow, and though her face is turned slightly away, I can see the faint flush creeping along her neck.
Without warning, she steps closer to me, lifting herself onto her tiptoes. Before I can process what’s happening, her lips brush mine in a featherlight kiss, startling me into stillness. It’s fleeting…just the barest hint of her warmth…before she pulls back, her wide, nervous eyes searching mine.
“I…” she begins, her voice barely audible, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment.
But before she can step away or say something to fill the awkward silence, I react. My hand finds the side of her neck, fingers pressing lightly against her skin, and I pull her closer. There’s a moment where she freezes, caught between hesitation and surrender, but then her body softens against mine as I kiss her back.
It’s deeper this time. My lips claim hers, slow and deliberate, a quiet ignition to the fire building between us. She makes a soft sound, half gasp, half sigh, and it shoots straight through me, unraveling every restraint I’ve tried to maintain.
She responds in kind, her fingers gripping the lapels of my jacket, pulling me closer until there’s no space between us. The taste of her is intoxicating, and I don’t want to stop. I don’t think I could, even if I tried.
By the time we stumble out of the elevator, still locked in each other, everything else fades into the background. The hallway is quiet, but I barely register it because all I can feel is her…her lips, her hands, her urgency.
At the door to her room, she pauses just long enough to fumble with the keycard. My lips trail down her neck as she presses it to the reader, and the soft sound she makes nearly undoes me. The door clicks open, and we’re inside before it even swings fully shut.
She pushes me back against the door, her hands already sliding under my shirt, exploring the planes of my chest. The sheer hunger in her touch surprises me, leaving me breathless.
“Jenny,” I manage, my voice rough as I try to catch my breath. “Wait…are you sure?—”
“I’m sure,” she cuts me off, her voice firm yet trembling with emotion. “Zack… I’ve been thinking about this. About you. I can’t stop.”
Her confession leaves me speechless, a quiet thunder that roars through my chest. Before I can respond, she moves closer, her lips finding mine again with a desperation that ignites every nerve in my body. Her hands press against my chest, pushing the leather jacket off my shoulders as she kisses me with a hunger that leaves no room for hesitation.
Her lips trail from my mouth to my jaw, down the column of my neck, leaving a scorching path in their wake. I stand frozen, caught between the sheer force of her desire and my own unraveling restraint. When she pulls back just enough to grip the hem of my shirt, her eyes meet mine, blazing with something I can’t quite name.
“Jenny,” I whisper, my voice low and strained, though I don’t even know what I’m trying to say.
She doesn’t wait for me to finish. Her hands slide under my shirt, her fingers tracing over the planes of my abdomen, and then she lifts it higher. I help her, yanking the shirt over my head and tossing it aside, only to feel her lips return to my skin instantly. The cool air brushes against my bare skin, but I barely notice. All I feel is her…the heat of her mouth, the softness of her lips, the sheer intensity of her focus as she devours me like I’m the only thing that matters.
She kisses her way down my chest, her mouth pressing against every inch she can reach. When her hands smooth over my arms, her lips follow, leaving soft, urgent kisses along my biceps, my forearms. It’s reverent and ravenous all at once, and it makes my head spin.
“Jenny,” I say again, my voice rougher this time as I grab her wrists, trying to still her for just a moment. I’m looking for an explanation, on why she is so ravenous, and she understands. I feel the same way too, but it stuns me that the hunger is mutual.
She looks up at me, her eyes dark with need, and her lips part as though she’s about to speak. But instead of answering, she leans forward, pressing her lips to my collarbone, then lower, her kisses trailing down my torso until I can’t think, can’t breathe.
“Jenny,” I rasp, my voice hoarse and trembling as I cup her face, forcing her to meet my gaze. I’m trying to hold on to some semblance of control, but the way she looks at me makes it impossible. “Are you sure about this?” I ask one more time before we reach the point of no return.
She nods, and I believe her.
Her hands tremble only slightly as she unbuttons my pants, sliding the zipper down with deliberate slowness. My breath catches, the anticipation coursing through me as her fingers brush against me through the fabric. Even that minimal touch sends a jolt straight to my core, and I bite back a groan.
When she leans forward, her lips pressing tentatively against me through the fabric, the sensation is maddening. She’s testing, teasing, and it’s driving me insane. My cock aches, straining against the confinement, and when she glances up at me, the determination in her eyes is enough to undo me entirely.
“Jenny,” I rasp, my voice thick with desire and a hint of restraint. But she doesn’t stop. Instead, she tugs down the waistband of my briefs, freeing me completely. The cool air hits me first, but then her warm hand wraps around me, and the contrast is staggering.
She takes a moment to study me, her gaze dropping to my cock, and I feel a surge of heat under her scrutiny. Her lips part slightly, and then she leans in, her breath warm against the sensitive skin. When her tongue darts out to trace a slow line along the underside, my head falls back, and a guttural sound escapes me.
Her lips close over the head, soft and deliberate, and she sucks gently, her tongue swirling in a way that makes my hips jerk involuntarily. I can’t stop the groan that follows, my hand moving to tangle in her hair. She doesn’t pull away. If anything, her confidence grows, her pace quickening as she takes more of me into her mouth.
Her tongue presses firmly against the underside, and she moves with a rhythm that’s calculated to destroy me. She pulls back slightly, her lips dragging along my length before she takes me deeper again, her cheeks hollowing as she sucks. The sensation is overwhelming, her mouth hot and wet and perfect.
“Fuck,” I groan, my voice low and ragged as I fight to keep some semblance of control. My fingers tighten in her hair, guiding her gently, but she’s already moving with an intensity that leaves me breathless.
Her hands grip the base of my cock, stroking in time with the movement of her mouth, and the combination is devastating. She takes me deeper, her lips brushing against her hand as she moves, and I can feel the pressure building, coiling low in my abdomen.
“Jenny,” I manage, my voice strained. “You don’t?—”
She pulls back slightly, her lips glistening as she looks up at me. “I want to,” she whispers, her voice low and breathless. The raw sincerity in her words leaves me speechless.
She takes me back into her mouth, and this time, she doesn’t hold back. Her movements are faster, more deliberate, her tongue pressing and swirling as she takes me deeper. My hips jerk forward instinctively, and she takes it all, her lips sliding down my length until she’s nearly at the base.
The sight of her like this…on her knees, her cheeks flushed, her lips stretched around my cock…sends me spiraling. I can’t stop the groans that slip from my lips, the way my body reacts to every touch, every movement. She’s relentless, her focus absolute, and it’s enough to make my vision blur.
“I’m close,” I warn her, my voice rough and uneven, but she doesn’t stop. If anything, she goes deeper, her tongue pressing harder as she takes me in completely. The tension in my body snaps, and I come with a shuddering groan, the release blindingly intense.
I try to pull back, but she holds me in place, her lips sealed around me as she swallows everything. The sensation is too much, almost unbearable, but she doesn’t falter. When she finally pulls back, her lips are swollen, her cheeks flushed, and her gaze is heavy-lidded as she looks up at me.
She licks her lips slowly, deliberately, and it’s the most erotic thing I’ve ever seen. My knees nearly give out as I reach down to pull her to her feet, my hands cupping her face as I crash my lips against hers. The kiss is frantic, all-consuming, as I press her back against the door, the taste of her mixed with my release only fueling the fire between us.
“Jenny,” I murmur against her lips, my voice hoarse and filled with everything I can’t put into words. Her response is a soft moan, her hands gripping my shoulders as she pulls me closer.