22. Chapter 22 – Zach
W e started with the upper floors. Searching there would be hardest to hide from the kids. I texted Gran, and she offered to keep them at the farm through dinner, then come with her overnight bag near bedtime.
I shook my head, staring unseeingly at the back of Jia and Jordan’s closet. Who had two thumbs and invited the oldest cockblocker on the island to be their live-in chaperone? This guy .
Still, it seemed necessary. Gran could hold down the fort while Rae and I worked during the week. With Gran in residence, I could move into Rae’s room almost guilt-free. Almost . The problem? For an old bat, she had better hearing than most vampires. And the same thirst for blood.
There was no way in hell I was exposing Rae to her unfiltered commentary if she overheard… anything. Which meant I’d officially arranged a one-way ticket to blue ball hell, courtesy of my own grandmother. The only thing worse would be sharing a room with my Gran. I shuddered. Hard pass .
When Jia and Jordan’s closet yielded no clues or answers, I moved on to the kids’ rooms. It seemed unlikely that Jordan would hide anything sensitive there. He’d been a bit shifty, but not a bad parent.
House search complete, I joined Rae in the garage. Then wished I hadn’t.
“Holy hell.”
My jaw hung open as I took in the chaotic disaster zone.
I wasn’t sure I could find Rae in here, let alone anything a burglar may have been searching for.
The Dawkins garage was a mishmash of half-completed projects and supplies.
The boater in me died a little inside at the misuse of space.
I wouldn’t have pegged Jordan as a pack rat.
“It’s a bit of a mess,” Rae said, emerging from one aisle of teetering sports equipment and boxes.
“It’s a hoarder’s paradise.”
She wrinkled her nose, her expression impossibly cute. “That too.” She gestured to her left. “I’ve finished looking through the first two aisles.”
We picked our way along the next set of shelving. I spotted a broken skateboard, five different space heaters, and a headless Santa Claus among the other treasures.
“This was always Jordan’s domain. Other than the office, I think this is our best bet.”
“I can understand why Jia didn’t spend a lot of time out here.”
The next aisle yielded a box full of old light bulbs and an array of tools for tiling projects, but nothing else.
The final wall had a long counter, likely intended as a workspace, if it weren’t heaped with assorted tools and odds and ends.
We picked our way forward. The last corner was full of stacked boxes.
Most looked ancient. Probably full of high school trophies. One was even marked SWIM TEAM.
I tilted my head. “Was Jordan even on the swim team? ”
Rae paused, squinting into the distance. “No. He played football. Jia might swim.”
Somehow, I doubted Jia was the pack rat in the Dawkins family. The box was folded closed but not taped. I released one flap, peering inside. Slowly, I pulled out a heavy metal box.
“How are you at picking locks?” I asked.
Someone, presumably Jordan, had hidden a small safe inside the memorabilia box.
“I could be YouTube-trained in a couple of hours, but I want Jia’s permission before I open anything we find.”
“You think she’d object?”
“I think she might have the combination.”
I grunted. “Fair. When do you think you can reach her?”
Rae checked her watch. “She’s usually done with her shift by now. I’ll call.”
Rae returned a few minutes later. “Jia says we can open it, but she doesn’t know the combination. She gave me a few dates and numbers to try. Birthdays, anniversaries, that kind of thing.”
“I’ll bring it inside, but it’s getting late. I’d originally planned for us to go out to dinner.” I glanced ruefully at the safe.
“But I don’t think that safe, tiny as it is, will look much like a purse if I cart it around. I don’t want to risk leaving it here unprotected or in the trunk of a car.”
“Exactly. How do you feel about showers and grilled cheese?”
Rae toyed with the neck of her shirt, holding my gaze. “Like shower scenes are iconic in horror movies, and I want you to protect me.”
“Done.” I couldn’t have put it better myself. But I had other iconic movie scenes in mind .
I flicked on the shower, adjusting the spray. Jia’s shower was massive, definitely roomy enough for two. Steam filled the cubicle, casting everything in a romantic haze.
Rae reached out a delicate hand, dipping beneath the water, murmuring her approval. It took me a moment to register that she’d already stripped. I wanted nothing more than to sink into her body, rosy and sweet, garage dust be damned.
She caught me staring and winked. “Better catch up, Fenwick.” She stepped fully into the shower, turning to hold my gaze as she stroked her hands over her dark hair, the strands soaked in seconds, clinging to her head.
She maintained the silent challenge, her hands trailing over her neck, bringing my attention to the delicate hollows there, before dragging across her chest and down to her abdomen and hips.
“See something you like?” She arched a brow, a hint of a smile flirting with her pink lips.
I scrambled out of my clothes, not caring that I dropped them in a hasty pile. Stepping in next to her, I crowded her toward the wall as I arched my head into the spray. Two could play her game.
I gripped my head in my hands, ostensibly to wet my hair, but the pose thrust my chest out. Subtly, I flexed. Rae’s choked-off laughter, the mirth in her eyes, brought a sheepish grin to my face. Maybe not so subtly.
“See something you like?”
Rae’s palm covered my heart, her capable hand caressing my chest. My pulse picked up.
Something I was sure she noticed, from the way her mouth quirked at the corner.
She traced over my pectorals, adding her left hand as she stroked my ribs, tickling gently.
Inching ever lower. Teasing. Tempting. Dropping further.
I inhaled on a rough gasp. Her grip tightened around my dick as she tested my weight and girth, sliding her hands from base to tip .
“I’m not a piece of meat.” I ground the words out, trying not to betray how eager I was to whimper for her to take more. Take all of me.
Her soft chuckle tore at my heart. “Is that your way of saying that you’ll still respect me in the morning?”
There was a thread of vulnerability in her question. Like she didn’t already know she had me by the balls in more ways than one.
“Baby, if anything, I have too much respect for you. A little less respect, and we could have been doing this years ago.”
Something flashed in her eyes. Regret? It fell away, a determined jut to her chin my only warning. She dropped to her knees. Before I could pull her upright, she stroked me again, sending a surge of sensation arcing through me that forced my eyes closed. Too good . Her touch was magic.
I braced against the shower walls, back bowed as she sucked me into her mouth.
Feeling her draw down to my soul. I had no resistance to her kind of sorcery.
So I gave up trying. Eyes closed, I reveled in each stroke of her clever tongue.
Doing my best not to grind into her beautiful face, give her more than she could handle.
Hot and wet, her mouth was heaven. Hell.
I forced myself to watch as she pleasured me, silent worship all I could manage. Her dark hair clung to her cheeks, water dripping down the strands to fall on my feet, each droplet drip-dripping away at my control.
So fucking beautiful . Rosy cheeks, pink mouth, my cock disappearing between her sweet lips.
“Oh, god.” It was all I could get out. Her only warning. Instead of pulling away, she caught my gaze, holding it as she drained my soul from my body.
“Baby, are we clean yet?” I bit out, gasping .
“I don’t know…” Rae drew it out, adding a small smile as she pushed to her feet, leaning against the shower as if she, too, needed the support. She trailed a hand from her neck, across her breasts, down to her thighs. “I’m still feeling pretty… dirty.”
I bit back a curse. I’d had one job. Condoms.
The shower head was the detachable style. I’d already fiddled with the spray settings. Slowly, a smile spread across my face. I snatched a quick kiss from Rae before pulling the showerhead from its bracket.
“I think I’ve got an excellent idea to get you all cleaned up…”