Seventeen
ALYSSA
IWAKE up alone in Zac’s bed. Reaching over, I feel his side of the bed is cold. He must have been up a while. I debate just closing my eyes for a few more minutes, but mother nature is calling.
After going to the bathroom, I find Zac’s discarded shirt from yesterday on the floor. I put it on and roll the sleeves up a little. I decide that it covers enough of me. I mean, the shirt stops mid-thigh; it could almost be a dress. I walk out in search of Zac.
I find everyone in the living room, everyone being: Zac, Bray, Dean, Reilly, Sarah, Holly and Ella. All eyes swing my way when they hear me walking in.
Bray wolf whistles, smirking at me. “Damn, Lyssa, are you sure you picked the right brother?”
Zac slaps him across the head as he stalks towards me. He says nothing, just turns me around and leads me back to the bedroom.
“Umm, Zac, as much as I’d love to play around again. I think you need to give my vagina some recovery time,” I say.
“Sunshine, there are two hot-blooded males out in our living room. You need to put clothes on before you walk out.” I watch as he walks into his wardrobe and comes out with a pair of my yoga pants I’ve left here, a sports bra and a shirt. He lays the clothes on the bed.
Roaming his eyes up and down my body, he says, “Maybe I should just kick them all out and leave you in that shirt all day. You look fucking good in that shirt, Alyssa.”
Laughing, I grab the yoga pants and pull them on. “Zac, you’re not kicking them out. You know Bray only says those things to get a rise out of you, right? I’m pretty sure he is hung up on Reilly.”
Groaning, he says, “I know he does, and it works every damn time.”
Zac watches intently as I strip his shirt off and put on the bra he pulled out for me. “It’s such a shame to cover those breasts up. It’s like covering up the Mona Lisa or the David. They are a bloody work of art.”
I have no response to that. I just laugh and pull on the shirt—another one of his shirts—which falls down to my thighs. I tie the shirt up so it sits just above my waist line.
Zac groans. Running his hands through his hair, he says, “Really, sunshine, is there anything you don’t look like every man’s wet dream in?”
Looking down at myself then back up at him, I respond, “I’m literally in yoga pants and a shirt, Zac. Hardly the stuff dreams are made of.”
Wrapping me up in his arms, he whispers in my ear, “You are more than what I ever could have dreamed up. You don’t even know the effect you have on men.”
I step back and towards the door, because, coffee, I need coffee. I look back over my shoulder to see Zac now staring at my ass.
Winking at him, I say, “It’s a good thing the only person I care to affect is you then, huh?”
Walking into the living room, I notice Dean scrambling to pick up papers from the coffee table; everyone stops talking at once.
I smile sweetly at Dean and, with the sternest voice I can muster right now, I say, “I’m going to go make a coffee, then I’m coming back in here and you will tell me everything that you found out about this psychopath.”
Dean’s face falls; his mouth opens and closes.
He looks behind me to Zac, as if searching for what he should do.
I don’t give either of them the chance to come up with anything to prevent me from finding out what they are all hiding.
Turning around, I grab Zac’s hand and start pulling him into the kitchen.
“Babe, can you help me figure out how to use that fancy coffee machine of yours?”
The minute we step into the kitchen, Zac picks me up, sitting me on the countertop before walking over to the coffee machine. He presses a few buttons and returns to me with a steaming cup of vanilla latte. Could this man get any dreamier?
He steps between my legs, rubbing his hands up and down my thighs, as I sip at the deliciousness that is my vanilla latte. Closing my eyes, I let out a little moan as I savour the flavours in my mouth.
“Sunshine, if you keep that up, I will not be held responsible when I fuck you right here.”
He pulls me flush against him so I can feel how aroused he is when my core meets the hard length of his cock.
“As fun as that sounds, you have a house full of people just in the other room. And I have a conversation to be had with Dean.”
As I try to push him back, so I can jump down off the bench, he grabs my waist and says, “We.”
Confused, I scrunch my face and look up at him. “Huh?”
“We have a houseful of people,” he explains.
I just roll my eyes and walk back into the living room, where once again, everyone stops talking at once.
“Okay, out with it. Someone had better tell me what is so bad that you all stop talking the minute I step into the room.”
I look from person to person, all of whom are looking behind me to Zac, who in turn is glaring at each and every one of them.
“Seriously, somebody better start talking!”
It’s Sarah that breaks. I knew she wouldn’t be able to keep anything from me. “Ah, Lyssa,” she says and then looks at Zac. “Either you tell her, or I will. You aren’t scaring me with the scowl that’s pretty much permanently planted on your face.”
Zac pulls me over to the couch, pulling me down onto his lap as he sits down. Sarah’s wrong about the scowl; it’s never on his face when he looks at me. All I ever see written on his face are love, adoration and lust—okay, lots of lust.
“Sunshine, you know I’m not going to let anything happen to you, right?”
I nod my head but don’t say anything.
“Okay, well, Dean went and helped himself into Caitlyn’s apartment last night. He took some photos of something she had attached to one of the walls in her living room.”
He watches my face. I’m not sure if he’s waiting for me to break, or if he just wants to buy time before actually getting to the point.
“Okay, so show me the pictures. What was on the wall?”
Zac shakes his head no. “You don’t need to see the pictures, babe. They were disturbing as shit for me to see.”
Pretending to think this over and agree with him, I nod my head before I stand up to place my empty cup on the coffee table. That’s when I move fast, picking up the big yellow envelope I saw Dean
shoving papers into. Tipping the envelope upside down, I empty the contents onto the coffee table before anyone can stop me. I stare down at the images. Lots of images of Zac. Some of Zac and me together. In all of those, a big red cross is drawn across my face.
“Fuck,” Zac grunts and curses as he turns me around. “Sunshine, I really didn’t want you to have to see that.”
I don’t move or say anything for a while; a lone tear drops down my cheek.
Zac is quick to wipe it away. I don’t want to think about this anymore.
I want to bury my head in the sand and pretend like everything is perfect.
Then I remember the plans the girls and I made with Ella last night to go shopping together today.
“I’m going shopping with Ella and the girls today,” I say to Zac, who has shock written all over his face.
Turning, I say to the girls, “Give me ten minutes to get changed and I’ll be ready.”
Then a fun idea comes to me. Turning back to Zac, I give him my biggest smile. “Can I borrow your car today, babe?”
If I thought Zac’s face showed shock before, it has nothing on the look he has now. I hear Bray coughing and spluttering in the background.
Zac stands there, stumbling over his words. “Uhh, babe… umm… well… you know…”
He’s looking for a way to say no. I’m not going to help him. I just stand there and smile sweetly.
Ella is laughing so hard she’s rolled over, holding her stomach. “What’s the matter, Zac, cat got your tongue?” she teases.
Dean laughs a little before adding, “Stay strong, bro. Don’t do it.”
Zac seems to recover from his shock. I watch as his face morphs into that cocky smirk that would drop any girl’s panties. “Sunshine, I can drive you to the mall, and then come back and get you when you’re done.” He smiles like he just solved all of his problems.
Leaning up, I kiss him on his cheek, letting my lips just brush the corner of his mouth while pressing my breasts a little harder than necessary into his chest.
“That’s sweet, babe. But really, I want to drive. Besides, it will be good for Ella and me to have some girl bonding time, don’t you think?”
He groans, running his hands through his hair. I’ve learnt he does this when frustrated. “Sunshine, it’s just that… well, I don’t…” He doesn’t finish his sentence.
Bray calls out, “Way to tell her no, bro.”
Zac flips him off, then smiles at me, a light in his eyes. “How about we go shopping and I buy you your own car?”
Okay, well, now I drop my mouth open in shock. Reilly spits out the mouthful of water she was drinking.
Bray continues mocking Zac, “Damn, the boy is whipped!”
Zac ignores them all, smirking at my silenced face.
Shaking off the shock, I say, “Umm, no, you are not buying me a bloody car, Zac. If you don’t want me to drive your car, all you have to do is say so.
I’ll try not to be too offended, you know, considering you let Reilly drive it that one time.
But it’s okay. If you don’t trust me enough to drive it, I’ll survive. ”
Patting him on the chest, I’m about to turn and walk into the bedroom when Zac grabs onto my wrist, stopping me.
“Baby, I trust you completely. If you really want to drive, then you can take the car.” He leans in, bringing his lips to meet mine.
Ella walks past and says, “Damn, that was quick.”
I smile up at Zac. I can’t help but laugh a little.
“Thanks, babe, but actually, could you drive us? There’s a new wine bar that I want to show Ella.
” I feel a little bad for putting him through that stress.
I have to confess, “I never wanted to drive the Batmobile, you know, just curious if you’d let me. ”
“Damn, babe, that’s harsh,” Bray laughs.
Zac turns his attention to his brother, glaring him down. “Her name’s Alyssa. She’s not babe to you, asshole.”