by Sara Hazel
“Oh Zack, I love you,” she cries out.
“I love you too, sweetie pie.”
The warmth of her spreads through my body and I shudder as I hold on to her tight. She is all loud moans mixed with soft expressions of pleasure now. I drop one hand down to her clit and massage her as we continue our sensual dance. Her body quickly shudders against mine and she screams. The release is fast and hard.
“Please cum inside of me!” she shouts.
But I’m not done with her yet. I need this to last.
“I love it when you beg for it, sweetie pie, but I’m not ready for this to end yet.”
“I’m your girl,” she whispers as I pound into her and twist my cock deep until both of us are shuddering together. I’m right on the edge — right there. Both of us are breathing heavy and our skin is pressed together with as little space between us now as possible. I hold myself inside of her deep and she throbs around me.
I’m your girl.
It becomes her endless moaning chant now, and I love every second of it. Juliann is mine, and in return I’m hers. If I have anything to say about it, nothing will ever pull us apart.
It’s getting so damn hard not to fill my sweet girl right now.
Juliann
*
Zack pulls out of me and leads me to the bed. I lie down on the soft mattress and he climbs on top of me.
“I wanted to see your beautiful face,” he whispers.
“That sounds reasonable,” I reply.
As he enters me again I grasp at the sheets. He kisses my neck and then he’s off — railing into me at full speed. His heavy and hard body feels good against my soft one. I could have never thought that we would fit together so well, but it seems as if we really do. It’s like my body contours naturally to his. Was I made for him? It feels like the inescapable truth. We are a recipe that just works.
I feel the gentle rocking of the boat as Zack makes love to me. Each thrust is followed by a back and forth musical exchange between us. I feel every inch of him moving inside of me. This is what perfection and love feel like. This is safety and passion wrapped into one, and I just let myself go for the first time in my life. I don’t feel like I have to hold anything back about myself with him. I can be the girl who pleads with him to fuck her. And I can be the one moaning beneath him as our bodies melt into each other. For a brief flash I forget where I am or that I was ever not doing this with Zack.
“Harder,” I whisper through raspy breaths.
Zack lifts himself up a bit and slides his arms under my legs. He holds them up as he slams against me. Now my body shudders and I thrash uncontrollably. The sound of the sheets shifting and tangling beneath us adds to the music.
I grab a pillow and hold it over my face. I’m not even entirely sure why, but I scream into that pillow at full force as I come undone. Zack pulls it off me.
“Please don’t hide from me,” he says.
“I won’t anymore. I promise.”
He holds himself inside of me and trembles as I feel his explosion. One warm burst after another. My eyes roll up and I feel as if I’m carried off to another dimension as I take his seed inside of me.
Zack stays in place for a moment before pulling out and lying beside me. He takes my hand in his, and our fingers entwine.
“If that wasn’t a sign that we’re made for each other then I don’t know what is,” he says.
I snuggle up to him and lay my head on his very warm chest. His heartbeat thrums against my ear — still beating fast from our passion.
“You’ll have to take me out onto the lake sometime,” I whisper. “We can go fishing, and I’ll fry up dinner for you.”
He chuckles and strokes my hair. “Of course, baby. But I wouldn’t eat anything that comes out of this lake. I know all too well what goes into it.”
“Maybe someday we’ll go fishing in Louisiana together,” I reply. “The water there is cleaner.”
“I can meet your family too,” he adds.
“I am honestly not sure how my mama is gonna react to you, Zack Elliot, so when you meet her, you better be on your best behavior. She’s a southern belle, and she isn’t gonna take any of your crap.”
“Is that really what you think of me? That I’m some impolite northerner? Wow, sweetie pie…just wow.”
“Oh, stop it. You already know I love you. We’ll have to work on making sure my mama loves you too. If she thinks you’re even a hint of trouble then she’ll tell me to move back home and find myself a nice Baton Rouge boy. And maybe I should!”
“Hey! You already told me you were my girl. And you are now. No other man is ever going to touch my sweetie pie.”
“Possessive now, huh?”
“Beautiful, I was possessive of you the moment I saw you. You’re mine and you’re just going to have to accept that.”
“You’re mine too then,” I add.
“Of course.”
We take a short nap before Zack wakes me to make love again. That happens throughout what remains of the night. Each time is just as special as the first, if not more so, because I am really starting to see the love in his eyes when he looks at me.
I once thought love wasn’t for me. I was just gonna focus on my career. That’s what my mentorship with Zack Elliot was supposed to be all about and nothing more. But he sure changed all my plans to stay single and innocent.
Damn you, Zack Elliot. If this doesn’t work out, I’ll be broken and I’ll never recover.
*
In the morning, I wake up first and slide out of bed. We never did see the sunrise he promised me. We were more than a little busy. But standing on the deck of the boat and just letting the sunshine and gentle breeze wash over me is refreshing. It’s not long before Zack is behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist. We sway back and forth like two old lovers who can no longer remember what it was like to not be in love.
“I want to grow old with you, Juliann Addison,” he says.
“That would be perfect,” I reply.
“I’m serious. Tomorrow morning we should go to the courthouse and get married.”
“Wait, are you proposing to me right now?”
“I know I don’t have a ring yet. The whole idea just hit me, but I think we should do it. We can go pick out a ring together after the courthouse. Please say yes, sweetie pie. I’m not letting you get away from me.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I reply.
I’m in shock. A good shock, but still — I just can’t seem to find the right words. Tears come pouring out of my eyes, and I sob as I lean back into him.
“You’re gonna say no. I can feel it.”
“No, no. I mean, yes, yes I will marry you. But no to the saying no part!”
He lets go of me and whirls me around. He kisses me passionately, and I hear someone cheering for us in the background.
Zack
*
I am on top of the world as I walk into the restaurant today around two in the afternoon with Juliann on my arm. Whenever I look at her and smile, she beams right back at me with such an intensity that makes my heart jump.
Donovan laughs as he sees us. “You two are late today. This isn’t like you, Zack. I might have to fire you.”
“40% Donovan. 40%. That’s how much of this restaurant you own.”
“Juliann, tell this guy that it’s mean that he always reminds me that he owns an extra ten percent of my soul,” Donovan replies.
“I’m staying out of it!” she says.
Donovan shakes his head and walks away.
“Everyone gather around me.” I shout to get their attention. The team slowly gathers. I still hold tight to Juliann’s hand. “I’ve got an announcement to make.”
“An announcement?” Paige asks.
Christian leans against the grill with a big grin on his face. “Come on. Look at these two. I know what their announcement is without them even having to say it.”
“So do I,” Hannah replies.
“I don’t have a clue,” Michael adds.
“Ok, jokers. Yeah, I’m sure it’s been very obvious that Juliann and I have shared quite the close relationship over these past few months…”
Just as I’m preparing to continue, Francesca rolls on into the kitchen wearing sunglasses.
“Hey losers. Did you all miss me?” She asks.
“I did,” says Michael, of course. He’s the only one though.
“Francesca, you’re back early.”
“Oh, I couldn’t live without y’all,” she says in a fake southern accent. Obviously meant as a dig at Juliann. But for now, I think it’s best if I let her be, and talk to her in private later. She’s going to have a very hard time with my announcement, no doubt.
“Well, Francesca, just stay right there for a moment. Juliann and I have an announcement.”
“You’re getting married and she’s pregnant, right?” Francesca continues in her horrible southern accent.
“No, Fran. Juliann is not pregnant. But we are getting married tomorrow at the courthouse and you’re all invited to join us.”
“Even me?” Francesca asks.
“Yes, honey. Of course,” Juliann says as she squeezes my hand tighter.
“We’ll be closing the restaurant for a few days to celebrate and give everyone enough time to recover from the celebration. I’ll be paying you all during that time, so don’t worry.”
Donovan chimes in with, “Good, because I won’t!”. This gets a laugh out of everyone.
“Great. I’m gonna go change,” Francesca announces.
For the rest of the day, Francesca avoids my gaze. She doesn’t speak to Juliann either. But once things slow down enough, I tell her that I’d like to see her in the office. We head into the office, and I lock the door behind me.
“Oh, Zack, you’re locking me in here, huh? So seeing me again today made you realize how much you’d rather be with me than her, right?”
“Francesca, I’m just trying to keep everyone else out of here for now — even Jules.”
“Oh, well, I like it that way.” And she starts unbuttoning the top of her chef’s coat.
I hold my hand up. “Please. We just need to talk.”
She winks at me and buttons her coat back up.
“Fine. But we don’t have to talk. After what you said earlier, I’ve decided to accept it. I hope that you and Juliann are very happy together.”
“That’s wonderful news. I’m glad to hear it. Now we can all get back to being the team I know we can be.”
“Sure. I still love you, Zack, even if you are a jerk. I just wish you’d tell your girl the truth about my sister. Let’s make a deal. You tell her what you did to my sister to make her spiral so far out of control that she killed herself. If you do that, then I’ll let you and Juliann get on with your lives, and I’ll support you from the sidelines as I always have.”
“I didn’t do anything to Antonia to make her do that, Francesca, and you know it. Look, I don’t want to have to do this, but if you can’t get along with Juliann and stop that ridiculous fake accent you had going this morning, then I’m going to have to —”
“What, Zacky? I’m the only one who knows the full story. Antonia told me everything, obviously.”
“What do you want from me? Do you need money?”
“I would never. Like I said. I just want you to tell Juliann the truth. Is it so hard?”
“It is when I’m not even sure what it is that you want me to tell her!” I shout.
Francesca pulls back for a moment. “Zack…did I trigger a nerve?”
I feel horrible about this. I’ve never raised my voice to an employee before. But Francesca has pushed me over the edge. Still, I smooth out my chef’s coat and shake my head.
“Look, I’m sorry about that. I didn’t mean to yell at you. I care about you a lot. But you’ve got to stop this. Please. Let me know how I can help you get over this. I’ll do whatever it takes — anything except tell Juliann whatever lie it is you want me to tell her.”
“Relax, Zacky. Take it easy. I trust that you’ll do the right thing. If you don’t do it, then I will. But you better do it before your wedding tomorrow. Otherwise, you might find yourself on divorce number two just a few minutes after you get married.”
“If you say anything at all to hurt Juliann then you and I are done, Francesca. Just completely done. We’ve had a long friendship and we’ve been a great team. So you should think long and hard about it before you try to interfere with the happiness I’ve found with Juliann. She’s the one.”
“If you say so,” she replies. “I think I’ll go take my break now if that’s alright with you?”
“It’s fine. Take a longer one if you need to. Take another one later.”
“Why thank you, Zacky.”
“And stop it with that Zacky bullshit.”
“I think it’s cute,” she says on her way out the door.
I give her a nice head start before going back into the kitchen to join Juliann.
Juliann looks at me with a concerned expression.
“We heard shouting. Is everything okay?”
I kiss her forehead, and place my hand on her waist. Touching her like this instantly soothes my nerves.
“It’s fine. I let myself get a little carried away, and I apologized to her for that. Francesca and I are ok now. She’s just going to take her break.”
We get back to work and when Francesca returns from an hour-long break, I watch her take a drink from a flask. She does it right in front of me with no concern.
She needs help, but I’ll let it go for now because I don’t want her getting upset and feeding Juliann whatever made-up story her troubled mind has come up with. Yes, there’s more to the story of Antonia and me, but I’ve tried to push it from my mind. It was the darkest period of my life and I’m not looking forward to reliving it. Still, I have to talk to Juliann before Francesca does it.
I have to tell her everything so that I can put the past behind me and we can move forward in love. But if I don’t face my past now, I could lose Juliann forever, and that’s not something I’m prepared to do.
Chapter Eight
Juliann
*
“Hey, Juliann, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for everything,” Francesca says. She puts her hand on my shoulder, and I flinch at the connection.
“It’s ok. I don’t need your apology.”
“Look, I get that you don’t like me,” she says. “And with good reason. But I really need to talk to you.”
I am cleaning my area up, and getting things ready for tomorrow. But Francesca is getting in my way now.
“Can it wait? I am getting married tomorrow, ya know, and I need to go home and rest.”
“Oh, girl, no! No no no! You aren’t going home tonight. You aren’t going to bed tonight. You are coming out with me. I know your wedding is on short notice, but the girls and I decided to make everything up to you and give you the bachelorette party that you deserve.”
“I don’t need a bachelorette party!”
“Yes, you do. And look — Hannah already called your girl Kelsey up. She got her phone number off your emergency contact form. Kelsey will be here in a half an hour to surprise you. She’s so excited. She’s a little disappointed you didn’t tell her right when it happened, but she forgives you. Now come out with us.”
I sigh heavily. “Fine. I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this. You have been a whole lot of trouble in my life, girl. But if Zack loves you then I will learn to love you too.”
“He told you he loves me? That’s sweet.”
“Yeah, he did. He says it all the time. You might have a low opinion of him or whatever, but he still cares about you despite whatever problem y’all got.”
“Your accent is so damn cute. I hope you never lose it.”
“Sure,” I reply.
The next half hour is the longest of my life. “You ready to go home soon, sweetie pie?” Zack ask
s.
“I am being dragged out to the bar once more. This time it’s for my bachelorette party. The ladies even called up Kelsey and got her in on the whole thing.”
“So I don’t get to see you the night before our wedding? I need to tell you something. It’s very important.”
“Well, it’s gonna have to wait. Just tell me where to meet you tomorrow morning.”
“No. I’ll wait up for you at my condo.”
“Honey, it’s gonna be a long night and you have to be exhausted.”
“I’m fine,” he insists. “And I really need to have a talk with you. I wish you weren’t going out with Francesca tonight at all. I don’t think it’s a good idea for you.”
“Whoa. Wait a second. I kinda like when you’re demanding with me, but in the bedroom, Chef. Or if it’s work related. That’s fine too, I guess. But don’t you think you’re overstepping just a little? I’m a big girl and I can handle myself. These ladies think I need a bachelorette party, and maybe they’re right, even though I don’t really want one. But Kelsey will be here soon, and I’ve got her to protect me. So you don’t need to worry, ok?”
“You’re right. It’s fine. I don’t want to control you and tell you who your friends should be.”
“You’re acting really funny, Chef.”
“I’m fine,” he grumbles as he turns his back on me.
Wow. This is not something I expected from him. He has only ever treated me with complete respect and love.
“This feels like our first fight,” I say.
“It is no such thing,” he says. “Have fun tonight. I’m a little frustrated and I promise you that I will get over it.”
He turns back around and kisses me, which makes me feel better, of course.
He pulls away a little quicker than usual though.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I promise I won’t have too much to drink. I’ll stick to coke minus the alcohol as much as these girls will allow me to.”
