Fight For It

by Jessie Harper

  Julia's mouth works itself into an "o" of surprise. "Say that again."

  "Say it again?" Apparently I can't handle simple either. "To seeing what happens."

  "Perfect," Julia says and bumps her cup with mine again. Then she slides over toward me and tucks herself under my arm. When I said earlier was perfect? Scratch that. I wrap my arm around her and she rests her head on my chest. My heart threatens to pound its way out from under her ear and I wonder if she's thinking she might need to rush me to the ER. I breathe in the vanilla smell of her shampoo and settle my chin on the top of her head.

  "So… where's this meteor shower?" she asks, her breath leaving a warm patch on my skin through the cotton of my shirt.

  "Allegedly we should be able to see shooting stars pretty much all over the sky tonight."

  "Allegedly? Did you just make this up to get me drunk in the back of this truck?"

  I laugh and her head bounces a bit on my chest. "Like I'd make up a meteorological event just to get you to Barrett Park." Although now I'm thinking I would have done that had I realized Julia would end up with one hand stroking my chest dangerously close to my nipple. I would've made up all sorts of crazy stories to get her here. "There seriously are supposed to be shooting stars tonight."

  She pulls her head away from me and gives me a doubting look, then settles back down against me, her hand drifting lower to rest on my abdomen. I exhale and let my thumb run down the exposed skin on her back. She gives the slightest shiver and goosebumps rise on her skin.

  "Are you cold?" I pull her in a little tighter.

  "No." Her voice is barely a whisper. "I'm fine."

  We look up at the sky and I can feel the rise and fall of each breath she takes. We sit there listening to the crickets until I feel her stiffen. "Was that one?"

  "Was that one what?"

  "A shooting star? Was that one just then?" She's up and pointing. I have no clue if what she's seen is a shooting star. I've been looking up and down the length of her body, memorizing the lines of her legs and the curve of her hip instead of scanning the sky.

  "I didn't see it," I confess, but then, as we're both looking out across the tree line, it happens again. And then again. And again. Bright flashes of yellow slide across the inky sky leaving long trails like fireworks. Julia gasps as we watch a few more hurl themselves through the space above our heads. She's staring open-mouthed and when she turns to face me, I can't resist the wonder in her eyes. I lean forward and give her the softest kiss I can. I barely brush her lips with mine but it's like all the energy of the shooting stars is right there in the truck with us. Julia's eyes flash surprise, but then she's wrapping her arms around me, her kisses as hungry as mine. Our tongues slide together as I haul her into my lap.

  32

  Julia

  Zach and I are making out in the bed of his truck. There's really no other way to put it. Not that I'm complaining; I'm not about to complain about anything right now. He kisses his way down my neck and his hand finds my breast. His thumb grazes my nipple and zing! I'm no longer thinking about just kissing him. I'm wanting to get him out of his shirt so I can run my tongue along the groove there in between the muscles on his abdomen. I'm sitting on Zach's lap and I can feel him hard beneath me. He's obviously not just thinking about kissing anymore, either. I wiggle to get closer and the friction makes him groan. I'm right back to where we were before we were interrupted that afternoon in the studio wanting more and more and more.

  And there's nothing saying I can't have it.

  Well, nothing except the realization that we're in a public park in the back of Zach's truck. It might be dark, but anyone could come up here. This pulls me out of my fog for a second, but not enough to stop what we're doing. Everything feels too good to stop now and even if I wanted to, I'm not sure that I could. But the part of me that knows she doesn't want to get arrested for indecent exposure parked next to the jungle gym manages to separate from Zach's lips long enough to look back up at the sky. A meteor shower on a first date? Incredible. The way my heart is banging around inside my chest? Even more incredible.

  "Zach?" I whisper as his tongue slides down the divot behind my ear and heads down my throat.

  "Hmm?"

  "Are we supposed to be making wishes on the shooting stars?"

  "Wishes?" His voice is muffled by my hair as he grabs a handful at the nape of my neck and buries his nose in it.

  "Yeah. Are these for wishes?"

  Zach pulls his head back to look at me. "You want to make wishes?"

  "I'm wishing you'd take me home."

  Zach's face crumples up in confusion and he releases me. "You want me to take you home? Right now?"

  I'm messing everything up. The last thing I want is for him to stop touching me, to stop kissing me. What I want is the opposite. The more, more, more.

  "That came out wrong." I try to shake the lust from my brain long enough to form a coherent sentence. "What I wish is that you'd come home with me. Right now."

  A slow smile spreads across Zach's face. "You want me to come home with you." His hands come back to my hips.

  "Yes."

  "And Charlie and Noah?" Zach's mouth comes back to bite at the flesh along my jaw line.

  "Are with my parents until tomorrow afternoon." I can feel his smile against my neck.

  "Then I think you don't need a shooting star to make that wish come true."

  And just like that we're scrambling to stuff the blankets back into the cab of the truck, spilling wine as we reach out to keep touching each other. Zach tucks me back in the passenger seat, pulling me back in for another kiss before he leans over to buckle my seat belt. Then he's running around the front of the truck and climbing in next to me. For a second I regret not being more adventurous and staying in the bed of the truck instead of insisting on my own real bed back in my bedroom. But if I've broken the spell no one's told my body. It keeps throbbing just thinking about getting Zach through the front door and naked. He still seems to be right there with me as he takes one hand from the steering wheel and lets it rest on my thigh. I help him out a bit by inching the hem of my dress up farther and guiding his hand to follow. He shoots me sideways glances, but tries not to take his eyes off the road. Once his fingers make it to the apex of my thighs and brush the fabric of my panties he grunts. I see the muscles in his forearm flex as his hand slides over me. Zach showed up in a button down and it's the first time I can remember seeing him out of a T-shirt. He'd rolled the sleeves up a bit as we sat in the back of truck, making it impossible for me to ignore the muscles that run along his forearms to his strong hands. Now I watch him react as he discovers how wet I am, the muscles in his arm bunching and then relaxing as he draws tiny circles over my core.

  As the light in front of us turns red, Zach shifts in his seat to lock his lips with mine. He keeps his hand moving against me as he deepens the kiss, only stopping when the car behind us honks. "Green light," I say with my mouth still pressed against his.

  He ignores the continued honking coming from behind us. When he does finally turn and put his foot back on the gas pedal, he increases the pressure of his fingers against me. I'm panting now, squirming against his hand and thinking about asking him to just pull over. Had I thought about how long this drive would feel I probably would've reconsidered the back of the truck.

  Finally we're pulling into my driveway. As Zach removes his hand from between my legs I have to swallow a whimper. He's out of the truck and coming over to my side, but I can't wait for any more gentlemanly door opening. I throw open the passenger side door with one hand and hurriedly try to find my house key at the bottom of my bag with the other. As I slam the door shut Zach presses me against it and kisses me so hard I forget all about rummaging for my keys. I run my hands along the muscles of his chest, reaching for the buttons even though we're still nowhere near the front door. He's got one hand behind me firmly on my ass and he pulls me closer until I can feel his erection like a brand between us. I wrap o
ne leg around him and he hoists me up higher until the friction becomes almost unbearable.

  "Inside," he growls. "Right now."

  Under the glow of the porch light, I try to maneuver the now found key into the lock. I turn the handle of the door and we spill into the living room. My fingers shake as I fumble with the alarm code, trying to keep the thing from going off and waking the whole neighborhood. Zach presses up behind me, nipping at my earlobe and running his nose down the side of my neck. He kicks the door shut behind him and we rush back together, nearly bumping heads. I'm greedy to get my hands on him, sliding my palms under his shirt, too rushed to worry with the buttons. He backs me against the wall, his body firm and hot against mine. His hands bracket my face as he devours my mouth, my neck. My skin heats as he lowers himself, kissing down my body with unexpected reverence. Tiny kisses pepper my thighs as he eases my dress up to my waist, exposing my soaking panties. Lust drums through my veins as I try to hold still. He leans forward, breathing me in, and I shudder as he exhales. I'm already so worked up that when he hooks his thumbs in the elastic of my panties and eases them down, I have to lean harder against the wall to keep my knees from buckling. He massages my thighs with his hands before spreading me wider. When he looks up at me, for a moment I think he's waiting for permission, but he's not asking, the gleam in his eyes more a warning than anything. He nuzzles me, humming appreciatively and then his mouth is on me, firm and insistent.

  The groan that escapes my lips rings out through the empty house. The lights are still off, but I can see everything he's doing to me from the slivers of moonlight coming in through the windows. I run my fingers through Zach's hair and try to open my legs wider but I'm restricted by the fabric of my panties digging into the flesh at my knees. As is I'm already writhing against his face, feeling my orgasm starting to build. He sucks on my clit and moves one hand higher. When he slides a finger deep inside me I gasp and then fall over the edge. I shatter into a million pieces, panting in an effort to catch my breath, the noises coming out of my mouth loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

  Before I can recover, Zach's lifting me up, carrying me farther into the house. "Bedroom?" he asks, and I realize he’s not asking if he can take me to bed, but for directions. I’ve never had him in my room before. Never had a man in this bedroom ever. I point down the hall, still unable to pull myself together enough to talk, and he dutifully heads that way, leaning his head down to kiss me. I can taste myself on his lips as we bump down the hall to the open door at the end. I kick off my shoes as we meander down the hall and manage to lose my panties along the way. When Zach lowers me to the bed, I realize he's still completely dressed. “You should be naked,” I whisper, and I see him grin in the darkness.

  "So should you," he whispers back as he starts to lower the zipper along the side of my rumpled dress. He pulls it over my head and throws it back over his shoulder. "That's a little better," he says before leaning forward to cup my breasts. My nipples pebble under his callused fingers. I'm itching to get him out of his clothes and I reach out to undo the buttons that trail down the front of his shirt. I push it off his shoulders and let my fingers wander along the hard surface of his pecs, the ridges of his belly. He leans into my touch, reaching around to unhook my bra and then letting it fall from my shoulders. I'm almost feverish in my need for him, grabbing for his belt and working to loosen the buckle.

  "Wait, wait." His hesitation surprises me and I sit back, confused. He rises from the bed and stands at the foot, illuminated by the light from the window. "Let me look at you."

  I freeze.

  I'm comfortable with my body, but under Zach's gaze my cheeks flame. His eyes rake down me and I wonder if he's seeing the stretch marks from my two pregnancies or the way my once flat stomach isn't exactly flat anymore. I make a move to cover myself a little with my arm and his voice surprises me in the dark.

  "Don't do that."

  I lower my arm and settle back against the pillows. I let my bra slide the rest of the way down my forearms and drop it beside me on the bed. I can hear Zach's breathing, slow and shallow.

  He mutters a strangled, "Jesus," under his breath and runs his hand along the back of his neck. "Do you have any idea how perfect you are?" he whispers. "How fucking perfect..." His voice comes out low and strangled. He toes off his shoes and socks one at a time and then reaches for his belt and slowly unbuckles it. My mouth goes dry as I watch him unbutton his pants and then hear the sound of his zipper. Once he's standing in his boxer briefs, he pauses and it takes all my restraint not to rush forward to help him finish what he started. He eases them down and it's my turn to stare.

  Zach's not self-conscious about me looking him over; he stands in the moonlight—broad shoulders and chiseled chest, tapered waist and strong thighs. I know how much gym time he puts in and his body is a testament to that. But standing in front of me, completely naked I can see how perfectly he's put together. Heat licks between my thighs at the thought of getting to explore every inch of him. But he's frozen at the end of the bed and I'm rooted to the pillows. His chest rises and falls and he reaches down to give himself one long stroke. I whimper and then he's moving toward me, bridging the distance between us before I can pull another breath into my lungs.

  My skin burns everywhere he touches, our kisses frantic and sloppy. I open my thighs and he settles between them, his erection pressed against my opening. I'm about to start begging when Zach curses under his breath.

  "What?" I keep running my hands along the muscles of his back.

  "I don't have a condom." Zach rests his forehead against mine but his hips continue to rock against me like they haven't heard what he's said.

  "I have that under control." I lean over to open the drawer of the bedside table, the hard peaks of my nipples dragging across his chest as I go. I'd been horrified initially, but Cassie made sure to stock my bedroom with "essentials." The fact that she made them part of a housewarming present I opened in front of my parents had left all of us mortified. But right now? Right now I could kiss her for her predictive powers even if I had thought there'd never be a need for safe sex again in this bed. I pass over some of the more interesting additions from Cassie’s gift basket and pull out a foil packet.

  "I guess you can tell it's been a while since I've done this. I would've been prepared, but I didn't want to assume," Zach says into the crook of my neck.

  "I'm not judging." Especially since I'm the woman who just recently moved the photo of her cheating dead husband from the side of the bed. "And I've heard it's like riding a bike."

  "Well, come on then," he teases, rolling us both over. Straddling his hips I can finally touch him the way I want. I run my hands along his chest. I don't think I'll ever get tired of feeling his muscles ripple underneath my fingers. Goosebumps rise along his skin and I lower my head to kiss his chest. I make my way down to his stomach and murmur my appreciation as he lets me explore. When I roll the condom on, he closes his eyes. He's silky and firm in my hand, and my thighs clench in anticipation as I think about how he'll feel inside me.

  I don't waste any time making that a reality.

  I slide against him, the friction alone enough to make me moan. I lever my hips and guide him in, feeling him fill me so completely that I gasp. We're rocking together, my head thrown back and my palms pressed to Zach's chest. His hands reach around and cup my ass, urging me impossibly tighter against him. When he sits up and his mouth finds my breast the tightness that's been building begin to spiral. I want to contain it, to hold this moment for as long as possible, but my body has other ideas.

  "Zach, I... I..."

  "I know."

  I'm coming apart around him as his hips continue to rise to meet mine. It's hotter and more brilliant than any shooting star, this feeling spreading out from my core to my fingertips, to my toes.

  "Jesus, Julia." His teeth pull on my nipple and I arch my back, feeling him moving beneath me. He's bucking up wildly against me, his own need taking ov
er as his hips lift again and again. He comes on a shudder, pulling my chest to his, our sweaty bodies heaving together as we come down. I'm panting, my mouth open against his shoulder. Zach runs his fingers down the open expanse of my back, tracing patterns on my heated skin. He kisses the top of my head, working back down to my neck and then back up again. His lips leave a feather light trail that I can feel even when he stops kissing me to ease us back onto the mattress.

  "Jesus, Julia," he says again. "Jesus. Just... Jesus." He lies on his back, arms above his head, the muscles of his chest on display. I want to lick every inch of him.

  "Do you want to stay?" I ask, trying to hide the grin that's taking over my face. "We could do that again." And again. And again.

  "Only once?" Zach asks, his smile as wide as mine.

  "More than once." I laugh. "Cassie put a million condoms in this drawer and now that you've reminded me of what I've been missing..." I let my hands start exploring him again.

  "When you put it that way, I might never leave."

  Throughout the night I reach for Zach. Each and every time my hand connects with the solid muscle of his chest or the warm skin running over his bicep, he turns to me and wraps me back up in his arms. More than once this cocooning results in him sliding back inside me, leaving my orgasm count at an all time high before the sun begins to peek through the bedroom curtains.

  But this time when I slide my hand over, I feel only the cool of the sheets. The old familiar fear grips my chest and my heart leaps to my throat. He's gone. I sit up, running my hands through my tangled hair. I scan the room for him but even in the dim morning light I know he's not here.

  I rush to pull my dress back over my head and sprint for the living room. He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. My brain keeps up the chant even as I skid into the kitchen where I'm greeted with the sight of Zach standing at the island surrounded by mixing bowls. He looks up as I come to a halt.