A New Chapter

by Susan Coventry

  “Hi,” he said softly.

  “Hi,” she replied, giggling. Emma watched Zack play with her hand in the air, twisting it this way and that and studying it from various angles.

  “So, confession time. Did you come to Chicago with the intention of seducing me, or did you really just come to take me out to dinner?”

  Zack turned his head toward her on the pillow. “Probably a little bit of both,” he admitted. “However, I would have settled for the dinner if that’s all you wanted.”

  Even though they had just had mind-blowing sex, Emma believed him. Zack had given her multiple opportunities to turn him away, but she hadn’t, and lying here naked beside him, she had no regrets. Not a one.

  “Yet you wore the Superman boxers just in case.”

  He chuckled. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt my chances,” he said.

  “You figured right.”

  He let go of her hand and turned sideways. He reached over and brushed her hair back from where it had stuck to her cheek. “So, how are you feeling?”

  “About what we did?”

  “No. I meant, are you sore from my…”

  Emma cut him off by pressing her lips against his. She scooted over to get closer to him and felt his erection brush against her bare skin. “I’m not sore,” she replied, and then clasped him with both hands. “But now I know what you were referring to in the pub when we talked about size!”

  Zack let out a happy groan. “God, Em, if you keep doing that…”

  “Yes?” She enjoyed watching him squirm beneath her hands.

  Zack didn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he moved his right hand from where it had been resting on her hip to between her legs where she was damp and ready for him again. Emma moaned as he explored her with his fingers while keeping his eyes locked on hers. She relished the intimacy of their motions in the dark quiet room, and they came together for the second time in a succession of rapid explosions.

  Emma flopped on her back to catch her breath while Zack cleaned himself off with tissues from the bedside table. When he was finished, he gathered her into his arms with his front to her back and cradled her with his big, warm body. Emma had always been petite, but she felt even more so in Zack’s presence. She felt a rush of feminine power when he nuzzled into her neck.

  “I don’t know if I can keep this up all night, Em.”

  “You’re doing a pretty good job so far!” she teased, wiggling her butt against him.

  “What time do you have to be at the show tomorrow?”

  The show! Emma had almost forgotten about it. That was the reason for her trip to Chicago after all. “I have a wake-up call scheduled for six o’clock, but the show doesn’t start until eight.”

  “You need two hours to get ready?”

  “No, but that gives me extra time to respond to emails and take care of some business things.”

  “Hmm…”

  “Hmm, what?”

  “Now that I’m here, maybe we can use the extra time in a different way.” He reached his hands up to cup her breasts and gave them a playful squeeze.

  Emma twisted back around to face him. “Who says we have to wait until tomorrow?”

  Six o’clock came way too soon, and Emma flung one arm out from under the covers to answer the wake-up call before it woke Zack. When she sat the phone back in its cradle, she snuck a peek at his sleeping form. He was sprawled out on top of the bedspread with nothing on but his Superman boxers. Emma smiled at her knowledge of what was underneath and of how many times they had been together the night before. Neither of them had wanted to go to sleep, but they had finally collapsed sometime around two a.m. Before that, they had discussed the plan for Saturday, which included a myriad of tourist activities once Emma returned from the show. Zack had said something about eating breakfast together before she left, but she hated to wake him. The morning light afforded a much better view of his magnificent body, and she took a few more minutes to admire it before she hauled herself out of bed.

  Emma padded across the room in her “I woke up like this” sleepshirt and slipped into the bathroom undetected. She felt groggy from lack of sleep, and a little sore if she were being honest, but she wouldn’t worry Zack with that. If she told him, he might suggest that they abstain, and that was the last thing she wanted!

  Emma slumped against the shower wall and let the spray of warm water beat down on her. She rolled her neck and shoulders around to work out the kinks, and she might have let out a moan, which reminded her of all of the sexy sounds that she and Zack had made the night before.

  Zack, Zack, Zack. One night with him and now he is all I can think about! Emma decided that it was probably a good thing that she was going to the show for a few hours. She needed to get her head on straight before…

  “Hey, how come you didn’t wake me up?” Zack asked as he slipped into the shower behind her.

  Emma turned around to face him and bumped right into his rock-hard chest. Move your eyes up, move your eyes up, she chanted in her head, but her eyes moved down of their own accord. It turned out his chest wasn’t the only thing that was hard that morning. Once she raised her eyes, she came face to face with the devilish scoundrel himself, looking like the cat who had swallowed the canary.

  “Haven’t you had enough yet?” he teased, and he splashed her with a handful of water.

  Emma sputtered and wiped the water droplets off of her face before she returned the gesture.

  Zack grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him. “Good morning,” he said with a gravelly voice.

  “Good morning,” she replied and then was silenced by a no-holds-barred morning kiss. I could get used to waking up like this.

  She put a hand against the shower wall to steady herself while Zack reached around her for the bar of soap.

  “How’d you sleep?” he asked while he lathered up.

  Emma watched with fascination as the soap bubbles travelled down his chest and over his abs and further down until they pooled at his feet.

  “I slept fine, but it wasn’t nearly long enough,” she managed.

  Zack vigorously rubbed the soap between his hands again and then ran them down each muscular leg all the way to his sexy toes.

  Men’s feet aren’t supposed to look that good, Emma thought, distracted once again.

  “Can you pass the shampoo?”

  Emma passed him the mini hotel-sized bottle and watched him pour some shampoo into the center of his large masculine hand. She enjoyed the intimacy of showering with him, and found herself entranced by his every move. Get a grip, Em. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before!

  “Did you already wash your hair?”

  “Not yet. I was just about to when you waltzed in.”

  Zack smirked and motioned for her to spin around. “Lean your head back.”

  Emma did as she was told because, well, why shouldn’t she? She was amply rewarded the second Zack’s fingers came into contact with her scalp. He rubbed the shampoo in with firm circular motions that caused her to emit an “aah” and then an “ooh.”

  “Seems like I’ve heard those sounds before,” he teased.

  “And you’ll probably never let me forget it,” she replied without malice. She was enjoying the scalp massage way too much to be irritated or embarrassed.

  After Zack rinsed her hair, he quickly went to work on his own. When he had finished, he reached around Emma and shut off the water. They stared at each other for a few beats until Zack said gruffly, “You should probably get ready to go.”

  “You’re right,” she said and accepted the towel he handed her. Part of her wished that he would scoop her up in his arms and take her back to bed, but Emma knew that she’d never make it to the show if he did that. She would have skipped the show altogether if she hadn’t signed up to hear a talk from a successful independent bookstore owner.

  They dried off in silence, and when they hung their towels back on the rack, it struck Emma that she didn’t feel
the least bit uncomfortable being naked with Zack. Apparently, he felt the same, because he trotted out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a smile. Emma finished getting ready and emerged from the bathroom to find Zack seated at the round table in front of the window, sipping coffee and reading the hotel’s complimentary newspaper. Once again, she was struck by the casual intimacy of the scene.

  Zack stood up and met her at the door, where she had slipped into her shoes and had slung her purse over her shoulder.

  “I’ll walk you out since I need to grab my overnight bag from the car,” he said.

  Emma glanced over at the bed and saw his Superman boxers lying there. Her face flushed when she turned back to look at him.

  “What? I didn’t want to put on dirty underwear after I just showered!”

  Emma didn’t even want to think about him going commando in his khakis, or she would never leave. “Let’s go,” she said, shaking her head as they walked out the door.

  Surprisingly enough, when the elevator reached her floor, it was empty. Zack motioned her inside and stepped in behind her. The minute the door closed, he backed her into the corner.

  “What, what… are you doing?” she sputtered.

  “I’ve always wanted to make out in an elevator. They make it look so sexy in the movies.”

  And with that, Zack dipped his head into the crook of her neck and nibbled on it, causing Emma to moan. From there, he moved around to her front and bent his head to her breasts, where he sucked on her nipples right through her top.

  Emma squeezed her legs together and watched the floor numbers light up as they descended, praying that the elevator wouldn’t stop until they reached the lobby.

  Zack pressed his hips against hers while he kissed his way up from her breasts to her lips. He had just sucked her bottom lip between his when the elevator pinged. When the door slid open, they were simply two innocent passengers standing on opposite sides of the car—albeit two very aroused passengers.

  Emma gave Zack a shaky wave goodbye before she got swallowed up in the foot traffic that was headed toward the convention center. She glanced back once and swore that she saw him laughing as he faded from sight.

  Chapter 26

  When Emma returned to her room a few hours later, she was surprised to find it empty. The only evidence that Zack had been there was his overnight bag resting at the foot of the bed. Idly, she wondered where he might have gone while she set her purse down and went into the bathroom. There, in a note propped up against the mirror, was her answer.

  Went to brunch with my buddy. Meet me at Navy Pier at noon. Z.

  Emma felt giddy while she changed from her skirt and blouse into jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. She and Zack had the whole day and night ahead of them with no other commitments. Reality would kick in tomorrow morning when they had to return to Clarkston, but for now, they were as free as the seagulls swirling out over Lake Michigan.

  A short while later, Emma emerged from the taxicab at the entrance to the pier and anxiously looked around for Zack. She spotted him leaning against a cement pole, looking casually sexy in his faded jeans and Chicago Bears sweatshirt. He had on dark-tinted sunglasses, which, combined with his olive-toned skin, stubbled jaw, and wavy black hair, made him look deliciously roguish. The man is a walking, talking advertisement for the Greek isles, Emma thought as she approached him.

  Zack greeted her with a dazzling smile and a brief hug. “For a minute there, I thought that you might have forgotten about me,” he said.

  Ha! That will never happen. “I’m only five minutes late,” she replied indignantly.

  “I’m teasing, Em. Come on. Let’s walk.”

  It was a cool, fall day with the usual wind whipping off of the lake, but the skies were clear, and the sun was warm as they strolled along the pier. Their hands naturally intertwined, and Emma felt the comfort and the sizzle between them. Zack’s touch, along with the sights, smells, and sounds of the famous Chicago boardwalk, made for a heady combination. They meandered in and out of shops and then sat for a while on a bench overlooking the lake. Sailboats tossed about on the waves, and gulls squawked noisily overhead.

  Gazing out over the water, Zack reminisced about the times he had visited Chicago as a child, which led into some amusing anecdotes about his family. His parents sounded a lot like the characters from My Big Fat Greek Wedding: loud, opinionated, and loving. Emma envied the picture of family life that Zack portrayed and encouraged him to keep talking.

  Eventually Zack said, “Enough about me. What was your childhood like?”

  Emma squirmed uncomfortably on the wooden bench and feigned interest in a passing tour boat. “There’s not much to tell. I don’t have the kind of stories that you do.”

  Zack crossed a leg over his knee and turned sideways to face her. “What do you mean?”

  “My parents weren’t the touchy-feely type. It’s not that they didn’t love me, but I grew up knowing that I was an ‘accident.’ They never meant to have children, and they didn’t quite know what to do with me. As soon as I graduated from college and married Mark, they sold our house, bought a motor home, and now spend the majority of their time travelling across the country. I only see them a few times a year.”

  Zack was silent for a few minutes while he digested her explanation. “That must be tough, not to see them that often.”

  “Not really. I’m used to it.” Liar! “Maybe if I’d have had children, they would have stuck around, but since that’s not going to happen anytime soon…”

  Emma glanced up at Zack and saw a mixture of emotions on his face: concern, sadness, and maybe even pity, which was the last thing she wanted from him.

  “Do you still want to have kids… someday?” he asked.

  “Absolutely,” she replied without hesitation. “Being an only child and growing up in a quiet household has made me want the exact opposite. I want the noise, the mess, and the chaos that comes with having children. I long to sit around a dinner table that is full of people and lively discussion. Hell, I might even want a dog or a cat underfoot. Sounds cliché, right?”

  Zack studied her intently and reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear. “No. I think that it sounds perfect,” he said solemnly.

  Emma got lost in the depth of his light gray eyes and basked in the connection that she felt with him in that moment. It was becoming easier and easier to open up with Zack, and she marveled at the fact that he was one of the very few people who made her feel that way. With Zack, the guard around her heart was slipping, and if she wasn’t careful, she would end up laying herself completely bare to him.

  “Let’s stop with the serious stuff. Time’s getting away from us, and we still have a lot to see!” Emma stood up and grabbed his hand, giving it a little tug.

  “Ok, ok. Where to next?”

  “Next” included a ride to the top of Willis Tower, the tallest building in Chicago, followed by a quick lunch consisting of Chicago-style hotdogs and beer, and then on to The Bean. Emma and Zack lingered there for a long time, snapping goofy pictures of each other and laughing hysterically. A friendly female tourist who had been watching them with interest offered to take some shots of them together. Fully aware that the woman had her eye on Zack, Emma hammed it up big time by plastering him with hugs and kisses. Afterwards, they sat in Millennium Park, scanning the photos and laughing all over again.

  After a while, Emma noticed that the air had become cooler and ominous clouds had gathered overhead. Emma wasn’t ready for the day to end, but her feet and legs were tired from walking, and she didn’t relish the idea of getting caught in a downpour.

  “Back to the hotel?” Zack asked.

  “You read my mind,” she replied. Once they were tucked securely into a cab, she let her mind wander to what they might do when they got back to the hotel room. When she shot him a sideways glance, he smirked at her and squeezed her hand, which may have been an indication that he knew exactly what she was thinking and was all for it. She coul
d only hope!

  “I need to call Gracie when we get to the room,” Zack said as soon as they stepped off the elevator.

  “Of course,” Emma said. “Do you want me to stay out until you’re done?”

  “I’m not sharing state secrets, Em. I’m just calling my daughter!”

  Emma giggled nervously, unsure of the protocol in this situation. She highly doubted that Zack had told Gracie that he was with Emma in Chicago, and she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable by hovering nearby. She stepped into the bathroom while he was dialing just to give him a few minutes alone. While she was in there, she attempted to arrange her wind-blown hair into some semblance of order but was mostly unsuccessful. A few minutes later, she rejoined Zack where he stood by the window. Emma heard Gracie’s cheerful voice tell him all about the great time that she was having with Nana and Papa, and Emma smiled at the little girl’s vivaciousness. It came as a surprise when, just a few minutes later, Gracie’s tone sounded almost tearful as she asked her daddy when he was coming home.

  It was then that Emma realized the significance of Zack’s role in his young daughter’s life. Gracie was still very impressionable and needed the love and reassurance that only a parent could provide. Emma understood that Zack’s first priority had to be Gracie and that any other relationship had to come second, at least for now. Just because they’d had sex didn’t mean that they had entered into a committed relationship. She didn’t want that anyway, and neither did Zack. It was way too soon, yet why did everything feel different? What did this mean for them going forward? Emma shook her head to fend off the worries while Zack said goodbye to Gracie.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon, sweetie. I love you up to the sky.”

  When Zack turned around to face her, Emma’s expression must have been telling. He gently took her hand and led her to sit with him on the edge of the bed.

  “What is it, Em? What’s wrong?”