by Sofia Grey
I flashed a smile to cover the nerves that churned inside me. “I was hoping to.”
Advancing to the bed, he boxed me in with his legs and leaned down to steal a kiss. “Did I tell you how gorgeous you are?” He dropped the condom on the bedcover and braced himself with both hands on the bed. “You look amazing.”
Relief burst free in my chest, and I exhaled with a whoosh of air, feeling lightheaded. Mental note–remember to breathe when Zack is nearby. “I think this looks pretty amazing.” I stroked the outline of his cock with one finger and watched it jerk at my touch.
He groaned and leaned into me, claiming my mouth and devouring me. Hungry, hot, and dangerous. Perfect. The pressure increased on my lips, and we fell together onto the bed in a tangle of limbs and clothing. The urgency ramped up a notch. Separating only long enough to drag the T-shirt over his head, Zack held my face in his hands and slanted his mouth to kiss me even deeper.
Something brushed against my chest, and it took a moment to figure out what it was: his dogtags, dangling on their chain. With them came the painful reminder of where he’d be going when he left here, and I clung to him, trying to draw him into my body. If I could keep him safe by willpower alone, I’d try.
His hands moved to caress my breasts through my bra, stroking and smoothing and lighting new fires inside me. My nipples ached for his touch—his mouth—and I was impatient. I tried to push down his trousers, to free his dick from the tight briefs, and he lifted his hips to make it easier. He was focused on my breasts, and his deft fingers soon unfastened the hooks at the back of the bra.
His clothes were in the way. I was caught up in my bra straps, Zack had his briefs halfway down his thighs, but at last I could touch him. Properly. I stroked the smooth, hot flesh with something like awe. He was big. And very hard. His slit oozed a shiny pearl of precum and I slicked my finger through it, enjoying his indrawn hiss of pleasure.
“Mmm.” I sucked my finger and opened my eyes wide.
“Jesus H. Christ.” He sounded in pain. “You’re killin’ me here.” He scrabbled blindly with one hand, unable to tear his gaze away from me, and I heard foil ripping. The condom packet. I shivered with delightful anticipation, already imagining how he’d be. I recalled his fantasy, holding my hair while he fucked me. I was so on board with that.
I grabbed his trousers and pulled them down, helping him to strip, all thumbs, clumsy in my haste. Want had become need, and I burned to feel him inside me. His cock was a thing of beauty, and I planned to admire it again later. For now I wanted him sheathed in rubber, as quickly as he could manage. While Zack rapidly fitted the condom, I shed my bra and peeled off my panties before turning to kneel on the bed. I smiled at him over my shoulder. “What are you waiting for?”
Moisture flooded between my legs, and I took a quick breath. Would he just plunge in? Take me rough and hard? Soft and gentle? One knee nudged my thighs wider apart and then he stroked my slit, slick with arousal. I gasped, raw pleasure flashing through me.
“Baby, you look incredible like that.” His voice was choked. Before I could form a coherent reply, the blunt head of his cock pushed slowly into me, and he closed a hand around my hip, holding me in place. He filled me with a smooth glide, hitting every sweet spot on the way. Jesus. If he went any deeper he’d be hitting my ribs. “So good, Holly.” He stilled, deep inside me. “So fuckin’ good, baby.”
His fingers dug into my hip, his other hand sliding up my spine, liquefying my bones from the inside out. A slow pull out and then another lazy thrust, and I groaned. He was teasing me again. I licked dry lips and sought my voice. “Fuck me, Zack.” It emerged as a whisper, but he hummed his approval.
He turned up the throttle, and gentle instantly became intense. Zack slammed into me, and all I could do was wail in pleasure as my insides clenched around him. He grunted, sucked in a jagged breath, eased back and drove in, over and over. I felt his fingers close around the end of my hair and tug, just enough to let me know he had control.
I closed my eyes, better to enjoy the whirlpool of sensations. His cock pumping into me, the feel of his hands on my skin, in my hair, hot breath on the back of my neck, and all the while, the repeated slapping of his flesh against mine.
My elbows and knees buckled under the onslaught, and I clung to the pillow, burying my face in the feathery softness. I couldn’t take much more. He pushed me toward another massive climax, each thrust a step closer. I moaned at the ripples of pleasure and heard his answering grunt. Like being on a fairground ride, I was completely dependent on him to bring me back to earth—if there was anything left.
“Holly.” The hand on my hip slid forward and whispered over my clit and I bucked at the contact. Dear God. What was he doing to me? “Come for me, baby.” He pinched my clit between his thumb and forefinger, and my insides ignited. I came in a shaking, howling spasm, clawing at the pillow and completely undone.
He followed with a surge that kicked off another set of tremors, and I collapsed onto the bed. Every nerve ending was electrified; every cell in my body sang his name. There was sex, and then there was Zack.
Chapter Ten
I traced the pattern of ink on Zack’s chest, swirling over the wings with my fingertip. “Seagulls?”
His eyes flicked open. “Uh-huh. I didn’t want to tie myself down anywhere.” The soothing rhythm of his hand stroked my neck, gentle and intimate. I could have stayed there forever. Wrapped in each other’s arms, bathed in sunlight, and with the musky smell of our lovemaking, my senses were all on overload. Even my hearing seemed sharper. The rattle of the dogs’ claws on the kitchen floor sounded loud, as did the sudden jangle of a cell phone.
Zack grunted, his fingers tightening in my hair. “I need to get that. Sorry.”
His bare ass looked even better than his clothed one, and I indulged in a little gawking as he strode out of the bedroom. He spoke to the dogs, the phone still jangling, and then he answered it with a sharp “Yes.”
Should I pull the covers over my head? He’d left the door open so he wasn’t trying to hide the conversation. “Nine forty-five?” It was a question. “Yeah, I’ll be ready.” A pause. “Yeah.” Another pause. “No. I don’t think so.” The words were heavy and loaded with pain, and I figured it must be something to do with the funeral. I pushed the duvet back and padded into the kitchen, finding him sitting at the table, head buried in his arms. My heart just about broke.
The phone sat, abandoned. The dogs were fussing around him, nosing around his feet and huddling close to him, but he ignored them. I hesitated. This was a private moment, would he want to be alone? Would I want that? No. I stepped forward, conscious that I was naked, and hoping there were no other dog walkers who might stare up at the cottage.
“Zack?” I touched his bare shoulder and felt him flinch. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. Are you okay?” Even as the question left my lips I knew how stupid it was. He was burying his sister in a few hours and then flying back to a war zone tomorrow. In what way could that ever be okay?
He shook his head and then sucked in a deep, harsh breath. “I forgot,” he whispered. “I fucking forgot my own sister.”
It felt as though I had a hand squeezing my heart. My chest ached with the pain he must be feeling, and I swallowed, hard. Wrapping my arms around my chest, I took a step back. “I’m sorry.” The words choked me. “I’ll go.”
“What?” Zack lifted his head, his eyes wide. He scrubbed a hand across his hair and then stood to face me. “Please, Holly. You made me…” he stopped, his jaw tight and a little muscle dancing in his cheek. “You made me forget for a while. Don’t apologize for that.”
Tears pressed at the back of my eyes, but I gave him a wobbly smile. “Okay.” I shivered, despite the sunlight pouring through the windows, and Zack must have noticed. He opened his arms, and I stepped into them, as naturally as if we’d been lovers for ages. Holding me close, his chin on my shoulder and my cheek against his chest, he soon warmed me.
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“I need to leave soon, baby…” He hesitated. “I wish I didn’t have to, but there’s a cab due in half an hour.” He pressed a kiss onto my hair and tweaked the end of my ponytail. “I’ll have to owe you breakfast.”
He wanted me to stay. I breathed his intoxicating scent and knew I didn’t want to leave. “Tomorrow?” I rushed on before I lost my courage. “I can stay tonight, if you like.”
His arms squeezed me even tighter. “You’re a fucking angel, Holly Jacobs.” Was that a yes? He tipped up my chin with his fingertips. “I don’t know what time I’ll be back. Are you busy today?”
It was hard to think, standing butt naked in Zack’s equally naked arms, with his dark eyes focused entirely on me. “I don’t think so. Some errands to run, but I’ll be done by lunchtime.”
“Can I ask you something?”
I nodded.
“I need to go to Marnie’s house. I don’t know what her asshole boyfriend will do with her stuff, and I want to make sure he doesn’t throw it out.” He ran his fingers through my hair again, as though it soothed him. “Could you come with me?”
…
Zack’s mother had booked a cab to take him to the local crematorium, and I needed to get back to Jasper anyway. I dressed and got ready to leave, unwilling to go any sooner than I had to. Staring out of the kitchen window, with Zack cuddling me, it felt grossly unfair that the sun should be so high and brilliant today. This looked like a day for new lovers to enjoy together, rather than one for attending a funeral with all the pain involved.
With one final, lingering kiss, I headed back to my brother, finding him out of bed and pottering slowly on his crutches. Already I missed Zack, and I knew what I had to do. Twenty minutes later, I lurked on the car park for the crematorium. I’d changed into a plain black skirt and a long-sleeved charcoal gray shirt, adding a slash of lipstick for some color on my pale face.
The parking lot was full, with more cars lining the street outside, and mine the farthest away. Marnie must have been well liked in the community. I’d have to ask Jasper if he’d known her. He’d been surprised when I dashed out again so soon, but we were short of some groceries, and he’d been preoccupied with texting someone, so I managed to escape without him grilling me.
The sun was surprisingly fierce this morning, and I moved into the shade of a nearby tree. How much longer would they be? How was Zack coping with it? He’d mentioned his mother, so hopefully they were supporting each other. I strained to listen for music from the chapel, or the noises of doors opening, or anything to signal they were done, but instead I heard a faint whining noise. An animal. I glanced around. The tarmac car park only had one tree, and I stood beneath it. There were no hedges or anywhere an animal could hide. I listened again.
This time it was a bark, close by, but muffled. Had someone left a dog in their car? Surely not. I’d been melting in the sunshine as it was. I went to look, to check the twenty or so cars, peering through their windows. No dog anywhere. I scratched my head, puzzled, and then heard the whine again. Outside on the road? I headed for the street and found it straightaway. A small Suzuki holding a large dog. A very hot-looking and uncomfortable dog. The windows were all closed and the poor thing had no air at all—and was sitting in direct sunlight. Christ. It must be like an oven in there.
“It’s okay, boy.” I talked as I tried the doors in turn. All locked. “I’ll get you out.” He lifted a sweaty, shaggy head, tongue lolling, and whined again. I calculated rapidly in my head. I’d been here fifteen minutes at least, and the cars had all been parked before I arrived. I tamped down my fury that someone had been so irresponsible to leave their dog for so long on a hot day, and channeled my calm focus. I had to get him out. Recriminations would come later.
Chapter Eleven
The dog’s owner might be in the funeral party. Shit. Should I barge into the chapel and demand the owner come outside? Wait until they came out? The poor dog gave a weak bark and lifted a paw to the window. He looked as though he was begging for my help.
I ran to the chapel doors. I knew from summers of volunteering with the local animal charities that a dog could dehydrate and suffer potentially fatal heatstroke in less than twenty minutes. My hand was on the door to the chapel when I heard footsteps and muted voices. The service had finished. I stepped back, bouncing on my toes as I waited for everyone to come out.
It felt like half the town’s population had attended, and the carpark was soon full of people talking in low voices, girls crying, and young men looking subdued. Nobody made a move toward the cars on the street. If I didn’t hurry the dog might die. I stepped up to the nearest group of mourners. “Excuse me. Do you know who owns the little red Suzuki? On the street?”
There was a puzzled silence during which they all stared at me. I pointed at the car. “There’s a dog trapped in there.”
“No.” One of the girls spoke. She looked shocked. “It’s not ours.”
Urgency made me rude. I gave a curt nod and moved to the next group. If I didn’t find the owner soon, I’d smash the window.
Another cluster of people stepped out into the sunlight, and I turned to them, my words dying in my throat. It was Zack. Back straight and shoulders squared, he wore a smart uniform and looked breathtakingly handsome among all the plain dark outfits. My heart skipped a beat, and I struggled to find my voice. What had I been doing? Rescuing the dog. Zack stood next to a tall, willowy woman. Model thin, she had the same dark eyes and hair and could have been anywhere between thirty and fifty. She had to be his mother.
“Holly?” Zack’s brows drew together, confusion in his eyes, but before I could answer he wrapped his arms around me. He pressed his lips close to my ear. “Thank you. I can’t wait to get the fuck away from here.”
I pulled back, noting the simmering tension on his face. Thin, tight lips signaled he was angry or upset, but I didn’t have time to spare. “I need your help. Right now.”
Whether he recognized the urgency in my voice, or whether it was his military training kicking in, I didn’t know, but the anger cleared from his face, and he nodded. “Go on.”
“There’s a dog locked in a car on the street. He’s been there way too long, there’s no window open, and I’m scared he’s going to die from the heat. I can’t find the owner.” My words came out in a garbled rush, and I realized I clung to his hand while I spoke. I took a quick breath and tried to speak more clearly. “Can you please help me?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Which car?”
“The red Suzuki.” I pointed again, and he scanned the row of vehicles.
“Hey, everyone.” His yell made my ears ring but the buzz of conversation stopped dead. “Who owns the red Suzuki?”
Silence.
His fingers meshed with mine, and he squeezed them. Such a small gesture, but it reassured me. We’d fix this. “Someone owns the red Suzuki, and they’ve locked a dog in it. Who. Owns. The. Fucking. Car?”
Somebody cleared her throat behind him. “It’s my rental car,” said the woman who might be his mother. “Steph put her dog in there while she went to get some flowers.”
“Give me the keys,” said Zack, his voice hard and uncompromising.
“Zachary, don’t take that tone with me.” Yep, that had to be his mother. I decided then that I disliked her. “Here.” She held out a leather key fob with two keys and a remote alarm.
I snatched the fob from her fingers, then turned and ran to the street, pressing the alarm button as I went. Zack raced beside me. The door locks clicked, and I ripped the passenger door open. A wall of heat smacked me in the face, stealing my breath. I dropped to a crouch and reached inside, but Zack beat me to it. He scooped up the dog in his arms and hauled it out, carrying it back to the carpark and the only patch of shade in sight.
“Somebody get me some water,” he yelled and lay the limp animal on the cool ground. It was a large mutt with long, thick fur. The poor thing lay panting, ignoring us. One of the girls I’d spoken to earlier pu
shed through the gawping crowd and handed over a half liter bottle of water. Zack trickled it over the dog’s head, dripping some into its mouth. “Come on, boy,” he murmured. “For Christ’s sake, don’t give up on me now.”
More water appeared, and Zack used it to wet the thick fur, to try and cool him rapidly. It worked. The dog’s eyes sharpened, and he lifted his head, nosing at us both. I crouched beside him and cupped my hands together. “Pour some here.” With my hands as a makeshift drinking bowl, the dog lapped up some water and moments later scrambled to his feet.
I sank to the ground, my knees shaking from the emotion, and gave Zack a tremulous smile. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“What’s going on?” A shrill voice rang out somewhere behind me. “What are you doing to my dog?”
A fresh surge of adrenaline flooded my body. I touched Zack’s arm. “I’m sorry, but this is about to get ugly.”
Chapter Twelve
Anger lent me energy, and I pushed to my feet and sought the dog’s owner.
A petite, china-doll pretty blonde pushed her way through the crowd and almost collided with me. I crossed my arms. “Your dog? Are you even fit to own a dog?”
“What do you mean?” She tried to look past me. “Zack? What’s the matter with King?”
“The matter,” I spoke precisely, enunciating every syllable, “is that he was left in a locked car, with no air. No windows open. In direct sunlight.”
“What?” Her gaze darted from me to Zack, to the dog and back to me. “I was only gone a couple of minutes.”
I snorted in disdain. “More like fifteen. Do you have any idea how hot it gets in a little car? He nearly died. Another five minutes and he might have.”
“Caroline had the keys.” Steph’s eyes were wide and shocked. “I wouldn’t, I didn’t… I love my dog.” She stretched out a trembling hand and touched Zack’s arm. “Tell her, Zack. You know me, I wouldn’t hurt a fly.” She dropped to her knees and hugged the dog, burying her face in his thick coat and, to my horror, she began crying. “King,” she sobbed, “I can’t lose you, too. I’m so sorry.”
