When his mouth brushed her hip she whimpered. He drew his finger along the edge of her pussy, not parting the folds. She clenched her fists. She needed something to hold onto.
His tongue glided over her slit and pushed its way deeper. She gasped at the mounting anticipation as he licked tiny lines over her slick skin. When he wrapped his lips around her clit, she cried out.
The sensation pushed her up to the edge, but not over. Her knees swayed and her legs threatened to give out. He traced circles around her sex, sucking, and occasionally nibbling the swollen skin.
A hand glided up the inside of her thigh, and then two fingers slid inside her. It stretched her open, but she was slick enough there wasn’t a lot of friction. She bit the inside of her lip as he pumped and licked.
She fisted his hair, holding him close as climax surged through her. It crashed over her in a powerful burst, and her pussy clenched around his fingers as she came.
He pulled away slowly, touch growing lighter until his hands moved to her hips and he helped her drop to the ground before her knees gave out.
Fingers still wrapped around his ponytail, she pulled him close for a kiss, tasting herself on his lips. When they finally broke apart, she rested her head against his chest. Her fingers trailed lower. She brushed his cock through his jeans, and he inhaled sharply through clenched teeth.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away. “Not tonight.”
She looked at him with an exaggerated pout. “That’s not fair to you.”
He kissed her bottom lip. “You’ll just have to owe me.”
Even with the heady euphoria rushing through her, something about his statement didn’t feel right. “Why?”
He kissed her again and pulled her close. “Just because.”
That didn’t reassure her. She couldn’t fight her frown as she rested against his chest again. There wasn’t anything logical about her concern, not that she could tell, but part of her couldn’t help but worry it meant he was still holding a part of himself back.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Zach trailed his fingers through Rae's hair, watching it fall back against his chest when he let go.
Her breath scurried across his skin when she sighed. Her fingers drew a line down his sternum and back up. “Morning.”
“Mmm...Ditto.” He moved his hand to her bare back, pulling her closer. It was the third morning in the last week waking up next to her and he wondered if the novelty would ever fade. They still hadn't told anyone. It hadn’t gotten any less tense to be in the same room as Scott at the same time. They'd stayed at her place so Jordan wouldn't ask questions. But those were all details. They could be worked out later.
Something creaked in the background, and Zach tensed. “Are you expecting visitors?”
Rae shook her head. “Probably the neighbors. They're loud sometimes.”
“Lorraine.” Chloe's distinct call echoed through the room.
“Shit,” Rae muttered just as the bedroom door swung open. She propped herself up, holding the blanket it front of her. “Don't you knock?”
“Oh my God.” Chloe's eyes grew wide and she slammed the door shut again. Her call echoed through the apartment. “I did not need to see that.”
Rae set up, blanket falling away. “So much for keeping things quiet.”
Zach traced a line down her back and up her side, following the curve of her breast. “Is it that big a deal? You're not ashamed of me, are you?”
She laughed and pulled away. “Definitely not, and don't tempt me or I'll introduce you to my mother just so she believes I'm finally dating someone respectable.”
The word echoed in his head. It was assumed, but neither of them had said it yet. “Are we?”
“Respectable?”
“Dating,” he clarified.
She looked at him, bottom lip caught between her teeth and brow furrowed. “Aren't we?”
He sat up, kissing her deeply. That hadn't lost its novelty either. “Most definitely,” he reassured her.
She grinned and hopped out of bed. The sun spiked through sheer curtains and accented her nude silhouette for a moment before she pulled on a T-shirt and pair of shorts. “I'll go talk to her while you get dressed.”
As soon as Rae opened the door, Chloe's voice filled the room again. “I wasn't serious when I told you to try and get me a raise by sleeping with my boss.” The door drifted shut again, muffling the second part of her comment. “Did it work?”
Zach laughed and plucked his clothes off the chair Rae had draped them over. Things had been so much easier the last few days. Making offers to people they wanted to pick up from Cord. Making plans. Doing something again. He couldn't remember why he'd ever thought it was a bad idea.
His phone vibrated on the nightstand and he noticed as he went to answer he'd already missed at least one call. “Yeah?”
“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Scott's panic was clear even over the phone.
Zach smirked. At least Scott still had something to freak out about. “Possibly. What's up?”
“You haven't listened to my messages?”
“I was sleeping.” Zach pressed the speaker button and tossed the phone on the bed, talking as he pulled on his clothes. “What's up?”
“It's almost ten.”
Zach buttoned his shirt. “So?”
Scott's sigh filled the room. “So you haven't been served yet, have you?”
Served. The single word obliterated Zach's good mood. “What?”
“I'll take that as a no. Are you even home?”
Zach frowned. Served? What now? “No.”
“All better.” Rae burst back into the room.
Zach rubbed his face, bracing himself for the fallout.
“Rae?” Scott's question echoed through the room.
Her eyes grew wide and she stared at the phone on the bed. Her jaw moved up and down but nothing came out.
Zach thought fast. She needed to be in on the conversation anyway. “Yeah. We ran into each other. Want to join us?”
Rae grabbed a brush off her nightstand and yanked it through her hair, pulling each side into a simple pigtail.
“You said you were sleeping.” Scott's tone had gone from panicked to flat.
“I was.” Zach back pedaled. “Until an hour ago. Then I decided I wanted breakfast.”
“And you just decided you didn't have to answer your phone until now?” Disbelief hung heavy in Scott's question.
Zach shrugged at the receiver. “Technically, I'm between jobs. I'm trying to learn how to relax when I'm not on the clock.”
Rae stepped in front of him, buttoning his shirt the rest of the way. She leaned in to whisper in his ear, “You scare me. Never lie to me like that.”
He smiled, ignoring the threat behind the joke, and kissed her silently on the cheek.
“Yeah, breakfast,” Scott said suddenly. “Tell me where and I'll bring the summons since apparently you ran out before you got yours.”
Zach wracked his brain. It had to be closer to Rae's place than Scott's, and someplace it could look like they'd been for a while.
“The bagel place on ninth and union,” Rae offered.
Zach ran the address through his head, impressed. Between them but still further away from Scott.
“Swell. See you both in fifteen minutes.” The line went dead.
Zach made sure they were disconnected before he slid his phone into his pocket. It both concerned and impressed him how easily she had slid into his deception. “Why are we keeping this from him?”
Rae stepped away. “It's not that I think it's a big deal, I just... It's...” she trailed off, not looking at him.
“Yeah. I know.” Just because Zach understood, and agreed, didn't mean it hurt any less to hear her say it. He followed her into the living room, ignoring Chloe. He grabbed Rae's keys off the table by the front door and tossed them to her. “Meet you there?”
She snagged them out of the air. “Yeah.”
�
�Bring me back something,” Chloe said.
“There's cereal in the cupboard,” Rae snapped.
****
Scott dropped a short stack of paper on the table, the breeze ruffling napkins and bagel wrappers. He flopped into the bench seat next to Rae, exhaling loudly.
She slid him a fresh cup of coffee. “Hazelnut.”
Scott's smile looked forced. “Thanks.”
Zach tried to tell himself he was relieved everything was still status quo between Rae and Scott. That their interactions were relaxed and comfortable. Exactly what they needed to be. He wasn't jealous.
Scott looked around the shop. “New place?”
Rae shrugged. “Got tired of the last one. They switched muffin vendors. I decided to try something new.”
Zach's desire for small talk was vanishing. He grabbed the paperwork off the table. “Summons?”
Scott's scowl returned. He took a long drink. “DM has filed a cease and desist pending investigation. Say we're stealing intellectual property.”
Rae made a sound that was somewhere between a grunt and a whimper. “But you're not. You're starting over, that's the point.”
“No.” Scott said. “The point is to tie us up in court long enough they exhaust our money and delay our schedule.”
Zach didn't argue. He knew it was true. Fuck, why hadn't they thought about that? Right, because they were desperate to cling to something other than despair. “Have you talked to legal?” It was a ridiculous question. That would have been who Scott called when he couldn't get a hold of Zach. “What did he say?”
“That's what he said.” Scott snatched the summons away and stuffed into his laptop bag. “That's all he said. You had me on speaker phone in this place?”
Zach shook his head, shifting to the new topic as quickly as he could. “I was wearing my Bluetooth.”
Scott looked at him in disbelief. “You're trying to learn how to relax and you had your ear piece with you?”
“Habit.” Zach didn't like the direction of the questions. They needed to be planning a new strategy, not dissecting a rapidly formed cover story. “What do you mean that's all he said?”
“Technically it's not all he said.” Scott studied Rae for a minute and then ignored his own drink and took a sip of her coffee. “Second cup already?”
Zach frowned. What was going on?
She blinked. “Third. I thought we might be here a while. What else did he say?”
“That he couldn't tell me anything else and technically he'd already said too much. How did I hear her talking to you earlier? How did she hear me asking where to meet?” He looked at Zach.
“Ear piece speaker is too sensitive,” Zach repeated. He was used to Scott changing the subject without pause, but he usually didn’t carry on two conversations at once. “You're leaving out details. Do I need to call him myself?”
Scott pushed his drink away. “Sure. Use your ear piece, so we can all join in the conversation but no one else can.”
“It's in the car.” Zach wondered if he was actually going to be able to talk his way out of this one, and why he thought it mattered.
“Because...?” Scott asked.
Rae sighed loudly, interrupting before Zach could reply. “Because he didn't want anyone else eavesdropping. Because he's trying to learn how to not be such a workaholic. Which would you prefer?”
Scott studied her for a minute. He brushed a loose strand of hair off her forehead, looking her in the eye. “Just the truth.”
Zach hid his discomfort and braced himself.
“Fine.” Rae leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. “He did have you on speaker phone. I heard because he was in my bedroom. Where he's been half of the last week. We got here maybe two minutes before you did, and it's my first cup and I haven't even had a chance to put cream and sugar in it. Which you were sweet enough not to call me on.”
Scott rubbed his eyes before looking at her again. He never turned toward Zach. “So you're fucking him.”
She cringed and turned away from his glare.
Scott slammed his fist on the table, making all the cups, and Rae, jump. “You said you weren't going to go after him. That you weren't interested in being used and left at the side of the road after a week.”
Zach's eyes grew wide. They'd talked about him? She really thought that about him? The second realization dug deeper than he thought possible. Weren’t they past those issues?
Rae shrugged. “And I’m still not interested in that. But I am attracted to him.”
The confession momentarily distracted Zach from the disturbing details of the conversation. At least she wasn’t faking it. Not that he’d been worried. Or maybe only a little.
“I knew you liked him.” Scott finally looked at Zach, something unfamiliar flashing in his eyes.
Malice. Zach felt his gut sink.
“I didn't think he cared about you.” Scott looked at Rae again. “You're not his type. You'd need to be about six inches taller and ten pounds lighter.”
Fury raced through Zach and he was on his feet in a second, fist clenched around Scott’s T-shirt, yanking him up. “You don’t get to take this out on her because you’re jealous. You know none of that is true.”
Scott's eyes narrowed, his hands balling into fists. He planted his feet shoulder-length apart. “I don't really know much of anything right now. I mean, last night I never would have guessed my best friends were fucking each other behind my back.”
Rae scrambled to stand, and pushed between them. Her hand covered Zach’s and she nudged him back. Her words filtered through clenched teeth. “What did your attorney say?”
Scott didn’t look at her, glare still locked on Zach. “Nothing significant. Just that we’re about to be held up in court indefinitely, wasting away our savings when we could be on an island somewhere instead.”
Rae planted a hand on each of their chests and pushed them further apart. Her face was flushed, and tremor ran through her arms.
How was Zach going to get her out of the way? “You were the one who didn't want to give up.” He didn't want to be having this argument here, but he wasn't going to walk away. This wasn’t the standard bullshit they’d been through since the takeover. His blood roared with a rage he wasn’t used to. “You berated me for months for even mentioning retirement. Accused me of abandoning a dream. You latched onto her idea the moment she mentioned it, and you should have. It’s a fantastic fucking idea.”
Scott didn't defend himself. “Did I mention our lawyer is bailing on us because his firm is being retained by the company who's suing us? Maybe someone who was doing the paperwork might have caught that?” He glared at Rae.
“No.” Zach put as much emphasis on the word as he could. He rested a hand on Rae’s arm and tugged her out of the way gently. “Don't take this out on her. She spent a few days with our records. We've had them for years. I could have seen it coming better than her. Or maybe you might have noticed it.”
“Holy fuck, stop defending her. This is what we pay her for. Or maybe that's just an excuse to keep your piece of tail on payroll?” Scott glared at Rae. “Is that how you got him to go along with this? That gives the term 'whore' a whole new scope.”
Zach wasn’t thinking anymore, and he was only vaguely aware of his own fist pulling back. It never got a chance to connect.
Rae punched Scott in the arm, the smack echoing through the entire shop. “Move.” The threat in her voice was distinct.
“I didn't mean it.” The corners of Scott's mouth pulled down.
“Get the fuck out of my way right now.” Steel lined her command. “Or I'll move you and grind your balls into the tile in the process.”
Scott stepped aside. “I'm sorry.”
“You're not.” She shouldered past him, glaring at him the entire time. “You wouldn't have said it if you didn't mean it. You're acting like a spoiled child. I think you've got more of your father in you than you like to admit.”
Zach smirked
joylessly at the insult. It would hurt more than any fist, though he was still considering throwing a punch. She had every right.
Scott's shoulders slumped. “Please?”
She held up a hand. “Don't. I did all of this for you.”
“You slept with my best friend for me?”
She stepped closer to him until they were toe to toe, and looked up at him. “Tell you what. I have a solution for you. There's enough money in your budget for another employee since you're not renting office space. I hear your COO is resigning. Maybe look into using it to hire an attorney, and consider yourself lucky she's not adding to the stack of lawsuits with sexual harassment.”
Zach processed the words, gut churning as her meaning sank in. She couldn't quit. She hadn't even started yet.
“No, Rae.” Scott stammered, but nothing else came out.
“Don't worry about it.” The emotion was gone from her voice. “Zach was right. I'm just going to fuck everything up. You've got your numbers. You've used me for everything you needed to. Go get successful again. I'll leave you both alone.” She turned away.
Had he just been dumped? Zach grabbed her wrist before she could walk away. “Wait.”
She turned her glare on him. She didn't say anything.
Zach let go. He should go after her, but something told him this wasn't a temporary thing. He turned every ounce of fury and anger he could on Scott. For the first time in he didn’t even know how long, he couldn’t find a single word for the flames raging inside.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Rae tried to blink away the sting behind her eyelids. She swallowed and her raw throat protested. She didn't want to be doing this. There was no choice. She had sworn to herself she would do this professionally, and that meant offering her resignation officially and in person. Besides, she knew if she didn't say goodbye it would devour her.
She knocked on the familiar door, still awed by the size of the house. It had been silly to entertain thoughts of spending much time there. She clutched her briefcase in front of her. She didn’t need it, but it gave her something to cling to and fiddle with.
Holding Her Close (Bits and Bytes, Book 0) (Bits & Bytes) Page 13
