“I’m going to lie down for a nap,” I said, feeling awkward alone with Zac. He nodded as I bolted to the bedroom.
Voices woke me. Savory smells assaulted my nose and made my mouth water. I lurched out of bed.
The whispering and giggling stopped when I opened the door of the bedroom. With a yelp, Linda Marie rushed down the short hall to grab me in a hug. Everyone was talking loudly as she was pulled away by Uncle José, who wanted his chance to entwine me in his arms. Aunt Marie, Carlos, Josh, and Teresa embraced me as well.
“You’ve been a very bad girl, keeping us away from you at the hospital,” Uncle José admonished. “But all is forgiven.”
“I am very sorry,” I answered quietly. “Thank you for understanding.”
Chapter 31
“WE BROUGHT AN early supper,” Aunt Marie interjected.
“Yeah,” Teresa said. “We know the only things that Zac has learned to cook are boxed hamburger dinners and spaghetti, using sauce from a jar.”
“Hey! I know how to make reservations,” Zac said in his own defense.
They led me to the table filled with a pork roast and dishes of beans, cilantro rice, fresh tomatoes, fried zucchini, corn, warm tortillas, grated cheese, salsa, sour cream, and a bowl of sliced watermelon.
I was allowed to fill a plate as everyone stood back and waited. As I moved into the living room, they all crowded in at the same time to get their food and join me.
“We’re sorry to barge in unannounced,” Aunt Marie said. “We couldn’t wait any longer to see you.”
“I’m so glad you all came by,” I answered. “This is delicious, as always, Aunt Marie. Thank you.” I hoped to express my gratitude for a lot more than the meal.
“That’s my beautiful wife! Best cook ever,” Uncle José said, as he patted his belly with one hand and wrapped the other around her shoulder.
“We’re glad to see you’re on the mend,” Carlos stated.
As we ate, the usual teasing and good-natured banter surrounded me.
“Oh my God!” Carlos exclaimed, slapping his forehead. “How could we forget?” Everyone stopped talking and glanced at him. “Maddie, we didn’t pick up any wine for you. Should we have brought three bottles, or four?”
“I guess you’ll never let me forget that one, will you?” I asked, blushing.
“The way Zac told it?” Teresa asked, laughing. “Probably not. Sasshole is our favorite new word.”
I gave Zac the stink eye, and he raised his fingers in front of himself in the shape of a cross to ward off evil. I responded by sticking my tongue out at him. A look of pure lust flew across his face as he stared at my mouth. I gulped and turned away.
“We had a dumpster brought to Aunt Ceci’s. I mean, your house,” Carlos said. “We got everything cleaned out. Since the bedroom carpets were spray-painted, we pulled them up and threw them away too. The wood floors underneath are in good shape. If I were you, I would have them patched up, and not bother with putting carpet back in.”
“Oh, you guys!” I said. “You didn’t have to do all that. It must have been a huge amount of work.”
“Not for me, honey. Look at these guns,” Carlos said, flexing his impressive biceps. I fell into Linda Marie’s lap, pretending to swoon over his masculinity.
“Yeah, I can smell your ego all the way over here,” Teresa said, waving her hand in front of her nose.
“You all don’t appreciate my assets the way most females do.” He pouted; all the women in the room rolled their eyes and groaned.
“I’ll reimburse you for the cost of the dumpster,” I said when the jeering stopped. “And for your time.”
“No, don’t worry about it,” Carlos answered. “It was the least we could do.”
“The wood floors that were damaged will have to be sanded, and refinished,” Josh said. “I’ll check on that and see to the painting supplies. Wall color can be put on after it has been primed to cover the spray paint. All the trim will have to be primed before it can be painted, as well.”
I didn’t know how to express my gratefulness.
It was evening by the time they all left. The sudden absence of their laughter and chatter made the house seem strangely quiet. It was too early to go to bed. Zac proposed we watch a movie, and I agreed.
He sat in the middle of the sofa and patted the cushion beside him. I didn’t trust myself to sit so close to him, yet I couldn’t do anything else without being rude. He put one arm across the back behind me and surfed the channels until he found a political thriller we hadn’t seen. We’d missed the first twenty-five minutes of it, and I had a hard time catching up with the intricate plot. After a couple of hours, my eyelids began to sag.
Zac’s lips grazing the sensitive shell of my ear brought me gradually awake. I didn’t want it to stop. My heart began to thud, and butterflies bounced around my tummy. My breathing became labored and alerted him I was awake. He sighed quietly against my ear and gently sucked the sensitive area behind my lobe. When he kissed down my neck it, was my turn to sigh softly in delight. Without opening my eyes, I tilted my head to give him easier access to the erogenous zone of my throat. He nibbled his way to my collarbone, up to my other ear, and along my jaw. When his lips left my skin, I lifted heavy lids to gaze into his mocha eyes. My heart hitched at the adoration I saw, and my gaze dropped to his mouth.
That was all the encouragement he needed. His lips slid lazily across mine and began pressing gently. I returned the delicate kiss. As our tongues began swirling, I surrendered to an emotion I couldn’t fight any longer.
When he leaned back, I huffed in dismay.
“I swore I wouldn’t be the one to start this,” he said in a hoarse voice. “I don’t want to push you. But you have no idea how hard it is to fight what I feel for you.” He pressed our foreheads together.
“Then don’t,” I replied. He jerked his head back with a smoldering stare.
“Please don’t say that unless you mean it,” he said. “I couldn’t take it if you changed your mind.”
“Zac,” I said, staring steadily at him. “I want to make love with you.”
His mouth fell on mine. Then he stood, taking me by the hands and helping me to my feet. He kissed me again deeply and led me into the bedroom.
We paused at the foot of the bed, and I slid my fingers along his erection through his jeans and began unbuckling his belt. He moaned and gently grasped my fingers.
“Wait,” he breathed. “Let me.” He placed my hands at my sides and slid my tank top off one shoulder. Dropping petal soft kisses on the newly bared skin, he moved the fabric down both my arms to my waist.
The look he raked over my pale pink lace bra was compelling. My breath quickened as he leaned down to lick and nibble where the material met my skin. When his tongue slipped underneath I whimpered. He undid the clasp and slipped it off. He unbuttoned and unzipped my pants. Leisurely pulling everything down, he left a trail with his lips in their wake.
I stood completely naked to him. I flushed as he lifted my wrists and stepped back far enough to straighten both our arms. His dilated eyes swept from my feet to my face, and slowly back down, to rest on the area between my thighs. His obvious need made my nipples grow hard, and wetness slicked my folds.
“I love that you’re bare,” he said. “You’re more beautiful than I ever imagined.”
He let me raise his shirt up and tug it over his head, dropping it to the floor. He stepped close and bent his head to my breast.
“Gorgeous,” he whispered. He licked lightly around my nipple. Letting out a soft cry, I arched, trying to bring his tongue over the swollen nub. I buried my fingers in his hair as the warm wet softness rubbed intently back and forth.
“Zac, please.” I couldn’t take the teasing anymore. He grazed his teeth over the tip, making me moan. As he took it in his mouth and sucked, intense bolts shot through my whole body, almost making me orgasm. I instinctively began a rhythmic rocking with my hips into his erection. He growl
ed low and inched deliberately to the other side. Finally, he relented and drew my nipple between his lips. His thorough nibbling and pulling made me even wetter, and my pussy began to throb.
He kissed his way to the underside of my breast, lingered at my belly button, and nipped downward. He gently moved my feet until they were spread wide apart, and then sat on the floor in front of me.
“I’ve wanted to taste you for so long,” he murmured.
The touch of his tongue was gentle. I thought at first it was just his breath. As his fingertips danced lightly over my rear, it swirled and licked, growing into a sweet torment. My body thrummed. He increased the pressure on my clit before moving away to slide into my opening. He repeated the motion, each time building me up higher.
“God, please,” I groaned. He paused, and my eyes flew open.
Chapter 32
“DON’T STOP,” I said, panting.
“Do you know what that does to me, baby?”
“Keep going,” I pleaded. “Don’t stop.”
His chuckle ended in a low rumble as he once again used his tongue on me. When he inserted two fingers, I threw my head back, crying out and grinding into his hand. He tried to take his mouth away from me again. I yanked his hair to keep his attention on the tight bundle of nerves.
When he began lightly sucking, I was driven into oblivion. With a sob, I crashed into ecstasy. He was unrelenting, lapping and pumping, making my inner muscles clench in a spiral of powerful climaxes. The exquisite bliss went on for an eternity.
Finally, I couldn’t take any more. I pushed him back as my knees gave way. I sank heavily on the bed and fell on the mattress in complete exhaustion. Gasping for air as if I’d run a marathon, I let my hands fall limp beside me. Zac finished undressing, then hovered over me, dotting my breasts, shoulders, and neck with sweet wet kisses.
When I eventually rolled my eyes open, he smiled at me with such hunger, my insides jumped. I turned and moved up the bed.
“Come here,” I said, shoving him onto his back. Straddling his hips, I leaned over and kissed him deeply. How does he always make you want him? I broke away and slowly licked down his body, looking up at his face. I exhaled as I tasted the undulating muscles of his abs.
Before Zac, I was never much concerned about my partner’s needs. My promise that this wouldn’t be just casual sex, combined with his commitment to our relationship, made me want more than anything to give him pleasure and satisfy him.
I touched his cock with a light caress of my nails and kissed the tip. He grunted so forcefully, I feared I’d hurt him and froze for a moment.
“I’m sorry, baby. I won’t last a second longer if you touch me,” he said.
I smiled at that. “Do you have a condom?”
“Maybe in the drawer.” I leaned over to the nightstand and hunted around in the miscellaneous junk while he stroked my shoulders and breasts.
“Found one,” I said. I settled on my knees between his legs. Before rolling it on, I fondled him again, which made him twitch, and he inhaled sharply.
“God, it’s magnificent,” I whispered honestly. With the condom in place, I put a knee on each side of him, raised myself up, and moved his swollen tip around my clit. He moaned and leaned forward to kiss my neck.
“Lie back, and enjoy,” I said. I’d already had such strong orgasms, I didn’t think I could come again. I wanted to watch as I made him climax.
I let the very tip of his cock enter me. I rolled my hips to tease him and let him slide out of my wetness. I repeated the process, taking slightly more of him into me each time, resisting the urge to plunge down and take him all at once.
“Look at me, Maddie,” he said. “I want to look into your eyes as we make love. And I want you to understand what this means to me.”
When I did, what I saw was frightening.
Noticing my alarm, he gently stroked my hair.
“Baby, I’m here,” he whispered. “I’ll always be here for you.”
His reassurances gave me confidence. I kept up the steady measured rhythm until I’d taken all of him into me, deeper than I believed possible. I repeatedly plunged down onto him.
“Oh, fuck,” he rasped. The muscles in his neck and arms strained. He fisted the sheets in his hands. He continued to gaze at me with blatant desire.
“Please, I want to watch while you touch yourself,” he begged. He had no idea how much his request turned me on.
Skimming my drenched clit with my finger, I moved faster up and down, desperate to amplify the delicious sensations. The tension gathered once more.
“Zac,” I cried, “I’m going to come again.”
“My God. Maddie!” Holding my eyes with his, I felt him pulse deep inside. It sent me over, and I came, too.
~~~
I lay limply on top of him where I’d collapsed in a haze. Strangely, I was close to tears. He gently kneaded my back as I attempted to bring my emotions under control.
“Oh, Jesus!” I whispered shakily.
“I’ve never experienced such... a connection with anyone,” he said with awe. He exhaled. “That was the best. You’re the best.” He chuckled. “But you can call me Zac.”
His silly joke saved my mood from sliding into melancholy.
“Ha, ha. With material like that, you’ll never make it as a comedian,” I said with a giggle, slapping him playfully on the arm. He held me up and searched my eyes solemnly, then put his lips to mine. Without another word, he slid off the bed and went to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. When he returned, we snuggled up and fell asleep in each other’s arms.
In the morning, light filtering through the mini-blinds brought me to semi-consciousness. A buzz came and went as a bee passed the window, and a fresh breeze blew in. Not moving, I dozed in contentment.
A soft touch brushed my ear. I smiled without opening my eyes, feeling Zac’s naked chest on my bare back and his corded thighs against my legs.
“What are you doing?” I murmured.
“Kissing you there worked last night,” he said. “I was hoping it would work again.” I turned on my back, laughing as I stretched.
“Why don’t you start a pot of coffee, and I’ll meet you in the shower,” I proposed.
“It’s a deal,” he said, jumping out of bed. I laughed again at the sight of his bare rear end running down the hall.
By the time the coffee had started brewing, I’d finished brushing my teeth and was standing under the scalding water. Zac brushed his teeth and stepped in behind me.
“Ouch, Maddie! You’re going to boil me alive. You always take showers this hot?”
“Yes, I think it’s great.” I adjusted the water to a cooler temperature for him.
“Ah, that’s better,” he said. “Come here.” He skimmed my shoulders and kissed me as the water trickled over us. Pouring my shampoo into his hand, he massaged it into my scalp and combed the lather through my hair with his fingers. When it was rinsed, he gently soaped me from head to toe, kissing every inch as he did so. My skin caught fire along the trail of his lips.
I wanted to return the favor. After washing his hair, I got so distracted by brushing my fingertips and mouth over his broad muscled back that he took the bar from me and finished himself.
He turned off the water and caressed my legs as we climbed out of the tub. He threw a towel around my shoulders, picked me up, and headed back to his room.
“What are you doing?” I squealed.
“Taking you to bed,” he said. “I intend to explore every part of your impressively beautiful body over and over again for the rest of the day. Any objections?” He cocked an eyebrow at me.
“No counselor, no objections,” I said, turning red.
He dropped me on the mattress and trailed the tip of his tongue over my neck as his fingers brushed my breasts. The earlier burning turned to longing, and I started getting wet. When he kissed his way past my collarbone, I hummed with pleasure.
“I love it when you do that,” h
e said between nibbles. My pulse hammered so loudly, I imagined everybody in town might be able to hear it.
Zac stopped. “What the…?” he exclaimed. The knocking I heard wasn’t my heart. Someone was at the front door.
“Are you expecting anyone?” I asked.
“No. They’ll go away.” He returned his attention to me. The knocking changed to pounding.
“Zac? Hello? Za-ac!”
When we heard the voice, we both froze.
Chapter 33
“WHAT’S SHE DOING HERE?” I demanded in a whisper.
“How should I know? I didn’t ask her to come over,” he answered, peeved.
Yeah, riiiiight. “She shows up at your house without warning, and you don’t know why?” I asked acidly. “Maybe she wants to spend time with her boyfriend.”
“If she does, she’s at the wrong house. Her boyfriend doesn’t live here.”
“Zac! I know you’re home. Open this fucking door!” The pounding became thunderous. She must have started kicking it.
I rolled off the bed and dressed quickly in jean shorts and a tank top.
“What are you doing?” he grumbled.
“Your friend showing up has kind of killed the mood for me,” I said snottily. I went to the kitchen barefoot to get cups for coffee.
Zac followed me without bothering to cover himself. He pressed against me from behind and spread a hand over my belly, with his pinky resting provocatively between my legs. I could feel his hard-on against my behind and barely stopped myself from moving against him. The explosions at the door went on steadily.
“Now what are you doing?” I whispered.
“I’m showing my girlfriend that I don’t give two shits about any other woman. Including the insufferable and extremely ill-timed Elaine Van Horne,” he said, not bothering to lower his voice.
“Shh,” I said, stepping away from him. “If she hears you she’ll never leave.”
“Ugh,” he grunted and stalked away. He started toward the front door, and I cringed, imagining him opening it stark-naked. “I should sue her for Coitus Disruptus in the first degree, with intent,” he muttered. He turned sharply and went back to the bedroom.
The Art of Going Home (The Art of Living series Book 1) Page 16
