Zara nods.
“I’d expect you to select your own classes. I only chose the first semester’s classes because of timing. Zara, this is your college experience, not mine. I am here to advise, as is Ollie, but only if and when you ask. And, yes, it has been an unseasonably warm autumn but the temperature has dropped and will drop again sharply… soon. You are going to need snow gear. How are you doing with clothes?”
Leaning forward to grab the bottle of water, Zara also picks up Garrett’s glass and hands it to him. Regaining her position on his lap, she unscrews the top and takes a long drink. “Viv has managed to keep my clothes rotated for the season without me ever seeing anyone in my room. It is amazing to everyone that I have never had to do a load of laundry, not even my linens, since I have been in school. I am guessing I have you to thank for that. Garrett, I am capable of doing laundry. It seems like I should be contributing in some small way.”
“Little One, I did laundry in college. You aren’t missing anything. Trust me. I want this to be a special time for you. College is the only time in life when you should not have the crazy responsibilities of life. Don’t worry… laundry will be waiting for you when you get out of school, but for now I can give this to you, so let me do it.”
Zara moves closer to Garrett’s face. Keeping her gaze averted, she eases closer until she is only inches from his face. She draws her eyes up to his and looks deep within. Zara holds her breath seeing Garrett run his tongue across his lips. Unsure what to do next, Zara leans in the last inches to press her lips to his. As soon as they meet, Garrett’s hand comes up behind her head and takes control. The tension she was unaware she was holding dissolves away and she presses her body against his. Sliding his tongue into her mouth to explore the tip of her tongue, he then brings his tongue back out and lightly slips it along her bottom lip.
Please never let this end. No. No.
To Zara’s disappointment, Garrett pulls away. “Okay. Tonight is for talking. As much as I would love to spend hours kissing those lips of yours, tonight we need to talk.”
Zara drops her eyes and nods. She begins to pull back, but Garrett’s hand behind her head does not allow it. He pulls her face back, looks in her eyes and plants a firm kiss on her lips.
Zara opens her eyes when he pulls way but he is still holding the back of her head, “Never think that I do not want to kiss you. We haven’t spent time together in months and you have just said you wanted to start spending more time together. You and I, especially because of our backgrounds, need to be sure we are always on the same page. Understand?”
“Yes, Si… Garrett.”
“Your discussion about school seems to be lacking in a couple of areas. Is that to save my feelings? I am curious to hear about the parties as well as the dating. To some degree, the dating.”
Zara swallows. Garrett wraps his arms around her and pulls her into his chest. “What’s up, Little One?”
“The two times I agreed to go out with different guys, it was awful. El said that it was a good idea to go just to verify my feelings before I ‘laid my cards on the table’ and she was right. The entire time, I just kept wishing I was with you,” Zara says mournfully. Garrett squeezes his arms tighter around her.
“Excellent segue. You and I. My first reaction is to say yes. Let’s start seeing each other. In fact, my initial reaction was to drive you home and put your collar around your neck.”
Zara slides off his lap onto the sofa next to him to be able to get a better view of his face while he explains his comments.
Yes!! PLEASEEEE!!! Be my Sir.
“But I wonder if that is the best thing for you at this point.” Garrett finishes his thought and Zara’s heart sinks. “Little One, you are living your dream. I don’t want to short-change that by throwing a relationship into the mix. College is about exploring options. Are you wanting to be with me because you are seeking a connection to your past?”
“NO! I am looking to be with you because I want you! I have missed you. Garrett, I felt something those days we were together before you dropped me off at school. It has been awful not speaking to you or seeing you all this time. I check my phone a hundred times a day hoping that you will text me. I am not asking for the entire Circle Ceremony again. I understand I missed that opportunity, but I very much want to see you and spend time with you.”
“How about you focus on wrapping up your very first semester and getting through your finals, then come spend your winter break with me. We will fly down to the Caymans to spend Christmas with my parents and Branden and Viv. You and I can go off for a few days alone and really spend some quality time together.”
“I would love to spend the holidays with you and your family. I was hoping you were going to ask me. Lil and El invited me to Miami over a month ago but I declined. Notices just went out that everyone has to vacate the dorms for the entire break so I didn’t know where I was going to go if you had not asked.” Zara’s nervous giggle does nothing to mask her relief.
Scooping her back into his arms once more, Garrett lifts her chin to force her to look into his eyes. “As long as you are here, you have a home at my house. I haven’t done a very good job at making you feel welcome here if you had such an uneasy feeling about the holidays. That is one thing that will change immediately.”
Garrett gently leans into Zara’s face and places a soft kiss on her ready lips. “In fact, next semester, we should plan for you to spend a weekend each month or so at the house so you feel more at home. There should never be a question in your beautiful head about where you can go when you need time away from school… for whatever reason.”
Zara tries to hide a yawn as she nods her agreement but Garrett is on to her. “Let’s go… bedtime.”
Without further words, he stands with her still in his arms and walks to the bedroom. Laying her gently on the bed on the side furthest from the framed picture of her, Garrett climbs in next to her and holds her as she drifts off to sleep.
Chapter 23
Zara sits in her room with her bags packed for winter break. She looks out the window and sees large fluffy snowflakes falling, gently covering everything in a white blanket. Liliana and Ella had warned of a pending snow storm but Zara is in awe of the beauty it brings.
The girls had departed for the airport a couple of hours earlier and Zara is already missing their presence. All three were a bit weepy during their goodbye but Zara could tell Liliana was eager to see her family. Ella talked only of the sun and sand of Miami Beach, but Zara could sense there was more to the trip for El by her focusing so much on the sun.
A whole month without my girls. Yikes.
“Really, Zara Faith. An open door. How safe is that?” Zara turns around to find Garrett standing in her dorm room. From the tone of his voice, Zara is unsure how to proceed.
“I… I am sorry. We tend to keep the doors open so we can go back and forth. I should have closed it once the girls left.” She clasps her hands together in front of her and stares at the floor directly in front of where Garrett is standing.
“Come here,” Garrett replies.
Without hesitation, Zara’s feet take her the four steps across her room to stand directly in front of him. She trains her gaze on the buttons of his coat.
In what feels to Zara like slow motion, Garrett takes her face in both of his hands. He looks into her eyes and slowly brings his lips to hers. Softly he brushes them together.
Zara steps in closer as Garrett parts his lips and gently nibbles her bottom lip. A soft moan escapes Zara as she feels him run his tongue along the lip he has hostage.
Garrett releases Zara’s lip and pulls the hair from her face so that he is able to look into her eyes. The smile he flashes melts Zara’s heart. He pulls her in again and quickly pecks her lips a couple of times before letting her free from his hold.
Feeling awkward in the unwanted release, Zara stands in place as she has done hundreds of times before. However, this time she is doing it knowing what coul
d be.
Kiss me again. Oh, please, kiss me again.
“So, this is your dorm. Very neat. That does not surprise me.” Garrett begins to move around the small room looking at all there is to see. He picks up a small framed picture of himself and examines it with a wide smile on his face.
“I am ready. Although, I am not sure I packed enough. I have never packed for a month…” The words trail off at the end.
Being without her family has been difficult for Zara but she had been able to focus on school. Sitting around and listening to all her new friends talk about their winter breaks with their families, the traditions and special plans had left Zara feeling raw. Knowing she would be spending winter break with Garrett helped ease the sadness, but Zara still missed her family.
“I’m sorry. I’m missing them a lot these days, especially Fredrik.”
Wrapping his arms around Zara from behind, Garrett whispers in her ear, “Don’t apologize. I’m sorry you are going through this. I’m here if you want to talk about it. You are going to be all right.”
Zara leans back into Garrett and he holds her tighter. “Thank you, Garrett.”
He squeezes her one more time and moves to pick up her suitcases.
“Time to say goodbye to your lovely dorm for the next month.” Grunting as he pretends he is unable to lift her bags, he mocks, “Zara, I think you’ve packed more than enough.”
Zara puts on her coat. She picks up her backpack, purse and phone, and follows Garrett out the door. She says goodbye to everyone they pass in the lobby and stops at the front desk. Motioning to Garrett that she will be one second, Zara disappears behind the counter of the front desk to surprise Beth. Zara sets her backpack on the counter, unzips the side pocket and pulls out a card.
“Merry Christmas, Beth. This is from the both of us.” Zara nods to Garrett who has since placed the suitcases on the floor to patiently wait by the exit.
“Bitch! Is there a gift card inside? You totally should not have gotten me anything. You know I am completely broke at the moment.” She does a happy dance in her seat as she begins to open the envelope.
“Beth, please do not open that now. Just say goodbye. I am going to miss you. One whole month.” Zara reaches down and gives her a hug.
“Okay… Okay… Okay. You are coming back. Dang. You have my number. If you feel the need, just call me.” As Zara begins to release her, Beth squeezes one more time really hard making Zara’s heart smile.
“Be careful out there. The roads are getting bad quickly. Get to where you are going and stay put,” Beth adds as Zara makes her way back around the counter.
“Merry Christmas, Beth,” Garrett says as he picks up Zara’s luggage and heads for the door.
“Thank you for the present. Whatever it is,” Beth says as she reaches to answer the ringing phone.
“Let’s get home.” Garrett heads for his car and loads Zara’s luggage. The drive to his house takes longer than usual since the roads had become covered in snow and ice. With the snow falling so hard the visibility was low.
At Garrett’s house, Zara finds a note left on the counter.
I know you asked me to get rid of all the food before your trip. After watching the weather report, I decided to do the exact opposite. Everything is well stocked. If they are wrong, then I will come and get all your food and donate it to charity.
“There are groceries,” Zara informs Garrett as he enters the kitchen.
“What… why?” Zara hands over the note. Garrett scans it quickly and throws it on the counter. “FUCKING A!! It is not going to be that bad. We will be on a plane tomorrow at this time. Away from this cold and snow.”
Garrett walks close to Zara and stares into her eyes as he slowly leans down. He places two quick kisses squarely on her lips. Without a word, he turns and walks out of the kitchen leaving Zara standing there wanting more.
“WOW,” Zara whispers as she glides her finger over her lips.
Zara picks up the note and reads it one more time. Looking out the window, she sees the snow is falling harder now, the flakes bigger and heavier. An excitement comes over her at the thought of being snowed in with Garrett.
Quickly opening the refrigerator and cabinets, Zara gets a sense of the food situation. They are indeed stocked up. At that moment, Zara decides, if they are to miss their trip, she will take over all domestic responsibilities.
Garrett has been caring for her in one way or another since she stepped out of the Circle. Zara knows that he is courting her. The time has come for Zara to begin the process of courting Garrett. Her insides tingle at the thought of taking care of his needs.
As much as Zara likes Garrett’s parents, the idea of spending her winter break without them and alone with Garrett makes Zara a happy girl. Zara wanders out of the kitchen to find Garrett, feeling more comfortable now in his home. From the first day, Garrett had said that his home is her home and it was starting to feel like home.
Walking from room to room, Zara contemplates her desire to serve Garrett. She had felt an immediate attraction to him from the day of the Circle Ceremony. He was handsome and his intelligence took his sex appeal up several notches. He made every effort to make her feel cared for and safe.
Zara stops in her tracks.
I’m in love with Garrett.
Zara hears Garrett calling her from the other room and hurries toward his voice. Rounding the corner into his room, Zara freezes. Garrett is standing with his back to her completely naked and stepping into the glass shower. Zara cannot move. Her eyes wander over every inch of his naked body.
Zara’s breath becomes labored watching the water cascade over Garrett’s body. A glossy sheen covers his skin as the water courses down the muscles in his back and across his tight waist to his buttocks.
He reaches up to adjust the showerhead and the water spills over well-toned arms, the strength in them wholly apparent.
No wonder I cannot get enough of your hugs. Those arms.
As he put his head under the stream of water, his muscles tighten in concert and Zara steps further into the bedroom. The steam from the hot water begins to obscure her view of him. With her next step, Zara bumps into the corner of Garrett’s bed and stubs her toe.
Shaken her to her senses, Zara limps out of Garrett’s bedroom and heads to the den to plop down on the sofa.
I am in love with a god!
Zara takes a throw pillow and covers her face.
Closing her eyes, Zara takes a deep breath, then another, then another and another. Just when she believes she has regained control and cleared her mind, Garrett and how the water flowed over him rushes back.
Replacing the pillow against the arm of the sofa, a set of movies on the coffee table catches her attention. Zara goes through the pile quickly… Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady, Galaxy Quest, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Elf.
Next to the DVDs is a stack of novels. Picking up the first book, The Promise by Kate Benson, Zara reads the back. Placing the book back on the pile and straightening it perfectly, she looks toward Garrett’s bedroom to see if he is coming.
Zara picks up Wallbanger by Alice Clayton, the second book in the pile, and turns it over to read the blurb. Giggling, she quickly replaces the book and picks up the third and final book. A biography of Claude Monet. The giggling takes hold and Zara is now a hostage unable to stop the laughter that follows.
He even picks out books that sound amazing. What a cute butt. He has to kiss me SOON!
Zara places the books back in their original order and squares the pile. She draws her feet under her and gets comfortable on the sofa. Unable to clear his image from her mind, Zara gives up and closes her eyes. She replays every inch that she was treated to minutes ago. Garrett’s amazing sexy naked sexy wet sexy body. Sexy. The view from the back is…
“Spectacular,” Zara says out loud.
“What’s spectacular, Zara?” Garrett whispers in Zara’s right ear.
Frozen to the back of the sofa, Zara swallows hard and opens her eyes to find Garrett’s lips only inches away.
“What’s spectacular?”
He inches closer to her face. With one hand on the armrest and the other on the cushion next to Zara, he hovers without making contact. He waits. Zara feels the heat of a blush spreading all over her face and neck.
“Umm….”
“UMM? You don’t ever ‘umm.’ This is going to be good!” he murmurs softly.
“Well… I was in the kitchen and I heard you calling me. I went to find you and I walked into your bedroom while you were getting into the shower. I… I kind of watched you for a couple of seconds before I came in here. That is it,” Zara exhales.
Garrett waits. He doesn’t say a word.
“Garrett, that is all of it,” Zara pleads.
“Really. You have yet to share what’s spectacular. I do believe I am going to enjoy whatever it is you are going to tell me by that lovely shade of blush you are wearing.”
“You,” she whispers.
Garrett leans in and places a light kiss on Zara’s forehead. Shifting, he falls onto the sofa next to Zara and places his sock-covered feet on the coffee table.
“In my defense, I didn’t call you. I merely said I was taking a quick shower and I would be right out.” Zara hides her face behind both of her hands and Garrett laughs. “I love that you spilled your ‘sneaking in and staring at me while I took a shower’ experience.”
Shaking her head behind her hands, Zara hears Garrett’s laughter increase.
“So… request of subject change?”
“Yes, please. I will owe you big time,” her muffled voice comes from behind her hands.
“I am getting hungry. How about if you take one of those hot bubble baths you enjoy so much while I make us something to eat? We can meet back in here and watch a movie.”
Before Him Comes Me Page 19
