“So to sum all this up, you totally want me.” He gives me a cheeky smile, completely shifting the mood.
“I totally do.” I grab his face with both of my hands and kiss him square on the mouth. “And you're damn lucky for it too.”
“That I am.” He kisses me again. “That I am.”
I WAKE TO A SLIGHT swaying motion and in desperate need of a bathroom. It takes me a moment to realize that I’m still in the master suite of the yacht and that the person currently draped over my body is Zayne.
I can't remember falling asleep, but we must have talked into the late hours of the night. Having no clock in the cabin and my phone somewhere on the deck, I have no way of knowing the time. I gently peel Zayne's limp arm from around my waist before sliding my legs out from underneath his.
He stirs lightly, rolling onto his stomach, but doesn't wake. I quietly slip from the bed and tiptoe into the master bathroom. I take a couple of minutes to freshen up, locating some much needed toiletries in a small wicker basket under the sink.
My body feels deliciously sore and I can't help but smile at myself in the mirror, remembering the way that he trembled against me as we brought each other to the brink over and over again.
I have no idea where this will go and at least for right now, that's okay. Because no matter what happens, good or bad, last night will forever be remembered as one of the best nights of my life. Trailing my hand along my collarbone, visions of his fingers, lips, and eyes, flash through my mind. The way he held me, caressed me, explored every inch of my body like he was on some grand adventure.
When I reenter the room, Zayne is still fast asleep. I feel around for my dress, figuring it must have ended up on the floor sometime throughout the night, but I can't seem to locate it anywhere. The room isn't dark but it's dim enough that locating a tiny scrap of black material proves impossible. Remembering that I also have no underwear, I do the only thing I can, crawl back into bed and wait for Zayne to wake.
It doesn't take long for him to stir, probably in large part due to my restless body not being able to find a comfortable position in the bed and feeling anything but tired. I know the minute he's awake and am not at all surprised when one eye peeks open and a lopsided smile stretches across his perfect lips.
“Good morning.” He stretches his arms out, causing the muscles in his back to tense and flex. I try my best not to be distracted by his perfectly tanned skin and smooth broad shoulders, but a man this beautiful deserves to be admired.
Catching me ogling him, I get another brilliant smile before he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me to him. He rolls to his side so that we are facing each other and places a sweet kiss to the tip of my nose.
“Do you have any idea where my dress is?”
“I like you better this way.” His hand trails down my bare back, leaving goosebumps in its wake.
“That may be, but the fact still remains that eventually I need to go home and in order to do so, I need clothing.” I laugh when he crinkles his nose in dislike.
“Well, I guess it's a good thing that you will not be going home today.” He grins wider when he catches my expression.
“I thought we didn't have a destination. Certainly we aren't so far out that we can't head back to the city. Even if I find my dress, it's extremely too short to wear with no panties. Thanks for that, by the way.” I push myself into a sitting position and playfully swat his bare butt cheek.
“I said that there doesn't need to be a destination, not that there wasn't one. You assumed.” He tugs my arm so that I’m forced to lie back down. Instead of curling into his side, I lay on my back. “Besides, I’m nothing if not prepared. There are clean clothes for both of us hanging in the closet.” He kisses the side of my neck.
“So, where are we going then?” I peer up at the cabin ceiling, just now noticing that it’s the same dark color as the walls.
“You'll see.” He chuckles when I throw him an evil scowl. “You know, it's not wise to be mean to the man that has the power to keep you here forever.”
“Oh please. I’m much too valuable,” I say with my best rich person impersonation. “Someone would find me in a matter of hours.”
“Is that so?” He throws his leg over both of mine, pinning me to the bed. “Care to test that theory?” He slides his hand down my naked torso, finally settling on my side. I know what's coming before he even moves. I can tell by the mischievous look on his face.
“Don't you dare,” I warn, but my words fall on deaf ears. Squeezing my side, he flips his body on top of mine and straddles my waist, effectively immobilizing my lower half, leaving only my hands to fight him off as he tickles me relentlessly.
“I swear to god, Zayne, if you don't stop...” I get out through my laughter, not able to actually form a full coherent sentence.
He continues his torturous movements for a few more moments, my body wildly flailing beneath him, before he falls forward, pinning my hands above my head. Hovering over me, he studies me intently for a moment, his face soft and relaxed.
“What?” I question breathlessly, still trying to calm my lungs from attempting to fight him off.
He doesn't respond right away but still continues to hover. If he wasn't looking at me so adoringly, I might feel self-conscious under his gaze, but right now I don't feel that way at all.
“You're so beautiful. You know that?” He tightens his grip on my wrists when I roll my eyes, unintentionally, I might add.
“Sorry.” I bite down on my lower lip to keep my smile at bay.
“Do you even realize that you do it?”
I shake my head, bursting into laughter when he does something completely unexpected and rolls his eyes at me. I start to say something and he does it again. By the third time, I'm ready to smack him in the back of the head, only I can't because I’m pinned down.
“Do you see how annoying that is?” He tacks on one more eye roll to really drive his point home.
“Okay, okay. I get it.” I laugh, unable to argue with the fact that it is probably not the best way to communicate with a person.
“I knew you'd see it my way.” He grins, lowering his face to mine.
I try to lift my head to meet his lips but he pulls back a few inches, purposely teasing me. I pout my lip out and try again, making it closer this time but still not able to reach him.
“Fine, don't kiss me.” I huff, plopping my head back down on the pillow. “I didn't really want to kiss you anyway.”
“Is that so?” He drags his bottom lip seductively between his teeth. My god, this man is so unbelievably sexy. And what's worse, is that he knows it. “You want to know what I think?” He leans down again. “I think that you are dying for me to kiss you.”
My breath quickens under his heated stare. He knows exactly what he's doing to me. He can see the flush of my cheeks. The way my eyes become hooded with lust. The way that my body clenches below him.
“You love how it feels to taste me, for me to taste you. Tell me, Grace. Is that what you want? Do you want to feel that right now?” He grinds his erection into my lower belly.
“Yes.”
“Yes what, Grace?” he purrs, sliding his bare body down mine, his skin like silk across my naked torso.
“Kiss me,” I plead, arching my back.
“Just a kiss?” He leans down to take my breast in his mouth, releasing my hands which fly into his hair.
“More.” I moan when he flicks his tongue across my hardening nipple before moving to the other side.
“More?” He hisses against my chest.
“Everything.” I cry out when he nips at my hard bud with his teeth.
“You'll have to be more specific than that.” I can feel his smile against my skin as his lips trail below my breast and slowly down my stomach.
“I want everything,” I repeat, arching my lower body up when his lips land right above my hipbone. My skin feels hot and sticky.
“I think that can be arranged.”
Chapter Fourteen
“BEAR MOUNTAIN? I'VE never heard of it.” I’m standing on the edge of the deck, leaning against the railing as I peer at the beautiful scenic nature laid out before me.
“It's a pretty popular tourist location but if you hike, there are secluded spots. I like it because it reminds me of home. Plus, it's really peaceful out here.” He drapes his arm over my shoulders as the boat pulls into dock. “I don't get the chance to come out here often, but I thought it would be a nice way for us to spend the day together.”
“Now the outfit makes sense.” I nudge him in the ribcage with my elbow.
I thought he was crazy this morning when he pulled out a pair of jeans and tennis shoes for me to wear. Not that I am opposed to such things but given the midsummer heat it made little sense to me at the time. Hopefully, the thin tank that he brought for me will offer a little relief from the heat.
Though I can't complain too much. At least he was thoughtful enough to not only bring me clothes but to bring me things that were appropriate for what we are doing. Not to mention the fact that he looks absolutely edible in his denim jeans and fitted black V-neck shirt. Add on the backward baseball cap and I physically have to wipe the drool away from my chin every time I glance in his direction.
“I thought the least I could do is not subject you to poison ivy and insect bites on a day where I kidnapped you.” He kisses my temple.
“Thanks for that.” I laugh, looking up to see him smiling at me. I can't control the way my pulse pounds or my breath hitches at the sight of him so utterly beautiful and uncharacteristically carefree.
“You ready?” he asks, watching one of the crew men tie off the yacht to the dock and signal that we are good to go.
I nod, entwining my fingers with his as he leads me off the yacht and across a long wooden dock where several other boats are also parked, no doubt their owners out for a day on the mountain as well.
Zayne veers me away from the main focal point of the park and eventually into a deep wooded area that has a thin path leading through the forest of trees. I feel like we have been walking for miles, but less than an hour has passed since we left the boat.
We make small talk on our hike upward, stopping every few minutes to look out over the trees from a high point so that we can see how far we've come. It's so strange to see him out here in nature, moving through the trails and pointing at animals like he doesn't have a care in the world.
I never imagined him as an outdoors kind of person, but I guess there's still so much I don't know about him. Just because he's rich, intelligent, and spends ninety-nine percent of his time swallowed in custom made suits, doesn't mean that's what makes him who he is or determines what he enjoys doing outside of the time he dedicates to Zalec.
He's so natural and relaxed. I can't remember a time where I’ve ever seen him so much in his element. He talks about his brothers and what it was like growing up with parents that might as well be reenacting the movie The War of the Roses. He talks about high school and playing football, but not once does he mention Chad or the girl that tore their friendship apart, Christy.
“Did you love her?” I ask when we stop another mile up the mountain to take a short break. Sitting down on an old tree stump, I stretch out my legs and peer up at him.
“Love who?” he asks, clearly caught off guard that a story about a prank he once played on his older brother spurred such a random question from me.
“Christy.”
“No. I told you, I’ve never been in love.”
“But you must have cared for her, right? Why else would you risk your friendship with Chad to be with someone you had no feelings for?” I realize how two sided the question may seem.
What am I really asking? Did you love her or do you love me?
“I don't know.” He sighs, crossing the small path to join me on the stump. “I cared for her, yes. But I was never in love with her. I didn't want to be with her forever or anything. I don't know. I think a lot of it, like I said before, stems from the competitiveness between me and Chad. I didn't want her love because I loved her. I wanted it because he had it. Does that make sense?”
“No.” We both laugh in unison. “But I mean, I guess it does. It's completely ridiculous and stupid but I get it. I have two brothers, I know how competitive men can be.” I knock my shoulder into his.
“Were you sad? When she lost the baby.”
“I don't know. If I say no then that makes me seem like a completely heartless jackass right? But if I say yes, then I guess I would kind of be lying. The truth is, I was a kid. I didn't understand or grasp the realness of the situation and because she lost the baby so early on, I never got used to or attached to the idea of being someone's father.” He pulls off his hat and rubs his forehead before tugging it back down into place. “When I think about it now, yeah I guess it makes me a little sad, but then again what kind of father would I have been? Hell, I'm not even sure I would be any good at it now, let alone fifteen years ago.” He lets out a nervous laugh, clearly a little uneasy with the direction of the conversation.
“For the record.” I bump his shoulder again, watching his body sway out and before it comes back into mine. “I think you are an amazingly sweet and generous man that takes care of the people he loves and I think you would be an amazing father. If that's something you ever want, that is” I stutter on the last part.
He gives me a goofy, lopsided grin but doesn't comment. Sensing that our conversation has run its course, I stand up and move back toward the trails.
“Come on, old man. There's still a long way to go.” I turn, waiting for him to join me before grabbing his hand and continuing up the trail.
The conversation turns light again and before I know it, we are tripping up the mountain, laughing hysterically at some of our old childhood stories. He tells me about how one time he locked Brock in the pantry and refused to let him out until he ate an entire box of raw spaghetti noodles, while I shared some of the boneheaded things my two brothers used to do to one another.
Being the only girl and the youngest, my brothers took it pretty easy on me. Ian is the jokester and while he spent a good deal of his life tormenting me, it's always been verbal. Thank god neither of them ever pulled some of the crap on me that Zayne and his brothers put each other through.
“Come here,” he says, cutting off my laughter as he steers us off of the dirt path and through an area cluttered with overgrown grass, weeds, and tree branches.
“Should we really be going off of the path?” I ask, tripping over some fallen branches and stumbling forward.
He reaches out and steadies me, laughing lightly. “Careful.” He pulls my body against his. I try not to let the sudden closeness between us distract me, but it’s damn near impossible not to give into the pull and the heat surging through every limb of my body.
“Thanks,” I get out breathlessly, straightening myself.
I glance around and realize that while we have only walked a few feet off the trail, there is no sign of the dirt path that we just ventured away from. “Weren't you ever in Boy Scouts or at least learn the rules of being in the woods?” I ask, gesturing back toward where we came from.
He chuckles. “I've been up here several times. Relax. I promise I won't get us lost.” He snags my hand, leading us deeper into the woods.
I trip and stumble more times than I can count but it's all worth it when Zayne leads me into a clearing with the most amazing view of the Hudson.
“Wow.” I’m completely taken aback by our height and the sheer beauty of the scene laid out before me.
“It's beautiful, isn't it?” Zayne steps up behind me, wrapping his arms around my chest. “This has to be my favorite place in all of New York.” He dips his chin to my shoulder, looking out over the river below us.
“It's incredible,” I breathe, not only blown away by the sight but also by his confession. Little by little the point of this trip is becoming clearer.
By bringing me here, not only are we getting time away to talk and get to know one another better, but he is also sharing a piece of himself with me. Warmth spreads through me at the thought and I’m not sure I’m equipped to handle it.
My skin feels clammy and my heart feels like it's beating out of my chest, but despite the overwhelming feelings flooding through me, there is a calm to it as well. A peace that knowing in this moment the rest of the world doesn't matter. Not Alec, not our jobs, not even life for that matter.
For just a small, tiny fragment of time, we are free. Free to talk and laugh. To hold each other without the worry of who will see or what the consequences might be. There are no restraints, no restrictions. Just me and Zayne.
I find myself wishing it could be this way always.
“WELL SOMEONE'S IN A good mood,” Becca chimes from behind me as I make my way around the floor, wiping off bar tables and stacking stools.
I flip my head in her direction and shrug, failing miserably at playing it cool when a wide, giddy smile lights up my entire face.
“It has to do with him, doesn't it?” She climbs onto one of the stools, gesturing for me to have a seat next to her. “Tell me everything.”
Abandoning my rag and cleaner on the table, I scoot onto the stool next to her and proceed to fill her in on my weekend with Zayne. I watch her face go through a range of emotions. Confusion, curiosity, a hint of anger when I tell her about Christy, happiness, and then settling on complete shock by the time I am finished.
“Wow.” She shakes her head. “I swear, every time I think there is no way that man could ever redeem himself in my book, he goes and does something like this. I mean, look at you.” She’s referring to the smile that seems to have permanently planted itself on my face.
It's been there since Zayne dropped me off this morning, after yet another amazing night on the yacht.
“You seem really happy.” She reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “But I have to ask.” She lets out a long breath, her forehead scrunching up in apology. “Are you sure about this? Do you really think it's a good idea to completely submerge yourself back into the same situation as before?”
The Way Back Page 24
