by Karigan Hale
Zander took the long way to the reservoir on purpose. He thought Lizzie would say something when he missed the turn, but she stayed quiet. Which was interesting. Was she enjoying the ride as much as he was? God, he hoped so.
She was wrapped around him tightly. He could feel her pert, round breasts against his back and was acutely aware of every inch of her thighs squeezed on the outside of his. He partly wished he'd offered to ride bitch so he could be wrapped around her, but the current bulge in his shorts made him glad he didn't. There would be no way of hiding that from her.
He seemed to be constantly in a state of semi-hardness ever since Lizzie hit him with her helmet a few days ago. Or full hardness as he envisioned her straddling this bike in her green gown on Tuesday night.
And, very good Zander. Now his shorts were extremely uncomfortable, and he'd be hard-pressed to hide his massive hard-on when they arrived. Lizzie chose that moment to move her hands slightly on his abs. He automatically tightened them. He saw the way she gawked at him when he took his shirt off at the bar. He wanted her to look at him like that again.
And again. And again.
Saying he had fantasized about her since high school wasn't a line. He almost admitted too much when they were at the bar, but thankfully Brendan had interrupted. He wasn't here to find more girl trouble. And Lizzie spelled trouble.
With a capital T. At least for him.
She adjusted her body behind him, causing her to rub up against him in a way that had his penis straining to be set free. He groaned in frustration and hoped she couldn't hear him over the engine.
All too soon the reservoir came into view, and they were pulling into the designated parking area near their bonfire spot. Zander waited for her to get off the bike first. He immediately felt cold and wanting. He unmounted with his back to her and quickly adjusted his shorts to try to hide his traitorous body's reaction to her touch.
"I think we should take the helmets with us," he suggested. Mainly for a reason to carry it in front of his body. God, he felt like he was in high school again trying to hide his erection from a pretty girl. In fact, he was in this exact situation with this exact girl at this exact location on more than a few occasions in high school.
"Sure," she said. He turned around to watch her shake her hair out after taking off her helmet. Not even the confinement of the helmet could tame those wild, springy curls. He loved tugging on them and watching them spring back into place. He did so right now, just to see her wrinkle her nose at him. She was so damn cute when she was frustrated.
She adjusted the strap on her bag and squinted at the woods. "I hope you remember which path it is. I sure don't."
"Of course. I spent almost every weekend in high school here," he reminded her.
"Well, us of the little sister variety were only invited a few times. So, I guess I'm at your mercy," she said gesturing to the paths.
"I like the sound of that," he said without missing a beat. Then kicked himself again when he saw her brow furrow. He was not impressing her with his one-off sexual innuendos. And he sounded like a douche even to his own ears.
"Is it a special talent to make everything I say sexual? Or are you just that obsessed with your dick?" she asked so seriously he laughed. "Don't answer that. I'll find my own way."
"Lizzie, wait. I'm sorry. I'll try to be more gentlemanly in the future," he said. This time she laughed.
"Yeah, right. I'll believe it when I see it."
"Well, I did say 'I'll try'. No promises," he said and grabbed her elbow to steer her toward the correct path. "This way."
CHAPTER TWELVE
The smell and crackle of the fire mixed with the sounds of laughter and chatter as Zander and Lizzie got further down the path. If she didn't know better, she'd have thought he slowed their pace on purpose.
"Almost there," he said unnecessarily. She held back a snide remark. She'd been snapping at him since he got here. Although he pressed her buttons—all of her buttons including the frustration button, the amusement button, and the lust button—there was no reason to be mean. It wasn't her usual defense mechanism, but something about this particular Drake brother had her hackles up constantly. She took a deep breath and tried to let it go.
"You okay," he said stopping so abruptly she ran into him. He put his hands on her arms to steady her, and she was instantly warmed and simultaneously irritated. Damn this confounding human! She needed to get her lusty lady parts—upset over her recent dry spell—and her resolve in sync.
"Lizzie?" he asked when she didn't answer right away.
"I'm fine," she said looking everywhere but up at him. When he still held on to her, she finally did look up. His face was full of concern. His tiger eyes blazed. His mouth was slightly open. He ran his hands up and down her arms pulling her closer to him. She held her breath. Was he going to kiss her? He looked like he wanted to kiss her. Did she want him to kiss her? She unknowingly licked her lips. He sucked in a quick breath as his eyes flicked from hers down to her mouth and back again.
He leaned ever so slightly forward. The forest stilled around them. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest, hear the pounding of it in her ears. Should she push him away? Should she kiss him back? Should she scream? Should she...
"Hey guys," Nick's voice had them jumping apart. He put his hands on Zander's shoulders from behind. "I thought I heard you coming. We just cracked the first beers. Let's go."
Zander's eyes hadn't left hers. And the fire hadn't left his. He held her gaze a second longer, so she had no confusion about what he was about to do. No confusion that he knew she was going to let him. Then, he turned to his friend and gave him a man-hug. "Glad the spot is still here."
"Looks like it's been used recently. I would guess the location has been passed down at Deerfield Prep like a rite of passage. One graduated class to the next. Good idea we came on a weeknight, or we'd be fighting for the spot. In fact..." Nick's voice trailed off as the boys moved further down the path.
Lizzie stood in place for another minute while she willed her heart to stop tripping over itself. "Get over it, Liz," she whispered to the forest which—since the blood pulsing through her ears had died down to a dull roar—once again came alive with the sounds of twilight. "You do not want Zander Drake to kiss you. Not anymore."
"Come on, Lizzie!" Six shouted waving at her from the bottom of the path. Lizzie waved back, plastered a smile on her face, and went to join her friends.
"Kumbaya, my Lord. Kumbaya," Nick slurred off key an hour later. He had pre-gamed while building the fire and was several rounds ahead of the rest of them. But at least he still had his clothes on.
"Zay, can you please save us from this noise?" Zander asked his brother.
"I need a few more beers before I play in front of people," Xavier said taking a slug of the one he had in his hand.
Lizzie threw him another one, "Well, drink fast. I don't know how much more of this I can handle."
"You play?" Brendan asked. "I wondered who the guitar belonged to."
"A little," Xavier admitted. "Mostly just for myself. Or at drunken gatherings."
"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall," crooned Nick.
"Now, Zay. Even if you're only 50% better, it'll still be a 1000% improvement over this," Gabby pleaded. She went and sat beside him.
"Alright. Alright," Xavier laughed getting his guitar out of its case.
"I gotta take a piss," Nick said wandering off into the woods.
"I'm gonna follow him. Just in case," Zander said.
Xavier tuned his guitar and strummed a few chords. Then started "Never Getting Back Together" by Taylor Swift. They all laughed when he started belting out the first lines in a girly falsetto, but everyone quickly joined in. Even Brendan knew most of the words. Gabby took out her phone to record a verse. Six laughed so hard at Xavier and Brendan's high-pitched girly voices she could barely breathe much less sing. Lizzie could see Brendan's mind turning and smiled. She knew as soon as he h
eard Zay play, he'd want to get him in the bar. Not only was he good, but he was really cute, too. Girls would flock to see him; Lizzie had no doubt. Especially if the way Gabby stared at him was any indication.
"Okay, I like to start with that one to break the ice," Xavier said.
"You have to play at the bar," Brendan said. Bingo! Lizzie smiled smugly.
"Oh no. Bonfires and bedrooms only," Xavier said.
"I'll convince you. You're really good, Xavier," Brendan said. "You can carry a tune even when you're trying to be funny. Our patrons will eat him up!"
"I'll think about it," Xavier said mainly to get Brendan to drop the subject for now. Brendan would definitely bring it up again. And again. And again. Until Xavier finally caved under the pressure and agreed. Of course, she'd help in Brendan's crusade.
Xavier started "Blackbird" by the Beatles, her favorite Beatles song. He caught Lizzie's eye and winked. She smiled back. How did Zay know it was her favorite? He started singing, and Lizzie and Gabby joined in.
Zander guided Nick back into the clearing as they were on the final verse. He took a seat next to Lizzie after pushing Nick down beside Brendan and Six with a water in his hands.
"I took his keys," Zander said when she finished singing.
"Good thinking," she said looking at her drunk brother. Xavier started on the next song.
"I didn't know you could sing," he said. "You guys sounded good."
Lizzie chuckled. "I can blend well. Gabby and Zay did most of the work."
"You're humble. Did you request that song?"
"No. What makes you ask that?" Lizzie asked. She poked at the ground with a stick.
"It's your favorite song," he said matter-of-factly. She snapped her head towards him.
"How'd you know?" she asked.
"You must have mentioned it at some point," he said with a shrug. "I just remembered."
She regarded him quizzically. He shrugged again. "I'm not a complete asshole. At least not all the time."
"I never said you were," she countered. This time he pursed his lips. She laughed, then admitted, "Okay, so I may have implied it a time or two."
"I'm not the same boy I was in high school, Lizzie," he said. "People do grow up and mature."
Nick chose that moment to let out a huge belch. Then giggled at himself and stripped off his shirt. "It's hot," he said. "Anyone else hot?"
Xavier stopped singing long enough to yell, "Just keep your pants on, Nick."
Lizzie gestured to her sloppy brother. "Not everyone."
"Nick's under a lot of pressure lately. Following in your father's footsteps isn't easy, you know. Let him have some fun," Zander said.
"He hasn't mentioned anything to me," Lizzie said.
"Well, he wouldn't, would he? He's fine. Just needs to blow off steam."
"Is that really why you're here? To help Nick through...whatever he's going through?" she asked holding his gaze. The firelight flickering in his eyes brought out the amber rays making them glow. The alcohol was doing funny things with her belly.
"One of the reasons," he mumbled looking away from her. She nudged him in the thigh with hers. He contemplated her from under his long lashes and sighed.
"I already told you the other reasons," he said. She still didn't say anything. Just gave him a knowing smile.
"And don't tell Nick I told you he was stressed," Zander said. She bumped his warm thigh again, mainly just to have an excuse to touch him. She still didn't say anything though. In her experience, people wanted to fill the silence. If she kept quiet, he would inevitably keep talking. Bartenders and therapists—more in common than you'd think. She wasn't wrong this time either.
"I'm here partly on business, too," he reminded her. She cocked her head at him in disbelief. "I just haven't started yet. The opportunity hasn't arisen. I have some time, though."
She moved her gaze to where Xavier still quietly strummed his guitar. Brendan, Six, and Gabby were focused on him. Zay caught her eye and smirked. She smiled back.
Zander bumped her thigh this time to get her attention. "Plus, I needed a break as well."
"A break from what?" she asked, finally breaking her silence.
"I don't know. My life. I'm almost thirty. I've pretty much reached the peak position I'm going to get in my company. Which is great—don't get me wrong. But, is this it for me?"
"You're having a mid-life crisis at thirty!" Lizzie exclaimed. "My little Zee has grown up."
"Yeah, well. It hasn't been a picnic."
"According to Zay and Nick, you've been living your best life. I think they're both a little jealous of you," she said. "According to them, you make great money; you have limited commitments; you have a different hot chick every month or so; you rub elbows with the Atlanta elite. What more could a guy in his almost thirties ask for?"
He gave her his half-smile but peered off into the woods. "Sounds about perfect, right? Who am I to complain?"
"Is something missing?" she asked.
"Sometimes it feels that way. Just can't figure out what," he said. Then he snapped his attention back to her, his face serious. "Although I might be starting to figure it out."
Lizzie swallowed hard. She couldn't look away. He gave her his smolder look and leaned in towards her. His eyes started to close.
And that snapped her out of her trance. This was just another ploy to get into her pants. And she'd almost fallen for it.
"Oh, you are good!" she exclaimed leaning back.
"What?" he asked opening his eyes.
"I'm a bartender, Zee. You'll have to try harder than the pathetic 'I'm a lost little boy' act to fool me. Sorry," Lizzie said. Zander started to protest, but she cut him off. "Now, excuse me, I have to use the little girl's room." She got up, brushed the debris off her pants then disappeared into the woods.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Zander watched her stumble into the woods. She must be tipsier than he originally thought. Maybe that could explain her outburst. He basically poured his heart out to her, and she didn't believe him. He looked down at his hands clasped in his lap. Did he blame her? He'd done nothing but use his usual dickish pick-up lines on her since he arrived. He couldn't seem to help himself. He'd been picking up girls that way for so long, he'd forgotten how to be genuine.
And Lizzie, unlike most of the other girls he used those lines on, had called him out on his bullshit on more than one occasion.
Seeing her again also reminded him he'd been settling this whole time. Yes, the girls he dated were gorgeous arm candy and made the other guys in his office jealous, but they bored him.
Lizzie did not.
He ran his hands through his hair. How could he prove this wasn't an act or a pick-up line? If only he'd been a little quicker earlier and kissed her on the path. She'd wanted him to. Or at least she didn't not want him to. She had gazed at him with the same fire in her big sea glass eyes that he felt, too. But at the last second, he had also seen a flicker of doubt, which is why he hesitated. Then, Nick interrupted.
If he could recreate that moment, he could show Lizzie how real his feelings were even if she didn't believe his words. And he could satisfy a craving he'd been having since high school at the same time.
He examined the spot in the woods where she'd disappeared earlier. It had been longer than necessary for her to just use the bathroom. What if she had passed out? Or fallen? Or gotten lost? She wasn't exactly sober. And it had been a while since she'd been out here. He should probably go check on her. Should he go check on her?
"Fuck it," he whispered and shoved himself off the log. Without hesitating or thinking about it too much longer, he followed Lizzie's path into the woods. He paused for a moment and heard the sound of leaves crunching. Glancing in that direction, he saw the faint glow of a cell phone screen. He made a beeline for her.
She must have been engrossed in whatever she was looking at because she didn't hear him until he was almost next to her. Startled, she gasped and backed up into a t
ree as he barreled towards her without stopping.
"Zee, what are you—" she started, but he stepped up right against her and put his hands on her face stopping her words. His mouth hovered inches from hers; their noses touching.
"My confession wasn't an act," he whispered. "And neither is this." And he closed the distance between them crushing her mouth hungrily with his. He didn't finesse; he didn't cajole. He plundered. He heard her whimper in surprise, but after only a moment's hesitation—a moment too long in his opinion—she dropped her phone into the bed of leaves at their feet and thread her fingers into his hair pulling him even closer.
He pushed his tongue into her mouth, and she welcomed it. He grabbed her hip to fit her more tightly against him. She rolled her hips forward so she could press against his hardness. He groaned deep in his throat. The kiss intensified as he ran his hands up under her shirt. This was what they had been leading toward the entire time. Their bantering, their flirting, their dancing around each other—all had been to deny their equally growing attraction. It was inevitable.
Lizzie came alive under his hands. He couldn't get enough. He couldn't press her close enough to him. He thought he would burst if he couldn't get his hands on more of her burning, smooth skin. He wanted to touch all parts of her. To make her quiver and sigh and call out his name.
He broke the kiss to pull her head back so he could taste her neck. She whispered his name, and he almost dragged her down to the forest floor right there.
"I can't stop thinking of you in that green dress. So beautiful," he said into her neck. In an instant, her whole body stilled. She dropped her leg from where it had been wrapped around his hip. He tried to kiss her again, but she turned her head and gently pushed his shoulders. What the fuck?
He was so surprised, he did step back. "What happened?"
She had her hand on her chest which rose and fell as rapidly as his own. He took a step towards her again, but she threw up her other hand in defense. "No," she said quietly. Then, more forcefully, looking right at him, "No."
