by Kyra Fox
It’s already noon, I’ve been sitting at this desk for the last ninety minutes and feel like I haven’t progressed an inch. It doesn’t help that my mind keeps returning to the petite brunette I left sleeping naked in our bed. Her bed.
I shake my head at the unexpected slip of the tongue. Realizing it’s been a while since I’ve slept in my own apartment, I decide tonight I’ll go there, alone, drink a beer and watch a game.
Maybe I’ll give Brian a call. I want to write the thought off as a handy excuse, but the truth is I like spending time with Brian. Zoe jokes that when I found her, I got two for the price of one—a romance and a bromance—and I don’t bother denying it.
But jokes aside, it freaks me out sometimes how much he’s like Zoe. It’s almost like they’re twins rather than cousins. They’ve both become such a big part of my life so quickly, and the thought of what it would mean to lose these unlikely connections is petrifying.
“Nah, it’s a good look on you.” Lenny gives me a warm fatherly smile, and I shake my head, but my smile broadens.
Over the past twelve years, Lenny has been my mentor, the closest thing in my entire life to an actual father. I owe Lenny more than my life, which is why I have to concentrate on the financial reports in front of me. I have to prove to Lenny I’m more than just a skilled mechanic. That I’m a worthy successor to keep his legacy alive, and one day, when he decides to retire, I’ll buy the shop off him.
I hear wolf whistles coming from the front of the shop, appreciative howls that I’ve never been a big fan of in general. I get up to see if the girl on the receiving end needs help. I can’t change the ways of the rowdy group who work at the shop, but I always put myself in as a buffer if a girl seems even the least bit uncomfortable.
Stepping out of the office, I can see why she’s earning those whistles, though I can’t say I’m feeling it. The gaudy clothes exposing too much skin used to be what I was looking for, but now I can barely hold an interest.
My gaze goes straight to her face, and I have to pinch myself to validate I’m not imagining, but sure enough, it’s Zoe, sporting knee-high black stiletto boots paired with an ass hugging black mini skirt hanging low on her hips, a sliver of porcelain white skin peeking from under a tight red top with enough cleavage to hint at a perfect pair of smooth breasts. Her look is completed with a black biker jacket I didn’t even know she owned and a black choker necklace which stands out in perfect contrast to her elegant neck.
A devilish smile is playing on her face as she walks toward me, swaying her hips seductively. And that glint in her eyes screaming “I’m going to do all sorts of bad things to you.” She could have been wearing a burlap sack for all I care, as long as she looks at me like that.
“Friend of yours?” I hadn’t even noticed that Lenny joined me outside. “Or the reason you’ve been grinning like an idiot all morning?”
I just nod, not really listening to anything Lenny is saying, my full attention on the wicked goddess sauntering my direction, eventually standing very close to me. Dangerously close.
“Hi.” Her rosy lips are still curved into that naughty smile that I adore.
“Hi.” I realize I really am grinning like an idiot.
“You forgot this.” Zoe holds my phone up. I hadn’t even realized it wasn’t on me. “Philip called. We had a nice chat. Apparently, I’m dating the wrong Mackenzie brother.”
“Is that so?” I feel my grin widen. Zoe nods and licks her curvy upper lip, looking at me through her lashes. I barely suppress a groan, vaguely remembering I’m at work and my boss is standing less than twenty feet away from us.
Only then I reach for my phone and our fingers brush. Her eyes immediately darken and dart to my lips as hers part with a soft sigh. And before I can register what I’m doing, I pull her against me and crush my lips on hers.
I don’t know how long our mouths are fused together, I forget where I am, who I am, what I’m supposed to be doing, everything except for Zoe and her soft lips and delicious mouth.
There’s hooting from a distance and someone clearing their throat somewhere closer, but I don’t care. Zoe apparently does, though, because she breaks the kiss and looks around in bewilderment until her eyes land on Lenny and widen with horror. The blush creeps up her ample cleavage toward her cheeks, doing nothing to subdue my raging boner.
“You must be Lenny.” Zoe extracts herself from my arms and walks over to him with her hand stretched out. “I’m Zoe.” Her cheeks are blazing dark pink, but she holds her head high, and her smile wide and genuine.
“Nice to meet you, Zoe, I’ve heard so much about you.” Lenny shakes her hand with a warm smile. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” Zoe smiles courtly, and Lenny claps me on the shoulder on his way to remind the rest of the crew that he’s paying them to fix cars, not to bother nice young women.
Zoe is tucking her bangs behind her ear. “It’s okay, right?” She looks up at me, apprehensively with her big doe eyes. “That I came here?”
“Yes.” I circle her small waist with one arm and tug at her purple bangs with my free hand. “It’s more than okay.”
“I wanted to tease you a bit, not end up in a hot make-out session in front of your boss.” Her blush deepens, and I pull her tight against my body so she can feel the effect she has on me.
“If you don’t get that adorable blush under control it’s not going to end with just a hot make-out session, Zo.” Her entire body hums in response, and I’m fighting to maintain control.
“I should go.”
I notice her breathing is coming out ragged as well and I give her the most dangerous smile I have in my arsenal. Leaning down, I whisper in her ear, “I’m going to devour you tonight, Goddess.”
She fists the front of my shirt and moans before releasing me and turning away. Walking to her car, she waves at Lenny and Tim, who are huddled like two old gossips smiling at her knowingly as they wave back.
I notice her legs are shaking, barely visible if you aren’t looking for it. I love how Zoe responds to me.
It dawns on me that I won’t be sleeping at my own place tonight either. I don’t really care anymore though and, if I’m being honest with myself, I never really cared to begin with.
ZOE
“So, I gather you liked the outfit, Mr. Mackenzie.” We’re sprawled naked on the floor of my apartment, somewhere between my front door and the kitchen, our bodies covered in a sheen of sweat as we struggle to catch our breaths.
True to his word, Mac was waiting for me at my apartment when I got back from the lab, watching in predatory silence as I walked toward him and unlocked the door, barely managing to shut it before he was all over me.
“Not really.” He’s drawing lazy circles on my shoulder with his index finger. “It kind of looked like a costume.”
“It actually is a costume.” I laugh. “We had a Bikers and Babes Halloween-themed party a couple of years ago.”
“I like you just the way you are, Zo, you don’t need to wear a costume for me, ever.” He kisses the spot his finger was circling.
“You were pretty fired up all day for someone who didn’t like that outfit.” I flip on my side and run my fingers through his hair, raking my gaze over his backside, taking in his sculpted figure. “And the way you fucked me just now, you seemed to like something I did a lot.”
“That was punishment for teasing me, my wicked little goddess.” He tugs at my bang, pasted with sweat to my forehead.
“Felt more like a reward than punishment.” I graze my fingernail playfully over his perfectly molded ass. “Maybe I should tease you more often.”
“That would be a dangerous game for you to play, Goddess.” He grabs my waist and pulls me under him in one swift move. “Are we staying here, or should I take you to the bedroom?”
“Shower.” I lick my upper lip with anticipation and Mac catches it between his teeth and sucks on it.
“Shower it is.” He grins at me with that full-faced sexy grin which makes
my panties melt. At least it would have if I weren’t already naked.
After our “shower,” we grab a couple of beers and sit on the couch, trying to decide what to watch.
“I thought of going to my place to watch the Sox play tonight,” Mac says as he scans the movie options. “I’m going to have to go there anyway to get clean clothes.”
“You can watch the game here, if you want,” I offer. “And you can leave some clothes here.”
I hold my breath. It’s a big thing to suggest, I know that. We’ve been dating for less than a month, but in the past week and a half or so Mac had spent almost every night at my place, it only makes sense for him to leave a change of clothes.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” Mac’s looking through the sports channels now, completely unphased. “I’ll swing by my place tomorrow after work and pack some stuff.”
I was so prepared for him to panic over the idea, at the very least I expected hesitation, but he answers so quickly, without even blinking, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for him to have a drawer at my apartment.
Mac seems to be willing to take the next step in our relationship, so I take a deep breath and go for broke.
“My dad is in Boston next weekend.” I lean my head on his shoulder. “Would you like to join us for dinner?”
This time he hesitates, his hand rubbing his neck as he thinks.
“I want to.”
“But...?”
“But what if he doesn’t like me?” Mac looks like a lost boy, his eyes searching mine for assurance.
“He will,” I hurry to assure him “I promise you; he’ll love you.”
“That’s what Edith said, you know.” Mac leans back on the couch. “But I know that part of the reason she broke up with me when she left for college was that her parents didn’t think I was good enough for her, and once high school was over the rebellious relationship angle must have lost its luster.”
“Why would my dad think you’re not good enough for me?”
“No college degree, grease monkey, no real family, can’t afford nice things for his daughter…” Mac shrugs and takes a sip from his beer pretending to be invested in the game, but I can see the pain and insecurity in his eyes.
I’m having none of it. I take the beer out of his hand and sit in his lap, my arms around his neck, and force him to look at me.
“Smart and ambitious, has a respectable job, gives everything for the people he cares about, makes his daughter happier than she’s ever been in her life.”
Mac pulls me closer. “I really make you happy?”
I’m surprised he needs confirmation. I was sure it was written all over my face. Hell, people are telling me all the time it’s written all over my face.
“Yes, Eric, you really make me happy.” I kiss him softly on his lips, and he caresses my cheek with his thumb.
“You make me happy, too.” It makes my heart melt, those simple words, the simple truth behind them.
Maybe I’m just being too cautious, and his walls aren’t as solid as I think. Maybe he really does just need time to open up to me, let me see those parts of himself that keep him from trusting that the people he cares about won’t walk away from him.
Maybe he’s finally ready to let himself believe I won’t be one of those people.
Chapter Fourteen
MAC
Thursday comes around fast, signaling the beginning of our weekend ritual.
I’ve never been a stickler for routines, not in relationships and definitely not so early on in a relationship. But Zoe, she loves her habits, her schedule, she loves the known.
So, the fact that she’s made my part in her life a scheduled practice doesn’t bother me as much as it would have with another girl. Especially since sticking to a routine doesn’t make her boring or predictable; if anything she’s more exciting than any self-proclaimed spontaneous girl I’ve ever met before.
I’m contemplating whether to stay and work in the lecture hall during Zoe’s class or go to Brain Juice and wait for her there. I’ve already started packing my laptop, deciding on the latter, when I hear Professor Thorne cooing.
“Why, Dr. Lawrence, don’t you look lovely today.” Zoe beams at my professor, and he smiles at her with grandfatherly affection. The way Zoe glows toward him makes my heart skip a beat.
I scan Zoe’s outfit, a far cry from her usual lecture look.
She’s wearing gray suede boots with a heel, her sexy legs exposed from mid-shin to her knees where the hem of her long-sleeved rosy pink chunky knit turtleneck sweater dress grazes her porcelain skin. The dress is cut out at the shoulders, just enough to make it interesting but not the least bit provocative or revealing.
It’s a cute look, much better than her usual, flattering and flirty without being overtly sexy. Very Zoe. I smile at her and wink, conveying my support of the new style.
Up until that moment when I catch Zoe’s gaze, I still have the fullest intention of going to the café. But then I see it, that wicked glint and the tip of her tongue darting out and running over her curvy top lip in anticipation, and something clicks in my head.
The chunky sweater from our picnic getaway the previous weekend, what I had dubbed her best outfit yet when I discovered she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Like I said, there’s nothing boring about this woman.
The caveman inside of me stirs as I grab my things and go sit front and center and judging by Zoe’s grin—she knows I’ve picked up on her game. The lecture hall is still mainly empty save for a few people who are hanging in the back, exchanging notes before class.
“It’s a dangerous game to tease me like that, Goddess.” My voice is so husky I barely recognize it, my eyes scanning her head to toe with slow, deliberate, intent. I have to stop myself from dragging her to the nearest utility closet when she squeezes her thighs together and parts her lips in a soft sigh under my gaze.
“I guess you’ll have to punish me again after class, Mr. Mackenzie.”
My cock was already rock hard, but somehow, she manages to make it strain with nothing but a few simple words.
I’m about to tell her to get her ass out of the lecture hall so I can have my way with her when a surge of people walk in, sitting around me and pulling out their study paraphernalia.
The next ninety minutes are the longest of my life. My eyes are glued to Zoe as she talks about aldehydes and ketones, whatever those are, and her rosy lips turn up ever so slightly every time I shift in my chair trying to relieve some of the uncomfortable strain in my jeans. But her voice never wavers.
I’m just about to die when the coveted words finally leave Zoe’s mouth.
“That’s all for today. Look over the syllabus for Tuesday, and let’s try not to set off any fire alarms this time.” There’s a ripple of laughter through the class, but I’m singularly focused on the sexy brunette standing behind the podium. A few stragglers are asking follow-up questions, and clutching the arms of my seat is all I can do to stop myself from physically tossing them out.
And then we’re alone.
“Is there another class after yours?” I ask with a raspy voice.
“No, I’m the last one for the day.” She’s making a big show of carefully pulling cords out of her laptop. “We can leave once I finish packing.”
I climb to the platform and stand behind her.
“We’re not going anywhere, my little sex goddess,” I say gruffly, fisting her sweater dress and bunching it up until I have her perfect ass exposed.
“Eric!” I know it’s fake shock; that she was expecting exactly this, noting she even calculated the perfect height of her heels to eliminate our height differences so I could easily take her standing from behind. But I can still picture the pink blush running from her chest to her cheeks, and it does nothing to tame the fire raging inside of me.
“Such a tease, little goddess.” I run a finger over her opening, feeling how wet she is, and continue running it up between her cheeks a
ll the way to the small of her back. “Tell me to stop, and I will.”
“Don’t stop,” she moans and spreads her legs wider to give me better access. I gladly take her up on her invitation and step closer to her, unzipping my jeans and freeing my cock which springs out, pointing in the exact direction it wants to go.
I rub it along her wet folds, coating it with her juices as she mewls with pleasure, and then slide it once between her cheeks, just to tease her. It backfires, though, when she pushes her ass back with a moan, and I have to grab her hips to still her and gather every last drop of self-restraint to return my cock to her pussy.
Then I thrust into her, hard and fast.
Zoe’s bent over the podium, grabbing its sides for support, her head thrown back as throaty gasps escape her lips. I smack her perfectly firm and perky ass, not hard but not lightly either.
“Again.” I give her ass another smack, and she whimpers with pleasure.
Lifting her up from the podium I shove my hands under her sweater, covering her breasts with my palms as I keep pounding into her, pinching and rolling her nipples with my fingers, earning myself a cry of pleasure.
“You like it when I fuck you like this, Goddess?” I catch her earlobe between my teeth and give it a light tug. “Hard and rough?”
“Yes.” Zoe stretches her arms back, circling my neck and weaving her fingers into my hair, tugging on it. “Fuck me harder, Eric.”
I place a hand on her back with a growl and push her down, so she’s bent over the podium again, keeping it there, so she’s pinned, grasping her thigh with my other hand, fingers digging into flesh as I pull her toward me, matching my thrusts.
“Rub your clit for me, Goddess,” I command. “Rub it hard, like I’m fucking you, rub it hard and come for me.”
One strong stroke with her fingers is all it takes to send Zoe reeling, unraveling around me with soft cries and whimpers. I follow straight after, my entire body tensing as I spill inside her swearing through clenched teeth before I collapse on top of her, gasping for air.