He rubbed his chin like looking good was all in a day's work, and gave me that easy smile I knew and loved. Thank God I could see some of that Zack swagger.
"How's the knee?" I asked, settling once again, with my back to his chest.
"It's not as bad as it looks," he said. "I try not to even look down at it because it looks more painful than it is."
"That's good. You been having any visitors?"
"None that climbed up in bed with me."
"I should hope not."
"Why do you say that? You're doing it."
"Yeah, but I'm different. Special. I get privileges."
"And you just assumed you had these special privileges?"
"Of course, and I was right since you're not exactly kicking me out."
I felt his chest shake with laughter underneath me, and I smiled at the feeling. "How was the birthday party?" he asked.
"It was good. Emily was the last of our friends besides me to be under twenty-one. Now I'm the only one. Anyway, she had to order a drink, just for fun, but we didn't stay out late, and I'm glad because I had to stay late at work today. I would have been exhausted. Why didn't you go?" she asked. "I heard you were getting around on crutches."
"It's still a pretty big contraption to lug around to a birthday party. I think I'm just gonna wait out the worst of these injuries at home."
"I understand that completely. I'd probably feel the same way," I said, "but I'd think you'd at least be okay with entertaining a few guests."
"I have been entertaining guests," I defended. "I've had one or two a day since the accident."
"Well, what I really meant by that was you can certainly stand to have specifically me over here some more."
"Right now I'm not prone to disagree."
"Oh, you like your visitors getting cozy?"
"Damn straight. It was getting cold in here."
I nestled further into his embrace. "I'm sorry I kissed your friend." I felt him flinch, and I took joy in the fact that my mention of the kiss spurred a reaction from him.
"I almost cussed him out for it when he told me, but I figured it wasn't really his fault since, you know, who wouldn't…"
I sat up and batted my eyes at him. "Was there a compliment in there somewhere, Mr. Larson? I reached up and traced the line of his scar again. "Will it hurt this if I kiss you? Because I'd love to compare you with your friend Gabe."
I didn’t want to compare him to Gabe. Heck, I didn't even remember how Gabe kissed. I just desperately wanted to kiss him, and I was looking for any excuse in the book.
Zack narrowed his eyes at me. "I think we shouldn't mention that little indiscretion with Gabe ever again."
I sat up and then leaned in for a kiss, stopping when my mouth was only inches from his. "You didn't answer me," I whispered. "Will it hurt you?"
"No," he whispered back.
We both moved forward, closing the space between us. Our mouths met in a gentle touch that had me instantly aching for it to deepen. I'd kissed my share of guys, and none of them made me feel like Zack. Even though I didn't know exactly what made him different from other guys I'd been with, I wanted him with an intensity that scared me. I thought it had to be a result of the pending arrangement we had—the one where I lose my virginity to him.
I kept my touch really light, not wanting to hurt him, but he readjusted his sitting position and took my face in both of his hands, pulling me in, deepening the kiss.
I accidently let out a little whimper at how difficult it was to restrain from climbing on top of him. The sound made him break the kiss.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah I'm okay. I've wanted this to happen. I've been waiting for you to get back with me on the favor I asked of you."
He hesitated and then smiled. "I just don't know if that's going to work out now that I'm injured."
I rolled my eyes at him. "I don't know if you can afford to do that," I said. "Your options might be limited now that you've got all this going on." I was totally bluffing. With the way that scar looked, if anything he'd have an easier time getting laid.
"Quit playing. You know you like it."
God was he right. I did like it. I shrugged casually. "So maybe I do. It's no secret that I want you. I'm not trying to be shy about it." I leaned in and ever so gently put my mouth to his again.
"You think I can score chicks with this thing?" He flashed me the left side of his face as if to show it off. I could imagine what it'd look like with the last of the tape gone, and I was honestly attracted to the looks of it.
"I wouldn't go that far. I think I'm the only chick in history who likes scars."
"That's too bad for me because you're only in it for the things I can teach you. Who am I supposed to run to when we're done? It'll be kind of hard to find someone if you're the only girl who likes scars."
"Oh come on, we don't have to skip ahead to the aftermath, do we? Not when the lessons haven't even started. I'm sure there are other girls who like scars, but I'm not too keen on imagining you with any of them."
"Oh yeah? Why's that?" he asked.
I leaned in again, stopping when my mouth was only an inch away from his. "Because I don't want to share you."
His hand came around my head and he pulled me into a kiss. We explored each other's mouths for a few long seconds before he broke the kiss by releasing the grip he had around my head.
"You're beautiful."
"You don't have to tell me that."
"I'm not just saying it for fun. I fucking love the way you look."
"I fucking love the way you look too—especially with the new biker scar. Hey, that's a good nickname. Scar."
"There's no way I'm letting you call me scar. That just makes me think of the mean lion from Lion King."
I laughed. "Yeah you're right. I guess we can just call you Zack." We sat there in comfortable silence for a few long seconds before I said, "So, uh, Zack, I was, uh thinking… I mean, I was wondering if everything was in working order down there, or if you got hurt in the accident."
"I'm all good. Don't worry, I'll be ready to go when we maybe sleep together in three months."
"First of all, some time has elapsed, in case you haven’t noticed. It's more like two months instead of three. Second, I was asking if you're okay now, not how you'll be in two months."
"I don't know, you tell me." He grabbed my hand and placed it on his lap. He was wearing grey Nike sweatpants, and I could easily feel how hard he was underneath. I moved my hand a little, stroking him gently through the layers of fabric. I felt a surge of need and anticipation as I felt the evidence of his attraction to me. His hand was resting on his thigh as he watched me rub the length of his shaft through his pants. We heard a noise in the living room and he put his hand over mine, trapping it where it was, causing it to hold still. He looked toward the hallway, intent on listening for possible interruption. I didn't care who was in the living room or hall or anywhere else. Right then, I was only focused on the fact that my hand was gloriously trapped between his big hand and his even bigger erection.
Chapter 14
Zack
"Go lock the door," I said.
She looked at me like I was speaking Chinese.
"Get up and go lock it," I repeated. "My mom never remembers to knock, and I'm not trying to have her walk in and see you with your hand on—"
"Okay, okay, I'll lock it, but won't it be kind of weird if she catches us in here with the door locked? Won't that give us away?"
"I don't care if she knows what we're doing, I just don't want her to see it."
"Oh, God Zack, I'm scared. I don't want your parents to think I'm some kind of—"
"Meredith, I'm twenty-four years old. I own a home. I can have a girl rub on my Johnson if it suits me. Just go lock the door."
Her eyes widened, but she obeyed, standing and crossing the room to lock the door without making a sound. She came back to sit on the bed next to me. "So, is it safe to assume that
I'm the lucky girl who gets to rub on your Johnson?"
I smiled. "If that's not your thing then, you don't have to. I just didn't want my mom at the party, I'm sure you understand."
"Oh, it's my thing. I just thought we still had a couple of months before—"
"We do. Have a couple more months, I mean. I didn't say we were… there's no way I'd be able to physically, it'd be really hard to, uh, I thought we could just mess around a little."
She flashed me a mischievous smile. "I like how you think," she said.
For some reason, that smile made me curious about her and her dating habits. I wanted to know how many guys had been on the other end of it. She had said she wanted me to teach her a few things, but her self-assurance had me feeling like she had more experience than she let on.
"How many guys have you been with, Meredith?"
The question took her by surprise. She thought about her answer for what had to be a full minute. I assumed she was trying to count, and I was beginning to think I probably wouldn't be able to teach her anything.
"None." Her voice was soft and vulnerable when she said it. What's more was that she appeared to be totally serious.
"What's that mean?"
"It could only mean one thing, as far as I know."
I used my hands to straighten and sit upright. "Are you serious?"
She nodded.
"You're a—"
She nodded.
I couldn't just leave it like that. Someone had to say the word before I could feel comfortable believing this new information. I turned her toward me by the shoulders, and looked into her eyes.
"You're a virgin?"
"Yes, Zack, I'm a virgin. I wasn't sure if I should tell you or not. And obviously by the way I'm losing you here, I should have just kept my mouth shut."
All I could think was, Collin Blake is going to murder me in my sleep if I sleep with his sweet, little virgin sister. Then I took a few seconds to take her in and thought she just might be worth being murdered over.
"It's really not that big of a deal," she said in an agitated tone. "I've been with guys in other ways. I'm not totally sheltered."
"I didn’t' say you were sheltered, but I'm just not sure I'm the right person for an, uh, honor such as that."
She threw her hands in the air. "I should have known you'd make a big deal about it. I just haven't gotten that far with anyone because I stop liking the guy before we have the chance to do it. The only reason I asked you was because I knew I could trust you, and I knew you knew what you were doing. I wanted to learn how to do it like a pro so I could get jobs in show business."
"I know you're not planning on sleeping with people at that soap opera to try to get a role on the show."
"No, I mean, I thought about it. That was my plan at first, but I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to work my way up the real way. Not just as an actress either. In fact, I might forget that dream altogether. I think I might have a lot to offer on the set of a TV show. It feels natural to me. Anyway, my plan was to seduce anyone who could help me climb the ladder, but now I'm feeling pretty good about climbing it by myself."
"So does that mean you don't need me to teach you anymore?"
"Of course I still want you to teach me. Why else would I be here? Listen, you've got to get it out of your head the whole virgin thing is so special. If it's not you, it'll be someone else. I want to learn about sex. Are you in or are you out?"
Several things about that comment stung. Why else would I be here was the first place, and if it's not you, it'll be someone else, stood out as highlights.
"Ouch."
"Oh come on. Don't act like you want more than that with me, Zack."
"You're right, I guess. I just hate to think of it as a business transaction."
"You should take comfort in that exact thing."
"I'm gonna show you a thing or two about providing me comfort, Miss Blake."
She smiled and got wide eyed with excitement. "You mean right now?"
I smiled and she looked down at my lap as she reached out and put an extremely tentative hand on the bulge in my pants, gently cupping her hand around it.
"Okay, now what you're trying to do is mimic the motion it would experience if it was, uh, in your, you know. So you're recreating that motion, but it's best if you start sort of slow. Provide a little build-up, if you will. You'll get more and more comfortable with that stuff as you get more experience." I smiled and reached up to rub her head. "I was just messing around when I said you were gonna pleasure me, though. We're not in a hurry. I'm okay with keeping it in my pants for now. I just wanted you to feel for yourself that everything's in working order down there?"
"You mean all I get to do is touch you through your pants? Can you still get off like that?"
"I think it happened one time in ninth grade, but it's not ideal. I wasn't planning on letting that happen tonight anyway. I'm sticking with the three months. Especially now that I know you're a—"
"Two."
"Two what?"
"There's like sixty-five days left on the bargain. That's closer to two months than three."
"I can't believe you know the days, that's cute. I don't mind messing around, but we'll have to keep it PG if I'm gonna stick to the original agreement, and I think it's only wise that we do. Just to make sure you still think it's a good idea."
She shrugged. "I can tell you right now that I will, without a doubt, still want to have sex with you at the end of three months. But I'm also okay with taking it slow. Especially with the…" She gestured at my leg. She looked into my eyes and gave me a shy half-smile. "Can I touch it? I'll be a good girl and not ask you to see it, but I'd like to touch it again if you'll let me."
Oh God, yes! Yes please touch it. In fact, there are about a hundred ways I'd like you to be touching it right now. I didn’t say it, though; I just thought it. What could I say? I wasn't going to deny the girl what seemed like such a reasonable request. I nodded my approval.
She rested her hand lightly around my shaft again. It was hanging to the right and she gently stroked my length through the fabric of my sweatpants. I closed my eyes and took a labored breath. How sad would it be if I lost it in my drawers like high school?
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm good. It feels good."
"Can I kiss you?"
"If you want to."
She moved closer to me until our faces were close enough for our breath to mingle.
"I want to," she said. She leaned in the rest of the way until our mouths made contact. I absolutely loved the feel of her lips. She began to stroke me through my pants again while continuing the kiss. The feel of her tongue teasing mine made me want to surge forward, forcing my shaft into her hand, but I refrained, reminding myself we needed to go slow. She kept rubbing, somehow knowing how to apply the perfect amount of pressure for it to feel good through my pants.
During the course of our kiss, my piece went from hanging to the right, to standing at full attention. It was still being forced to lie to the side since it was under my pants, but the difference in the position and firmness was obvious. She'd been stroking it the whole time we kissed, and when we came up for air, she looked down at my lap. "Dang, Zack. I thought you were excited a few minutes ago."
"Shoot girl," I looked down at my erection as it strained against my pants, "This ain't even all I got."
Her eyes got wide. "Can I please look at it? I won't touch it. I just want to see what it looks like under there."
I gave her a resigned nod, knowing she was too stubborn to give up. She moved the hem of my T-shirt out of the way before carefully lifting the elastic of my sweatpants. She was staring at my member when I made it jerk a little bit. The movement startled her, and she looked at me as if to ask if it was okay that it moved on it's own. I smiled and she took that as confirmation that there was nothing to worry about.
"I'm not just saying this to flatter you, but I seriously like how that thing l
ooks. Can I touch it?"
I so desperately wanted to take her up on that offer, but I couldn't let myself do it. I had to take it slow. "I want to let you do that. You have no idea how badly I want to, but we should really be patient. I already let things go further than I wanted. I think you charmed me when you weren't totally disgusted with my face."
Her head snapped around to look at me. "Don't you ever let me hear you talking bad about that scar again. I love that thing. I even like it with the tape. Imagine how I'll feel once that stuff's gone."
"It'll probably look darker once the tape's off."
"Oh please. Quit trying to talk me out of it. I like your scar. Get over it."
She'd sat up and was perched on the edge of my bed. I could tell by her posture that she'd be leaving soon.
"You heading out?"
"I really should be getting home. I'm putting together a few ideas to present to Max Mitchell."
"Ideas for the show?"
"Yeah."
"Like what?"
"Just a few things I've noticed that might help things run a little bit smoother around there. I have this idea for a story line too. I know they already have things mapped out, and I'm sure he'll just humor me then throw it away, but it's worth a shot."
"I think it's great that you're putting something together. I'm sure most people in your position just show up for their jobs and go home."
"They do. In fact, most of them are pissed at me for putting any thought into the job at all. Even this guy Kermit who's really good and loves the show tries to discourage me from thinking I could change things."
I touched her hand. "The world is full of people who'd rather try to discourage you than do something for themselves. You'll do better not to pay attention to them."
"So you're saying you believe in me?"
"Are you kidding? I'm a fan from way back."
She beamed at me. "The feeling's mutual, so you better keep working so you can get back on your feet."
"Here's to making things happen, then."
"You know it," she said, standing up to leave. "I have a meeting with Max this Friday. I'll let you know what he says."
Three Months and You're Mine (In Too Deep) Page 10