Waterproof

by Garr, Amber

  I loved him, and tonight I planned on showing him how much he meant to me. Like Daric and Alicia, we might not have tomorrow. I would no longer live in denial and regret.

  He set me down as gracefully as a dancer and moved his hands greedily over my waist, hips, and butt. Guiding him through the cabin, I continued to press my lips on his. My mouth parted to accept his invitation, and I let out a small moan when his tongue darted around inside, frantically looking for a response.

  I answered by ripping off his jacket, followed by my own. Our lips still never broke contact until we slammed into the wood table defining the dining area. Without missing a beat, Zach tucked his hands under my thighs and lifted me up to the edge of the table.

  “Mmm,” I whispered and immediately wrapped my legs around his waist. He was the perfect height.

  Knowing passed over his face, and without a second thought, Zach pulled my hips tight enough against his that I could feel his excitement pressing firmly into me. That sensation alone sent me into a state of need I’ve never felt before. I wanted him more than anything.

  “I love you,” I said between breaths and kisses.

  Zach’s hands pulled through my hair, rough enough to yank me back, but gentle enough for me to know this was part of the game. “I’ve wanted this to happen for so long,” he said.

  Smiling, I reached for his belt, being sure to let my hips rise and fall against every inch of him. He pulled my hair harder this time, but just far enough to expose my neck. His lips landed behind my ear, sending shivers through every inch of me. Each time my fingers got a little bit closer to releasing his belt, he moved his kisses lower. First under my chin, then down to my collar bone. Just as I was about to pull the belt free, he grabbed my hands and trapped them against the table.

  His breathing intensified and this new position forced me to sit up and look at him. I had no doubt that the desire in his eyes mimicked my own. I also had no doubt there would be no going back now.

  I lifted my chin to meet his lips again. Gracefully at first, wanting to savor every second. His warmth, his smell, his love embraced me and forced my stomach to swirl with excitement. We could play this game all night, but at some point, we’d have to move beyond the kissing.

  When his hands reached up to grab my face, I made my move. Not giving him another option, I entwined his legs with my own and forced them slightly further out to the side. His laugh rumbled through the cabin as I lowered my hands to his pants.

  Zach’s sharp intake of breath was all the encouragement I needed. Putty in my hands. While he continued to nibble on my ear and brush kisses over my neck, I managed to unzip his pants and slip my hand inside. I wouldn’t say I was exactly the most experienced girl out there, but I knew what to do with this piece of Zach. And his moans confirmed it.

  “Vee…” he said, then swallowed my mouth again with his. I continued to slide my hand around inside, knowing each move brought me closer to the edge as well. Years had passed since I’d been with a guy, but not once did I ever want someone this bad.

  As if sensing my need, Zach tore his lips away from my body and focused on my shirt. Without asking permission, he lifted the bottom and stripped me down to my bra in a matter of seconds. Large, masculine hands squeezed my breasts in time with my motions below.

  Zach slid one strap, then the other slowly off my shoulder, trailing hungry kisses along the way. In one quick movement, he unhooked the back and let the bra fall to my lap.

  “Impressive,” I said.

  “You haven’t seen anything yet,” he teased.

  I squeezed a little harder in his pants and laughed when he stopped breathing. “Can’t wait.”

  As if I spoke the words he’d waited for, a new sense of urgency took over. Zach’s lips covered my right nipple while his hand took care of the left one. The sensation nearly knocked me over. Each time he bit or squeezed, a rush of emotion flooded my body. I needed to feel his skin against mine.

  Now.

  I reached into his boxers and wrapped my hands around his tight ass, being sure to get a handful and pull him even closer between my thighs. Zach chuckled and grabbed my arms again.

  “Here?”

  “Mmm…” It was all I could mumble before pushing against him again.

  “I have an idea,” he said.

  As easily as he set me on the table, he picked me up and moved toward the bedroom. I knew Sasha and Max planned on sleeping in here, but right now, I didn’t care. I held him tight and continued to kiss anything I could get my mouth on as he carried us to the bed.

  Amazed at his ability to maneuver us effortlessly through the cabin, he continued to surprise me when we landed softly on the bed, never missing a beat. A few moments later, my shoes, socks, and pants lay on the ground next to his.

  Zach stepped back from the bed while I sprawled out across it. The limited light from our bonfire penetrated the room just enough to cast shadows and highlight his muscular body. Every contour, every groove, and every piece of his excitement stood proudly at attention.

  As sexy as I could, I arched my back and spread my legs slightly. An invitation, should he be brave enough to accept. Zach winked at me and I moved each leg further to the side. Hoping he would join me, I beckoned him forward with a flick of my finger.

  I knew the time for foreplay was coming to an end when he climbed on top of me and took my breast in his mouth. Zach pressed so tightly between my legs, I thought I would scream. I wanted this with every fiber of my skin. Every touch from his roaming hands brought me closer to a state of bliss I couldn’t describe. Tears filled my eyes.

  Before I could guide him inside, he slid down my body, trailing kisses to the very place I ached for him. Hot air scorched my inner thighs as Zach teased me with relentless control. No guy had ever been here before, not like this.

  “Zach…” I tried to say something coherent but then his tongue rubbed against the very center of my pleasure. Raising my hips up to greet his mouth, I lost all control of my movements. After hearing about this for so many years, I never imagined it could feel that good.

  Zach certainly knew what he was doing.

  I rubbed my hands through his hair as he continued to explore every inch of me, staying on that one spot just long enough to make me squirm and then moving elsewhere. I don’t know how long he lasted, but I suddenly couldn’t wait any longer.

  Letting Zach know that I was taking control, I sat up and pulled him on top of me. With the not-so-gentle guidance of my hand and one thrust of my hips, Zach pushed inside. He moaned and I made a noise somewhere between a scream and a cry. Filling me up completely, he slowly pulled back, only to plunge forward again, eliciting another sound from me.

  The moment would be etched into my mind forever. No two people could ever get any closer than this. Feeling Zach inside, on top, and all around me felt right. Why had we waited so long?

  “I love you,” I whispered again, almost whimpering when his mouth found my breast once more.

  “Mmm,” he said. After thrusting inside of me a little longer, he stopped and looked down at my eyes. A glimmer of sweat dampened his forehead and an animalistic craving swept through me. “I love you so much, Vee.”

  His hand slipped under my thigh, pulling my knee up and bringing us even closer. Once in position, that same hand then brushed slowly down my skin until he let it fall between my legs. Zach’s fingers moved with purpose and in time with his own hips. Again, I couldn’t control my body that now thrashed and pushed against him like I couldn’t get enough.

  And then everything exploded. Each wave heightened the sensations rippling through my lower body. Zach continued to tweak, kiss, bite, and pull any part he could get his mouth or lips on and each touch sent electricity to places I hadn’t known could feel so good. A moment after I let out a cry, Zach stiffened and squeezed me harder than ever before. His breath caressed my ear and I hugged him tight as we both succumbed to the extreme pleasure.

  Lying on top of me, Zach’s
heart pounded in his chest in time with mine. I kissed him over and over, not wanting our time to end. He rested his forehead against my own and grinned.

  “Well, that was fun.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “Fun? I’d say that was way better than fun.”

  He kissed me, slow and deep, still resting inside of me. “Why did we wait so long?”

  “Good question,” I said, unable to come up with a better response.

  He rolled to the side and collapsed next to me on the bed. I instantly felt empty and bare. We weren’t close enough.

  I crawled on top of him, straddling his waist and pressing my chest against his. I needed to feel his warm skin.

  He laughed. “Again, already?”

  I smiled, even though he couldn’t see my face. “I’ll give you a couple of minutes.”

  Zach wrapped his arms tightly around my back and sighed. Of all the horrible moments since the war, being here, locked in his arms, made it all worth it in my mind. Every kill, every death, the constant running, and never knowing if we’d live to see another day - I’d do it all again if I knew it would lead to this.

  “What will we tell the others?” Zach suddenly asked.

  “Why do we have to tell them anything?”

  Zach shrugged. “I guess they’ll figure it out.”

  “They probably already think we’re sleeping together,” I added. “Just like in high school.”

  “Except you wouldn’t have had sex with me in high school.”

  “Yes I would have.”

  Zach pushed me up so quickly, I almost fell off the bed. “Really? Why didn’t you say so?”

  I giggled at his expression and nestled back against his chest. “You never asked.”

  “Huh,” he said after a minute of silence.

  Laughter and shouting from outside reminded me where we were. “I don’t want to leave,” I said before stopping the words.

  “We’re not leaving,” Zach replied.

  “I don’t want to leave this room.”

  He kissed the top of my head and squeezed me tighter. “Then we won’t.”

  “You don’t think they’ll notice?” I asked.

  “I don’t care.”

  This time, I was the one who laughed. “Of course you don’t.”

  Lifting my head to meet his, I started kissing him again. What began as sweet, quickly escalated into hunger once more. In my position on top of Zach, I knew the moment he became aroused. The feel of him under me, brought back the same eagerness I had earlier. Only this time, I wanted to be in control.

  “Ready for more?” I asked, sitting up high enough to lift my hips off of him.

  “I think you already know the answer to that,” he groaned.

  I lowered myself slowly onto him, fully aware of the sensations building inside of me again. Although a little uncomfortable at first, after a few adjustments we found another relaxed rhythm. Each time Zach tried to take control of my hips, I pushed him away. This was my show.

  “I could do this all night,” I said with a throaty, yet breathless voice.

  “Me too,” Zach said.

  This time, when he grabbed my hips, I reached back to hold his legs. It forced me to arch in a way that instantly sent me over the edge, but Zach held out longer. When finished, we lay side by side for a while before hearing someone call our names.

  “Will they come in?” I asked.

  “I locked the door,” Zach said.

  “Smart.”

  “I’m always prepared.”

  I sighed. Tearing myself away from Zach’s warmth, I started to get dressed. “I’ll go out first.”

  “How’d you get in?”

  “The window,” I said nodding toward the living area.

  “Smart.”

  “I know,” I replied and bent forward to give him one last kiss. “See you outside.”

  Just as I tried to leave the room, Zach jumped up and squeezed me in a hug. Running his fingers through my hair, I closed my eyes. It was such an intimate gesture, yet one that melted my heart.

  “Okay, now you’re presentable.”

  I punched him in the shoulder and walked away. Scooping up my bra, shirt, and jacket, I was out the back window before Zach emerged from the room.

  Determined not to let anyone bring me down, I jogged around the cabin to join the others at the fire. Max looked at me and smiled, but never stopped playing. A second later, Hunter grabbed my hand and pulled me into a dance. During our most memorable moments inside, the world hadn’t changed out here.

  And I suppose I was thankful for that.

  SEVEN

  Zach

  Nothing could wipe the smile off my face. Even when Trevor made some snide remark about me digging holes my entire life, I let it roll off my back. Instead I watched Vee. Her hair, her body, her movements while she danced in the light of the fire. Everything seemed more alive. Why had we waited so long?

  “What’s going on with you?” Max’s voice interrupted my assessment of Vee’s tight black outfit.

  “Nothing.”

  “Really? Because you’re smiling like a schoolgirl.”

  I looked more closely at Max who had taken a break from the fiddle. His forehead glistened with sweat and his eyes sparkled in amusement. If not for the dark night and orange glow surrounding our camp, Max would have seen me blush. It’s not that I was ashamed or embarrassed, just afraid to admit what happened for fear it was all a dream.

  “You two were gone for quite a while.” Sasha swung her leg over Max’s lap in a rare show of affection and continued talking to me. “Are you finished in the cabin?”

  My cheeks definitely flushed now. “What?” I asked with a squeaky voice.

  The couple laughed at my discomfort. “I just hope you cleaned up in there,” Sasha teased as Max began to play again.

  I shrugged. No need to admit or deny anything. Let them believe what they want. All that mattered to me now danced her way freely around the bonfire. Hunter positioned himself closer to Vee while she showed him how to waltz. I don’t think she really knew what to do. Still, it amused me to watch the boy repeatedly trip over his feet.

  “Drink?” Jackson sat down next to me and pushed a bottle toward me.

  “What is it?”

  Jackson laughed. “Nothing as nice as that moonshine. Just a little something I’ve been working on.”

  I looked at my friend with curiosity. When did Jackson have time to create a drink?

  “I brewed it last week,” Jackson answered my unspoken question, “but have been letting it ferment. Go ahead, try it.”

  Feeling as though nothing in this world could hurt me, I swung back my head and took a sip. At first it tasted like a strong tea, but then flavors of smoked wood, fresh cut grass, and blueberries filled my mouth. The bite didn’t kick in until after I swallowed.

  “Whoa. What’s in this?” I coughed several times, trying to get the question out.

  “I call it ‘Jacksonjuana’. It’s my own version of Mamajuana.”

  I raised my eyebrows, unable to speak yet, and not knowing what the hell he was talking about.

  “It’s an island drink made of bark and leaves and other things. My grandmother used to brew it. I had to make do with what I could find that wouldn’t poison us.” He pulled the bottle out of my hand. “Perhaps it needs a little more time to age.”

  “Maybe,” I said, not knowing if that would make any kind of difference at all. Jackson took another sip and began bouncing along to the music Max played again.

  I watched the smiling faces and awkward gyrating bodies of my friends, no my family, and smiled. The memory of Daric and Alicia hung over the group like a lurking shadow, but somehow our celebration seemed like a tribute to their lives. It had been quite a while since we were able to let go like this.

  Just as that thought crossed my mind, the world changed. Lights shot through the camp in synchronization, coming from all different directions and blinding my sight. Max’s
bow screeched across the strings, bringing the music to a crushing halt. Laughter ceased, panic ensued, and our group became the hunted once again.

  Mercenaries surrounded us on all sides in four wheelers and off road vehicles that now seemed as loud as a race track. Their engines hummed in the night, daring us to run. The distinct sound of semiautomatic weapons being cocked sent my fear into overdrive. I jumped forward to reach Vee on the other side of the fire just as one of the mercenaries stepped into view.

  “Don’t move,” he said.

  I held up my hand to shield my eyes from the headlights but continued to walk forward. Without another warning, something hit the side of my head and sent me flailing to the ground. Apparently, a second mercenary hadn’t been too far away and decided to take a cheap shot.

  “Stop!” Sasha commanded more than yelled. “You didn’t need to do that.”

  The giant man looked down at me and smirked. “He didn’t listen.” Raising his head to meet Sasha’s fierce glare, he pointed the gun at her chest. “And when you don’t listen, you get punished.”

  I saw Max grab Sasha’s hand in an attempt to hold her back. This mercenary would kill our leader in a second, and it seemed like Max understood that better than she right now.

  “Let’s go,” the mercenary said.

  With his words, the camp became a flurry of activity. Armed men and women ran forward from every direction of the forest, collecting each one of us. Two pairs of hands yanked me up off the ground and dragged me into the darkness. Vee screamed for Hunter, Trevor spat insults, and Carrie tried to run.

  That sealed our fate.

  The second Carrie got free, all hell broke loose. Although outnumbered and unarmed, each one of us decided to fight to the bitter end. I heard Vee throwing punches and saw the vague outline of Hunter jumping on the back of one of her attackers. A gunshot rang out through the night, but I didn’t have time to assess its target before fists began pummeling my body.

  Due to arrogance or just plain laziness, my captors forgot to check for weapons. Pushing through the pain of the punches aimed at my face, I reached for my knives. In my awkward position on the ground, I still managed to grab one of them. I rolled to the side, and as the first mercenary jumped out at me, I threw the knife straight into his chest.