“I’m an observant guy. When I spent the night, I saw an empty Mickey-D’s bag in your garbage can.”
“I should chastise you for snooping around, but I’m too hungry. Let’s eat!” Emma motioned for him to come behind the counter and into the tiny office. She shoved a pile of papers aside and wheeled her chair around to sit beside him. “We’ll have to keep the door open in case any customers come in,” she explained while Zack pulled hamburgers and french fries out of the bag.
They dug into the food for a few minutes and simply enjoyed the pleasure of each other’s company. When they had finished eating, Zack reached over and twirled a lock of Emma’s hair around his index finger. It was a simple gesture, but it felt meltingly intimate.
“Are you free on Wednesday night?” Zack asked as he continued to play with her hair.
“Um-hmm. What do you have in mind?”
“Well, let’s see.” He leaned in and gazed into her eyes, which she was sure were glazed over with desire.
“We should probably eat something to boost our energy, and then…”
Just then, the door dinged, announcing a visitor. “Hold that thought,” Emma said and stood up to greet… Mike.
This isn’t his usual time to make a delivery, and he’s not carrying any packages. I’m screwed. Emma forced a smile and said, “Hi, Mike. What can I do for you?” The minute she said Mike’s name, she heard Zack’s chair scrape across the floor. She knew without turning around that he stood just a few steps behind her. She could practically see him puff out his chest and swore she felt waves of jealousy roll off of him.
Mike stopped in his tracks. His frustration was obvious as he replied, “I don’t have any deliveries for you today, but I thought I’d stop by and see if you had any outgoing packages for me to pick up.”
He had never done this in the three years that Emma had owned the shop, so she knew it had just been an excuse to see her. Zack cleared his throat as if to speak, but Emma jumped in to prevent a scene.
“No, I don’t, but thanks for stopping by,” she said calmly.
Mike nodded and quickly exited the store. Emma turned around and bumped right into Zack’s hard chest. She gave him a push to indicate that they should go back into the office. This time, she closed the door firmly behind them. Zack leaned back against the desk while she stepped in between his legs.
“You might as well have pounded your chest with your fists out there, Tarzan,” she scolded.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. “He interrupted us,” Zack said by way of explanation.
“That’s no reason to act all alpha male on me.” Her words trailed off because now he was kissing the sensitive hollow between her neck and shoulder.
“I’m tired of that guy sniffing around you,” Zack said, but his words were muffled as he dragged his lips across her throat to the opposite side of her neck.
Emma tilted her head back and enjoyed the sensations that had assaulted her body. Zack’s hands slipped down to cup her backside, closing the one-inch gap between their hips. If she had any doubt that he was as turned on as she was, it was instantly erased. He was stiff and unyielding against her.
“I don’t care about Mike.” Emma’s words came out in a breathy pant because now Zack’s hands were on her breasts. Her nipples immediately rose to full attention, and Zack pulled back to stare at her while his hands continued to play.
“I want to be the only man that you think about, Em. Not the UPS guy or any other guy. I want to be the only one you desire.”
Emma opened her mouth to speak, but the words were stolen from her by Zack’s kiss. His lips covered hers, hard and demanding. Her arms automatically entwined around his neck, and she pressed herself flush against him. When their tongues met, Emma’s desire spiked even higher until the sound of Zack’s phone buzzing in his pocket broke the spell. They reluctantly parted, but Zack kept one arm wrapped around her while he retrieved his phone. He looked down at the display and swore, and then he shoved the phone back in his pocket.
“Is there a problem?” Emma asked, her breathing still unsteady.
“Just work stuff. I need to get back.” Zack cupped her face with his large hands and gazed at her intently.
“We’re going to finish this on Wednesday,” he stated firmly.
Emma gave him a mock salute and then leaned in and gently kissed his full lips. “Plan on it,” she said, and then she stepped back and opened the door. Zack gave her butt a playful squeeze as he brushed past.
He was almost to the front door before Emma spoke again. “Thanks for lunch.”
“Welcome,” he called over his shoulder.
“Oh, and Zack?”
He turned around. “Yes?”
“There is no other guy.”
His mega-watt smile lit up the whole store, and Emma giggled as he walked backward across the parking lot to his car, grinning broadly at her the entire way.
Chapter 30
Emma couldn’t wait to leave the bookstore on Wednesday afternoon. Zack was coming over to her house after work, and she had a lot to do. Kelly arrived a half an hour earlier than usual to relieve Emma, encouraging her to go home and “primp for the Greek God.” Emma didn’t even bother with a retort; she simply grabbed her purse and hurried out the door.
When she and Zack had talked on the phone the night before, Emma had suggested that they meet at her house for a change. Her motivation was two-fold: one, she wanted to cook for him and, two, she didn’t want to risk being interrupted by Alicia and Gracie. Zack did his part by telling Alicia in no uncertain terms that he wouldn’t be home until eight o’clock, so Emma looked forward to three uninterrupted hours with him!
Emma had planned a simple meal, since she doubted that eating would be the primary focus of the evening. She set to work coating chicken to bake, and once it was in the oven, she prepared a tossed salad. She had stopped by the Clarkston bakery on her way home and picked up an assortment of cookies for dessert.
Kitchen duties complete, Emma hustled up the stairs to prepare herself for the evening. First, she ran a warm bath and sprinkled in her favorite vanilla-scented bath salts. She lounged back in the tub and thoroughly shaved her legs and various other areas until her skin was silky smooth. She didn’t bother re-washing her hair because it would take too long to dry. Instead, she spritzed in a curling product and fluffed it up with her hands. Emma had worn dress slacks and a blouse to the bookstore that day, but she wanted to ramp it up a notch for Zack. She rummaged through her closet until she found a denim skirt that she hadn’t worn in quite some time. Kelly had given it to Emma during one of the infamous purges of her overstuffed closet, but Emma had complained that the skirt was too short. It was the perfect reason to wear it tonight, though—Zack would probably love it. She paired the skirt with an off-the-shoulder white peasant top (also courtesy of Kelly) and a chunky silver necklace with a heart charm dangling from it. She gave her lashes a fresh coat of mascara, swiped some glossy lip balm on her lips, and voila—she was ready.
Emma used the remaining ten minutes to set the table, and when she had finished, the doorbell rang. Perfect timing.
She swung the door open to reveal Zack holding a colorful spray of fall flowers wrapped in cellophane.
“Thank you,” she said, touched by the old-fashioned gesture. “Come on in.”
Zack followed her into the kitchen, where she set the flowers down on the counter to look for a vase. She got up on her tiptoes to reach an upper cabinet when Zack came up behind her.
“Allow me,” he said, his voice husky as he reached up and selected a crystal vase from the shelf. He set the vase on the counter next to them, and Emma slowly turned around. Zack had her penned in against the kitchen counter, and it didn’t appear that he was moving anytime soon.
“I have chicken in the oven,” Emma stammered, and she pointed behind him.
“Don’t care.”
“But aren’t you hungry?”
Zac
k dipped his head down and nibbled on her bottom lip. “Yes, very.”
His meaning was crystal clear, and Emma sighed as his hands began to caress her bare shoulders.
“This is pretty,” he said, running his index finger along the top edge of her blouse.
Emma watched his finger travel back and forth a few times before he dipped his whole hand down the front of her top. “Zack.”
His other hand had disappeared underneath her skirt, and he groaned when he touched her bare bottom. No days-of-the-week underwear tonight. Emma had recovered a red silky thong from the far recesses of her underwear drawer hoping that Zack would approve. By the sounds of it, he definitely did.
Suddenly Zack went down on his knees in front of her and started to pull up on her skirt.
“Here? Now?” Why am I even questioning this?
“I don’t want to wait,” he replied, and then his head was covered in denim. Emma felt a cool whoosh of air as her panties hit the floor. Zack gently lifted her feet out of them and spread her legs a little further apart.
Oh my! There was no more talking, no more thinking, no more worrying about burnt chicken. There was only Zack bringing her such excruciating pleasure that she wanted to scream. She settled for loud moaning instead, which Zack took as encouragement, and he intensified his movements.
Emma had always found oral sex to be a bit of a mystery. She never really understood what the fuss was all about, but Zack was giving her a whole new lease on the topic. She shattered against him with a stream of “oohs” and “aahs” and a few shouts of his name. She leaned against the counter for support when he peeked his head out from under her skirt.
Zack’s hair was adorably disheveled, and his polo shirt had come untucked from his pants, but he looked as happy as, well, as happy as a guy should look after what he had just done! He picked up her panties and dangled them from his index finger while he rose to his full height.
Emma tugged her skirt down and reached her hand out to retrieve her underwear, but he held them just above her reach.
“Give me those,” she said and tried to jump up to reach them.
“You won’t be needing them,” he stated and scooped her up with one arm.
Emma couldn’t contain her giggles when he carried her into the living room he-man style and laid her on the couch. Her laughter faded away as she watched him strip, his sleek muscles contracting with every movement. In place of his trademark Superman boxers, he wore snug-fitting boxer briefs that left nothing to the imagination. Emma swallowed hard when he revealed himself fully. He didn’t move for what felt like a long time, allowing her to look her fill, completely comfortable under her appraising eye.
When Zack started to approach, Emma held up her index finger. He stopped in his tracks and watched her undress. Her fingers fumbled with the strings that tied her blouse together, but it finally fell open, revealing her lacy white push-up bra. She lifted the blouse over her head and tossed it aside before reaching around to unhook her bra. When she pulled it down to expose her breasts, she heard Zack’s loud intake of breath. Emma locked eyes with him while she shimmied out of her skirt, and then she stilled while he raked his eyes over her naked body.
“Emma” was the last coherent word she heard before he entered her. Zack propped himself up on his forearms and kissed her everywhere he could reach, starting with her forehead, the tip of her nose, her cheeks, and even her ear lobes. Who knew those would be so sensitive? He assailed all of her senses at once until her nerves became a mass of firing explosions. Their hips ground together, and Zack’s chest hairs tickled her breasts as their movements quickened.
When Emma felt herself getting very close, she panted, “Zack, condom?”
“Crap, no time…”
Emma experienced a moment of panic, but a second later, Zack pulled out and released himself on her stomach. She instantly relaxed, but Zack’s face was pulled tight, with anger or embarrassment she couldn’t tell which.
“Hold still,” he said and hurried down the hall to the bathroom. He returned with some tissues and proceeded to clean her up with the utmost precision. Afterwards, they sat side by side on the couch, both of them still naked.
“Is something wrong?” Emma ventured, unsure of the reason for his pensive mood.
He swung his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “Everything was great, too good actually. I’m mad at myself for forgetting about protection. If you hadn’t said something…”
For some reason, Emma wasn’t as concerned about their near-miss as he was. Not that she wanted to get pregnant, but if it happened she wouldn’t be upset. She was curious about the real reason behind Zack’s reaction. “It’s ok, Zack. Don’t beat yourself up over it. I’m not worried, so you shouldn’t be either.”
Zack looked at her with a mix of surprise and relief. “But what if you got pregnant? We’re not even…”
“Together?” Now she felt her own dander rising.
“No. I didn’t say that. I just think it would be bad timing, don’t you?”
Emma pulled away from him and snatched her clothes up off the floor. “Why are you so hung up on the timing of everything? When we first met, it was bad timing because we were both engaged to other people. I get that. But now we’re single, and it’s still not the right timing. It’s too soon for Gracie. It’s too soon for us to be more than friends. But there’s never a bad time to have sex, is that it? Tell me something, Zack. When will it ever be the right time for us?”
Zack buried his head in his hands while Emma hurriedly redressed. Her ire rose higher and higher while he sat there without uttering a single word. The only man that she knew who had no trouble expressing his feelings now sat in miserable silence, naked on her couch. Emma shoved his clothes into a pile and threw them at him.
“Get out,” she hissed.
His head jerked up, and he gaped at her in disbelief.
“I mean it, Zack. Leave now before I say something I’ll really regret.”
Zack heaved himself off of the couch, clothes in hand, and disappeared into the bathroom.
Absolutely unbelievable, Emma seethed while she waited for him to dress. A few seconds later, she decided not to wait. “Show yourself out,” she shouted and stomped past the bathroom door and up the stairs. When she reached her bedroom, she slammed the door shut, locked it, and slumped down onto the bed.
A few minutes later, Emma heard the front door close and Zack’s Range Rover start up. She told herself not to, but she couldn’t help it. She walked over to her bedroom window and watched in stunned silence as he drove away.
Chapter 31
Emma relayed the entire sordid story to Kelly the next day during a lull at the bookstore.
“You were right, Kell. I don’t do casual sex.” Emma sighed and slumped against the counter.
Kelly rubbed her back consolingly and withheld her “I told you sos,” which Emma greatly appreciated.
“None of this would have happened if we had just stayed friends,” Emma continued, but she stopped short when the door chimed and Mike walked in hefting two large boxes in front of him. The day couldn’t possibly get any worse, so Emma decided she might as well confront the Mike situation too.
He set the boxes on the counter but purposely avoided eye contact with Emma. He appeared to be looking around for Kelly, but as usual, she had slinked off when he came in. Thanks a lot, Kell.
“I can sign for those,” Emma said and came out from behind the counter to stand beside him. She scribbled her name on the electronic device and handed it back to him. He grunted a “Thanks” and turned away, but she placed a hand on his arm to stop him.
“I owe you an apology,” she said. “I’m sorry if I sent you mixed messages, and I’m sorry for Zack’s boorish behavior toward you.” Zack had used the same word to describe himself, so she figured she could too.
“You don’t have to apologize, Emma. It’s pretty obvious how you two feel about each other. I was just in denial.”
>
Emma raised her eyebrows and cocked her head. “It’s obvious how we feel about each other? That’s amazing, because we can’t seem to figure it out.” She laughed, but it sounded hollow.
“Well, from where I stand, the guy’s crazy about you, and I can certainly understand why.” Mike gave her a shy smile and then looked away.
Emma felt herself blush, and instead of trying to hide it, she decided to poke fun at it. “Some pair you and I would make, huh?” She gestured back and forth between their pink faces and was rewarded with Mike’s deep laugh.
“Thanks for being such a good sport,” she said and spontaneously gave him a hug. With her arms around Mike’s neck, she looked up right into a pair of piercing gray eyes. Zack stood outside the door, poised to come inside, but he frowned at her instead.
Talk about bad timing. Emma mouthed the words “Come in,” but Zack turned his back on her and practically jogged back to his car. “Shit,” she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.
“What did I do? You hugged me, remember?” Mike had stepped back and looked at her with a confused expression.
“No, it’s not you.” She pointed toward the door. “It was Zack. He was just about to come in when he saw us hugging.”
“Sorry, Emma, but I’m outta here. I don’t want to be standing around if he decides to come back.” With that, Mike made a hasty retreat, and Emma just stood there shaking her head when the door closed behind him.
It turned out that Mike had nothing to worry about. Zack didn’t come back to the bookstore, nor did he call or text her. Emma stubbornly decided to let him stew over it, at least until she saw him on Saturday. He certainly wouldn’t deprive Gracie of story time due to a stupid misunderstanding, would he?
The answer was yes, he would. Emma conducted story time with a heavy heart, discovering that she missed Gracie almost as much as she missed Zack. She went through the rest of the day in a fog, replaying the events that had led to this impasse between them. Had she been too hard on him the other day? But why did everything have to go according to his time line? Shouldn’t she have a say too? The questions swirled around and around until she felt dizzy and begged off work early.
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