“Lane! I’ll be back an hour and a half to pick you up!” I yelled as I went by his room.
“Keys are on the counter,” Grammy said as I came into the kitchen.
“Thanks! Bye, Grammy. I’ll be back in a bit,” I answered, grabbing the keys then my jacket off the hook and heading out to the drive. A piece of paper was on the seat which I snatched up as I got in and started my car. Unfolding it, I saw it was a note from Zeke.
Oh, the possibilities…
—Zeke
A shiver went through my body and I drove to work with a huge smile on my face.
*Week Seven—10th Encounter*
“Go, Lane!” I yelled from the stands.
It was almost halftime and he’d been doing amazing, having scored sixteen points and holding the league’s leading scorer to five. Garfield was up by twelve with three minutes to go in the quarter and Lane was dribbling the ball down the court. I watched as he made a move, driving forward and when his defensive man dropped back, Lane stepped back behind the three-point line and shot the ball, swishing it.
“Yeah!” I screamed, jumping up and down and clapping.
“He’s good,” I heard Zeke say as he made his way across the bleachers toward me.
He’d texted earlier and told me he had a workout but would be here as soon as he finished and now here he was and I smiled so big it almost hurt, and, boy, did he look good, his hair still wet from the shower he’d just taken.
“Hey,” he said, leaning down and touching his mouth to mine, putting an arm around me and pulling me in for a hug.
And, God, how I loved it. I loved this, being with him, being someone to him.
“Hey,” I whispered looking up at him still totally mystified that we were together, as in together together. Me, the girl who swore she’d never get serious with a man again until her life was in order, was sitting next to the hottest guy on my college campus. Would wonders never cease?
We sat down and I saw that the teams were in a timeout.
“How’s he doing?” Zeke asked, taking my hand in his and curling his fingers with mine then resting them on his thigh.
“He’s got nineteen points! The guy he’s guarding leads the conference averaging thirty-one points a game and Lane’s held him to five!” I kept smiling, so proud of my brother and so happy to have a wonderful man sitting beside me.
“That’s badass,” Zeke stated with an approving nod.
Lane’s team ended up winning and he finished with a game and career-high twenty-eight points. Afterward, Zeke and I waited for him in the gym lobby. When I saw him coming toward us, I started to go to him, but Zeke grabbed my arm holding me back and we watched as a cute blonde cheerleader approached Lane. I giggled as I watched them, Lane puffing out his chest eating up everything I’m sure this girl was saying to him about how he played. At last, she hugged him awkwardly then he watched as she bounced off. When he turned and started walking toward us, the smirk he had on his face made me snort.
“Guys are so cocky,” I mumbled.
Zeke squeezed me to him with the arm he had around my shoulders, leaning down and whispering into my ear, “When we’re good, we’re good, babe,” which sent a shiver through me and made him chuckle.
“Did you see my last three-pointer?” Lane asked. “Coach said I was almost at half court!”
“I did!” I squealed. “You did amazing!” I grabbed him in a hug having to tiptoe up and wondered if he’d grown another two inches since yesterday. When I pulled back, I turned to Zeke. “Zeke, this is my brother Lane. Lane, this is Zeke Powers.”
I had to hold back a laugh because I thought my brother would go apeshit over finally meeting Zeke, but I saw why the girls liked him because he could certainly be smooth. He held his hand out to Zeke who took it, shaking it as Zeke put a hand on Lane’s shoulder.
“Awesome game, man,” Zeke said. “What’d the Sanders kid end up having?”
“I held him to twelve,” Lane said, beaming. Then he looked at me and added sheepishly, “I know I said I’d hold him to single-digits, but that kid’s a fuc—er, frickin’ baller.”
I squinted my eyes at my brother. “Nice save,” I said sarcastically.
“You guys wanna go get something to eat?” Zeke asked.
“Hell yeah!” Lane answered, immediately giving me an oops look.
“Uh,” I muttered. “Zeke, can I talk to you for a second?” On his nod, I walked toward the gym doors and he followed. “I can’t really afford to go out, and I know you’re going to offer to pay, but you’ve done enough already,” I explained when we stopped.
“Scarlett, I’ve worked every summer since I can remember at the garage with my dad and uncle. Gotta believe me, babe, I’ve got the cash to do this. Wouldn’t offer if I didn’t.”
I bit my lip because, once again, I didn’t want to disappoint my brother, who I now glanced over to see had a throng of girls around him. “I don’t like you paying for everything all the time.”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “How many guys you go out with in the past year?”
I frowned. What did that have to do with anything? “None.”
“None.” He nodded as if that told me all I needed to know.
I looked up at him confused. “What?”
“Way I figure, if you had dated someone, which, by the way, can’t tell you how thrilled I am that you didn’t, if he took you out to eat once a week, went to a movie or something, even if you helped pay for shit, he’d have spent at least two hundred bucks. Take that times fifty-two weeks, that’s over ten grand. So, seein’ as you didn’t spend some loser’s money and seein’ how I’m not a loser and want to take my girl and her brother out, you can at least give me that.”
I frowned up at him. “That doesn’t even make sense.”
He grinned. “But it sounded good, didn’t it?”
I burst out laughing. “Finance majors… lord…”
“So, that a yes?” he asked, his grin turned to a smile now as he looked down at me, his eyes warm.
“How can I say no to you?” I asked, knocking my shoulder into his.
“Hopin’ you can’t.”
I choked out a laugh and looked up to see him smirking back. “You really are something else, just like Grace said.”
“Grace? The waitress?” He took my hand and we walked back toward Lane.
“Yes. I think everyone’s in love with you at The Nook.”
He looked down at me, eyebrow raised, as we walked. “Everyone?” At my red face, he winked then looked where my brother stood and hollered, “Lane! Ready, buddy?”
“Yeah, Zeke! In a sec!”
I watched as Lane said goodbye to his little entourage then shook my head as he approached us with a grin.
“Got enough girls drooling over you?” I asked as we headed toward the door, Zeke still holding my hand and Lane at my other side.
“Always room for more,” he said with a chuckle. “Besides, athletes get all the hot chicks.”
“Hell yeah,” Zeke said, reaching across me to fist bump my brother then kissed the side of my head.
~*~*~*~
“You laid him the fu—frick out!” Lane said to Zeke between bites of the huge hamburger he was eating.
They were talking about one of the football games Zeke had played in that Lane had seen highlights of on the local news channel.
“He shouldn’t have been in my way,” Zeke said with a chuckle.
“You tore their safeties up!” my brother gushed.
It was cool watching him interact with Zeke. They’d talked football for the past almost hour and all I could do was smile because I knew Lane was desperate for “guy time” and I was so grateful that Zeke was here to give it to him.
“The one was an All-American too. He was pissed,” Zeke added.
“Damn. That’s so fu—frickin’ cool,” Lane said with a shake of his head, his smile huge.
I narrowed my eyes across the table at him.
“Wh
at?” he asked, suddenly all innocent.
“I’m gathering that when you’re away from the house, hanging out with your friends, that your language is less than stellar. Grammy’s gonna kick your butt if she finds out.”
“She won’t find out if somebody doesn’t tell her. Just sayin’,” Lane retorted.
“Well, somebody thinks someone else needs to watch his mouth. Just sayin’.”
“Did you cuss when you were my age?” Lane asked Zeke.
I turned my head to the side, daring Zeke to say anything other than no, which made him laugh.
“I plead the fifth.”
“See?” Lane said as if he’d proven his point.
I cut my eyes at him and saw him grin as he ducked his head knowing Zeke had given him a look. When I flashed my eyes to Zeke, he was taking a drink from his beer bottle, managing somehow to look innocent.
“Might wanna straighten your halo some, choir boy,” I mumbled at him, poking him in the ribs with my elbow.
He snorted at this, and I watched as he grinned at Lane who gave him a shit-eating grin right back.
“Good lord,” I said with a shake of my head, acting appalled at their attempted chicanery. But inside I was glowing loving that my brother was having a good time with Zeke.
~*~*~*~
“Oh, my God,” I breathed as Zeke cupped his hand between my thighs, his mouth at my throat, sucking then nipping, giving me goose bumps.
We’d left the restaurant then he’d followed Lane and me home. I’d taken him inside to properly introduce him to Grammy even though she’d met him this morning. They’d talked about his family background and I learned that his family was Irish too, which made Grammy very happy. Zeke informed her that his grandparents had come over from Ireland in the 1950s and decided to settle in Seattle because the weather here was much like that of their home country. His grandfather had worked for the postal service for thirty years before retiring and his grandmother had stayed home and raised Zeke’s father and uncle.
Zeke then bolstered his getting into Grammy’s good graces by agreeing to let her do a Tarot card reading for him. The fact that he seemed to enjoy it and asked her a lot of questions sealed the deal. Watching him get into it, asking her questions and smiling at just the right parts was sexy as hell which was a bonus for me (and Grammy, I’m sure).
When she’d finished, it was eleven o’clock. Lane had gone to bed an hour before, still on a high about his game and how well he played and, I suspect, in the Zeke Zone, which was where I mostly stayed so I totally understood.
I’d walked Zeke out to his truck and now here we were. A kiss had led to his pushing me back against his truck, his body flush to mine, and things had gotten pretty hot and heavy fast. I could feel him hard against my stomach and I wished it was Friday night already. Damn.
He pulled back, resting his forehead against mine and I was glad to see that I wasn’t the only one breathing heavily.
“Fuck,” he murmured. “Gotta go before I fuck you right here.” He pulled back and gave me a sweet kiss then walked me to the porch where he brushed his lips against mine again with a groan. “Get inside. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Okay, Zeke. Thank you for tonight. Lane had a blast.”
“He’s a cool kid. Inside.”
“Okay, jeez. Give me a freakin’ moment.” I frowned at him. “And stop bossing me,” I snapped.
“Not bossing you.”
“You are.”
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“No, I’m not.”
“God!”
“Scarlett,” he said in a warning tone which caused me to put my hands on my hips.
“Are you kidding me right now?” We glared at each other for a moment and I rolled my eyes. “Just who do you think you are?” I asked, shaking my head.
I saw his jaw muscles jump as he leaned into me. “I’m the guy who’s getting ready to throw you over his shoulder, haul your sexy ass to my truck then take you home and fuck you all night long.” He was still glaring. “You wanna be the one explaining to your grandmother why you didn’t come back in tonight?”
My mouth fell open and I blinked as I stared up at him. Damn, that was hot. He was hot.
“Now get your ass in the house before I make that shit happen.”
I tiptoed up and gave him a quick kiss then smiled at his growl before going inside.
*Week Seven—11th & 12th Encounters*
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:49 p.m.
Me: Checking that you made it home okay.
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:51 p.m.
Zeke: Babe
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:51 p.m.
Me: What?
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:51 p.m.
Zeke: You’re so fuckin’ cute
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:52 p.m.
Me: Making sure you made it home okay is cute?
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:52 p.m.
Zeke: It is when you do it
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:52 p.m.
Me: Oooookay
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:53 p.m.
Zeke: See? Fuckin’ cute
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:53 p.m.
Me: So I’m taking it that it means you made it home okay then?
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:53 p.m.
Zeke: Babe
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:53 p.m.
Me: WHAT?
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:53 p.m.
Zeke: Yes. I made it home okay. You were here, I’d fuck that sass right out of you… although I kinda like it
How was it that he could say just one thing and my body went hot for him?
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:54 p.m.
Me: I’m glad you like it because I’m probably not gonna change… and, holy crap, Zeke… your texts are, uh, hot
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:54 p.m.
Zeke: I can do lots of hot things with my fingers…
OMGuh!
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:54 p.m.
Me: I’m, um, gonna go before I beg you to text more
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:54 p.m.
Zeke: Babe… you’re bein’ cute again. Tomorrow…
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:55 p.m.
Me: Tomorrow. Goodnight, Zeke. Have sweet dreams xo
Text Message—Thurs, Feb. 26, 11:55 p.m.
Zeke: Night, Scarlett. Always xx
God, I was falling so hard for him. As I thought about all things Zeke, I know I fell asleep with a smile on my face.
~*~*~*~
“Taste this!” I said, holding a sampling spoon out to Zeke.
He smirked then taking hold of my hand, guided the spoon to his mouth, opening it and closing it around the spoon so sensuously, his eyes hot on mine, that it was all I could do to remain upright as my eyes moved down to see him slide the spoon out from between his lips and begin to chew.
Holy crap. How could he make taking a bite of apple crumb pie sexy?
“Mmm,” I heard him groan. Damn.
He’d picked me up from home at five since I hadn’t work at the Dean’s office, came inside to say a quick hello to Grammy and Lane then we’d left. He surprised me by taking me to a little town up north by Puget Sound where there was a kind of small county fair going on. I say “kind of” because the city was still urbanized, but this was something I guess they put on to bring the “small town” feel to their community. We’d been here for a couple hours having already watched a tractor pull (uh), a demolition derby and we were now making it through some of the tents to look at the arts and crafts and were tasting samples of various baked goods.
“Good, isn’t it?” I asked him, still staring at his mouth.
He nodded then took a drink from the cup of beer he was holding. “Bet yours is better,” he said, dipping his head down and touching my lips with his.
I shrugged and smiled shyly. “I do make a mean apple crumb pie.” I took a drink of the wine I had in my cup. Both our drinks were homemade and excellent.
Zeke took my hand and we walked around a bit more looking at everything from afghans to canned foods to flower arrangements. We made it to the end of the line where a huge canopy was set up where people were dancing to the music of a small band with piano, drums and bass. White, twinkling lights were strung crisscrossed across the inside roof and it was very romantic. Zeke took my cup and set it on a nearby table, putting his down too, then took my hand pulling me under the canopy to join the other couples that were dancing. Holding my left hand in his right, he pressed both against his chest then wrapped his left arm around my waist as I laced my right arm up over his shoulder, my hand at the back of his neck.
After dancing to a couple songs that were old-timey, Nat King Cole’s “When I Fall in Love” and what I think was a Carpenter’s song, Zeke looked down at me.
“You’re sure light on my feet,” he said, one side of his mouth tipped up.
I snorted. Ladylike, I know. “You’re a goofball.”
“You’re stunning.” He leaned down to give me a hot kiss, nothing obscene since we were in public, of course, but it was hot nonetheless. “Ready to go?” he asked.
I nodded and he kept my hand, pulling me through the small crowd and off the dance floor.
“That was really cool,” I said as we walked to his truck. “How’d you find this?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “My Grandma Sophie used to take us boys here when we were little. She was into knitting, crocheting, sewing, stuff like that and loved to come up here and look at what other people were doing. I remember one Christmas she saw a sweater with really colorful snowflakes on it and thought we needed one too. Mom still has the photo of the four of us looking like fucking fruit loops.”
“Wait. There are four of you?”
“Yeah, you haven’t met Loch yet. He’s a freshman. Still lives at home but hangs out at the house a lot with Gable, Ryke and me.”
Good God. Another Powers brother? The Hallervan College women didn’t stand a chance.
Zeke (The Powers That Be, Book 2) Page 10