The Crash Zone (The Zone Series Book 2)

by Tarrah Anders

  “I will, but I’m enjoying this scene.” She smiles.

  “This scene?” I look at her over my shoulder.

  “You know, the one where I stay in bed, and watch you get ready for your day, and while doing so I get excited and as soon as you leave the room, I take care of myself.” She smiles.

  Drool may have escaped my mouth, my mouth which is currently laxed from her admission.

  “I…” I stammer.

  “I’m fucking with you.” She swats at me. “I just enjoyed watching you get dressed, I’ve never done that before. You seem to have a checklist as you get dressed.”

  “Towel off, boxers, undershirt, shirt, tie, pants, socks and shoes.” I list off, sounding slightly compulsive in my routine.

  “I have a shower routine, if I don’t follow the routine, I have to start over again otherwise, I freak out the rest of the day on whether or not I washed my face or put on deodorant.” She admits.

  I stand and move over to her side of the bed and I lean down. “I learn something new about you every day. Hurry up and get ready, I can make breakfast or something before you have to leave?”

  “I’ll grab myself a bagel on the way to work. You go, do important things, like build shit. I’ll see you later this evening.” She says reaching up and lightly kissing me.

  I return her kiss and straighten and return to the closet to grab my suit jacket. I smile at her as I leave the room and head on into the kitchen.

  Chapter 29 – Tatum

  Max texted me during the day and mentioned that his parents want to meet the elusive Tatum and right now my nerves are getting the best of me. I’m not sure if they will accept me, or how I’m supposed to act. Do I show affection towards Max, will he show affection to me? Will I be compared to his dead ex? Will they talk about his dead ex? Oh my god, what if they like her better than me?

  I’m in the bedroom, sitting on the bed cross legged staring off into space in my tank top and underwear, when Max enters the bedroom. He starts to loosen his tie and remove his dress shirt.

  “Are you okay?” He asks.

  I snap out of my daze. “What? Oh, yeah sure.” I nod.

  “Uh huh. Nervous?”

  “Me? Nah, I’ve got this in the bag.” I lie.

  “Uh huh. Listen, my parents are easy going, they’re excited. They have been asking to meet you since I told them about you.” He shrugs off his pants.

  “So they obviously know we have sex.” I confirm.

  “Well, I’m not a teenager and we live together, so yes. I’m sure they are aware. Also, you’re pregnant!” He jokes.

  “Let’s hope that they don’t think I’m slutty.” I frown.

  “Babe, that won’t be a possibility. They’ll love you.” He smiles, brushing my hair away from my shoulder and placing a kiss.

  “Did they love Betsy?” I shouldn’t have asked that. There’s no real change in Max’s demeanor, but he does seem cautious about answering as he sits at the edge of the bed.

  “Yes, they loved Betsy. But that’s not to say they won’t love you. And before you even say it, don’t measure any bit of the amount of love they may had or still have for Betsy’s memories. They are well aware of who you are to me, and how much you mean to me.” He says sternly.

  “I’m just nervous. When I get nervous, I get insecure.” I try to explain.

  “No, I get it. Listen, I don’t talk about Betsy much. And it’s not because I’m harboring some love for her. I’m not pretending she’s a secret or anything. My parents and anyone else who knew her – they may bring her up. But I don’t need to. You have all of me. Well, so does the peanut, but you get the majority. How much someone else cared about Betsy will not affect you and me.”

  “Okay.” I say in defeat, he makes sense. “Maybe we should talk about Betsy more. After all, you guys were together for a bit.” I suggest meekly.

  “What would you like to know?” He asks.

  “Anything, I only know the circumstances of her death, and what happened to you after. I know that she and Sterling were best friends, but other than that, I know nothing. I don’t even know if I should know anything, usually exes are taboo subjects.”

  “Well, let’s see, where do I start… she worked as a paralegal downtown and most of the time she couldn’t talk about work because they were open cases with some huge companies going corrupt. So we pretended she was a superhero and during the daytime she lead another life.” He smiles fondly, it’s a different smile that I’ve seen on him since we’ve been together, almost a sad smile.

  “She and I met in college, we were friends in college, because I was, well a little bit like I was when we first met, but not extreme. We started dating about 3 years or so out of college, she had a crush on Dane first though.”

  “Does Dane know?” I gasp.

  “Yeah, Sterling told him when they first started dating.” Max shrugs.

  “Wait, Dane and Sterling aren’t childhood sweethearts?” All this is news to me. I sit up and Max gets off the bed and goes to his dresser and pulls out jeans and a shirt. As he changes he starts to talk.

  “No, they’ve known each other since they were pre-teens. They had crushes on another in high school and college, but they didn’t get together until a few years ago. Sterling was dating a douche bag and when they broke up, Betsy started a game of truth or dare one night and I dared them to kiss. We both kind of played against the two of them. Then a few weeks later, we both came to find out that they were secretly dating after that game. Betsy instigated their relationship, but it was always something in the cooker.”

  “Wow. So how come it took you two so long after college to get together?” I ask.

  “In college, I was focused on having fun and school. I didn’t have girlfriends, and I didn’t apologize for it. After college, Dane and I were starting up the company and since we were so fresh and new in the business, we worked a lot. I had always thought Betsy was cute, but never really thought about her that way until she asked me to go to a holiday party with her at work. She was new in the law business so she didn’t have time for dating either as she was busy trying to impress the DA. So I got the invite, and then yeah, the rest is history.”

  “What was she like?” Now that he’s opening up about her, I can’t help but to continue asking questions.

  “She was adorable, out-going, invasive and sometimes quick to judge. She grew on a person, I guess. She had a prickly outside and a mushy inside.”

  “Did you guys live together?”

  “No. I asked her to move in but she liked her space and I didn’t mind that she danced around the subject. She had a bunch of stuff at the house, and she did stay over a lot, but it was never our home, it was just my house. She was always a guest, and she acted like it when she was here sometimes. That’s not to say that I didn’t want her to still move in after she said she wasn’t going to. But I just didn’t press it.”

  I smiled. This was Our House, even though it’s legally Max’s. We have made it a home.

  As if he could read my mind, he continues; “The house now, is no longer just my house, it’s ours. And that’s special to me. I’ve never lived with any females other than my mother. You never treated yourself as a guest here, and I’m happy about that. Your stuff mixes well with mine. Maybe one day, we’ll want a bigger house but for now this is our families house.”

  My insides have now melted. This conversation was a little too intense but it was needed.

  “Now, get off your hiney and get dressed. I won’t complain if you wear that to my parents, but I have a feeling you won’t be comfortable.”

  ***

  Max and I walked into his childhood home hand in hand. I wore flats so I wouldn’t trip and fall, but my legs were jello. In between Max practically pouring his heart out before we left to the nerves of meeting the parents, I’m praying that I don’t land on my face.

  “Mom! Dad! We’re here!” Max shouts as soon as he closes the front door.

  “In
here!” A deep masculine voice booms from somewhere in the house.

  Their house is two story ranch house, with an open plan. We’ve entered the living space and we’re continuing to the kitchen, which is around the corner.

  An older couple moves gracefully around each other as they go back and forth between a counter, an island, the sink and the stove. It’s choreographed so beautifully, I feel slightly bad for eavesdropping on their moment. Max’s mom looks up and her eyes go wide. She hastily wipes her hands on her white frilly apron and is making her way around the corner to Max and I.

  “You must be Tatum. Oh my goodness, it’s so wonderful to finally meet you!” She gushes as she surrounds me with her arms.

  Max is snickering beside me, but his mom breaks her hug with me to hug him as well.

  “Mother.” He greets hugging her back.

  “I’m so angry with you young man!” She sneers at him pulling back.

  “What did I do this time?” He’s reminding me like he’s a young boy in trouble, afraid of his mom when she’s angry. I know that fear, my mom was scary when she got angry.

  “You’ve been harboring Tatum all to yourself, you never were very secretive with your previous girlfriends.” She says and looks surprised as she looks at me. “Sorry.” She says to me

  “It’s okay, I’m well aware of Max’s previous dalliances.” I admit perfectly fine with her bringing up his past. That conversation we had really helped, I’m sure I would have had an insecure moment just then.

  “Well, we’ve been busy. Tatum works, I work then when we’re not working…” He smiles with a flirtatious look towards me.

  “I don’t need to know those parts of your lives.” His mom swats at his chest and turns back to the kitchen waving us further in.

  Max’s father introduces himself to me and resumes his part of the dinner preparation. Explaining as well as demonstrating the benefits of a kitchen slap chop with cooking. Max acts bored, but I’m enthralled. I would love to be able to cook, especially cook good food.

  “Max, will you be a dear and set the table please?” His mother requests. “Dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes. Davis and Katrina were unable to join us so it’s just the four of us. I understand that Davis works with you?”

  “Yes, strange as that is. I didn’t know Davis was Max’s brother when we, uh… met.”

  “It’s almost like a movie, serendipitous.” His mom gushes.

  “Could be, except a more updated version, perhaps a rated R version.” Max says from behind me.

  “Maximus!”

  “What, there was a lot of drinking involved the night we met to be fair, some nudity, and probably vulgar language.” Max smiles as he rests chin on my shoulder.

  “Atta boy!” His father mumbles over the plate he’s preparing.

  My face turns red and Max chuckles. “I don’t think we need give a play by play account of the night for your parents.”

  “They know, well the PG version.” He says.

  “Max here is very open with us. We know things we wish we didn’t. Both he and Davis have always been over sharers with us growing up, it continued through adulthood.” His mother explains.

  “So, the truth rule is no big change then?” I ask Max.

  “I’ve told my share of lies to my parents, as well as previous, um women. But I’ve learned over the years and especially lately that the truth is always best.” He says as he kisses my cheek.

  “So Tatum, do you want a girl or a boy?” Max’s mom changes the subject and I’m so thankful.

  ***

  We toed off our shoes and collapsed on the couch in exhaustion.

  “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Max asks.

  “I think the banter between you and them made it all the more easier.” I admitted.

  “I’m glad. I know you were nervous, but seriously, how could they not love you. You’re perfect.” He says nuzzling into my neck leaving tiny bite marks down to my collarbone.

  “I am aren’t I?” I joke.

  “Cocky too.” He mumbles against my skin, his tongue darting and leaving a trail.

  “I learn from the best.” I sigh, feeling the heat pooling at my juncture where his hand is slowly moving to.

  Chapter 30 – Max

  My fingers inched up Tatum’s thighs as they disappeared under her dress. Thank heavens she wore this tonight, it makes my conquest so much easier. My finger tips trace the edge of her panties and I tease her lightly with brushing over her folds atop the fabric. I can feel the heat emanating from her center and my mouth begins to salivate. The fabric Is already wet and I can tell by the increase of her breathing that she’s ready for me. My finger dips below the fabric as I brush over her. I enter in a digit and a light moan is released in her throat.

  I capture her lips in mine and with my tongue I stroke hers and suckle. I slowly draw my finger in and out of her silk sheath with my dick pressing hard against my jeans. I stop my movements and sit back pulling her on top of me so she’s straddling me. I lick the finger that I just had inside her and relish in her taste.

  “Off.” She demands grabbing at my jeans and removing herself from my lap. I swiftly pull both my pants and boxers off and she returns to sit astride. I can feel the heat just hovering over my straining dick as Tatum leans down and kisses me.

  She rubs herself along my length and I’m fighting the urge from plowing myself up into her. I’m grabbing her hips tightly as I slowly lift her up. I see a glistening along my shaft from her wetness and I feel myself getting even harder, which I didn’t think was possible. She grabs my dick and lines herself up with it as she gently lowers herself on it.

  We both let out a hiss at the same time. She always feel so exquisite, her body feels perfect against mine as if she was made perfectly for me. She determines the speed and the rhythm as she milks my dick so perfectly. I’m in pure heaven right now, suddenly the tingling at the base of my spine starts up and I don’t want to come so fast. I slow her rhythm down and clench my jaw.

  With my arm across her back and the other grasping on her perfect breasts, I’m sure that I won’t be able to control myself. She’s making the smallest of noises with each stroke that I’m on the edge.

  “I’m going to come.” I grunt.

  She eagerly nods her head, as I bring my hand down and find her clit. I pinch and rub in circles, with her continuing her assault on my dick. She pushes my hand out of the way and takes over. I grip both of her hips as my hips move up to thrust into her harder. Her fingers are working her clit and my eyes are going back and forth between her face and where we are joined.

  This is single handedly the hottest thing ever! I think as I start to come. Her pussy clenches against my dick and as she milks me I release everything that I have into her.

  Fuck! “That… was…. Amazing!” I breathe out after we are still a few moments.

  “Yeah.” She breathes out, her forehead rests on my shoulder as she regains her even breathing.

  ***

  I’ve stared at my computer screen for the past 5 hours straight. Talia, our receptionist brought me a lunch that I didn’t order and ordered me to eat. I have been hitting the refresh button for the past hour since one of my little birdies told me that announcements for bid awards were going to be today.

  I’m feeling like a slacked off employee, even though I’m one of the bosses. This past year I’ve been so unfocused on the company, and I haven’t showed any compassion towards this part of my life in so long. I’m grateful for Dane and Lukas for not trying to buy me out of my partnership. I feel like shit that they had to put up with me, but I’m trying to be better.

  I’ve randomly purchased lunch for the entire office, and I’ve gotten all the ladies in the office flowers weekly. While I know that would hardly atone for my asshole ways for the past year, I do hope that it’s a step in the right direction. At least people aren’t avoiding my doorway anymore. Which is evident as Lukas keeps walking back and forth in front of my offi
ce every 5 minutes.

  “Luc!” I yell at him as he passes by for the 10th time.

  He stops just past my door and walks backwards to stand in my doorway.

  “What’s with the wearing of the carpet?” I ask with a smirk.

  “Nothing, not work related.” He looks like he’s sweating bullets.

  “So?” I walk over to him.

  “Nah, it’s nothing.” He shakes his head.

  “Nothing? I call bullshit, you look like you are going to pass a kidney stone.”

  “I’m just waiting for someone to reply to a text I sent. Kinda like a ‘hey wanna hang out’ sort of text.” He explains.

  “A new someone?” I ask.

  “Not really. I’ve known her for a few years.” He says cryptically.

  “Oooo-kay. Well, I’m sure that if she’s smart, she’ll hang out or whatever.” I shrug. “I’m not in touch with my girly side, but I’m sure you have nothing to worry about.”

  Lukas nervously laughs and runs his hand over his jaw. “What are you doing? You’ve been holed up in here all day, you didn’t even come downstairs for that conference call.”

  “Shit, that was today! No, I’m waiting to see if we were awarded a strip mall bid, that I put out a week ago. If we do, that brings up not just this strip mall, but the next three that they are projecting to add in locations all in East County.”

  “That could be huge. Are they already planning for leasing or are they just the structures without tenants in mind?”

  “The one I’m waiting on, has an idea as to the market they want to lease to, but I’m not sure on tenants waiting for the build.”

  “What’s the timeline?”

  “6 months. Start to finish, the location is right off the freeway, currently a weeded out dirty lot the size of a baseball field. It’s right next to a mobile home park, by a huge ass church, a car dealer and a gas station. It’s prime picking. There is a current build of a fast food joint, but that wouldn’t be something that we would need to take over or oversee.”

  “Weird, the builders didn’t want to bid on the whole lot?” He asks.