“You shouldn’t have, but I happen to have something for you, also.” Reaching in the side pocket on my sweatshirt, I remove the small wrapped box. Handing it to her, I rake my teeth over my bottom lip. I hope she likes it.
She takes the red and white striped package from me and surprises me when she quickly tears the paper off. She pops open the cover and squeals when she sees the pendant I bought her. It’s a sterling silver rectangle with a Celtic knot on the front. It matches the ring she never takes off.
“I love it.” She beams a smile at me. Removing it from the box she hands it to me. “Please put it on for me.” She spins around, giving me her back and lifts her hair off the tempting nape of her neck.
My arms reach around her settling the pendant on her chest. Having her body pressed against mine is making me think things I shouldn’t be. I want to grip her hair and tug her head back so my lips can explore every inch of her neck. Fuck. I take a deep breath. Calm down. My fingers won’t cooperate when I try to open the clasp, and I growl.
“You okay back there?” she giggles.
“They really need to make these things bigger.”
After two more tries I finally get the clasp open and fastened securely around her neck. She pivots around, her fingers pressed against it. “Zack, I love it so much. It’s beautiful.”
“Do you know what it is?” I question.
She raises an eyebrow. “It’s a necklace.”
I smile. “Yes, it’s a necklace, but that’s not all it is.” My fingers brush against her chest as I pick up the pendant. “This pulls out.” I tug on the bottom of the rectangle, revealing a surprise. “It’s a secret flash drive.”
Her eyes flare with excitement. “Oh, my God. It’s amazing. This is the coolest gift ever.” She throws her arms around me. I wrap her up in my embrace and enjoy the way she feels pressed against me.
She pulls away all too soon. “I have something for you.”
She hands me a medium sized box covered in snowmen gift wrap. The paper reminds me of how we played in the snow the day we went to pick out her tree.
“Open it,” she jumps up and down, excitedly.
I carefully peel back the tape one piece at a time, needing to remove the paper in one full piece.
“Zack,” she giggles. “Are you messing with me?”
I shake my head. “No, I always remove it like this.”
“Hurry up. I can’t wait any longer.” She bounces up and down on her feet.
My eyes flick to her and take in her eager expression. I slide my finger under the seam and rip the paper off.
“Yes,” she squeals, clapping her hands. I smile and tear off the rest of it, dropping it to the floor. Seeing her so excited is worth the anxiety haphazardly tearing the paper causes me. I remove the cover from the box and buried under some white paper I find a plain black mug. Picking it up, I study it, turning it around in my hand. There’s nothing written on it. I glance at Lana and notice she’s biting her lip trying not to laugh.
“Why do I feel like you’re playing a joke on me right now?” I question.
She shrugs her shoulders, hands clasped in front of her. “I don’t know. Don’t you like your mug?” She asks all too innocently.
“I love it because you chose it.”
“You’re sweet. Let me show you what’s special about this mug.” She holds her hand out. I hand it over and she spins toward the kitchen. Turning on the hot water, she waits until it’s warmed up, then fills the mug. The heat morphs the black to white and reveals images of zombies. Their bloody hands are pressed against the side of the mug like they’re trapped inside.
I smile. “This mug is epic. I’ll drink my coffee from this every single day.” Leaning down I kiss her on the top of her head and breathe in the scent of her soft hair. My chest is tight with all the emotion this is stirring up.
This is why people enjoy giving and receiving gifts so much. Now I know what I’ve been missing out on all these years.
Lana and I are watching a marathon of The Walking Dead, on her couch. I’ve never spent a Christmas Day doing something I’ve enjoyed so much. The holidays at my house were always filled with tension and violence.
She pulls my arm around her shoulders and snuggles into my side. When she smiles up at me my chest gets tight, and gazing down at her has my heart beating erratically.
“I hope you don’t mind cuddling. I’m cold and too lazy to go get a blanket,” she says, then giggles. Her sweet little laugh chimes like all the angel’s in Heaven must. She’s my own personal angel on earth. She’s the only heaven I’ll ever know.
I shake my head, every coherent thought flying out of my mind as I peer into her magical eyes. In the bright afternoon light shining through her living room windows, I can make out the silvery blue flecks in her green irises. I’ve never noticed them before and seeing them in this moment makes me eager for what other secrets I’ll discover about her.
Does she have a sexy little mole on her inner thigh?
Will she like it when I mark her ass until it’s red with my hand or will she prefer the sting of my belt?
Will fear flash in her eyes when she learns the depth of how dark my sexual preferences run?
Jesus, I’m getting hard imagining all the immoral things I’m going to do to her. I roll my neck around my shoulders and take a deep breath. I must be patient. We’re growing closer each day.
Every time I’m in her company she takes away a little more of the pain from my past. She beats the bad memories back and makes me long for the day she’ll know she’s mine.
Soon there will be no more secrets between us.
Chapter Eight
Lana
NEW YEAR’S DAY
When I exit the plane, a sense of relief washes over me. I’m happy to be back on the east coast. Nevada isn’t close to Washington, but it’s a lot closer than being on the opposite coast. Running from your problems is never a good idea, but sometimes you need some space before you can come to terms with them.
Being back in Boston feels right. I’m not sure about a lot of things in my life right now, but I’m sure I found the place I’m meant to be - for now at least.
I weave in and out through the throng of people waiting at the baggage claim area. I didn’t check a bag.
My trip to Vegas for Derek and Kenna’s wedding was only for a couple of days, and I’m a light packer.
Everyone else is coming home tomorrow; except for the newlyweds. They’re on their honeymoon for the next ten days.
When I step outside into the frigid air January brings to this part of the country, the icy temperature is so shocking it steals my breath. I grit my teeth to keep them from chattering. My hands slide in the side pockets on my wool coat, pulling out my gloves. I drop my bag to the sidewalk and tug my pink gloves on.
I wish I’d thought to bring a hat. It’s going to suck standing here while I try to flag down a cab. Adjusting my scarf so it covers the bottom of my face, I lean forward to pick up my bag. The sooner I look for a ride the better.
“Let me get that for you.” I hear a deep voice I recognize as jean clad legs stop beside me. Glancing up from my bent over position, I find Zack standing there.
I straighten up, grinning at him. “What are you doing here?”
He smiles back. “I’m here to pick you up.” His fingers gently sweep my bangs across my forehead and tuck them behind my ear. “Better. Now I can see your beautiful face.” His fingers trail down behind my ear and along the curve of my jaw.
I shiver and this time it’s not from the cold. He softly cups my chin in his hand and stares at my mouth. Is he going to kiss me? My heart pounds and my legs feel weak when I think of his lips on mine. I want to know what it would be like. I’ve been wondering for a while now. We spend a lot of time together and it’s difficult for me to keep all my thoughts of him in the friend zone. There are some murky areas there.
“You are my greatest temptation.”
Does he wa
nt to kiss me too?
I study his masculine lips. What kind of kisser is he? Gentle? Rough? Will he make my stomach flutter with the caress of his tongue against mine?
He leans forward. My breath catches. Is this the moment I’ll finally know what his lips feel like on mine?
“Relax, Lana. I’m not going to kiss you now. Our kiss will change things and you’re not ready for that.” He sweeps his thumb back and forth over my bottom lip.
“Oh, I don’t know. Change sounds pretty good right now,” I joke, feeling awkward. He grips both sides of my face and lowers his lips as close as he can to mine without touching. I feel the heat of his breath on my cheek and it makes me long for more than a kiss from him.
He stares intently into my eyes, our lips only a hair’s breadth apart.
My lids drift shut when he runs his nose along the side of mine and then slides his lips across my cheek to whisper in my ear. “Our moment will be much bigger than this one. When our lips meet, life as you know it will cease to exist. Let me know when you’re ready.” His husky seductive words send a shiver down my spine.
I’m ready now.
Instead of telling him I’m ready, I grip his jacket in my hand and whisper, “Are you going to tell me what’s so special about your kiss?” The tiny hairs on the nape of my neck stand on end when his warm breath fans across my ear.
“No,” he murmurs.
“No?” People move around us and I don’t care. Instinctively, I lean into his touch. “It’s a secret, huh? I don’t like secrets.”
He chuckles softly and his lips brush my neck below my ear.
“Soon there will be no secrets between us.”
He briefly caresses my cheek with his fingertips then steps back. My fingers release their hold on his jacket, brushing down the front of the material. Cold without his warmth against me, I adjust my scarf to cover the bottom of my chin.
He picks up my bag and gestures with his head in the direction we need to walk. “I’m parked over here. We should go before I get ticketed.”
We walk next to one another along the sidewalk in front of the terminals. He pulls his keys from his pocket and clicks to remotely start the vehicle and then once again to open the hatch on his shiny, black Escalade. It looks brand new.
“Did you buy this recently?” I ask as I pat the rear bumper. I meant to ask him the day we went to pick out my Christmas tree, but it didn’t seem like the right time.
He places my bag inside the back hatch and closes it. “I purchased it when I moved here. I didn’t own a car in New York.” He walks me to my door, opening it for me. “Everything was within walking distance of where I lived and on the odd occasion it wasn’t, I’d take a cab.” He shuts my door sealing me inside. New car smell surrounds me as I settle back into the butter soft dark gray leather heated seats.
He climbs in the driver’s side and puts his seatbelt on. “How was the wedding?” he asks.
I smile. “Kenna made such a beautiful bride and her brother Kyle got ordained as a minister so he could be the one to marry them.” I giggle.
“He became a minister?” Zack raises an eyebrow as his eyes sweep in my direction.
“Yep. I guess you can do anything online these days.”
My thoughts drift to the night my friends and I all went out to a nightclub. I let a stranger finger me while we were on the dance floor. I never even got to see what he looks like. He was behind me the whole time.
All I had to go by was his deep commanding voice and I’m not sure why he made me feel comfortable enough to let his hands roam over my body. He was sexy and forceful. I liked that he pushed me out of my comfort zone. He gave me the best orgasm of my life.
After I had mixed feelings about it. I felt guilty because it wasn’t Christopher, but it didn’t seem as upsetting as I anticipated because I don’t even know who it was that touched me. I guess ignorance is bliss.
When Zack pulls into the traffic exiting the airport, I close my eyes, rest my head back and let the smooth ride of the luxury vehicle lull me to sleep.
“Wake up, precious angel.” Christopher caresses my cheek. His gaze is filled with so much tenderness; his love for me apparent as it always was.
I grab his wrist, holding onto him. “You came back.” I smile and my heart is so full with love for him it feels like it could burst. I’m so happy to see him. I’ve missed him so much; it’s been unbearable.
“Wake up, Lana.” My eyes open slowly. I’m confused about where I am at first, but then I notice Zack in the driver’s seat next to me. Reality crashes into me when I realize I dreamt up Christopher and he wasn’t really here with me. I swallow the lump in my throat and fight off the deluge of tears waiting to break free. I quickly let go of Zack’s wrist and fold my hands in my lap. I squeeze my eyes shut. Pull yourself together. It’s been a year since he left you and it was his choice.
“Maybe someday you’ll tell me about him.” Zack’s words have my head snapping in his direction. How does he know I was dreaming about Christopher?
“You said his name,” he answers as if I voiced the question. My eyes lower to my lap. How embarrassing. I bite on my bottom lip, mortified.
“It’s okay, Lana. We all have things in our past we’re running from; some of us more than others.”
Chapter Nine
Zack
I haven’t seen Lana for a couple days now. What she doesn’t know and can’t, is that I was in Vegas keeping an eye on her the whole time. I danced with her and made her come without her knowing who I was. The saying ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,’ is like a free pass for people to step outside their comfort zone.
DECEMBER 31st
Her face offers a kaleidoscope of expressions and could never be boring. Watching Lana is something I could do twenty-four-seven. I can barely keep up with all the ones flashing as she stares blankly at the various kinds of liquor lined up along the back of the bar. I can tell she’s not really seeing the bottles though. What is she thinking? Is she thinking about the other night when I made her come on the dance floor? I’ve been thinking about that night too. I went back to my room after, my dick still hard as steel, and I had to jerk off twice. I can’t wait to make her come when she knows it’s me who’s touching her. Knows who’s driving her body toward more painful pleasure than she’s ever experienced. I’ll show her things she never knew existed. Fuck, I want to start now. My dick is ready.
She takes a sip of her Heineken, then places the bottle down on the bar. She rests both elbows on the wood and cups her chin in her hands. I can see her face reflected in the mirror along the back wall and she looks sad. Is she thinking about her past? Her past is murky, I haven’t been able to figure out what drove her all the way to Boston. I need to know more about her life in Seattle. I need her to open up to me.
She spins on her barstool, facing away from me, leaning sideways against the bar. Her red hair falls in a shiny mass over her bare shoulders. She sways subtly to the beat of the music while I move closer.
I glance at my watch. Two more minutes until midnight. I adjust my glasses and take a few more steps until she’s only three seats away. I wipe my sweaty hands on my thighs. What I have planned could backfire on me, but I’m still going to do it. The reward outweighs the risk.
Only Eighty seconds…
It’s now or never. I slowly maneuver until I’m standing behind her as the large screens at the back of the room used to play music videos, begin to countdown the last minute of the year. Large numbers flash on the screens and raptly hold everyone’s attention. Lana is no exception. I can see her profile in the mirror behind the bar. Is she wondering what the new year will bring for her? I already know what’s in store for my precious angel. She’s going to have a life changing year.
I move forward until my chest is almost touching her back and lean down, my lips near her ear. “I’m glad I found you precious girl.” She reacts as if I’ve startled her and my hand goes to her hip and soothingly rubs it. “
Close your eyes and keep them closed.” I flick my glance to the mirror and see she’s complied. Good girl.
Forty seconds…
“Have you been thinking about me?” I touch my lips to the bottom of her ear. “Have you been imagining it’s my fingers making you come when you touch your pussy?” She nods her head.
I pull her back against my chest. “Use your words, precious. I want to hear them.”
“Yes.” Her voice is husky.
Thirty seconds...
“Yes, you’ll use your words, or yes you think about me when you touch your pussy?” I bite on her earlobe and she moans. I can’t wait to hear those moans when I’m buried inside her.
“Yes, I’ve thought about you when I touch myself.” My hand slides over her hip and snakes up under her dress to wrap around her inner thigh. I walk my fingers up her warm skin until I cup her pussy with my hand. Her silky panties are damp. I smile. She’s already wet for me, and I’ve barely touched her.
Twenty seconds…
“Where do you touch yourself, precious? I want to hear you say it.” I slide my fingers along her slit, up to her clit and rub. “Tell me you touch your pussy, precious.” Her exhale is shaky from my touch.
“I think of you when I touch my pussy.” I reward her by slipping my hand inside her panties and spreading her wetness over her clit. My fingers pick up speed, circling faster and faster.
Ten seconds…
“You’re going to come for me at the stroke of midnight, precious, and not a second sooner. This pussy obeys me.” She arches her back, raising her arm to hook behind my neck. My teeth bite on her neck and she gasps. “Get ready to let go.”
Four, three, two, one…
“Now.” I growl in her ear over the shouts of Happy New Year. She trembles in my arms as I draw out her orgasm. Her breaths leave her in harsh puffing exhales. I smile. Her body already responds to my every command. She already belongs to me; she just doesn’t know it yet. I quickly spin around and head to the back exit, sucking my fingers clean of her taste as I walk. Goddamn. She’s delicious.
The Complete Quake Series Page 42