by M. Malone
After a few minutes, Josie tries the door again. Then she bangs on it. Considering how loud the music is, neither of us is surprised when no one comes to our aid.
“Maybe we should just tell everyone. This is crazy!”
“You know how protective Gabe is over you. He’ll go ballistic and probably hurt himself trying to take me out.”
She curls her arms around my neck in that way I love. “We can’t have that. I don’t want him messing up my merchandise. I need you in top form tonight.”
“That’s not the point. And for the record, I can take him any day of the week. Gabe fights like a pussy.”
She laughs. “Of course you can. I know better than to insult the male ego. I just don’t ever want to come between you two.”
“Gabe isn’t exactly rational where you’re concerned. He thinks of you as this helpless princess in a tower.”
“And you don’t think of me as a princess, huh?”
“I do. I think of you as the sexy ass princess who is smart enough to get herself out of the damn tower.” I bend my head and kiss her gently. Then not so gently.
She whimpers when I bite her neck. Then pulls out her phone.
“This princess is calling for backup. Izzie or somebody has to let us out of this damn closet so I can take you home!”
†
Once Isabelle liberates us from the closet, I say goodbye to Tank, Finn and Luke. Gabe and Sasha are nowhere to be found. Probably hiding from us. I chuckle when I think of Sasha’s antics. I’m glad she’s in favor of our relationship but I will definitely have to let her know that her matchmaking isn’t needed.
When we park in front of Izzie’s house, it’s completely dark. I follow Josie inside and she immediately starts stripping off her clubbing outfit. The tank top lands on the floor and then I watch with interest as she shimmies her hips to get out of the tight jeans. Her black thong bisects her plump cheeks, emphasizing the perfect heart shape of her ass. The view is almost enough to stop my heart.
She glances over her shoulder at me. “You like?”
“Oh sweetheart, there’s no like here. Only love.”
I don’t miss the wistful look on her face at my words. She’s been so patient and understanding while I figured things out. I want her to know how I feel. That I’m in this thing with her one hundred percent.
“I love everything about you, Jo.” I whisper it against her shoulder before kissing right behind her ear.
She shudders beneath my hands, arching against me as I push down the sides of the flimsy thong so she can step out of it. When she straightens, I cup her heavy breasts.
“I love your breasts. How they fill my hands and how sensitive they are.” I thumb her nipples and she cries out.
My hands trail down her stomach and dip into the indentation of her belly button. “I love how soft you are. And how ticklish,” I add when she giggles at the touch.
Then I’m delving between her thighs and her giggles stop.
“And I love hearing you scream for me. Nothing in the world like it.”
As I curl my fingers into her wet heat, she whimpers, her head falling back onto my shoulder. I press deeper, searching for the right spot. She really does scream then, shaking and crying as I rub her to orgasm. Before she even catches her breath, I have her in my arms. I settle her on the bed, then quickly put on a condom. Then I come down on top of her, holding myself up on one arm.
I want to see her face this time when I tell her I love her. And I want her to see mine so she can see how much I mean it.
“I love you. In every way.”
“Zack…” Her eyes fill with tears and then widen as I thrust inside her.
Her fingers curl around my forearm as if she’s expecting me to set a fast pace. But I move slowly, holding myself deep at the end of every stroke. I want her to feel me tomorrow and every day after that. I want her to know that I’m home.
When we come, it’s together, on a sweet rolling wave of heat. Her lashes flutter and her mouth falls open as she gasps her way through it. I kiss her sweet lips just because I can. Because I can’t get enough and never will. After a few minutes, I catch my breath and raise my head to look at Jo. Her eyes are open and locked on my face. There’s so much in her eyes, love, lust, happiness and then … wariness.
She pushes against my shoulder gently until I let her up.
“I’m going to take a shower. It’s late so I guess I’ll say goodbye now.” She kisses me once and then again. Then she walks into the bathroom across the hall and closes the door behind her.
I’m left feeling like I’m out in the cold.
I pick up my shirt from the floor but don’t put it on. Then I glance over at the bathroom door again. It sucked hiding our relationship from all our friends tonight. Not just because I can see that the secrecy hurts Jo but also because I want to tell everyone, too. I wanted to tell every single guy that was watching Josie’s curvy body on the dance floor tonight that she’s mine. I want the right to be by her side all the time. Every night.
I don’t want to leave.
When I enter the bathroom, Josie pauses in the act of brushing her teeth. She grabs the glass on the counter and then rinses her mouth. “Did you forget something?”
I drop the shirt I’m still holding on the floor. “Yeah, I did. You. I don’t want to sleep without you. So, I’m staying over if you don’t mind.”
The most dazzling smile crosses her face. “Really?”
It’s amazing how such a simple thing can bring her so much joy. But it shows me that I’ve made the right choice in trusting her. In loving her. I don’t even want to think about how much time I wasted worrying about all the wrong things. Time that we could have been together.
The best thing that ever happened to me was right there all along.
“I love you, Jo.”
Her face crumples slightly and then she’s in my arms. “I thought you were just saying that in the heat of the moment.”
“I said it because I mean it. I love you.”
There’s a hiccup. Then a soft sob. “Say it again, please.”
I laugh and bury my face in her hair. “I love you, sweetheart. I’ll say it a thousand times from now on so you’ll never forget.”
When she raises her head, her eyes are shiny with tears. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget this moment.”
Overcome, I lift her in my arms and spin her around until she’s giggling. I wish I’d thought to do this in a more romantic setting but either way, I’m pretty sure I’ll never forget it either.
After a long leisurely shower, we dry off sharing Jo’s towel. I wrap it around my waist loosely while Jo just scampers across the hall, naked.
“I’ll definitely be buying us our own place,” I mutter.
Josie grins at me and raises her camera. She takes several pictures before I realize what she’s doing.
“Will you say it again?”
For a moment, I’m not sure what she means. She waits patiently though until I figure it out.
“I love you, Josephine Harlow.”
She snaps a picture of me just like that, naked save for the towel around my waist and the love in my eyes.
“I love you too, Zack Marshall.”
†
The next morning, I wake up disoriented and uncomfortable. Even though I loved having Josie wrapped around me last night, I’m not used to sleeping in someone else’s bed. Her mattress is firmer than mine and she’s a bit of a cover hog. This is going to take some adjustment.
Then I realize the reason I woke up was because I felt someone’s eyes on me. Isabelle is standing right next to the bed sipping nonchalantly from her coffee mug.
And I’m stark naked.
“Can I help you?” I grab the sheet and yank it over me. The action wakes Josie, who sits straight up, her hair flying around her head. She’s just as naked as I am.
“What is it? What’s happening?” she mumbles.
I hold the sheet over her as w
ell. “We have company.”
When she sees Isabelle standing next to the bed, she clutches the sheet to her chest. “Izzie! What are you doing? I’m naked! And Zack is naked!”
“I noticed,” Isabelle drawls. “I knocked but no one answered.”
“That doesn’t mean come in!” Josie points out.
Izzie makes a face. “I wouldn’t have but you’ve got company downstairs. Very insistent company.”
“Why would anyone be here now?” Jo glances at the clock on her dresser. “It’s not even ten o’clock in the morning.”
“You’re the early riser,” Isabelle points out. “Gabe knows you rarely sleep in. I’ll go tell him you’re coming down.”
“Gabe’s here?” We ask in unison but Isabelle is already walking away.
Josie’s eyes meet mine. “What are we going to do?”
“Get dressed.” I throw back the sheet and put on the clothes I wore last night.
Josie pulls on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top. She winds her hair around her hand into a bun. “I feel like this looks kind of bad even though I shouldn’t feel that way at all.”
I don’t say anything. I have a feeling it’s about to be really bad but I’m hoping that I can get Gabe to neutral territory before he goes nuclear. His issue is with me not with Josie. Not really, anyway.
She opens her bedroom door and then jumps back. Gabe and Sasha are in the hallway.
“There you are! Since when do you sleep in?” I hear Gabe say before pulling Josie into a hug. “And what’s up with Izzie? She was being really weird.”
Then he notices me standing behind her.
“Zack, what are you–“
His eyes slide over to Josie, taking in the wild hair and the slight stubble burn on her neck. I know he doesn’t miss a single detail. Sasha holds out her arms to me for a hug. I accept it gratefully.
“We came by to tell you guys some great news. We’re engaged!” She holds out her left hand to display a massive diamond ring.
Josie hugs her and they do the squealing thing women do when they’re excited.
Gabe is still watching me. The only thing moving on him is the muscle in his jaw. “So, how long has this been going on?”
Josie and Sasha get quiet.
Sasha finally laughs. “Gabe, it’s none of our business. But since we’re talking about it, I’m glad my matchmaking worked last night.”
Gabe looks at her. “You knew about this?”
Sasha glances between us, uncertainly. “Um, yeah. I think anyone with eyes knew about this.”
I can tell that Gabe is about two seconds from losing his shit.
I kiss Josie on the forehead. “I need to talk to my brother. You were going to make pancakes, right?”
Gabe watches the interaction, glowering. I can practically feel the fire on the back of my neck.
She looks back and forth between the two of us nervously. I can tell she doesn’t want to leave but finally, she nods her head.
“Okay. I’ll go make breakfast. Sasha, do you mind?”
The girls leave, pulling the door closed behind them. When I turn around Gabe is staring at the bed. The covers are a mess and my shoes are right next to the bed on my side.
The thought catches me by surprise. My side? But I realize that whenever we’re in her bed, I always take the left side. A few months ago this level of familiarity would have freaked me out. But with Jo? It seems so natural. Of course I have a side. Of course my shoes are under her bed. I belong here. It all just feels so right.
Gabe walks over to Josie’s desk. There’s an entire stack of pictures on top. I already know they’re all of me. He flips through them, his movements more agitated every second.
“Are you kidding me? I asked you to convince her it was a bad idea. Not volunteer yourself as fucking tribute!” His face twists into a sneer as he drops the pictures back onto the desk. “I guess you saw your opening and took it, huh?”
It’s a struggle not to lash out. But both of us being angry won’t make this situation any easier. “That’s not how it went down.”
He shakes his head. “I know exactly how it went down. You waited until the first moment she was vulnerable to take what you wanted.”
I freeze in place. It’s hard work to control my breathing because it feels like I’m almost hyperventilating.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You think I’m blind, Zack? I’ve seen the way you’ve been looking at her lately.”
My skin boils under the heat of his censure, shame lighting me up from within. All this time I thought I’d hidden my little obsession for Jo from everyone. Turns out I was about as covert as a freaking billboard.
“We’re adults, Gabe. It’s none of your business.”
“The two of you don’t even get along! She’s confused! It hasn’t even been a month since she broke up with her boyfriend. She doesn’t know what she wants right now.”
“That’s unfair. She knows exactly what she wants. And it’s me.”
“You know what, I’m done.”
The look of disgust on his face almost takes me to my knees. Growing up we got our fair share of those looks from others but we always had each other. My brother was my partner in crime, my confidante and my best friend. I never thought that he would look at me like I’m lower than trash.
He stops in the doorway and points his finger at me.
“I can’t believe you’d take advantage of her like this. You’re the last person I would have thought I’d need to protect her from.”
chapter twelve
†
JOSIE
Sasha follows me downstairs to the kitchen. We glance at each other as Gabe’s voice gets louder and louder. It’s hard to make out what he’s saying but it’s pretty clear he’s pissed. I hear the words fucking tribute and cringe. Sasha glances back at the stairs and then crosses her arms.
Geez, this is awkward.
“You don’t think they’re actually going to fight, do you?” Sasha asks.
“I hope not.”
Sasha looks unsure but then pastes on a bright smile. “They’re intelligent men. I’m sure they can handle a disagreement without resorting to violence.”
Part of me wonders if I should tell her about all the times they’ve thrown fists in the past. Sometimes I used to think they fought just to let off steam. I decide to keep that to myself since that likely won’t make either of us feel any better. All I can do is try to distract us so I turn my attention to our reason for being in the kitchen.
“I’ll get the bacon started if you don’t mind mixing up the batter.”
“Of course. However I can help.”
She accepts the large mixing bowl I hand her and then I line up the pancake mix, eggs, milk, and the butter. She cracks the eggs in the bowl one-handed with an expert twist of the wrist.
“Measuring cup?” she asks.
I point to the cabinet behind her. After she grabs it, she starts measuring out the different ingredients into the bowl. The voices above us get louder and louder.
“Whisk?” she asks, her voice artificially cheerful.
I open the drawer next to me and then hand it to her. After I get out the bacon from the refrigerator, I pull out a skillet. Then I decide that this is too much. We’re not going to just stand in this kitchen and cook like we don’t hear the screaming above us.
“This is weird. And I feel like I should be apologizing to you. You’re engaged. This is supposed to be a happy time.” Not to mention the fact that Gabe’s reaction has to look way out of bounds to anyone not familiar with the dynamics of our weird friendship.
She waves that away. “It’s not your fault.”
“I know but still… I didn’t think he would be this mad. Zack has been worried about this for weeks and it’s been really stressing him out. I thought he was overreacting. I guess not.”
Sasha sighs. “Gabe thinks of you as the sister he never had, Josie. We’ve had some pre
tty in depth conversations about it because honestly, I wasn’t convinced you were just friends in the beginning. He really had to explain it to me. But family is important to him and he considers you family. They haven’t had many people they can count on so the ones they let in are sacred.”
That makes me feel warm inside even if it doesn’t make the current situation any easier to handle.
“So I’m guessing Zack is treating you right? You’re glowing,” she teases.
“I am?” My hands cover my cheeks. I feel giddy, like a teenage girl again. I want this to work out so badly.
Loud footsteps on the stairs prevent her from answering. Gabe appears in the doorway, his chest heaving. His cheeks are still flushed with anger. He glances at me quickly and then turns to Sasha.
“We have to go. Jo, I’ll see you later.”
Sasha gives me an apologetic look and then rushes after Gabe. I sigh and turn off the heat under the skillet. I climb the stairs and when I push open the door to my room, Zack looks up. He’s sitting on the bed with one hand in his hair. When he sees me, his expression closes up. I know him too well for that by now.
“Don’t even try to tell me it’s okay. It’s not okay. But we’ll get through it.”
He sighs and then opens his arms. I cuddle up on his lap and rest my head on his chest. The steady thump of his heart is reassuring. No matter how bad things ever get, this right here is what will get us through.
“He’s never looked at me like that before,” he whispers.
I pull back slightly to see his face. Hurt, confusion, anger and sadness are all in his face. It makes my heart break alongside his and it also makes me feel guilty. My love for Zack wasn’t supposed to ever cause him pain.
“I never wanted to come between you guys.”
“You aren’t between us. Gabe has always thought of you as being under his protection. Now you’re mine and that changes things a bit.”
I scoff. “So what, he thinks you stole me away from him? Do I suddenly not have a brain and the ability to think for myself?”