Comfort Zone

by Missy Johnson

  “Have you ever seen a couple who fit so perfectly into each other. It’s like they’re molded together. United. They fill a hole—”

  Laura stands up and runs out of the room, chuckling to herself. I bite back on my own laughter and do my best to tune Aunt Betty out. She frowns as she watches Laura race out and shakes her head.

  “What an odd girl. Friend of yours?”

  I shake my head solemnly.

  “Never seen her before in my life.”

  “And now, our wonderful daughter Rebecca is going to do a reading.”

  I take a deep breath and glance down at the words written on the paper in my hands. I walk toward Mom, who stands at the front of the room, then I look at the doorway one last time to see if Liam is back. I’m not sure if I’m disappointed or relieved he won’t be seeing this.

  My head snaps up when Mom lets out a scream. I follow the direction she’s frantically pointing in and my heart stops. I’m pretty sure I just saw Andrew disappear under the buffet table.

  “He’s going to eat all the shellfish,” Mom wails, covering her face with her hands.

  Shellfish? Oh fuck.

  I run over to the buffet and dive underneath the table, clutching onto Andrew’s tail just as he tries to scale up the inside of the tablecloth. My heart pumps faster as I yank him against my chest and wrap my arms tightly around him. He struggles free, but only for a second, before I grab hold of him again.

  Only this time, his claws are attached to the tablecloth. Still under the table, I spin around, gasping when I hear the crash. It’s deafening. The noise sends Andrew into panic mode, but I hold onto him for dear life, my grip on him not easing until he finally calms down enough to stop clawing me.

  Shit. That was close.

  Silence. That’s all I hear—aside from my shallow breathing.

  I crawl out, careful to keep Andrew as far away from the shellfish as possible. When I get to my feet, I look around at the sea of shocked and annoyed faces and I frown, because even my parents look upset.

  I just saved this cat from certain death. I wasn’t expecting a standing ovation but smile or a thank you would’ve been nice. This was ridiculous.

  “Okay then,” I whisper.

  Andrew howls, desperately trying to struggle free. I hold him a little tighter, ignoring the pain as his claws pierce my breasts.

  “Rebecca…” Mom shakes her head and glances at Dad. I’ve never seen my mother lost for words, or my father look so disappointed in me.

  “He’s Grammy’s cat,” I speak quietly. She looks from Andrew, to me, her frown not faltering. “He’s the most important thing in the world to her and he is severely allergic to shellfish.”

  She glances at him again, this time with concern.

  “Is he okay?”

  “I think so. I’ll have Liam check him over.”

  “Wow, Becca. You saved his life.” Tears well in her eyes. I laugh as she wraps her arms around me, nearly squashing a very displeased Andrew. “Go. Take him to Liam,” she says, ushering me away.

  I smile at her.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Becca

  I knock furiously on Liam’s door first, and then Grammy’s. When neither answer, I stalk down to my room and shut the door and let Andrew roam free. I don’t want to lock him in the bathroom, because I need to be able to see that he’s okay. I sit down on the end of the bed and watch him explore my room. I shake my head, still in shock over what just happened. Thank God for late check outs, because we’ll be here all night at this rate.

  I wince as my breasts sting and carefully peel down my dress far enough to examine my wounds. Tiny raised claw marks pepper my breasts like freckles. I jump up when someone knocks on the door, fixing my dress on the way over to answer it. I keep an eye on Andrew as I open it. My heart races when I find Liam, looking very stressed and concerned.

  “Your Mom told me. Are you okay?”

  I nod, but then I shake my head. I feel all dizzy and lightheaded, like I might collapse. I let him lead me over to the bed and accept the bottle of water he offers me. He picks Andrew up and examines him closely.

  “I tried knocking on your door and then Grammy’s…”

  “I came up to check on her and she was gone,” he explains. “I panicked, but she was just outside in the garden. So, what happened?”

  “He was headed straight for the shellfish buffet until I crash tackled him.” I explain.

  “Are you serious?” he shakes his head. “Holy shit. He must have a death wish or something.”

  “Where’s Grammy now?” It dawns on me that he’s left her alone. I hope she doesn’t notice Andrew is missing and panic.

  “She’s taking a nap. When the hearing aids are out, she hears nothing.”

  “Nothing?”

  He raises his eyebrows, his gaze burning through me.

  “She’ll be out like a light for hours.”

  He rubs his jaw while I fight the urge to kiss the fuck out of his face.

  Wait. Why am I resisting? I should be making the most of this.

  I pull him closer and let my lips do the talking—or the kissing, in this case.

  He lifts his hand to my cheek and touches it, then slides his fingers around the back of my neck, cradling my head. I stare into his eyes, and then close mine when his mouth touches my lips. I shiver, all the tension of the last few days slowly leaving my body. As we kiss, it’s just him and I. Nothing else in the world can touch us—

  Except Andrew. I yelp as he hisses at me and swipes at my ankle.

  “Maybe we should go to my room instead?” Liam suggests, holding back his laughter.

  “Probably a good idea,” I grin.

  I wait until he closes the door, my heart racing as he walks over to me.

  “That’s better,” he confirms as his fingers caress my face. I smile and close my eyes as he presses his lips against mine and slowly backs me toward the bed. When I feel it behind me, I lay back, and make my way up the bed, while he crawls with me. I lay down, his lips sliding along my neck while his hands roam over my breasts. I arch my back, my body tingling as he unzips me, then grabs hold of my dress and lifts it up, sliding my arms out through the holes. He kisses me again, then lifts it over my head, nearly decapitating me in the process.

  “Jesus, hold on,” I say with a muffled laugh when he tugs harder. “It’s too tight,” I gasp. “Did you not lower the zip all the way down?”

  “I thought I did,” he frowns. He reaches behind me and pulls on the zipper, but it won’t move. “The zipper’s stuck. I need scissors to get it off.”

  What? I laugh. This is ridiculous.

  “Who the hell would carry scissors around?”

  Silence.

  “I have an idea. Don’t go anywhere.”

  Where am I going to go?

  He races out, and then returns what feels like only seconds later.

  “She’s still asleep,” he assures me.

  Grammy. Of course.

  He sits behind me on the bed and shifts my hair aside. Then he carefully cuts along the zipper. The tension instantly relaxes, allowing me to lift the dress over my head. I throw it on the floor and rub my tender neck. I’m relieved to be free, but the relief is short lived when I remember that’s the only dress I have.

  “Crap.”

  “What is it?” he asks.

  “I only packed the one dress.”

  “What?” he laughs. “Why would you only bring one dress?”

  “Because I did,” I retort, already feeling stupid about it. “The fact is, the only dress I have is in pieces.”

  “It’s hardly in pieces,” he argues. “I did one very clean cut, which any professional could repair—”

  “Which doesn’t help the current situation,” I explode. “Unless Grammy has some mad sewing skills.”

  “I’ve never seen her sew a thing in her life,” he admits. “Do you have anything else to wear?”

>   “Sweatpants,” I sigh, shivering as his eyes roam over my body. “I was wondering why you wore it again,” he murmurs. “I thought you must’ve decided you really liked it.”

  I flush. “No, I purposely chose to dress modestly, because of what the event was.”

  “You parent’s sex ceremony, you mean?” he asks, his eyes sparkling.

  I glare at him.

  “You really know how to kill the moment, you know.”

  “I thought we did that already when I had to get Grammy’s crocheting scissors,” he grins.

  I laugh and crawl across the bed, so I’m kneeling on the mattress, in front of him. He touches me, his fingers gently creeping all over my body. I squirm,

  “If you’re going to be embarrassed about this, then you might as well have a good reason for it. Seeing you in that sexy black bra and that tiny thong is doing some pretty amazing things to me right now.”

  Laughing, I lower the zipper on his pants and slide my hand inside, resting it against his stiff cock.

  “You’re definitely aroused,” I agree, pressing my lips together.

  “Maybe we should do something about it then.”

  He cradles my face in his hands, his lips finding mine. I sigh, loving the feeling of his tongue massaging mine.

  “As much as I love you in this bra…” He kisses my neck. “It has to go.”

  I groan as he reaches behind me and I unclips my bra. He peels it off and flicks it aside, his fingers softly stroking my skin. I shiver, my skin sensitive to his touch. Everything is on alert, including my nipples. His hands find my breasts and I gasp as he massages them, rolling my nipples, between his finger and thumb.

  “Wow,” I sigh.

  I tilt my neck back, letting him kiss along it. My hands tense around his waist as his lips roll over my skin.

  “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time,” he mumbles in my ear.

  I nod, because I feel the same way. I relax as he kisses my neck, his hands exploring my body. I close my eyes and sigh, then scream as he launches a stealth tickle assault on me.

  “You bastard,” I growl.

  My arms flail around as I try to tickle him back, but he locks his hands around my wrists, retraining me with ease. I glower at him, trying my best to remain serious, but I can’t stop the smile from forming.

  As much as I want to, I can't be annoyed at him.

  “What? It’s not my fault you got the wrong idea,” he says. “You assumed I meant sex, but the fact is, I have a list as long as my arm of things I want to do to you.” He smiles at me and kisses me on the mouth while still holding me down. “And now I get to do them all, one by one. I've written an actual list, you know,” he says. His expression is so serious that I don’t know whether to believe him or not.

  “Just the kind of thing that would make you lose your job,” I say.

  “Only if someone gets hold of it and accidentally sends it to the entire alumni…”

  I glare at him. “I feel like all you do is make fun of me.”

  He shrugs. “Well, you need to stop giving me things to make fun of you about.”

  “Oh, shut up and kiss me,” I grumble.

  I grab hold of his neck and pull him toward me, wrapping my legs around his waist. He doesn't resist as I press my lips against his, a soft moan escaping his mouth as I gently rub myself against him. I caress his face, then press my mouth against his, my lips moving slowly against his. With one hand, I unbutton his pants and then lower his zipper.

  “That’s how they work,” I tease him. “Up, down. Up, down.”

  I swear he flinches every time that zipper slides along the tracks.

  “You’re brave,” he grumbles. “You’ve obviously never had your dick caught in your zip. Trust me. It fucking hurts.”

  “I’m sure it would,” I say, hiding a smile. “Would it concern you if my answer to that question was yes?”

  “I guess it would,” he laughs. “How about I make this easier?”

  He stands up and reaches into his pocket, tossing a condom onto the bed. Then he shrugs off his pants, and crawls back onto the bed, positioning himself between my legs.

  “What are you doing?” I laugh, even though it’s obvious what he’s thinking.

  He responds by spreading my legs wider and placing his mouth on my pussy. I groan, clutching onto his hair as he pushes his tongue inside me.

  “Oh wow,” I cry. “Oh, God yes.”

  My back arches clear off the mattress as he tongues me. He slides back and forth along my entrance, exploring every tiny little part of me. I’m on the verge of exploding, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold off.

  I touch my breasts, gently massaging them with my palms, then I roll my nipples between my fingers. They’re so sensitive, I think I could almost orgasm on nipple stimulation alone. My eyes fly open when he swats my hands out the way.

  “My job,” he grins, his mouth full of pussy.

  He pulls back, just enough so that I can see his tongue as it moves over me. I grip hold of his hair, whimpering softly, while I rock against his tongue. I ride his mouth until my body starts to ache, my pussy throbbing against the feel of his tongue. My heart races, because I’m close. I know he senses it too when he starts to fuck me harder and faster, his tongue plunging deeper inside me. Oh God. I clench my thighs, my eyes closed as I prepare myself for…nothing.

  What?

  My eyes flick open and I glare at him, wanting to wipe that sexy grin off his lips.

  “Relax,” he laughs. “I’ll make you come. I just want you to come while I’m inside you.”

  Well, when he puts it like that…

  He slithers up my body and presses his mouth onto mine. I sigh, my scent on his tongue something I’d never experienced before. He kisses me passionately while rolling the condom over his length, then he grasps my hips and lifts me onto his shaft. I groan as his length disappears inside me, my slick walls contracting around him. He kisses me, then lifts my leg onto his shoulder. I gasp, as he rocks me back and forth, thrusting into me with such force, I reach out to steady myself against the wall.

  “You’re perfect,” he murmurs, running his fingers up over my bare chest.

  He pinches my nipples, making me cry out. Finally, he releases, spraying hard inside me. I gasp, my body contracting around him as I come. I clench my thighs together as tightly as I can manage while my pussy spasms around his cock.

  “Fuck,” I hiss, pulling him closer so I can wrap my arms around his neck.

  He chuckles, then kisses me, before rolling onto the bed, and scooping me into his arms. I snuggle against his stomach, sighing as he kisses my back. His fingers gently stroke my arms which leaves me struggling to keep awake.

  “That was pretty amazing,” he grins.

  “I’ve got butterflies,” I admit. “Well, that could be the fact I haven’t eaten all day.”

  I smile as he nibbles at my neck, my body relaxed and content.

  “Now I know why your parents are calling this thing a sex ceremony,” he murmurs as he sucks on my earlobe.

  I groan, but I can’t help laughing.

  “Are you trying to make me never want to do this again?”

  “No,” he says. “In fact, I plan to be doing this again and again very soon.” He leans over so he’s facing me, his hands sliding up over the side of my stomach. “If you can handle it, that is.”

  “How about we see who can handle it,” I grin. I sit up and turn to face him, crawling down the bed until I’m crouched between his legs. I take his cock in my hands, running my fist firmly along his shaft. He groans, his eyes on mine as I curl my tongue around his tip.

  “Fuck,” he mutters.

  Just as I’m about to take him in my mouth, my phone rings.

  “Are you kidding me?” he hisses, the look of horror on his face enough to send me into a fit of laughter.

  “Your ringtone is Hansen?” His stares at me in disbelief. “Are you twelve?”

  “
No,” I say gruffly. “I’m a chick. I get away with it. Besides, have you seen them now? And that’s what upset you? I was seconds away from sucking your cock.”

  “When you word it that way…”

  I’m still laughing as I crawl off the bed and stalk over to my phone. Of course it stops ringing just as I get there, but I pick it up anyway to put it on silent. I see a text from Laura and a few missed calls, so I click on the message.

  “Everything okay?” Liam looks at me expectantly.

  I frown as I read it.

  Laura: Is this Grammy?

  I click the attachment and clap my hand over my mouth, smothering a chuckle. Grammy is dancing around the room, shaking her hips, like she owns the place.

  “You might want to see this,” I say, handing my phone to Liam. He groans and sits forward. I stop him before he gets off the bed, and text Laura back.

  Me: Yeah, that’s her alright. Hey…remember how you owe me? Something came up, so could you keep an eye on her for a little while? Just don't let her out of your sight.

  Laura: Only if the thing that came up belongs to Liam ;)

  I toss my phone onto the floor and turn back to Liam.

  “Now,” I say, running my hands down his thighs. “Where were we?”

  He stares at me, his blue eyes burning with intensity, then he reaches for my hair, looping a handful of it around his hand.

  “I’m pretty sure you were about to suck my cock.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Liam

  “You know.” I gently place another kiss on her soft lips, then pull her closer to me. “We could always stay here another night. Think about how much fun we could have,”

  She gazes up at me, then smiles. “Would I have to tell my parents I’m still here?”

  I laugh. “Actually, I’d rather you didn't.”

  We finally dragged ourselves away from the hotel room to join the party, but only after Laura warned us that Becca’s Mom was on her way up to check that she was okay. We’d only been gone for two hours by that point. The party has dwindled down to just a few guests. It’s getting late, so if we do leave today, it’s going to need to be soon.

  “Hey, maybe I can talk Laura into taking Grammy back?” she says, waving her friend over. I shake my head just before Laura and her husband reach us.