by Karigan Hale
Zander was, in fact, sitting on her porch waiting for her when she pulled up. He sauntered over to her as she propped the kickstand and removed her helmet. Before she could dismount or even say anything, his hands were in her hair and his mouth closed over hers.
She closed her eyes and kissed him back pouring all her yearning into this one kiss. It deepened quickly. Zander threw his leg over the bike, too, and lifted her onto his lap so she straddled him. His hands found her ass and pulled her up against him.
He broke the kiss long enough to say, "I thought I'd lost you, Lizzie."
"I'm right here," she said.
"I never wanted her. I want you. I don't know how she found me," he said.
"It's my fault. It had to be Xavier's video," she said.
"Doesn't matter. We're here together now." He kissed her again. "You know, I've imagined this exact scene ever since the first riding lesson I gave you."
She laughed softly. "You're ridiculous."
He pulled back to look at her. The shadows and darkness were playing tricks with his face—his expression was so serious. "I mean it. I drug those lessons out so painfully slow just to spend as much time with you as possible."
"Well, what else happened in these fantasies?" she asked surprised by the huskiness of her voice.
His eyes darkened, and he groaned deep in his throat. She moved against him, and he said, "Let me show you."
His hands moved up under her shirt to expertly unhook her bra. He leaned in so their mouths were only a breath apart, their noses lightly brushing each other, their eyes locked. His broad hands gripped her ribs as his thumbs lightly ran over her taut nipples. She shivered and closed her eyes. When she leaned in to seal their mouths together, he pulled back slightly teasing her by staying just out of reach.
"You are so beautiful, Lizzie," he whispered. "I love the way we fit together." He moved his hips to show her just how much his body loved hers. She threw her head back. He finally closed the distance and kissed her neck. Then moved down to her collarbone.
Zander ran his hands up her sides, pulling her shirt and loosened bra with him. She lifted her arms to allow him to remove the clothing hindering his access to her breasts. She didn't care if the neighbors saw her. All she cared about was having Zander close to her in this moment. Pretending he meant more when he said the word "love."
She leaned back on her hands over the rear bumper of the bike. Zander growled as he ran his fingertips over her exposed skin. She was his ultimate fantasy.
Fuck, no. This was better than his fantasy. Lizzie, bared to him, straddling him, leaning back on her bike, kissed by the moonlight. He almost came in his pants right there. She was so fucking perfect. This moment was perfect. He definitely didn't deserve her. But he'd deal with his guilt later. Right now, he was laser focused on making her feel worshiped.
He bent his head and took her hardened nipple into his mouth, coaxing it even harder with every suckle. She writhed against him and moaned, arching her back to press even closer. His other hand caressed her smooth belly down to the waistband of her jeans. He undid them and slipped his fingers inside her panties. She rolled her hips up to give him better access and gripped his hair in one hand.
"Zander," she breathed as his fingers found their goal. She was hot and wet and ready for him. He cupped her mound and slipped the tips of his fingers inside her. She moved against him.
"I didn't think we could top the wall, but this is on its way to surpassing that moment," he said as he switched his attention to her other breast. She laughed softly and moved one hand to grip the wrist at her waist, pressing his hand closer to her. "Yes. Pleasure yourself. So hot."
"You feel so good," she said. "You always know just where to touch me."
He could feel her tensing. Was he going to make her climax just from this? Damn, he was good! Her breath hitched; she moved her hips slightly faster; he gripped her tighter. She pulled his hair back to give herself access to his mouth. Yes. So hot. Lizzie taking control was enough to make him vibrate close to the edge, too. He once again buried his free hand in her hair as their mouths hungrily mated. She ground against him angling herself to get the full benefit of his fingers and his erection.
And then a car drove by and honked its horn.
She bit his lip. Hard.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
"Ow," he said pulling back.
"Oh shit. Sorry!" she said tenderly touching his lips and trying not to laugh.
"You were close, too, weren't you?" he asked. He'd removed his hand from her pants when he jumped from the unexpected noise.
"Yeah. But I have a feeling you can get me there again. Let's go inside," she said swinging her leg off of him and grabbing her top and bra from the pavement by their feet.
He followed her into the house. Peabody greeted them by the door weaving between their legs and trotting towards the kitchen. He peered back over his shoulder to make sure they were following.
Unfortunately, Lizzie put her top back on. Fortunately, she threw the bra onto her couch.
"Want something to drink? Water? Soda? Beer?" she asked. "I have to feed Peabody, or he won't leave us alone."
"I guess I'll always be the second man in your life," he said bending to give the cat a scratch.
Lizzie remained uncharacteristically quiet. Usually she'd have some witty comeback to a statement like that. Zander glanced up in time to see a hint of... what? Sorrow? Regret? Unhappiness? Something not positive in any case.
She turned to scoop the cat foot out of the tin on the counter. "Peabody comes first unless you want some kitty claws in your ass. Not fun, let me tell you."
There was his Lizzie. He probably just imagined the look on her face. It was still dark in here. "I'll pass on the claws, thanks. But will take some water."
She threw him a bottle and then sat on one of the kitchen bar stools. Okay. Guess she wanted to talk instead of continuing their sexcapade. He adjusted his hard-on and sat across from her.
"Thanks for inviting me over," he said. "When I turned around and you were gone, I thought you were pissed at me."
"No. Not at you," she said. "It's not your fault Tiffany is crazy."
"But it is my fault she came into your life. She's the one who's jealous, you know," he said. He reached across the space and took her hand in his.
She shrugged, not quite believing it. "She's just desperate to be with you."
"She's desperate to be with anyone who has a fat wallet and the potential for upward mobility. I just happened to be the latest sucker," he said rubbing her palm with his thumb. "Thank you for revealing her lie."
Lizzie waved away his apology. She focused on their joined hands. Zander rubbed her palm with his thumb again. "I just happened to be in the right place to eavesdrop."
"Why did you wait so long to tell me?" he asked. She caught his eye.
"It was her word against mine. I didn't want you to lump me into the crazy, jealous ex-lover category because I made up some story," she said. "I waited until I could offer some sort of proof."
He squeezed her hand. "I would have believed you over her. No proof needed. You aren't like anyone else I've ever dated," he said honestly.
She smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment. Especially if most of your exes are anything like Tiffany."
"About what she said about you..." he started.
She put a finger to his lips. "Shhhh. Let's stop talking about her, okay? Where did we leave off outside?" She stood and lead him towards her bedroom. "Oh, that's right. You were about to rock my world."
If she wouldn't let him tell her she meant more to him than a vacation fling, then he'd have to show her.
When they reached her bedroom on the second floor, she started to flick the light switch on, but he stopped her. "Leave it off. I want to see you in the moonlight." He moved instead to the windows and opened the curtains as wide as they would go. Sure enough, she was silhouetted perfectly by the lights outside. It reminded him of when they made
love for the first time by candlelight.
She gave him a mischievous grin and slowly lowered her jeans over her hips until she wore only her panties and a t-shirt. Her eyes darkened and filled with heat. They were a beacon to his manhood.
He swallowed. Hard. Then took two steps to close the distance between them. He took her in his arms and held her against him. To his surprise, he just held her. She stood on tiptoes and buried her face in his neck and clung to him, too. He fisted his hands in her shirt and cursed fate for their short time together.
"Lizzie," he whispered into her hair and could hear the desperation in his voice.
"Make love to me, Zander," she said turning her mouth to kiss his neck.
Always, he thought but couldn't bring himself to say. Instead, he lifted her slightly off the ground and carried her to the bed. He gently placed her on top of the covers then stepped back to enjoy the view. He wanted to sear this image into his memory.
"You have too many clothes on," she said, her voice husky with want. He lifted his shirt over his head with one hand while he undid his jeans with the other. She sat up on the edge of the bed straddling his thighs so she could help him push his pants down his legs. She kissed his belly above the waistline of his boxers. Her hands found their way inside to grip his ass then push the boxers out of the way as well. His legs practically buckled as her tongue laved the tip of his erection.
"Jesus, Lizzie," he said and reached down to pull her shirt over her head. When it had joined his pile on the floor, she took him in her mouth, and he clenched his jaw in ecstasy. Her tongue was too much. He needed to be inside her.
Regretfully, he pushed her back down on the bed. "Not good?" she asked as he retrieved a condom to protect them.
"Too good. I want this to last," he said. He kissed her forehead, her temple, her eyelids, her nose, her jaw, and finally, tenderly her mouth. Again, trying to etch into his mind every moment, every feeling, every inch of her.
She angled her hips up to rub against him. He slowly removed the small bit of lace still separating them. He placed himself at her opening savoring the anticipation of being inside her. He ran his hands over her silky skin. She moved each part of her body to meet his touch. He leaned down to kiss her as he entered her slowly. She bloomed for him ready, waiting, wanting. Surrounding him completely.
She sighed into his kiss, wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed him even closer to her. It seemed like he couldn't get close enough. He moved inside her then. Agonizingly slow, wanting this moment to last all night.
Lizzie let him set the pace, complacent to let him rock her into oblivion. She wrapped her legs around his, pulling him deeper inside her with every grinding thrust. He'd put his hand behind her head, holding her to him so gently she almost cried.
She closed her eyes tightly and inhaled his unique scent imagining for just this moment he was hers. That he loved her, too. That they had a deeper connection than just sex.
"Oh, Lizzie," he sighed. She gasped to stifle the sob threatening to bubble up. He said her name just like he did when he spent the night for the first time—when he reached for her in his sleep, and she felt her heart slip for the first time.
But she wouldn't ruin this moment and embarrass them both by crying. So, she concentrated not on her breaking heart, but instead on the feel of his hips as they moved against her, of his ragged breath on her hot skin and savored the fact that she made him feel this way.
He rocked inside her harder now, a little faster. She let herself get swept away by their perfect rhythm.
"Stay with me, Liz," he said. "Come with me."
"Yes, Zee. Yes. I'm right here. With you," she said and let go completely, safe in his arms. A moment later, she felt him release as well. He relaxed then, but she welcomed the extra weight, the solidness of him.
All too soon he rolled onto his side, severing their intimate connection. She turned, too, and threw an arm over his chest, nesting her head in the crook of his arm. He kissed the top of her head as his breathing slowed. She could feel his heartbeat—strong and steady—under her hand.
"Thank you for that, Zander," she whispered. "It was just what I needed."
"Well, it was a hardship, but I'm glad I could push through," he said. Then, "Ow!" when she pinched his nipple.
"You are just what I needed," he admitted.
"I'm glad you came back for this visit, Zee," she said. "It's been really fun."
"Wait," Zander said shifting so he could lean up on an elbow to look down at her. "Why does this feel like good-bye?"
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Lizzie reached up to tug on a piece of his hair that had fallen over his forehead. She twirled it around her finger.
"Because it is good-bye," she said softly.
"It doesn't have to be. I'm not leaving for another day," he said. His brow furrowed in confusion.
Seeing him again would just be too painful. This was a perfect way to end their time together. She didn't want to think about some awkward good-bye by his rental car. She didn't want her last image of their time together to be him driving off while she watched him like some lovesick puppy. She also didn't want to prolong the pain by "staying in touch." Which would only last for a couple months until he met someone else, someone more accessible and suited to his status. Then she'd just have her heart broken all over again.
So, just to seal the deal, to make sure he really did run for the hills and never return, to refortify the wall around her heart and make sure it didn't crumble any further, Lizzie told Zander the truth.
"I'm falling for you, Zander. Like fast and hard. So, yes. This has to be good-bye because I don't want to become a 'Lizzie thing' like your other exes. So, before that happens, we should just say good-bye now and remember this time fondly as a 'friends with benefits, get our high school crush out of our system' moment in time. Before I fall in love with you completely."
She kissed him one last time, then pushed him away and got out of bed without looking at his reaction. She didn't want to see the horror in his eyes at her confession of love.
"Lizzie, I—" he started.
"You don't have to say anything. Have a safe trip back, okay?" she said and closed herself in the bathroom. Just in time, too, since the first tears began to fall down her face. She wiped them away. She was NOT going to cry over a boy, she reminded herself. Again.
A soft knock on the door made her jump. "Lizzie?" Zander's voice was equally soft. "Will you come out and talk to me?"
"I don't think so," she said unable to stop acting like a brat.
He sighed. "Okay. I'm not going to pressure you. I'll just wait." She heard him slide his back down the door.
"I wish you wouldn't," she said putting her hand on the door where his head would be.
"Well, I wish you would come out. Guess we're both not getting what we want," he said with a hint of frustration.
She sat then and leaned her back against the door as well. Only inches apart from him but already feeling miles away.
"Just say what you're gonna say, Zander, and be done with it," she said.
"What do you think I'm going to say?" he said.
"That you're leaving. That you had fun, but that's all this was to you. That you wish we lived closer, but we don't."
"I don't want to do this through a door."
"Then just go, Zee. I already know it all anyway. This isn't your fault. You were honest from the start."
"I hope you know what's between us means more than just fun to me, too. This was the best time of my entire sorry life."
"But—" she supplied.
"No but. That's it. Period. You are the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."
She allowed herself a half-smile. "The but is that you are leaving."
"Come with me," he said suddenly.
"What?" she said alarmed. He didn't mean it. He couldn't. He was still delirious from their love-making a moment ago. Sex drunk.
"Come with me. To Atlanta," he
said again.
"I can't do that, Zee. I own the bar here. I own a house. My whole family is here," she said.
"So, sell your shares of the bar. I'll help you sell the house. You have enough money you can live anywhere," he said.
"God, you are so obsessed with my money! My life means more than that. I love my career. I don't want to sell everything I've worked so hard for. If you knew me at all, you'd understand that," she said, standing now and pacing around the bathroom.
"You won't even consider it?" he asked.
"Why don't you move here? Didn't you say your firm was opening up an office here anyway?" she shot back.
"Because my life is in Atlanta. I've also worked hard to build my reputation and life there. And to forget what it was like for me here," he said.
"Then, I guess this is good-bye," she said again. "Safe travels."
"Lizzie—"
"Good-bye, Zander," she repeated more forcefully.
He was quiet for a minute, then said, "I'll call you later, okay?"
"Don't feel obligated. We said all there is to say already," she said.
"Jesus, Lizzie. I don't feel obligated. I want to call you. I want to see you again before I go," he said. He sounded frustrated, but it was hard to tell through the door and her emotions.
"Well, I can't see you," she squeaked the last word. Then scowled at herself in the mirror. "I just...can't, Zee."
"Lizzie," he said softly again. "I—I'm sorry."
She didn't say anything. After a few minutes, she heard his footsteps retreating down the hallway. The door squeaked open and shut. Then a small paw showed up under the door. She splashed cold water on her face and opened the door.
Peabody's big yellow eyes contemplated her with a tilted head as he twitched his tail. She bent down to scoop him up, burying her face in his soft fur.
"It only stings for a minute, right buddy? Like ripping off a band-aid. Out of sight, out of mind," Peabody squirmed to be let down. She squeezed him tighter. "Right?"