Chapter Sixteen

· zach ·

I pulled into the driveway, got out, and glanced at her window. The light was still on, even though it was past midnight. The hours I’d spent researching and buying a camera took away from my time at the restaurant, but it was worth it when it was for her. My stomach turned, and I took a long breath as I approached the door. I needed to calm down. Hilary’s reaction would go one of two ways: either she’d hate the gesture, or love it. Trying to figure her out was like trying to achieve world peace, a nice hope but highly unlikely.

I looked around as I entered the house and locked the door behind me. I flipped the light switch and got startled as clicks of a camera sounded. Hilary’s body flung toward me, and she leapt.

“Oof, what the—” I grunted as I caught her. I regained my balance as she wrapped her body around me and crushed her lips to mine.

Whatever train of thought I had vanished as I kissed her in return and let my tongue taste her. I went from semi-hard to full-on in a second. My hand tangled in her hair as the other stroked her back. She pulled away from my mouth, a grin playing on her lips. “Hi.”

“Hey.” My heart skipped a beat as I traced a fingertip over her jaw. Her smile was bright, her skin soft, and she was so damn beautiful it hurt. “Guessing you liked the camera?”

She stuck out her arm, twisting it to turn the lens toward us. Her finger pressed down, and the clicks echoed in the room. Her mouth claimed mine again, our laughs breaking the kiss. She trailed her mouth over my jaw and cheeks, peppering kisses all over my face.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” I said. “I’m setting you down now. You’re fucking heavy.”

Her feet touched the ground, and a frown played on her face as she backed away. “What the hell are those muscles for then, Zachary?”

“They’re fake. I shaded them on with your makeup.”

“They didn’t feel fake last night.” She cupped her hand over my dick and stroked. “And I want to thank you for the gift.”

I growled as she backed away, lifted the camera, focused the lens on me, and clicked. I laughed, shielding my face. “Stop taking pictures of my ugly mug.”

“Ugly? Please,” she scoffed.

She continued to click away as I advanced, covering the lens with my hand. “All right, enough, Annie Leibovitz.”

She tugged the camera away from me and persisted in her picture taking. “Nope. You can’t give me this tool and expect me to stop.”

“Wanna bet?” I snatched the camera away and placed it on the side table. Before she could protest, I kneeled down and hefted her over my shoulder. She yelped as I climbed the stairs, holding her around the thighs as she hung down my back.

“Zach, what the hell are you doing? Put me down.”

I responded by slapping her ass, wanting it bare the next time my palm smacked it. The way her yelp echoed off the walls made my dick twitch, and I anticipated sinking inside her.

“You’re so fucking stubborn, kid.” I threw her onto the bed, her body bouncing. “You have anything on under that large nightshirt?”

Her leg reached toward me as I loomed over her. I wrapped my hand around her ankle and grabbed at her other one, spreading her legs wide. “I’ve been waiting and wet for you, fucker,” she growled.

I groaned as I gazed down at her. She was bare. My hands slid up her legs from her calves to her knees, and I yanked her closer to the edge of the bed. Her shirt hiked up to her waist, leaving her exposed. Her breathing accelerating.

“I’ve been hard for you all day, imagining all the things I wanted to do to you. With you.” My thirst was never satiated with this woman. Other girls got boring. They never captivated me or made me want more. I had no idea what the more was, but I wanted it with her.

“You don’t have to imagine.” I wanted to get a move on; however, she sat up, her face directly at crotch level. Her hands were steady, certain as she undid the button and zipper of my jeans and tugged them down. I was game for anything. I sprang free. She smirked up at me, a wicked gleam in her dark eyes. “We’ve had some amazing sex, Zach, but I’ve been waiting for this.”

My fingers grazed under her chin, tipping up her face. “Tell me exactly what you’ve been waiting for. Say it.”

A sliver of her pink tongue peeked out from her lips, moistening them. “To stroke you, suck you, taste you…”

I grumbled with impatience, grabbed at my base and angled my cock toward her. “Have at it, then.”

My tip rested over her plump mouth. She parted slowly, teasingly, until her lips placed an open-mouth kiss along my shaft. With each peck, she opened up more, taking me in little by little. My free hand cupped the back of her head, my fingers buried in her hair. She owned every response I gave to the pleasure she provided.

The next move came unexpectedly when she opened wide and pushed herself forward. My cock hit the back of her throat, her hand replaced mine, and she stroked steadily with both in time. The pace, the pressure, the feel of her hands on me had me committing each stroke to memory.

“So fucking sexy.” I breathed hard, opening my eyes to see the way she moved. My hands pulled her hair, and I fought the urge to control my own pace. She changed her tempo. Fast, then slow, she was sucking me into a state of desperate need.

Her free hand moved between her legs, small whimpers escaping as she twirled her tongue around me. My discipline was hanging on by a thread as I watched her greedy fingers play. I would come down her throat in two seconds, so I withdrew, listening to the pop from her mouth.

“Enough,” I growled. Our eyes connected, and without being told, she stood. Hands fumbled as we undressed the rest of the way.

“Couldn’t handle this stubborn mouth, Collins?” Her sultry lips were swollen as she smiled.

Her breath hitched as I let my knuckles run down her breasts. I cupped them, bent my head to take a sweet, rosy nipple between my teeth. Her hands clasped my shoulders, and her throaty moans turned me on more as she easily surrendered to me. “Delayed gratification,” I said.

She swore under her breath as her hands tangled in my hair. “We’ve delayed too long already,” she finished breathlessly.

I let her go and turned her around by the shoulders. Her back pressed against my chest, I dipped my hand between her legs. I rubbed her slick folds, finding her swollen clit. She shuddered my name, making it sound right as she wriggled against me.

“You need to come?”

“I want you inside me when I do,” she groaned.

“Kneel on the bed.”

I loved her compliance. Her willingness to obey. She seemed to thrive on doing what I told her as much as I enjoyed giving the demands. My hands guided her, and she bent forward. I fought the urge to plunge in. I was on edge, and her ass in the air came close to taking me down for the count, but I wanted to last. I wanted to make every time good for her.

She squirmed, and I mumbled a curse under my breath. She peered back at me, and her long, blond hair swept over her bare back, draping over her shoulder. “Do it, Collins.”

Her taunting made me crazy. I slapped her ass, and she bit back a moan. “It?”

“Get inside me, you tease.”

“I’m the boss in here, not you.” Another slap for good measure, and then I rubbed my cock against her entrance. She tried to hold back her groans as I let myself graze her clit. “I know you like it.”

She huffed, her body trembling, her skin pink where my palm had connected with her flesh. I waited for a response. I massaged her skin before smacking again, and a moan loosed from her throat, loud and raspy. “Please…”

“What?” I continued to tease her entrance. “What do you want, Hilary?”

“I told you,” she growled. “Inside me…”

“What else?” I grabbed her waist with one hand, held my dick in the other, and pushed myself in—just the tip. I nudged and pulled out, teasing by entering and exiting. “Talk.” I tugged her hair just enough to give her incentive.

“All the way. I want you to come inside me…” she said with bated breath. “Fuck me, hard. Rough. Fast. Fuck me, already!” she yelled.

I drove in. My hands gripped her waist as I basked in the feeling of my dick encased by her. Lust made me unsteady as I slammed into her, my speed building with each cry she released. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I watched her body find rhythm with mine. She begged for more, and again, I was on the brink. My hand curled around her to find the swollen spot between her legs, the other hand holding onto her shoulder, pulling her to me.

Her cries rang out, and her insides clamped down on me, her climax pulsating in time with my heartbeat. I watched as she rode the wave, and I let myself fall. My groans surged out as I thrusted and shattered, filling her up, experiencing an incredibly powerful orgasm.

The capability to think again took a while as I dropped beside her on the bed. She smiled as I kissed her, pulling her against me. “That was amazing,” she sighed. I kissed her again, emotions flooding me. I liked how passionate and willing she was. Arguing and teasing all in a span of minutes had my head reeling. A future with her wasn’t possible, so emotional garbage wasn’t allowed, but I’d take what I could get and treasure it.

“I had no idea you liked it rough.” She giggled. “Seems you have a very dominant side while in the bedroom.”

“Nah.” I shrugged.

“You made me beg.” She positioned herself on top of my body. “I don’t beg, Zach, and I don’t obey…ever.”

“No shit.” I gazed up at her flushed face, her hair tumbling down. My hands stroked her back, fingertips trailing her spine. “You loved it.”

“I did.”

“Be right back,” I said. I went to the bathroom to clean myself up and grabbed a wet cloth for Hilary. After I cleaned her, I tossed the rag into the bathroom, not wanting to leave her for long. Then I laid beside her.

She and I were still, staring at one another until she spoke. “I’ve never been that way with anyone.”

“What way?” I asked. I hated the thought of her with other men, but I wanted to know her better, in a different way than I had before. I wanted to know it all.

“With you it’s…”

“Orgasmic,” I finished, lightening the intensity of the moment.

She laughed as she rested her chin on my chest. “Wild, erotic, and without embarrassments.” Her fingertips played across my chest. If I weren’t so spent, I’d take her again. “I’m just comfortable with you.”

“Uh…thanks, I think?”

“It’s a compliment,” she assured. “I feel I can be myself and not have you judge me.”

“I’ve known you your whole life, Hilary.” I chuckled. “I’d be the last one to judge you, kid.” She was a vivacious little thing. It seemed natural for her to be that way in the bedroom, but when she submitted to me, I was intoxicated. The thought made my dick stir all over again.

“Yeah, but I’ve never experienced freedom in the bedroom.” She hesitated and wouldn’t look at me. “I was always in my head, focusing on what the guy needed.”

I tapped her cheek with my fingertip, signaling for her eyes to meet mine. “You never thought about taking pleasure for yourself.” She shook her head. “You didn’t have to give me a blowjob, Hilary.”

“I wanted to,” she replied swiftly. “That’s what I’m saying. With you, I’m able to do the things I want without feeling like I’m doing something wrong.”

“Something wrong?” She shifted, and I sat up. “Did Graham hurt you?”

“No…” She trailed off. “He just wanted everything done properly. He was a bit obsessive about cleanliness and order. He didn’t think oral sex was proper behavior.”

“Please tell me you’re joking.” I blinked. “He never went down on you?”

“He didn’t want to.” My expression must’ve alarmed her. “But he didn’t expect me to do that to him either. We were very…polite.”

“You mean boring,” I corrected. “I should’ve known. The asshole has no personality.”

“Don’t be cruel.” I reviled her instinct to defend him. He wasn’t someone who was innocent by any means. “He was old-fashioned. Besides, he was better than the others.”

“Which makes me the best you’ve had then.” I grinned, adjusting to rest my head on her stomach. Her hands ran through my hair, her fingertips gentle. My joke hadn’t made her laugh. I swallowed the emotions that were brewing. Her attachment to Graham ran deep. Years of love shared between them would edge out good sex. I was the necessity to help her recuperate, and I’d be that for her, nothing more.

“My brother and I were chatting today.”

The subject change came quickly. “About?”

“He wants you to open in July so you can go to Atlanta with him,” she said.

I closed my eyes, my breathing shallow. “He does.” I tried to let myself relax against her touch.

“You don’t want to, though.” I let her comment hang in the air, but said nothing. “Zach?”

I looked at her for an uncomfortable amount of time. I wouldn’t disclose to her—or even to myself—that she was right. “I’ve got it covered.”

“But how?” she asked.

I slid up the bed then tugged down the covers so we could both get underneath them. “I’ve worked hard my whole life, Hil. It doesn’t scare me.”

“I didn’t say that, but don’t you want to just focus on the restaurant instead of hiring someone else to do it?”

“You’re so damn sweet.” I tugged her toward me, her warm skin smelling of honey. I kissed her shoulder, relishing sleeping next to her as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “No. I want to hire a restaurant manager and open another restaurant. Or at least make enough with this one to invest in others.”

“Seriously?” She snuggled into me, her head resting on my chest. “Such a daredevil.”

“Think it’s a bad idea?”

She shook her head. “I have faith in you, Zach. You make things happen. I see it even when nobody else does.” We stayed quiet as my hand caressed her skin. Hilary had always been perceptive, even as a kid. She knew when I needed a word of encouragement, or just to be seen.

“Zach?”

“Yeah?”

Her voice was coy. “Tell me about your parents.”