My aunt and uncle were as surprised about the changes in me as my dad had been. It was wonderful to sit around a table with everyone without having worried glances thrown my way. In the last few years everyone had always waited for me to have a nervous breakdown, but today Zach was the center of attention. Everyone loved them, especially my little cousins. Zach carried them around on his shoulders and told them about his fights. Even Brian laughed like he hadn’t laughed in years. Life was good.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Amber
It was only one week till Christmas. I’d bought a calendar with gorgeous photos of Patagonia for Zach, but I still needed something else. I was bad at buying gifts for others. Maybe I needed to take Reagan up on her offer to help me with my Christmas shopping this year. One pre-Christmas gift I’d planned for tonight wasn’t exactly a gift, though I had a feeling that Zach would be more excited about it than about the calendar.
Zach and I were snuggled against each other on the sofa, and he was trailing his fingers up and down my arm. It was distracting. The credits played on the TV screen but I was barely paying attention. Zach’s hand moved lower and began drawing gentle circles on my hip. All through the movie, I’d been thinking about my decision. I wanted to be absolutely sure that I was ready before I told Zach. I didn’t want to have to push him away. He’d been so patient with me.
Zach leaned back and stretched, revealing a sliver of his muscled stomach. I loved running my hand over it, over Zach’s entire body. I loved how velvety his penis felt in my palm, how I could make him tremble under my touch. I felt powerful when we were in bed together. Since the incident sex had always equated being powerless and losing control, but with Zach I’d discovered that it didn’t have to be that way. I wanted Zach. I really wanted to be with him, wanted to finally rid myself of that last barrier from the past. Butterflies swarmed in my stomach. My body yearned for Zach’s touch, for the feel of his skin against mine.
Zach noticed me staring and cocked one eyebrow. I wished I could do that. For me it’s either both eyebrows, or none. “Do I have something on my face?”
For a few moments I didn’t say anything then I shook my head. I wrapped my hand around Zach’s, then stood and tugged at his arm. Without hesitation he also got to his feet, confusion clear on his face. “Amber? What’s the matter?”
I bit my lip, embarrassed to voice my request. I curled a hand around his neck, pulled him down to me and kissed him, then I murmured against his mouth. “I want to sleep with you.”
Zach pulled back to search my eyes. “Are you sure?”
I nodded and began leading him toward his bedroom. He followed silently. I closed the door. Brian was at Lauren’s but I didn’t want to risk him walking in on us. It was still difficult enough for him to watch Zach and me kiss. I turned. Zach stood in the middle of the room. There was a bulge in his pants. I smiled at him, walked toward the bed and sat down. Zach watched me with so much intensity that it sent a thrill through me. “Won’t you join me?” I asked in amusement. I scooted up on the mattress and patted the spot beside me.
Zach shook off his stupor and came toward the bed. He lay down beside me and leaned over me until our faces were only inches apart. “You can say no any time, you know that, right?”
“I know.” I caught his lips in another kiss, my tongue darting out to meet his. Our kiss became more urgent, kindling a fire of desire in my belly. I pushed my hands under Zach’s shirt, feeling his hot skin, the firm muscles, the trail of fine hairs that disappeared in his waistband. Zach groaned as my palm grazed his bulge. He sat up and I pulled the shirt over his head, revealing his perfect chest. He pressed up to me and slid a hand under my shirt, tracing the edge of my bra then flicking a finger over my nipple through the cup. I twitched at the sensation. He cupped my breast through my bra, running his thumb back and force over my hard nub, sending small shivers of pleasure down my spine. I hummed in agreement when he helped me out of my shirt and unhooked my bra, revealing my breasts.
He bent over me and placed a soft kiss against the hollow of my throat, then slowly worked his way toward my left breast. Oh God. He licked the underside, then circled around until his tongue reached the edge of my nipple. I arched my back, wanting him to lick it, but he only kissed it very softly. I bit my lip as he kissed my nub over and over again, the touch feather soft. Wetness pooled between my legs. “Zach,” I half moaned. He was playing around. And while I loved his playful side, right now I wanted something else.
He peered at me over my breast and pressed another gentle kiss against my nipple. I was burning up with need and his teasing drove me almost insane. “Hm?” he said, bringing one hand up to circle my other breast. His thump lightly grazed one nipple as he kissed the other. “I need more,” I brought out.
“More?” Zach raised his eyebrows as if he didn’t know what I meant. I pressed my knee against his crotch and found him rock hard. He pulled back with a growl. “I want to take this slow, Amber.”
“This is too slow,” I protested and caught a glimpse of his smirk before he lowered his head and his hot lips closed around my nipple. He suckled it, first slowly then faster, and his thumb on my other nipple flicked back and forth at the same pace. I could feel every jolt of pleasure all the way between my legs. Zach watched me as he teased my breasts with his tongue and lips. I closed my eyes, still not able to meet his gaze when we were intimate. He sucked my nipple harder and a moan slipped past my lips. I was so wet. How was that even possible?
Zach’s hand moved away from my nipple but his mouth kept up its sucking. He unbuttoned my jeans, then sat up to slide them off. His eyes trailed up my legs as his hands glided over them, then my hips and stomach until they cupped my breasts. He kneaded them gently, then lowered his mouth and licked my left nipple. His hand brushed my stomach, one finger slipping beneath the edge of my panties teasingly. Yes. I made a sound deep in my throat and I could feel Zach smiling against my breast. Tease. He moved his hand down until his finger slid between my folds, my soaked panties clinging to my core. “Fuck,” he ground out. “So fucking wet.”
He rubbed his finger back and forth, causing more wetness to pool out. I lifted my hip, hoping he’d get the hint. He chuckled, sat up and spread my legs, then propped himself between them. He looked at me and grinned like the cat that ate the canary. Do it.
He kissed my opening through my panties, spreading me even wider. His mouth was so hot against my center as he dusted soft pecks against my clothed folds. Tingles spread from my center through my entire body. My toes curled. He moved the crotch of my panties aside and kissed the skin there, drawing in a deep breath. He drove me insane. I pressed my lips together, almost not able to bear the tension building in my body. He trailed his tongue along the ridge between my thighs and my core, back and forth, slowly, teasingly.
“You smell so good,” he moaned. “But I know you taste even better.” He hooked his fingers under my panties, then looked up. His eyes were hooded with desire. At one time a look like that would have sent me into a panic but now my body responded with a sweet tingling between my legs. I raised my hips so Zach could easily slide my panties down. He dropped them on the ground, then slid his hands below my butt, squeezing the cheeks. He gripped my waist, pushed me further up the bed and knelt before me on the mattress before he spread my legs and lay down between them. His breath fanned over my wet folds, making me shiver. “I can’t wait to taste you,” he whispered as he kissed my opening, then my folds and my clit.
I jerked and gasped at the feel of his lips against me. He was so good at this. His fingers parted my folds and his tongue darted out, nudging my clit for the briefest moment before his mouth cupped it. I threw my head back and closed my eyes.
“Oh God,” I groaned. He gently sucked on me, slow and unhurried, sending spikes of pleasure through me with every tug of his lips. I squirmed under his administrations. Every time I got close to shattering in pleasure, Zach released my clit and kissed my inner thigh, driving me
so insane with need I wasn’t sure I could stand it much longer. “Please,” I whispered.
He brushed another kiss over my folds, then my clit, before closing his lips over it and continuing his sucking. Slowly he increased the speed of his lips and I could feel my pleasure building again. This time Zach didn’t pull back. He sucked harder and faster, his hands moving up my body to knead my breasts. He clamped by nipples between two fingers and twisted, and at the same time sucked my clit hard. I squeezed my eyes shut, my legs shuddering as my orgasm crashed over me, riding through wave after wave of pleasure. My fingers clawed the sheets, my butt lifting as I gasped and moaned. Slowly I came down. Zach was still between my legs, kissing me and occasionally trailing his tongue over my core and clit. “I love licking you.”