He plucked something out of a zipper bag and turned to face me, a shiny foil packet in his fingers. “Just the one.” His words trailed away. I fought the urge to cross my arms, to cover my breasts. My T-shirt had been loose; he wouldn’t have been able to guess their size. Ample. My bra, while plain to look at, did a magnificent job of lifting and shaping and forcing them into submission, but for all I knew, he preferred modest breasts.
For God’s sake, say something.
The delight that broke across his face looked genuine. “Fuck me,” he murmured.
I flashed a smile to cover the nerves that churned inside me. “I was hoping to.”
Advancing to the bed, he boxed me in with his legs and leaned down to steal a kiss. “Did I tell you how gorgeous you are?” He dropped the condom on the bedcover and braced himself with both hands on the bed. “You look amazing.”
Relief burst free in my chest, and I exhaled with a whoosh of air, feeling lightheaded. Mental note–remember to breathe when Zack is nearby. “I think this looks pretty amazing.” I stroked the outline of his cock with one finger and watched it jerk at my touch.
He groaned and leaned into me, claiming my mouth and devouring me. Hungry, hot, and dangerous. Perfect. The pressure increased on my lips, and we fell together onto the bed in a tangle of limbs and clothing. The urgency ramped up a notch. Separating only long enough to drag the T-shirt over his head, Zack held my face in his hands and slanted his mouth to kiss me even deeper.
Something brushed against my chest, and it took a moment to figure out what it was: his dogtags, dangling on their chain. With them came the painful reminder of where he’d be going when he left here, and I clung to him, trying to draw him into my body. If I could keep him safe by willpower alone, I’d try.
His hands moved to caress my breasts through my bra, stroking and smoothing and lighting new fires inside me. My nipples ached for his touch—his mouth—and I was impatient. I tried to push down his trousers, to free his dick from the tight briefs, and he lifted his hips to make it easier. He was focused on my breasts, and his deft fingers soon unfastened the hooks at the back of the bra.
His clothes were in the way. I was caught up in my bra straps, Zack had his briefs halfway down his thighs, but at last I could touch him. Properly. I stroked the smooth, hot flesh with something like awe. He was big. And very hard. His slit oozed a shiny pearl of precum and I slicked my finger through it, enjoying his indrawn hiss of pleasure.
“Mmm.” I sucked my finger and opened my eyes wide.
“Jesus H. Christ.” He sounded in pain. “You’re killin’ me here.” He scrabbled blindly with one hand, unable to tear his gaze away from me, and I heard foil ripping. The condom packet. I shivered with delightful anticipation, already imagining how he’d be. I recalled his fantasy, holding my hair while he fucked me. I was so on board with that.
I grabbed his trousers and pulled them down, helping him to strip, all thumbs, clumsy in my haste. Want had become need, and I burned to feel him inside me. His cock was a thing of beauty, and I planned to admire it again later. For now I wanted him sheathed in rubber, as quickly as he could manage. While Zack rapidly fitted the condom, I shed my bra and peeled off my panties before turning to kneel on the bed. I smiled at him over my shoulder. “What are you waiting for?”
Moisture flooded between my legs, and I took a quick breath. Would he just plunge in? Take me rough and hard? Soft and gentle? One knee nudged my thighs wider apart and then he stroked my slit, slick with arousal. I gasped, raw pleasure flashing through me.
“Baby, you look incredible like that.” His voice was choked. Before I could form a coherent reply, the blunt head of his cock pushed slowly into me, and he closed a hand around my hip, holding me in place. He filled me with a smooth glide, hitting every sweet spot on the way. Jesus. If he went any deeper he’d be hitting my ribs. “So good, Holly.” He stilled, deep inside me. “So fuckin’ good, baby.”
His fingers dug into my hip, his other hand sliding up my spine, liquefying my bones from the inside out. A slow pull out and then another lazy thrust, and I groaned. He was teasing me again. I licked dry lips and sought my voice. “Fuck me, Zack.” It emerged as a whisper, but he hummed his approval.
He turned up the throttle, and gentle instantly became intense. Zack slammed into me, and all I could do was wail in pleasure as my insides clenched around him. He grunted, sucked in a jagged breath, eased back and drove in, over and over. I felt his fingers close around the end of my hair and tug, just enough to let me know he had control.
I closed my eyes, better to enjoy the whirlpool of sensations. His cock pumping into me, the feel of his hands on my skin, in my hair, hot breath on the back of my neck, and all the while, the repeated slapping of his flesh against mine.
My elbows and knees buckled under the onslaught, and I clung to the pillow, burying my face in the feathery softness. I couldn’t take much more. He pushed me toward another massive climax, each thrust a step closer. I moaned at the ripples of pleasure and heard his answering grunt. Like being on a fairground ride, I was completely dependent on him to bring me back to earth—if there was anything left.
“Holly.” The hand on my hip slid forward and whispered over my clit and I bucked at the contact. Dear God. What was he doing to me? “Come for me, baby.” He pinched my clit between his thumb and forefinger, and my insides ignited. I came in a shaking, howling spasm, clawing at the pillow and completely undone.
He followed with a surge that kicked off another set of tremors, and I collapsed onto the bed. Every nerve ending was electrified; every cell in my body sang his name. There was sex, and then there was Zack.
Chapter Ten
I traced the pattern of ink on Zack’s chest, swirling over the wings with my fingertip. “Seagulls?”
His eyes flicked open. “Uh-huh. I didn’t want to tie myself down anywhere.” The soothing rhythm of his hand stroked my neck, gentle and intimate. I could have stayed there forever. Wrapped in each other’s arms, bathed in sunlight, and with the musky smell of our lovemaking, my senses were all on overload. Even my hearing seemed sharper. The rattle of the dogs’ claws on the kitchen floor sounded loud, as did the sudden jangle of a cell phone.
Zack grunted, his fingers tightening in my hair. “I need to get that. Sorry.”
His bare ass looked even better than his clothed one, and I indulged in a little gawking as he strode out of the bedroom. He spoke to the dogs, the phone still jangling, and then he answered it with a sharp “Yes.”
Should I pull the covers over my head? He’d left the door open so he wasn’t trying to hide the conversation. “Nine forty-five?” It was a question. “Yeah, I’ll be ready.” A pause. “Yeah.” Another pause. “No. I don’t think so.” The words were heavy and loaded with pain, and I figured it must be something to do with the funeral. I pushed the duvet back and padded into the kitchen, finding him sitting at the table, head buried in his arms. My heart just about broke.
The phone sat, abandoned. The dogs were fussing around him, nosing around his feet and huddling close to him, but he ignored them. I hesitated. This was a private moment, would he want to be alone? Would I want that? No. I stepped forward, conscious that I was naked, and hoping there were no other dog walkers who might stare up at the cottage.
“Zack?” I touched his bare shoulder and felt him flinch. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude. Are you okay?” Even as the question left my lips I knew how stupid it was. He was burying his sister in a few hours and then flying back to a war zone tomorrow. In what way could that ever be okay?