Zack - M. Malone Page 0,37
a date. I’m assuming your tuxedo is already pressed and ready?”
He gives me a look.
“Just kidding.” My giggles are cut off when he scoops me up in his arms playfully.
He sets me on my feet. “I’ll buy one, brat.”
“Will you be able to get one that fits that quickly?”
“You can get anything quickly if you have enough money.” His face sobers but he quickly covers the look with a smile. It doesn’t quite reach the corners of his eyes though and I recognize it for the mask it is.
Interesting.
After he found out about the money, Gabe ranted for days about their irresponsible father and how he’s trying to buy their forgiveness. Underneath his anger, I could tell that he was actually a little hurt. That the father they’ve never known could just waltz in after years of absence like it was nothing was more hurtful to Gabe than he’d wanted to admit.
I could tell because I know Gabe so well, but Zack… he never seemed to care much about it either way. He’s such a vault sometimes. All of his emotions are so carefully locked down but then there are these moments where you get a peek at what’s beneath.
“Okay. So I’ll pick you up tomorrow at…” He looks at me expectantly.
“The party starts at seven so pick me up around six. That should give us plenty of time.”
“Okay. Then we’ll pick up where we left off afterward. There’s a lot of fun stuff we didn’t get to tonight.”
“Like what?” Of course I have a pretty good idea but I want to hear him say it. I love the way he talks dirty to me.
“Things I can’t talk about if I have any hope of leaving you alone right now. I’m already halfway to booking a hotel and keeping you captive overnight. But I can’t do that.”
“Why not? You don’t even have to take me captive. I surrender.” I pull him down for another long kiss. My fingers curl against the back of his neck as our tongues tangle and slide against each other. Who could have ever guessed that smart mouth of his would be so talented at turning me on?
He breaks the kiss with a groan. “I’ll remember you said that tomorrow night. Because I don’t plan on going easy on you then.”
“You’d better not. You’re leaving me all hot and bothered here.”
He pulls me closer and I can feel his erection beneath his jeans.
“I am, too. But tonight, when you’re lying in your bed aching, you’d better not touch this.” His hand presses between my thighs and his fingers curl into me, pressing my jeans into me slightly. A sudden throb of desire hits me so hard I sway against him.
“What? You can’t tell me not to do that,” I whisper, completely scandalized.
“I can and I am. This is mine. And I’ll know if you’re playing without me.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
The private smile he gives me is so sexy my knees actually get weak. “Because I plan on talking to her again first thing next time. She’ll tell me everything I need to know.”
His thumb presses right against my clit and I can’t stop the hoarse, achy sound that comes out of my throat. His eyes close, like he’s savoring the sound.
“Goodnight, Josie.”
He kisses me on the forehead and then he’s gone.
†
By the next day I’m starting to wonder if I’ve made a mistake. Our country club is a microcosm of everything that I think is wrong with the world. A lot of self-important people trying to impress each other. I hate being there so why would I want to put Zack through the experience?
Gabe has accompanied me to several functions there before and I never thought anything about it. Gabe is … well, he’s Gabe. The man is a chameleon and he can fit in anywhere. But Zack doesn’t care about fitting in.
This might just turn into a disaster.
I spend the afternoon at a photoshoot for a new client. I’ve been doing family portraits since I was seventeen and I’ve even done some wedding photography for friends of the family. I’ve always loved photographing people in love, capturing the beauty of deciding to spend your life with someone else. It’s the most gutsy thing in the world to put your all into trusting someone else with your heart.
Today’s client wants unique engagement photos so I take them to the train tracks on the edge of town. The two of them walking on the tracks