Page 34 of Blackout

‘I didn’t want to meet Addison for karaoke.’ It felt good to say that. ‘Things have been awkward between us since the night I blacked out on stage, and I don’t know how to reconnect with her without our dares. I guess these last three days have proven I needed a break, to not be reminded every day that my family was counting on me to make sure the business continued to be successful.’

I paused momentarily before I admitted, ‘None of it matters because I don’t want it. Any of it. I don’t want to go back to the way things were before. I want to make some changes.’ The words, now that I had said them, were a weight off my shoulders. Some of the heaviness that surrounded me was suddenly lifted. Was there a way to bring my family closer together? Did it start with me and the changes I would make?

I couldn’t run the James Family Bakery by myself anymore. Now that Addison was showing an interest in working maybe there was a way to also spark Mum’s interest in working at the bakery as well. Had my mother not considered over the years working in the family business? She’d had several jobs since moving into her own place five years ago, but none were enough to keep her interested and happy. Was she missing the one thing we were all missing in our lives and never talked about? Her husband, and my dad?

When I looked back out the windscreen, I saw the city lights of Melbourne. We weren’t far away now. I leaned my head against the passenger window and stared at the colours of the city lights as they lit up the darkness in the distance.

There was a silence that surrounded Zach and me. But it wasn’t uncomfortable. Maybe this conversation was over, maybe it wasn’t. But right now, there was nothing left to say.

When I stole a glance Zach’s way, I knew he understood the need for a break. Maybe that was why he was here with me right now.

Sixteen

The view of Melbourne’s city lights now surrounded us. The darkness was well-lit by bright streetlights. Zach had manoeuvred his truck off the Hume Freeway through the suburban streets of Melbourne, something that I thought was impossible, but he made it look so easy. He found High Street with ease and headed towards Fitzroy, and not once did he ask me for the address to my house. I had no idea where Zach was headed, but then he turned into Wellington Street. I should have known this man had his own apartment here in Melbourne, but had we always lived this close together? A few minutes later, Zach pulled into an underground carpark.

I turned to face him, and like always, he didn’t give much away. I wanted to say something, but Zach beat me to it and broke the silence first.

‘I know we are here to sort things out with your family, but Harley…’ The way my name rolled off Zach’s lips told me there was something he wanted from me. ‘Tonight, I’m going to take you up those stairs, lay you down on my bed, trace my fingertips along your tattoo and kiss that dragonfly.’ Zach turned his head towards me and caught my eyes.

I let out the breath I was holding as a shiver ran over my skin.

‘Any objections?’

I was now too aroused to speak. My mind had gone into overdrive at the thought of Zach’s hands on my body and what that would lead to. I shook my head, so Zach knew I had heard him and that I agreed to what he was about to do. Touch me. My full lips curved upwards as my body screamed with excitement.

Zach rounded his truck and pulled me from the passenger seat, like he was in a hurry to get somewhere. I grabbed my handbag as he grabbed my other bag, then I was tucked up against his shoulder as we walked to the stairs and up four flights.

Zach unlocked the door to an apartment that I assumed could only be his and let us both inside. It was cold and dark, but he didn’t need warmth or any lights to lead the way.

After dropping my bags on the floor, Zach spun me around. I had no other choice but to walk backwards along the edge of the lounge. Before the lounge ended, Zach picked me up and carried me towards his bedroom. My legs were wrapped around his waist. Just inside the door, Zach let me go, and I slid down his body until my feet hit the ground. A rush of heat filled me.

‘I never stopped thinking about you, even when you disappeared from our little town,’ Zach’s whispered words hung in the now-sexually charged tension between us. ‘You were always going to be the woman I wanted in my life. I wanted to wait for you, but I couldn’t find you.’

I put my finger to Zach’s lips. He didn’t need to explain why he hadn’t waited for me or that he had slept with other women. I hadn’t waited for Zach either and had had a few one-night stands. But all that mattered was that the two of us were together in this moment.

Our bodies were close as Zach continued to walk me backwards until my knees hit the edge of the bed. I fell, but Zach grabbed me and pulled me back towards him. He kissed me the same way he did up against my car, intense with the same bolt of electricity that made me reach out for purchase. My hands didn’t fist in his tee-shirt this time, they went straight around his neck. His skin reacted to my touch, and I felt the hairs on the back of his neck stick up. Zach’s hands lifted me off the ground and my legs automatically wrapped around his hips, and he didn’t let me go this time.

He knelt on his bed and walked me back towards the pillows, his lips never leaving mine even as he laid me down gently. Zach’s body covered mine, and I felt his weight press into me. There was nowhere else that I would rather be.

‘Babe, you’ve got to help me with these clothes,’ Zach murmured when he moved his lips away from mine.

I undid the button of my jeans and pushed them over my hips as Zach pulled off my boots then took the ends of my jeans to yank them off of me. I watched as he toed out of his work boots then he unbuckled, unbuttoned and unzipped his black pants and slid them over his hips to the floor.

Zach and I were a mirror image as we pulled our tee-shirts over our heads and all that was left were his black boxer briefs and my matching black lingerie. I unhooked my bra and watched as Zach removed his boxer briefs. I couldn’t help but stare. My jaw dropped and eyes flared with lust. Zach took advantage of my momentary gaping. He reached forward and ripped off the last of my clothes.

Then Zach’s body covered mine. We were skin to skin, and nothing had ever felt this incredible. Especially when he pressed his lips against my skin. I had always believed that sex could be magical, and now I knew what had been missing: the right person.

He reached past my head into a drawer beside his bed for what I could only assume was a condom. Zach peeled himself off me and, in his hand, I could see the foil packet. My eyes moved from his hand down to his long, hard cock that curved up towards his belly, and I had to take a deep breath.

‘Zach.’ It was just above a whisper. I felt silly, like I should be better at this and know what I was supposed to do. But I didn’t.

‘Harley, you have done this before?’ Zach whispered back as he looked down at me.

He must think my life was sheltered. It wasn’t, it had just been a while since I’d had sex. But with none that have looked like that, I thought, not taking my eyes off Zach.

‘Look at you,’ I panted. ‘Every muscly inch of you is perfect.’ My eyes moved down Zach’s body to stare once again at his beautiful cock.

I wasn’t a virgin, but I’d just never taken the time to enjoy my sexual partners. We’d done what we’d needed to do and didn’t hang around after. My few one-night stands had always been sloppy, and the excitement and anticipation had always died by the time we’d gotten through the foreplay. But I didn’t feel like that tonight. And all Zach had done was take off my clothes and lay his body down on top of me. My body was filled with electricity, and the anticipation had only just started to build.