The smell of coffee wakes me up the next morning. When I open my eyes, Zach is sitting on the edge of the bed with two steamy mugs in his hands.
"Did you sleep well?" he asks with his raspy morning voice.
I yawn and stretch myself before I sit up and lean against the headboard.
"Like a baby," I say and take the cup from Zach. "Thanks for the coffee," I add and sip on the hot delicious brew.
Zach smiles and places his mug on the nightstand.
"You're welcome. Now, scoot over!" he orders, and I comply.
He crawls into bed next to me and wraps his arm around my shoulder. I lean against his bare chest, trying my best to not spill the coffee.
"Do you have any plans for today?" Zach asks me. I watch his fingers tracing random shapes on my arm while thinking about an answer.
"Not yet, and you?" I turn my head to face him.
"I have to start tidying out my stepdad's flat. I want to get rid of T's stuff and then I want to see if I can sell the apartment. This place is like hell for me. The surrounding is terrible, the heating is more or less broken, and everything reminds me of my stepdad and Terrence," Zach mutters and grabs his mug to take a huge gulp.
I have to admit that I never thought about the apartment since Terrence died. I know Zach spent the nights there when he wasn't with me, but I never asked him how he felt about spending time in that hellhole. I have only been once at his place, but I remember it as quite shabby and messy.
"Oh. I could help you?" I suggest, knowing that going through the old stuff from his dead stepbrother and stepdad might be disturbing for him.
"You'd do that?" Zach asks me with raised eyebrows.
"Of course. I mean, I don't want to intrude, but I thought you could use some support there," I reply with a shrug.
Zach tilts his head and eyes me for a second.
"Actually, I was going to ask you, but then I thought it could be too much to ask from you, so I hesitated," he says with a low voice.
"Zach, that's not too much to ask for. You've been nothing but supportive and fond since that night when Terrence died, and I want to be there for you too," I retort with a serious expression.
Zach plays with the ends of my hair and seems to be lost in thoughts for a moment.
I watch his beautiful features as he absentmindedly bites on the inside of his lip and looks into the distance. Sitting there like this with his tousled hair and his dark sleepy eyes he looks so adorable and peaceful. I can't help but admire him.
The moment he realizes I'm looking at him, he startles and faces me awkwardly.
"Sorry, I was just buried in thoughts. So, is it really okay for you to help me tidying up? I mean it's your day off, and there are many other, better ways to spend a Saturday," he mutters and empties his cup before sitting it back on the nightstand.
"It's more than okay," I state and beam up to Zach. "We should get ready then," I add and take the last sip of my coffee.
Zach takes the mug out of my hand and puts it on the nightstand next to his. He grabs me by my waist and pulls me on top of him.
"Thank you," he mumbles and pulls me down. His face is only inches away from mine, and he eyes me fondly for a moment before gently attaching his lips to mine.
I happily melt into the kiss and enjoy the closeness and the warmth of his body. His hands wander down my back, pulling me closer.
"Zach," I sigh into his mouth. "I need to shower."
Zach pulls away and smiles. The tip of his nose is red from our little kiss and his dark eyes are fixed on me.
"All right," he says after closing his eyes for a moment, and we both stand up and get ready.
~
About three hours later, Zach and I are in the middle of a complete chaos in his apartment. We've placed three big cartons in the middle of the room. One is for trash, one for stuff from Zach's stepdad which he wants to keep, and the last one is for things he wants to donate to charity.
We started with Terrence's wardrobe since that's what Zach has bothered the most. I volunteered to do it alone, but Zach insisted on helping. Most of T's stuff is high priced brand-name-clothing, like Lacoste, Hugo Boss, and even a few pieces from Yves Saint Laurent are stuffed into the small wall-closet.
"Where did he even get the money for all this stuff?" I ask Zach as I pull another expensive jacket out of the closet.
"Ever since I've known him, he was involved in illegal businesses. He sold drugs, played his part in several armed robberies, and finally took over the drug business from my stepdad. I have no clue how he and also my stepdad got away with it for such a long time," Zach explains and puts another pile of picked out clothes into the donation carton.
"Armed robberies?" I croak.
Not that it surprises me at all. I've personally experienced what Terrence was capable of when he was about to kill me. It's just that hearing about all his disgraceful deeds caught me off guard.
"Does this really surprise you?" Zach questions me in a sour tone.
"No... not at all," I reply without thinking twice about it.
I grab the last piece of trousers from the closet and put it in the carton. Then I turn to face Zach.
"So, we finished with Terrence's clothes. What's next?" I ask.
Zach thinks for a second and then walks into the next room. A bedroom which seems quite neat and homely compared to the rest of the flat.
"That's my room," Zach mutters and sits down on the edge of the queen-size bed in the middle of the room.
I nod and start walking through the room. I spot a single framed picture on his small nightstand. It's the picture of a woman who looks a lot like Zach.
"Is that your mom?" I ask and take the picture into my hands.
Zach gets up and gently takes the memory of his mother out of my hands.
"Yea," he mutters and cautiously skims his fingers over the picture.
I take a closer look at the woman on the photo. She has long dark brown hair which falls over her shoulders in big waves, and her wide smile shows cute dimples on her cheeks. I can't help but think of the same dimples on Zach's cheeks. The way his hazel eyes sparkle whenever he's laughing wholeheartedly is the exact same way as his mother's eyes do on the picture in his hands, even though hers are green.
"She's adorable, Zach," I whisper and place my hand on his back. I feel the urge to soothe him although I have no idea how to ease the pain of losing his mother.
"Yea, she is... she was," Zach mumbles and walks back into the hall where he carefully places the picture into the carton alongside the things he wants to keep.
We place another empty carton on his bed and start placing Zach's clothes in it. Just as I assumed, he has not so many, so they all fit into one carton.
"Where will you bring all this stuff as long as you don't have a new apartment?" I ask him once his only dresser is empty.
"Well, I will leave it here and live out of the boxes until I've found a place. I'm already looking for one, but it's not that simple without a proper job," Zach explains and walks over to the bookshelf above his bed.
I watch him placing one book after another in the carton. The image of him living between all those boxes pops up in my head. It's quite a bleak image.
"You could store your stuff at my place and stay with me until you found a new place," I suggest. I hope my offer won't suffocate him, so I quickly add, "If that's too much I totally understand. I just thought, because you're spending so much time at my apartment anyway, so why not living there until you find a better place than this one."
Zach places the last book into the box and then turns to face me. His eyes are wide open as he walks towards me.
"Liv, we've known each other for less then two months and you already ask me to move in with you?" The surprise in his voice is unmistakable.
"Temporarily," I correct him with a sheepish smile.
Zach chuckles deeply and cups my face into his hands.
"Are you sure?" he asks softly. His hazel eyes drill into mine as if he's trying to read my mind.
"Yea, I like having you around me. Especially when it's winter and it's cold and dark all the time," I reply and raise one eyebrow.
Zach's eyes wander to my lips.
"What could I do to help you when it's cold and dark?" he questions me hoarsely.
I swallow and stare back into his piercing eyes which seem to be much darker all of a sudden.
"I don't know. You could warm me up, I guess?" I suggest with played innocence and trace my fingers down his chest.
Zach clenches his teeth and hisses as I lift his T-shirt and sneak my cold fingertips under the waistband of his jeans.
"How am I supposed to do so?" he asks lowly. His face is only inches away from mine now, and an exciting tingle rises in my stomach immediately.
He doesn't wait for a response and presses his mouth against mine. The warmth of his lips ignites a fire which heats up every inch of my body. Zach's tongue trails my bottom lip, and I open my mouth to embrace him. I rake my fingers through his hair and tug on it while Zach moves his lips down to my neck and starts sucking the soft skin. I moan as the tingling sensation flows through my body and lift his T-shirt. Zach quickly raises his arms so I can pull it over his head. I carelessly toss it to the floor and bite my bottom lip at the sight which is revealed in front of me. Zach's toned chest rises and falls rapidly with his quick breathing.
"I think you're overdressed, aren't you?" he groans and removes my sweater and top in one swift motion, leaving me in only my thin bralette and my jeans.
"Much better!" Zach smirks at me and starts kissing my neck again. I tilt my head, so he gets better access, and sigh as his hands move to unbutton my jeans.
He's the first man who can heat me up in less than a heartbeat, and I find myself loving the control he has over me. Zach forces me to make a few steps backwards until I feel the wall against my back. I welcome the cold material which feels amazing against my hot skin.
The moment I feel Zach's fingers sliding into my jeans and stroking over my panties, I moan and throw back my head. Although he's only touching me through the fabric of my underwear, it feels amazing already.
"You're soaked already?" Zach breathes into my ear. I can make out a hint of cockiness in his voice. He seems to be proud of the effect he has on me. I impatiently fumble at the button of his jeans. Zach chuckles at my eagerness and slightly moves away from me to make it easier for me to achieve my goal. When I finally manage to unbutton his jeans, I pull them down, leaving Zach in only his boxers. The considerable bulge of his underwear shows that he's just as needy as I am.
"What do you want me to do, baby?" Zach asks me, his hands still stroking over my soaked panties.
I moan in response, and squirm under his teasing touch. Zach removes his hand from my crotch, and I shoot him a questioning look.
"Be vocal with me!" he orders with a smirk, and then repeats his words from a few moments ago, "What do you want me to do, Olivia?"
"Kiss me!" I demand without thinking. Zach's smile grows as he moves closer, but I place my hands on his shoulders to stop him and push him down.
"Down there," I whisper, and feel myself flushing at the words I just uttered. I never talk like this, but with Zach it somehow feels natural and just happens without even thinking about it.
A hint of anticipation rushes through Zach's eyes and he licks his lips as he crouches down and pulls down my jeans and panties both at once. I step out of them and let him part my legs, so he gets a better access. His eyes never leave mine as he lifts my leg and starts tracing hot kisses up my inner thigh. The feeling of his hot mouth this close to my most sensitive area makes me shudder and a soft moan leaves my throat. Zach places my leg over his shoulder and finally reaches the place where I desperately want him.
"Oh god," I breathe as I feel his mouth at my center, and Zach starts sucking on my little bundle of nerves. The feeling when he pushes two fingers into me is indescribable, and I immediately feel the rising knot in my lower stomach as he starts thrusting his fingers in and out.
The combination of his tongue, which works fast on my little nub, and his skillful fingers thrusting and curling inside of me lets my whole body trembling. I'm panting and can't help but grab Zach's wavy hair and pull him closer. He picks up the pace and I tighten around his fingers
"Let go, baby," Zach mutters without separating his lips from me. The light vibration of his words paired with his husky voice pushes me over the edge and I try to stay on my feet as the intense orgasm takes control over my body. I grab Zach's shoulders for support and moan loudly. After a moment, Zach stops his movements and gets to his feet again. He smashes his lips against mine and kisses me eagerly. The fact that I can taste myself on his mouth doesn't bother me at all. If anything, it turns me on even more.
I move my hand to the bulge of his boxers and start stroking him through the thin material.
"Fuck," Zach groans and grabs my naked bum to lift me off the ground. We both sigh as his erection presses against my naked center, and Zach carries me over to the bed. He carefully lays me down onto the soft mattress and hovers over me.
He eyes my face for a moment and brings his hands to each side of my head. With his thumbs he strokes over my cheeks and gives me a fond smile.
"If you only knew how beautiful you are!" he mutters and attaches his full lips to mine again.
Our tongues start to move in sync, and Zach's hand wanders to my chest. His fingers sneak into the cups of my bra and caress the soft skin around my breasts. I gasp as he pinches my nipple, and Zach lifts his head to smirk down on me.
"I love the effect I have on you," he states referring to the little moans and the pants which leave my mouth without me even noticing it.
I chuckle shyly and bury my head in the crook of his neck. Zach lowers his hips and applies some pressure against my sensitive area. I quiver at the friction he adds as he starts moving his hips.
"How does that feel?" Zach asks me through gritted teeth. He seems to enjoy this as much as I do. Hearing the arousal in his voice makes this foreplay unbearably hot for me.
"So...good," I moan and bite my bottom lip. Zach's eyes darken at my voice and he inhales sharply.
"Your voice does things to me, baby," he groans and sits up pulling me with him by my hands.
His hands wander to my back and swiftly open my bra. He brushes it from my shoulders and tosses it to the floor to the rest of our clothes.
"Much better," he states and pushes me back on the bed. I chuckle and wrap my legs around his hips. My hands wander down his back and sneak into his boxers. I make an attempt to pull them down. Zach slightly lifts his hips to help me.
When I feel his now exposed excitement rubbing against me, my hips buck and I grab his bum to make Zach move again.
"So eager," Zach chuckles and then reaches down to position himself at my entrance. "I like that!" he adds, and slowly enters me.
We both moan at the new feeling, and Zach starts moving in and out. His thrusts start slow and gentle, but he quickly speeds up and begins pounding into me relentlessly. We both moan while we lock eyes with each other. The intensity of his gaze heats me up even more, and I writhe under his body. Zach grabs my legs and places them on his shoulders, allowing him to reach much deeper than before. The new angle lets him hit the right spot again and again, and I feel my passion growing unstoppably.
"It.feels.so.damn.good," I pant between my moans and grab his arms. Zach's movements become sloppier and his thrusts get harder.
"I'm close, baby," Zach groans. His hand finds its way to my center and he starts circling his thumb on my nub which elicits a desperate moan from me. He makes a few more thrusts and that's it for me. I come undone for the second time and dig my nails into Zach's back.
"Fuck," Zach breathes as I tighten around his length. He makes a few last hard thrusts and buries his face into my neck as he stills inside me.
For a moment, our loud moans fill the room as we both ride out our highs. Zach lets go of my legs but stays on top of me as we slowly catch our breath again. After a minute of silence, Zach slides off me and rests his head on his elbow. I scoot closer and lay down my head on his chest.
I trace the tattoo on his chest with my finger. It's a heart line. Since I first saw him topless, I was wondering what it means, but it seemed very personal to me, so I never asked.
"Do all of your tattoos have a special meaning?" I ask absentmindedly.
Zach's eyes follow the movements of my fingers on his chest, and he thinks for a second before answering.
"Most of them," he says and gently takes my hand in his. "This one was my second tattoo. It's the heart line of my mom. My stepdad asked for her ECG recording shortly before she died and gave it to me when I was sixteen. I liked the idea of always carrying her heartbeat with me, so I got it tattooed."
"That's a beautiful thought." I roll over onto my stomach and give him a warm smile, and then add, "What was your first?"
Zach frowns quizzically and tilts his head.
"You said the heart line was your second tattoo. What was your first?" I reword my question.
Zach lifts his head and stretches out his right arm. I spot the plain writing on the outside of his lower arm. It says "Alive" in typewriter font. I've noticed this one too before.
"I got it when I was fifteen. I was having a terrible time, was permanently high and drank a lot. There was this one friend I had, a tattooist, and he let me tattoo myself. I was drunk and felt numb. I guess I just wanted to prove that I was capable of feeling any pain. Therefore 'Alive'," Zach explains with a weak smile.
"Your teenage years were quite terrible, weren't they?" I ask lowly. Most of the memories he reveals to me sound sad or traumatic.
A deep chuckle leaves Zach throat and he nods bitterly.
"They were dreadful, actually," he states, and then adds with a shrug, "But not only. I had some good times too."
I laugh lightly. "Yea?"
Zach laughs along and pushes his hair out of his forehead.
"Yea. There was one time when Jake's family took me with them to a bungee jump. That was fucking scary, but it was one of the most amazing days I ever had." Zach's eyes light up as he starts telling me about the adrenaline rush, he got from the bungee jump and about how amazing he still felt even days afterwards.
"I would die of fear," I state with wide eyes when he finishes his story. The thought alone of flinging myself down into several hundred feet of depth lets me feel sick.
"Actually, I never thought I could do it. But once we were there and everyone finished his jump, I didn't want to look like a pussy, so I just did it, and I don't regret it," Zach retorts with a hearty laugh.
I love it when Zach opens up about his past. Usually, he doesn't give much away and changes the topic when it comes to his youth. I think the thought of his mother still pains him too much to talk about it very often and I can't reproach him for that. Our relationship is still very fresh, and I don't want to push him into talking about things he doesn't feel comfortable with. However, I'm more than happy to learn as much about him and his past as possible.
"Where's your head, Livie?" Zach's voice pulls me out of my thoughts. He waves with his hand in front of my face and chuckles deeply.
"Oh, uh... I just thought how much I like listening to stories from your past," I reply with a shy smile.
Zach smiles back at me and thinks for a second.
"Did you ever think of getting a tattoo?" he asks. His question surprises me.
"Actually, yea. I always wanted to get one, but I couldn't think of any fitting motive. I don't want to get some random bird or anything like this. I want something with a personal meaning, you know what I mean?" I retort.
"Totally." Zach gives me a warm smile and sits up. He leans against the headboard of his bed.
My attention is drawn to the tattoo on his groin area. It's a pair of aces and, if he would wear any underwear or trousers, it would slightly peek out. That was the first tattoo I noticed on him when he asked me if he could spend the night at my place. A faint smile plays upon my lips as I remember how nervous I was at the sight of Zach's shirtless body inside my apartment. And look at me now. I'm lying on the bed, completely naked, and Zach sits right next to me, his manhood just inches away from me, and I feel more comfortable than ever.
"What's the meaning of that one?" I ask and trace my finger over the black ink on his lower body.
Zach licks his bottom lip as he follows the movements of my finger.
"That's actually my only tattoo without a special meaning. I got it when I lost my virginity. I felt like a fucking king. I was the only guy from my circle of friends who had his first time with an older girl who wasn't even his girlfriend, which made me quite arrogant to be honest. I became a stupid dick who used girls only to get off and let them down right afterwards. I'm not proud of that time of my life. I left many girls heartbroken and didn't even care, but in the aftermath, I feel sorry for them." Zach thoughtfully looks out the window while telling me about his former behavior. He seems upset about hurting so many girls, and I'm glad he obviously changed for the better.
"Everybody makes mistakes, Zach," I state and sit up hugging my legs. "You obviously have changed."
Zach faces me again and gives me a sad smile.
"To be completely honest with you, you're the first woman I'm treating well. Before you, I was just fucking around. Not that bad like in my teenage years, but I never let myself in for more than a sexual relationship. It was always purely physical, and when a woman fell in love with me, I told her I couldn't do this anymore and broke off contact. At least I apologized and felt sorry for them, but that doesn't make it any better."
"I believe so. You never promised more than an affair, didn't you?" I ask him and Zach shakes his head no.
"See? Seems like you just waited for the right woman to break that pattern of yours," I joke, and giggle.
Zach chimes in and pulls me onto his lap.
"Seems like it," he whispers and rests his forehead against mine. I peck his lips and give him a tender smile before climbing off the bed.
"Come on. Let's finish packing. It's already 4pm," I state and gather up my scattered clothes from the floor.
"Alright," Zach sighs and gets off the bed as well.
We both get dressed in silence and pack the rest of his stuff. By the time we're finished, it's 5pm. We managed to pack nearly everything, and Zach is quite happy with our work here. We call an Uber to transport the three boxes with Zach's belongings. I'm surprised he hasn't more, but he's a man and doesn't set much store by tons of clothes or other things. We carry the boxes upstairs into my apartment and sit them down on the floor in my hallway.
"Thanks again for letting me stay until I find a new place to live," Zach says, and pulls me into a hug. "What do you want to do tonight? It's Saturday evening after all."
I tilt my head back and think for a moment. Caleb's invitation comes into my mind.
"What if we make a brief appearance at Caleb's party?" I suggest and wait for Zach's reaction.
"Really?" he asks me with raised eyebrows.
"Yea, why not? Just have a drink or two and we can leave whenever we want to." I shrug and place my hands on Zach's neck.
"Okay then," Zach retorts and gives me a quick kiss, "But I need to shower first!"
I smirk at him and bite my bottom lip.
"Alright. I'll join you then," I say and race off towards the bathroom.
I hear Zach's surprised laughter before he runs after me.
While we quickly get rid of our clothes, I catch myself worrying about Caleb's party, but before I can deepen my thought, Zach distracts me by lifting me up and walking into the shower.