Collide (22 page)

“Yeah but now you have me naked and wet in the shower. Are you complaining?” I ask, wiping the water from my face.

“About this....” He says, trailing his eyes down my body. My skin prickles as he takes in every inch of bare flesh in front of him. “You won't ever hear me complain.” He growls, taking my mouth with his.

His movements are slow and lazy but do not lack the fire and intensity that I have come to love about Zayne. He breaks away from my lips, getting a whimper of protest from me as he squirts some of the scented body wash into his hands and rubs them together. He takes his time washing me, trailing his hands across my breasts, down my stomach, across the tops of my thighs. Each movement increases my rapid heartbeat and by the time he has washed every last inch of my body, I am panting and withering beneath his hands.

“I love seeing you like this Grace.” He whispers, taking my earlobe in between his teeth and nibbling gently before dropping his lips to my neck and kissing where my pulse is pounding under my flesh. “The way your skin prickles when I touch it.” He says trailing his fingertips across my collarbone. “The way your breath hitches when I do this.” He says, trailing his hand down my stomach and gently caressing in between my thighs.

I exhale on a moan just as his fingers slip inside my folds and his mouth claims mine once more. He teases and manipulates my body until I am putty in his hands, molding to his every move. Deciding to not let him have all the fun, I eventually find the strength to push him away, backing him into the side wall of the shower.

I squirt some of his body wash in my hands and begin the same tortuously slow process on his body. While I enjoy his hands on my body more than I could ever describe, there is something to be said about feeling his flesh beneath my hands. The definition and ripple of each muscle. The way they clench together when I graze just above his pubic bone.

Squirting some extra soap in my hands, I lather them together and then slowly trace the perfect line to his waiting erection. When my hand closes around him, a small groan escapes his parted lips. It's enough to send my slow simmering fire into a full on inferno. I grip him tightly and slowly work my hand up and down, studying the array of expressions that cross over his face as I do.

Eventually he stills my hand, turning just enough in the water to rinse the soap from his body before pinning me against the wall and trailing his tongue across my lower lip.

“God Grace. You drive me crazy.” He pants, grinding his erection into my belly. Taking my mouth with his, he carefully hoists me up, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist, my back pressed firmly against the shower wall.

While I am a bit concerned that him slipping and falling is a possibility, I want him too much to really question it. In one swift move, he plunges deep inside of me causing me to cry out in pleasure. There is nothing like the way this man makes me feel and it's not just physical. Maybe I'm crazy but as he pushes himself in and out of me, I can't help but feel like there is so much more to this for him as well.

I can see it in the way he looks at me. The way he says my name. The way his body reacts to my touch. Pulling away from his lips, I catch his eyes with mine. Taking both sides of his face in my hands, I gently wipe the water from his brow, kissing his forehead as I do.

The intimacy of that one innocent act seems to be his breaking point and within seconds his mouth is on mine full and hungry, his body pounding inside of mine at a fast hard pace. We both fall over the edge quickly and Zayne sinks down to the shower floor, taking me along with him.

He embraces me in his lap, his hand making slow small circles across my back as we both try to regulate our breathing and gain enough strength to get out of the shower as the water is borderline cold at this point. Not freezing but enough that I can feel a slight shiver run through my body.

“Come on, let's get you warmed up.” He says, helping me to my feet before standing himself. “Your breakfast is probably cold by now.” He says, frowning slightly.

“Well worth it.” I exclaim, grabbing his softening erection in my hand and giving it a tight squeeze before winking at him and walking completely naked back into the bedroom.

****

T
he entire day we spend laying around watching television, snuggling and talking about everything and nothing at all at the same time. One of the biggest complaints I have about him is that I feel like he never actually answers any of my questions with one hundred percent honesty. While I don't feel like he lies to me, I can feel him holding back. After my emotional breakdown over Kyle, I was hoping that he would open up a little more but seeing that he is taking no initiative to do so, I decide to pry for information.

“Tell me about your family.” I say, interrupting our silence. We have been laying in bed for at least two hours at this point and for a moment I think he may have dozed off. But then his head turns into face me and he gives me a sleepy smile.

“What do you want to know?” He asks, trying to hide his yawn. Suddenly I feel guilty for pushing him to talk even more after we have spent the entire day doing just that. Seeing how it's after one in the morning, I would venture to guess that he's probably exhausted.

Yet he doesn't seem the least bit annoyed that I'm asking so I continue. “I don't know. Tell me about your parents. Where do they live? Are they still together? What about siblings, do you have any?” He laughs at my overload of questions and turns to his side to face me, our noses just inches apart.

“We'll start with one question at a time.” He smiles, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “My parents live in upstate New York and yes they are still together, legally anyways.”

“Legally?” I question, confused as to why he decided to word it that way.

“As in, by law they are still married and they still live under the same roof but not because they love each other. Quite the opposite actually.” He says, shaking his head at the thought.

“Wait. Why are they still together if they dislike each other so much?” I ask, not able to understand why anyone would put themselves through being in a loveless marriage when they don't have to.

“I think at first it was for us, me and my brothers. But then after that, I don't know. Honestly I think it's kind of become a game between them. They spend every waking moment making each other as miserable as possible just to see who will break first. Unfortunately both of them are very proud people and this little hate war they have going on will probably never end.”

“I'm sorry, that's awful.” I respond, not really sure what else to say.

“Don't be. It is what it is. Besides, I don't visit often. Honestly I can't be in the same room with either of them for longer than five minutes without wanting to throw myself out of a second story window. I get that they stayed together for us but I really wish they would have realized sooner that by staying together it actually made it worse on us.”

“You said you have brothers?” I ask, trying to steer the conversation hopefully into a happier territory.

“Two. Brock is six years younger than me and still lives at home. He should be finishing his MA in Business next spring, at which time he intends to join me at
Zalec
.” He says, a hint of pride in his voice.

“Aiden on the other hand, well let's just say out of all of us he took after my dad the most. He's three years older than me and we have never been close, not even as kids. He's a righteous asshole that thinks he's right about everything. He lives in L.A. with

his wife that he has never been faithful to and I believe they are on baby number three at this point.”

“Wow. Sounds like a real piece of work.” I say, suddenly appreciating the man that Zayne is. “So if he took after your dad then does that mean that you took after your mom?” I ask, brushing his hair away from his forehead.

“Brock is a lot like mom but me... I don't know. I think I have both of my parent's in me but really I just like to think that I am who I decide to be and that no matter who created me genetically, I can choose to be nothing like either of them. Do you think that's possible?” He asks, trailing his fingertips up and down my arm causing my skin to prickle.

“I don't know. I mean to an extent I think so but I also think some of who we are is just hardwired. No matter how much we wish it weren't. With my parents, I wish I saw more of them in me. In a way I kind of feel like I have done a great disservice to both of them by being their daughter.” I shrug, realizing I probably should have kept that information to myself.

He pulls back a few inches to really look at me, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “How could you ever say that?” He asks, taking my face in his hands. “Grace Morgan you are the most amazing, talented, selfless person I have ever met. Your parents could never be anything but proud of the beautiful woman you have become.” He says, his lips lightly brushing against mine before pulling away again.

“Thank you.” The words barely make it past my lips. I didn't realize how much his reassurance would soothe me but that's exactly what he's done.

“Don't ever doubt your strength Grace. If I have to make it my life's goal, one of these days I am going to make you realize just how damn incredible you really are.” He breathes, taking my mouth with his once more and officially ending the conversation.

––––––––

“Y
ou're burning the bacon.” Zayne laughs from beside me, urging me to the side so that he can take over.

“It was your bright idea to cook breakfast together.” I remind him. “I told you I am a disaster in the kitchen.” I laugh, shrugging my shoulders.

“That you did. I just didn't realize the extent of it.” He says, laughing louder when I reach out and smack his arm. “What?” He questions, smiling widely at me. “You said it first.” He teases, grabbing a plate and removing the bacon from the pan. 

After last night, I didn't think I could feel any more fond of the man standing next to me but now, well now I'm starting to realize that there is no limit to the amount of ways that Zayne can make me fall even harder for him. Seeing him so playful, so at ease. I feel like he's showing me a part of himself that he doesn't show often and I can't help but feel so incredibly lucky to get to share moments like this with him.

I step back and watch him dump some scrambled eggs on a plate next to the bacon. His broad back on full display as he's wearing nothing but a pair of lounge pants that hang just right on his narrow hips.

He turns around to find me studying him. “What?” He asks playfully, his eyebrows shooting up in question.

I shake my head at him and smile wider. “You're just nice to look at it.” I say casually, as if it's everyday that I get to look at a man as perfect as the one before me.

“You're not so bad yourself.” He replies, closing the distance between us in two long strides and pinning my body against the kitchen island. “Have I told you how much I love you in my clothes?” He asks, trailing his fingers down the front of the red NYU t-shirt that I snagged from his dresser this morning.

“Only like every time I'm here.” I fake boredom. He laughs and then leans his face down to meet mine.

“Well clearly I like it then.” He purrs against my mouth before gently brushing his lips against mine. The contact instantly makes me crave more but Zayne has other plans in mind. Pulling away, he smiles knowingly and then turns his attention back to preparing our plates.

He joins me at the island, pulling out the stool next to me to take a seat when the doorbell sounds, startling us both. I raise my eyebrows at him and he shrugs his shoulders like he has no idea who it could be.

Then a hard knock pounds against the door and Alec's voice carries through the room. “Zayne, I know you're home. Open the door.” He says, pounding again.

Zayne turns to me, his eyes betraying him by showing me the panic in those beautiful pools of deep blue. “I'll be in the bedroom. Let me know when he's gone.” I say, seeing his relief immediately. Did he really think I was going to just open the door and let Alec find me here? While I want to stop hiding this from my brother, finding me in his best friend's apartment half naked is not the way I envisioned telling him.

Zayne nods and quickly stands from his stool while I scramble down the hallway, ducking into the first room on the right which just happens to be his study. I hear Alec the moment he enters the apartment and as much as I don't want to eavesdrop, I can't resist the urge to push my ear up to the door in hopes of hearing what he wants.

“Have you fucking lost your mind?” I hear Alec's voice clear as day and he doesn't sound happy. “You realize that you not being able to keep it in your pants almost cost us the biggest deal of our fucking careers. What the hell were you thinking?” His words instantly cause a tight knot to form in the pit of my stomach and I strain harder against the wood to hear Zayne's response, which knowing I am just down the hall comes out much lighter than Alec's.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Zayne's response comes almost immediately.

“Ashley.” Alec roars. “I told you weeks ago to stay away from her. Hell, I've been telling you for years to stop fucking all of our business associates but apparently my requests are falling on deaf ears and you just do whatever the fuck you want to do.” I can tell that Alec is fighting to keep his temper in control and honestly, I am doing the same. With every word the sickening knot in my stomach grows tighter but I can't make myself not listen. “Apparently she made it a point to discuss your lack of professionalism and many other concerns she had about going into business with you with Mr. Lee after you left.”

“What the fuck does me sleeping with anyone have to do with my professionalism?” Zayne protests, anger rising in his voice.

“It doesn't you asshole. But sleeping with her and then ditching her, no matter how common that may be for you, clearly pissed her off and she purposely tried to sabotage our deal. Lucky for you, I was able to convince him not to back out but only after I promised that you would keep to developing the software and I would handle the business between us going forward.” Alec's voice takes on a bit of a calmer approach but he still sounds beyond pissed.