At the gym on a Friday, he insists I do squats with him even though I have to take off basically all the weights from the bar so he can do his repetitions. Watching him grunt and sweat as he pushes up a ridiculous amount of weight does have a certain primal effect on me, though. No sense in denying that. He’s a beast, and yeah, our sex life during this time is the best it’s ever been for me.
When I go to squat, he directs my form, putting his hands on my hips to guide me up and down. I’ve never really worked out before, so this is a new experience.
My stomach flutters as he touches me, adrenaline surging through my body.
The only times I get this feeling is when I’m doing a show and when he touches me.
On our walk back to the apartment, my mind starts to churn. Zach has been so amazing since we arrived in Nashville, it almost leaves me wondering when the other shoe is going to drop.
He’s not the most expressive man, either.
Which isn’t necessarily a problem, but even if he is the strong silent type, there are things I need to know.
“Question,” I chirp.
“Answer. Maybe,” he grins.
“This is going to sound weird.”
“Fine, I’ll answer. Yes, I did like you slapping my butt a little during sex yesterday. And I did check you out while you were squatting. Guilty. On both counts.”
Tossing my hair over my shoulder. “You were?” I swallow.
Taking my hand as we continue walking in stride, he nods. “I admit it. But I blame those damn yoga pants. It’s impossible not to look.” A devilish smirk on his face, he brushes hair from my ear.
I roll my eyes at his cocky grin, laughing. “What?! That’s not what I was thinking. You took this conversation in a totally different direction.”
“Oh. Whoops.”
“But duly noted. No, this is serious.”
“Oh?”
I nod, taking a deep breath. “Why are you treating me so well?”
Zach recoils. “Excuse me?”
Stiffening, I continue. “You’ve been so good to me. And I don’t get it. Not totally. I’ve known you for what—a month? Not to say that we don’t have an amazing connection. We do. But you don’t have to do all this for me. I told you, I can get a job. I can contribute. Music can just be my side thing for now.”
We arrive at the apartment door. Zach turns his key and we trudge up the steps to the second floor.
My heart hammers as I wait for a response. I hate when he does these long, drawn-out silences because I never know what he’s thinking.
Finally, when we’re inside, he shuts the door and turns to me.
Drawing a hand across my cheek and pushing my hair behind my ear, he stares so hard with his brown eyes that they threaten to sear a hole through my skin.
He swallows. “You’re right. This has been a whirlwind—between us, I mean. If you truly want to start working days, or something, that’s fine. I’ll tell you why I’m doing this, though.”
He averts his eyes. “When I saw you that first night, you changed something in me. I walked into The Hungry Burger feeling like shit. When I left, I felt like I could take on the world. And you did that to me. It didn’t matter if I never saw you again. I don’t say this to be cold—I didn’t care if I saw you again. It didn’t matter, because you had changed me for good. No—fate had me taking you home that night. And destiny had us meet up again at a party. Now we’re in Nashville, and yes, it’s crazy how fast everything happened. But I know how happy I am with you. Supporting you. Bringing your voice—your light—to the world.”
Chills roll through my body, Swallowing the lump in my throat, I try to block the tears I feel welling up in my eyes.
Zach caresses the side of my face softly.
“Honestly, I’m probably just as confused as you at how fast this train is moving. I’ve never known something like this. All I know is that for the first time in my life, I’m hopeful about the future. And not just you. Sure, you’re a part of it. But I mean in general—my restaurant, and, all right, yes, you too. And I’m optimistic for the world. Because they’re about to get introduced to Harmony motherfucking Lane. I’m not a music agent. I know that. Maybe you should get one sometime soon. I’m just a guy who believes you’re the shit.”
My heart burns with fiery passion, and I lower my head, wiping my cheek against my shoulder because I don’t want him to see how ridiculously emotional I’m getting.
“Harm,” he whispers, tipping my chin up so my eyes meet his. “It’s okay. I feel it too. We’re not in a rush. Let’s just enjoy this.”
Warmth spreads inside me, and I jump into him, wrapping my arms around his back as hard as I can. His arms envelop me too, but I know he’s being gentle so as not to break me.
I feel like I can hug him as hard as I possibly can, and he’ll always withstand the pressure because he won’t ever break.
“Thank you for telling me all this, Zach,” I whisper.
“You’re welcome, Vanderbilt,” he growls back.
As we hug, our bodies grind into each other. He must feel the warmth, too, because his hands slip from behind my back to my ass, and he helps me shift my legs so that my clit is grinding against his leg. Hanging onto his neck, I kiss him like crazy.
“I want you so much, Harm,” he whispers in my ear, his hands hungrily touching me anywhere they can find.
“Fuck me,” I whisper desperately. “Please fuck me, Zach.”
He tugs down my yoga pants, and I pull his pants down, his cock instantly springing up.
“I want to feel you raw so bad,” Zach growls as he teases me with his tip, just like the very first night.
“I’m on the pill,” I mewl. “It’s fine.”
His eyes go wide. “Really?”
“Yes.”
Putting my hand on his base, I bend down and take him in my mouth.
He mutters guttural noises, all unintelligible. I revel in having caught him off guard for once.
Closing my eyes, I moan as I bob my head up and down on his hard length, feeling his hands ponytailing my hair and caressing my back.
Goosebumps cascade down my skin, and butterflies flutter inside as I feel the vibrations of his moans through my lips.
He gently pulls my head away, and I suck in a hard breath. “God, that’s hot. But I need to be inside you—now.”
“Okay,” I mutter, and Zach pulls off my shoes and takes my pants away from my ankles. He’s always the patient one, the teasing one, and it turns me on so much to hear the urgency in his voice.
Hoisting me up like I weigh nothing, he positions me on the kitchen table, and I help him spread my legs.
We make eye contact, one last lucid moment before he carries me off to dreamland.
He doesn’t tease me with his tip and play games this time.
Zach thrusts into me deeply, and I’m slick as I feel him raw for the first time.
My body shudders and warmth envelopes me as he fucks me deeply, wholly, with extreme urgency.
With his hands on my hips, he helps us find our perfect rhythm, and I crescendo to a delicious, whole-body shaking orgasm with him deep inside of me.
The kitchen table shakes, and I think an extra plate falls off on the other side, but I can’t be sure because I’m caught in a vortex. There is only Zach and me.