Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Zariah

I didn’t think I could cum again so soon, but as soon as Pierce stuck his face between my legs and his tongue took over, I came so many times, I lost count.

I fucking lost count.

That’d never happened before.

“Damn, baby. That must’ve been like five in a row.” Pierce grinned, apparently pretty pleased with himself.

I smiled lazily. “I didn’t even know that could happen.”

He kissed his way up to my mouth and rose above me, caging me in with both of his arms on either side of my head. His lopsided grin was too fucking cute. I ran my fingers through his shaggy blond hair and kissed his delectable mouth. “I bet I can give you one more.”

I wrapped my legs around his waist and his stiff dick rubbed against the inside of my thigh. I loved the fact that he was ready to go again.

“Do you have any condoms?” I asked.

“Shit no. I bet they have some at the shops downstairs.”

“I’m clean and on birth control. So if you’re clean, I’m okay with not using one.”

“I am. Honestly, it’s embarrassing to say, but it’s kind of been a long time for me.”

Could he be any more adorable? His vulnerability with me blew me away, especially as a guy his age and I felt myself falling deeper and deeper under his spell. “Me too.”

We kissed and kissed and as he lined himself up and plunged inside, the best feeling came over me. I felt complete. I felt whole.

It was unlike anything I’d ever felt before and I’d chase it for the rest of my life if only to feel it once more.

We didn’t sleep much that night either, unable to get enough of each other. As we watched the sun rise on my balcony, wrapped up together in one of my bed sheets, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind.

I loved this man.

I loved every part of this man.

It felt so right when all of the other times in my life it always felt so wrong.

But how could we ever work?

Because after all, it would never be anything more than a fantasy.

Regardless of how I knew this would all end, we spent the next two weeks attached at the hip. Through the Christmas holiday and into the New Year, we celebrated together and took part in all that the cruise had to offer. We tried spending time apart, him with his family and me relaxing in the spa, but in the end, we were back in each other’s arms as soon as possible.

I loved him, but I never told him so. I couldn’t bring myself to say the words, but I knew he felt the same way. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t shake the thought that admitting our feelings would only make everything worse.

One time, while making love, I heard him whisper those three little words, and as tears leaked from my eyes, I whispered them back. How would we part ways at the end? Would we find a way to make this work? Find a way to see each other? Or was I just fooling myself?

As we neared the end of the cruise, one of the last nights on the ship, we laid in each other’s arms for hours, talking and laughing and making love. We both tried to ignore the elephant in the room, but it was growing larger by the minute, and when I could no longer stand the suffocation, I blurted out the question I dreaded asking. “Will I ever see you again?”

Pierce sighed and kissed the top of my head, but he didn’t answer me.

My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt like I was going to be sick.

“Pierce?”

“Fuck, I don’t know, Z.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“I want to, believe me, I do. But there’s so much logistics to work out. We don’t exactly live near each other.”

I sat up abruptly. “I knew this would go too far.” I stood and grabbed my robe from the chair.

Pierce leaned on one elbow. “Don’t be like that, Z. Come back to bed. Let’s talk about this.”

“What’s there to talk about? We both knew this wasn’t realistic. But I was stupid to let it go this far.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do! I was setting myself up for hurt and look, surprise, surprise, it happened.”

Pierce got out of bed and came up beside me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. “No one is hurting each other. Look at me.”

My eyes met his, and I blinked back tears.

“I love you, Zariah. I’ve loved you since the moment my luggage cart almost ran you over. We’ll find a way. We have to.”

“I love you, too,” I said. I meant those words. For the first time in my life, I truly meant those words. I loved Pierce. Yet I wasn’t so sure we would find a way. So I tried to remember the promise I made to myself—to not forget it was all in good fun. But as much as I repeated those words, my heart didn’t listen.

“Please come back to bed?” Pierce asked as he tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear.

I shook my head. “I think you should go.” I choked out the words and hoped he didn’t hear the sob behind them.

“What? What are you talking about?” Pierce rubbed his hands up and down my arms.

“Why prolong this further? If we’re going to end up separating, then we might as well do it now. I can’t…I can’t bear the thought of losing you. I’d rather lose you now and get through the pain than anticipate one second more.”

“Z…that’s…no, no. I won’t let you do this. I told you we’d find a way. You’re mine, and I’m yours. There’s no one else in this world I want.”

“But you…you live in Boston, your life is there. Mine is in Appleridge. Not to mention, the age thing. You want children. What if I have a hard time because of my age? And then there’s your family. They prob aren’t happy you’ve been spending so much time with me. There’s so much to think about and…”

“So what? We’ll figure it out.”

“How can you be so sure?” I cried.

“Because I love you. I want you as mine. And I’m never letting you go.”