Blue-Collar Billionaires: The Complete Series, page 61
Debbie covers her mouth. “Oh no, I’m so sorry!”
“Yeah, we did. With everything that’s been going on I didn’t get to tell you guys.”
There’s another round of commotion as I’m enveloped in hugs again, with everyone telling me how sorry they are. All the while, Zack watches with that maddening little smile on his face.
“It’s okay, really. It was for the best.”
Paula puts her arm around my shoulders. “It’s better you found out he was a dud now rather than later. Maybe Sasha can fix you up!”
Sasha winks. “I could do that. But I don’t think Josie will have any trouble finding her own dates.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks. Sasha is the only other person there aware of how I feel about Zack. Even though I know she won’t spill the secret, it’s still incredibly uncomfortable to have this conversation play out while Zack watches.
After Debbie and Paula leave, Sasha and Gabe go back upstairs. He’s still moving slowly but I’m happy to see he’s looking much better than the last time I saw him.
Once we’re alone, I turn to Zack. “That was a little awkward.”
“Just think, we’ll have a lifetime of awkwardness to look forward to.”
Or we could have a lifetime of something else. But I don’t say that out loud. If I want him to give this a chance, scaring him with thoughts of commitment isn’t the way to go.
“Are you backing out of our deal?”
Zack looks like he wants to but finally he shakes his head. “No. But I do have one condition. We can't tell Gabe.”
“Am I your dirty little secret?” I’m joking but there’s a little pang of hurt at the idea that he doesn’t want to be seen with me.
“It’s no one’s business. It’ll only make them uncomfortable and trust me, they’ll all have an opinion about it.”
I think about how weird it was to have Debbie and Paula asking about my dating life before. It would be doubly weird for them to know that I’m doing the nasty with Zack. Just the thought of that makes me want to go hide.
“That’s probably for the best then.”
“Come on, I’ll drive you home.”
He puts his hand on my lower back as we walk outside. My stomach is instantly a mass of butterflies. I can hardly believe what’s about to happen. Are we really going to do this? My mouth is suddenly dry and I’m hit with a million insecurities at once. Will he be expecting sexy lingerie? Did I remember to shave this morning? What if it hurts a lot and I can’t even do it?
All these thoughts swirl around my brain the entire drive home until I’m a ball of nerves when he finally parks in front of Izzie’s house.
“What’s wrong with you? You look like you’re on the way to an execution.”
Zack waits patiently as I figure out how to explain what I’m feeling without coming off as completely flighty. I’ve assured him over and over that this is really what I want and now that we’re about to get down to it, I’m terrified.
“I’m just nervous. But it’s no big deal. Everyone’s nervous their first time, right?”
Zack cracks up. “Jo, what do you think is about to happen?”
He cracks up harder when I glare at him. I mean, seriously what does he think?
“I thought you’d want to, you know, do it now.”
“Eager little thing, aren’t you?”
“Well… yeah.”
His smile flashes again before he reaches over and takes my hand. The butterflies in my stomach explode all over again at the warm press of his palm against mine.
“I’m eager, too sweetheart but I want it to be right. It should never be something you do on a schedule. When the time is right, it’ll just happen. We’re not going to rush it.”
“So, you’re not coming in?”
He shakes his head. Even though I’m disappointed there’s an equal part of me that’s relieved also. When we were kissing on the floor the other day, I was too into it to be nervous. Everything was all warmth and sensation and there was no room in there for nerves. But just doing it out of the blue is really intimidating. Trust Zack to know that I’d feel that way. He always seems to know what I’m feeling. Although he’s usually using those insights to annoy me.
“I’m not going to make love to you, yet. But I am going to kiss you.”
He leans over halfway and waits for me to make the next move. I lean into him and when our lips meet, it warms me down to my toes. He doesn’t try to turn it into anything else either, no tongue or hands involved. Just a sweet kiss that makes me feel completely cherished.
Until in a moment of bravery, I pull his lip between my teeth.
He moans into my mouth and just that quickly, the kiss turns hot and wet. His tongue slides against mine and I suck on it gently.
Zack pulls back, his heavy breathing loud in the quiet car.
“Go in the house, Josie. Before I change my mind about being a gentleman.”
“I don’t want you to be a gentleman.”
“Go,” he growls.
I can feel his eyes on me until I enter the house and shut the door behind me. By the time I slide into bed later that night, I swear I can still feel his lips on mine.
Chapter Nine
Josie
Two days go by before we have time to meet again. Zack asks me to come to the shop. I have no idea what to expect. Guys usually have a different idea of taking things slow so I’m not sure what he’s planning for later. Just in case, I take extra time conditioning my hair and shave my legs so they are perfectly smooth.
When I get to my bikini line I have another minor freak out. Izzie’s always talking about getting waxed but I’m too scared to do that. Is that what guys expect now? For it to be completely bare down there?
“This is way too much stress,” I mumble before deciding to just do my usual routine, cleaning up the stray hairs. I like things tidy but have never felt the need to take it all off before. I hope Zack is cool with the natural look.
As I dry my hair I think about our conversation last night. He called me right before bed and we stayed on the phone for an hour just chatting about random things. He didn’t bring up our deal and neither did I but I’m sure it’s not far from his thoughts.
Talking to him is different now. He’s not being as raunchy as usual and he seems to be making an effort to ask about what’s going on in my life. Usually he’s teasing me or we’re bickering about something but now, well, I think we’re flirting.
I like it.
When I get to the shop, I pull around the back and park next to Zack’s car. He drives this souped up electric blue Dodge Challenger that’s as loud and in-your-face as he is. His leather jacket is visible on the passenger seat. I wonder if he’s going to take me for a ride. He knows I love riding with him just because I love this car.
The back door requires a key so I walk around the front. My stomach is fluttering again. As many times as I’ve visited him or Gabe at the shop, this feels completely different. This time I’m here with no idea of what’s going to happen.
This time I’m nervous.
The bell on the front door tinkles overhead when I enter. It seems way louder than usual. Zack is behind the counter and when he sees me, his face softens. He tips his head up acknowledging me before he turns back to his customer.
I have no idea how to act. I’ve always had a slightly antagonistic relationship with Zack. First because he made fun of me relentlessly for following Gabe around all the time. Then later because he made me hot which pissed me off.
Now we’re at this strange detente and it’s like starting over from scratch. After everything that happened when Gabe got injured, our previous state of feuding seems silly and juvenile.
But that doesn't mean I feel comfortable with him doing me favors. Especially not these kind of favors.
Thanks for getting naked for me so I can capture your incredible body on camera! And could you also rock my world between the sheets so I can see what all the fuss is about? Great, thanks!
It’s all mortifying.
Since Zack is busy, I go in the back to say hi to everyone else. Jim waves as I pass by but doesn’t stop what he’s working on. When I cross the garage one of the mechanics, Reed Harris, waves me over. Zack told me once Reed was in their class in high school but I don’t remember him from back then. He’s got a laid back beach bum kind of vibe with messy blond hair that always looks like it needs a trim.
“Hey, girl. Where have you been lately? Haven’t seen you for a while.” He pulls me into a quick hug.
I shrug but I can feel the heat climbing to my cheeks. If you’d told me last week that my absence would be such a big deal, I wouldn’t have believed it. It’s nice to be missed though.
“Just busy. Had family in town and working on something new. What about you?” I deflect back to him, hoping he doesn’t notice how shaky my voice is.
“It’s been the same old thing around here. We’re all working overtime while Gabe’s out.”
“Yeah. I know he misses you guys. He hates not being able to work.”
“That was pretty messed up what happened to him.”
No one outside of the family knows the real story behind Gabe’s attack. Everyone else thinks he was mugged at random.
“It was. I’ll be sure to tell him you asked about him. Once he’s feeling better I’m sure he’d appreciate a visit.”
He grins. “Sasha’s with him so I won’t go just yet. I’m sure he’s enjoying being taken care of.”
“Hey, Jo. Sorry about that.”
We both turn at the sound of Zack’s voice. He’s still wearing the coveralls with his name stitched in the right corner and his dark hair has started to grow in on the sides a bit. Without the spikes and the tattoos on display, he almost looks… normal.
“Hey. It’s okay.”
Reed looks back and forth between us. “Cool, I have to get back to work. But I’ll see you around.”
Zack leads me to the other side of the garage where a black motorcycle is waiting in one of the bays.
“Nice bike. What kind is it?”
“This is a Harley Softail.”
“Who does it belong to?”
“One of our longtime customers, Helen Chisholm. She’s a great lady and she’s been coming here for a long time. Reed just finished this one. I wanted to take it for a spin and make sure it’s good to go. I figured that would be an adventure.”
I gape at him. “You want me to ride that?”
“Not by yourself. With me. Have you ever ridden before?”
“No. Gabe never takes his bike when we go out. I only asked him once and he said that he didn’t want to risk it. That he’s not used to having anyone ride with him.”
“He was lying. I’ve ridden behind him before and we were fine. You have to understand that Gabe has more old-fashioned ideas than I do. He thinks that women should be protected. He hasn’t taken Sasha on his bike either.”
“You don’t think women need to be protected?”
He shrugs. “Sometimes I do. But there’s a difference between being protected and being put on a shelf. What’s the point of living life from the backseat?”
Zack reaches behind me and picks up a helmet. It’s black with these cool blue designs running down the sides. “You’ll need this.”
I hand him my bag which he stashes in a drawer. I finally lose my grip on my excitement and let out a little squeal.
“This is so cool! Are you sure the owner won’t mind?”
Zack helps me position the helmet over my hair. I had it up in a ponytail which I have to take down to get the helmet to fit.
“I’m sure she won’t mind because I called and asked her. Usually I would take it up the street and back but I wanted to really take you for a ride.”
I give him a saucy look. “Are we still talking about motorcycles?”
“I am but I’ve learned not to underestimate your imagination, Miss Harlow.”
The low timbre of his voice combined with the soft touches of his fingers against my chin as we finally get the helmet in place set my stomach tingling again. But I’m very aware that we’re not alone.
Jim has come out from under the car he was working on. He’s brought his customer to the back to show him something under the hood. He only glances our way briefly but the man sees everything, always has. And Reed is pretending to be looking for something in his toolbox but every time I look over there, he’s watching us.
Now I feel completely self-conscious, sure that everyone around me can read my feelings for him as surely as if they’re written all over my face.
“Everyone is staring.”
Zack snorts. “No, they’re not.”
“This is weird. I feel like I’m suddenly seeing spies on every corner when any other day I would have come back here to talk to you without even thinking about it.”
Zack hits a button and the automatic door for our bay opens. He climbs on the bike and then gestures for me to get on behind him. He shows me where to put my feet.
“They’re only staring because we’re not fighting for once.”
“We don’t fight that much, do we?”
“All the time. You gave me hell.”
“You deserved it.”
We laugh together. This flirting thing is way more fun than arguing ever was.
“Besides,” Zack continues. “He’s just jealous that he doesn’t have Jessica Rabbit snuggled up to him.”
“Jessica Rabbit was a redhead,” I point out.
“Was she?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll take your word for it. Believe me, I wasn’t looking at her hair.”
“Oh, I know what you were looking at.”
I laugh and then squeal when he starts the engine. I grab him around the waist. I would have never thought this would be a sensual experience but between the hard press of Zack’s back and the rumble between my thighs, I have an entirely new understanding of why people like motorcycles.
“Are you ready?”
I tap his stomach twice to let him know I’m okay. He pulls out and the wind swallows my scream.
* * *
Over the next week, we embark on a series of adventures with me taking pictures along the way. Some are thrilling, some are silly but every single one is more fun than I’ve had in ages.
After our afternoon of motorcycle riding, the next day we went to a carnival and rode the Ferris wheel and lost money playing all those obviously rigged games. Then he took me to a gym in the neighboring city of New Haven that has a rock wall. We spent the afternoon racing to see who could climb to the top the fastest. He won every time.
I know what he’s doing. He’s making sure I’m comfortable and that I won’t regret anything. He’s being so sweet and patient. With every one of our adventure dates, I’m more sure than ever that my heart knew what it was doing when it decided on Zack Marshall.
Even though I appreciate his patience, the burn has increased with every hour that I’m with him. Now every touch puts me on edge. Every time he brushes against me, I’m on fire. I want him.
And I’m ready.
When he tells me that he wants to stay home on Friday night, I know that the time has come. There’s no man in the world who can hold out this long and frankly if he doesn’t do something tonight then I might take matters into my own hands. I’m rushing around cleaning the house, straightening things and I’ve changed my shirt several times.
My brother is sitting at the table in the kitchen. He watches my mania with curious eyes. “Why do you keep wiping that counter? You’ve been at that same spot for the past ten minutes.”
“This place is filthy! I’m just cleaning up.”
Jamie looks around. “It looks fine. You weren’t this OCD when I lived at home.”
Izzie looks over at me with knowing eyes. I told her that Zack was coming over earlier because she wanted to know if I had plans. Her usual drinking partners have done the unthinkable and all gotten boyfriends. This has put a serious dent in her partying.
Luckily she takes pity on me. I think she can tell that I’m really nervous and on the verge of having some kind of breakdown.
“Women get on these random cleaning binges sometimes. I do it, too when I have PMS.”
He shakes his head. “Women are a mystery.”
“I have an idea. James, why don’t we go to the movies? I’ll even buy the popcorn.”
Relief sweeps through me and I give Izzie a grateful look. The thought of doing sexy things while they’re around freaks me out. What if they heard us? My brother and I are cool but there are some things that I will never feel comfortable talking about with him. I’ll be way less stressed if Zack and I have the house to ourselves.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve done that,” Jamie says. “That would be great. Yes, let’s do it.” He looks really excited.
I could just hug Izzie for this. She can be pushy and brash sometimes but she’s always there for me. Entertaining my brother is way above and beyond the call of friendship. Jamie is pretty conservative and I’ve noticed that Izzie has tried to tone down her more outrageous traits while he’s around.
Fifteen minutes later they are gone and I’m waiting in the living room having finally given up on achieving a perfectly clean kitchen. When Zack knocks on the door a few minutes later, I yank it open right away.
He looks at me and then behind him. “Am I late?”
“No. I was just right here. That’s all.”
He follows me inside and I wait while he hangs his coat on the stand. Then he turns and pulls me into his arms. Our kiss quickly turns hot and I’m practically climbing him where he stands. He pulls back slightly and licks his lips.
“Missed me, huh?”
“Yeah. I have.” Suddenly hit with nerves after almost climbing down his throat, I lead him into the living room. “Do you want anything to drink?”
He claps his hands. “No, I think I’m good.”
I notice that he’s freshly shaved and he’s taken the time to change out of the T-shirt and jeans he usually wears under his coveralls at work. The jeans he’s got on now look brand new and his shirt is a button up. His hair has been buzz cut so it’s all the same length for once. It dawns on me then that he’s cleaned up for me.
