"It was true that the city could still throw shadows filled with mystifying figures from its past, whose grip on the present could be felt on certain strange days, when the streets were dark with rain and harmful ideas."
― Christopher Fowler, Ten Second Staircase
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I stared at Lisa's retreating car until she was out of sight, her words lingering behind.
Not knowing whether I could trust her gut feeling or mine more, I decided to not do anything as long as neither Harry nor Amelie gave me a reason to distrust them. Declaring war would end in a disaster I had no intention to experience.
"Zoey?" Harry called, snapping me out of my thoughts.
Lisa was long gone and I just stood in the driveway, as dumbfounded as ever. Upon hearing his voice, I turned around to find him grinning at me from the doorway. "Yeah?"
"Are you daydreaming or talking to dead people like in Ghost Whisperer?" He asked, a glint of amusement in his eyes.
"I'm talking to Jesus and he tells you to stop," I deadpanned, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
Harry bellowed, the sound of his laughter warming my heart. "You're so crazy, I love it."
"That's one of my many qualities." I climbed the few stairs and swung my arms around his neck, holding him close to me. Inhaling his scent, I felt at peace and happy, knowing this moment was mine and for no one else to take.
Just when I wanted to pull away, Harry wrapped his arms around my waist and let his hands wander down my butt to the back of my thighs, squeezing them slightly to tell me to jump. I did as he wished, nearly causing him to fall over.
My laughter broke the silence, not even one single cell in my body feeling sorry for him having to carry my weight.
Somehow, using one of his many talents, Harry closed the door and carried me into the living room, falling backwards on the couch so I was straddling him.
He leaned forward to connect our lips, but I turned my head at the last second, feeling his lips on my cheek. "You know, I really feel like eating a cupcake right now."
Harry groaned, grabbing my butt cheeks and forcing me stay on his lap this way. "You're not going anywhere until I allow you to go there." His voice was raspy and dangerously low.
"Ay, okay daddy," I replied with an innocent look on my face.
Another soft groan escaped from somewhere deep down his throat, only to be muffled in my neck when he hid his face from my view. "Zoey, you're killing me."
"Nah, you'll be fine but I'm really craving a cupcake." Now, that I have actually started thinking about it, I honestly wanted one. My mouth watered just at the thought of the chocolate heaven.
"You can wait five more minutes," Harry half-growled, placing his lips on my neck and lightly sucking on the skin.
I tilted my head back, giving him more space to leave small bruises. "Five minutes?"
"That's all I need."
I slapped his arm, chuckling softly. "Perv."
Not bothered by my attitude, Harry continued his little game, leaving me no other option but to sit still. And I was really craving those cupcakes...
Either he felt me getting a bit fidgety, or he simply wanted to get down to business, but Harry lifted the hem of my shirt, revealing a strip of my stomach. I shuddered when his hand reached down to draw soft patterns on my skin, his fingertips sending a shiver down my spine.
All of a sudden, the cupcakes slipped from my mind. Harry was all I could think about; his mesmerizing green eyes, his thin kissable lips, his enormous hands, the overwhelming smell of his cologne and banana bubble gum mixed together and the way his body was so close to mine, every inch touching leaving me panting for more skin on skin.
As if sensing the change in me, he put his lips back on mine, taking the last breath from my lungs. They started to burn, desperate for more air, but my head was already weightless and decided against breaking the kiss.
My senses were on fire, too focused on Harry's clever lips and tongue to notice that his hand sneaked up higher and higher under my shirt, nearly tracing the edge of my bra, while his other hand still firmly held my butt to support my weight on his lap.
When he finally pulled away, I was panting as if I had just run the marathon of my life. The feeling of air filling my lungs again was a relief and I sighed in contentment, finally being able to relish his lips on my jaw.
But just as quickly as my mind had caught up again, his lips stopped working against my skin. "Are you okay?"
The question caught me off guard and I pulled back, taking in the worry on Harry's beautiful face.
I nodded. "You're literally taking my breath away," I whispered, my voice still a bit shaky from the recent breathlessness.
Something about my statement made him smile, the joy reaching his eyes and lightning up the pale green color to a slightly lighter shade. I watched the happiness pour in him, feeling a calming warmness around my heart.
I gasped for air when his hand massaged my breast through my bra, his fingertips cold against my skin where they touched.
It seemed impossible, but I could see his pupils dilate, the lust now having taken over completely. The bulge underneath me was more present than ever, and once again I stopped breathing.
"Let's continue this somewhere else," Harry whispered against my neck, gently biting down on the skin.
I nodded enthusiastically, and shrieked a little when he lifted me up out of nowhere.
As it turned out, I was a bit of a distraction again when I kissed his neck and sucked at his sweet spot, his Adam's apple bopping up and down against my forehead.
A groan escaped his lips and I was reasonably aware that he was only seconds from running into a wall instead of my room.
Just when the tension became too much and Harry had pushed open the door with his knee, the shrilling ring of the house telephone made me jump up in his arms.
Our eyes locked for a second before Harry panic-fuelled shook his head. "You're not going to answer it." It was less of a request than a demand.
I contemplated ignoring it, but a sadistic grin spread on my face.
Just as he realized my decision, I had already jumped off his arms and was running down the hallway to catch the phone from its holding in the entrance hall.
"Zoey!" His voice boomed through the hallway, but sadly didn't urge me to stop.
I heard his footsteps behind me, but my fingers graced the telephone before he had caught me. Still a bit breathless but managing to sound quite normal, I picked up the phone and answered with a firm "Zoey Clark," just in case someone had gotten the wrong number or thought it was my mother picking up instead of me.
"Zoey, heeeey!" A cheery voice echoed through the earpiece, forcing me to draw it from my ears by an inch.
I had immediately recognized the voice, but it was hard not to after knowing her for so many years. "Phoebeeee!" I cheered back, happy to hear my sister's voice after 1.5 weeks again.
Harry raised his eyebrow at my fruity tone and rolled his eyes, indicating for me to hang up with the motions of his hands.
I stuck my tongue out and put my index finger to my lips, telling him to be quiet this way.
Our little exchange happened within five seconds, Phoebe obviously not noticing a thing. She kept talking, happiness pregnant in her voice. "Oh Zo, I wish you were here."
"No, you don't," I heard Adrian talking in the background, inducing a laughter from me.
"Yeah, hi Adrian, I miss you, too," I remarked, sarcasm burrowed in my tone.
"Sorry, Zo, I'm into your sister, not you," Adrian said, this time speaking directly into the phone.
I laughed again, actually having missed our usual banter. "You know, if you weren't such an idiot, I might even like you."
Harry let out a quiet huff, catching my attention this way. When he saw me looking at him, he pouted and pointed at his crotch, using a suffering expression.
I pursed my lips and shook my head, pointing at the living room and forming a cupcake with my free hand. Apparently he didn't get my message, a frown forming, accompanied by a confused look in his eyes.
A low sigh escaped my lips and I zoomed back in on the conversation, just barely catching Adrian saying "... until then. Phoebe wants to talk to you again."
"Okay, see you soon," I mumbled incoherently, trying to cover up the fact that I had no idea what was going on at the moment.
"Hi Z-" was all I heard before Harry snatched the telephone from my hand and held it to his ear.
"Hi Phoebe, it's very nice to talk to you again, but Zoey and I are kinda busy," he explained, putting one hand on his hip. I stifled a laugh and simply mouthed 'diva' when he questioningly raised an eyebrow.
I watched Harry's expression change from a joking to a more serious one. Only catching his part of the conversation, I waited patiently by his side, still trying to make up my mind if I should just ditch my boyfriend and sister to get a cupcake.
"But how are they gonna get home then?" Harry asked, refocusing my attention on him.
I eyed the still visible bulge in his jeans and licked my lips, gently biting down on my bottom lip when I was done.
My little show didn't go by unnoticed. Harry's glare bored into me, instantly causing me to regret my actions. I innocently shrugged my shoulders and pouted, trying to ease the growing tension.
"Uhm, sorry, what did you say, Phoebe?" Harry turned around and stared at the wall, plastered with old family photos.
I was just about to abandon him, when he called my name. "Zoey? Phoebe wants to talk to you again."
I nodded and held out my hand to retrieve the phone from him. He smiled evilly at me and went back to my bedroom after whispering a deep "I'll wait for you" into my ear.
"Phoebs, what's up?" I asked, trying to sound casual and not like I was just about to go insane. Because I definitely was.
"Okay, I really need to keep it short now. You have no idea how much a phone call costs and then they-" she began her little rant.
I held up a hand to stop her before realizing she couldn't see it. "Easy, Phoebe. Breathe. Tell me, why are you calling in the first place?"
"So, you know how mom and I especially planned that our flights would overlap so we all could go to the airport together and drive back home on Wednesday?" She asked.
"Hmm," I hummed, faintly remembering my mother telling me something about it.
"So yeah, there is a problem at their airport and the flight got postponed on Thursday," my sister told me, a bit of worry evident in her voice.
"Oh, do you want me to pick you up?" I asked, silently cursing Adrian for not taking his own damn car but driving with my parents instead.
"Well, you don't have a car, right?"
"Get a taxi?" I suggested half-heartedly, running up and down in the entrance hall until I stepped into the living room. The smell of the cupcakes reached my nostrils and I inhaled deeply, suddenly wanting nothing more than to eat one of those.
"I ain't no Kim Kardashian," Phoebe scoffed, annoyance lacing her voice this time.
"What about Adrian's family?" I tiredly asked, already knowing where this would be leading.
"They're not there. Look, Zo, I don't want to-"
I interrupted her again. "Okay, fine, I'll ask Harry. Can I call you back tonight on your phone?"
I could basically see the smile on Phoebe's face and knew that she had finally gotten the answer she wanted to hear. "Yes, yes! Oh Zoey, you have no idea how much I love you."
"I love you, too, Zoey!" Adrian called in the background. Some slapping noise and a little 'ouch' was heard and I imagined my sister slapping him on the arm or punching him in the face or something like that. She tended to be quite aggressive sometimes.
"Whatever, I want a cupcake and my boyfriend wants to have sex. Bye, sis," I said, quickly ending the call before she had the chance to reply.
I stared at the phone in my hand for another few seconds before I put it back down on its holding and quickly entered the kitchen. Knowing I had about 30 seconds to eat a cupcake, I swiftly stuffed one, ending up with frosting all around my mouth.
"Zoey?" Harry called from the end of the hallway and I panicked.
My desperate attempt to eat the cupcake and wipe my mouth ended up as a success and before long, I was running down the hallway to meet Harry halfway.
"You know, I was getting quite lonely in there," he admitted, a sneaky grin on his lips.
"Time for some company, then," I grinned back, sneaking my arms around his waist and pulling him closer, until his bulge was pressing into my abdomen. "But I think we need to do something about it first," I added, my eyes flickering down, "if you catch what I'm putting down."
Before he had a chance to fully comprehend what I was talking about, I reached between us to run my hand over the prominent bulge, feeling the material of his jeans against my palm.
Harry watched my face closely, awe shortly flicking over it, before his expression changed into one of satisfaction. A deep groan rumbled from his chest and he leaned his forehead against mine, closing his eyes when I tightened my grip.
My hand slid up his body to pull the plain shirt over his head. Harry helped me get rid of it, his breath becoming shallow. Without a second thought, I placed both my hands on his chest and pushed him backwards into my room, directing him to my bed until he fell down, his legs still dangling over the end.
His hands reached out to pull me on top of him, but I stepped back and shook my head, already having made up my mind. This wasn't about me, this was only about him and his needs right now, although our last time had been only hours ago.
Harry seemed to understand my motive and laid back down, his hands resting beside him on the sheets. I smiled happily at him and stepped closer again, my hands dropping down to the button and zip of his jeans, managing to forcefully tug them down his legs.
I admired his body for a moment, but then shook my head to clear my thoughts. Harry watched me intently, his heavy breathing harmonizing with mine.
I licked my lips again, feeling them starting to dry out the more I did it, but I couldn't care less at the moment. Kind of glad they still weren't chapped, I reached out for the waistband of his boxers and tore them down his legs, dropping them on top of his jeans.
Harry sighed in relief when all the restrains were gone, nothing holding his manhood back anymore. The sigh turned into a moan as I wrapped my fingers around his length, feeling the smooth skin beneath my palm.
His hips buckled when my thumb stroked his head, and the pace of the rise and fall of his chest increased dangerously. I swore I could nearly see his heart beating through his chest.
Enjoying the power I held over him, I motioned for him to slide back until he was fully lying down on the mattress, leaving me enough space to join him. I shifted my weight onto my knees, taking a secure position between his legs, preventing them from shutting against my will.
I leaned over him and put one soft kiss onto his lips, before going back to my previous position. I made sure to keep eye contact as I leaned down, my lips touching his head. He sucked in a harsh breath at the contact, momentarily closing his eyes before forcing them to stay open.
I focused on my work, running my tongue up his entire length, soon closing my lips around the tip. Harry's breath was ragged, and I was only faintly aware of his hands running through my hair, the feeling somehow calming me down a bit.
Pushing forward, I took more of him past my lips, my eyes still trained on his. I recalled the way he reacted when I played with his balls, so I decided to do exactly that, earning the reaction I wanted to have.
One hand was occupied with the new action, while the other pumped the part I couldn't take. I bobbed forward, sliding him in and out in fluid motions. Each time the tip hit the back of my throat, Harry moaned deeply, my name leaving his lips in a deep prayer.
He grew restless underneath me, his fingers tucking at my hair a bit harsher every time. I squeezed his balls tightly, urging him to take it easy on me. My message got through hence he loosened his grip a bit and muttered a quite apology.
My actions didn't falter even once, and I could tell I was quickly building up his high. My cheeks hollowed out as I sucked, my tongue running up and down his length and flicking around his head each time I pulled back.
I had long lost eye contact, Harry trying to look down as often as possible but needing to close his eyes every now and then. He harshly bit his lower lip, leaving it redder than usually.
His hips buckled once more against his will, a low groan erupting from his chest. "Zoey," he whimpered quietly, tugging at my hair again. I could tell he was close, too close already, but I went down one last time.
My tongue carefully traced his length again, my cheeks hollowed out and I took more than before until I pulled back and closed my lips around his tip, teasingly flicking my tongue around his head again.
Short before I felt his muscles contract in his abdomen, I pulled back and wrapped the hand that was previously playing with his balls around the head, while my other hand still pumped a few times.
"God, Zoey," Harry groaned, his eyes squeezing shut and his hands fisting the sheet on my bed.
I enjoyed every second of this, burning the pictures of his vulnerability into my mind, forcing me to never forget them.
With one final pump, Harry came into my hand. I kept it closed firmly around his tip, catching everything in my palm. I traced his length with my free hands a bit longer, waiting until he slowly calmed down and softened underneath my touch.
Harry inhaled and exhaled deeply, carefully, keeping his eyes shut the whole time. His left hand let go of the sheet and ran through his hair instead.
I smiled at the beautiful man in front of me, still not believing he truly was mine. Harry deserved the world but the world didn't deserve him, I couldn't say it often enough.
Realizing my hand became all sticky, I quickly moved to the end of the bed and got up, tiptoeing across the hallway and into my bathroom, swiftly washing my hands and watching my flustered reflection in the mirror. My cheeks were red and my eyes had a happy glow to them, one that only Harry could evoke.
I walked back into my bedroom, watching as Harry leaned up on his elbows to look up at me. His lips were parted and heavy puffs escaped them. A healthy flush was visible on his cheeks, dimples plopping out when he shot me a grin.
"Zoey," he spoke up, his voice raspy and unsteady. It seemed like he wanted to say more, but with a shake of his head, he closed his mouth and just grinned at me.
"Maybe you should make cupcakes more often," I laughed, my eyes shamelessly wandering up and down his body.
"You know that you're the most incredible girl ever, right?" He asked, a serious expression taking over.
My laugh turned into a happy smile and I plopped down on the bed again, leaning down until my lips touched his. Just a feathery touch away, I whispered a silent 'yes' and connected our lips into a hungry kiss.
My hands flew up to his chest and I could feel the layer of sweat, but it didn't bother me. Harry broke the kiss to put his lips on my nose, placing a little kiss there. He leaned back and shook his head. "I need to take another shower."
"Be my guest," I said, my fingers teasingly running down his firm torso to his v-line.
Harry's lips parted again and I knew that I should probably stop, but I couldn't. Just when my hand was about to reach for his length again, he grabbed my wrist. "Don't."
The word came not out as strong as he had probably intended, but I couldn't ignore the demanding tone. Knowing he was still a bit sensitive, I let it go.
"Take a shower, you stink," I teased him, laying down on the mattress beside him.
Harry propped himself up and gripped my chin between his thumb and index finger, forcing me to look him in the eyes. "I have no idea what I have done to deserve you, but I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it worth your time."
He leaned his forehead against mine and kissed my lips once, twice, and even a third time, before swinging his legs over the side and getting up.
I watched him grab a few clothes from his compartment in my closet. My eyes still followed him as he walked to the door, butt naked. The muscles in his back constricted with every step he took.
Just as he was about to step into the bathroom, one hand already on the door handle, he turned around to look at me, catching me red-handed. A grin spread on his lips, and he wiggled his eyebrows for a moment.
I groaned and pulled a pillow over my eyes, only to throw it into his direction - and not coming even close - when I heard him chuckle.
Looking into his eyes again, I found a happy smile once more. He was about to close the door, when he stopped and watched me closely. "I love you, Zoey."
My heart warmed at his words and an innocence overwhelmed me, making me want to cry tears of joy and happiness. "I love you, Harry."
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I wanted to go somewhere totally else with this chapter but decided to give you some more happy Zorry moments...