Elle POV
When I wake, I find Zak passed out beside me, his phone resting on his chest with one hand extended out, resting on my hip. I don't know what the time is, but I can only presume it's dusk from the position of the sun in the sky.
I take a few minutes to admire Zak in his sleeping form, before sitting up slowly and removing his glasses from his face. Sliding his phone out of his hand, the screen lights up, informing me that he's currently bidding for a new haunted item. Seeing that he had been out-bidded, I throw in a bid and go to put it down when it vibrates, alerting me to a message.
- I know you've left Vegas. Text me when you are back.. Or I'll tell her.
Frowning at the message, I do the unthinkable and try to ring it. As soon as I press the call button, I regret it. But I'm committed to my action now and decide to see it through. With my heart pumping away in my chest, I look over at Zak, hoping he doesn't wake up, but the call disconnect. I then can't stop myself as I delete the message and I quickly lock his phone, setting it aside.
With shaky hands, I look between him and his cell phone wondering what on earth possessed me to do that. Was it because one of my fears was being cheated on? That maybe he hasn't been entirely honest since coming back home?
He had seemed his usual self since returning, we kind of found each other again and I was loving his commitment to our relationship. But was there something going on in the background, making him act this way to cover what he was up to?
Stop it. You trust him.. You trust him. Stop finding a problem.
I stare at his phone a few seconds longer, before getting up and heading into the bathroom. Closing the door behind me, I throw water over my face and brace myself against the sink.
I crossed the line. I invaded his privacy.. I was in the wrong.
"Elle?"
The sound of Zak calling out makes me jump and I hurry out the bathroom to see him looking at me through one eye whilst the other is screwed up.
"Hey." I smile briefly, wondering if he knew..
"You good?"
I nod. "Are you still heading out tonight to do the interviews?"
He stretches, causing his shirt to ride up and expose a little of his stomach, with a groan, he returns to his normal position. "I think so. I haven't heard anything from the guys."
With the shorter travel, albeit 4 hours, we had arrived in California in one day, rather than spending almost two days driving across states, which means the guys had plenty of time to do the interviews and dive into the lockdown tomorrow night, so that we can head home a little earlier.
"Cool. I'll get your clothes set for you. Taking a shower before you go?"
He sits up slowly and looks at his phone. "You put a bid in..."
"Yeah.." I say slowly, looking over at him. "I- Was that wrong?"
"No sweetie. I really want this. Good call." He says getting up and heading into the bathroom to start the shower.
I feel rotten, I should have come clean there and then, but I felt defensive, possessive, scared..
Fishing through his holdall, I find out his black long sleeve shirt, as well as his jeans. I already know he wants to wear his hat, so I pull that out too and set it out on the bed.
Just tell him. Tell him what you've done. Honesty, remember...
I leave the bedroom, about to tell him, when I bump into him, bare chested with a towel around his waist.
Hello lover..
My mind quickly snaps back to my actions earlier, making me look up at him, rather than the very evident problem he has tucked away. "Zak..."
"Shh." He hushes, pulling me against him. His mouth descends onto mine, stealing the words from my lips and with a groan rattling his chest, my mind goes blank and I give myself over entirely.
Pulling me up onto his waist, I lock my legs around him and allow myself to be walked into the bathroom. Clothes subtracted and a towel removed, I find him primed and ready.
"I'm just that much of a sure thing, huh?" I ask reaching down his body, watching his brows pull together and his chest heave a breath.
"Fuck." He moans, leaning his forehead against mine, watching my hand.
"Tell me what you want.." I whisper, watching his eyes flare with need. "You gonna tell me, or take it?"
His fists clench beside me, as he tries to keep himself still, wanting to enjoy the moment. But lust and need wins, as he pushes my hand away, grabs my hips and hits home. The sudden movement takes my breath and I clutch onto his shoulders as he groans into my ear.
When he moves into view, I see the wicked glint into his eyes, I grab onto his shoulders, because I know what is about to go down.
******
I feel Zak kiss my forehead as I lay on the bed, in a hotel robe exhausted.
"I envy your energy." I mumble, ignoring the wet hair that is plastered to my face.
He chuckles and sits on the edge of the bed, fully clothes and ready to go. Moving the hair off my face, because he is an absolute king, he smiles "Get some rest."
"I will. You've destroyed my stamina with yours."
"Maybe next time, you'll think before teasing me." He replies making me laugh softly.
"Was somewhat fun to see you look so unnerved.. You need to be in control all the time, I took that and you did really well."
"I'm glad I withstood your test, unknowingly."
Tell him..
My lips part, when there's a knock and Zak gives me a kiss. "That's the guys. See you in a bit."
"Zak..." I say as he rushes out the bedroom.
"Love you." He calls before I hear the hotel door open and close.
"Yeah... I love you too." I mumble to myself, now all alone.
I manage to nap, despite my guilty conscious and I wake up with thoughts as to what my actions would mean going forward.
Maybe, just maybe it wasn't about me, that I wasn't her, but I'll never know, unless someone comes to me and tells me something I don't know.
Zak - Heading in for lockdown now! Place is too active to leave. Have a good night and I'll see you in the morning. Xx
And there goes my plan on telling him when he gets back tonight.
With an aggravated growl, I punch the pillow beside me and decide to use the time I now have to do something constructive, like work.
****
I love my job, but when I'm asked to hunt down a piece of art that I was almost sure didn't exist, I hate it.
One of my newer clients, was a guy called Mr Crawford. He was a 60 year old guy, whose profile came with a strings of comments.
The comments were from previous assistants who used the platform to warn others of his antics, ranging from unreasonable hour contacting, to asking for pictures of feet. Even down to an assistant turning up to his house and him being stood in animal print speedos.
Mr Crawford seemed like a pretentious dickwad, who didn't know a thing about art, despite his claims.
-Warning; will demand hourly updates and expect you to work throughout the night, finding paintings that do not exist, and then claim that you're incompetent at your job. Time waster! Assistant- 1286
I'm looking for a needle in a haystack. I end up asking for further details pertaining this painting, when he says the artist is called Mark Monet, I almost roll my eyes into the back of my skull. Surely he can't mean Mark Twain and Claude Monet?
I soon get a ping from my inbox stating I'm incompetent when I reply that no such artist exists. When I see the yellow beside his name, I know that the man is a few strikes from being kicked off this service and simply ignore him when he asks for a picture of my feet..
My my, Zak would not approve!
At 3am, I give up work and submit to the tiredness that still lingers, despite spending half the day sleeping. The downside of my seizure.
But at 6am I am woke to shuffling and Zak sliding into bed beside me, cold from being outside.
"Sorry." He whispers, curling his body around mine. I mumble something that even I don't understand, but I feel pain in my breast and it hurts. Despite my incoherentness, I get a reply of "Sleep, baby."
Baby?
He's never called me that before... I like it.
With a grumble from the pain, I roll over facing him, causing him so sigh and unravel around me.
"El?" He whispers. "What is it?"
"Boob."
"What about it?" He asks his hands wasting no time to investigate the problem.
I'm half asleep, and I work out the problem. Sitting up, I feel his hand brace my back supporting me.
Pulling the silky top off, I do a quick reach around, I shed my bra, ridding me of the underwire stabbing, and fling it across the room, before flopping back down, naked from the waist up.
"Well hello..." Zak says to himself, or to my chest.
I feel him shuffling in the bed and sure enough, he snakes his head onto my chest, using my boobs as his pillow and his body as my blanket.
"Go sleep." I tell him.
"Yep."
He doesn't and spends a few minutes entertaining himself with my boob and waking my body up from the attention he was giving.
Cranking an eye open, I find him trapping my nipple between his index finger and middle finger, almost as if he is trying to scissor it off.
He yelps when I slap his hand away. "No."
"But.. I- look I've made one really jealous, can I just even up the playing field?"
It's all code for 'Can I wind you body up and send nerve signals shooting down your body so that I can then roll over and try to sleep whilst you're sexually frustrated?'
My lack of answer means he does it anyway until he is content and then rolls away.
What did I say?
"How was work?" He asks in the darkness.
"Waste of time."
I might as well wake up. He's wide awake and not dropping off anytime soon..
I reach over and flick the lamp on, when I roll back, he's hovering at my side, grinning. "Hey baby."
"You're happy." I note.
"Of course I am. I'm back here with you. Tell me about your day." He says, setting his head onto my chest again.
He then takes my hand and lifts it to his head, hinting that he wants his head scratched.
The real reason he woke me up...
I got into detail, talking about Mr Crawford and his non existing painting, the reviews he's got and how he treats people, none of it brings a reaction out, until I add that he wanted photos of my feet.
Zak's head lifts instantly "He what?"
"Wanted to pay for photos of my feet.." I repeat. Adding "He was quiet determined, telling me that he will pay for the pedicures and whatever treatments I wanted at the spa pertaining to feet, obviously. So long as I sent photos."
"So I've been out investigating aggressive spirits and you bagged a sugar daddy?" He summarised.
"I got two it would seem."
"Two?!"
"Yeah, you and Mr Crawford."
He scoffs "Well that's a lie."
I look over at his slightly offended face. "How?"
"Well first of all, you'd actually have to let me spend money on you. Every time I try, you knock me back and tell me that you can buy it. Really hurts a guys ego when they can't buy anything for their girl, you know?"
"Since when?" I ask as he's never had a problem before.
"Since ever. This dynamic between us, is new to me. I'm usually the keeper, but my ass gets swallowed up when you come home with lingerie and little things that I'm suppose to buy you."
Cocking my head, sleep has truly left the room, hell it has left the building. "Zak." I say to begin.
When his eyes meet mine, I begin. "Our relationship, is about equality. About sharing, understanding, caring and love. It's not about money, power and control. Why do you feel like you have to buy things for me? Especially when I have my own money? You're not my keeper. I don't expect an allowance or flashy things. Equality. That's all I've ever wanted in a man."
"That and a big dick."
I choke on my own breath at his little addition. But for his ego, I don't change it.
"So," I tell him holding his face. "You have to stop thinking like I am those other women you've been with. Because I don't think of you as being like those other men I've dated in the past."
"You've been with other men before? Nope. Virgin in my eyes. I don't think of you or other men. Makes me territorial. Like I gotta piss on your leg or something."
I crack a laugh causing him to laugh too.
"But do you get what I'm saying?" I ask him when we finally stop.
"Equality. Yeah. But I'm gonna throw a real tantrum if you now say that I can't buy some your lingerie. It's literally a highlight of being home. Picking out those cute sets and watching you wear them. Me being with you all day, knowing what's under those clothes, whilst everyone else has no fucking idea."
"No, you can still do that. In moderation, as long as I can buy you things in return. That when I see something I like, I can buy it for you."
I can see he wants to say no, but I know he's thinking of what I had already said about equality.
"As long as it's not a gimp suit." He says cautiously.
"But I think you would look super cute." I whine before laughing "I'm joking!"
With a quick shift, he's hovering over me, a knee planted between mine as he looks down. "You're beautiful." He tells me.
The lamp light casts shadows over his body, making me smile as it dips in and out of the blocks of muscle. "You're pretty handsome yourself."
Sliding one knee up, I watch as he runs a hand down my leg. "So.. Did you do it? Those feet photos."
"Would you be annoyed if I did?"
He shakes his head "I don't own your body El, if that's something you want to do, then I support that. But don't do it because of the money... I've got plenty of that and I'd settle with a smiling face or even a photo of your damn pinky."
"You'd pay for a pinky shot?" I ask lifting my hand up.
"I'd pay to breathe the same air as you, I'm that far gone. Why? Because you give me such clarity when things are whirl-winding through my skull, you silence it all.."
I smile up at him as he looks down at me with honesty beaming through his eyes.
Slowly, I lift my leg up between us and plant my foot on his shoulder.
"My, my, what a precarious position I am in..."
Zak shifts himself slightly telling me that he's noticed with just his body alone.
"Wanna try and break the bed?"
"Thought you'd never fucking ask!"
*******
Cheshire Cat.
That's what he is when we head down for breakfast.
The smile is almost splitting his face for a guy who has spent all night running around in the dark.
We didn't break the bed, but I think we definitely loosened something and I'm sure the neighbours may have banged back once or twice before Zak shoved a pillow between the headboard and the wall.
I regret nothing.
"Look at you, glowing." Zak whispers as we stand at the buffet, helping ourselves.
"Probably the lightning." I lie, sliding past him for the fruit.
"Yeah... That amongst other things." He grins following me.
Once we have our food, we find the rest of the crew and sit down at the table, I'm soon immersed in the events of last night and find out that Dakota stayed too, doing a lone investigation of the basement.
The dining room fills with guests, and soon there's a healthy buzz of conversation and activity, of course we are one of the loudest tables, but nobody seems to care.
"What panties are you wearing today?" Zak asks making me pause from eating my fruit.
Wickedly, I decide to play him at his own game. "Who said I'm wearing any?" I whisper back.
His head whips around to look at me whilst his eyes flare.
Ladies and gentleman, we got him.
I pout, intending it to be an air kiss, but he swoops down and takes a kiss, before setting a hand on my leg.
Being all about equality, I set my hand on his crotch, making him jump in surprise and bang his knee on the table.
"You alright bro?" Aaron asks. I frown at Zak playing innocent.
"Uh. Yeah. Uh huh." Zak replies before shooting me a look which means for me to stop.
My love, we are just getting started...