“In a lot of ways I am.” I place my hand on his cheek. He leans into my touch. Z has been through more than I’ll ever understand.
He lost his family. I can’t fathom that. I adore my parents and my grumpy brothers, who think they know everything. Theyhave sheltered me from a lot of things, and I grew up having their love and knowing they would always be there for me.
Does Z worry that they will cast him out for this? I want to ask him, but for once in my life I have a sliver of self-control. Why hadn’t I thought about that before now?
“How about we enjoy time together without everyone else knowing? It could just be us.” I smile, glancing over to the door. “And Marks.”
“She left.”
“What!” I gasp. I wiggle to get up. “Z?—”
He relents, letting me scramble off the bed. I find sleep shorts I’d tossed on the ground, God knows when. “She didn’t leave.”
Z stands, getting out of my bed. “Fix your hair.” He stares at me.
“You look all sexy and whatever.” I wave my hand up and down at him. He’s gorgeous from top to bottom. Everything from his messy hair to his lean but broad build, to those thick thighs of his, turns me on.
“And whatever?”
“I’m not stroking your ego, okay? I think we both know I’m the pretty one and you’re the smart one.”
“You’re both, but I thought I was sexy at least.” Z pretends to be offended. "And you have my shirt." Smart? Compared to him and hell, everyone in my family, not so much. I push that thought away.
"Right." I glance down at myself.
"But it doesn't matter. Marks bounced."
"No," I protest, rushing out of the room and toward hers. The door is halfway open, so I go right in, not seeing her stuff. When I turn around, Z is standing in the open doorway. "She just left? Why does everyone continue to do that to me?”
Z mutters a curse under his breath. He comes over to me, wrapping me in his arms. “Marks can be flighty,” he tries to reassure me. I peek up at him through my lashes.
“Am I annoying?”
“What? Why would you ask that?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “No one ever sticks around.”
“Sweetness.” Z’s hands cup my cheeks, his thumbs pushing my chin up. “Everyone adores you. No one is a stranger in the room when you’re there. That’s a gift, but I think a side part of that is it can spook people. I don’t know Marks’ whole story, but I know it’s not typical. She’s a loner.”
“Her upbringing wasn’t normal.” I know that neither was mine, but mine was, however, filled with my family. It took Marks years to meet Tova in person. I suppose it says something that she hopped on a plane with me and has stuck by my side. “I just hope she didn’t think she had to leave.”
“Marks isn’t going anywhere.”
“What is with you and Marks? How do you two know each other?”
“Come on. I want to feed you. We can talk while I cook.” Z leans in, pressing his mouth to mine. "Fuck, do I love that I can do this whenever I want to now." I smile against his lips. "I really have missed the hell out of you, and I don't mean only these past few weeks."
"I missed you too."
"Things are going to be different. You're not going to doubt what I feel for you." I swear there is a hint of a warning there.
"Good." I don't ever want to question us.
"Marks will be back. People are pulled to you."
"If you say so." Not sure I believe that. It doesn't feel that way.
"I know so." He presses another kiss to my lips. This one is firm and possessive, making sure that I feel it down to my toes.
