The next morning, I wake up before my alarm goes off. It's still pitch-black, so I close my eyes again and try to go back to sleep. After tossing and turning for a while, I sit up and grab my phone to check the time. It's only 4am. I groan and rub my eyes and then walk out of my bedroom.

Zach is still sound asleep on the sofa. As I walk past him, I stop and look at him for a short moment. Our kiss crosses my mind again and a smile flashes over my face.

With a sigh I walk over to the window and open it.

I sit down on the windowsill and soak in the cold air. Everything is quiet outside. It's 4am, of course it is.

I sit there for a while, swinging my legs, and think about the previous few days. The last week was crazy. I saved a shot person's life, hit someone with a baseball bat and escaped death myself as Terrence tried to shoot Zach and me. Measured against my usually so uneventful and unspectacular life, that's a lot of turmoil all at once.

I'm exhausted from all this stress. And then there's Zach whose mere presence is making me nervous.

A deep, husky voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Would you mind closing the window?" I flinch and turn around. Zach's lying on the couch, the cover almost pulled up to his nose. He's clearly freezing.

I quickly jump down from the windowsill and close the window.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up...," I whisper with an apologizing smile.

"What's the time?" Zach questions me with his sleepy voice.

"It's only 4.30am. Go back to sleep!" I reply softly.

"Why are you up already?" He sits up on his elbows and lifts his head.

I shrug my shoulders. "I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep."

"Do you mind making some coffee?" he asks and sits up.

"I could need one myself anyway," I state and walk over to the kitchen unit.

While pouring the coffee beans into the grinder, I feel Zach approaching me from behind.

He rests his chin on my shoulder, and I look aside to shoot him a shy smile. My heart skips a beat as he wraps his arms around me from behind, and I intuitively close my eyes, trying to keep my breathing calm. Zach's soft breath brushes my skin right behind my ear, giving me goosebumps all over my body.

I freeze as he starts placing gentle kisses on my neck and butterflies start dancing inside my stomach as his palms lightly stroke over my belly.

"Zach?" I whisper with a shaky voice.

"Mmh?" Zach stops, waiting for me to speak.

I turn around to face him and his hazel eyes meet mine. His glance wanders from my eyes down to my mouth and back up again. I unintentionally bite my lips, not sure what I wanted to say anymore.

Why am I always nervous when Zach's around?

I could just push him away, but somehow, I enjoy this closeness. It's like I could touch the crackling air between us.

Zach's piercing gaze makes me hold in my breath and I feel my face blushing once again.

This time it's me who closes the gap between us. Before I know it, I press my mouth against his. The sudden contact of our hot lips sends shivers down my spine and I'm sure Zach can hear my wildly thumping heart.

He instantly kisses me back, placing his palms on my cheeks while I rake my fingers through his tousled hair and softly play with it.

Zach's tongue cautiously asks for entry into my mouth and I open it, letting him deepen the kiss.

Our breaths become heavier, and Zach grabs my thighs to lift me up, so I sit on the countertop. With wrapping my legs around his waist, I allow him to move closer to my body. Zach's hands wander up to my cheeks again and he gently bites my bottom lip, earning a soft moan from me.

Wait! I don't want it to go that far.

I pull back, gasping for air.

"Stop... please...," I breathe.

Zach nods quickly and breathlessly looks at me. His lips are slightly swollen from our heated kiss and his cheeks are rosy. He takes a deep breath and runs his hand through his hair.

"Sorry, Liv," he says and holds his hand out to me to help me off the countertop.

"It's fine!" I grab his hand, jump down, and give him a soft peck on the lips.

His surprised look and the relieved smile lighting up his face are kind of cute.

"I'll take a quick shower," he then says and vanishes into the bathroom.

I'm just pouring coffee into two cups, when Zach returns into the living room. I hand one over to him and he takes it thankfully. We sip our hot, steamy drink in silence, leaning against the counter next to each other.

"I have to leave soon. Make yourself at home. I'll be back around seven. I go for a drink with Sadie after work today," I say to Zach after finishing my coffee.

Zach smiles at me and nods.

"Thanks, Liv. Have a great day!" he says and walks over to the sofa.

I watch him snuggle up in his blanket before I head for the bathroom to get ready.

***

Sadie and I are sitting at our table at Nora's and talk about all kinds of things.

I just take a sip of my third glass of wine when Sadie eyes me suspiciously.

"You look different today!" she states and narrows her eyes.

I face her with a questioning look.

"What do you mean?" I ask and shake my head in amusement.

"I don't know. Somehow you're glowing today." She looks at me, pondering, and then her face lights up and she asks, "Are you in love, honey?"

I feel my cheeks turning crimson. This is slowly becoming a habit.

Sadie's smile gets even bigger, as she notices my tomato-colored face.

"I knew it!" she screams in excitement and I bury my face in my hands.

How embarrassing!

"You got to tell me everything!" Sadie excitedly claps her hands.

"All right!" I give in and chuckle.

I tell her everything what happened since I first met Zachary. Including the kisses we shared.

Sadie just smiles at me and listens carefully.

After I finish, she shakes her head in disbelief and giggles.

"Livie! I can't believe you really fell for that hot bad boy. Isn't it dangerous to be with him?" Her voice sounds slightly concerned at her last sentence.

I let out a deep sigh.

"I can't even believe it myself, Sadie. He has such a soft side, but on the other hand he can be so rude and harsh. This whole thing is messing with me!" I say and shrug my shoulders.

Sadie looks at me with raised eyebrows. "Just promise you won't rush things, okay?"

I give her a soft smile. "I promise, Sadie."

I check the time. It's already 7pm, and as I'm feeling slightly dizzy from all the wine, I decide to call it a day.

"I'll be going home now. I had a great time, love." I down the rest of my drink and get up.

After saying our goodbyes, I slip in my jacket and hit the road.

~

As I open my apartment door, I expect Zach to show up in the door frame, but he doesn't.

"Zach?" I call his name.

No answer.

I walk over to the living room, but Zachary is nowhere to see.

I look around the room as my attention is drawn to a small, yellow thing on the table. A small note. I grab it and read the scratchy writing.

Hey Liv. I had to leave. Don't wait for me... Zach.

I close my eyes. I have a bad feeling.

Maybe it has something to do with Terrence?

I wonder if I should head to his place and check if he's there.

No. He's probably not that mad to show up there again soon.

I decide to just stay at home and wait for a while since it wouldn't make any sense looking for him now.

I sigh and run my hands through my hair. A yawn overcomes me, and I sink down on the sofa.

Lost in thoughts I stare against the wall.

There's nothing I can do right now!

I realize I don't even have his phone number, so I just lean back my head and close my eyes.

He'll probably be back soon!

~

The sound of my apartment door getting shut wakes me up. I must have dozed off. I blink in confusion for a second and suddenly I'm wide awake.

I jump up and rush to the hallway.

Zach's sitting on the floor, leaning against the door, with blood all over his face. His right eye is swollen and he's holding his stomach in obvious pain.

"Zach!" I fall on my knees next to him and tilt his chin up.

He faces me grimacing.

"Liv...," He pauses and closes his eyes and I watch him in total shock.

What happened to him?

I get up and gently grab his arm to help him up. Zach groans in pain but manages to stay on his feet and let me lead him to the sofa. As carefully as possible I help him to sit down.

Zach hisses as his body sinks into the soft cushions and he grabs his stomach even tighter.

"I think we should get you to the hospital," I state with a concerned face.

"No...please. No hospital." Zach's expression is desperate as he looks up at me.

I sigh and walk over to the bathroom to get a wet towel.

I kneel down on the floor in front of him and start wiping the blood off his face. He winces of the pain but doesn't stop me. Luckily, the wound from the shooting is still covered with a plaster and seems to be okay. After cleaning his face, I get an ice pack from the kitchen and hand it over to Zach. He holds it against his right eye and screws up his face. His eyes are closed, and one hand is still pressed against his stomach. I gently take his hand and lay it aside to lift his T-shirt. His abdomen is full of blue and purple bruises.

I back away in shock.

"Who did that to you?" I whisper.

"Terrence," Zach states with a strained voice.

"He tricked me. His ex-girlfriend, Ashley, she called me and told me she's in danger. She told me, Terrence kidnapped her and threatens to kill her. Should've known it was all made up," he sneers.

"Ashley broke up with T a few months ago after he beat the shit out of her. I helped her running away from him back then."

He sighs and grimaces again.

I sit down beside him and face him.

"Anyway, I quickly wrote that note for you and left straightaway. Well. Turned out she got back together with T and they tricked me to get my money. Of course, I didn't have it with me. I didn't manage to run away, so T's gang fixed me on the ground and Terrence started beating the shit out of me. Afterwards they just left me lying on the ground and T told me, he would kill me the next time, if I won't give him his money." Zach scowls with his eyes still closed.

I shake my head in disbelief.

"Fucking asshole!" I curse and Zach opens his eyes.

A smirk appears on his bruised face.

"What?" I ask him with a frown.

"It's just you are hot when you swear!" he says, and I giggle.

"Well, if you're able to joke, it can't be that bad!" I state and get up.

"Alright. Let's get you to bed" I put his arm around my shoulders to help him up again.

Zach tilts his head and shoots me a questioning look.

"I won't let you sleep on the couch in that state, sir." I raise my eyebrow and give him a crooked smile.

He looks at me with a strained smile and then limps over to the bedroom by my side, where I help him lying down.

I kneel on the bed next to him and take off his pants.

Zach watches me in obvious amusement.

"I could get used to you undressing me," he says and leers at me.

I giggle and try to hide from him that I enjoy taking off his clothes as well.

I quickly change into my pajamas and slide into my bed next to Zachary, carefully pulling the cover over us.

He laboriously turns his body and faces me.

"You're my lifesaver, Olivia!" he whispers, and smiles softly.

"I wasn't there to save you this time," I retort with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but you give me a feeling of being valuable. It's just there, you know?" he says sincerely.

I swallow and smile shyly.

"You are valuable, Zach!"

Zach brings his hand up and gently strokes my cheek with his fingers. I close my eyes as the butterflies in my stomach start dancing again.

"Sleep well, Zach!" I say and open my eyes to look at him once again.

"Good night, Liv!" Zach replies with a weary smile and intertwines our fingers.

We fall asleep almost immediately, still holding our hands.

***

I lock the doors of Jack's behind me and pause for a moment to soak in the frosty air. It's Friday afternoon, three days since Zach was beaten up, and I just finished my last shift for the week.

On my way home I grab some tacos, since Zach wished for them this morning, and spontaneously decide to buy a bottle of red wine as I spot a fancy wine store opposite the Mexican restaurant, I got the tacos from.

In anticipation to a cozy evening, I make my way home with a happy smile on my face.

As I enter my apartment, Zach's standing in front of the full-length mirror in my hallway and inspects his bruises. His swollen eye is slightly better and also the bruises on his abdomen slowly go back, but he still looks terrible. His face lights up when he sees me, and he comes over and pecks my cheek.

"Hey, Liv," he welcomes me.

I give him a broad smile.

"Hey. How're you doing?" I ask.

"I'm fine. How was your day?" Zach looks at me with a big smile on his face.

I make a dismissive gesture and take off my jacket.

"As always. Full of annoying guests and a grumpy Jack," I state and lift the bag with the tacos and the wine in front of Zach's face.

"But I got us some tacos, just as you wished, and a bottle of fancy wine." I give him a triumphant look.

Zach smirks, takes the bottle out of the bag, and inspects it curiously.

He looks up and shoots me an impressed look.

"You're full of surprises, Olivia. A 2018 Hahn pinot noir. I'm genuinely impressed. That's a good vintage from a nice winery in California." Zach's eyes shine as he talks about the wine.

"Well, I think you are full of surprises. Didn't know you were a wine expert," I retort amazedly and walk over to the living room.

"It's kind of my secret passion, to be honest," Zach says with a broad smile and gets two wineglasses and two plates out of the cupboard.

"Interesting. Honestly, I thought you were more the type of a beer drinker," I say, unwrapping the tacos and place one on each of our plates.

Zach giggles, removing the cork of the fancy bottle.

"How so?" he asks while filling our glasses with the ruby-colored liquid.

"I don't know. Maybe it's your appearance. You just don't look like a fancy wine drinker," I joke and lift my glass to my nose to breathe in the smell of it.

Zach swirls the glass to examine its consistency and smirks.

"Well. You were wrong, then," he states and takes a first sip of the pinot noir.

I let out an amused laughter and lean back on my stool.

"Prove it! Tell me about the wine," I challenge him with one raised eyebrow.

I like this type of conversation. It's the mixture of getting to know each other, jokingly flirting, and learning something new what makes the conversation so tingling for me.

"All right!" Zach obviously likes the provocation in my voice and plays along.

He sniffs at the wine and closes his eyes with a frown. I watch him with a curious glance.

"Well. I can smell a bit of cherries and vanilla, but it also has a slight toasty note."

He does another sniff and adds with a wink in my direction, "Which comes from the oak barrels by the way."

I smell at the wine, trying to find any of the notes Zach just described, but for me it simply smells like wine.

Zach takes a small sip and leaves it in his mouth for a few seconds to make out the taste of the wine.

"On the palate I can taste wild berries, pepper and hints of earth," he goes on with his wine presentation.

I have to suppress a laugh. Watching him presenting this wine like a fancy wine expert is hilarious. He sits on his stool with crossed legs and shoots me a playful smirk. It's good to see that he's got this funny side as well.

"Earth?!" I ask him doubtfully and take a sip too.

The wine is delicious, but I really can't make out any of the aromas Zach just mentioned.

"Yeah. It's luscious. You made a good choice here, Liv," Zach says and raises his glass in my direction.

We clink glasses and Zach looks into my eyes while taking another nip of his wine.

"It's kinda sexy how you describe this wine," I state and bite my bottom lip.

Zach smirks and grabs his taco to take a big first bite.

"Is it?" he asks with his mouth full and raises his eyebrow.

I laugh and start eating as well.

The Tacos are delicious, and we have a casual conversation while eating up.

After we've cleared the table, I grab the half-full bottle of wine and we wander over to the sofa. I turn on some music and we make ourselves comfortable.

~

Zach pours out the rest of the bottle into our glasses and hands me mine. We had a very relaxed evening so far. The soft music mixed with the delicious wine and the tingling conversations with Zach makes me feel warmly and cozy.

I take another nip and stand up.

"Dance with me!" I say and hold out my hand to Zach who looks up from his nearly lying position and smiles.

He grabs my hand and gets up from the couch.

"Lucky for you, I'm a pretty talented dancer," he states smirking, and I turn the volume up a little bit.

"Is there anything you're not talented at?" I ask him with an unbelieving head-shake.

Zach thinks for a moment and then replies, "I'm a very bad loser, I take horrible pictures and my cocktails are the worst!"

I giggle and eye him pensively. Just a few days ago, Zach was so harsh and serious. I feel like having a completely different man in front of me. I'm amazed by how funny, caring and tender he can be.

Zach tilts his head and shoots me a questioning look.

"What?" he asks, and I give him a sly smile.

"It's nothing," I retort, and Zach just shakes his head in amusement.

Take You Dancing by Jason Derulo comes up and resounds from the speakers.

How fitting!

I start dancing freely to the beat. Zach moves are more cautiously as he's trying to avoid pain.

Jason's voice bangs through the room.

🎶Run away, run away, run away, run away
I know that I should
But my heart wanna stay, wanna stay, wanna stay, wanna stay now
You can see it in my eyes that I wanna take you down right now if I could
So I hope you know what I mean when I say🎶

I smile at Zach and throw my hands in the air as the refrain starts.

🎶Let me take you dancing
Two-step to the bedroom
We don't need no dance floor
Let me see your best move
Anything could happen
Ever since I met you
No need to imagine
Baby, all I'm asking
Is let me take you dancing🎶

Zach raises his eyebrows at the lyrics of the song and shoots me a flirtatious glance.

Oh.

Just now, I realize the message of the words and instantly feel my face blushing.

The next song comes up. Boyfriend by Ariana Grande.

As it's a slower song, Zach gently grabs me by the waist, pulling me close to his body, and we start smoothly swaying to the slow beat.

Zach rests his head on top of mine which is leaned against his chest. Once again, the closeness between us makes me nervous but I also feel amazingly comfortable in his strong arms.

The male verse starts, and Zach lowers his head, so his mouth is right next to my ear, and he starts to sing along.

My cheeks start glowing even more when his deep voice echoes in my head.

🎶Even though you ain't mine, I promise the way we fight
Make me honestly feel like we just in love
'Cause baby, when push comes to shove
Damn baby, I'm a train wreck, too
I lose my mind when it comes to you
I take time with the ones I choose
And I don't want a smile if it ain't from you🎶

I slightly pull back to face him. Zach's hazel eyes are fixed on me, and his face is only inches away from mine.

A soft smile plays upon his full lips, and I instantly feel my legs go weak. I'm very thankful for his supporting arms around me, as I'm not sure if I could stand on my own feet right now.

Zach slowly lowers his head a bit more until the tips of our noses are touching, and he places one hand on my cheek.

My eyes wander down to his lips and back up again. Even though his right eye is still slightly swollen, he's utterly beautiful.

As his soft lips meet mine, I close my eyes and enjoy the gentle contact.

Since our kiss on Tuesday, nothing further happened between us and I feel like exploding as the strength of our mutual attraction hits me.

Zach caresses my back with his other hand. His touches send light shivers down my spine.

I grab his hair with my hands and gently tug at it, earning a quiet moan from Zach's lips.

I open my mouth, allow his tongue entry, and deepen the kiss. Everything around us seems to fade away, leaving only Zach and me.

Zach's hand goes down from my cheek to roam over my body while his other hand slides down my back and stops just above my booty.

My breath becomes heavier as Zach presses his palm firmly against the small of my back, making me feel his well-built body against mine and I moan softly into his mouth.

Zach pulls back and faces me breathlessly.

Our eyes seem to exchange the words our mouths aren't able to say out loud, and Zach takes my hand and leads me over to the bedroom.

He gently lays me down on the bed and hovers over my body.

"Are you sure?" Zach asks me in a whisper and tenderly smiles down at me.

"Yeah," I breathe and stroke over his cheeks with my fingertips.

Strange enough, I've never been more sure of anything.

Zach lowers his head and kisses me again. He leans on his forearms, lifting half of his weight off me, and gently plays with my hair in his hands.

About a minute has passed when he suddenly groans, and slides off me. I look at him with a frown.

Zach's holding his stomach and grimaces.

"I just need a second. Too much strain still hurts...," he explains with a wry smile.

"It's okay, Zach. We don't need to rush into anythi..." Zach interrupts me by softly pressing his index finger against my mouth.

"Let me make you feel good, Olivia!" he whispers and tenderly looks at me.

I swallow and nod with a shy smile.

~Strong sexual content ahead~
enjoy ;)

We lie face to face now and his hand starts wandering over the side of my body. I gasp as I feel his hand under my skirt and on my butt.

Only the thin fabric of my tights and underwear separates his palm from my skin. I watch his hands as they pull down my skirt and throw it to the floor. Something about him undressing me is so hot.

Zach sits up and gently pulls me up by my hands. Our eyes meet and he tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, softly pecking my lips before his hands begin to unbutton my blouse. I shudder as he brushes it off my shoulders, leaving me in only my tights and undies. Zach stops and eyes me thoughtfully.

"Just tell me to stop, Livie. I don't want to rush you into anything," he quietly says.

I shake my head and give him a sheepish smile.

"No, I'm fine, Zach!" I reply and Zach nods smilingly.

He carefully lowers my body again and shoves his fingers under the waistband of my tights, slowly pulling it down my legs. I get goosebumps all over my body as his fingertips brush my legs.

Suddenly I feel naked next to Zach, who's still fully dressed. I lift the seam of his T-shirt and he takes the hint and slips it off quickly.

I take a moment to admire his exposed chest. I ignore the light purple bruises and glide my fingers over his firm body. He winces slightly under my soft touch and watches every move I make intently.

My gaze wanders back to his eyes and I give him a shy smile.

Zach brings his face closer to mine again and kisses me passionately. A moan escapes my lips as Zach's mouth wanders down and starts kissing my neck. My hands run through his wavy hair and his fingers fumble at my back, skillfully opening my bra. I brush it off in one motion.

Zach pulls back and his eyes wander over my naked skin.

"God, Olivia!" he whispers quietly with a shaky voice as his palms starts stroking over my exposed breasts.

"You're so beautiful!"

He starts kissing my sensitive nipples, earning a soft moan from me and I instantly feel my wetness grow.

I close my eyes and lean back my head, enjoying his gentle caressing.

As his hands finally wander down, stroking my inner thighs, I unintentionally squeeze my legs together and open my eyes to watch him exploring my tensed body.

Zach smirks at me as his fingers stroke over my knickers which must be awkwardly soaked by now.

"You're already so wet," he whispers with dark eyes.

His fingers slide under the waistband of my panties and pulls it down my legs. I help him and shove them off eagerly.

I close my eyes again as Zach slides his hand back up my thigh unbearably slow.

"Zach," I breathe pleadingly, and he shoots me a knowing smile just before his fingers finally meet the place where I need them.

Holy shit!

I almost burst as soon as Zach slides his fingers through my wet folds. I moan and grab his arm tightly.

"Fuck, Liv. This is so hot!" he whispers hoarsely and the next moment he presses his lips on mine, kissing me with so much passion and eagerness as his fingers starts circling on my little bundle of nerves.

I moan into his mouth, hardly able to breathe, as he shoves one finger into me and starts thrusting it in and out.

Zach separates our lips.

"Look at me!" he says softly, and I open my eyes.

He intently watches me while quickening his movements, adding another finger.

I gasp and dig my nails into Zach's arm.

„Fuck!" I hiss between my moans, earning a groan from Zach and the next moment he smashes his lips against mine without stopping his thrusting and circling motions. He eagerly shoves his tongue into my mouth, and we melt into another kiss full of passion and need.

I can feel I'm already close to my release and Zach seems to notice too since he pulls back to look at me again.

He curls his fingers inside me, trying to find the right spot to give me the maximum pleasure. I'm a panting mess as he reaches it.

"Come for me!"

Zach's husky whisper pushes me over the edge, and I throw my head back into the cushion, moaning loudly, as my orgasm takes control over my whole body. I'm shaking under his touch and tightly grab the bed sheet with my hand.

Zach kisses my neck and lets me ride out my high.

~smut end~

My heart's racing as I open my eyes again, noticing Zach's gaze on me.

A smile lights up his face as my hand gently strokes his cheek.

"You're fucking hot, Liv," he breathes hoarsely and pecks my lips.

"And so are you!" I retort and smile at him sheepishly.

I exhale deeply, still feeling the aftereffects and the warmth of Zach's touches.

We keep cuddling for a while until tiredness overcomes me, making me yawn.

Zach chuckles lightly.

"Let's get some sleep," he says and quickly gets up to turn off the music, which is still playing in the living room, and slides back into bed next to me again.

I snuggle into Zach's firm chest and he wraps his arms around my body.

"Sleep well," Zach whispers and places a tender kiss onto my forehead.

"Good night Zach," I mutter into his chest, and the next moment I'm already fast asleep.

*****

This is probably the longest chapter of all, but I somehow were in the flow, you know what I mean?! ;)

I hope you like it and would highly appreciate your votes! :)

Katie ❤️