On the Offensive (5 page)

Yeah, right. "That’s not very easy when you've got your face buried there," I chuckle.
His only response is to hum and suck a nipple into his mouth. As magical as it feels, I'm too spent for round three right now. Zack's tired too; I can feel him against my thigh, still impressive but soft. Fuck, I just love being this close, feeling all of him. "Plus, I want to savor the time we have left." It's not my intention to put a damper on things, but the fact remains: we're leaving in a couple days.

"Oh, I suppose I could tell you now, then." His mouth leaves my tits, but his hand is still there while he kisses his way up my chest, neck, and throat. "I'm leaving LA."

I nod a little, remembering Mom saying that when Zack first arrived. "Yeah, where're you off to?" Now I don’t have to delude myself into thinking I don’t give a crap.

He flashes me a grin. "You're looking at the new assi
stant offensive coordinator at FSU."

What?!

My eyes nearly bug out and hope makes my heart slam in chest. "You—" I can't even go on.

"Mmhmm." He skims his nose along my jaw, and the hand that was squeezing my tits slide
s down to palm my ass instead, pulling me flush to him. My leg is still hitched over his hip, so I can really feel all of him now.
Right there
. And he's totally waking up. Perhaps I could be ready for round three, after all. "You can't get rid of me now, baby."

"That’s the last thing I want." The words le
ave me all rushed and jumbled. I'm too excited to speak properly. "Zack, you—you're really moving to Florida?"

"In two weeks," he confirms.

Just like that, the new year is already looking a thousand times better.

Chapter 6

"Jeez. It's easy to see that a man lives here." Sarah smiles wryly at the opened fridge. I laugh and continue to prepare the guacamole, and I definitely agree with her. "All beer, protein shakes, and Powerade." Yep. Pretty much. Only the door houses stuff with a bit more variety: salad dressings, my beloved Diet Coke, eggs, and, um, some batteries.

What?

When Zack is on the road scouting for next year's team, I need them for our Skype sessions. More correctly, I need them for my vibrator. And Zack prefers me in his condo while he's gone. Hell, I basically live here now anyway.

"You should see the
freezer." I huff a chuckle and stick a spoon into the guacamole. "It's all frozen pizza and Hot Pockets unless I buy something else." Safe to say, I'm so taking over the grocery shopping once I officially move in.

Zack's been on my ass the past month, but we still haven't spilled the beans to our parents about us, so I'm hesitant. I mean, Mom and Garrett pay for my
apartment, and if I suddenly move out, they're going to want to know where the hell I'm off to.

So…the
apartment I share with Sarah sits empty most days, seeing as she's shacking up with Luke.

"Peyton!" Zack calls from the living room. "
Get crackin'!"

"I guess they're done setting things up," Sarah comments.

I nod. "Still can't believe he spent almost two grand on a damn surround sound system."

Boys will be boys, right? But I have to admit he kind of took me by surprise when he actually asked me before buying it. It's his own money—his condo, his decision—yet he asked me. Obviously
, I said yes; I'm not going to stand between a man and his toys, but I was secretly thrilled at the reminder of how couple-like we are.

Even after only three months together.

With beers and bowls of chips and dip, Sarah and I join the guys in the living room. Like the rest of Zack's place, it's very masculine. All straight lines, sparsely decorated, colors of black, grey, blue, and white, and a focus on gadgets. The huge couch is in the center of the room, facing a gigantic flat screen on the wall, and we usually end up eating dinner there instead of at the dining room table behind the couch.

The first time Zack hinted that he wanted us to move in t
ogether, he tried to be casual and told me, "Leave some of your girly shit here. Saves you from going back and forth, y'know?" He was so cute. Bashful, even.

Although, it's a rare day that I wear my "girly shit" at his place. If he had his way, my stuff would include everything from my place
except
my clothes. Now, for instance, I'm wearing his jersey—his beloved number four on my back, and our last name—and a pair of his sweats. Had Sarah not been wearing something similar of Luke's, I would've objected. Alas…

"You chicks ready?" Luke plops down on the right end of the couch.

Zack is seated on the other end as I come up behind the couch and hand over the guacamole and two bottles of Corona. He sets it all on the black coffee table before sliding a hand behind me to palm my ass. He does that a lot.

"Depends on what movie you picked," Sarah teases.

Her boyfriend puffs out his chest. "With a surround sound system like this, you have to pick a good movie. Coach and I went for
Fast & Furious
. Can't beat that!"

Luke and Zack bump fists while Sarah and I exchange looks.

"Oh, but he's so hot, though." Sarah giggles. "The blond guy? Paul Walker?"

Hell yeah. "Did you see the movie he was in—with those Huskies? Or whatever those dogs are called. The ones who pull sleighs. Such a cute movie."

"Yes!" She nods furiously. "God, he's swoon-worthy."

"
Okay, enough! C'mere, baby." Zack pulls me down, over the back of the couch, causing me to squeal, and draws me to his chest. Next he grabs my jaw and plants a wet one on my lips. "None of your chick-flicks until this is your address." He winks.

I grin and cock a brow. "Will you call Mom and Garrett, then?"

We've already agreed to tell them when we fly home to visit this July, but we have a couple months until then.

"Yeah, Coach," Luke pipes in with a smirk, "you should call your dad and ask
for permission to live with his daughter."

I roll my eyes, used to his jokes. I think the first once he cracked when Zack arrived in
Florida back in January was something along the lines of, "Well, at least she doesn’t have to change her last name when you get hitched—she's already an O'Keefe."

We can take it, though, because they don’t mean anything by it. In fact, my friends and Zack's newfound ones have been surprisingly chill about
our relationship, which means a lot to me.

"Fuck you, kid," Zack chuckles.
As if his mind has trailed to the same joke of Luke's, he absentmindedly traces our last name on my back with a finger. I shiver. "You know, if I was in charge of the defense, I'd make sure you suffered more on the field."

Luke grins and swipes up a few chips. "Good thing you're not, huh?"

"Weren't we supposed to watch a movie?" Sarah interrupts.

That puts us back on track, and we all get comfortable in the darkness
and under blankets with our significant others.

It's the best way to spend a Saturday in my opinion. There's frequent partying in our life, too, but this is even better. I'm glad Zack thinks the same. Even though he's not twenty-five yet, he's told me he's grown bored with the average college life, stating that being home on weekends is more for him. That suits me perfectly.

"Pizza should be here soon," Zack murmurs as we watch the first scene of the movie.

I scrunch my nose and peer up at him. "
You ordered pizza? We ate Chinese two hours ago."

"I'm a growing boy." He shrugs and pulls the blanket up to my chin. Then he urges me closer and drapes an arm around my shoulders. "Plus, Luke and I have been working." He nods at the entertainment center.
To my right, Luke mumbles in agreement. "Don’t act so surprised." A little chuckle slips through his lips and he tilts down to kiss my temple. "You know I can eat."

Oh, how true. Humming contentedly, I snuggle into his embrace and slip a hand under his black t-shirt. His abs are calling to me. And I no longer wish I had my own abs—well, defined ones.

Zack has made me love my own body as it is. He's a ruthless coach, and he forces me to run with him twice a week—because I asked him to be my trainer, and he sure as hell doesn’t relent now—though he's also made it clear that I'm not allowed to lose my curves. Being healthy is one thing, of course, but you don’t have to be a stick figure to be healthy. My boyfriend's words, not mine. Though, I tend to agree nowadays.

"I love you." I reach up and pop a kiss on his stubbly chin.

He smiles down at me. "Love you, too."

I beam back, and he kisses me softly at first, then deeply, so thoroughly, melting me into a puddle of goo.

Since we're in the middle of a hot make-out session when the doorbell rings, Zack just mutters to Luke to get it. "My wallet's on the hallway table," he adds before taking my mouth again. Fingers weaving through my hair, he kisses me hard and hungrily.

In the background, I hear Luke's voice travelling from the hallway, but his words don't register.

One of Zack's hands slides down my body, and he starts playing with the drawstrings of my sweats. He so wants to get inside. Insatiable man of mine. Good thing I'm insatiable, too.

"Um. Guys." That’s Sarah. Then her foot comes out and she kicks my hip.

"Ouch!" I whip my head to her and glare at her as I rub the spot, but her wide eyes are trained at something next to the flat screen.

Zack and I face the direction of the hallway at the same time, and I think our hearts
jump up into our throats at the same time, too.

Mom. Garrett. Colin.

"Oh,
God
," I squeak out. My stomach drops, I flush scarlet, I want to
die
.

"Surprise!" Colin shouts,
clearly oblivious. "We flew to surprise visit! Are you surprised?"

You have no idea, little brother.

"Uh…" Zack clears his throat. In my periphery, I see that his eyes are wide, too, and I watch how his Adam's apple bobs. At the same time, his arms around me tighten almost protectively, and I wonder if he's aware. "You—you're…here?"

Garrett looks like he either wants to throw up or stomp his foot like a petulant child.

Zack and I are still rigid. Too shocked to process a single fucking thing. I don’t even think we're breathing.

"I told you!" Mom slaps his shoulder. "
That last day in Aspen—their fighting was
way
too fake!" She laughs. "Mister, you owe me a hundred dollars and a massage."

Say what?

The End

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