59| Mornings Like These

In the morning, Zoey was awake but she felt too tired to open her eyes. She was aware of her surroundings, of someone staring at her with calm, calculative eyes. She had an idea who he probably was, most probably the guy she cuddled with the whole night.

Smiling, she opened her eyes, expecting to find Travis looking at her but his eyes were closed. Her eyebrows furrowed and she angled her neck, only to find her little brother standing by the bed and staring at both of them.

Zoey gasped at this and hurriedly pushed Travis away. The sudden impact woke Travis up and he let out a gasp just as loud.

"What are you doing here Sam?" She yelled.

"Dad asked me to check up on you. Do I tell him you are in bed with Travis?" Sam asked.

"Don't you dare. You have to keep your mouth shut, Sam. I am serious." Zoey said in panic.

"That depends." Sam shrugged.

"Depends on what?" She asked.

"On how much money is there in my pocket." He smiled sheepishly and Zoey gritted her teeth.

"I am not bribing you." She said.

"Okay." Sam muttered and then shouted, "Dad!"

Hopping out of bed, Zoey silenced him by putting her hand on his mouth. "Fine. How much money do you need?" She asked.

"Hundred bucks." Sam said.

"I'll give you fifty." She replied.

"Ninety."

"Fifty-five."

"Eighty."

"Sixty."

"Seventy five, take it or leave it." Sam bargained.

"Fine." Zoey said and pulled seventy five dollars from her wallet.

"Thanks." Sam said and walked out of the room "Enjoy your sex." He said before leaving.

"Sam!" She shouted back and then turned her head towards Travis who had a grin on his face. "Why are you laughing, idiot?" She said and sat down beside him.

"You look cute when you are angry." He said and extended his hand to brush back the hair falling on her forehead. In the morning, she looked twice as beautiful than she usually did, her face bare of any make-up and her messy hair sprawled all around.

"Take a bath. You look like hell." She said.

"You too." Travis lied. Saying this, he left the bed and pulled out his toothbrush and clothes from his luggage, all the while feeling Zoey's eyes on him. Passing her a smile, he entered the bathroom and took off his shirt.

While he was brushing his teeth, he heard the bathroom door opened and someone walked in. Turning his head to the door, he watched Zoey standing there with a dangerous look in her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

She walked over to the sink and picked up her own toothbrush. "Brushing my teeth." She shrugged.

Rolling his eyes playfully, Travis brushed his teeth while their eyes remained locked together through the mirror. Zoey had mischief filling her eyes to the brim. She was in the mood of messing with him and it was clear from her actions. Once he had washed his face, he walked over to the shower and turned it on.

"Now if you don't mind, can I take a quick shower?" He asked.

"I don't mind." She said and her hands reached the hem of her top. She slowly took it off, leaving behind a black lacy bra.

"Zoey, don't do that." Travis said while trying his best to keep his eyes off her stunning body.

"What? I need a shower too." She said and her hands went to the button of her jeans. Travis sucked his breath as she took off her jeans. The sight of her milky skin against the dark undergarments caused all the blood of his body to rush south.

Swaying her hips, Zoey walked towards him and entered under the shower, ignoring Travis who was staring at her like a hungry person staring at a meal. The water wet her hair and trickled down her flawless skin in a seductive manner.

"You can join. I don't mind. Besides, the shower is big enough for two persons." She said innocently.

Gulping the ball of nerves down his throat, Travis walked towards her into the shower and stopped only few inches away from her. He couldn't move his eyes from her, as if she had spelled a cast or something. He wanted her, so bad, and she knew that, judging by the devilish smile on her face.

As he tried to reach her, she turned around, leaving her back towards him. Travis' eyes travelled down her curved back and rested on her buttocks, the sight of which caused his pants to tighten even more.

He took a step forwards and his front grazed against her wet back. His traitorous hands reached her waist before discussing with his mind first. He grazed his hand across her stomach, feeling her soft and warm skin against her own.

His other hand pushed all her wet hair to one shoulder. Lowering his head, he kissed the bare nape of her neck. In a slow pace, he traced his mouth to the junction of her neck and shoulder, leaving few warm kisses there. His mouth then moved upwards towards her ear, leaving small pecks all the way. Once it reaches her ears, he darted his tongue out and gently teased her earlobes, earning a small moan from her.

The hand that was on her waist was slowly moving down to a dangerous territory. As it finally reached the hem of her panties and then inside it, Zoey's breaths quickened and she threw her head back against his neck.

"Oh!" She trembled in his hold and the trembling had nothing to do with the cold water.

After teasing her a little, he finally turned her around and stared into her hooded eyes filled with desire. Capturing her soft lips, he used his hands to take off the rest of clothing from her. She did the same and soon, they were kissing under the water with their naked bodies grazing against each other.

After kissing for what felt like a century, Travis pinned her against the glass wall of the shower area and guided her legs around his waist. While their tongues collided again, his hands explored the rest of her body, all her soft curves, everything that was accessible.

When she couldn't control herself any longer, she grind her pelvis against him and urged him to enter her and with that, the world around her suddenly became irrelevant.

•••••••••••

The sound of door opening disturbed Maya's peaceful sleep. She turned around on the soft bed and lay down on her stomach. For some reason, her bed felt so soft today. Maybe when she wasn't here, her mom decided to change the hard mattress finally.

"Maya!" She heard someone call her, a familiar masculine voice.

Opening her eyes, she rolled on the bed and her eyes widened in confusion when she found herself inside Zachary's room.

"What am I doing here?" She asked, pulling the blanket on top of her to cover her disheveled self.

"It was late last night so I brought you here. My mom's friends had occupied all the guest rooms so I let you sleep here." Zachary said.

Now that she noticed, he was returning from workout and only had an undershirt on. A thin layer of sweat was sticking his shirt to his muscular body and his biceps were peeking out of the shirt. Overall, he was radiating confidence and appeal that wasn't easy to ignore.

"Where did you sleep?" She asked.

He pointed at the other end of the bed which was just as badly ruffled. Seeing this, warmth crept up Maya's cheeks and she hid her face with the help of her hair.

"I'll change in some other bathroom. You go freshen up." He said and pulled out his fresh clothes from the cupboard.

Maya nodded and took out her own clothes from her luggage. She spent the next half an hour in the bathroom, doing her morning routine and washing off all the remnants of their long drive back to home. Once she felt nice and clean, she changed into fresh clothes and walked out.

She walked over to the mirror and brushed her hair. Her eyes fell on a photo frame on the edge of the vanity and she picked it up. The picture looked few years older. Zachary was looking into the camera with a smile, his teeth covered in braces and his blonde hair cut in a dorky style.

"Ugh, ignore this picture. Puberty did that to me." She heard Zachary say as he entered inside with a tray in his hands.

"You look cute." Maya chuckled.

"Cute as in a dorky kid who probably had no friends? God, I hated middle school." He said and placed the tray on the bed.

"I can't imagine you not having friends. I am sure there was still a flock of girls around you, golden boy." Maya said.

"Not the one I wanted." Zachary muttered under his breath. "Come on. What will you have? There is bread, omelet, cereal and juice. I can call the help and ask them to send vegetables or fruits or whatever you want."

"It's okay. You didn't have to do that." Maya said although she was really hungry.

"Really? Because the way your stomach was growling when you were asleep told me otherwise." Zachary said and Maya turned red at this.

"Wh... What?"

"Yep. So sit down and eat."

Nodding, Maya sat down in front of him and served some omelet and bread in her plate. Zachary poured the juice for her and handed over the glass to her. The minute first sip reached her stomach, she sighed in relief and Zachary smiled at this.

"What now?" She glared at him and he shook his head.

She had eaten a few bites in comfortable silence when Zachary spoke. "I am sorry about yesterday. About what how I behaved in the room and also for what Ethan did."

"It's okay." Maya passed him a brief and awkward smile.

"Um... There is something you should know." Zachary said in a serious manner and Maya gulped.

"Hmm." She said, dreading whatever he was going to say.

"I like you and---"

"Don't. Just don't say anything else, Zachary." Maya stopped him immediately. "What we have is amazing. I love being your friend. I don't want to ruin it with a relationship or anything. So let's just forget what you were going to say and we can act like it didn't happen."

Zachary looked like he wanted to say something but he silenced himself and nodded. His jaw was clenched and it wasn't a pretty sight. Once again, the peace in the room was ruined and the silence between them became uncomfortable.

It was hard but needed. Maya knew that no good can come out of two friends being in a relationship. If it doesn't work out, things can become extremely uncomfortable. That's why she never let herself feel anything for Travis and that's the reason they were still friends after so many years, because they never tried to be more. She wanted Zachary and her to be the same but he was trying to cross the barrier again and again.

"I should go now." She said once she had eaten almost everything.

"I'll drop you. Meet me downstairs." Zachary said and walked out of the room, leaving no to for discussion.

The whole drive, Zachary remained silent. He kept cursing himself for broadcasting his feelings to her. In fact, he had done it again and again, sometimes subtly and sometimes hidden behind the cover of a joke, but she shut him down each time. He felt like a desperate cringey person who keeps crawling after a girl. This girl had him wrapped around her little fingers and he hated that.

Once he stopped the car, Maya walked out. He watched her walk towards her house and his frustration increased. Each cell in his body wanted her to feel the same but she didn't. He hated feeling like this, helpless and at her mercy.

"Maya!" He called her name to settle it once and for all.

As he left the car and walked towards her, she kept blinking in confusion. "What---" Her words stopped when Zachary wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards himself.

"I can't do that. I can't be just your friend because every time I see you, I want to kiss you so hard. So no, I can't be your friend." Saying this, he lowered his head and kissed her right on the lips.

Maya stilled in his arms, too shocked to do anything as Zachary kissed her. Her head started spinning and she closed her eyes to regain her senses. The feeling of his lips moving against her own created a warmth that started from her belly and reached her toes. She couldn't help but respond to the kiss and move her lips against Zachary gently.

They kissed for what felt like hours. Zachary was the experienced one among them but he felt like he had never kissed a girl before. Everything about her was so different, so fresh, so alluring. They kept kissing and kissing and kissing until a cough forced them to pull away.

As they turned their heads towards the source, Maya's mom was standing there, eyeing them both with a mischievous smile on her face.

Maya wished the earth to open up and swallow her. She freed herself of Zachary's hold instantly and rushed inside in fast speed, well as fast as it was possible with the heavy luggage in her hands.

Once she was out of his sight, Zachary stared at her mother in embarassment, who was already smirking at him. "So much for being just friends." She muttered under her breath and walked inside.

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