Page 12 of Only Me
“I know that exact feeling. I had the same one when I saw that guy earlier.” Zeke’s arms wrap around my waist from behind, and he draws me back to press against his chest. “I like the look of possession on you.” He presses his hips forward, and I feel the steel rod press into my back. “A lot.”
“You sure that isn’t a result of the show you’ve undoubtedly gotten out here all night?” A jealous ping bounces around in my stomach. I know it’s dumb, he’s part owner of a strip club now, something I’ve accepted. He’s going to see naked women, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
In a flash, I’m spinning around, and my face is cupped by Zeke’s strong hands. “I’ve seen nothing but this ugly tile and Rose’s face all night. I wouldn’t even look at the customers I served.”
“Bullshit.”
“There are four cracked tiles that need replacing. One by the bar looks like there is a mouse in the marbling. And a surprising number of the men here tap their feet along to the music.”
“Oh my god, I totally know that mouse. You really didn’t even peek once?” My heart speeds up, and my stomach feels light in my belly at the thought that Zeke averted his eyes the whole night.
“Why would I want to see anyone but you? After you’ve seen perfection, everything else pales in comparison.” His thumb brushes along my cheekbone, sweeping away a tear I hadn’t even realized escaped from my eye.
“Holy shit, that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.” Zsa Zsa comes up beside me and slings her arm around my shoulders. “If you don’t take him home right now and fuck his brains out, I will.”
Zeke’s eyes widen at the prospect of the six-foot drag queen before us taking him home. “This is confusing. I’m not sure if I should be jealous that you’re touching the woman I love or mad that you want to sleep with me.”
“Don’t worry, sugar, my husband keeps me plenty satisfied, you’re both saved from the thrill that is Zsa Zsa in the bedroom.” Zsa waves her fingers at Butch by the door, and he blows her a kiss back. They are seriously the cutest couple ever.
“Butch is your husband?”
“Yeah, Farm Boy. You got a problem with that?” Zsa Zsa rises to her full height, and Zeke’s eyes widen even further.
“No. None. Sorry, just, this is a different world from where I grew up. It’ll take some adjusting.” Zeke looks genuinely sheepish at his reaction to our DJ being married to our big bear of a bouncer. But he holds his hand out to Zsa Zsa. “I hope you’ll be patient with me as I learn, ma’am.”
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Zsa smile so big at anyone other than her husband. She shakes Zeke’s hand, then pushes me closer to him. “Okay, you two get out of here. I’ll get Roxy to help wait tables.”
I start to object because Roxy is a seriously awful waitress, but before I can, Zeke has me swept up into his arms once again and is practically running for the door. “Thanks, see you tomorrow,” I yell just before we get to the hall leading to the back entrance.
“You have a car here?” Zeke’s voice is suddenly hard, his body tense, but I have no clue why.
“Yes. It’s parked out back.”
He practically kicks the door to the office in and stomps to the desk. “Keys?”
I point to the closet to the left of the entrance, and he stomps over, shifting me slightly as he wrenches the door open. “Get them.”
“You can put me down.”
“No,” he growls.
“Are you mad at me or something?” A squirming starts in my belly at the mere idea that Zeke might be angry. Not because I’m scared or anything, but because I suddenly realize I only want him to be happy.
Zeke pulls in a deep breath, causing my body to rise along with his chest. As he blows the breath out, a rush of words come with it. “It’s just all so strong. I’ve never felt emotions like this before. I’ve never acted like this before. But it feels like if I don’t get you home right now and mark you as mine in some permanent way that my heart is going to try and claw its way out of my chest just to be closer to you.”
“Then take me home.” I grab my purse from the hook in the closet, and Zeke turns on his heels, racing for the back door with my directions.
He places me into the passenger seat of my car like I’m spun gold and I’m so stunned at being made to feel so delicate and precious that I don’t even protest when he gets behind the wheel of my car without asking if he can drive. I’ll let it slide this time, but I hope he doesn’t think this whole driving me around thing is going to become a habit.
Since the house is only a few miles away we’re home before the speeding rate of my heart can calm even a little.
“Stay there, I’ll open your door,” Zeke instructs.
But I’m already opening my door. “No time for that, get me inside. Then get inside me.”
We both run up the porch steps and Zeke fumbles with my keys looking for the right one to open the front door. Finally, I take them from his hand and do it myself. As soon as the door swings open I’m up in Zeke’s arms as he shuts the door with a backward kick. Then he’s bounding up the stairs with me still in his arms.
“Put me down. You’re going to hurt yourself. My room is on the third floor.” I try to push against his chest, but I might as well be trying to push a broken down sixteen-wheeler along the road. He doesn’t even flinch.
“I know where our room is.”
“Ourroom?”
He laughs a little and rounds the corner to the next set of stairs leading up to my attic oasis. I fucking love this room. Murray and Luther knew I would need a space of my own when I started my pre-teen years and the house started filling with homeless LGBT teens. Renovating the long-ignored attic took almost a year, but it turned out perfectly. The only things I’ve changed in the eight years since moving into to the top floor is trading in my twin bed for a queen and getting rid of some stuffed animals.
Zeke is hardly even breathing hard by the time we make it up the final set of stairs. And I’m a pretty big girl, so that is saying something about the level of his stamina and strength. Before I know it, I’m flying through the air to come to a bouncing stop in the center of the bed. Zeke crawls on after me and grabs both my shoes, throwing them to the floor behind him. Getting the hint, I quickly sit up and rip my shirt up and over my head just as he grips my skirt to tug it down my legs. My bra and panties come next and working together we get me naked in literally seconds.
Then everything comes to a screeching halt.
