Zaryk Read online

  “Well, well, well, fancy seeing you here tonight.” I wrap my arms around her slim waist and pick her up, squeezing her tight.

  She squeals as her hands brace against my shoulders, holding her back so her face doesn’t collide with mine. I’m immediately lost in her bright, emerald green eyes. Her long, burgundy hair drapes around her shoulders. God, she’s gorgeous - the perfect woman.

  “Put me down you psycho!” she laughs, her head tipping back, exposing that slender neck of hers. I want to glide my tongue along the smooth skin.

  Reluctantly, I set her back on her feet. She adjusts her short skirt and corset. I can’t tear my eyes away from her cleavage; my hands itch to squeeze her full breasts. I look down - thigh-high stilettos. Be still my beating heart. Just as I’m about to speak, she screams and jumps. Zayne appears from behind her.

  “Grabbies, grabbies. Pinchies, pinchies.” I glare at him and he laughs. He knows what he’s doing. Asshole. “Lookin’ good tonight, Lyndsay, baby!”

  She smiles uncomfortably and shifts so her butt is out of grabbing territory. “Um, thanks, Zayne.”

  I wrap my arm around her shoulder, making sure he knows she’s mine. “Move along, Zayne. Go grab one of your groupies.” Zayne holds out a bottle of vodka, my favorite, and I snatch it out of his hand.

  His head tips back as he barks out a loud laugh and goes on his merry little way. Ever since Haylie left him four years ago, he’s been fucking around like a mad man. The walls upstairs are paper-thin and I’ve heard enough sounds from his room to scar me for life.

  “How about we go outside and get away from the madness for a while?” I gesture toward the door. I wouldn’t mind some alone time with Lyndsay. Deep down I know I shouldn’t want to fuck my best friend, but my dick says otherwise. It wants to be inside that sweet pussy of hers. Whoa, whoa, whoa … down boy.

  “That sounds lovely.” She heads for the door and I follow.

  Once outside I take a deep breath in and exhale long and slow. It’s the beginning of summer and the air is just perfect; not too warm and not too cool. I unscrew the top of the bottle and take a long drink. The clear liquid flows down my throat, burning away any unease I feel. I close my eyes and tip my head back after taking another drink.

  “You going to share that?”

  I hand her the bottle and then sit on the top step of the porch. She follows and sits beside me, her skirt riding up to show more of her thighs. Fucking hell. I look up just as she wraps those pink, full lips around the tip of the bottle. I envision those lips wrapped around my dick, the thought’s enough to make it twitch against the zipper of my jeans. I swallow hard and gaze upward to the sky. God, why are you torturing me like this?

  “Mmm, that’s so good,” she moans and closes her eyes, tipping her head back. Her long hair falls and I have the urge to run my fingers through it, to pull it, anything, as long as it’s in my hands.

  I groan inwardly as my dick strains against my jeans. Lord, help me. I want to be inside her so bad I’m about to lose my fucking mind. I’m still watching her and my eyes have to be bulging out of their sockets by now. That long, lean neck is breathtaking. But screwing her could be a big mistake. She’s my best friend. I’ve seen friendships torn apart because of sex. I don’t want to lose her for any reason. She makes me want to get up every day. I clear my throat, making her flinch.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” I had to do something before I burst. “Feels good not having to go back to that school, yeah?”

  “The freedom is exquisite. No more homework. No more lectures. No more cramming all night for those damn exams. It’s nice to finally have that piece of paper.” She giggles, handing the vodka back to me.

  “I didn’t think the graduation ceremony yesterday was ever going to end,” I take a drink. We sit in silence for a moment, awkwardness hanging in the air, though I’m not sure why. She fidgets for the hundredth time and I decide to speak up. “So … what’s going on?”

  Lyndsay sighs heavily and snatches the bottle back, taking a long drink. “Whoa, there, sweetness, take it easy.” I lower the bottom of the bottle, making it pop from her lips. “Everything okay?”

  She looks at me, smiles slightly and shrugs. “I just have a lot on my mind tonight.” She looks toward the street.

  “Hey.” I touch the side of her face lightly and bring her gaze to mine. “What is it, Lynds? You can tell me.”

  “I don’t know if I should,” she whispers, closing her eyes so I can’t see what’s behind them. She hates it that I’m able to see when she’s hiding something. She always caves eventually.

  “Open your eyes, Lynds,” They flutter open and I lean my face close to hers so we’re at eye level. “You know you can tell me anything, right?” She nods. “What’s on your mind?”

  Another sigh as her shoulders slump. “Let’s just see where tonight takes things and we’ll talk later. How does that sound?” I glare at her in frustration. “I promise. We’ll talk later.” A sweet smile graces her perfect face.

  “Alright, but don’t think this discussion can be avoided. I want to know what’s going on up there.” I gently push the tip of my index finger against her head and then look out toward the street and huff out a breath. “We should probably get back inside. There’s going to be a big announcement and I should probably be a part of it.”

  “What announcement?”

  “You’ll see.”

  She juts her bottom lip out in a pout. “You’re really not going to tell me? Your best, excuse me, bestest friend in the whole world?”

  “Aw, c’mon, love.” I nudge her arm with my shoulder. “It’s worth the wait. I promise. And besides.” Standing, I reach out my hand to her. “You won’t tell me your little secret, so we’re even.” I wink. “Now, let’s go have some fun, shall we?”

  Her hand grasps mine and I wrap my fingers around it, pulling her up. Those troubled eyes find my eyes and I get lost in them again. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pull her close. Thinking straight has flown out the damn window. The want and need I have for her is so intense I can barely resist it.

  ******

  Lyndsay

  As I stare into Zaryk’s intense sapphire blue eyes I feel a bit nervous. Is he going to kiss me? I keep going back and forth in my mind about what to do. I’m ready to lose my virginity and he’s the one I want to lose it to. But what if it ruins what we have? Our friendship means more to me than anything and I’d be lost without it. Ever since the day we met I’ve ached for him. Four years on and I’m still not sure if he wants me the same way I want him.

  He loosens his grip on me and awkwardly turns toward the door, his hand gripping mine, making me follow. Once inside, he excuses himself and joins the guys in the middle of the living room. They were really lucky to find this gem off campus. My modest, little apartment is nowhere near as nice as their rental house.

  I look around. Only their closest friends are here tonight, but it still doesn’t seem like there’s much room. It’s a nice house with original, dark, hardwood floors, basic white paint on the empty walls. Real furniture is sparse - they have a couch, a chair and a television in the living room. The rest of the downstairs is littered with bean-bag chairs.

  Zayden says something to Zaryk and they both look at me. He smiles and I smile back. The music stops and Deklan steps up on the couch so everyone can see him.

  He begins his speech.

  “First, I just want to say thank you for coming out tonight to celebrate the end of our college careers. It feels good knowing that we don’t have to step inside a classroom again. Second, there’s some big news we want to share. We’ve known about this for a couple weeks now and this will explain to some of you why we haven’t had much free time lately. Of course, we told our families first, so keeping this a secret for a while longer has been killing us. You all know about our band, Twisted Epiphany. You’ve been to the gigs and cheered us on, and we couldn’t be more grateful for your support. So, it is a great
honor to share with you the reason we’ve been missing in action lately. Twisted Epiphany has signed with Riot Enterprises and we’ve been working on our first album! We fucking made it to the big league!”

  Cheers and screams erupt throughout the house. I can’t believe Zaryk managed to keep this a secret. He makes his way through the crowd towards me and leans in close.

  “I told you it was worth the wait.” His hot breath makes me clench my thighs together in the hope of extinguishing the throb between them.

  I stifle a moan as he straightens, still beaming.

  “I am so proud of you!” I wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him tight. He buries his nose in my hair and I close my eyes, taking in the warmth of his body. I have to be careful. My intentions tonight could really screw with everything we have.

  He sets me on my feet and searches my eyes for a moment. Those blue eyes make me want to melt. His long fingers are lightly gliding their way down my arms igniting flames within my body. I drink him in completely - all of him. His black and blonde mohawk is growing out nicely and his arms are firm. I can tell he’s been lifting weights. I itch to rip off his shirt and run my hands over his bare, broad shoulders. The thought of what’s hiding under his shirt and…I look down and almost gasp out loud. Is he turned on or is that bulge a normal thing?

  “Hello? Earth to Lyndsay.” He’s waving a hand in front of my face and I come out of my reverie. “How about we celebrate, yes?” He leads me to the kitchen. “What’s your poison tonight? Whiskey, vodka, rum, or are you a beer drinker? I should know these things, shouldn’t I?” He chuckles as he grabs a bottle of his favorite vodka.

  “You got tequila?” I need liquid courage if I’m going to do what I plan on doing tonight.

  His eyebrows shoot up as he stares at me in surprise. “Tequila, eh? Hitting the hard stuff tonight. Does this have anything to do with those thoughts up here?” He pokes my head with his finger.

  I scowl at him. “No, I just like tequila.”

  “Liar.” He grabs a bottle from the cabinet next to the refrigerator, and then hands it to me. “I’m going to go hang with the guys for a bit. You okay hanging around the girls?”

  By “the girls” he means my best friend Amberlynn, who is Deklan’s girlfriend, and Jessica, Zayden’s girlfriend. I want to be attached to him all night, but I need to get my mojo working. Hopefully this tequila will do the trick.

  “That’s fine.” I smile as best I can.

  “Liar,” he says again.

  “Go play with the boys.” I push him back out to the living room.

  “Gee, thanks Mom.” He kisses my forehead and heads toward his brothers on the other side of the room. Before he reaches them, he turns and yells, “Love you!”

  “I love you, too,” I say quietly. Too bad you don’t know how much.

  ~ Two ~

  Zaryk

  It’s well after two in the morning and Lyndsay and I are beyond drunk. I’m leaning against the back of the couch, my brother Zayne is on one side of me and Deklan is on the other. I’m watching Lyndsay dance with the other ladies. Her hips sway and twist in time to “Animal” by Three Days Grace. She whips her hair around and makes eye contact with me. Her gaze reeks of sex and drills deep inside me.

  “Z, she is eye fucking the hell out of you.” Zayne nudges my ribcage.

  “Yeah,” I bring the bottle of vodka to my lips to take another drink and realize it’s empty. “Shit.” I lift it and peer through the clear glass.

  Deklan reaches over and snatches the bottle out of my hand. “You’ve had enough.” He tosses it on the couch behind us. I glare at him. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not about to peel you off this fucking floor and I refuse to visit you in the hospital again for drinking too damn much.”

  “Shit.” I shove my hands in my front pockets and shift my eyes back to Lyndsay.

  Deklan turns to face me, leaning sideways against the couch, arms folded across his broad chest. “Z, I remember the last time you were this wasted. You just wouldn’t stop drinking. Hell, I thought you were going to die that night.”

  I look down at my feet. I remember that night. It had been precisely one year after Zoey had died and I had turned nineteen earlier that year. Deklan, Kreed, Zayne, Zayden, and I were partying, and raiding the liquor cabinet at Deklan’s house; his parents were away for the weekend. We hadn’t moved into the rental yet. I was beyond depressed that day and my drinking on the weekends was getting worse.

  I woke up in a hospital bed with needles in my arms and an anxious and pissed off mom and dad at my bedside. I nearly died that night from alcohol poisoning. Physically I felt no change, but mentally …

  At that point in my life I had felt like I had nothing to live for. I was lost. I missed my sister so much I was on the brink of a meltdown. Alcohol covered things up and that night I overdid it … big time. Since then Deklan has worried about me constantly.

  “Hey.” Deklan claps a hand on my shoulder and I look up into his concerned dark eyes. “You know I worry about you when you drink, Z. You’re like a brother to me, man.”

  “Thanks Deklan.” I’m slurring. He’s right. I should stop.

  “No need to ever thank me, Z. I’ll do anything to make sure you’re okay.” He pats me on the shoulder again, leans in and says in a low tone, “Now, go get her.” He shoves me in Lyndsay’s direction.

  I look at her and a wicked grin spreads across my lips. “Don’t mind if I do.” Deklan and Zayne both laugh as I pretty well stumble my way through the crowd of women to the one I have my eye on.

  Lyndsay’s back is to me and I press my body against her. She molds into me as I brush my lips against her ear. “How about we get away from the fun down here and go have our own.”

  She reaches back and grabs the bulge in my pants. I growl against her ear and her head falls back against my shoulder. She moves her hand to mine and we clumsily climb the steps to my room.

  I close the door and lock it. Lyndsay’s breathing gets quicker the closer I come to her. She seems nervous. I’m right in front of her now and her breath catches as I reach up and tuck her hair behind her ear. Her eyes close and her lips part as a slow breath flows from her mouth.

  “Everything okay?” I lightly trace my fingers down the side of her face.

  Her eyes flicker open and I swear I can see the lust she has for me. “Yes. Zaryk, I want you so bad.”

  Those words ignite every nerve ending in my body and I crush my lips into hers. She dissolves into my arms. Every single painful feeling I have ever felt drifts away and my heart is pulsating with a fullness I haven’t felt in years; I feel like a human being again.

  When our lips part I feel that familiar emptiness again. Panting, we stare at each other. I touch the back of my fingers against the side of her face.

  “You’re so beautiful, Lyndsay,” I whisper.

  She bites her lower lip, grabs my hand and guides me to my bed. She spins me around and pushes me down so I’m sitting on the edge. I look up at her stunning face, anticipating what she’ll do next. When she doesn’t budge I pull her down onto my lap, holding her tight against my chest.

  She grinds against me, leans in close to my ear and whispers, “How bad do you want me, Zaryk.” Her teeth graze my ear.

  I close my eyes and groan as I dig my fingertips into her still moving hips. “More than you can imagine.” I move my hands up her back, trying to bring her closer to me. She arches as a soft moan escapes her lips. I trail kisses down her neck and across her collarbone. My cock is going to bust through my jeans.

  She tears my shirt over my head and tosses it onto the floor. Her finger traces the treble clef tattoo on the left side of my chest as she dips her head to place soft kisses on it. I close my eyes, basking in the warmth of her mouth as she hovers over the tattoo. She grips my shoulders and forces me down on my back. I lift my hips and grind against her. Fuck, I have to be inside her. I reach up and unzip the front of her corset, exposing her perfect, round bre
asts. I slide the straps down her arms and toss it aside.

  She leans down and nibbles on my ear, causing me to push against her, harder, trying to get her to take the hint. She starts to lick, nibble, and suck her way down my chest and over my abs, tracing the V at my hipbones with the tips of her fingers.

  “This … is sexy.” Her soft voice radiates through my ears. I lean my head back and a hiss escapes my clenched teeth as I thrust my hips again. She giggles and my head jolts up. I swat her ass, making her squeal.

  “Lyndsay, don’t make me punish you.” I dig the tips of my fingers into the cheeks of her tight ass. She swivels her hips and I groan, dropping my head back again.

  A sly smile forms on her lips and I don’t feel her on me anymore. I look up and she’s standing in front of me. Before I can ask any questions she unbuttons my pants and pulls them down, along with my boxer briefs. I spring free and her eyes open wide. “Oh my god, you’re …” she trails off. Her face turns bright red as she looks away. “Okay, that’s big.” She looks back at me and hesitates for a moment.

  I lift my head and look at her, confused. “You’ve done this before, right?” She doesn’t answer, and I can’t dismiss the scared expression on her face. “Lynds, are you…” She bends down, and covers me with her mouth, cutting off any thoughts I may have had. My head drops back onto the bed. “Lyndsay,” I run my fingers through her soft, thick hair as she moves up and down, flicking her tongue in all the right spots. She takes me in deeper and deeper and I feel like I’m about to lose it. Grabbing a fist full of her hair, I pull her back to my lips.

  Gently, I move her so she’s on her back. Lying on my side next to her, I smooth my hand over her flat stomach, inching closer and closer to her breasts until I cup one, pinching the nipple between my finger and thumb. Her eyes close as her back arches up. A soft sigh leaves her parted lips as I cover her nipple with my mouth, teasing it with my tongue. With my mouth still wrapped around her nipple, I coast my hand down to her skirt, shoving it off, along with her panties.