Gilded Cage

Chapter 54

My brain was still foggy with sleep when I woke to the sound of notifications chiming away on my phone. My eyes blinked open. Sunlight poured through my bedroom window, bright and golden as though it was already late morning or afternoon. I couldn't believe that I'd actually slept in.

Ever since my freshman year of high school, I tried to maintain a routine of never staying in bed past 9:00 am, not even on weekends, since there were always essays to be written, exams to study for, extracurricular meetings and competitions to prep for, and sheet music to memorize for upcoming concerts.

I cringed inwardly as the events from the previous night plowed through my mind. Again. It was staggering to reflect on how simple and orderly my life had been mere months ago. School had been the center of my universe. Nat and Amari were still my ride-or-dies. My biggest worry had been maintaining my class standing so I could get into Stanford.

Now, the thought of focusing all my time and energy into tasks like analyzing the themes from Edith Wharton's "The Age of Innocence" and calculating absorbance with Beer Lambert's Law felt decidedly empty. Its significance waned even more when I compared it to my burning desire to strike back at Lily and uncover the truth behind Mr. Mazur's claims to innocence once and for all. Mr. Sinclair and my dad's possible involvement in the whole matter only served to fuel the fire that raged in me.

Granted, grades and college apps were still important to me, but I no longer saw them as the end-all and be-all of my existence. They had become more of a necessary evil in life, stepping stones to help get me from Ashton Wellesley to Stanford.

Beside me, a drowsy grunt and groan drew me from my reverie. The surface of the mattress shifted as Zac's hard, warm body rolled over towards mine. He slipped a muscled arm around my waist and snuggled closer.

"Is that your phone or mine, babygirl?" he mumbled from behind me. His breaths tickled the skin on my neck.

"I think it's mine," I murmured. I moved to reach for my phone on the end table beside my bed.

Zac yanked me back before I could reach it and wrapped his arms and legs around my body like a vice.

"Five more minutes," he insisted. "Just let me enjoy this for five more minutes. I'm not ready for you to switch into battle mode yet."

"Fine, you big baby. We can stay like this a little longer," I murmured with feigned exasperation. Secretly, though, my heart was brimming with warmth.

Zac pressed his lips to my temple as his hands started to explore. He caressed my breasts, teased my nipples, and nudged the firmness of his morning wood between the back of my thighs. I gasped lightly as the tip of his hardon pressed against the crotch of my underwear.

"You know," he suggested, "I wouldn't mind if we stayed here for more than a few minutes..."

I sighed in contentment as he continued to play with my body. His fingers plucked and rolled my nipples while his cock pushed and prodded against my core. A delicious heat simmered through me. Upon hearing my whimpers of approval, Zac proceeded to sprinkle a line of hot, lingering kisses along my neck and jaw.

I felt his mouth spread into a grin against my skin. "Tell me how you feel about me again."

I bit back a smile as I flipped over to face him. Shyly, I gazed into his amber eyes and whispered, "I love you, baby."

"Again," he prompted. "Say it again."

"I love you."

"One more time!"

I grunted in displeasure, partly in annoyance but mostly in embarrassment. "That's enough, you weirdo!"

I wasn't used to saying the L-word to anyone out loud or in my head and especially not multiple times to the same person in such an open manner.