Belonging to Lust

Both Zaiyia and Heath stiffened on their separate logs surrounding a campfire in the center. Here they were on a camping trip with his sister and her family, and now Heath was getting interrogated by Anneliese as to why he hadn't found the one for him and started a family of his own. He was an outright treasure with kids, and didn’t mind being around them all the time. To have a brood of his own was definitely something Heath was 100% for in the future. But he was getting older, and that brood of children was getting further and further away along with whoever their future mother would be.

His sister asking if Zaiyia was the reason he hadn’t gotten into a relationship had him and the young girl gaping at the older woman in shock that she somehow computed that they had been sleeping together in secrecy. How she knew, they had no clue. They were meticulously discreet when it came to sneaking around behind everyone’s back. No evidence was left overlooked. There was no way she could have figured it out. No. Way.

Hearts were pounding in their chests.

Perspiration was running down their necks.

The world seemed to have honed in on them like an observant judge on his podium ready to sentence the couple for their forbidden love.

Not grasping why the two looked so flustered, Anneliese went on with ease. “Well, is it? Are you scared poor Zaiyia might get jealous that she’ll no longer be the apple of your eye if you get married and have kids of your own?”

“I…” Heath stammered to say, incapable of coming up with the right words to say next. Relief so thick enveloped him in a warm blanket that made him shudder from the cold fear of being discovered. He forced himself to direct his green eyes elsewhere to get ahold of himself and let their luck douse over the rest of his fear. Anneliese hadn’t been calling him out on his romantic relationship with Zaiyia. She had been calling him out on their father-daughter relationship instead. Heath felt like he just somehow survived a plane crash with a measly shredded parachute. He needed time to ground himself right now.

Directing her fascination to Zaiyia instead, Anneliese turned on her piece of log to face her. “Zaiyia, honey, can you at least answer my question? Would you feel jealous if Heath had kids of his own?”

Zaiyia swallowed past the lump in her throat as she pondered Anneliese’s question with restraint nerves. The answer was easy. She wouldn’t be jealous at all if Heath had kids of his own. No, instead she’d be jealous of the WOMAN he selected to have them with! The thought of another women bearing his children made a surge of volcanic rage bubble to the surface inside her that she had to fight to cram back down so no one would notice. Changing the face of the mystery woman to her own instead, Zaiyia preferred herself as the mother of his children and felt her heart swell at the pretty picture in her mind.

A little Zaiyia and Heath racing around the backyard of their property.

A sentimental smile curved across Zaiyia’s face as she answered Anneliese’s question. “No. I also believe Heath would make a good daddy in the future.”

Pointing a finger at Zaiyia in victory because someone was finally siding with her, Anneliese eyed her brother with a smug smile. “See! She even agrees with me! What other reason do you need to start a family, big brother?”

“I’m not ready yet, that’s my reason.” Heath restated strongly with a shake of his head.

Clapping his hands together, Colin rubbed them before beginning to rise and announce it was dessert time to retire this discussion once and for all. “Alrighty then, I think it’s time f-”

“Heath, there’s this woman I work with, right?” Anneliese continued on, discounting her husband’s pursuit at deflecting the conversation between her and her brother. “She’s gorgeous! A slender blonde that’s only a little younger than you. She’s on the market right now looking for her Mr. Right!”

Inwardly groaning, Heath closed his eyes to shut her out as he issued a forewarning in a rigid tone. “Anneliese.”

Overlooking his warning, Anneliese proceeded onward. “I’ve already scoped her out for you and listed the pros and cons. Let me tell you, according to my info she’s perfect for you! I can literally picture her here sitting beside you all cuddling up and in love.” Reaching into her pocket, she retrieved her phone and held it up for him to see. “If you want, I got her number saved in my contact list. You can have it.”

“No.” Heath growled lowly, not wishing for his niece and nephew to discern his temper as they tossed some small twigs into the campfire. There was nothing wrong with a brother and sister getting on each other’s nerves, but when his nieces and nephew were present he made sure to be on his best behavior, to speak to her courteously and not raise his voice. Even if she deserved it.

Zaiyia watched the brother and sister go back and forth on Heath’s dating life. Her mind wasn’t all the way there anymore, it was on this existing mystery woman that Anneliese worked with that was supposedly an impeccable match for Heath. The other women Zaiyia fabricated in her head earlier had generated a jealous fury this world had never seen from a woman before. This real woman, however, merely paralyzed her into silence, and got her mind deliberating on their differences.

Whoever she was was close in age where Zaiyia was positively underage. She had her life together as an adult while Zaiyia was still in high school without a job or a driver’s license, nevermind her own bank account. The only thing the two had in common was they were both looking for Mr. Right.

It made sense for the older woman to be looking to settle down at her age but it was absolutely preposterous to ever entertain that an underage girl could want the same so soon at such a young age. No child wanted to hurry up and get married so they could start a family of their own, no they wanted to have fun, go to parties, kiss on boys, have sex, dance, play video games, and go shopping etc. Zaiyia seemed to be the only exception alive on the planet.

At 16, she’d been looking for Mr. Right without ever knowing it until she met her mother’s sexy hunk of a boyfriend. Sadly, that was all that she was, a 16 year old in high school. What could she possibly offer Heath other than jail time on pedophilia charges?

Zaiyia’s brows furrowed together as she further compared herself to this ‘perfect woman’ for Heath who didn’t even have a name or a face. Her feelings were becoming more and more hurt the further she probed into this matter.

It didn’t have to be stated that Heath would be much safer dating his mystery woman. She wasn’t underage and had her life together. They could walk around in public freely without having to fret about the law prohibiting them from being together from being in love. He could touch her anyway he wanted to as a man could touch a woman, and she could reciprocate them as passionately as she wanted to. The most Heath could do to Zaiyia is set a hand on her shoulder and briefly touch her hand. That was all. There was no meeting of the lips, embracing each other tightly, grabbing each other’s butts openly, or words of love.

Not that Zaiyia got that from Heath either. They never spoke the words of love between each other, not even in the throes of passion. It was always on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she was in love with him, and not in the sense of a child fancying one of the members of the BackStreet Boys. No, she loved him in the same exact way as a woman could love a man, in the same way this mystery woman could grow to love him. But Heath wouldn’t be able to handle that. Hell, he hardly took them being attracted to each other all that well! What made her think he could handle the real deal?

Oh, what the hell was she kidding?

This wasn’t about her loving him, it was about the possibility of another woman falling in love with him and taking her place! If anyone knew Zaiyia Halifax at all, they’d know there was no way in hell she was gonna let some blonde peacoat-wearing-office bimbo steal Heath away from her! Over her dead body! She didn’t fight this hard, cry this hard for some nobody to waltz into his life and seduce him with her assortments of rainbow paperclips and printer ink.

“Fuck that.” Zaiyia whispered to herself as she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. No one noticed her sulking as she glared at the flickering campfire, wishing she could cup her hands into the flames and make a fireball to pitch right into Anneliese co-worker’s gorgeous little Miss America’s face! Never in her life did Zaiyia suffer from insecurity due to her physical appearance. She was a sexy package deal, and she knew it! Any boy would be lucky to have her on his arm, only she didn’t want a boy, she wanted a man, and the man she wanted just got the option of an older woman dropped into his lap. And Zaiyia was left feeling insecure for the first time about her own damn age and beauty.