Sequel: Moving In

...By My Side

Forever By My Side

Looking around as they entered the city limits of a town that had no clocks and had no bedtime where alcohol flowed freely and the dice and cards were never still, Julie then looked at the man beside her. “Where to first?”

Sensing nervousness seep from the woman sitting beside him, Zacky navigated off the road and looked around the area that they had just entered. “How about this—how about we stay here, chill out and see what happens?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Nodding her head, Julie plucked at the fabric of the wedding gown that her form was draped in. “We have no clothes, though.”

“Let’s get some.” Putting his car into gear, Zacky laughed. “All those looks we got on the way here were awesome, weren’t they?”

Smiling when she saw the amusement alight in his luminous green eyes, Julie laughed along with him. “I guess it isn’t common to have a woman in full bridal dress walk into some crappy second rate broken down restroom at a gas station, huh?”

“Just like this won’t be normal, either.” Shaking his head as he navigated them into a mall parking lot, Zacky climbed out of the car after parking and opened Julie’s door. “Let’s go shopping!”

“Easy for you to say since you already have your jacket and tie off!” Waiting for Zacky to grab the skirts that accompanied her dress, Julie stepped out of the car and gasped when he scooped her up off the pavement. “Put me down!”

“Hell no; we’re on a mission and it’ll take forever for you to get the hell inside with this dress on and I’m not waiting all day! This damned desert is hot and I’m boiling in these damn pants!” Carrying her in through the doors that another shopper held open, Zacky nodded his thanks and then deposited her on her feet. “Ready?”

“Yep.” Brown eyes dancing at the stares they were getting, Julie looked around. “Is there a directory?”

Pointing to the directory before taking her hand, Zacky led them up to it and stared at the offering. “A bunch of preppy shit.”

“I swear if you walk out of here with some bow-tied shit I will kill you.”

“Uh, no.” Shaking his head, Zacky bit his snakebitten lips and shook his head. “That was just to see how the kids took me in dork-wear.”

“Dork-wear isn’t even the term for that shit.” Giving him a glare, Julie then tugged on his hand, making him follow her. “Come on, they have a decent store after all.” Entering the store and muttering under her breath as she did so, Julie pointed to the wall of t-shirts that were on display. “Find something off of that wall. I’ll be over there.”

“Wait.” Tugging on her hand when she went to pull away, Zacky pulled her up to his front. “Are you suddenly thinking that you’re going to dress me now that I’ve told you my true feelings?”

“No, I was merely suggesting.” Reaching up and touching her lips to his as if she had done it a thousand times before, Julie stepped back down cursing the heels that made her an almost even height as him. “Now, before I choke in this dress, let me go.”

Shaking his head, Zacky let her go and watched as she all but strode across the shop to the women’s side. Full lips twisting in to a smirk when he saw her head straight to the corsets that were displayed, he shook his head and pulled out three t-shirts to get him through and flipped through available pants. Combining his things with hers at the counter, he deflected the questions he faced about his line of work and all but groaned in joy when Julie pulled her credit card out of the small dress matching purse she carried.

“Just put everything on mine.” Waiting until the slip was handed to her she dashed her signature on it and slid it back across the metal topped counter. Taking the bag that was offered she pulled on Zacky’s hand to get him out of the store. “That shit is so annoying.”

“It’s my life.” Shrugging, Zacky looked at the ceiling of the mall. “Change here or at a hotel?”

“A hotel. We can shower there.” Deciding in her practical manner, Julie pulled Zacky down the mall and outside. “Come on; let’s get the hell out of here.”

One thing Zacky had forgotten about his best friend was the fact that once she had a game plan for something, she threw herself into it with everything that she had. “Which hotel?”

“We have a whole city to choose from!” Pushing the button for his sunroof once they were on the road again, Julie looked up at it as the sky flew above them. Looking back down at Zacky, she sighed and un-did her seatbelt. Laughing and smiling as he protested, she kneeled on her seat and popped her head through. Finally standing on the seat, she braced her palms on the hot surface of the roof in front of her feeling more free than she had the entire time she had been engaged to Matt.

Heart constricting at the thought of the man she had left standing in the church full of friends and family and of the money wasted, she sighed and squealed as Zacky started to pull on her ankle.

“Damnit, Jules! You’re not even drunk!” Driving through the heavy traffic of the Strip as the sun dipped below the mountains in the distance, Zacky fought to keep the laughter out of his voice as she leaned forward to peer at him through the windshield of the car. “Jules! Come on, damnit!”

Rolling her eyes after sticking out her tongue, Julie slid back inside the car and down onto the seat, the numerous skirts of her dress billowing up around her and flying over to Zacky’s side of the car. Watching and then starting to laugh as he batted the material over to her side, she caught the light that they had stopped at turn green. “Go, Zee, go!”

“Good Lord, woman!” Pulling suddenly into a hotel, Zacky pulled under the overhang over the check-in area and climbed out. “If I had known that taking you out of Matt’s hands would cause you to be this way again, I would’ve done it sooner.”

Accepting the hand that he held out, Julie grinned and stepped out of the car. “I feel bad about that, though, I really do.” Stopping as her phone rang she looked at the ID and hung back. “Why don’t you check us in and I’ll be right there?”

“Um, no.” Taking her elbow in his hand, Zacky pulled the cell phone from her fingers and drew her inside. “I’m not leaving you in a wedding dress outside for all to see with your goods hanging out.” Marching up to check-in, he drummed his fingers on the marble counter as Julie stood silently by him, calculating as to how she could get her phone back.

Waiting until he was semi-distracted and arranging for their room, she then reached out and tickled his side. Watching as he tried to keep a straight face, she continued until she knew that he couldn’t take it anymore and put his hand over his shoulder with her phone. Plucking it out of his fingers, she smiled and kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”

“Will you all want the honeymoon suite seeing as you just got married?”

Letting out a giggle, Julie stared at Zacky and poked him in the side. “Yeah, honey; do we want the honeymoon suite?” Throwing him a look over her shoulder as she walked away, she smiled until she felt her phone in her hand again. Escaping outside, she let out a sigh

Plunking his credit card on the marble counter, Zacky pushed it across the expanse with one finger. “We’ll take it.” Signing the slip that was handed to him, he then took the key that was handed to him and headed off to find Julie. Walking outside, he saw the car had been taken by the valet. Looking around, he found Julie leaning against the side of the hotel cigarette dangling from between her fingers as she looked down at the ground, her cell phone clutched in her other hand by her hip.

Cocking his head, he stared at her before navigating through the landscaping. Leaning down, he gently pulled the bottom of her skirt that was snagged on a bush off of it and then stood up. Gazing at her face when she looked up, he saw tear tracks through the carefully applied makeup that had been put on her face hours before. “Are you alright?”

“I don’t know, Zacky.” Whispering the words, Julie looked away and brought the cigarette she held up to her lips hating the fact that he had seen her crying.

“Look, we don’t have to do this. I can take you back home, you and Matt can still get married and I’ll leave you two alone.” Lifting her chin with his fingers, Zacky made her washed out brown eyes look at him.

“That’s not what I want.” Abandoning her cigarette, Julie reached up and put her hand on the side of his cheek. “I didn’t even want to be at that church. I wanted to run away two weeks ago and you wouldn’t let me and I should’ve just done that instead of what I did.”

“You have the now. Even though I kinda forced it, you have the now.” Leaning the two inches it took to bring his lips to hers, Zacky lightly kissed her. Feeling her respond, he slowly let his hands settle on her hips, crushing the white fabric that covered them beneath his fingers. Shivering when her tongue brushed against his, he drew her even closer and pressed her against the wall behind her.

Sliding her fingers from the side of his face, Julie let her fingers tangle in the short hair on the back of his head and completely surrendered to the feelings he created and in the way he tasted. Letting out a moan when his hand slid around to the small of her back, she felt the rough concrete of the building brush against the bare skin of her shoulders, the thin straps attached to the top of her dress doing nothing to protect her. Pressing her hips into his, she felt him gasp against her mouth and let her lips curve into a slow smile when he pulled back.

“Let’s get inside.” Stepping back, Zacky took her hand and pulled her through the landscaping and towards the doors of the hotel. Striding across the lobby, he noticed the stares that they received and briefly wondered why there were getting so much attention in Vegas of all places—the city where anything outlandish didn’t stand out and weddings happened just about every minute.

Biting her lip as she watched the lights glint off the piercings on his lips, Julie tapped her foot impatiently waiting for the elevator to deposit them on their floor. Taking Zacky’s hand and leading the way off and down the hall as she had already asked their room number, she stopped before the dark wooden door and waited.

Taking a deep breath, Zacky inserted the key card into the slot on the door and let it out as the lights above the device flashed green. “Jules, I think—“

“I’ve had enough thinking. I’ve had too many damned years of thinking about you and I’m tired of thinking.” Taking two steps into the opulent room, she turned and grabbed his shoulders. “Thinking is now, therefore, over.” Crashing her lips to his, she tasted their fullness before taking the kiss deeper as he gasped in surprise. Pressing him against the wall, she kept a hold of his shoulders as his hands found their way to her hips yet again.

Thoughts of what they were doing and where it would lead to entering his foggy mind, Zacky poured himself into the kiss and fought her lead, not willing to let her totally take over. Raising his hand, he felt around for the zipper on her dress that Emma had pulled up hours ago at the church, the zipper he himself had pulled up in the dress shop the day she had picked it out. Sliding it down, he heard the rasp of the teeth open as she let out a low moan as the constricting top of the dress came loose.

Pulling back from the kiss, Julie looked up at Zacky and caught the jade color of his eyes. Never having seen the color that they were at this moment before even through their seven years of friendship, she stood transfixed as he slowly raised a hand to cup her cheek. “Zacky, I….I…”

“Shh.” Whispering the word, Zacky lowered his head again, this time taking her now semi-swollen lips in a gentle kiss as poured what his eyes told her into it. Slowly backing them up further into the room, he located the bed that dominated it and broke the kiss with muffled laughter. “You are so going to hate that.”

“Hate what?” Turning with her back exposed, Julie’s brown eyes widened. Whipping back around with sparks flying out of them, she balled her fists on her hips. “What in the hell is that?” Removing one fist, she jabbed a finger towards the bed.

“That, I think, is the bed.” Trying to smother his laughter, Zacky held both hands up. “Calm down, she-devil, I didn’t know that would be in here.”

“Are you laughing?” Mouth dropped, Julie looked between him and the bed. “That bed is shaped like a heart! How much more clichéd can you get in a honeymoon suite?”

“Hey, I didn’t know, I couldn’t help it.” Finally laughing, Zacky sank down onto the edge and bounced lightly. “It’s comfy, though.”

“Yeah, other people have fucked in it how many times?” Raising a groomed and perfectly arched brow, Julie folded her arms across her ample chest that was now all but spilling out of the ill-fated dress she wore and sighed.

“And, we’ll just do it again.” Reaching out, Zacky snagged her hips and pulled her between his legs. Cupping a talented hand around the back of her neck, he pulled her down towards him, taking her lips as he tumbled her down to the bed. Feeling her respond instantly, he was rocked back into dreams he had had of doing this exact thing to her over and over again.

Letting her hands roam between them and down his shirt front, Julie’s fingers undid the buttons that ran down it, finally peeling the shirt off of his chest. Running her fingers over the tattoo that was on his chest, she threw her head back as his lips found a spot on her neck. Breathlessly saying his name, she moved her legs finding them tangled in her skirts. Growing frustrated, she braced her hands on his chest and rolled him up and off of her to the side. “This damned dress has got to go.”

Green eyes widening as she reached behind her and pulled the zipper down the remaining way, Zacky rose up on his elbows and braced himself as she started to shimmy out of the dress, her lips curved into a mischievous smile. Letting his own curve in response, he watched as the tops of her breasts all but came out of the corset styled garment she wore underneath as she bent over to remove her foot from the tangled mess of skirts.

“Go ahead and stare; it’s not like you haven’t before many, many times.” Lifting her head to see him blush, Julie kicked the dress away and stood before him dressed in nothing but the corset that nipped her waist in and displayed her breasts to an advantage, matching white panties and the blue garter belt that he had dared her to buy last week, Julie’s eyes sparkled as she caught the blush stain his cheeks. “I knew it, you know, every time.”

“They’re hard to miss.” Finally sitting up, Zacky reached out and hooked a finger underneath one of the straps attached to the garter that held up the lace-top thigh high stockings she wore. “And this, I was hoping to see this on you and not him, dreamed of it being me that saw it and not him.” Letting his finger trail over the skin of her bare thigh, he watched as her eyes fluttered shut, allowing his finger to slowly slide towards her center. Feeling her fingers bite into his shoulders as he did so, he slipped it underneath the lace of her panties.

Breathing out his name, Julie let her head fall back, the hair she had removed from the pins that had held it up on the drive there falling down her back. Knees week, she held onto his shoulders to keep upright and let out a sigh of relief when he abandoned the slow torture he had started and hooked his arms behind them. Eyes flying open when she felt the cool sheets of the bed on her back, she watched as he stripped off the shirt she had unbuttoned and unbuckled his belt. Finally finding herself, she batted his hands away and pulled the button of his suit pants open and pulled the zipper down.

Sinking down beside her once his pants were off, Zacky ran his hand down her satin covered side, his fingers brushing over the stays of the corset that were underneath the cool fabric. Sliding his lips over the tops of her breasts, he reached under her when she arched her back and slowly pulled on the end of the lace that bound the sides of the garment together, peeling it off once he had finished pulling. Baring her chest for him to see, he dipped his head as her fingers tunneled into her hair and captured one nipple between his full lips, biting gently.

Running her hands up and down Zacky’s smooth back, Julie traced the tattoo that she despised living in the moment and blocking the day he had gotten it out of her mind as she had been present when he had come up with the idea, she heard fabric rip and slide from between their bodies where he was cradled between her thighs. “Watch it, jackass, I don’t have any more underwear yet.”

“That means you’ll just have to go without it under that short skirt you bought, huh?” Whispering the words in her ear, his lips grazing her flesh as he did so, Zacky felt her shiver beneath him. Rising above her, he steadied himself flat on his palms. “I want this to be easy, to be—“

“Fuck it.” Almost growling the words, Julie reached down and clutched his hips, pulling down at the same time causing him to dive inside of her. Throwing her head back, she moaned loudly, his voice melding with hers.

Holding still above her with his elbows locked, Zacky slowly opened his eyes. “That was supposed to be—“

“You’re making too much of a big deal over this, Baker. Either fuck me or don’t, but I’d rather you do.” Brown eyes sparkling as she delivered her words, Julie stared into the dark, almost emerald color of his own as they widened. Feeling him start to move, she locked her legs around his hips and moved her own against his.

Shaking his head as he stared into the chocolate velvet depths that stared up at him, Zacky sat up still joined to her, grabbing her hands as they fell off his shoulders. Lacing their fingers, he held them close to where their bodies her were joined. Rearing back, he slammed into her body delighting in the feel of her surrounding him, of taking him time and time again as he moved with and almost punishing force. Letting go of her hands, he seized her hips and lifted them up off the mattress as sweat formed on his forehead.

Gasping every time he slammed into her body, Julie grabbed his hands that were attached to her hips and dug her fingers into his wrists, her fingernails leaving half moons in his skin. Eyes sliding shut in ecstasy, she heard him call her name. Brown eyes flying open, she watched as the emerald of his eyes slipped back into the clear glass green that she had always loved as he slowed pace and lowered himself.

Taking her lips in a gentle kiss, Zacky slowed his pace, slowly drawing himself out of her body and slipping back just as slow, dragging out the tremors that he felt as she shattered around him. Ripping his lips off of hers as a moan escaped from deep within her throat, he kept moving through her orgasm knowing that he was just as close himself. Forcing himself to remain still as she arched up to meet him, he captured her breast in his mouth, laving her nipple as she rode the aftershocks of her orgasm out.

Running her hands through his thick, dark hair, Julie felt boneless as Zacky started to move again causing her back to arch once again. “Zack.”

Hearing her shudder his name as she immediately came undone again, Zacky gruffly ordered her to open her eyes that had slid shut once again on their own accord. Gazing into the velvet brown of her eyes, he let himself go, lacing his fingers in with hers and resting their joined hands beside her head to force her to look up at him. Emptying himself inside of her, he shut his eyes as he did so only to have them fly open as words slipped from between her kiss-swollen lips.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Walking hand in hand down the Strip the next night, well early morning as Zacky had pointed out a few minutes ago, Julie leaned her head on his shoulder amazed that she was so comfortable having slipped into the roll of lover versus best friend with the man beside her in just a day. Watching as he chucked a handful of change at a person that was acting like a mime on the sidewalk, she let a smile play across her lips as she thought of the alternative.

She felt bad having left Matt at the altar earlier and had already fielded a phone call from him and her best friend. Emma’s phone call was easy to take compared to Matt’s, but she had a feeling that her friend wouldn’t let Matt wallow in anger or depression long if she had her way. Smirk now taking over her lips, Julie tugged on Zacky’s hand as they walked. “Let’s go there.”

“Where?” Looking up, his eyes filled with confusion, Zacky took in the casino-hotel that was in front of them, shops ranged underneath, not paying attention the building that was standing beside it almost hidden by the larger ones that surrounded it. “Shopping?”

“No, you goof.” Shaking her head, Julie let go of his hand and moved behind him. Standing on her tip-toes, she took both sides of his head in her small hands and turned it towards the building she was trying to point out. “There.”

“That’s a wedding chapel.” Mouth drying on the words, Zacky stared at it dumbfounded. “I thought you wanted to wait for that.”

“Fuck that. Let’s just do it. We’ve been friends for how long, I’ve already tried it, so why not buy it and to top it all, that’s why you stole me to begin with right?”

“I didn’t steal you.” Crossing his arms, Zacky stared down at her once turning around. “And you tried what?”

“You. I tried you out, I liked it—loved it, actually—and now I want to buy it.” Catching how his eyes dipped towards her chest, she shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Then you can quit gaping at them whenever you get the chance because they’ll in a sense, be yours.”

“I wasn’t staring.” Lifting his chin and looking away, Zacky tried to keep a smile off of his face.

“Whatever; I just saw you do it. You’ve always done it.” Tapping her foot, Julie stared at Zacky.

“So you liked it that much, huh?” Wiggling his brows, Zacky looked back at the woman standing before him and then over his shoulder. “You wanna do it; let’s do it.”

“Like I said; that’s why you stole me wasn’t it?” Taking his hand, she forced herself to move faster as he started to take off she hesitated once at the doors.

“I’ve wanted to make you mine for so many years, Jules.” Letting go of her hand, he framed her face. Thumbs trailing over the fine skin of her cheekbones, he stared into her eyes. “Every time he touched you I wanted to scream, every time you rubbed in the fact that you got some I wanted to kill him. When you announced you were getting married and then got drunk that same night, I wanted to get rid of him because I knew that you shouldn’t marry him, that he wasn’t the one for you. I’ve stood by patiently for the whole time you planned that ceremony, helped you pick out that dress that I wanted you to wear for me, and helped you shop for so many things so you could marry another man when I wanted to be that man.

“I guess yeah, I did steal you and I don’t know what finally gave me the guts to do so.” Wiping a tear that fell from the corner of her eye away, he leaned down and brushed a feather of a kiss across her lips. “Watching you come through those doors on your father’s arm and at the top of the aisle, I lost my breath. I felt like I was being punched. I wanted to kick Matt out of the way and take his place but I held my ground and then you met my stare and then kept looking at me over his shoulder; that’s what got me. Thanks to Brian I got up the guts and did what I wanted to do.”

Trying to keep further tears at bay, Julie stared up at the face of the man who had helped her through many of her life’s struggles, her move into a new area and job she had taken that had brought her there, the staggering loss she had faced a few years ago, the man who had always stood beside her through much of everything. Dating Matt had been simple, had been comfortable. She had never really thought of them getting married, they had gotten together one drunken night at a party and had slipped into a relationship built around the sex that had gotten them together, be it after a party or between girlfriends or boyfriends, loneliness or out of boredom when she had toured with them doing photography work for them.

Always knowing that Zacky would be there for her, she had accepted Matt’s proposal after being exclusive with him for only a year, the amount of time it had taken them to plan the wedding that started but never finished, and in that two years she had never felt totally right, felt like she was doing the right thing. Finally figuring out and seeing why, she leaned her face into the one had that Zacky still held to her cheek. “I wasn’t meant to be with him.”

“No, you were meant to be with me.” Almost growling the words, Zacky leaned down and placed a scorching kiss on her lips. “Now, quit the tears, people are staring at you. You’re dressed in that corset with all of those tattoos and metal adorning your body, people are staring.”

“We’re allowed to be tender too, you know! I am a girl after all!” Pushing on his chest with one hand, Julie let out a laugh. “You still have the paper?”

“And the rings.” Nodding, Zacky pulled the certificate that they’d need out of his back pocket and then the box that contained the rings they had picked out jokingly earlier in the day. “Let’s do this.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Staring down at the ring that graced her finger still five years later, Julie looked up and over the expanse of sand that was before her. Watching as her husband hunkered down to look at something that was being held up for him to see, she let her lips curve into a smile. Squealing when cold water plopped on her shoulder, she shielded her eyes from the bright California sunshine and stared at the man towering over her. “Drip somewhere else, Matt!”

“You looked like you needed to be cooled off.” Grinning with his dimples flashing, Matt dropped down on the blanket she sat on and shoved the Barbie doll he held into one of the many pails that flanked the front edge of it along the sand. “The kids are killing me.”

“You all are young and able bodied men; I think you can handle it.” Chuckling, she looked up when she heard her husband’s laughter float through the air and spotted her best friend walking towards them. Watching as Matt snagged his son’s ankle playfully as he ran by from his other honorary cousins of the group’s, she waited until she was closer to speak. “What did Freya show Zacky?”

Laughing as she walked up, Emma dropped down beside Matt and laid her head on his shoulder. Ever since the day of Matt and Julie’s ill-fated wedding, she and Matt had been inseparable, her having convinced him to jet off to the honeymoon he had already paid for refusing to give him the tickets unless she went with him. Five years and two children later, they were still taking chances and in love. “She found a tiny starfish and Zacky so nicely, in the way that Daddy’s have, jerked her hand up when she wasn’t expecting it so it startled her.”

“Zachary James!” Jumping to her feet and trying to hold back her laughter, Julie strode across the hot sand to where her husband and daughter stood at the water’s edge. “How could you do that?”

“Look, Mommy! It dances! Daddy, make it dance!” Holding out her tiny four-year-old hand, Freya stared up and into her Daddy’s matching eyes, her grin spreading across her face. Laughing merrily when Zacky bumped her hand, she then looked back up at her mother. “Daddy’s got the magic touch, don’t he?”

“That he does.” Shivering despite the temperature and the sun, Julie stared at Zacky, catching his eyebrows wiggle. “I love you, baby.” Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to her daughter’s sun and salt kissed cheek. “Why don’t you see if Uncle Matt or Uncle Brian have the magic touch?” Turning around after her daughter’s sturdy legs carried her towards her uncle, Julie wound her arms around Zacky’s neck and sighed. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Grinning, Zacky closed the distance between them, kissing her lips knowing full well what she was thanking him for. Stepping back slightly, he smiled again. “So, do I have the magic touch?”

“That and then some.” Sighing, Julie dropped her head on her husband’s shoulder, thinking that the day before her wedding to him had been one of the best days in her life.
♠ ♠ ♠
So, once again...that was for someone...who's going to be taking that plunge this Saturday...

Love you, sis!