I wake up with my face stuffed in a pillow, wearing one of Zak's t-shirt. My body hugging the pillow as if it was him.

"Welcome back."

My eyes shoot around the room, until they land on him, sat in an armchair that he had taken from across the room, his feet using the bed as a footstool with a laptop balancing on his legs.

I open my mouth to speak but it's dry from how long I'd been asleep and give up.

Rolling my head back onto the pillow, I don't realise Zak has moved until he is at the side of the bed, holding a bottle of water waiting for me.

I smile and sit up for the bottle when he puts it to my mouth and waits for me to drink. It's a little odd, but I begin drinking whilst he holds my chin in his hand, his thumb soothing over my cheek gently. I look up at him, meeting his eyes, there's concerned there, even now.

"Easy." He says seeing me gulping it down, so much so that he slowly tips the bottle back up right and pulls it away. "You good?"

"Y-yeah." I rasp, clearing my throat. "Hello again." Because I don't know if it's morning, afternoon or evening at the moment.

"How are you feeling?"

"Is it bad to say that I still feel tired?"

He shakes his head as he puts the bottle back on the nightstand. "Not at all. I've read that people are like it for days. It takes a lot out of you, doesn't it?"

"More than I'd like." I mumble, leaning against the headboard.

"You've slept well." He says pointing to the dressed up pillow "I had to do a video call to the channel, so I improvised."

The pillow was slightly weird, wearing his tshirt and severely odd shaped from me clinging to it, but I can't help pulling it back to me and holding it again.

"It's the cologne, right?"

"Yes but also no. I think it's you too." I say, looking at him as he takes his seat back at the end of the bed. "It's more than just that with you."

"Tell me."

I look at the pillow and fix his t-shirt that's covering it. "I used to work in a perfume store. Before I became a virtual assistant. So my knowledge on scents is a little higher than most. You go through a lot of training and usually get a likening for certain scents."

When he doesn't reply, I know he is waiting for a breakdown of what I sense and smell.

Leaning my face into the pillow, I inhale deeply before pulling back.

"You did that in your sleep. You knew it wasn't me the second I did it." He says amused. "At first you grumbled, your brows pulled and lips pouted slightly but you settled again."

Yikes. Was I becoming a sap? Already?

"Well that's embarrassing."

"I found it cute." He shrugs.

"So with this, I can smell the notes. There's a fruity vibe, along with a smoky note and wood."

Zak shift forward, putting his elbows on his knees, listening.

I take another hit of it. "Fruit.. Orange, subtle hint of raspberry too. The smoky note will probably be from the vanilla, but it's more than just vanilla. It's stronger so Tonka bean. The woody smell? Cedar? And sandalwood. I'm guessing it's Cedar because the raspberry hint is lingering. Sandalwood smells like leather it's heady but works perfect with the otherwise sweet cologne."

"And when I wear it?"

I put the pillow aside and gesture for him to come over. He does instantly and sits on the edge of the bed beside me. I lean into his space, specifically into the crook of his neck. Inhaling deeply, a sigh is pulled from my body making him laugh softly.

"That good huh?"

"You got no idea." I reply, wanting to rub my face into him.

"Tell me."

I probably look mad, certifiable, no doubt as I go around his neck, inhaling, but he asked and I want to give him the truth.

"Every note is intensified by your body heat, it's intoxicating. But just when I think it's overpowering.. I get the smell of you, your skin, the lingering scent of your shower gel, the salt of your skin, the mint of your toothpaste." I whisper. "The shaving foam you've used to trim your goatee."

His breath shudders as my lips run across his skin.

"It's the scent of man. Of you. All of it works in harmony. You probably have no idea how intoxicating it can get." I pull back slightly to look at him. "It's like powerful magic."

"And it turns you on." He says knowingly.

"And how do you know that?" I challenge.

"Your eyes. They tell a lot. I'm getting better at reading them. Not only that..." He begins. "But the fact your eyelids are slightly hooded, your lips, parted slightly, your face is a little flushed and it's not warm in here, the pulse is thumping away in your neck and if I do this..." His fingers brush over my neck making me shudder. "You do that."

"And now you're trying to work out if you should kiss me? You're wondering if we start, will we stop? Will you have the power to stop?" I add.

"Guess we will find out." He replies, his voice sounding a little gravely before his mouth connects with mine.

I feel my body tense up, wanting to unleash, but I hold it there. Thrumming away on the end as my hands weave up through his hair, tugging gently.

The bedding is shoved off me and out the way before his knee cements between mine and his arm winds around my back making my body rise closer to his.

With a growl he lifts me from sitting up to laying down, covering his body with mine in one swoop. My legs make room for him instantly, one curling over the back of his. His arm unwraps from my back and runs down my side, whilst the other digs into the bed, holding himself up above me.

This is hot. So, very, hot.

His mouth leaves mine, breathing hot air across my face as he moves to my neck. The stubble of his trimmed up goatee scratches slightly but his lips soothe over it followed by a slightly hint of his tongue.

My fingers run down his back and grip his t-shirt, pulling it up. Zak stops only to shed the shirt away before coming back to my neck and biting it. My nails instantly dig into his shoulders as a breathy moan leaves me, making him laugh softly.

He knew what he was doing, he had control like no other whilst I was on the end of losing mine. Pulling his head up from my neck, I stare at him as he breathes. His eyes having shifted to a darker blue, whilst they dart back and forth, waiting for me to do or say something.

"You're utterly addictive." I tell him.

His smile is almost a seductive smirk, hinting at how bad he could be for me.

"But you have complete control. Don't you?" I ask.

He tilts his head slightly, before pushing his hips against mine, pulling a gasp from me.

"More than you, it would seem." He replies cockily.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

He smiles and lifts his hand off my body to my hair, fixing it from whatever mess it had became.

"This." He says lifting his finger as an alarm starts going off.

"I-is that your phone?"

He nods "You got medication to take and breakfast to be eating."

"Both of which can wait." I answer.

He chuckles as his arm wraps under my back. "You're right. It can."

There's a blossom of hope and I'm ready to shed these clothes and anything he has, to get down to business. When he hoists me up and out of bed.

"Zak." I say, as I realise he is holding me up entirely.

His hand takes my face turning it to his as I try to look down. "Whatever is running around in that head. Stop it. If I want to carry you around, I will."

"You will not."

"I will." He answers determinedly. "But right now, you need your meds, I need breakfast and then we can come back to discussing everything that's terribly addictive about me."

I laugh "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"To know what you're thinking up there, in that head of yours? Oh you have no idea!"

*****

"Do they expect you at work today?" Zak asks making me look up from my breakfast.

"I've decided to take a few days off." I tell him, having text Henry this morning and telling him that I am taking some leave as of today. I know I should have given him some more notice, but it's down to Mia that I feel the need to distance myself right now.

"Good. Especially after yesterday, you need to rest some more."

"Actually, I've decided to take a couple of weeks off."

He pauses and sets down his cutlery "What they said yesterday, it really upset you, didn't it?"

He makes Cole look like a prince!

I shake the thought from my head and pick up my fork. "It certainly hit a nerve with me."

Zak's eyes move down to my wrist, where my watch used to be. "What are you going to do about the watch?"

"Leave it off."

"But it tracks everything."

"I know."

"Are you sure that is a good idea then?"

I give him a shrug "From where I am sitting, it's a brilliant idea. Mia thinks I can't control my condition, that I need to be babied."

"That's not very fair of her. Your seizures can't be helped."

"Well she made it clear that I can't look after myself and you're the spawn of Satan."

Zak shakes his head and sits back in his seat. "I feel bad for coming between you and your friends."

My brows almost fly off my forehead. "Why?! You have nothing to feel bad about! Mia crossed the line, actually she pole vaulted over the line. Sophie was right behind her. They haven't met you to be able to make that kind of judgement and as for digging up some dirt on you..."

"They were just trying to look out for you." He reasons.

"By arranging Ed to casually drop by too?"

He lifts a finger "Okay yeah, that was a bit weird. Like you're going to magically jump person to person."

"It appears that is exactly what they thought. So I haven't dated in a while, they would be in the same boat too if they went through what I did and no amount of shoving a guy, who is clearly hung up on his ex, in my face is going to change that. Maybe Ed is a nice guy under it all? Who knows? But I just think that they should have backed off, both of them."

"What happened?"

"Hmm?" I ask stabbing up some eggs.

"You said, they would have too, if they went through what you did. What happened?" He asks leaning onto his elbows and watching me.

My appetite that had been growling away for food diminishes at the thought and I can feel a piece of my soul that was damaged and tortured shift within me.

"El.. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I-"

"His name was Cole." I blurt out, stopping him. Zak falls silent instantly as I take a breath. From the moment we had split, I refused to say his name, I forbid anyone else to use it too. I hated the sound of it.

"The model couple. Soul mates, match made in heaven and all that bullshit, that is what people used to say when they saw me and Cole. At the start I believed it." I set my fork down and move my plate away, done with eating now.

"He was, kind, selfless, charming, caring, everything you'd want in a partner. I was smitten with him.." I pause thinking back to the time. "He was perfect on the surface.."

"Beneath it?" Zak asks.

"Vile." I answer instantly. "Controlling, manipulative, dishonest, evil. He would torment me, like a child would a fly, pulling its wings off. He would taunt me about my appearance, my clothes, my weight, my diet, my taste in pretty much anything. My opinion didn't matter. I wasn't good enough at this, at that, the house wasn't clean enough, I spent too much time talking to people, so for that I wasn't allowed to use my phone. Instead, I was to work off a cleaning schedule that he had made. I was an embarrassment to be seen out with, so for that, I was put on a strict calorie controlled diet. My fluid intake restricted because my body was holding too much water. 'You don't want to jiggle when you walk, Elenor.' 'You ruin the photos.' 'You have a face that should be behind the camera, not in front of it.' I-" I stop.

"Mental and emotional abuse. That is what Cole gave me. Not the perfect relationship." I glance at Zak who hasn't spoke a single word, but I didn't need words to know how he was feeling, his eyes said it all. The anger, the flaming hot rage licking away within him.

"Mia compared you to him... That is what upset me yesterday. Because I have taken so long to get myself back to being me. That the idea of losing myself again.."

"I would never-"

"I know." I tell him. "You don't have to say it Zak. I know. Which is why I didn't pick up those papers and read."

"Were you not the least bit interested?" He asks.

"Honestly?" I ask him, he nods. "Not a single bit. I knew that whatever I was going to read, wasn't going to be the same man that I have got to know. I've been judged for most of my life because of my appearance, I wasn't going to form that opinion of you from a few bits of paper."

He reaches across the table and takes my hand in his. "You, are an incredible woman."

I smile slightly "Sometimes I don't feel it."

"Then tell me when those moments are and I will tell you exactly how incredible you are."

Gracie trots over and drops her toy at my feet, wagging her tail. I pick it up and squeak it before tossing it for her to chase. "And if that isn't good enough, Gracie won't let anyone touch that freakin' pink pig."

When she trots back over again, she looks between myself and Zak, waiting.

"That's usually the sign."

"The sign?" I ask.

"She wants to go for a walk."

*****

The private community is gorgeous as well as incredibly peaceful. Between the luxury houses, the trees, large areas of green and the expansive Red Rock conservation, I was smitten. It was the perfect little paradise away from the harsh lights and concrete jungle of Vegas.

We were going to go to one of the patches of green but Gracie was set on walking, so Zak and myself followed behind, giving me plenty of opportunity to daydream about being able to do this everyday.

"You've gone quiet on me. Should I be worried?" Zak asks making me look up at him.

"Nope, I'm just taking it all in." I reply.

"It's nice isn't it? I love coming home and just being able to walk around like this, without worrying about work or the museum."

"It's beautiful."

We walk a couple of feet in silence before Zak speaks again. "So do you have plans? Now you have time off."

I shake my head "No, although I could head outta town for a week. Like a vacation.."

"What's one of those again?" He asks playfully.

Mr. Workaholic, here.

"How about a staycation?" He suggests.

"I don't want to stay at home. Getting away will be good." I decide.

"Well, what if it isn't your home? What if it's mine?"

I glance up at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Staying with me? For a week. Two, if you want. I'm on a season break so I haven't gotta leave Vegas at all."

Is he- Is he serious right now?

My mind begins firing up all sorts of ideas, but one hits me unsuspectingly and it turns my excitement off instantly.

"Thanks. But I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't."

"Okay, but why?" He asks again.

"Because I'll be putting you out, I'll become a nuisance and you might get fed up of me. I don't want that to happen.."

"Are you crazy? It's not putting me out at all, in fact you'll be doing me a favour! The house is so quiet with just me and Gracie. I get lonely and I'm sure she hates my singing."

I laugh at the thought.

"Come on, El. Where else can you get a private pool, views to die for, a dog to play with, along with an attentive housekeeper, cook, and entertainer? All for the grand price of zero dollars? Unless you're trying to get away from me too?"

"Woah, what? No, I'm not. It's just, I don't want to be a liability."

"You won't."

I sigh and stop walking to look at him. "What about the museum? You can't stop going to work."

"I can pop in for a couple of hours, you can come too if you want? Or you can use that for girl time with Gracie?" He suggests.

He's a smooth talking, deal making scoundrel..

"Damn it. Yes. Yes I'll stay."

He fist pumps to his side. "We got her, Gray." He says as Gracie wags her tail, none the wiser about what's going on.

"You have as long as you still do what you have to do. I don't want to be babysat."

"You won't... So shall we get your things after this walk?"