Chapter 5: Zach

"I've gotta stop by the hotel gift shop," Zach said as the air conditioning chilled his too warm body. He hadn't brought condoms on the trip because he never really expected to score with anyone.

Standing in the hallway, Jillian gave him an appraising squint and hummed to herself. "Make sure you get enough."

Zach coughed out a laugh at her insight and covered his face with his palm. "And how many is that exactly?"

She counted on her fingers while staring up and mumbling, "The easy one, the one right after, the one after a nap, the one in the shower, at least three for overnight, and then again for tomorrow..." She looked at him seriously, but he could tell she was suppressing a smile. "Say an even dozen just to be safe."

"You may have over-estimated my abilities," he chuckled as he backed away to go to the shop.

"You may have under-estimated my enthusiasm," she called after him before turning to bounce towards the elevators. "I'll be waiting!'

"Jeez, I hope they have some vitamin E," he mumbled to himself with a shake of his head.

Jillian had turned him inside-out in one afternoon. She was funny, beautiful, easy going; everything he wanted in a woman. Now he just needed to not screw up the sex, but anxiety was eating him up. It wasn't going to be easy after Chloe. She had been as demanding in bed as she had been in life, hypercritical of everything he did.

According to Chloe, she'd always had a hard time reaching orgasm, but Zach secretly thought it was more of a mental hangup about letting herself go than a physical problem. She insisted they use this electric massager, so only one position worked; A pile of pillows, the massager underneath her and him going in from behind to press her onto its vibrating knob. It made him feel like a fuck robot.

Chloe might occasionally allow him a little spontaneity, but not often enough. Blow jobs were even rarer than other positions, and she had only allowed him to give her oral once before she declared that she didn't like the way he did it. His suggestions about having adventurous sex in a car or outdoors was dismissed with a snort and laugh.

Zach hoped that if Jillian could orgasm from him rubbing circles through her bathing suit, then maybe he might really need a dozen condoms. The sales woman behind the counter greeted him with an iridescent smile beaming from her dark face.

"How may I help you?" she sang in her beautiful accented-English.

Zach looked behind her at the medicines on the shelves. He spotted a bottle of vitamin E and an array of different condoms. Most were in packs of three, but he saw a larger box of the brand he was familiar with on the bottom shelf.

"Uh," he started, unable to shake the embarrassment he felt. "Vitamin E and that box of condoms." He pointed to the box, her barely suppressed smile making his face heat.

"Yes, sir." Looking behind him and around the shop, she leaned closer. "If you like, we have some prescription medicinal aids available below the counter."

Zach shook his head, avoiding her eyes when he passed her his cardkey. "I'll keep that in mind if it comes up ... or doesn't."

She chuckled and rang up his purchases. "You have a lovely afternoon."

"That's the plan," Zach said, snatching the bag from the counter with a grin and meeting her eyes at last.

By the time he got into his room, his stomach was in knots. The door between their rooms was still open and he saw Jillian in her bed with the sheet pulled up to her chin. Her nipples were poking through the sheet while she gave him a hungry look.

"I took a quick shower," she said with a raised eyebrow. "Somehow I ended up with sand in my swimsuit."

"I'll be right back," Zach said before dashing into his own shower. He scrubbed himself quickly, debating with himself about rubbing out his easy one. It probably would send the wrong message if he didn't arrive ready, so he rinsed and dried off. He opened the vitamin bottle to take one pill before leaving the bathroom. With the box of condoms in his hand, he went through the adjoining door to join Jillian, wearing nothing but a towel.

She laughed when she saw him, a wonderful, cheerful sound. "You really got the big box!"

Zach shrugged and tried to play it off with an embarrassed grin. "It's your fault. You told me to get a dozen."

"Take off that towel and come here." Her voice was a low purr, but her cheeks were bright pink.

"Flip back that sheet and I will," he said as he reached for the towel.

"On three?" she asked, clearly as nervous as he felt.

"One," he said, watching her closely as she mouthed the word with him. "Two." She was nearly panting under the sheet. "Three!" He dropped the towel, positioning the box of condoms to obscure her view of his cock.

"No fair," she shrieked as she covered her bare breasts with one arm and her cleft with her other hand.