by Dylann Crush
Zach was comfortable in his skin, and probably used to being submerged in the skin of others, as well. She didn’t want to think about how much practice he’d had to reach the high level of talent with his tongue, or how many others had been surprised by his secret piercing. No, she’d enjoy the moment for what it was—a brief interlude, a little bit of crazy in her over-scheduled, over-structured, over-controlled life.
Zach reached under her shoulders and pulled her up his body to nestle her against his chest. His mouth found hers and he kissed her long and deep then brushed her hair out of her face and wrapped his arms around her, holding her in place. She slid to the side, keeping one leg and an arm tossed over his perfect body.
He yawned and pressed a kiss to her temple. “Sweet dreams, Reagan.”
She smiled into his chest and closed her eyes, feeling so out of her element and so at home all at once. And as she drifted off to sleep, willing herself to dream of her and Zach and tangled sheets, she thought she heard Zach’s phone ping on the nightstand.
15
Zach waited for Reagan’s breathing to even out before he reached for his phone. The screen lit up the dim room, and she shifted her head on his chest. He ran his hand over her hair, and she snuggled against him, letting out a little sigh. Damn, another text from Scazzoli.
Better come through, asshole or else. We’ve got a pre-lim offer for 6 fig and word is out.
Shit. Zach hadn’t exactly forgotten about the sole reason he’d agreed to start on this little adventure, but he’d certainly put it out of his head for the past hour while he got reacquainted with Reagan. He’d been forced to do some pretty sleazy things to make ends meet, things he wasn’t proud of and hoped never came to light: a little work for a private investigator to confirm a husband’s extra marital affairs, borderline stalking a B-list celebrity to prove she was violating the terms of her probation, and even taking some nude pictures of one of the models he worked with so she could put together a portfolio to get some potentially illegal jobs.
But he’d never sold someone out. In all of those situations he’d justified his actions by telling himself he was doing the right thing, helping an injured party, or in the case of the model, working with a fully-consenting subject.
Reagan had flat out told him she trusted him. That meant something. Trust didn’t come easy to her. Being able to admit it? That had to be incredibly difficult. He couldn’t abuse her faith in him, no matter how many zeros Scazzoli offered. She let out a moan in her sleep, and he set the phone back on the nightstand. Propping himself up on an elbow, he let his gaze travel over the complicated woman next to him.
Asleep, with her guard down, she looked the same as she did in high school: vulnerable and beautiful. The defensive wall she’d built around herself to keep everyone at a distance had disappeared when she closed her eyes. Would it be back in the morning? Or would she let him in, keeping the rest of the world at bay?
He felt a need to protect her, to keep the insatiable limelight away from her. She’d battled it so long on her own. He wrapped his arm tight around her waist, letting his fingers trace the soft skin on her hip. She nestled closer against him, and he breathed in her scent. He wouldn’t let anyone get to her. The poor woman deserved to have her brother’s wedding go off without a hitch. He’d get her to Miami and go on his way, even if Scazzoli made good on his threats and exposed Zach to his client.
There would be another way to get the cash for his business; another year of photo shoots and traveling ninety percent of the time would get him there. No need to sell out an old friend who had the potential to become something more.
Something more. Was he ready to think about moving beyond the world of one-night stands?
With Reagan, there was a real possibility.
Zach closed his eyes but couldn’t fall asleep right away. It seemed like he’d drifted off when he felt Reagan slide out of bed. He heard her footsteps head to the bathroom. Did she already regret what they’d done? The shower turned on. He threw the covers back and made his way to the bathroom. She hadn’t locked the door, so he opened it a crack and stuck his head through.
“You all right, Reagan?”
She shrieked then poked her head around the shower curtain. “You scared me.”
He gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to. Want me to scrub your back for you?”
“Oh, um, no. I got it.”
They eyed each other through the awkward silence, then Zach nodded.
“Let me know if you change your mind.”
“I won’t. I mean, thanks, but no thanks.” She bit her bottom lip. “Could you, uh, lock the door?”
He reached around and pushed the lock. “Yeah, no problem.”
“Thanks.” She waited, watching, for him to shut the door.
Instead of a passionate repeat of the night before, it looked like the wall was back in place. Damn. He went ahead and got dressed while he waited for Reagan to finish in the bathroom. His stomach rumbled, and he eyed the pink cupcake box on the dresser. Only a half dozen remained. With a huge amount of luck, she’d get to wherever she was going late tonight, maybe tomorrow. The cupcakes were already drying out. Probably wouldn’t last another day or two. As he lifted the cover, just to take a peek, the bathroom door opened.
“Zach! Get your hands off my box!”
He twisted around to face her. “They’re already getting stale. Don’t you think we ought to go ahead and finish them off?”
“No!” She stomped over and swatted at his hands. “I have to bring Teddy and Cal something.”
Her hair hung around her shoulders, drops of water sliding off the ends and plopping to the carpet. She held the towel around her with one hand. He let his gaze travel from her flushed cheeks, down the short towel, to where it stopped, skimming the top of her thighs.
“Well, if you won’t let me have Sweet Sal’s, can I have another taste of you, cupcake?” He parted the towel and slid his hands inside, circling her waist and pulling her up against him.
He’d hoped she’d melt into him but she stood still, ramrod straight.
“Reagan—” he moved a hand to finger a wet strand of her hair “Are you okay about what happened last night?”
Her eyes closed and she nuzzled her head against his chest, the moisture from her hair soaked through his T-shirt and onto his skin. “I feel weird about it.”
“Do you regret it?” He cupped her chin in his hand and prompted her to meet his gaze.
“No. I don’t regret it, it was…it was…nice. It’s just, I don’t do things like that. Ever.” She put her hands on his chest, but he didn’t let her go. “I haven’t had a date in two years. My dad—”
“You’re twenty-six years old. What’s your dad got to do with last night?” He released her from his grasp and tried to make sense of what she’d said.
She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the sheets over her legs. “You don’t get it. Everything I do reflects on him and the family.” She lifted her head to look at him. “Everything. He screens the guys that ask me out before I can say yes.”
“That’s ridiculous. You’re a grown woman.”
“A grown woman who’s been asked to join her father’s campaign to run for Vice President. He’s been striving for this for so long. I can’t be the reason things don’t work out for him.”
Zach shook his head. “I still don’t get it. Why do you let him have such control over you? Did Teddy run it by your dad before he and Cal hooked up? I can’t imagine your dad giving his blessing on that first date.”
“No, he didn’t. And that’s exactly why I have to be more careful. My dad almost cut Teddy off when he found out he’d been seeing Cal. They didn’t speak for two years and, if he hadn’t been afraid of a lawsuit, he would have given Cal the ax. My mom almost had a nervous breakdown and didn’t leave their condo for a month because she was doped up on meds.” Reagan clamped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I told you that.�
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He sat down on the bed beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I won’t tell anyone. Your secret’s safe with me. I promise.”
She let him pull her in close. They sat still for a few long moments. Zach pressed a kiss to her temple.
“I know it seems whacked, but it’s the way things are. Last night was…”
“Nice?” Zach asked, more than a little disappointed in her choice of words.
Reagan laughed and kissed his chin. “It was better than nice. But I should be careful about who I get involved with. You don’t have any skeletons in the closet, do you?”
Skeletons? Hell, he had a whole graveyard of them, including the memorable run-in he’d had with her dad over those stupid pictures from their seven minutes in the closet. How could he know Jimmy had arranged the whole thing to blackmail the Campbells? Zach had tried to explain to Senator Campbell that he’d had nothing to do with the set-up, but Jimmy had pulled him into it, trying to spread the blame rather than take it all on himself. No way Reagan’s dad would ever give his blessing to his daughter getting involved with the guy he thought had tried to extort cash from him.
“Let’s take it one day at a time. Since you won’t let me have a stale cupcake for breakfast, how about I go and pick up a couple of things, including a change of clothes for you, before we go turn in the car?”
“I’m supposed to let you shop for me?”
“Unless you want to wear a towel the rest of the way to Miami. I like the look, but you might have trouble getting your suitcase at the airport.”
Reagan playfully pushed him away. “Fine. But something simple. Maybe a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I’ll get my stuff in a few hours. Oh, and I need to call and check on the dog. They sent me a text last night that she made it through surgery and everything went well.”
Zach stood and grabbed his phone and the car keys. “Can I bring you back a coffee?”
“Mmm, yes, please. Skinny vanilla latte would be great.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
He leaned over and gave her a light kiss. Her hand came up to caress his cheek. Did this count as progress? As he let the door close behind him, he couldn’t help but wonder what was going through Reagan’s mind.
He’d never pass the dad-approval test. Why should he care? He and Reagan obviously weren’t destined for more than a one-night stand. He should feel relief. She wasn’t the type of woman to engage in a fling, and yet he’d come on to her anyway. Her confirmation that things couldn’t go anywhere between them should have him jumping for joy.
Instead, he felt an unfamiliar ache low in his belly. I’m just hungry. Once I get some food in my gut, I’ll get her to Miami and get back on track. Some part of him knew it was a lie, even as he tried to convince himself otherwise.
The hunger he felt wasn’t in his gut. Reagan had pried open up a hole inside him he’d been covering up for the past eight years. Now he needed to figure out if he wanted to pull the cover off completely or seal it up for good.
While she waited for Zach to return, Reagan took the time to dry her hair and use the powder and lip gloss she carried in her purse to try to recreate her usual beauty regimen. From now on, she’d carry a larger arsenal of products in her bag.
What had gotten into her last night? She had finally fulfilled a secret fantasy she harbored for the past eight years. A shiver ran through her, all the way to her toes, as she thought about what they’d done. It would be their little secret, no need to run Zach through her dad’s stringent background check. He wasn’t the kind of guy to stick around, and he wasn’t the type who would fit in with her ultra-conservative family. She’d chalk it up to her first ever one-night stand.
By the time he got back, she had checked in with the vet and helped herself to a few wayward bits of frosting that had fallen off the remaining cupcakes. Zach knocked and she peeked through the peephole before answering the door in her towel.
“Am I ever glad to see you.” She held the door open as he moved into the room, his hands full of plastic shopping bags.
“Sorry it took me so long. The drive-thru was backed up, but I didn’t want to come back without coffee.” He handed her an extra-large to-go cup. “Skinny vanilla latte, as ordered.”
She wrapped her hands around it and took a whiff of her coffee, just the way she loved it. “I could kiss you right now.”
His head whipped in her direction, the bags fell on the bed, and his arms circled her waist. “Don’t tease about something like that unless you plan to deliver.”
Not wanting to spill the coffee, she raised her mouth to meet his. The same wave of heat she’d felt the night before washed over her. His hands found the opening in the towel, wrapping around her hips, drawing her against him.
She pulled away first, not willing to engage in a repeat of the night before. A one-night stand was one thing. It didn’t need to include a morning-after romp as well. “Did you bring me something to wear?”
Zach took a step back and focused on the bags. “Wasn’t sure what size to get you but I picked up some pants and a shirt.”
Reagan examined the tiny spandex yoga pants. “I’m hardly a size XS.”
He shrugged. “They stretch, right?”
“I guess we’ll find out.” She took the pants and long-sleeve workout shirt into the bathroom to try them on. He hadn’t picked up any underwear so looked like she was going to go commando. She stretched and yanked and eased the pants up her legs, one inch at a time then turned to check out her ass in the full-length mirror.
“Oh no.” She could see her crack through the thin fabric. At least the shirt covered up most of her butt. Maybe she should put the crab T-shirt on underneath for an extra-long layer just in case.
Zach looked her way when she walked out of the bathroom. “Everything okay?”
“Sure,” she said. “If you don’t mind me flashing my bootie at everyone. These pants are almost see-through.”
“Let me see.” He took a step toward her and she scooted away.
“No way. It’s only a few hours, right?” she confirmed.
“Depending on how long it takes to swap out the car, we should be in Miami by dinner time.” Zach zipped up his bag and slipped the strap over his shoulder. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah.”
With a final look at her backside in the mirror, Reagan grabbed her purse and slipped into her shoes. Who in their right mind would wear workout gear with ballet flats? Major fashion faux pas. Good thing her mother couldn’t see her now.
She followed Zach down to the car. They rode in silence to the rental place, and she waited outside with her back up against the building while he took care of the swap. After twenty minutes of trying to keep her ass out of sight, Zach came out dangling a set of keys in his hand.
“Let me move our stuff over to the other car and we’ll get back on the road.”
She watched while he wandered the parking lot looking for their next ride. Finally, his head disappeared a few rows over and she heard a car engine turn over. A few seconds later, Zach pulled a car up beside the curb where she waited and got out.
“What in the world is this?” Reagan asked as she looked over the vehicle. It appeared to be a compact version of a compact.
“It’s all they had left.”
“Are you sure it’ll make it to Miami? Looks like it might blow off the road.”
Zach loaded his bag into the hatchback. “Are you kidding? We’ll get great gas mileage in this baby.”
“Do you even fit inside?”
“It’s a little cramped, but we don’t have that much farther to go. You ready?”
“Sure.” She ducked into the car, feeling like she was getting into one of those clown cars she’d seen at the circus when she was a kid.
Zach closed the back and settled into the driver’s seat. His knees practically bumped the dash, and his head almost hit the ceiling.
“How many hours do you think it will take?” Rea
gan couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of his bulky build cramped in the small space.
“Maybe six or seven, depending on how many times we have to stop for gas.” Zach turned the key in the ignition. “What are we supposed to do about the dog?”
Reagan didn’t want to let herself think about the poor dog or she’d derail their plans to get down the coast in favor of going back to get her. “They want to keep her for a few days after her surgery. I wish I could take her with me, but I don’t have room in my condo for a dog that size. Now that she’s patched up, the vet said she’d call in one of the no-kill shelters to foster her until they can find her a home.”
“It’s probably for the best.”
Nodding, Reagan slid her shades over her eyes and forced thoughts of the poor pup out of her mind. The farther south they drove, the more humid the air felt. As much as she loved her hometown of Chicago, she always appreciated the chance to take a break from the long winter. She couldn’t wait to sink her toes into the sand and feel the warm ocean breeze blow over her skin.
She pulled her notebook out of her purse and tried to get comfortable in the small seat. The morning sun streamed through the un-tinted windows, heating up the dark interior of the car and making her think about taking off the long sleeve shirt. Zach had on a pair of clean, snug jeans and another one of his form-fitting T-shirts. He’d pulled his hair off his face into a short ponytail and she appreciated the view of his profile.
Focus. Reagan turned her attention back to her notebook. First item on the list—ask Zach about taking pictures of the wedding. Crap. She’d meant to do that last night. How could she let herself get so distracted that she failed to secure the photographer?
Angling her body toward him, she cleared her throat. He glanced her way, his dark brown eyes unencumbered by shades.
“What’s up?”
She took in a deep breath. If he agreed to photograph the wedding, he’d be around over the weekend. That meant she wouldn’t be able to chalk up their encounter as a one-night fling. He’d be in her face for the next several days. Would she be able to keep her hands off him? She let her gaze travel down his arm to his strong, capable hands currently wrapped around the steering wheel. Her thighs quivered as she recalled how capable those hands had been last night and how they’d felt wrapped around her ass.