by Marin Thomas
People she hadn’t seen since the funeral and hadn’t had much of a chance to talk to told her how pleased they were that she was staying through the holidays. Some asked about her work and praised her for doing so well. Feeling like a big fake, she smiled and pretended her life was as cushy and great as everyone believed.
Her conscience ate at her. Sooner or later, she would have to tell them the truth. The thought of losing the respect of Zach, her family and friends bothered her so much that she barely touched the food on her plate.
With the sixth sense that seemed to kick in when Zach was near, she could tell that he was watching her. Standing across the room, he raised his eyebrow. Gina managed a smile. He jerked his head toward a hallway, signaling her to follow him. When they met there, he pulled her through a closed door that turned out to be the powder room.
He shut the door, backed her against it and kissed her. Gina’s money troubles melted away. She forgot she was broke, forgot she was in a bathroom at a Christmas party. She forgot everything but Zach.
Still kissing her, he cupped her breast and pushed his thigh between her legs. She moaned into his mouth.
“That’s just a sample of what I want to do with you later,” he said, nuzzling her ear. “Let’s see if we can’t get your cousins out of here soon.”
* * *
IMPATIENT FOR GINA to arrive, Zach checked his watch for what had to be the dozenth time. It had been nearly an hour since he’d dropped her and her cousins off at the house. She’d wanted to wait until her cousins were safely in bed before coming back to Zach’s.
Suddenly he heard the old truck rumble to a stop in front of the trailer.
He opened the door and gestured her inside. “Hey.”
“Hi.” She hesitated a moment, almost as if she feared crossing the threshold.
He tried to see the trailer through her eyes. He’d tidied up and changed the sheets and towels, but no amount of cleaning could change the fact that his place was small and shabby, something he wouldn’t have set foot in back in Houston, let alone live in.
Not ideal for a woman used to the finer trappings money bought. Sometimes Zach missed the luxury and comfort he’d once taken for granted, but at least here his conscience was clear.
He helped her out of her coat and hung it on the hook on the door. She’d taken her hair down but was still in her party clothes, a snug sweater, a short, pleated skirt and sexy heels that made her great legs look impossibly long.
He gestured toward the sofa, which was half the size of the one in Lucky’s living room and a lot saggier. “I opened a bottle of wine.”
“I barely sipped my glass at the party. How did you know?” She sat down. Her skirt rode up, revealing a nice length of creamy thigh. “I didn’t think Sophie and Gloria would ever go to bed,” she said, sipping from her glass. “I felt like a teenager, waiting for my parents to fall asleep so I could sneak out.”
Zach joined her and sampled his own glass. “We should’ve just told them you were coming over.”
“Give them even more ideas about us? No, thanks.”
He slipped his arm around her. “I want you to know that I’m clean.”
“Me, too.” She gulped her wine.
“Nervous?”
“A little. I’m not sure why.”
Zach was pretty sure the trailer and his blue-collar job had something to do with it. If he were smart, he’d tell her that this was a bad idea and he’d changed his mind.
He wanted her too much for that. “I know a great way to relax you.” After setting both their glasses on the coffee table, he directed her to turn around so that her back faced him.
He began to knead her shoulders. She was small and delicate boned.
“That feels good,” she murmured, bowing her head.
Her tense muscles quickly softened until she was leaning into his hands. Brushing her hair aside, Zach kissed the crook of her shoulder and felt her shiver. “Better?”
“I’m putty in your hands.”
“Just wait.” He tugged her sweater up and massaged her slender back. Her skin was soft and smooth.
Her breathing quickened, growing jagged as he unfastened her bra and cupped her breasts from behind.
With a soft moan, she arched into his hands. Her nipples hardened to sharp points.
How he wanted her. Hungry, his body pulsing, he turned her to face him, pulled her sweater over her head and got rid of his own.
Her breasts were full and taut.
“You are so beautiful.”
Tracing her nipples with his finger, he thrilled to her shudder of pleasure. Moving from one nipple to the other, he followed his finger with his tongue until she was restless and panting and he was in danger of losing control.
“I don’t want to make love with you on this old couch,” he said and pulled her up.
He led her into his bedroom. The double bed took up most of the space. Gina stepped out of her heels and unzipped her skirt. It pooled at her feet, leaving her in thigh highs and bikini panties. “You look hot,” he said.
She gave him a smile as if she was well aware of that and started to peel off the stockings.
Zach stopped her. “Leave those on.”
“You like them.”
“Very much. But the panties can go.”
As she stepped out of them, Zach quickly shed his pants and boxers. They were both naked, both studying each other. Her womanly body awed him.
She stepped into his arms. His—for tonight.
She was smooth and soft and warm, and she fit perfectly against him. Kissing her, he backed her to the bed and eased her down. He slid his hand between her legs. She was wet and hot.
Zach groaned, and his body demanded release. Dear God, he wanted to be inside of her.
But not just yet. Kneeling between her thighs, he parted her folds and explored her most sensitive place. A sound that was half moan, half sigh filled the air.
She shifted restlessly, caught hold of his ears and tugged him closer. Moments later, she climaxed. When she relaxed and went still, he kissed her inner thigh, her stomach. Claimed her mouth.
She reached between them. If she touched him there, he would lose it.
“Easy.” Clasping her wrists, he pushed her onto her back. “Are you ready for more?”
“Yes. This time, inside me.”
He sheathed himself. In one thrust he entered her.
She was slick and hot and tight, and she felt so damn good. Wanting to take it slow, Zach closed his eyes and for a long, tortured moment didn’t move.
But Gina hugged his hips with her thighs and clenched her muscles around him and he forgot all about going slowly. She began to make sweet sounds that signaled her climax was near.
On the brink himself, Zach thrust fast and deep until the world disappeared. Together they exploded in blinding pleasure.
Later, drained and utterly satisfied, he collapsed beside her.
Gina let out a satisfied sigh. Zach kissed the top of her head. She smelled like her flowery shampoo and sex, a heady combination. “I’m glad we finally did that,” he said.
“Mmm, me, too.” She kissed his ribs and snuggled close.
Soon her breathing eased and he knew she was sleeping.
He cupped her hip. Murmuring, she moved closer. His chest was full, and he knew that what he felt for Gina went way beyond the fantastic sex they’d just shared. But he’d already known that.
As special as she was, she was straight out of his old world, driven by money and success. Like his family and his ex, she wouldn’t understand why he’d left that life behind. For sure he wasn’t about to open himself to that by explaining about his past.
Any kind of relationship beyond sex was doomed to fail.
Uneasy,
he stared at the ceiling and wondered what he was doing. Relax, he told himself. Gina doesn’t want a relationship with me, either. This was about sex—nothing more.
He drifted off to sleep.
* * *
WITHOUT INTENDING TO, Gina had fallen asleep in Zach’s bed. Before she even opened her eyes, she could tell that he had drifted off, too. The room was dark, but light from the other room spilled in and she could easily make out the fake wood walls, decor from an era long past. The watch Uncle Lucky had left him ticked softly on the knotty-pine dresser. There wasn’t room for any other furniture.
Zach’s entire trailer was smaller than Uncle Lucky’s kitchen and living room combined—barely big enough to accommodate one person.
How could he stand living here?
In his sleep, he cupped her bottom possessively in his big hands. Fresh desire flooded her. Never mind where he lived—she wanted him to touch her like this forever.
But she wanted more than that—a lot more. She wanted Zach to have a good job and a future, wanted to know about his past. She wanted the security of her job at Andersen, Coats and Mueller and her year-end bonus.
Unfortunately, what she wanted was the opposite of what she had. If only...
Beside her, Zach stirred. He was awake and aroused. His fingers slid between her legs, spreading heat through her and erasing her thoughts. He kissed her passionately, and she forgot about everything but the here and now.
Some time later, she smiled up at him. “That was even better than the first time.”
“The best way in the world to wake up. Makes you wonder why we wasted so much time getting here. We should have done this weeks ago.”
“I’m not wired that way.” She traced the planes of his face. His cheekbones and regal nose, his strong chin and jaw. His eyelashes were longer than any man had a right to.
Such a handsome face. With an inward sigh, she admitted to herself that want to or not, she was completely in love with him.
He opened his eyes and stared into her soul with a tenderness she hadn’t seen before. He cared for her, but he didn’t really know her.
Didn’t know that instead of a being the successful marketing executive he thought she was, she’d lost her job and everything she’d worked for. Worse, she was in a huge financial bind.
She was a complete fraud.
Tell him, her conscience whispered. The very thought terrified her. And have him change his mind about her, look at her with the same disgust she held for herself? She couldn’t bear that.
“You okay?” he asked.
No, and it was best to change the subject. “I was thinking about how little I really know about your past.”
His expression shuttered. “You said you wouldn’t ask again.”
He didn’t trust her, and her heart recoiled. She grabbed gratefully onto the feeling. Better to feel hurt than guilty. “I changed my mind. What are you hiding from me?”
Stony faced, he sat up. “It’s late.”
Gina sat up, too, pulling the covers with her. “So you can do the most intimate physical things with me, but you can’t share your personal stuff.” Add utter hypocrite to her list of flaws.
“What we just shared was pretty damn personal. I care about you, Gina, but this is as personal as you’re going to get from me.” He rose from the bed and put on his boxers.
“I’ll leave as soon as I’m dressed.” Holding the blanket around her like a protective shield, she retrieved her clothes. “Where’s the bathroom?”
“Down the hall, to your left.”
“Go back to sleep,” she said. “I’ll let myself out.”
Zach didn’t argue.
Fifteen minutes later, feeling more alone than she could ever remember, she tiptoed into the house and made her way up the stairs.
Chapter Eighteen
In need of a friendly ear, Gina called Autumn the following day and invited her to lunch. “Let’s meet at the Pizza Palace,” she said.
“Love to. Hold on while I see if one of the boys can watch April.” Seconds later, she was back. “It’ll have to be a quick lunch. I can meet you at twelve, but I have to be back by one.”
Shortly before noon, Gina found an empty booth and sat down to wait for her friend.
It wasn’t long before Autumn slid in across from her, her cheeks flushed from the cold. “What a great party last night.”
“It was.”
A teenage girl took their orders. When she left, Autumn smiled. “You and Zach are seeing each other while you’re in town, huh?”
“I’m not sure.” Gina bit her lip. “That’s one of the reasons I called you. I really need to talk to someone.”
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s pretty embarrassing. You won’t tell anyone, right?”
“Not even Cody.”
Satisfied, Gina lowered her voice. “Zach and I made love last night.”
“The way you were looking at each other at the party, I’m not surprised.” Autumn frowned. “You don’t seem happy about that. Was the sex bad?”
Still glowing from their lovemaking, Gina shook her head. “It was wonderful. But Zach doesn’t trust me. He’s told me a little about his family, but he won’t talk about his past—where he worked, what he did there and why he left Houston. I can’t help but wonder what he’s hiding.”
Autumn nodded but didn’t comment. She listened without judgment, which was exactly what Gina needed.
Gina wasn’t going to share her own secrets, but once she started talking, her troubles spilled out and she unloaded everything—her strong feelings for Zach and why they scared her, her job situation and her money troubles.
“Here I am, questioning Zach for not telling me about his past, when my own life is a total sham,” she finished. “Pretty pathetic, isn’t it?”
Autumn shrugged. She didn’t seem nearly as disappointed in her as Gina had imagined. “Stuff happens.”
The waitress delivered their food. As soon as she moved away from the table, Autumn went on. “The job thing isn’t your fault.”
“No, but my financial situation is.”
“You can fix that. Trust me, I know—I was in the same boat when I went to work as Cody’s housekeeper. You’ll get another job and everything will be fine.” Autumn dug into her lunch.
Having eaten little since long before the Dawson’s party, Gina was famished. For a few minutes she and Autumn both concentrated on eating.
“I’m not sure what to do about Zach,” she said when she finally came up for air. “Should I trust him?”
“You’re the only one who can answer that. What does your heart tell you?”
“I’m in love with him, and I think he cares about me, too.”
Autumn nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe if you trust Zach enough to share your problems with him, he’ll open up to you.”
Gina had never considered that.
“It all boils down to what you want,” Autumn said as they finished the meal. “What do you want, Gina?”
She’d been mulling that over since Kevin had suggested she think about it. “I’m not sure,” she admitted.
“You’ll figure it out. I hate to cut our conversation short, but I have to get back.”
They paid and walked out to their cars.
Before they parted ways, Gina hugged her friend. “Thanks for listening.”
“Anytime. Let me know what happens, okay? And merry Christmas.”
On the drive back to the Lucky A, Gina thought hard about what she wanted.
Only weeks ago, her dream had been to make vice president at Andersen, Coats and Mueller and go on climbing the ranks from there. The commonsense part of her wanted a good job in marketing and the potential to advance. But her heart wa
nted Zach, and fighting with her heart was a losing battle.
Autumn was right—if she wanted a relationship with him, she needed to be honest. The very thought terrified her. He might not be as easygoing about her situation as Autumn had been. Gina would have to tell her family, too.
She swallowed. Could she risk the humiliation of admitting she’d been living a lie?
She wasn’t sure she was brave enough.
* * *
FALLING FOR GINA was about the stupidest thing Zach had ever done, and over the next few days, he called himself ten kinds of fool. He steered clear of her. She didn’t try to find him, either.
His one consolation was that they seemed to be of the same mind. Neither of them wanted a relationship. That was a relief—or so he told himself.
On Christmas Eve day he was in a foul mood. Hard work always helped take his mind off his problems, but he’d worked over Thanksgiving. For the next two days, Pete, Bert and Chet were responsible for doing all the chores.
Early that afternoon, Redd phoned him. “Merry Christmas. The dogs and I just arrived at the house. We’re spending the night. The usual friends and neighbors will be stopping by later this afternoon, and we want you here.”
Zach was in no mood to spend the holiday with the Arnetts, particularly Gina. He doubted she wanted to see him, either. But her family expected him there. “What time?” he asked.
They settled on three o’clock—an hour away.
Zach was wandering around the small trailer, waiting for the time to pass, when someone knocked on his door.
Grateful for the distraction, he opened it. To his surprise, Gina stood on the stoop.
He drank in the sight of her. “Redd called a little while ago. I said I’d come at three. What are you doing here?”
“Merry Christmas.” She fiddled with her glove and tried to smile. “May I come in?”
Wondering what she wanted, he shrugged. “Sure.”
He moved back so that she could step inside.
* * *
ZACH LOOKED WARY and tired, as if he hadn’t been sleeping. Gina wasn’t sleeping well, either. There was too much to think about, too much at stake. Weighing the risks of honesty versus continuing to live a lie had consumed her, and she couldn’t sleep or eat, let alone enjoy the Christmas festivities.