“I want you gone.” She tugged her hands away, stood, and held his jacket by two fingers, as if she no longer wanted anything else to do with him.
Just what he needed, his woman angry and no chance at make-up sex.
“Leave. Now.”
He hauled her close, searching her face for any vestige of the emotion they’d shared the past few weeks. The quick rise and fall of her breasts let him know she wasn’t as oblivious to his touch and that made him want to kiss her all the more. He still hadn’t told her why Gordy had given him the money, but he doubted she would listen to him now.
“You’re not staying here alone.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Closer still and her breath mingled with his, her soft feminine scent rising to entice. Adrenaline spiked through his blood and his groin hardened with each flutter of her breasts against his chest. She flattened her palms against his torso, and he savored the warmth.
“I don’t want you here.”
“Tough.”
“Am I interrupting?” Shauna Withersbee said, a distinct chill in her voice.
Zach whirled, shielding Trisha with his body. He eyed the newcomer with practiced indifference.
“Yes,” he said to the dark-skinned woman frowning at him.
Trisha stepped around Zach. “No. Zach was just leaving.”
Tension filled the silence. Two against one. He glanced between the women, gave a curt nod, and ejected the DVD from the disc player.
“What have you got?” Suspicion clung to Shauna’s voice.
Zach swung a gaze over his shoulder. Trisha worried her lip, her hands balled into tight fists, while Shauna eyes held contempt. He shrugged. “None of your damn business.” He shoved the disc in his pocket and strolled from the room.
Trisha slammed the door behind him.
****
“You’ve got glass on the floor.”
“Yeah. Gordy knocked over a figurine.” The weight of Shauna’s stare followed Trisha around the room.
“Your ex is being escorted downtown,” Shauna said. “What’s the deal?”
“Gordy wanted to exact his marital rights.” Trisha shoved her sleeves to her elbows. “I still have no idea how he got in.”
“The backdoor. I found glass on the floor.”
Trisha shook her head. She hadn’t even checked the back door. Maybe if she had she wouldn’t be here now, with various bumps, bruises and a broken heart. A lone tear streaked down her cheek.
Shauna stood beside her. “How bad are you hurt?”
She held out a bruised wrist for the other woman’s inspection, then lowered one shoulder of her bathrobe.
She whistled, examining the abraded flesh. “Would you mind if I get photos of this?”
Trisha cringed.
“I know how you feel, but it will help. At least we can get the judge to revoke his bail.”
Wordlessly Trisha held out her arms.
“Did Gordy do anything else?”
“Shoved me against the wall and tied me up. Zach came in before anything worse could happen.”
Trisha endured having her bruises recorded. If anyone other than Shauna were doing the photo taking, Trisha would never show her face.
“You should get that looked at.” Shauna tapped the wrist with the bracelet.
“Rope burn is the least of my worries.”
Shauna’s eyes widened. “What else happened?”
Heat touched Trisha’s cheeks as Shauna’s gaze drifted up and down her body. “I’d rather not talk about it right now.”
Shauna patted her arm and sat beside her. “That might work with everyone else, but not me.”
Tears spilled and dampened her face, and she hastily wiped them away. “Zach and Gordy are cousins and I think Gordy paid Zach to have a sex tape made.”
“What!”
She nodded.
Shauna held Trisha’s hand. “This doesn’t make any sense.”
“It does with my track record.”
Shauna opened her mouth to say something, closed it and tried again. “So what do you want me to do?”
“It would be really great if you could send Zach home.” She blew out a breath. “I can’t believe I fell for the wrong guy again.”
“Are you sure that’s what happened?”
Trisha stared at her. “Are you taking his side now?”
“No.” Shauna lifted a hand, palm side up. “Just hear me out.” She stood. “When I walked in Zach stood in front of you. Didn’t matter that I was your friend. I moved farther into the room and he stepped in front of the TV. When he left the room, he took the tape and told me ‘none of my damn business.’ That doesn’t sound like a guy who has been paid to humiliate you. What purpose would it serve?”
“This sounds a lot like you’re taking his side.”
“What did Gordy want?”
“To ruin my life. Again.”
“Sounds like motive for a sex tape to me.”
“But...” Trisha glanced at her wrists. She shouldn’t have done that. The area was now pulsing and burning with pain. A thin layer of blood coated the metal of the bracelet. “Zach had to tell him something.” She eyed Shauna with suspicion. “Why are you siding with him?”
“Because until tonight he’s kept a smile of your face. He’s been flirting with you for months.”
“Oh.”
They fell silent. An occasional creak of wood could be heard, but silence reigned through the room.
Trisha played Shauna’s argument and then Zach’s reaction through her head. She groaned. “Oh sweet daisies.”
“What?”
“He told me he loved me.”
“Wow.”
Trisha nodded. “Yeah.”
“So what do you want to do?”
Trisha leaned her head back and blew out a breath. “I just want to forget this day ever happened.”
“Tell you what. I’ll leave a car outside, get all the paperwork filed and come back after my shift.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
Shauna offered a smile. “I know, but that’s what friends are for.”
Chapter Eleven
She wouldn’t return any of his calls. Zach set down the phone and scrubbed the heel of his hand across his face. Two weeks and nothing. The time should’ve been more than enough to allow her to calm down, but now this was just ridiculous. He’d even sent flowers and candy. The only thing he hadn’t done was camp out on her doorstep.
He straightened. Might as well give it a try. She couldn’t ignore him if he was standing in her face. And besides...he glanced around his condo. Small splashes of color dotted his otherwise dismal furniture. Cozy throw pillows on the leather sofa, a pretty blanket folded on the ottoman and a blue crystal vase sat on the cocktail table.
He missed her. And it wasn’t just having her in his bed. He missed her smile, her laughter. Fourteen damn days without her and he was turning into a lovesick fool.
He picked up his phone again and dialed her number. If he had to leave another message, he’d go by her shop. And this time he wasn’t leaving until he said his peace.
****
Later the same evening Trisha balanced a stack of boxes as she carried them from the back room to the front of her shop. She set the boxes on the counter with a thud. Two weeks had passed since she told Zach to leave and she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him. Of course it didn’t help that he had flowers, cards and candy delivered every day.
She picked up a box cutter and dragged the blade along the dotted cut line. The last client and stylist left more than an hour ago. Now she was killing time stocking shampoo and conditioner. For the first time since her marriage ended, she dreaded going home.
Not because of what Gordy had done though, and thankfully the judge had revoked his bond and slapped additional charges on him. But because of Zach. She hated to admit how much she missed Zach.
She affixed price stickers to several bottl
es of product before sliding them onto the cylindrical display stand. The empty box ended in the small heap on the floor, next to the counter.
Once the shelves were restocked she leaned against the wall and glanced around. Her gaze fell on Zach’s latest offering, a mix of roses and lilies. A small sad smile touched her lips. Somehow he remembered her favorite flower and made sure they were included in each arrangement.
She looked up and gasped. Zach stood on the other side of the glass. Without thinking she unlocked the door.
“What are you doing here?”
Warm rain blew in after Zach. She locked the door as he set his umbrella on the commercial doormat.
“I came to see you.”
A tiny thrill rippled through her body. “Okay, you’ve seen me. Thank you for stopping by.” She reached past him to open the door again.
He moved closer. Warm masculinity and body heat beckoned. She could feel her resolve crumbling as he stood before her. She focused her gaze on the open triangle of his crisp white dress shirt and slid downward over his black pinstripe dress slacks and the obvious bulge near his crotch.
“I thought a little time would have eased your temper.”
Trisha shook her head.
A mirthless smile creased his lips. “I see.”
“No, you don’t.” She studied him a moment. Weariness etched the lines in his forehead and around his mouth deep. “When is the last time you slept?”
“What day is it?”
Guilt pricked her heart. “Seriously, Zach. You can’t stay behind the wheel with so little sleep.”
He reached out a hand and trailed a finger along her collarbone. Desire ran rampant, tightened her nipples, zipped to the apex of her thighs and tingled through her limbs. Her breath stilled in her throat as she willed her traitorous body to stop making demands.
She stepped away. “Don’t. Please don’t.”
Sadly, he nodded. “Are you here alone?”
“Yes.”
He frowned.
She straightened and squared her shoulders. “I don’t need you telling me how I should run my business or when I need to be home.”
Heat shimmered in his silver stare and he closed the distance between them. She was having none of that and she stepped away. He stalked her across the lobby, until the wall at her back brought her up short. He placed a large hand on either side of her head and leaned in. He’d effectively trapped her with his body.
“I have nothing else to say to you.”
“Oh that’s fine. Then you can listen.” He coiled her braid around his hand. “I didn’t record us or sell Gordy a copy of us making love.”
Her heart hammered so loud she feared he’d hear the erratic thumping.
“Think about it, Trish. I don’t like to share, so why would I give him something that would obviously hurt you and take you away from me?”
How many times had she asked herself the exact same question? She still didn’t have an answer.
“To answer the one question I know you’ll never ask, the money he handed me was repayment of a debt. I invested in Gordy’s business years ago. He found it rather amusing to mess with your head.”
Her jaw hit the floor. Gordy’s silent anonymous investor. All those years and she never knew.
“I didn’t...” She lowered her head, only he tugged on her braid and she lifted her gaze to meet his. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
A wry smile twisted his luscious lips. “Maybe because you were upset with me.” He tilted her head back. “Are you okay?”
She nodded.
“Any more threats?”
She shook her head. Thunder rumbled in the distance. “No, but that doesn’t explain how he got into the hotel room.”
“I really wish I knew, but I have a very good friend who has assured me the file has been destroyed and wiped from his computer.” Zach swept a soft kiss across her lips. “Let me take you home and then let’s forget the last two weeks ever happened.”
The soft caress of his lips against hers left her craving more. She stepped closer and his arms slid around her waist, molding her to his arousal. Surrendering to his passion would be so easy. The flare of heat enveloped her and she locked her hands behind his neck, allowing him to sweep her along on the wave of desire. She lost herself in the spicy taste of him, the firmness of his lips and the intimate press of his body. Moisture clung to the insides of her thighs and she yearned for him to satisfy the ache pulsing between her legs.
He left her mouth to explore her jaw and down the column of her throat to the sensitive spot at the curve of her shoulder. She moaned, wiggling her body against his. If he kept kissing her, she’d end up in a puddle at his feet.
Dull pounding reverberated from the shop door. Reluctantly she untangled her arms from Zach. Maybe the interruption was the best thing for her.
“Expecting a client?” He held her a moment longer.
“No. No one else.”
She dragged a steadying breath into her lungs and approached the door. A young man in a gray shirt with a gold name tag affixed to his chest stood on the other side. He was one of the security guards who patrolled the plaza.
“Hi,” she greeted.
He smiled and looked past her. “Good. You’re not alone. I got a little worried when I saw your vehicle. You have two flat tires.”
She frowned. “Well, that’s just great.” Now she would have to wait for Roadside Assistance to send someone out. “Thanks for the heads up,” she said. The security guard nodded and she closed the door.
Zach cupped her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”
“Seems I have two flat tires.”
He winged a brow. “Two?”
She nodded. “If Gordy wasn’t sitting in a cell, I’d swear he’d done it.” She walked behind the receptionist desk and grabbed the phone. “I just had tires put on my truck last week.”
Every time Zach walked into her life, things got jumbled and skewed. Did he have another relative bent on revenge? She couldn’t take the chance. No matter how many times he sent firecrackers screaming and whistling through her veins. She couldn’t risk opening her heart to him again. She’d have to say “no” and hope the hole in her heart would heal, because she’d never get it back.
When he covered her hand, she looked up.
“Let me have my mechanic come by. He can have you on the road way before a tow truck comes by and I can take you home.”
Trisha studied him a moment. “You don’t have to do this.”
He gently removed the phone from her hand and replaced it on the base. “I know.”
“All right, but I can find my own way home.”
He frowned.
She looked away. “I can’t forget what happened, Zach.”
“Trisha...”
“Don’t. Just don’t.” She didn’t want to hear reasons why they should keep seeing each other or how she made him feel or anything that would topple her wavering resolve, and she definitely couldn’t have him kissing her again.
He opened his mouth, then quickly closed it. “If that’s how you want to end things,” he said quietly.
She nodded.
“I’ll take care of your vehicle and arrange for someone to take you home.”
In a gesture that spoke more than mere words ever could, he hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her close. His lips found hers, and his kiss was bittersweet, a mix of the passion they’d once shared and unfulfilled promises. Love she’d never get a chance to explore dissolved with each caress of his mouth. And when she was ready to give in to his demands he was no longer there.
She touched her lips, then her damp cheeks. For one painful stuttered breath, she knew she’d made the wrong decision. What had she done? She rushed to the door and darted into the cold rain. Red brake lights burned through the downpour. He was too far away. This was not how she wanted things to end. She trudged back into her shop. Somehow she had to fix this.
Chapter Twelve
; A few evenings later they walked into a bar Trisha swore she’d never see again, but for everything to work she had to be here. Thankfully Shauna hadn’t noticed where they were yet.
“I so needed that massage!” Shauna exclaimed. She dropped her purse on the counter and ordered two shots of Ciroc lemon drop. “So what happened with you and Zach? Did you get a chance to kiss and make up? I bet the make-up sex was outta this world.”
Trisha tucked a curl behind her ear. So much for a girls’ night out and no talk of men. Maybe she could clue her friend in on her plan. On second thought, Shauna would try to talk her out of it. “Not quite.”
Shauna held the slice of lemon in one hand and picked up the sugar-rimmed shot glass with the other. She downed the alcohol and jammed the lemon wedge in her mouth.
“What’s that mean? It’s been what, a coupla weeks or so?” She downed the second shot and let out a squeal.
Trisha shook her head and slid onto the stool. “We—I didn’t want to see him anymore.”
“Are you serious?” Shauna tapped the fading bruise beneath a bangle bracelet. “Because of this?”
Heat fused her cheeks. “No. Yes.” She huffed. “Everything is so messed up.”
“I thought you said he loved you.”
The bartender smiled and set two more drinks in front of them. Trisha returned his easy smile, tossed some money on the counter and picked up her drink, a Long Island Iced Tea, and nudged the glass with the cherry and section of orange wedged on the side towards Shauna.
“He did.” Trisha sipped the tea. “You’re not going to be able to walk out of here if you keep drinking like that.”
“Hmmm. I plan on finding some hot guy and having sweaty, dirty sex with him.”
“And make Nathan mad?”
“Serves him right.”
Trisha rocked back and forth to the beat of the music. Since Zach walked out her shop a week ago she hadn’t heard a peep. No flowers, cards or candy to remind her he was thinking of her. And why should he? She’d told him to leave. Even worse, the mechanic said the tires had been defective from the start. No one was responsible for the flats.
She’d totally overreacted, pushing Zach away, and if she was completely honest, she’d admit she was totally miserable without him.
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