by Debra Webb
That intense gaze focused fully onto hers once more. “Your place or mine?”
Beth thought about that for a moment. As much as she’d always dreamed of finding herself in Zach’s bed…she wasn’t sure she was ready to go that far just yet.
“My place,” she said with a great deal more bravado than she felt. He smiled that pulse-tripping gesture that was pure charm again. She felt the answering flip-flop in her chest.
“I’ll bring the wine.” With one finger he traced the line of her jaw, lingered near her mouth.
“I’ll see you then.” Beth slid from between him and the bar and rushed away without looking back.
Twenty-four hours would never be enough time to prepare for the moment she’d spent a lifetime anticipating.
Chapter Seven
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Zach stood back and admired his handiwork. Despite all the mishaps, the gazebo looked pretty good. And not one drop of white paint marred the lush green foliage around it. He couldn’t say the same for the first set of clothes he’d worn. He wiped his hands on the rag hanging from his waist and shook his head at the realization of how clumsy he’d been all day.
Sleep hadn’t come until the wee hours of the morning. Thoughts of Beth and their appointment tonight kept him too wired up to even think about sleep. At the crack of dawn he’d been out pounding the trail around the east side of the property. Though he hadn’t crossed paths with Beth, he had taken another fall. He just couldn’t understand it. He never missed a step.
He ran a hand through his hair and rotated his left shoulder. He grimaced when it still ached. He hadn’t recovered from his first fall. Good thing this morning’s tumble hadn’t done any additional damage—other than to his pride. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he’d barely saved the boxwoods around the gazebo from a whitewashing. He’d grabbed back the unbalanced, half-empty gallon of paint just before it fell off the ladder. In his haste, the can had overturned in his arms and poured out its contents on him.
Somehow, in spite of his preoccupation with his tempting neighbor, he’d managed to finish the job. Zach checked his watch. He had just enough time for a hot shower and a quick dinner before his mother left for her card game.
He turned and peered across the east garden and to the cottage. Beth had come home about twenty minutes ago. She’d waved, making his heartbeat accelerate. He’d waved back, and almost fallen off the ladder in the process. Lucky for him, she hadn’t seemed to notice.
God, he hadn’t behaved this ineptly since junior high when he’d stolen his first kiss from Sandy Martin. He was too old to be experiencing this kind of giddiness. Way too old.
But, then, this was Beth. And he’d waited a very long time to be with her like this.
If he wasn’t able to stop this thing building between them, would he be able to get on with his life afterward? Or would making love to her bind him further to her?
“The gazebo looks better than it has in years.”
He turned at the sound of his mother’s voice, and smiled.
“You’ve done a fabulous job. Your father would be proud.”
“Thanks.” He knew his mother still missed his dad. Truth be told, he did as well. At least they still had each other.
A small frown furrowed her forehead. “I still can’t imagine why you bothered with it when Hank would have been happy to take care of it.”
“Then I wouldn’t have enjoyed all this fresh air and sun,” Zach countered. He grinned at his mother. Even at a few days shy of seventy-five she looked both attractive and elegant. The turquoise shell and slacks lent color to her pale complexion. Time had turned her auburn hair a shade of gray that most women bought in a bottle. Her silver eyes were clear and left no doubt of the sharp mind behind them.
“I thought that morning ritual of running offered you all the fresh air you needed,” she suggested with blatant distaste. “I’ll never understand what it is with you young people and all that running.” She eyed him skeptically. “Why, when I was your age the only running I did was after you.”
Zach grinned. “Dad always said I was a handful as a kid.”
“Indeed.” She patted his arm. “You had to know what every little thing was about. You’d climb anything, eat anything and take apart whatever you got your hands on.”
“I was curious,” he said with a chuckle.
“I suppose that’s what makes you such a good attorney.”
“Ambition?” he asked.
“That, too,” she said, “but, in my estimation, what makes you the best is your burning desire to take things apart and find out what makes them tick.”
She had him there. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
She smiled fondly, remembering. “You kept us on our toes. Why I wouldn’t have survived the terrible twos if Helen hadn’t helped me.” Her smile dimmed considerably.
“I’m glad the two of you enjoyed your lunch yesterday,” he said sheepishly. He’d taken great care to avoid his mother the rest of the day and evening yesterday. This was the first time they’d had a chance to talk. She’d most likely let him have it now that he’d brought the subject up.
“Why wouldn’t we?” she retorted as if she had no idea what he meant.
He shrugged, suppressing a wince when pain jabbed his left shoulder. “It’s just that the two of you have been on the outs for days and it was nice to see you together for a change.”
“See hear, Zacharius Ashton, I am not a child and neither is Helen. Just because we don’t see eye to eye on an issue and aren’t speaking doesn’t mean we’re not still friends. You let us work out our problems in our own time. We don’t need you and Beth interfering,” she chastised none too gently.
Zach held up his hands in a defensive manner. “We just didn’t want you two going for days without speaking,” he offered with sincere contrition.
“We speak when there’s a need,” she informed him. “This will blow over just as soon as Helen sees reason.”
He considered that hell could freeze over before that happened. Helen was just about as stubborn as Colleen was. “Point taken. We won’t interfere again.”
“Speaking of Beth,” his mother ventured. “I think this divorce agrees with her. She looks fabulous. Helen says the phone rings all the time.” Colleen leaned toward him with a covert look left and right. “She can’t believe how many of those young, good-looking doctors are after her daughter. I told her she’d better wise up. Beth is a beautiful woman, one of the brightest doctors on staff at Cartersville General. Lawrence, the administrator—you remember, Lawrence Wallingsford, don’t you, Zach? He used to head up the clinic in town when you were in high school.”
Ire kindled in Zach’s gut. “Sure, I remember him.” He didn’t want to hear about how many guys were chasing Beth. She hadn’t mentioned any significant others. The bottom line was he didn’t want to think about her with another man. He was going to have her tonight. Dammit he wasn’t supposed to be thinking that way either.
“Well—” Colleen darted another of those covert looks toward the cottage as if Helen or Beth might overhear her. “Lawrence said that Beth is a phenomenal doctor and that they’ll do anything they have to in order to keep her on staff.” She made a knowing sound. “Why, it would please Lawrence to no end if Beth married one of those nice young men from the Cartersville area. What better way to keep her around?”
A buzzing began in Zach’s ears. Fury burst inside him like shattering glass. He didn’t give one damn what Lawrence whoever wanted. He was going to have Beth and no one—no one—else was going to get in his way.
“If you’ll excuse me, Mother, I have to hit the shower.”
Colleen watched her son storm toward the back door. She smiled a secret smile.
Mission accomplished.
BETH SMOOTHED a hand over her very short, very black sheath. It was the shortest, slinkiest dress she’d ever owned. The woman in the boutique had insisted that it was the kind of thing that drove men cra
zy. Beth turned and glanced over her shoulder to view the back. Her helpful sales associate had also insisted that this sort of dress could not be worn over anything other than thong panties, if any were worn at all. Beth felt a flush of embarrassment even now. Never, not once in her life, had she ever had a conversation like that with her closest confidant, much less a stranger.
She supposed it was a good thing she’d already bought the proper undies. At least it saved her from having to allow the woman to go into a detailed explanation of which brand was the most comfortable. To Beth’s way of thinking, none of them would be. Certainly not the minuscule black things she was wearing at the moment.
Facing the mirror once more, she stared at her reflection for a long time trying to decide if she was happy with what she saw. Not the dress, or her up-swept hairdo, but with what she saw in her eyes.
This was what she wanted. Her heart skipped a beat for emphasis. Whether it was right or wrong or would change anything—for better or worse—she wanted this night with Zach more than she wanted to take her next breath. She wanted to make that connection with him…to see if it would be all that she’d dreamed it could be.
She shook her head at her foolish musings and turned her attention to her room. Slowly, she scrutinized the preparations she’d made. She’d hidden away the mementos of her high school and college days. Her mother had insisted on keeping them out all these years. But now that Beth lived here again, she’d just as soon forget about that little girl from the past. She’d replaced the items with certificates and acknowledgments from her profession.
A few pictures, mostly of her mother and father, some with her in them as well, were scattered about. The shades behind the lace curtains were drawn. The bed was freshly made with clean linens. She’d tossed the throw pillows around on the comforter to make it look less like she’d just made it. Scented candles flickered on the bedside table, gifting the room with delicate, sensuous fragrances.
Beth looked at the digital clock and gasped. He’d be here any minute. Her nerves jangling, she repositioned the pillows, then changed them yet again when she wasn’t quite satisfied. She scanned her reflection one more time and decided the silver dangly earrings had to go. Instead, she selected a delicate pearl set that looked a lot less flashy. She surveyed herself one last time and every ounce of her courage drained away.
“I can’t do this,” she told the uncertain woman in the mirror.
What was she thinking wearing a dress like this? And G-string underwear? She flung her closet door open and shuffled through the hangers. There had to be something else she could change into before he arrived. Anything would be better than this. What a foolish idea! She had to be losing her mind to behave so…so out of character.
The doorbell chimed.
Beth’s heart skipped, sending her pulse into an erratic staccato. She slammed her closet door shut and leaned against it. If she didn’t answer, he’d go away. He would give up and walk back across the garden to his own house.
But you’ve waited for this since you were fourteen, another voice intruded. You can’t let this moment pass. You’ve got to do it. Beth swallowed, then licked her suddenly dry lips. She was dressed. Her room looked better than it had in years. It smelled wonderful. There were condoms of all kinds on the bedside table next to the candles.
He probably carried his own condoms.
The bell chimed again.
Beth raced to the bedside table and jerked the drawer open so she could sweep the condoms into it. She slammed it shut.
“Okay.” She squared her shoulders and took a deep bolstering breath. “Time to put your money where your mouth is, McCormick.”
Tension rolling over her in waves, Beth walked slowly, each step deliberately measured, toward the front door. Her mother was at her weekly card game. Thankfully she hadn’t complained too much about yesterday’s surprise luncheon. Though Helen seemed considerably more relaxed where the dispute between her and Colleen was concerned, she did stare rather strangely at Beth. She had insisted that it was nothing, but Beth knew that look. She remembered it from the day when she’d been twelve and she’d had to be rushed to the hospital with a broken arm. Her mother was worried about her for some reason.
Beth couldn’t fathom what her concern might be. Maybe she’d ask her again tonight after she came home. Beth stalled a few feet from the front door. She hadn’t stopped to think that her mother would be coming home, shortly before midnight if the game played out as usual. What would she do…?
Zach would just have to go home before her mother returned. Though she was thirty-one, her mother was still her mother.
The bell chimed for the fourth time. Beth stared at the door and told herself one last time that she could do this. Her fists clenching and unclenching she took the final steps, closed her right hand around the knob and opened the door.
Those breaths she’d had difficulty achieving, ceased altogether when her gaze landed on the man at her door. He looked amazing. Navy trousers and a paler blue shirt fit his body as if they were tailor made for him, which they probably were, and enhanced the heart-stopping blue of his eyes. His hair was combed back, except for one errant lock that spilled across his forehead. His chiseled jaw was clean shaven, and that smile on his full lips would have made a nun rescind her vows.
“You look terrific,” he said, his own tone a little breathless. He held up a bottle and two wineglasses. “I have the refreshments.”
“Come in.” Beth reminded herself to step back so that he could enter. Speech proved even more troublesome than breathing. She closed her eyes and counted to three in hopes of pulling herself together by blocking all stimuli.
It didn’t help.
He was perfect. Everything she’d ever hoped for and dreamed of. The one man who had haunted her for as long as she could remember. Zach had always been her everything. Her protector, her friend, her soul mate. But he’d always held one part of his life back. The sexual side. Tonight that was going to change. Tonight was the night.
“Living room?” he asked when she failed to gather her wits and show him to a room. “Or straight to your room?”
She dredged up a tight smile. “Living room.”
He followed her down the short entry hall and into the living room. She’d made a few adjustments in here as well. The one family photo that included her ex-husband was tucked away in a drawer. Her favorite soft rock CD played softly in the background. Everything was just exactly as it should be…
Except her. She was a tangle of nerves.
Zach sat the glasses and the sweating bottle of chilled wine on the coffee table.
“Oh!” Beth jerked into hostess mode. “Do you need—” Before she could finish her sentence he had pulled a corkscrew from his back pocket. “Guess not,” she mumbled.
He uncorked the bottle and set it aside. His attention moved immediately back to her.
“You really look great.” His gaze traveled over her slowly, thoroughly. “Is that a new dress?”
She started to nod but caught herself. “I’ve had it for years,” she lied.
He inclined his head and took his time studying her once more. “I’m glad you chose to wear it tonight.” He poured a glass of wine, the sound echoed around her, making her shiver. He offered her the glass. “I selected this just for you.”
“Thank you.” She took a sip of the pale gold liquid and smiled. “It’s wonderful.”
He filled the remaining glass. “It’s sweet and too good to have any other way but alone.”
She took another gulp of her wine. There was that word again: good. Why did he always have to associate good with her? Yes, she was good, but she was a lot of other things, too. Like a woman who has decided what she wants and is determined to have it.
“It is sweet,” was all she said. She downed the rest and held out her glass for more. He obliged.
The old family photographs on the mantel captured his attention as he sat the bottle back down. Beth sipped her second gl
ass as he crossed the room to look at them. She had to calm down and pull herself together. Here she stood, in the middle of the room, gulping wine as if she were scared to death.
The hell of it was, she was scared to death.
Beth finished off her glass and ordered herself to calm down.
She could do this…she would do this.
She’d only regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t. Zach was apparently willing and she might never have this chance again.
“This is a great picture of your father,” Zach commented. “Hey, remember the day he let me take you to the carnival in Cartersville.” He laughed, remembering. “You wanted to go so bad and your mother was dead set against it.”
“So Dad allowed you to take me and never told Mom,” she finished for him.
Zach turned to her and smiled. “We had a great time, didn’t we?”
He’d liked playing big brother to her. But she wasn’t his sister, and she definitely wasn’t a kid anymore.
“We did,” she agreed. She felt much calmer now. The wine was doing its work, sending its warmth all through her.
He just looked at her then, searching her eyes, waiting. Then he spoke, “You’re sure this is what you want?”
Fury whipped through her. She plunked her glass down on the nearest table and planted her hands on her hips. “I don’t believe this,” she hissed. “Now is not the time to ask me if this is what I want. Isn’t it clear?” She glared at the floor in an effort to drag her temper back down to a controllable level. “I swear, Zach, what do I have to do to convince you that I’m not a little girl anymore?”
He was standing right next to her when she looked up. She gasped, barely catching herself before she drew back a step.
“I can see that you’re no little girl. That’s not the issue,” he said gently. One finger traced a path down her bare arm. “You mean a great deal to me, Beth. There has only been one other woman who held a place in my heart before and after an affair, Alex Preston. She’s with the agency, too. We’re friends…good friends. The women I prefer in bed are not generally the same ones with whom I have other relationships.”