by Cat Johnson
Snorting at Jon’s question, Zane said, “Yes, well he’s found something else he wants more.”
“What’s that?” Jon asked.
“Me, married to Senator Greenwood’s daughter.” Possibly soon to be President Greenwood.
“He seriously said that?” The shock was clear in Jon’s voice.
“Yes.”
“Now, I know you’re a lady killer and all, but how did dear old dad think you were going to get this senator’s daughter to marry you?” Chris asked.
“We grew up together. She always had a little crush on me. And as much as I wanted this thing to work out for all of us, I was going along with him. I actually took the girl out. I was willing to use her, a friend, to get the money for GAPS.”
The guilt Zane felt over that was overwhelming, even though he had only let it go on for one day. When his father had started dragging his feet with the contract, Zane just knew the man would hold that money over his head forever.
Even if Georgie did, by some miracle, turn the million over to GAPS eventually, it would come with more strings than Zane could handle.
He ran one hand over his face. Pissed at himself. At his father. At the world.
“Zane, it’s fine.”
“No, it’s not fine, Jon. I fucked up. I’m sorry. I blew this deal.”
“Zane, we all know damn well you’re always willing to take one for the team.” Rick’s voice came through Zane’s phone.
“Hell, yeah. You stepped right in front of me and took out that target who pulled a gun on me,” Chris reminded them all.
Sad to say, but Zane was more willing to take a bullet than shit from his father. Maybe he should just go back and apologize, but there was still the confusing issue of Missy.
Zane sighed.
“Dude. Stop. We don’t blame you.”
He shook his head at Jon’s words. His friends didn’t have to blame him because he was pretty good at blaming himself. “I swear I was going to do it but I felt like an absolute piece of shit. She’s a nice girl and she doesn’t deserve to be used as a pawn in my father’s fucked up game.”
“I’m sorry she’s involved, and I’m sorry I got you involved. We’ll find the money some other way.”
Zane wanted to believe what Jon said, but how they were going to do that, he had no clue. “All right. We’ll figure it out when I get there.”
“You on you’re way back tonight?” Jon asked.
“Yeah. I just need to call Missy and hell, I don’t know, apologize I guess.”
“Apologize for sleeping with her because your father told you to? You sure you wanna do that?” Jon asked.
“No. I didn’t sleep with her.” Zane couldn’t imagine how badly he would feel if he had.
“You? Didn’t have sex with a girl?” There was shock in Rick’s voice. “What’s the matter? Was she ugly?”
“What? No. I’m not that much of a shallow dickhead.”
Missy was beautiful and smart and sweet, and she didn’t deserve to have his friends talking shit about her.
“Well, fuck me,” Chris drawled out. “Zane Alexander not sleeping with a woman. You in love with this girl?”
“Shut the hell up. I’m not in love with her. I barely know her.”
“I thought you said you grew up with her?” Jon asked.
“Yes, but that was years ago. I haven’t seen her since I joined the Navy.” Zane had already lost patience with this conversation, but he answered anyway.
The silence on the other end of the phone was very telling. Zane could imagine the looks flying between the guys. “Look, I gotta go and call her before it gets any later. It’ll be late by the time I get back to base, so I’ll call you tomorrow.”
After a pause, Jon said, “All right. Talk to you tomorrow.”
The line went dead as Jon must have disconnected the call.
Zane had let him down. He’d let them all down, and now he had to deal with disappointing Missy. She was the next one on his list. He needed to say something to her, but he didn’t know what. He could lie and say he’d gotten called back to base, but deceiving her any more than he already had didn’t sit well with him.
Things were too messed up already.
He checked the time. It wasn’t much later than when he’d dropped Missy off since his visit home had been a record breaking short one.
Deciding it was still early enough she wouldn’t be sleeping, he scrolled through his recent calls and hit Missy’s cell phone number.
She answered on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Hey.”
“Zane, hi.”
“Um. . .” Zane was a fucking master when it came to the fairer sex, yet here he was stuttering trying to talk to a woman he’d known since childhood. Damn his father. He’d complicated what should be simple. Zane drew in a breath and got himself back on track. “Can I see you?”
“Of course. You said you’d call in the morning and we’d—”
“I mean tonight.” Time for him to do what he wanted. What he’d wanted all day. Be honest with Missy.
“Oh. Okay. Sure.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes to pick you up. Then we’ll go . . . somewhere.”
“All right.”
Zane disconnected the call and sat. He didn’t want to talk to her at her parents’ house, and he sure as hell wasn’t bringing her to his. It was like he was eighteen again, looking for someplace private to take a girl. Sadly, the one place to take her where they could be alone was the same place he used to bring girls parking when he’d been home on summer break from prep school and college.
Great. He’d been fighting the temptation of the physical attraction between them all damn day. Parking alone with Missy in the same spot where he’d lost his damn virginity when he’d been a teen was the last thing he needed.
CHAPTER 11
Missy’s parents were watching television in the study when she came down the stairs. She never wished she’d gotten around to moving out and getting her own place as much as she did now.
“I’m going out for a little while.”
Her mother’s brow wrinkled. “Now?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I don’t really know. Zane’s coming to pick me up.”
“Zane?” Her father’s gaze cut from the television to her for the first time since she’d entered the room.
“Yes. Is that a problem?” It was ridiculous she felt the need to ask that question at her age.
He shook his head. “No, not at all. You two have fun.”
“Spending all day together, then dinner, and now going out again. You’re seeing a lot of him.” Her mother jumped on the bandwagon. It wasn’t a surprise really. The Alexander’s money would go a long way to help her father’s campaign. Sometimes she really hated her life.
Missy shrugged at her mother’s observation. “Between his schedule and my trip, we have to catch up when we can.”
“Perhaps Zane is one more reason not to go.”
She rolled her eyes at her mother’s last ditch effort to stop this trip from happening. “Goodnight, Mother. Father.”
Missy left the room before they had a chance to say anything else ridiculous. Waiting outside in the dark and the cold seemed preferable to being needled about her trip.
She didn’t have to wait long. She’d only just closed the door and was about to pull on her gloves when she heard the roar of an engine.
Zane pulled the car to a stop in front of her and, leaving the motor running, got out. He walked around to where she stood. “Hey.”
“Hi.”
“Thanks for meeting me.”
“Sure.”
“You mind if we go for a drive?” he asked.
“A drive sounds nice.”
He huffed out a short laugh. “Glad you think so.”
She didn’t understand his reaction, but let him open the door of the car for her before she slid inside.
Uncharacteristicall
y silent, Zane slammed her door, walked around the car and got into the driver’s seat. They drove for a bit without talking, him steering the convertible slowly down back roads as the cool night air blew through her hair.
Finally, he pulled off the main road and after about a hundred feet, slowed to a stop. He turned to her in the seat. “This okay? I didn’t know where else to go that we could be alone to talk.”
Talk? Again, he’d managed to surprise her. When he’d pulled up to the secluded spot and she’d seen the picturesque view of the river lit by moonlight in front of them, she’d assumed he wanted to be alone to do something other than talk. At least, she’d hoped that was the case.
“Yeah. This is fine.”
With a single nod, he reached for the keys and cut the engine. He unhooked his seat belt and then angled to face her. “I’m heading back to base tonight.”
“You get called back in?”
“No.” He reached out and took her hand in his.
“Oh. Problems with your father?” Missy took a guess.
“You could say that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“So am I. More than you know.” Staring down at their joined hands, Zane stroked his thumb over her palm.
“Zane.”
It took him a second to look up. “Hm?”
“I’ve known you a long time.”
“Yes, you have.”
“And I know when you’re not behaving like yourself.”
“Am I not behaving like myself?” he asked.
“No.”
“In what way?”
“Well, for one thing, when have you ever in your life brought a girl here just to talk?”
He let out a laugh. “All right. I’ll concede that point to you.”
That victory she would gladly trade in exchange for a kiss. “What’s going on? You wanted to talk. I’m here, ready and willing to listen. So talk.”
Zane drew in a deep breath and blew it out. He brought his gaze up to meet hers and, lifting one hand, fingered her hair. “I’m afraid you’re going to end up hating me.”
The odd statement didn’t do anything to slow her speeding pulse or lessen her desire for this man.
“I could never hate you.” She raised her hand and laid it on his chest.
Zane lifted it to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her palm. “God, I hope that’s true.”
“It is. You have to know that by now.” She tried to get closer, but the damn seatbelt kept her in place.
Blindly, she reached down and unhooked it. Once free from its confines, she leaned in, her face so near his she could hear every breath he took.
“Missy, we need to talk.” He said they had to talk, but his eyes dropped down to focus on her lips as his breathing quickened.
“Later.” She closed the distance between them until his mouth met hers.
Groaning, he palmed the back of her head and pulled her in tighter.
It was a real kiss, unlike the peck when he’d dropped her off after dinner, and she was ready for it. Missy reached up with both hands to cup his face. She rose onto her knees in the seat, getting as close as she could. It wasn’t easy given the limitations of the sports car’s tight interior and the bucket seats, but she did her best.
She angled her head as Zane kissed her deeper. Missy couldn’t help the sound of satisfaction that escaped her.
He pulled back just far enough to break the kiss. Cupping her face, he let out a breath that echoed her own feelings of frustration. Of lust unfulfilled. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
Of course, he was right. The roof of the convertible was down and anyone driving up would see them. Besides that, the sports car was obviously not built with lovers in mind. It was pretty confining.
“Maybe we should go to a hotel?”
Zane shook his head. “No, we definitely should not, for many reasons. The biggest one being Senator Greenwood’s single daughter can’t be seen checking into a hotel with a man in the middle of the night.”
“Then I guess we’re going to have to do this right here.”
He cocked one brow. “No.”
“Why not?”
“For one, we’re both getting a bit old to be having sex in a parked car.”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures.” And she certainly was that, desperate to have this man after what felt like a lifetime of wanting him.
He smiled. “I love how you’re so easy.”
Insulted, Missy frowned. “Thanks.” Her sarcasm was clear in her tone.
Zane shook his head. “Relax. I meant easygoing.”
“Because I’m willing to have sex with you in your car?” She shouldn’t be insulted, she supposed.
Missy was not only willing, she was more than ready. Hell, he could suggest they go pretty much anywhere and if the end result was her finally getting what she’d always wanted, that being Zane, she’d be happy to go.
“Because you’ll trade in your designer clothes and bags for cargo pants and military surplus to go to Africa for three months while all your friends are probably going to the Caribbean. Because when I called much too late tonight and suggested we go for a drive without any explanation, you came with me anyway without question. And yes, because if I lose my mind completely and start to think it might actually be a good idea to have sex with you, you’d be all right with that.”
She didn’t like how he was talking rather than kissing her.
Judging by that kiss, he wanted her as much as she wanted him, but it felt as if he was talking himself out of doing anything about it. She wasn’t about to let that happen. Not when she was this close to having what she’d imagined and dreamed of for years.
“Zane.”
“Yes.”
“Kiss me.”
He didn’t, and that was her first indication there was definitely something wrong. He sighed and took her hand in his again. “We need to talk.”
Normally, she’d be happy he wanted to talk since Zane could be a man of few words, always keeping things close to the vest. But in this situation, talking was not a good thing.
She nodded anyway. “All right.”
Zane hesitated for so long, she began to fear whatever he had to say was really, really bad. Like I’m-sorry-I-kissed-you-since-I-have-a-wife-and-three-children kind of bad. Missy braced herself for the worst as he opened his mouth and drew in a breath.
“My father promised to invest a million dollars in the security company my teammates and I want to open, but only if I started dating you. I’m guessing your father’s bid for the presidency was too much for dear old dad to resist.”
As his confession spilled out in a tumble of words, she didn’t know which was worse. That he’d asked her out originally because his father was paying him to. Or that even for a million dollars, Zane couldn’t bring himself to continue doing it.
On top of that, she might just be the only female alive who Zane Alexander had taken parking and didn’t have sex with. How humiliating was that?
“Oh.” Missy bit her lip and pondered what to do. What to say. How to feel . . . besides sick to her stomach.
“Missy, listen to me. You have every right to hate me or at least be pretty damn angry. I called you because he wanted me to, but the more time I spent with you the more I liked you. That was the main reason why I walked away from this deal. I couldn’t live with myself. I don’t want to lie to you.”
“Because you like me.”
“Yes. A lot. Anyway, now you know. I’ll take you home.” Zane leaned back and turned to face forward in his seat.
“Wait. Before we go back, can I ask you something first?”
He rested one had on the steering wheel as he turned his head to look back at her. “Of course.”
“Why did you kiss me just now if you weren’t interested in me?”
Zane sent her a sideways glance and reached for the ignition. “I never said I wasn’t interested.”
Missy reached out and laid her hand
over his, pulling it into her lap. “Zane. Don’t take me home yet.”
His eyes narrowed as his gaze moved over her face. “Why not?”
“This is why not.” Missy tugged on his hand, pulling him closer. She reached up, grabbed his head and pressed her lips against his.
This time he didn’t stop. He didn’t pull away. He kissed her the way she’d always dreamed he would. He tangled his hands in her hair and angled his head, kissing her deeper, harder. His tongue stroking against hers set a rhythm that had her needing more of him. All of him.
“We should put the roof up,” he said between kisses.
Frustrated that she couldn’t get close enough to him as it was, Missy shook her head. The roof above her would only make things worse. “No. We should get out and lie on the grass where there’s more room.”
Zane let out a laugh and ran his hands down her arms. “God, you’re amazing. But it’s winter.”
“We’re in the south. It’s warm enough.”
“Not for what I want, it’s not.” He drew in a breath and reached for the buttons of her coat, unfastening one at a time. When it was open, he slid his hands beneath the coat and ran his palms over her. “It nearly killed me seeing you wearing this dress all day.”
She smiled. “You like it?”
“Yes.” He moved to press his lips against her ear. “Of course, I’d like to see it off you too.”
Missy couldn’t agree more. She’d spent many a summer day waiting by the pool for Zane to take off his shirt just so she could get a glimpse of his lean muscled body as he cut through the water with a perfect dive off the high board. Now that she finally had her hands on him, he was fully dressed. But where could they go if he wouldn’t take her to a hotel? Her head spun.
The answer hit her like a lightning bolt. “My boss.”
“What about your boss? And shit, I don’t even know what you do for a living.” Scowling, Zane shook his head as he pulled back farther.
The last thing Missy wanted was for Zane to think he didn’t know her well enough for them to be doing what she wanted them to do. “I’m the head of the fundraising department for the local children’s hospital, and Zane, stop. So what if we didn’t spend all day on small talk getting to know each other like a couple of strangers would have? We already know each other, and we were a little busy choosing underwear and weapons for my trip. Remember?”