by Patricia Kay
Things might not be perfect if Katie’s attitude toward Georgie was different, but at least then there’d be hope. Because right now this blackout or brownout, or whatever the heck it was, was the only hope Georgie had of ever again being alone with Zach.
Finally his call with the governor was over. “I can’t think of anyone else to call,” he said. “I’m afraid all we can do now is wait.”
“Too bad we don’t have a little TV that runs on batteries,” Georgie said, but she didn’t really want one there. She had everything she wanted right here in this office.
The candlelight cast shadows on his face, on the room, everywhere. Zach got up and stretched. He looked out the window again. “The only lights down there come from the cars. The streets must be a mess with the traffic lights out and freezing rain still falling.”
“How do you know it’s freezing?”
“It’s sticking to the window.” He turned to face her and leaned against the sill. “I’m really sorry about this, Georgie.”
“It’s not your fault. What I’m sorry about is that you’re stuck here with me.” She made a face. “If not for me, you’d be home by now.”
“There’s nobody I’d rather be stuck with than you.”
This was said so softly that at first Georgie wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly. When what he’d said sank in, she could feel her face heating. The good thing was, he couldn’t tell she was blushing in the candlelight.
Her heart skittered as he walked over to the sofa and sat beside her, leaving only a couple of inches between them.
“I don’t want you to leave next week, Georgie.” His voice felt like velvet in her ears.
Georgie swallowed. Slowly, she turned her head so that she could look at him. There was just enough light in the room for her to see his expression, and what she saw made her stupid heart thunder like a triphammer. “I—I don’t want to go, either.”
“Then why are you?”
She sighed deeply and looked away. “You know I have to, Zach.”
“Why? Because of what happened the other night?”
“Not just that,” she whispered.
“Then what?”
“Please, Zach…”
“Look at me, Georgie.”
“I…”
“Look at me.”
When she turned back to him, he pulled her into his arms. And just before his lips claimed hers, he muttered, “You have no idea how much I want you.”
Her last rational thought was, Yes, I do, because I want you the same way.
Afterward, she never remembered him removing her sweater or helping her take off the rest of her clothes or him shucking his with her help. What she did remember was how right his skin felt next to hers, and how perfectly their bodies fit each other.
The couch wasn’t long enough for them, but it didn’t seem to matter. Nothing mattered to Georgie but this man and this moment. It was as if they were inhabitants of another world: a world of soft candlelight and warm flesh, a world of shadows and wildly beating hearts, a world of undiscovered pleasure and untold passions.
Their first kisses were greedy, as if they couldn’t get enough of each other, as if they knew deep inside that this would be their only chance to seize what they both so desperately wanted.
Zach was a wonderful lover. He seemed to know instinctively just where to touch her, just where to place his lips, his tongue, his hands. When she moaned, he whispered, “Do you like that?”
“Oh, yes,” she said. “Yes.”
She loved hearing his swift intake of breath when she returned the favors, and hearing his response, she became bolder.
Several times he cried out, which made her bolder still.
Her skin felt on fire, and when he lifted her so that she was lying on top of him and she could feel the hard length of his body under hers, she opened her legs and guided him inside. She was wet and ready, and now it was her turn to gasp as he gripped her bottom with both hands and she felt him push deeper and deeper.
“Oh,” she said. “Oh.” Why had she not known it would be this way? How could she ever do without him now that she did know? She wanted to laugh out loud, to cry and shout. This…this was everything.
Fully inside her now, he began to move, slowly at first, in and out, and she moved with him. His hands on her bottom felt hot. She loved that. She could stay joined like this forever.
Her orgasm began quickly, too quickly. Yet she wouldn’t have stopped it if she could, because her body was out of her control now. Her body was his, and he could do with it what he wanted.
She cried out as the first waves began, and he clasped her more firmly and drove faster and harder, so that her pleasure became even more intense. Was there anything more wonderful than this? she thought as the pleasure went on and on. Then, after one more mighty thrust, his body shuddered violently and she felt his life force erupt inside.
Zach. The thought was a prayer. A poem. Her only reality.
He finally stilled, and with their hearts still beating madly, he rolled her over and fit his body to hers, her back to his front. He held her close so she wouldn’t fall off the sofa, one hand cupping her left breast, the other delving until it found the spot that still craved his touch. Gently, he stroked, and she could feel his smile against her cheek as her body arched once more.
“You’re everything I thought you’d be, Georgie,” he whispered. “Beautiful and passionate and perfect.”
But she couldn’t answer, for she was cresting once again.
Ten minutes later, the lights blazed on.
Georgie, whose eyes had been closed, jumped and would have fallen off the couch if he hadn’t held on. Hurriedly, averting her gaze from his, she grabbed her clothes and put on her sweater. Her eyes kept darting to the window, and Zach knew she was embarrassed and afraid that someone could see in. He doubted it, but the faster they got dressed, the better, because he was afraid that new security guard would come up to check on them if they didn’t hightail it down there quickly.
Georgie managed to get her skirt on, and still without looking at Zach she said, “I’m going into the restroom to dress.”
And before he could help her gather up her things, she’d scooped up her undies, limped over to where her crutches were and hobbled out of the office.
“Dammit,” he said. He got dressed quickly, not even caring if someone did see him. They wouldn’t know who he was. Besides, he wasn’t ashamed of what he and Georgie had done. He was proud. He was happy. He loved her, and now he knew she felt the same way, even though she hadn’t said so. “Somehow we’re going to work this out,” he muttered.
After grabbing his cell phone, scarf and gloves, he walked out into the hall. Georgie was just coming out of the restroom.
“Can you get my coat and things for me?” she said.
“Sure.” After retrieving them from her office, he helped her into her coat, his hand lingering against her cheek.
For one moment, she leaned into his hand. Then she straightened and said briskly, “We’d better go. Your family will expect you soon.”
“Don’t you think we need to talk?” Surely things had changed. Surely she wasn’t going to go back to not speaking to him.
She sighed, turned to look at him. In her eyes he saw something that made him wary. “Zach,” she said, her voice resigned. “There’s really nothing to talk about, because nothing has changed.”
“What do you mean? Everything has changed.”
“Why? Just because we…had sex?”
He stiffened. “Is that what you think? That we just had sex?”
“Well, didn’t we?”
“We made love, Georgie, and you know it.”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter what you call it. Nothing has changed. We’re still from two different worlds. This is where you belong, Zach, and I don’t. Just ask Katie. She’ll tell you.”
And for the second time in a week, she turned and walked away from him. But this time,
she was taking his heart with her.
Chapter Fifteen
Ten days later…
Zach knew the kids were looking at him. He also knew they were bewildered by his behavior. He wished they were old enough to understand his plight, because he was exhausted by the effort of trying to pretend nothing was wrong, and tonight he simply wasn’t able to pretend anymore.
Earlier today he’d cried on Sabrina’s shoulder. Not literally, of course. Grown men didn’t cry, did they? They sucked it up. Hang tough. Wasn’t that what his dad always said? Sabrina could cry. Zach had to hang tough.
“Dad?” Jeremy said. “Wanna watch Shrek 2 with us?”
“I don’t think so, Jeremy. You guys go on, though.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Katie frown.
“I wanna watch Cinderella,” Emma said, already beginning to pout.
“You always want to watch Cinderella,” Jeremy said. He kicked the leg of the chair where Emma was sitting and stuck out his tongue. “I’m watching Shrek 2!”
“Daddy!” Emma shouted.
“Jeremy, stop that,” Zach said. He couldn’t even muster up enough energy to make it sound like he meant it. Ignoring Jeremy’s cries of “You always yell at me and not her. I hate her,” he left the kids to settle their squabble by themselves and headed into the kitchen, where he opened the refrigerator and stared inside.
“Mr. Prince?”
Zach turned to see Fanny standing in the doorway.
“Can I get you something?” she asked.
‘Thanks, Fanny. I’m not really hungry.” He shut the door and, feeling like a fool, said, “I’m going into my study for a while. Will you keep an eye on those kids?” He could still hear Jeremy and Emma arguing.
“Of course.”
She didn’t add, “Don’t I always?” but Zach knew that that’s what she was thinking. She was probably also thinking he was crazy. Well, maybe he was. Ever since Georgie left for Seattle the day after the brownout, he’d felt as if his world had once again fallen apart.
Why? Why had she gone? Why had she given herself to him so freely, so joyfully even, then disappeared from his life as if she’d never been there at all? She hadn’t even called him to say goodbye, just sent a text saying she was sorry, but she was going home.
For the hundredth time, maybe the thousandth time, he told himself that there wasn’t anything else he could have done to stop her. Georgie had been right about one thing: His life was here, in this apartment, in this city, with his children. Even if Katie should miraculously come around and be fine with him marrying again, his life would still be here. He was committed. And he guessed, from what Georgie said, that she couldn’t see herself sharing that commitment.
She doesn’t love you. Get over it.
But could he? That was the big question. Could he?
Would she ever forget him?
Would she ever see a tall, dark-haired man and not immediately think of Zach? Would she ever see deep blue eyes or a gorgeous smile and not feel as if someone had knocked the air out of her?
She stared out of the front window of her condo. It was raining, the soft, light rain that was so common to Seattle in March. Soon the flowers would be in bloom, but Georgie doubted she’d be here to see them. Alex had promised her a new assignment in the field, and she expected to be leaving soon. Even that didn’t excite her much, certainly not the way it would have in the past.
She’d been back home now for more than a week, and nothing excited her, nothing made her happy. She couldn’t sleep. She had no interest in eating. She’d lost eight pounds she didn’t need to lose. Even gazing at her beloved Puget Sound didn’t soothe her the way it always had.
Why? she thought. Why did I have to fall in love with a man I can’t have? And what am I going to do now?
“I’m worried about Georgie,” Cornelia told Harry. “She seems so unhappy, but when I ask her what’s wrong, she says ‘nothing.’”
Harry shrugged. “Maybe it’s her time of the month.”
“Oh, Harry, for heaven’s sake. I thought you were smarter than that!” Cornelia didn’t want to laugh, but she couldn’t help it, so she punched his arm in retaliation for the clueless remark.
“What did I say?” He rubbed his arm as if she’d actually hurt him, which she knew she hadn’t, because the so-called punch had been a love tap. “Corny, you know I don’t understand anything about women. Aren’t you always telling me that? I didn’t have daughters, I had sons.”
“I know,” she said, sighing. “I’m just frustrated, because I know what’s wrong with Georgie. I just don’t know how to help her.”
“Well if you know, will you please tell me?”
Cornelia rolled her eyes. “She’s in love, and something went wrong.” When Harry stared at her, she decided she should confess what she’d known since their trip to New York.
“Well, I’ll be darned,” Harry said when she’d finished. “Zach Prince. And I didn’t suspect a thing.”
“I guess you’re not such a great matchmaker, after all,” Cornelia said, laughing again. She seemed to laugh a lot nowadays.
“You talk too much,” Harry said, reaching for her. “But I know how to stop you.”
After that, they didn’t talk at all.
“Dad, can I talk to you?”
Zach looked up from his laptop. Katie stood in the doorway of the study. He forced himself to sound enthusiastic, even though he didn’t feel like talking to anyone. “Sure, honey. Come on in.” He knew she was still waiting on an answer about riding lessons, because she’d mentioned it again yesterday. Oh, hell. He’d let her take lessons. At least she’d be happy then.
Giving him a hesitant smile, Katie sat in one of two leather chairs in the room.
Zach’s heart caught as he really looked at his daughter, maybe for the first time in weeks. She was fast approaching her eleventh birthday, and she was changing. Right now she looked more like her mother than ever before. Katie would be a beautiful woman someday.
“Dad,” she said again, then stopped and seemed to be searching for how to say what she wanted.
“Let me make it easy for you,” he said, smiling at her, his first genuine smile in days. “I’ve decided you can take riding lessons.”
“That…that would be great, Dad, but that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. I—I wanted to ask you—” she swallowed “—why you’re so sad all the time.”
“I’m not sad—” Zach stopped. Don’t lie to her. “It’s complicated, honey. It…it’s a grownup thing.” Coward.
Katie nodded, her dark eyes pensive. Just as Zach started to say something else, she spoke again. “I called Aunt Sabrina.”
“Did you?”
“Uh-huh. A while ago. When you came in here.”
Zach waited, still unsure of where this conversation was going.
“Aunt Sabrina said you’re sad because Miss Fairchild went home. I—I didn’t know she went home.” This last was said in a rush. She swallowed again. “Why did she leave? Didn’t she like it here?”
Zach shrugged. “I don’t know why she left, honey.” That wasn’t a lie. He didn’t know.
For a very long moment, Katie seemed to be considering. Then she blurted out, “Was it me? She didn’t like me, did she? ’Cause I was rude to her.”
“Ah, Katie, it wasn’t you. It was…it was a lot of things. I told you, it’s complicated.”
“But, Dad, I thought…you liked her a lot, didn’t you?”
He nodded. “Yes. I did.”
“I—I think I could like her, too. She…she was really nice to me…and we talked one time. Her dad died when she was a kid, did you know that?”
“Yes, sweetheart, I did know that,” Zach said around the lump in his throat. He didn’t think he could ever love his daughter more than he did at this moment.
“Then…if you told her that I…could like her…maybe she’d come back.” Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t want you to be sa
d anymore.”
Zach got up and went over to her. A moment later, he was sitting in her chair and holding her in his arms, the same way he had when she was little. She clung to him, and he kissed the top of her head and thought how lucky he was to have a daughter like Katie.
“So what are you going to do?” Sabrina asked.
It was the next day, and Zach had asked her to have lunch with him. “What I want to do is go out to Seattle and haul her back here. The problem is, I’m not sure she’d come.”
“You’ll never know until you ask, will you?”
Georgie knew she had to snap out of this funk.
Today was her mother’s birthday, and Harry was throwing an enormous party for her. All Harry’s sons and their wives and children and stepchildren, all of Georgie’s sisters and their beloveds and assorted children or children-to-be, all of Cornelia’s and Harry’s oldest friends, Joanna and Chick, neighbors from the old days and new days, and as many of the old gang from the early days of HuntCom as Harry could round up—all would be there.
Everyone there would be with someone.
Except Georgie.
She’d be alone, surrounded by happy couples and evidence of people in love. Even her mother had a love life!
Georgie now knew that all her earlier ideas about why she couldn’t have a life with Zach were ridiculous. Her mother had been right from the beginning. She’d actually had a brilliant idea when she’d suggested Georgie might apply for the job as Zach’s assistant. But even that was too late. Alex had told her yesterday he had someone in mind for the job but was waiting to see if his idea would work out before he officially announced it.
Georgie hadn’t said anything. What was there to say?
She sighed heavily. She guessed she should take her shower and get ready for the party. Frankie had said she and Eli would swing by in a couple of hours and pick her up. Padding barefoot into her bedroom—Georgie rarely wore shoes at home, and thank goodness her ankle was back to normal now—she opened her closet. What should she wear?