When she opened her eyes, she saw Zach reclined on his elbows looking up at her. “You’re beautiful.”
“Please don’t ruin the moment.”
“You said we should talk about what’s going on between us.” He lay back on the rock and tucked his folded hands under his head.
“Nothing is going on between us. It was a mistake,” she said smoothly. “Just a mistake. They happen.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Yes it is.” She lay back against the rock and watched the breeze rustle the leaves on the trees. She folded her hands and rested them on her stomach.
“So, why is it that you won’t see me?” he asked.
“I thought we were done talking about it.”
“No, you were. I’m not.” He was smiling with his eyes closed.
“I won’t see you socially because that’s not professional. Things happen when the assistant falls in love with the boss.”
“I see. Does that mean I should fire you?”
“I’m not attracted to you that way.” She hoped she was convincing.
“I don’t believe you.” He reached for piece of her hair and curled it around his finger.
Regan leaned up on her elbow and looked down at him. “Is this really important? Do you really want to see me socially? Romantically?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I thought I made it clear.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Stop that!” Her heart was racing and her palms had grown damp. She pushed her hair back as she sat up and cradled her knees to her chest. This was the end. No matter what it led to, it was the end, not a beginning. If she saw him socially, she had to find a new job. If she refused to see him, their work relationship would be strained and she’d have to find a new job anyway. It was a no-win situation—for her—and she was going to lose everything again.
“Regan.” He sat up next to her. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since you fell onto my lap. I look at it like a sign from above.”
“No. It was a horrible day.” She shook her head and angled her body away from him.
“Maybe.” He reached his arm behind her and moved his body in closer to her as if to move into her territory. He lowered his head until his breath was in her ear. “I know you’re involved with other men.”
“Other men?” She pulled away and saw dark sadness in his eyes. The fear that he knew what she’d been through stabbed at her. What if he was the kind of man who held that against the woman and thought the man was justified in how he acted? Did he think she was still involved with the man she’d worked for before him? That she was so weak she would hold on to anyone? “What other men?”
“Dr. Curtis,” he said holding up one finger. “And then there was the man who met you at your door.” He held up another finger.
The tension released in her shoulders, and her breathing returned to normal. She had to smile, and the fear that he was some pompous control freak slid away, leaving her with her urge to laugh. “Mr. Benson, you are very observant. And you certainly have been spending a lot of time thinking about the other men in my life.”
“I can’t help it.” He raised his hand to her face and caressed her cheek. His blue eyes sank into hers and held her. “Regan, you’re all I think about. I want to be with you. I want to get to know you on a personal level, and I want you to want that too. Tell me why you’re so guarded.”
She turned her head and looked down at the water that rippled beneath them like the emotions that shifted inside of her. The job in Zach’s office was supposed to be a fresh start and end the pain she’d endured. It wasn’t supposed to be a vivid reminder. “No. I won’t talk about it. If you want to see me socially, you have to fire me.”
“If I did that, would you go on a date with me?”
“No.” She was sharp with her answer. She turned and gathered her skirt, ready to climb from the boulder.
He let out a long breath. “You’re not helping.”
She turned back to him. “If you fired me, I’d be too mad to date you.”
“Then you’re just going to have to quit,” he said before he crushed his mouth to hers.
Regan gasped as his tongue found hers. Her chest pounded and her head spun as he laid her back on the rock. It was happening again. She was letting a powerful and handsome man manipulate her.
No, that wasn’t true. His hand skimmed her side and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him atop of her. She tunneled her fingers through his hair, wanting to be here with him, wanting to open up to him. She was letting him win her over and it felt so good.
His fingers grazed her shoulder before he tangled them into her hair and deepened the kiss. She was falling, her heart was tumbling, and there was nothing she could do about it. She’d wanted Zachary Benson since she’d fallen onto this lap. Even as he pressed against her and she pulled him even closer, she knew she was making a mistake again. She was losing the battle against herself.
Zach moved his kisses from her mouth down her throat as she ran her fingers down his back. Her breath had quickened, and she sighed as he returned to her mouth.
Regan’s mouth was as hungry as his. She could make love to him right on the boulder in the creek. She wanted to touch him and have him touch her. His arms were encircling her, drawing her in, and she pressed closer. God, she craved him. She slid her tongue up the side of his neck and moaned at his salty masculine taste.
He took a sharp breath and drew back, resting his brow against hers. His entire body tensed against hers as though he fought for control and her emotions raged between gratefulness and regret.
“We’d better stop before we can’t,” he said as he moved off of her, but kept his arm draped over her possessively. “Thank God you came to your senses.”
Her body stiffened. She wanted to accept her new feelings, but the old ones were too raw. “I don’t think that’s what happened. I think I lost all good sense.”
“Fine with me.” He kissed her again, gently this time. “We should get back to the house. My mother has a keen sense when there’s hanky panky being made on this rock.”
She turned her head and shot him a glance. “I don’t want to know.” She was too worried the name Simone Pierpont might sneak into the conversation again, and she didn’t think she could handle that.
“No, you don’t.” He smiled and sat up, looking down at her. “This isn’t a one-time thing, Regan. I want you to be mine. Exclusively mine.”
Every muscle in her body stiffened, and she sat up. “Like your possession.”
“No, like my partner.” He turned and cupped her chin with his hands. “A partner whom I care deeply for, and one who cares for me back. Regan, I don’t want to run your life or ruin it. Damn the man who must have done that to you.” His voice rose slightly, and anger shook it. He dropped his hands.
Tears welled in her eyes. As they fell, he brushed them from her cheeks and kissed her where the wet trail ended.
“Regan, I don’t want to hurt you. But I don’t want to share you either.”
“Share me?”
“A woman who is as beautiful, compassionate, and smart as you always will have men who want her.”
Regan’s jaw tightened. “I’m not someone who passes herself around.”
“I’m not saying this well, then. The other men in your life—please tell me the other men aren’t important.”
She lifted her eyes to him. “The other men are important to me, and if you’ll have dinner with me tomorrow I’ll show you why.”
“Tell me now.” He moved in closer to her. His eyes had grown dark, but not in anger this time, she knew. They spoke silently of his sincerity and concern.
“No. I have to show you.”
“Okay.” He scooted off the boulder and stood in the creek with his hand out to help her down. “Can I at least say it’s a date?”
Regan swallowed the bitter taste of panic and took his hand. “It’s a date,” she said. But the vile feeli
ng of regret filled her core and spoiled the moment. She’d let herself care for Zach Benson, knowing he could grow to hate her and control her, and if she managed to stay alive, she’d hate herself too.
Chapter six
Regan wanted nothing more than to fall into bed after she returned from the Bensons’ house. She’d run the gamut of every emotion she’d ever had, and it had drained her. Lunch had turned into dinner and another walk through the roses. She wondered if Audrey would notice the one missing bloom Zach had cut for her and tucked behind her ear as he kissed her in the moonlit rose garden.
Carlos had waited up for her. He smiled when he saw her walk through the door with a smile on her lips and the rose tucked behind her ear.
“He caught you.”
“Yes he did.” She managed to beam through the tangle of fear that still penetrated her.
“You’ll be okay.” He kissed her cheek.
“It’ll be different,” she said as a warning and a promise to herself.
The next evening Zach arrived at exactly at six as she’d asked him to. She sat waiting on the steps as he pulled to the curb.
He climbed from the car and walked up the front steps. “I would have come all the way to the door.” He slid his arms around her waist.
“I know, but I wanted to watch for you.” She loosened the tie around his neck and pulled it off. “You might be a little overdressed.”
“I see that.” His eyes scanned over her.
She’d dressed casually in a sundress and sandals, and she wondered what he’d thought she meant by dinner out when he’d dressed as he did every day for the office.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. It felt so right when she tilted her head to kiss him. “Tomorrow is going to be very strange.”
“No. I said this wouldn’t get in our way. I’m taking another woman to lunch tomorrow. Hot dogs, on my blanket, under the tree.” Her entire body tensed, and he held her closer. “No one but you, Regan. I promise.”
There wasn’t much more she could say. She only nodded, wanting the fear of rejection that riddled her to disappear, knowing it wouldn’t.
“And…” He lifted her chin with his finger. “If I find your letter of resignation on my desk tomorrow, I’ll know you’ve fallen head over heels in love with me.”
She stepped back and picked up her purse and a canvas bag from the step. “We’d better get going.”
Zach took the canvas bag from her. “Where are we going?”
“My surprise. Let’s see how you do.” She grabbed his hand and walked toward his car.
They drove only twenty minutes out of Nashville, and Zach shook his head as they drove slowly down the street as kids played ball and rode bikes. “Why do I have a strange feeling you’re not taking me to a restaurant?”
“You’re just observant. Okay, it’s the second one on the right. The one with the flag hanging on the side.”
He pulled to the curb and put the car in park. Regan already had the door open, and a dark-haired girl ran toward her.
“Aunt Regan!” She wrapped her arms around her.
“Clara, you saw me three days ago. Why are you so happy now?”
“I love to see you. Mommy says you are one of the nicest people she knows.” Clara smiled as she passed along the compliment.
“You know what? I really like your mommy too. When you go home, you tell her I say hello.” Clara smiled with a nod as Regan turned to wait for Zach.
He walked slowly to the sidewalk. “You’ve brought me home to meet your family.”
There was a grin on his face that said he was reading too much into the evening already. Her family was very gracious when it came to guests, but Regan feared she might be throwing him in the lion’s den.
Regan tucked her lips between her teeth to keep in her smile. “Would you have come if I’d told you?”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Here.” She pulled a bottle of wine from her canvas bag and handed it to him. “You’ll score points with this. It’s my mother’s favorite.”
“I would have brought one of my own if I’d known I was coming.”
She took his hand in hers and wrapped her other arm around her niece’s shoulders as they started toward the house.
Emily Keller opened the door as they walked up the steps. Reading glasses adorned her cap of white hair, and her wide body was covered by a cherry print apron.
The chaos in the house moved from the door as her mother scattered everyone away. When she’d called and mentioned she was bringing a friend, her mother hadn’t asked whom, but Regan knew she’d be waiting to meet a man.
“Hello, Mama.” Regan kissed her mother as Clara slid through the door.
“My baby.” She cupped her face and smiled at her as though it had been months since she’d seen her instead of only a week. Her mother looked past her, her hands still on her face. “Who is your friend?”
“Mama, this is Zachary Benson. Zach, my mother, Emily Keller.”
“Mrs. Keller, it is an honor to meet you.” He handed her the bottle of wine that she’d given him. “This is for you. I’ve been told it’s your favorite.”
“Oh, it is. Thank you. This will go wonderfully with dinner. Please, come in.” She stepped back and they walked through the door.
The house smelled of fried chicken, and sounds of a baseball game on television roared from the other room.
“Come.” Emily took his arm. “Alan, get up,” she whispered loudly, and Regan’s father stood from his recliner. “This is Regan’s friend Zach.”
Her father did a slow scan over Zach, and it made Regan nervous. Her family wasn’t the kind to immediately judge, but she saw it in her father’s eyes. She knew he wasn’t so sure that a man in a nice pressed shirt and perfectly pleated slacks was what his daughter needed, again. His expression relaxed, and so did Regan. He extended his hand to Zach. “Nice to meet you. Alan Keller.”
“Thank you, sir. This is a lovely home you have,” he complimented them both.
“You like baseball?” Alan ushered Zach to the couch where Regan’s nephews sat comatose watching the television.
“Yes.”
“Good. Yankees are winning.” He nudged the boys. “Hey, we have company, say hello.”
“Hi!” they said in unison without looking away from the game.
“These two boobs are my grandsons. Eduardo and Christian. Sit.” He offered the seat. “Would you like a beer?”
“That would be great.” He looked up and Regan smiled at him.
“I’ll get it.” She winked at him, relieved that he’d met her parents and was still looking at her with calm eyes. She walked with her mother to the kitchen.
“So this is your new man?” her mother asked in a hushed tone.
“Mama…”
“No. Carlos told me you’ve had eyes for someone, and I knew there was something going on in that brain of yours.”
“You read me like a book.” She kissed her mother on the cheek and then stooped into the refrigerator for a beer. “We’ve really only decided to see each other. It’s been complicated.”
“You’ve known him for a long time?” Emily took out the salad tongs and tossed the tomatoes into the lettuce.
“No, only a month.”
“Long enough. I only knew your father one month before we were married.” Her German accent sometimes mixed with her southern one. It made her very special. “Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Let’s hope those boys get here by then.”
Regan walked back to the living room with Zach’s beer.
He stood when she entered the room. His proper manners would have allowed him no differently, she knew. She saw her father’s eyes divert from the TV and watch Zach’s movements. She caught the nod as he turned his attention back to the game.
“Dinner in ten minutes,” she said, handing him the bottle. Her fingers lingered on his.
“I can’t wait.” His thumb stroked her hand and it sent heat through he
r body.
“Aunt Regan, you’re in the way!” Christian complained. Regan reached over to pull the Tennessee Titans cap from his head, and messed up his hair. He twisted the cap back on. “C’mon, the game is on.”
“You are so like your father,” she said adoringly to the ten-year-old who tried to see around her.
“No, he’s just a dweeb,” Eduardo, said and Regan laughed. His twelve years seemed much more mature until he said things like that.
The front door flew open and the noise of others filled the room. Regan gave Zach a pat on the arm and then left him to hang out with her nephews while she went to greet the others who walked in.
When she saw her sister walk through the door, she screamed aloud and immediately she pulled her into her arms.
“I didn’t know you were coming,” she squealed.
“Surprise!” Arianna Keller laughed as their mother ran from the kitchen and her father stood from his chair.
Emily wrapped her arms around her daughter and began to sob.
“Mama, don’t cry,” Arianna said.
“I’m so happy to see you.”
“I only have time for dinner. I leave in the morning, but I wanted to be here and share my news.”
“What news?” Alan scooped up his daughter and kissed her on the forehead.
“I was hoping to do this over champagne, but”—she threw her arms into the air—“I made it onto Broadway!”
Zach stayed back. Their voices were clear, but the wall and crowd of people blocked his view. He smiled. As an only child, he’d never seen siblings offer such exuberant love and compassion that they surrounded a person. They all were as thrilled with Arianna’s news as she was with herself. Perhaps he had that with Simone… perhaps. He wasn’t involved in their exchange, but his body warmed as he listened to them all.
“Come on. Dinner is ready, and Regan brought a friend.” Their mother walked Arianna toward Zach.
“Well, she did good.” Arianna winked at Regan when she saw him standing beyond the crowd. “Arianna Keller.” She stuck her hand straight out and met Zach’s.
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