by Ryanne Corey
Anna ended up buying thirteen very bruised apples in the wake of her juggling lesson. The rest of their purchases were heavy on calories, cholesterol and preservatives and light on nutrition. They also bought a couple of frozen pizzas at Zack’s request. Cops loved pizza, he told Anna. That, and a whole lot of coffee. They had a reputation for eating only donuts, but although donuts had their revered place in a cop’s life, a little variety was necessary.
Anna tried to reconcile the Zack she knew with the Zack who dealt with the darker side of humanity each and every day. She’d had a taste of that as a child, enough to give her some idea of what he faced in the course of his work. He’d seen the worst of people in the worst of circumstances, yet nothing seemed to have dulled his appetite for life with all its infinite adventures. She watched him as they strolled out to the parking lot, his black hair beating softly in the wind, powerful shoulders stretching the soft fabric of his pale-blue shirt, narrow hips rolling with a lazy, catlike grace. The sun caught the smoothness of his skin and the hard curve of his jaw, polishing his dark California tan. And his smile, that teasing, “anything goes” smile was perpetually rearranging the pattern of Anna’s heartbeat. Even carrying two bags of groceries, the man did not look domestic. Rather, he looked like something out of a wonderful dream she might have had, a fantasy too bright, too charming, too perfect to exist amongst the ordinary realities of life.
He looked like a hero. And for the moment, her hero.
The stronger her attraction to him, the more she reminded herself to keep an eye on her heart. There was a huge gap between Anna Smith and Zack Daniels. She was a woman who couldn’t wait to go home at night. He was a man who couldn’t bear to tear himself away from work. She adored her security, he craved a challenge. The very things Anna had escaped from so long ago Zack willingly dealt with day after day. For the moment he could visit her world, but she knew without a doubt he could never thrive in it.
It was a good thing for her to remember.
“We could have done this in my car,” Zack told her, setting the groceries in the back of the Jeep. “It has plenty of room behind the front seats.”
“At least enough room for the tortilla shells,” she replied wryly. “Besides, it probably takes more gasoline to start that nuclear-powered engine than it does for my car to drive to the east coast and back. It can’t be economical.”
Zack cleared his throat, avoiding her eyes. “Are you big on economy?”
“I’m big on reality. When you’re a kindergarten teacher for Head Start, you have to accept an unimpressive salary in exchange for personal satisfaction. I don’t really mind. I get along fine if I’m careful. But it’s second nature to count pennies.” A pause, then curiously, “Isn’t it the same for you? Cops are right up there with teachers on the underpaid scale, aren’t they? Especially when you consider you’re out there risking your life every day.”
Zack didn’t want to risk their newfound closeness by telling her it would be damn near impossible to count all the pennies he had. Neither did he want to lie to her. He decided to change the subject.
He grinned, spinning neatly on his heel and deftly backing her against the driver’s door. His legs trapped hers on either side, his hands resting on the rag top of the Jeep above her head. “Guess what? I can think of more entertaining things to do besides talk about my salary. Let’s play a game.”
“Of course you want to play a game. And just what kind—”
That was all she had time to say before his mouth swooped over hers. It was fast, hard and instantly heated. They kissed beneath a cloudless sky, Zack’s mouth moving hungrily over hers like a starving man. The kiss uncovered so much so quickly—the passion and curiosity that had been building between them since the first moment they met. There were people around, cars pulling in and out of the parking lot, seagulls shrieking low in the air, but they all belonged to a different world. Anna and Zack pressed hard together in their own universe, her hands clinging to his shoulders with sudden, fierce strength. His mouth tasted like sunshine, bright and warm and fresh as summer dew. Anna hadn’t realized how very much she was craving his touch again.
Graphic and uncontrolled, the wanting spilled inside of her like a shower of white-hot sparks. The sun poured down yellow and gold, hot on their hair, their skin. Anna gasped against his mouth as his hands pulled her against him, into the sweet cradle of his hips. She fitted against him so beautifully, as if he was the puzzle piece that had been missing from her life so long.
A horn honked in the parking lot, then another. Zack pulled away gently, his breathing coming in hard catches, his eyes dark and deep. “We’re attracting attention. I don’t know if I care.”
Anna leaned weakly against the Jeep for balance. It was hard to come up with something intelligent to say when heartbeats were rippling into her throat and her mind was numb. The door he had opened for her back in Appleton’s General Store would not close. “What was the name of this game, anyway?”
“Have you heard of the game called Sorry?”
“Yes…”
“Well, that wasn’t it.”
“I see.” There was a shaky thread of laughter in her voice. Washed with sunlight, Zack was bold, charming and dramatic, with a lilting humor in his gray eyes. In some distant part of her mind, she knew she was falling deeper into a situation she wasn’t capable of controlling or even understanding. She knew, and in that moment, she didn’t care. The level of simple happiness she felt was intoxicating.
In a parking lot, of all places.
“I was just practicing for when we see Dr. Doolittle again,” Zack explained meekly.
“I’m sure.” She tried to scowl at him, but it was impossible. Instead she broke out in laughter and punched him lightly in the arm. “Come on, Mr. Romantic Policeman. We wouldn’t want our ice-cream sandwiches to melt. Or the Popsicles, or the—”
“I get the point,” Zack said. “We must discuss your priorities one day.”
When they returned home, a surprise awaited.
Carrie had returned, her car parked at the curb in front of the house. She sat on the porch swing with her arms wrapped around her chest, a small suitcase at her feet.
“Oh-oh,” Zack drawled. “Methinks we have a crisis.”
“That damn Kyle,” Anna muttered, shoving open the door. “What has he done now?”
Once inside the house, the three of them shared the sofa while Carrie made short work of her explanation. “I left him,” she said flatly, dabbing at her swollen eyes with a tissue Anna had given her. “We had an argument and I left him. It wasn’t until I’d walked out of his house that I realized I had nowhere to go. I gave up my apartment when I moved in with him last month. Anna, I’m so sorry to barge in on you like this, but I don’t know where else to go.”
“I’m glad you came here,” Anna reassured her. “I’m happy you felt you could.”
“It’s such an imposition. I’m interrupting your time with Zack—”
“Not at all,” Zack said cheerfully. “Believe me, you’re not an imposition. Now, if Kyle had showed up here, that would have been another—”
“Zack.” Anna narrowed her eyes at him, effectively cutting short his tirade. Then she turned to Anna. “What was the argument about?”
“You,” Carrie said in a small, forlorn voice.
Zack and Anna exchanged wide-eyed looks. “About me?” Anna squeaked. “What about me?”
“Anna, I’m not blind. I knew Kyle was getting really nervous about the wedding. He’s gone so long being a foot-loose bachelor that he’s seizing on any excuse to change his mind. Since his best friend also happens to be incredibly beautiful, he distracted himself with fantasies about you. After Zack kissed you today in front of us, Kyle went ballistic. I couldn’t pretend it didn’t matter. Not any longer.”
Anna colored hotly. “Carrie, I have never—”
“Oh, I know you’ve never thought of him as anything but a friend,” Carrie said, waving her tissue di
smissively in the air. “I’m not blaming you one bit. It’s just that I thought he would get over this, but it’s not happening. It hurts too much to put up with it, Anna. If the man is too stupid to realize what really matters to him, I’m gone.”
“I’m so sorry,” Anna said miserably. “I don’t know what else to say. Men are idiots.”
“Ahem,” Zack said, feeling it necessary to remind them that not all men were idiots. “Let’s stop criticizing men and just concentrate on criticizing Kyle, okay? You deserve better, Carrie. Maybe now you’re gone, he’ll figure out what his priorities are. Would you like me to go over to his house and beat him up?” Then, when Anna’s eyes shot daggers at him: “I was just trying to be helpful, honey.”
Carrie shrugged, blowing her nose loudly. “Nothing will help. It’s over. You know, in a way I’m so glad you and Zack are together. It makes this a little easier, if such a thing is possible.”
“Well…good,” Anna said lamely. Her guilt was doubling and redoubling. Now she was not only responsible for Carrie’s heartbreak, albeit indirectly, but she was also lying to her. Oh, what a tangled web we weave…
“Anna, if I can just stay for a few days until I find an apartment—”
“Of course you can,” Anna told her gently. “As long as you want.”
Carrie briefly hugged her friend, tears overflowing once again. “I miss him already. Love is a horrible thing. Horrible.”
Zack sighed heavily, shaking his head. “I knew he was a jerk the first time I saw him.”
“He’s not a jerk,” Carrie sniffed. “I love him.”
She was being, Zack thought with confusion, somewhat schizophrenic. How could a woman hate and love, both at the same time? “All right,” he said helplessly. “Whatever you say.”
Carrie managed to give Zack a watery smile. “I’m sorry. It’s just…this is hard. I’m so mixed up. Anna, you and Zack won’t even know I’m here. I’ll take the bedroom farthest down the hall from yours. I leave pretty early in the morning, so you two can sleep in. When you get up, I’ll be gone.”
Silence. With an inward jolt, Anna realized she was trapped. Carrie expected her to be spending the nights with Zack. In her room. Together. She looked at Zack and Zack looked at her, shrugging helplessly. Still, he didn’t look unhappy. On the contrary, his eyes had a brand-new, “Boy, oh boy,” sparkle.
“Just don’t worry about a thing, Carrie,” Anna managed. “We’ll love having you.”
“Absolutely,” Zack seconded. “And like you said, Carrie, our room is way down the other end of the hall from yours. We’ll have all the privacy we want in our room. Isn’t that right, Anna? Our room is pretty secluded.”
Anna barely suppressed the urge to throw something at him. With teeth grinding, she said, “Whatever you say, Zack.”
Zack beamed at Carrie. “See? This situation is going to have a harmonious outcome, I just know it.”
Anna’s home was beginning to feel like a bed-and-breakfast inn. As they were finishing their dinner that evening, there was a heavy pounding on the front door, combined with the simultaneous ringing of the doorbell.
“Kyle,” Carrie said immediately, looking panicked. “I’d know that knock anywhere.”
“Not to worry, ladies.” Zack pushed his chair back from the table, a bright light of anticipation gleaming in his eyes. “I can handle this with no problem. I’m very experienced when it comes to domestic disturbances.”
A few moments later Kyle trailed Zack into the kitchen.
“He won’t go away,” Zack explained, shrugging his broad shoulders. “Being on my best behavior, as I promised, I thought I’d better ask Carrie before I throw him out. Carrie? Can I throw him out, please?”
Kyle gave no sign of even hearing Zack’s merry prattle. His complete attention was fixated on Carrie. “I want you to come home, Carrie,” he said quietly. “We can’t talk here.”
“I don’t have a home,” Carrie said, casually taking a sip of her water. “Tomorrow I’m looking for an apartment. Anna, this dinner is wonderful. You’ll have to give me the recipe for the salad.”
“Oh, for Pete’s sake.” Kyle glanced at Anna. “Tell her to listen to me. Help me out here.”
“This situation is your fault,” Anna replied coolly, forking a bit of lettuce. “It’s between you and Carrie.”
“I’m having the best time,” Zack put in happily. “There’s always so much going on here in Grayland Beach. This is a very entertaining place, every bit as fun as Los Angeles.”
“We need to talk, Carrie,” Kyle persisted stubbornly, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “You’re overreacting.”
For a moment, Carrie only stared at him. Then she went back to her food. “I didn’t overreact. I took off my blinders. Go away, Kyle.”
“What she said,” Zack put in.
“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Kyle said.
“You’re breathing,” Zack murmured, staring angelically at the ceiling as he rocked back and forth on his heels.
Kyle turned on him. “One more crack out of you—”
“Enough already!” Anna stood up, taking a fistful of Zack’s shirt and planting him firmly in his chair. “Kyle, it’s time for you to leave. Carrie isn’t ready to talk to you.”
“Why the hell aren’t you helping?” Kyle demanded. “Don’t you know what’s happening here? Everything has gone to hell! Why doesn’t anyone care about it but me?”
“Possibly,” Anna said tightly, “because it’s all your fault. Go home and think about that, Kyle. You have no right to be angry. None at all.”
“None at all,” Carrie echoed, lowering her lids so Kyle couldn’t see the tears misting in her eyes.
What was once a delicate situation had become a monumental snarl.
Like warriors facing off, Anna stood on one side of her bed and Zack on the other. They had just bidden Carrie good-night, then walked hand in hand down the hall to Anna’s room. “This is just for show,” Anna had whispered out of the side of her mouth. “It’s not real.”
“Of course,” Zack had replied angelically. Lately it seemed that his fairy godmother was working overtime, and he was most grateful. “Not to worry, sweet pea.”
Anna was now facing the fallout from her brilliant charade. There was one bed and two people. In this particular situation, two into one did not go.
No wonder “Thou shalt not lie” was one of the ten commandments. Lying got a person in terrible trouble.
“Don’t look like that,” Anna warned Zack. “Don’t you dare.”
“Look like what?”
“Like you’re enjoying all this.”
“I am enjoying all this,” Zack said defensively. Then he took a good look at her and decided to ease up. Poor Anna had that same look of panic she’d had just before she’d passed out on him in Appleton’s. “Anna, you’ve got to know by now that you can trust me. I would never take advantage of a situation like this.” Honesty compelled him to add: “I would want to, naturally. But I would manfully resist.”
Anna’s mind was going in ten directions at once. She wasn’t woman enough to admit that she, too, had thought about the intimate possibilities of their new sleeping arrangement. He might take that as an invitation, and she might not discourage him quite as fervently as she should…if at all. She knew she was intensely susceptible to his dark good looks and wayward charm. No woman with a pulse could be immune to him.
And here they were, standing with a bed between them and a long night to pass.
“I think I know how to deal with this,” Zack offered gently, when Anna went a full sixty seconds without so much as blinking. “You’re looking a little apprehensive, Anna. Like a little lamb who finds herself forced to share a bed with the big, bad wolf.”
“That’s absurd,” she muttered. But true.
“You’re worried I’ll try something?”
“Not at all.” Of course.
“Then what if I kiss you good-night and get it over with? That w
ill kind of defuse the situation, take the ‘what if’ out of it. Then we sleep. I’ll sleep with all my clothes on. I’d advise you to wear something, too, but that’s completely up to you.”
Anna chewed on her fingernail, studying him. His suggestion was ridiculous, but in a strange way it made sense. If they went ahead and took the guesswork out of the situation, the sensual tension just might dissipate. Just one kiss, then a good night’s sleep. In the morning, all her fears would have proven unfounded. They would be friends, pals, buddies again.
Ha.
“I’d never hurt you,” Zack told her quietly. He couldn’t think of a single reason why she should take his word for this, but hoped she would. For whatever reason, his physical needs came in second to her emotional needs. “What can I do to convince you of that?”
“You can still be my friend in the morning,” she whispered. “Just my friend. More than anything else, that’s what I want right now. I’m not ready for anything else, Zack. Part of me wishes I was, but I don’t think I am.”
His eyes darkened with something that was almost pain. “If that’s what you want from me, Anna, that’s what I’ll give you. Friendship.”
If she was honest with herself, Anna knew there was more she wanted from Zack. But not yet. Not tonight, when they were alone in her bedroom only because of accidental circumstances and one whopping lie.
“My hero,” she managed, an uncertain smile flirting with her lips. “Kiss me good-night, then.”
For an instant Zack was paralyzed. She trusted him. He desperately wanted to go beyond a simple kiss, so it wouldn’t be easy. Having someone’s trust put a whole new spin on things. It demanded something of him, something beyond his own desires.
It was a new feeling, but it wasn’t a bad feeling.
Afterward, he didn’t remember walking around the bed to her. He only knew that one moment he was far away, the next he was enfolding her in his arms with sweet gentleness. He couldn’t pause to talk or even smile, or his concentration might be broken. He was tiptoeing across a tightrope of tenuous control. The touch of his lips on hers was as gentle as starlight, lingering almost imperceptibly before he pulled away. It was a chaste kiss, a friend’s kiss. It was also a form of damned masochism.