by Leanne Banks
The youngest child, a toddler who was a girl, gave a high-pitched shriek that lit his nerve endings like a stream of firecrackers on the Fourth of July.
Sheree winced. “Sorry, she’s at the screaming stage, and being in a different place make it worse. Come on, Amy and Doug. Matthew, turn off the TV. Time to get ready for dinner.”
“Mooooom,” the older boy complained.
“Now,” Sheree said firmly and Matt rose from the chair.
After his new guests left the room, Zach met Tina’s gaze. “In the future, if you’re going to invite people to stay here, I’d appreciate it if you would let me know.”
“I tried, but you weren’t accessible,” Tina said.
“You could have waited until I got home just now,” he said.
“No, I couldn’t. This family has been through a devastating experience. Someone had to act quickly.”
“Where did you put all of them?” he asked.
“Oh, that was easy. I put Sheree and Bob in the guest room at the front of the house, Matt in the upstairs den on the foldout sofa. We’re putting Sheree’s mom in the downstairs library so she won’t have to take the stairs. And the two little ones will go in the room next to mine. It’s such a lovely little room with the seat at the bay window and built-in shelves. I was surprised to find it completely empty,” she said, confusion wrinkling her brow. “I asked Hildie about it, but the phone rang and we got busy.”
Zach’s gut twisted into a knot. That room had been for his baby. His baby who had died. A flash of anger rushed through him. What right did Tina have to invade that room? He’d donated the furniture to a charitable organization, but every time he went into that room, he felt the loss well up inside him again, fresh and painful.
Clenching his jaw, he swallowed over a knot in the back of his throat. “Don’t do this again,” he told her. “Not without talking with me first.”
She searched his face. “You’re angry. Why?” she asked. “This is only for a short time. Is your privacy so important that you can’t—”
He lifted his hand. “Enough. I don’t want to discuss it anymore.”
“But how can I understand—”
“You understand to talk to me first. That’s all you need to understand.”
Clearly not satisfied, Tina frowned then sighed. “Well, I suppose I should also tell you that we’re holding a community barbecue here tomorrow night so that neighbors can come and donate replacement clothing, furniture and household goods for the Gordons.”
Zach dipped his head in disbelief. “Tomorrow night?”
She nodded. “Through my diplomatic experiences in disaster areas, I’ve learned that one really must move on this kind of thing right away. People forget and needs are left unmet.”
Hearing her use the word diplomatic made something inside him click. “This is a princess thing, isn’t it?”
She shot him a wary look. “Princess thing?”
He nodded. “Now I get it. This is the kind of thing you used to do in your country, except maybe on a grander scale. If this is going to be your M.O., then you and I are definitely going to need to have a talk. It will have to wait until later, though, since we have guests.”
Tina stared at Zachary Logan’s broad back as he walked away. She felt a deep sinking sensation inside her as she realized she had imposed upon Zach and clearly offended him.
He appeared weary and frustrated, and now she’d caused a situation where he couldn’t be at ease even in his own home. Guilt suffused her. Hildie had warned her, but Tina had brushed the woman’s concerns aside.
She had followed her natural instincts when she’d heard about the Gordons’ tragedy. Plus, taking care of the Gordons had allowed her to take her attention off of her confusing feelings for Zach.
Hearing the approaching stampede of the Gordon children, Tina had no time to dwell on her regret. She helped Hildie serve the meal and feed the children. Afterward, Sheree offered to help clean up, but Hildie and Tina insisted the woman go rest.
“The poor woman has been through enough during the last twenty-four hours,” Tina murmured as she helped remove the dishes from the table.
“So true,” Hildie said, then only the sound of clattering dishes filled the kitchen.
“You were right,” Tina said in a low voice, full of misery. “Zach is angry. He was very upset that I invited the Gordons without discussing it with him first. I should have considered his feelings. I just assumed he would want to help—”
“Now, don’t you be getting the wrong idea. There’s no man more generous than Zachary Logan. He’s always one to help out when someone needs it. He helped fund my niece’s college education. The man is extremely generous,” Hildie said then sighed. “But everyone has their soft spots. This home is Zachary’s cave. Having this place has gotten him through some rough times.”
“What rough times?” Tina asked. “I know the deaths of his parents must have been difficult, but I sense there’s something more. But he won’t discuss it with me. Tell me, please.”
Hildie shook her head. “It’s not my place.”
So frustrated she could scream, Tina tamped down her feelings and finished helping Hildie in silence. All the while, her mind was going a mile a minute. This was ridiculous. How were she and Zach ever going to be able to communicate effectively if she didn’t know what had caused him so much pain? She had to find out. She formulated a plan. The day after tomorrow, she was going into Dallas and she was going to get some answers.
“I’m going to heat up a plate for Zach and take it upstairs,” Hildie said.
“I’ll do it,” Tina offered.
Hildie shot her a skeptical glance. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? He’s probably as cranky as a bear with a sore paw.”
“Since I caused the injury, I should make amends,” Tina said, stiffening her back. She knew full well that Zach would likely give her the cold shoulder.
After heating the full plate of food, she grabbed two ice cold beers from the refrigerator and climbed the stairs to his suite. Gently tapping on his door, she stood and waited. No answer. She tapped again, this time more loudly.
The door swung slightly open and Zachary stood there wearing a towel slung around his hips and, she supposed, nothing else. His hair looked ebony from the wetness. His eyelashes surrounded his blue eyes in spikes of black and water droplets dotted his wide shoulders and muscular pecs. Her gaze drifted downward to the fine hair that arrowed down his flat abdomen.
All male, all man, she thought, her stomach dipping to her feet as she remembered that night they’d shared together. It had been months ago, she reminded herself. And everything was different now.
“Is that for me?” he asked, pointing to the plate she held.
She nodded. “Yes, yes, it is.”
“Bring it in and I’ll put on some clothes,” he said and she followed him inside his suite. Domain, she corrected herself. Definitely his domain, she thought as she couldn’t resist the urge to shoot a searching glance past the open door into his bedroom. Huge bed, she noticed. Sheepskin rugs surrounding the edge of the bed. Bedside table with a lamp and a couple of books. She wondered what he was reading. Was it for pleasure or business? Since she’d come to the ranch, Zach had seemed all business. She’d seen another side of him. Had that been a complete anomaly?
Wearing a half-unbuttoned shirt and a pair of jeans, he reentered his office/living room. “Thanks for the food. I’m assuming both beers are for me since you’re not drinking?” he said more than asked with a wry suggestion of a grin. “You thought I might need more than one?”
He popped the top on the first bottle and waved toward the sofa for her to sit. Taking a seat opposite her, he placed the plate on the table beside him.
Surprised at his lack of hostility, she lifted her shoulders in confusion. “You seemed tired and I don’t think I helped matters. I apologize for taking matters into my own hands.”
“I imagine it’s what you’ve always done,” he said and d
ug into his meal.
She opened her mouth to protest then changed her mind. “Within certain parameters,” she said. “There were always the opinions of advisers and my brother.”
“Bet that drove you crazy. Always having to answer to someone. Would have driven me crazy,” he said and took a long swallow from his beer. “My middle name isn’t Grinch or Scrooge just because I like a little notice when my house is gonna be turned into a temporary hotel.”
Tina felt another twist of regret. “I know that. Again, I apologize. It’s not as if this is my home. It’s yours.”
He met her gaze for a long moment that made her heart skip over itself. “We’ll see,” he said. “I talked with Bob, Sheree’s husband, then I talked with Doyle, a friend of mine in Dallas. Doyle’s into everything and he happens to have a large mobile home the Gordons can use until their house is rebuilt. Should be ready in two days.”
Tina dropped her jaw in surprise. “Two days? My goodness, that’s fast. How in the world did you—”
He rubbed his jaw. “You give me a couple minutes to think and a shower, and I’m good.”
“Thank you. I’m sure the whole family will be thrilled.”
“I don’t know about Matthew. He looked like he was getting attached to my chair and my remote.”
She laughed in agreement then silence descended between them. “Is there anything else I can get for you?” she asked, rising.
He rose to his feet too and shook his head. “No, I’m hitting the sack. You should do the same. Tomorrow’s gonna be a long one.”
She walked to the door and turned around, startled to find him mere inches from her.
He lifted his hand to her chin. “I mean what I say. Part of the reason you came here was to rest.”
She nodded, determined to ignore the way her heart was pounding in her chest. “Yes, I’ve done that.”
He paused a half-beat. “So you don’t need any more rest now?”
She glanced. “Too much rest is boring,” she said. “Tell me you don’t agree. That is,” she added meaningfully, “if you’ve ever actually rested more than a few hours.”
“Yeah, I get you. I had appendicitis and that recovery drove me crazy. But I’m not pregnant and you are,” he said, stroking her jaw again. “Don’t overdo it.”
“I thought I wasn’t going to have to take orders since I’m away from my country,” she said with a sigh.
“I won’t be giving you the same kind of orders your brother does,” he said. “You can count on that.”
Chapter Eight
“And why wasn’t I invited?” Daniel Logan asked as Zach flipped burgers on the large gas grill.
Zach glanced up from the grill, surprised to see his brother. “Hey, what are you doing here?” he asked, since Daniel lived in Dallas.
“I was out this way because I’m looking into buying some land—”
Zach stared in amazement at his younger brother. “You? Land? You swore you’d never do any kind of ranching again.”
“Yeah, well, we’ll see,” Daniel said evasively, glancing around at the crowd. “What’s going on here?”
“It’s a cookout,” Zach said in a dry tone. “Can’t you tell? Or have you forgotten since you only eat inside restaurants these days?”
Daniel shot him a sideways glance. “What’s the deal? You barely ever invite me out here. Now you’re throwing a big neighborhood party.”
“It’s not really a party. It’s a charity thing, and I didn’t throw it,” Zach said, glancing across the large backyard at Tina fluttering from one person to the next, charming each of them. “It got thrown on me.”
“What do you—” Daniel broke off as he gazed in the same direction as Zach. “A woman,” he said in amazement. “You mentioned something a few weeks ago on the phone about a complication, but you didn’t say it was a woman. When did you meet her? Does she live in town or out here? I can’t remember seeing her before.”
“If you can shut off your diarrhea of the mouth for just a moment, I’ll explain,” Zach said, although explaining Tina wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. “Tina and I met a few months ago and got along—” He cleared his throat. “Pretty well.”
Daniel gave a low laugh. “How well?”
“Well enough that she’s pregnant,” Zach said.
Daniel did a double take first at Zach, then at Tina. “Damn. I couldn’t tell at first from how the dress fit her, but, yeah.” He turned back to Zach. “What are you gonna do?”
Zach sighed, moving the cooked burgers onto the buns. “She’s staying at the ranch. That’s a first step.”
“First?” Daniel said. “Sounds like you two skipped a few along the way. You gonna marry her?”
“I’m working on it,” he said. “She’s not from Texas.”
“Where’s she from?” Daniel asked.
“Chantaine.”
“Where the hell is that?”
“It’s a small principality in the Mediterranean,” he said and decided to drop the rest of the bomb. “Tina’s a princess.”
Daniel gawked at him then swore. “A princess?” His brother shook his head and looked in Tina’s direction, giving a hearty laugh. “Thank God.”
Zach frowned. “What do you mean thank God?”
Daniel’s face turned serious. “I mean you’ve been stuck in a rut since Jenny and the baby…” He lifted his hand when Zach opened his mouth. “You asked, so let me finish. You had every right to mourn. Every right. But you’ve become a crabby hermit. I have a feeling this woman is going to turn your world upside down.”
Zach took a long look at Tina and felt his gut twist and turn. She laughed and the sound felt like honey sliding through him. When he’d arrived home last night to a full house of overnight visitors, he’d been damn sure that he and Tina would never be compatible. His privacy and solitude were too important to him.
Her energy and determination, her heart, however, did something to him. She inspired him to want to help too. To maybe do something he didn’t usually do, such as flip burgers for the multitudes so they could donate what they could to help the Gordons.
On top of that, his physical attraction to her hadn’t waned one bit. In fact, it had gotten worse. Tonight, he’d seen other men smiling and flirting with her and he suddenly found himself making a fist or clenching his jaw. One of his men had asked if he could take her out to dinner because he hadn’t known she belonged to Zach.
The truth was she didn’t belong to Zach and that bothered the hell out of him.
Hours later, after a couple of Zach’s workers hustled out the last guests, Zach watched Tina sink onto a bench and walked toward her. Handing her a cold bottle of water, he noticed the signs of weariness and felt a twist of concern. “You pushed a little too hard and too long tonight, didn’t you?”
She accepted the bottle of water and took a long swallow. “Not really. I think it was just that last hour when the news that I was a princess seemed to run through the crowd like wildfire.” She shook her head. “I really didn’t want the focus taken off of the Gordons’ plight.”
Zach couldn’t resist a low chuckle. “You can’t really blame them. We don’t get a lot of royalty around here. That’s why I made the announcement that the party was over and sent a few of my men to help people move along.”
She shot him a sheepish look. “I guess I couldn’t stay incognito forever.”
He sat down beside her. “No. The paparazzi have been trying to get past my gate since you first got here. Folks around here are usually busy enough that they don’t pay a lot of attention to the gossip rags, but finding out you were here tonight, everyone was curious. The good news is they’ll eventually calm down.”
“How do you know they will?” she asked.
“After the initial fascination wears off, they’ll be a lot more interested in what kind of person you are instead of whether you have a title or not.”
“If I stay,” she said in a soft voice.
His gut
twisted at her words. “Yeah. How do you like it so far?”
He saw several different emotions cross her face. “I’m still finding my way. As much as I needed the rest when I arrived, I know I’ll have to do something. I would go out of my mind with boredom if I did nothing all day long.”
Although Zach would prefer that Tina do nothing all day long so he could be assured that she and the baby were safe, he understood her dilemma. “I can understand that. I would feel the same way. Maybe you could take a little time to figure out exactly what you would like to do. You have choices here.”
She gave a long exhale. “Choices. You have no idea what the possibility of making my own choices does to me.”
“You’re right,” he said. “I don’t because I’ve been making my choices for a long time. I think it’s high time you get to follow your heart. You’ve got a good one,” he said.
She met his gaze and her skin looked so soft in the moonlight that he couldn’t resist touching her cheek. “You think so?” she said.
“Yeah, I do,” he said and gave in to an instinct that had been building inside him since he’d first set eyes on her again. He lowered his head and covered her lips with his mouth.
Hearing her soft intake of breath, he paused but didn’t move away. “It’s still there, isn’t it?” he asked against her lips.
“What?” she whispered, her lips still parted.
“Whatever was between us that night at the masquerade party,” he said. “Whatever made me want you and made you want me.”
He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue inside her lips. She welcomed him, drawing him deeper, moving closer to him. Her breasts brushed his chest.
He felt like she’d hit a trip wire. An explosion of need ripped through him. He slid one of his hands down to the back of her waist, urging her body against his. A growl of desire rumbled from his throat.
She must have felt the same fire because she slid her fingers up behind his neck and matched him stroke for stroke in the passionate kiss.
“You should be in my bed,” he said, his entire body twisting with need for her.