by SJ McCoy
She smiled. “I love that we’re doing this, Zack. I really do. It’s hard to believe that only a few weeks ago you were still just my crush, my friend. I used to have to ask Angel to find out when you were coming back to town. Now we’re here.” She looked around. “This is our home. For now, at least.”
“It can be our home for as long as you want it to be.”
She nodded. “I guess we have to see what happens first, don’t we? I’m trying not to think too hard about why we’re really here. I’m trying not to think about Manny and the others being just on the other side of that wall, and most of all, I’m trying not to let myself think about the fact that there’s a man—here in Summer Lake—who wants to kill you.”
“I don’t want you to think about it. I want you to enjoy this. I’m hoping it will all be over soon.”
“So am I, but I wish there was something I could do.”
“That’s how I’ve felt all these years. I wished that I could put an end to it one way or another. Now, the end is in sight. Manny’s here; his guys are the best. It’s only a matter of time before Morales makes his move.”
Her eyes filled up with tears. “But what if he succeeds? What if …? I can’t stand the thought of anything happening to you, Zack.”
He hugged her tight. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. They’ll take him down before he gets the chance.”
She sniffed and looked up at him. “They better had. I’m not going to lose you now.”
“You won’t. You’re stuck with me.” He had an overwhelming urge to add, for life, but he stopped himself. He didn’t want to tempt fate by telling her that and having his own life not last much longer. And besides, he hadn’t even told her that he loved her yet. He grinned. “And just so that you know that being stuck with me is going to be a good thing, I’m going to make you dinner.”
She smiled. “You don’t have to do it all, I can help.”
“You can help, but what I want you to do is go and get dressed. Get dressed up as if you were going out on a first date.”
She gave him a puzzled look.
“I never got to take you out to a nice restaurant. We never got to have a first date. We should do that. I don’t want us to just slip into TV dinners. I want to make the most of all the butterflies and excitement that go with the early days of dating.”
She smiled. “That’s sweet. How did you know that you give me butterflies?”
He touched her cheek. “I was talking about you giving me butterflies.”
“Aww.” She landed a kiss on his lips. “You keep talking like that and we’ll have to pretend it’s at least a fourth or fifth date.”
“Why’s that?”
She laughed. “Because you’re going to charm me right into bed and there’s no way I’d sleep with you on a first date.”
He shook his head. “Maybe we should call it a first and find out how persuasive I can be.” He ran his hand down her back and closed it around her ass.
She shook her head. “Don’t start that. I’m going to get changed. Otherwise, there’ll be no date at all, just humping in the kitchen.”
He had to laugh. “Okay. Tempting as that sounds, it’s not what I had in mind. Go get dressed before I change my mind.”
~ ~ ~
Maria sat at the dressing table in front of the mirror and smiled at herself. This place was amazing. She’d just taken the best shower she’d ever had. The shower stall was bigger than her laundry room at home and there were four shower heads—on each side. She couldn’t wait to get Zack in there with her. Now she was getting ready in her own dressing room—she wasn’t so keen on that idea—Zack’s was on the other side of the huge closet. She’d rather share with him.
She finished putting on her makeup. She was going all out—making as much effort as she would if this really were their first date. This past few weeks, ever since they’d started seeing each other had been so strange. His situation had overshadowed everything. They’d come together faster than they would have if there weren’t some crazy man out there wanting to kill him. She shuddered and shoved that thought away. She wasn’t going to let it spoil tonight. This was their first night in the home they shared—and according to Zack, it was their first real date, too.
She hadn’t had to spend long deciding what to wear. She’d spent so much time over the last year thinking about Zack and about how it would be if he ever asked her out. She’d even picked out what she would wear if he ever did. She slipped the dress on over her head and let out a low whistle. Yep. This was it, and if she knew Zack, tonight would definitely be more like a fifth date than a first one. The dress came down to her mid calves; it was form-fitting, to say the least. The front was cut low enough that she knew he’d spend more time talking to her breasts than her face. She turned around and smiled at the way it showed off her backside. Yes. It was perfect. She ran the brush through her hair again. She used to imagine that she’d wear her hair up for their first date. But now she knew better. He liked her hair down and loose. He liked to tangle his fingers in it. She took a deep breath and brought herself back to the present. She couldn’t think too much about how he liked to hold her hair in bed, or they’d never make it through dinner. It was strange to her to let a man cook for her. Her family was more traditional. She’d grown up knowing only old school gender roles, but she loved that Zack didn’t expect her to be that way.
She turned at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. “It’s only me,” he called. “I’m going to take a quick shower. Everything’s ready, and I poured you a drink if you go down before me.”
“Where are you?” His voice was coming from the other side of the bedroom.
He laughed. “I’m in my dressing room. Play along with me? I want to get changed and come find my beautiful date.”
She chuckled. “Okay. I’m done here. I’ll go downstairs and wait for you there.”
“I won’t be long.”
She found a glass of red wine sitting on the counter with a note next to it. “I can’t wait to see you again.”
She laughed and took a sip of her wine and then carried her glass over to the big picture windows overlooking the lake. It was staying lighter much longer now. She was grateful that spring was finally here. The winters weren’t exactly harsh at the lake, but she much preferred the warmer weather, and she loved seeing all the flowers starting to bloom.
She turned when the door from the other side of the house opened. Manny popped his head around and smiled at her. “Sorry. I don’t mean to interrupt.”
“You’re not,” she said with a smile. “Zack’s just taking a shower.”
Manny frowned. “He didn’t tell me you’re going out.”
“We’re not.”
Manny looked her over.
“Oh!” She shrugged. “We’re having a date night at home.”
“Ah. Okay. Sorry. I just came to ask what time you’re leaving for work in the morning.”
Maria made a face. “I’m not sure. I think I’ll need to add an extra ten minutes onto what it usually takes me, and I usually leave around nine … soo …”
Manny gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m not trying to pin you down to an exact time. I just want a ballpark so one of the guys can be ready to go.”
She nodded. She hadn’t exactly forgotten about all that, but she’d been doing her best not to think about it. “Are you going to be able to keep him safe?”
Manny pursed his lips. “I’m going to do my damnedest. I wish I could promise you. But I’ll do everything in my power.”
“Thank you.”
Manny came in and closed the door behind him. “Aren’t you scared?”
Maria sighed. “I know I should be, but it’s all … I don’t know. It doesn’t feel real, and I can’t let myself think about it too much. I just have to hope that between you and Zack you’ll be able to catch this man and keep Zack safe.”
“That’s the plan, but I meant, aren’t you scared for yourself? You’re a good-loo
king girl. I’m sure there are lots of guys who’d like to take you out. Wouldn’t it be easier to date someone who doesn’t have Zack’s kind of history?”
Maria frowned. She didn’t get it. She liked Manny; she’d thought he liked her. Was he trying to tell her to get out—for her own sake? “I’m not scared for myself. Zack seems to think I should be, but I’m more concerned about him.”
Manny held up a hand. “I’m sorry. I just need to know.”
“Know what?”
“How you really feel. You’re in this for keeps, aren’t you?”
She nodded.
Manny smiled. “I’m glad. I know how Zack feels about you. You feel the same way, don’t you?”
Although she answered, “Yes,” Maria wasn’t sure that it was true. She knew Zack cared about her. She knew he wanted to see where things could go between the two of them. But she wasn’t sure that she felt the same way as him. She had a feeling that she was already way ahead of him. She was falling in love with him; if she was honest, she’d already fallen.
“That’s all I wanted to know. Zack’s decisions are going to be clouded by how he feels. I needed to know that he’s not making a mistake.”
They both looked up as Zack came down the stairs.
Maria’s breath caught in her chest. She’d always thought he might be the sexiest man she’d ever known. Tonight, her suspicion was confirmed. He looked gorgeous!
“Is there a problem?” he asked Manny.
“No. I was just checking what time Maria has to leave for work in the morning.”
Zack nodded. “I can take you, if you like? We should probably leave a little before nine.”
“Thanks. If you want to come, that’ll be great. But I’m fine to drive myself.”
“I’d rather you stayed here,” said Manny. “The sooner we can get a plan together, the better.”
Zack met Maria’s gaze. “Are you sure?”
She laughed. “I’m sure. I’ve driven myself to work almost every day of my life since I was sixteen. I can handle it.”
Zack nodded and Manny laughed. “You might as well accept it, Zack. You wouldn’t have fallen in love with her if she were some needy little damsel.”
Maria’s heart raced. They were just words. Manny didn’t mean them. He didn’t know how Zack felt. He was just … She turned to Zack and he looked at her in that way he had—the one she’d never been able to figure out.
The silence between them dragged out for a few moments before Manny broke it. “Okay. I’ll see you both in the morning. Have a good night.”
It was only once the door had closed behind him that Zack came to her. He put his hands on her hips and let his gaze travel over her. “Damn, Maria, mía. If I’d known you were going to wear that dress on our first date, I would have caved and asked you out a long time ago.”
She laughed. “Now he tells me.” She reached up and landed a kiss on his lips. “And if I’d have known that you would look this good and …” She nuzzled her face into his neck. “… smell this good, I would have asked you out myself.”
He closed his arms around her. “I don’t believe in fate, but I believe we make the choices that fit who we are at the time we make them. I wish I could go back in time so we could have gotten together sooner, but we’re here now, and I know this is right. It’s what I want. Is it what you want?”
She nodded as she hugged him closer. It seemed liked a strange question. She wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t what she wanted.
~ ~ ~
Zack closed his eyes as he held her soft, warm body to his chest. Manny had almost blown it—saying that he wouldn’t have fallen in love with her if she weren’t the strong woman that she was. Zack wanted to be the one to tell her that he was in love with her. The way she’d looked at him when Manny said that had hardly reassured him. Maybe this was going too fast for her. Maybe he should wait. There was no hurry, was there?
He buried his face in her neck, breathing in the scent of her. He was in a hurry. He’d wasted so much time that they could have been together. And, much as he hated to think about it, there was a chance that he didn’t have much time left. He was confident in Manny and his men; he was confident in his own abilities if it came down to it, but he didn’t doubt Morales either. Just because he hadn’t caught up with Zack in all this time didn’t mean anything. Zack believed that Morales had intentionally let it go on for such a long time. He wasn’t looking for swift vengeance; he was more like a cat toying with his prey. He’d kept Zack on the run for most of his adult life. From what Zack remembered of him, he probably enjoyed thinking that Zack was living in fear. He closed his eyes tighter and hugged Maria a little closer. He was afraid to die now. Now he was on the cusp of beginning a whole new life—a life with Maria—filled with love and happiness. He needed to tell her.
She stepped back and looked up into his eyes.
“Do you understand the question?”
She searched his face. “I think so. You’re asking if I’m good with us moving in together and …” She shrugged. “Doing this.”
He shook his head. “I’m asking so much more than that. But perhaps I shouldn’t be asking until you have all the information you need to make a decision.”
“What information do I need?”
He smiled and took hold of both of her hands. “Just a couple important details. Before you can decide if this is what you want, you need to know that I’m not just talking about us living here together for a little while until this whole thing is behind us. I’m talking about you making a long-term commitment to live with me—to us being together, for the long haul.”
She smiled and nodded.
“The most important thing you need to know is that I love you.”
Her eyes shone with tears. “You do?”
He closed his arms around her waist and nodded. “I do. My heart knew it from the start, but I couldn’t …” He shrugged. “I thought I could hide how I felt, but I can’t do it anymore. I love you too much to keep hiding it.”
She reached up and cupped his face between her hands. “I love you, too, Zack. You’re the most amazing man I’ve ever known. You have no idea how happy I am to know you feel it, too.”
He lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers. The way she kissed him back left him with no doubts. Right from the beginning, he’d loved the way she kissed him. She was so warm and inviting, so sweet and so passionate. She pressed herself against him and he knew she must feel how much she turned him on.
Eventually, he stepped back with a smile. “We should probably cool it, if this is our first date.”
She laughed. “That’s a shame. I thought you were just showing me how persuasive you can be.”
He smiled through pursed lips.
“And just so you know, I’m persuaded.”
He looked at her, then into the kitchen where the dinner he’d prepared for her was all ready to be served. He was tempted to lead her straight up the stairs, but instead, he took her hand and led her to the kitchen. “Let’s do this right.”
She gave him a rueful smile. “If you insist, but be warned, I’m not above doing some persuading myself.”
He let his gaze run over her. “I’m in.”
Chapter Fifteen
Maria looked around when she came out of the store. She knew that one of Manny’s men would be there, but she couldn’t see him anywhere. Then again, she wasn’t supposed to. All she was supposed to do was go about her business as usual. Tonight, that meant having dinner with the girls. She and Angel were meeting at the café in the plaza as soon after six as they could both get there. The other girls were coming over from town to meet them at seven.
She couldn’t help wondering if someone was watching her as she made her way down the cobbled walkway that led from the jewelry story to the square. There were still a few people around, although most of the stores closed at six. Laura had told her to leave a little early and that she’d lock up. Maria wasn’t sure there was much po
int—Angel wasn’t one to leave work early no matter what, so she’d have to sit and wait for her. But still, this way Laura had let her out of the front door, so she didn’t have to walk around the back.
She was pleased to see that the terrace of the café was still open. The days were getting warmer and it was lasting into the evening now. She loved to sit outside to eat.
“Hey, Maria.”
She jumped when a man called her name and looked around wondering who it was. She relaxed and waved when she saw Colt sitting on the far side of the terrace. “Hey, how are you?” she asked when she reached him.
“I’m fine thanks. Just making the most of my day off. I brought myself over here for dinner for a change. How about you? Did you just get off work? Are you meeting Zack?”
“I did just finish, but I’m here to meet Angel. We’re having dinner with the girls later.”
Colt smiled. “Are you leaving him home alone already?”
She laughed. “No. He’s hanging out with Luke. In fact, he’s probably glad to get an evening away from me.”
“I doubt that. I could tell he liked you ever since he first came here. I’m happy for both of you that you finally got it together—and it sounds like you’re making up for lost time. I heard you moved in together and everything.”
She nodded. “Yeah. It’s all happening a bit fast, but it’s not like we don’t already know each other well.”
“I wasn’t criticizing. Like I said, I’m happy for you. I think it’s great.”
“What about you? Are you seeing anyone?”
He shook his head. “Nah. Austin set me up on a date with one of Nadia’s friends a couple of weeks ago, but …”
“Ugh.” She immediately brought her hand up to cover her mouth. It wasn’t like her to be so rude.
Colt laughed. “Don’t worry about it. That’s how I felt. I don’t get Austin with Nadia. She’s just not … I don’t know. I was going to say our kind of people. But what kind of people are we? We’re an eclectic bunch if you think about it. You and Zack aren’t exactly peas in a pod, yet it’s so obvious that you’re meant to be together. Angel and Luke are the same. He’s so laid back, she’s a workaholic and yet they’re perfect together. Austin’s kind of a workaholic, too, I guess. Roxy’s just fun and down to earth. Logan’s a dog, no two ways about it. I’m whatever I am. But we all just gel. Whenever Austin brings Nadia along, she disrupts the harmony. She doesn’t fit right with the rest of us.”