“Nothing good can come out of his illness.” Zach slammed his fist on the desk. “When we get to Asheville, I’ll convince him to back off. He’ll take his spot in the research trials if I have to fly him there myself.”
Once again, the great and mighty Zach Tanner wanted to control every outcome, every situation with the force of his will. “I know Michael. He won’t back down—not when he’s sure you’re out to destroy me,” Kennedy said. “He expected us to get back together.”
“You may know him.” Zach gave her a piercing look. “But he’ll listen to me when he learns that you’re an emotional barracuda.”
A bolt of rage shot through her and belted her behind her sternum. The anger and grief and painful memories ricocheted through her heart, her mind, her soul.
Yes, she’d pushed him away. Yes, she’d deliberately hurt him. But she’d had no choice. Not when she’d lied to him five years ago. And not when she’d lied to him after she’d broken off their kiss in the kitchen.
Michael had always known the truth about her infertility issues. If Zach laid this barracuda shit on him, her best friend wouldn’t let it remain buried. But now, more than pride and ego and money had to be considered if she was going to get Michael to stick with the ALS clinical research trial.
She had to convince Zach to play it her way. “Do you want to destroy his faith in us, too? He’s already losing his speech, his legs, his arms.”
“I’ll do everything I can to buy him time,” he said. “Give him the tools to live with his disease, make sure he takes his research slot at the hospital. I’ll support his efforts to draw attention and research dollars to find a cure while we’re in Asheville. But I won’t let him continue to try to reunite us.”
Her throat tangled, capturing her grief in a sticky web, coating her fears in suffocating silk. Dangerous prickling sensations pressed behind her eyes. Everything she’d laid to rest five years ago resurrected and meshed with her despair. The raw pain bubbled and churned inside her.
Push down the pain. Push down the sorrow. Push down the memories. She fought for control, wrestled the tears threatening to fall and forced them into submission. She swallowed the spidery mass of emotions.
Her breathing evened. The tension in her throat lessened. A calm resolve bathed her nerves and heart. She’d never let her best friend down. And she refused to let Zach take away her company.
“Michael is dying,” she said. “And he has this one crazy wish to bring us back together. Your money can’t save him or make him any less stubborn. Truth is, you could lose his friendship if you go through with this takeover. But we can give him hope—a reason to fight.”
Another muscle twitched in his jaw. “Keep talking,” he said.
“When we get to Asheville today, we’ll pretend that you positioned yourself to buy out Gibson and Company because we’re involved again. That investing in my company was your way of showing that you care about me.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You want me to fake a relationship with you to protect him?”
And me. She crossed her fingers behind her back. “I’m asking you to consider it, yes.”
“What if he gets better? What if the treatments work?” He pursed his lips. “I won’t pretend to love you for an indefinite time.”
His declaration stung, but at least Zach was willing to listen. Which was better than she’d had from him five years ago. Not bothering to address his denial of the reality facing Michael, she closed the distance between them.
“We’ll attend his benefit in Asheville, pretend we’ve gotten over the past, then come back here and finish the renovation before Christmas,” she said. “Afterward, you’ll return to your father’s company. I’ll stay with mine. We wait it out. Tell him we’ve had an amicable split due to long-distance issues.” Hell, if it worked for the stars in Hollywood, it could work as an excuse for her.
Zach inhaled a deep breath. Let it out slowly. She could see the muscle working in his jaw as he considered the option. Waiting was torture, but she didn’t have a shot if she broke the silence hanging between them.
“I want Michael to be happy.” He nodded. “Chances are he’ll never question our story because he wants to believe us. And you put on a good show.”
His anger, though born out of her rejection, still cut to her marrow. “Of course,” she said. “We’ll be civil, attend Michael’s fundraising speech in Asheville, convince him to stick with the research program, then end this ridiculous charade and get back to work.” She moved an inch closer, met Zach’s black gaze. “Michael won’t fall for this scheme if you continue with your takeover plans afterward. End the bid now.”
“Your lie. My terms.” He walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and withdrew a small box. “I prefer a more definite boundary.”
Her heart thuddedy-thudded in her chest. She knew the contents of the box before he returned to stand in front of her. Her engagement ring gleamed inside with accusing sparkles. “I can’t believe you’ve kept it all these years,” she said, unable to believe an object could cause her more hurt.
“I don’t let go of things as easily as you do.” His eyes gleamed with something dangerous, victory and a darker emotion. “It’s perfect for meeting the terms of my proposal.”
A tendril of tension twisted around her spine. What he had in mind had nothing to do with wedding bells and island hopping honeymoons. “What kind of proposal?”
He pulled the ring out and twirled it in his palm. “I propose a fake engagement with all the benefits. That should keep Michael happy long enough to get him to stick with the clinical trial plan.”
“But that’ll mean pretending that we’re in love.”
“How hard can that be?” he asked. “Even you can’t deny the sparks flying between us.”
“No, but sparks don’t imply affection.”
“True, but Michael will see what he wants to see. We don’t have to finish up in private what we start in public, right?” He slipped the ring over the tip of his index finger. “I remember the night you threw this at me, Kennedy. Would you do me the honor of wearing it again?”
Something close to desire, lust, and wanting screamed warnings through her nerves. Even now his flaring nostrils, the jut of his jaw, his long lean legs and broad shoulders lured her, gave her trembles. She had wanted him from the moment he’d driven up to the lodge and taken off his motorcycle helmet.
Time slowed as she considered her options. The ticking clock sounded louder as each second passed. Could she pretend affection and keep her heart at bay? Could she play with the fire sparking between them publicly and stop herself from acting on it privately?
Tick-tock-tick-tock clanged in her ears. If she accepted his fake proposal, she’d have no problem pretending that her blood ran hot for Zach. She’d just have to stop it from exploding behind closed doors.
Kennedy swallowed. “I won’t honor you.” She held out her left hand. “But I will do it for Michael’s sake.”
He slid the platinum band over her ring finger. The diamond, always too big and too grand for her slender hand, weighed heavy. The emeralds he’d chosen to surround its clarity glittered as a mocking reminder of hope long lost and dreams shattered.
She twirled the gems inward, fisted her hand. The edges of the perfect stones cut her skin.
“What about your takeover bid?” she asked.
“I’ll shelve it for Michael’s sake.”
“Great.” At least that problem was solved. What would be trickier to figure out was how to control her hormones whenever she was alone with Zach.
His eyes gleamed hot. “I’ll change our reservations from separate rooms to a single suite.”
“No way.”
“Yes way if you want Michael to believe we’re sleeping together.”
“Good point.”
He circled the underside of her wrist. “You want to start practicing our fake relationship today?”
She’d no doubt he’d test her limits. “Is it real
ly necessary?” Kennedy asked, though her tingling sensitized girl parts had no question that it was absolutely necessary.
He pulled her closer. “Do you want to kiss or not?”
Heat flamed through her skin. Branding her. Marking her as his. She couldn’t lie.
“Yes.”
He anchored her neck, then moved his mouth over hers. His kiss was hungry, wild, bruising her lips with his power. Over and over he plunged his tongue into her mouth.
Even as her mind rebelled against the ramifications of testing her own limits, something equally wild whipped through her, obliterating her rational brain’s objections.
Chapter Six
Zach kissed her, holding her close, mercilessly assaulting her mouth with his. The battle Kennedy mentally waged against her body slipped away. She was Zach’s as she’d always been—his lover, his woman, his mate.
She curled into his strength, drew power from him, rushed her hands up his strong back and wove them around his broad shoulders. His muscles tightened beneath her touch, and she reveled in the masculine power flowing through him, the feral need growing dangerously out of control inside him.
Still, she couldn’t stop the kiss. She wouldn’t end the heat blazing between them. Over and over he plundered her mouth, rendered her mindless with his brutal, bruising lips. She met his challenge, twined his hair into her hands, acutely aware of his unspoken anger and regret, blurring the boundaries between love and hate. Emotions she’d wrestled with for years.
She refused to bend first. Refused to be the reason why they stopped this insanity. If he wanted, he could have her here. Right now. And she wouldn’t fight the taking.
He wrenched his mouth from hers, his breathing harsh and ragged. “Give instructions for the construction crews to Caleb. We leave today.”
Anger, lust, and passion roared through her veins, heated her face. She swallowed her angry retort to his abrupt tone.
This is for our friend. For the company’s future. Don’t surrender now. Don’t let him win when you have so much to lose.
“I’ll pack my stuff and meet you in Asheville,” she said, raising her chin.
“You’ll ride with me.” Zach walked to his chair, then lifted his gaze, staring at her from top to toe. “See you in sixty—and leave the tool belt and boots in Sweetbriar. I’ll buy whatever you need for the benefit gala after we arrive. You can shop the boutiques tomorrow.”
Though she’d learned a trick or two in the feminine wear department, his disparaging appraisal reminded her that his recent dating list included A-list stars and rich socialites. She’d almost forgotten how much power Zach wielded beyond the North Carolinian border. “I’ll pack the dresses I own for this trip.” She met his obsidian gaze. “But if you want to spend your money on me, that’s your prerogative. After all, what woman wouldn’t want to buy a boatload of couture clothes on her fiancé’s dime?”
His nostrils flared. “Don’t test me,” he said.
“Don’t condescend to me.”
She’d wear a dress designed to make his mouth water. Let him suffer some serious male discomfort for all the crap he’d put her through with his takeover attempt. She twirled her emerald engagement ring and squeezed. The sharp-edged pain of the gem sliced into her palm and encouraged her to stand her ground.
“See you in an hour,” she said before leaving.
The minutes of time vanished in a vortex of rapid instructions to Caleb, a flurry of packing, and additional moments fussing with her makeup. As she pulled her suitcase into the lobby, Kennedy added an extra swing to her gait.
Her floral print sheath flowed and shimmied just above her knees. For the first time in months, she’d slipped into sheer stockings and high heels. The combination of the swirling hemline and the silky caress of her pantyhose emboldened her with a sexy, sassy, and seductive inner glow.
She preferred to wear her boots, jeans, and construction hat to command her crew’s respect, but she’d learned to use her feminine assets to her advantage when approaching the corporate world.
Now she’d use her new armor to her advantage when dealing with Zach.
As she approached him, Zach’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Warmth spread through her body. “What’s the matter, Tanner? You forget what I look like in a dress?” Kennedy rolled her suitcase to a stop and casually anchored her hand on her hip.
He might have forgotten, but she recalled how easily she’d win an argument by giving him a taste of her, sweet-as-lemonade on a hot summer night with an all-woman twist.
He closed his mouth and flushed. “I’m surprised you still remember how to strut in heels.”
Kennedy inhaled Zach’s crisp scent, heard the undertone of want in his voice. “You’d be surprised by a lot of the things I still know how to do,” she said, not admitting her lack of practice in the years since he’d coaxed that side of her out of hiding with lace and satin and other sinfully naughty gifts.
He cleared his throat. “I’ll stow your luggage in my trunk.”
She saw the white bone of his knuckles as he gripped her luggage handle. A frisson of anticipation shimmied along her skin. Score one for girl power. “Excellent.” She twirled on her heel and sashayed ahead of him, fully attuned to the heat of his penetrating, masculine gaze on her backside.
Within minutes, Zach had driven onto the main road and shifted his recently delivered Ferrari into full gear. He handled the machine with finesse and grace and without attempting conversation. Kennedy massaged her temples, feeling exhausted and strained to the limit by the overwhelming cloud of silence hanging between them. She swallowed down mundane observations about the weather, the scenery, the state of traffic as if they were bitter pills.
Each mile they traveled to Asheville, the foreign vehicle’s engine hummed louder. The small interior shrank until she was fully aware of Zach. He was close. So close she could feel his heat and inhale the aroma of his spicy cologne. When she glanced at his profile, she could see the fine lines etching creases in his brow, scooping a line beside his pinched mouth and knotting the muscles in his jaw.
Longing unfurled low in her belly. Her mouth dried and she licked her lips. Years ago, she’d reach out to him, feel the warmth of his palm sliding against hers. But then she’d been naïve, easily mesmerized by Zach’s charm, and the way he made her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Oh, she’d been intoxicated, blissful and blinded by love at the same time.
Now her eyes were wide open. And they weren’t innocent anymore.
Kennedy clasped her hands in her lap and looked away. She stared through her window at the mountains overlooking valleys dotted with farmhouses, the winding Tennessee River weaving its way to Florida, and the billboards advertising whitewater rafting expeditions. She squeezed her eyes and the scenery blurred, the heavenly paint sliding off the landscape’s canvas.
Within another long hour, they arrived at the opulent hotel in Asheville. Two doormen with young, eager faces rushed to assist them. She slanted her glance to Zach as he handed his car key to the valet along with a fifty-dollar bill.
“Take care of her,” he said, sliding his hand across the hood of the car. “And have the bellhop bring our luggage to my suite.”
The teenager pocketed the money and flashed a smile, his adolescent teeth gleaming with steel braces. “Yes, sir.” He wrote out a claim ticket and gave it to Zach.
A tremor crackled inside her chest. The youth’s deference coupled with Zach’s generous, nonchalant attitude about money and material possessions caught her off guard. “You always over-tip?” Kennedy asked.
“Helps smooth out potential wrinkles—or dents—before they happen,” he replied, pocketing the ticket.
“Money doesn’t solve everything,” she said.
Zach put his hand on the small of her back and guided her across the cobblestone and concrete parking lot. “I learned that lesson the hard way.”
Kennedy bit back an angry retort as she walked toward the fr
ont doors that the hotel staff held open, their heads bowed ever so slightly. “Welcome to the Grandview, Mr. Tanner,” one said.
“They know your name?”
“They should,” Zach said. “I own the property.”
“I guess that explains why a sold out hotel had no problem getting us into a suite.”
No wonder he thought he could control every situation, Kennedy thought as she stared at the hotel’s elegant façade—recently restored, according to the photos displayed on the walls she walked past. He was far more powerful than she’d imagined.
And his reputation for respecting the history and grandeur of the properties his company owned was reflected in the Grandview’s old world style and the homage the décor paid to the surrounding natural elements of stone and forest and sky.
Under different circumstances, she could spend hours in the beautiful complex—away from her past, her troubles, her worries. Fooling Michael might work, but keeping the truth from his super perceptive younger sister Hannah would be more difficult.
“Michael said he’d meet us in the lobby.”
His voice sounded rough and a muscle jumped at the base of his jaw.
A shiver traveled along her spine that had less to do with the hotel’s cool air and more to do with her body’s reaction to Zach’s light touch. “Do we meet him before or after we check in?” she asked.
“After.” He guided her to the front desk, where the clerk had their keycards and hotel information ready as soon as they arrived. “Everything I asked for taken care of?”
“Absolutely,” she said brightly. “We’ve loaded the bar with your favorite brand of scotch and a wide variety of top-shelf liquors. The sommelier selected several fine wines and there’s a wide variety of refreshments and soft drinks as well.”
“Excellent work.”
The woman blushed. “Thank you, sir.”
Zach handed Kennedy a room key and she tucked it into her purse, then heard a familiar voice call her name. When she looked up, Hannah Sullivan was crossing the lobby floor. Her heart rate kicked up a notch. “Crap,” she muttered. “If we can’t fool Hannah, we won’t pull this off.”
The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion (Entangled Indulgence) Page 6