Her Innocence, His Conquest

by Jules Bennett

  “No.”

  “Please?”

  “No.”

  “Cole would do it for you,” she insisted with just enough of a pout to be cute and impossible to say no to.

  Zach laughed. “First of all, I’m never getting married. Second of all, Cole would never, ever coordinate a wedding shower.”

  Kayla sighed in frustration. “I didn’t ask you to coordinate it. I just need you to work on a few details for me while I’m gone. It won’t be anything major.”

  Zach gave her his best bored look, crossed his arms over his chest and waited. For what, he wasn’t sure. But he certainly knew he did not want any part of planning any kind of shower. Not wedding, not baby. Nothing. He designed and oversaw steel structures. He did not assemble froufrou place cards with little bells.

  “Fine.” The squeal of delight as Kayla jumped and wrapped her arms around him made him smile. “You knew I’d cave,” he muttered.

  “You always do with me.” She eased back. “I’ll forward you my spreadsheet once I’m in the air.”

  As she teetered away on spiky heels, her words registered. “Wait,” he called after her. “Spreadsheet?”

  “See you in a week,” she yelled over her shoulder as she slid behind the wheel of her sleek luxury car.

  “God, Zach, I’m so sorry.” He turned to Ana’s frustrated tone. “I hope she didn’t leave because of Nate.”

  “Nate?”

  “My ex-employee.”

  Zach shook his head. “Oh, no. She’s on her way to the airport. Wait. Ex-employee?”

  “I fired him.”

  Dumbfounded, Zach stared at Ana.

  “Don’t look at me like that,” she insisted, turning to walk toward her office. “I won’t accept anything less than professional behavior on the job.”

  Zach fell into step beside her. “Considering this is my site, too, I have some say. He whistled, Ana. Kayla wasn’t offended and if she wasn’t then there shouldn’t be a problem.”

  She climbed up the rickety, wrought-iron steps, placed her hand on the knob and looked over her shoulder. “That I would’ve tolerated. Maybe. But as I got closer, his back was to me and he said some derogatory things about her and me that I’d rather not repeat. I won’t accept demeaning comments toward women from my workers and neither should you.”

  Stunned at her matter-of-fact tone, Zach followed her into the air-conditioned office. “I don’t accept anything less than professional behavior. But I would appreciate being brought in on such dealings that have any implication on this site.”

  With her back to him, she pulled open the top drawer of a file cabinet and began shuffling through papers before pulling one out and reading, still with her back to him. Not that he didn’t appreciate the view.

  “Hello? Are you listening?”

  She peered over her shoulder. “I’ll apologize for acting without consulting you, Zach, but I did what I thought was best.”

  “Your instincts were right. Just remember we’re married to this project and like any good marriage, we should discuss major decisions.”

  “That’s the second time you’ve mentioned this project being a marriage,” she told him, her brow lifted in curiosity. “Being a world-famous bachelor, I’m surprised you know about marriages.”

  Damn. “Don’t stereotype me, Ana. People aren’t always what they seem or what the media make them out to be.”

  “You’re right. Sometimes people are worse.” She dropped the file on the edge of the desk and stepped toward him. “You haven’t even thanked me for standing up for your sister, a woman whom I just met, by the way.”

  Zach took in her flushed face and the passion in her eyes. He didn’t know what he wanted to do more, applaud her for standing up for his sister, kiss her senseless or throttle her for making him so damn confused lately.

  Any woman who could match him in conversation and passion would surely match him in other, more fascinating areas. Perhaps that’s why he couldn’t get her off his mind. Beneath her cool exterior lurked an ember he wanted to fan to life.

  “I’m just surprised you fired him without hesitation,” Zach stated.

  “That’s because you know nothing about me, Zach.” She looked back down at the papers on her desk. “If you did, you would know that I don’t tolerate men showcasing their testosterone.”

  And that statement just solidified his previous assessment. Some jerk in her past had given her every reason in the world to be bitter toward the entire male gender, at least on a personal level.

  “Anastasia, since we’re going to be together on an almost daily basis for months, I think we better clear some things up real fast.” Zach paused, waiting for her wounded eyes to come back up and meet his. “That chip on your shoulder has got to go. There’s no way to work this long together and not have personal involvement on some level. If you have something to say to me, stop dancing around the topic and just say it. I know you’ve had a bad experience. You’ve got distressed damsel written all over your face.”

  He waited for her to correct him or defend herself. But damn if the spunky woman didn’t break into a smile. The pointer just clicked upward a notch on the Ana Admiration Chart.

  “Are you finished analyzing me?” she asked with a tilt of her head. “You may be used to flaunting your million-dollar smile at women and having them swoon at your feet, but don’t look for me to get involved with you on anything other than a professional level. I have no secret past that you need to worry yourself with, nor am I a— What did you call me? A distressed damsel? Do you need an excuse to ride to a lady’s rescue, Zach? Well, ride on. I’m not interested.”

  She advanced even closer. Zach refused to step back. He wanted to see those amber flecks in her green eyes. He wanted to breathe in that hint of floral fragrance that probably came from the shampoo she had used in all that hair—he didn’t see her as a perfume spritzer. He wanted to watch her mouth as she matched him in this interesting conversation.

  These sensations he was feeling and the head games he was playing with himself were certainly nothing he’d ever experienced on a job site before.

  Damn, she was the sexiest little thing. He couldn’t recall a woman getting in his face, demanding attention from him that was in no way a sexual come-on.

  Purposeful or not, he was beyond turned on.

  He had a feeling that the more he hung around Miss Anastasia Clark, the more fascinated he’d be.

  “I’ve worked with men my whole life,” she continued, “so I’m immune to charm. There’s no come-on line you could throw my way that I haven’t repelled before. So if your intention is to try your playboy style on me, you’re wasting energy that would be put to better use on some busty socialite.”

  Yup. She was definitely going to be fascinating.

  “Feel better?” he asked, not even bothering to hold back a smile.

  Her brows drew together. “What?”

  “Do you feel better since you put me in my place?”

  Rolling her eyes, Ana laughed. “I doubt anyone has put you in your place, but I did want to let you know not to waste your smiles and flirtations on me. It wasn’t professional, but you asked and I don’t lie.”

  Zach rested his hip against her desk, in absolutely no hurry to leave. “What if I don’t consider flirting with you a waste?”

  She started to walk around her desk, but froze. “You’re kidding, right? Can we get through this project without embarrassing ourselves?”

  “Sure. On one condition.” He waited until she turned fully to face him once again, and for some reason he opened his mouth without thinking the demand through. “I need your help planning my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law’s bridal shower.”

  Ana shook her head as if she hadn’t heard him correctly. “Excuse me? Bridal shower? You starting a moonlighting career?”

  He should’ve known she wouldn’t make this easy for him. Perhaps, though, she would think he had a softer side and find him impossibly irresistib
le.

  Yeah, right. With the smirk on her face, she was happy to have ammunition with which to make fun of him.

  Yes, Ana was the perfect distraction to keep Melanie out of his mind.

  “My sister is in charge, but she had to leave suddenly.” And why was he explaining all of this to her? Since when did he ask to be mocked? “She asked me to help.”

  With a quirk of her arched brow, Ana eyed him. “So why are you sucking me into this? I’ve never been married.”

  He laughed. “You’re a woman.”

  “So glad you noticed,” she said dryly.

  “Oh, I noticed.” His eyes traveled down her fit body, unable to stay in one specific spot because she was just so…amazing. “I’ve noticed a lot about you.”

  She didn’t cross her arms over her chest like most women would’ve. Ana kept her hands to her sides and actually tilted her head and rolled her eyes as if he was boring the life out of her. God, she had a strong backbone. How could he not find that attractive?

  “Should I be flattered you’re lumping me in with the other lucky ladies in your life?” she asked.

  Zach chuckled. “Oh, Anastasia, you’re definitely nothing like the ladies in my life, I assure you. You stand out all on your own.”

  Her eyes widened, her nostrils flared. “Can we get back to when you were begging for my help? My heart can’t take all these romantic lines.”

  Begging? If he wasn’t careful, she would have him begging.

  Zach stared into her eyes, which wasn’t hard considering she was nearly as tall as he was. What had made her so hard, so bitter? This wasn’t about the project.

  Even though he told himself it wasn’t his problem, he couldn’t help but wonder what it would take to make her warm up to him. He didn’t want to be her shrink; he wanted to be her lover.

  “Kayla’s emailing me a to-do list,” Zach explained. “What do you say we meet for dinner later and discuss the shower plans and the project?”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Ana exclaimed with a laugh. “You expect me to go on a date with you to help with a bridal shower to which I know neither party getting married? Is this how you normally get women?”

  “Forget it.” He wasn’t going to beg or show weakness, no matter how much he needed help with this shower. He had no doubt Kayla’s list would be detailed and lengthy, but he’d do it on his own. “And don’t flatter yourself. I wasn’t asking you for a date. It was business.”

  Let her stew on that.

  “Business?” Ana seemed to think about her options. “Fine. I’ll meet you at Hancock’s at six. It’s the only restaurant I’ve tried since I’ve been here and I know the food’s good. If you’re one minute late, I’m leaving.”

  He stepped closer, so close she tipped her head back to look into his eyes. “I’ll pick you up at the condo you’re renting. My assistant will have your address. I’ll make reservations and tonight, Ana, you’ll try something different.”

  “I’m not looking for different,” she insisted.

  Zach took her bare, slender shoulders in his hands and hauled her against his chest. “Neither was I.”

  Her eyes dropped to his lips. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Timing’s wrong,” he muttered, hating himself for being a gentleman. “Just consider this your warning for when it’s right.”

  The pulse beneath the sun-kissed skin on her neck pounded almost as hard as his own. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips and he knew she was aroused. Welcome to the club.

  The chirp of a cell attached to Ana’s hip startled him. He stepped back, giving her a chance to answer.

  Her hand shook as she jerked the phone from the holder. “Hello.”

  In a split second, her face went from passionate and curious to pale and stiff. “I’m busy right now.”

  Interesting. Zach was just grateful he wasn’t on the receiving end of that icy voice. No, he was just fine being on her steamy side.

  Which just went to prove his point. She wasn’t immune to his charms like she insisted. The brittle, professional tone she used on him was nothing like now. At least when she spoke to him, there was heat in her voice. There was passion in her arguments.

  “I will get back with you when I can. I’m working.”

  She disconnected the call, clipped the phone back on her hip, keeping her eyes averted from him for a minute.

  Zach wondered who could get her so upset with a thirty-second call, but someone had and in the process had taken away the meager progress he’d made in chiseling away at her secure walls.

  “Everything okay?” he asked, growing uncomfortable with her silence.

  She glanced up at him, still void of any emotion he’d just seen in her eyes moments ago. “Fine,” she snapped. “Now, as I told my father, I need to get to work.”

  Her father. He obviously didn’t hold a special place in his little girl’s heart. A pang of hurt settled in his chest at the ever-present memories of his own father.

  Zach shook off the morose thought, not wanting to delve into his own past when he had the present and the future to concentrate on. All he wanted was to make this project run on schedule, within budget and be the most brilliant structure Victor Lawson had ever laid eyes, and money, on.

  Getting the fiery Miss Anastasia Clark into his bed would be an added perk. And she would be there.

  Unable to resist touching her smooth, heated skin once more, and because he wanted to replace that icy glaze in her eyes with anything else, Zach ran a fingertip down her cheek until her eyes locked on his.

  He offered her a grin, holding her chin until the corners of her mouth eased up just a notch. “See you at six.” Zach released her and headed for the door. “Oh, and don’t wear your tool belt, Anastasia.”

  Three

  Dressed and ready, Ana stood on the balcony of her condo overlooking the ocean. She loved the coast. Too bad all her jobs weren’t in a sunny climate with the smell of the ocean to accompany her to work every day.

  Most of her work took her from her Midwest home either farther west or north. Florida was certainly a place she could get used to. Building lavish, multimillion-dollar resorts was another thing she could get used to. Her company normally dealt with businesses or hotels and some smaller-scaled resorts, but no job compared to what she had going on now.

  There was the day spa in Colorado that had left an impact because she had built it for post-cancer patients to not only receive treatments, but to get some much-needed pampering during their recovery time. That had left a special place in her heart.

  And now Victor’s resort would also leave an emotional impact.

  She checked her watch once again. Zach had two minutes before he was late. Typical chauvinist. Men like him thrived on the fact that women waited on them. And they expected their women to gasp with delight when they showed up at the door with an elaborate bouquet or expensive bottle of wine. As if that’s all it took to get her into bed.

  No, thanks. She wasn’t the type to sigh, nor was she that easy to get into bed. Considering she’d never gone to bed with a man, she certainly wasn’t going to start with Zach Marcum. He’d probably think being a virgin at twenty-eight was unheard of, but she was living proof. If her skirt-chasing father hadn’t turned her off to intimacy, the gossip and stories she’d heard from her own mostly male crew over the years would surely have done the trick.

  Besides, Zach was already getting more than he deserved. He was so used to women jumping through hoops for him at a moment’s notice, and here she was following orders like a good little puppy. That was it. She would not, she vowed as she watched the whitecaps roll onto the beach, follow him into the bedroom. Handsome, sexy, impossibly charming. Yes, he was all that and so much more, but she had willpower. She’d survived this long in a workforce full of good-looking men. Surely she could work a few months with one drop-dead gorgeous playboy.

  The heavy knock on her door jarred her from her thoughts. Cursing the jittery nerves deep in he
r belly, Ana smoothed a hand down her bright blue dress. She’d packed several dresses for this trip, certainly not with the hopes of going on a date, business or otherwise, but because she knew Victor Lawson liked to throw parties and show off his Star Island home and she would be expected to attend. But the dress she wore tonight wasn’t fancy. Just a simple, fitted cotton tank. Though the dress showed off her slender, fit body, it did little to give her any of the feminine curves she wished she had. She was and always had been plain, simple…boring.

  She strode through her condo and opened the door before she changed her mind.

  Zach’s swift intake of breath sent shivers through her. Zach Marcum shocked over a woman? Interesting. Maybe he didn’t expect his women to do all the ogling.

  “You look amazing.”

  Ana laughed. “You sound surprised. You did tell me to leave off my tool belt. Right?”

  She didn’t want to be affected by his heated gaze as it traveled from her freshly painted pale pink toes, up her bare legs to the rounded neckline of her dress.

  “I just didn’t expect…this,” he said, bringing those dark chocolate eyes up to meet hers.

  “It’s just a plain dress, Zach.” She had to lighten this tension. “I’m sure you’ve seen women in much fancier things.”

  “I have,” he agreed, “but none of them could pull off simplicity like you can.”

  She felt a bit uneasy that this playboy was first speechless and then complimentary. Still she laughed, grabbed her key and slid it into her purse. “If you want me to put my sweaty tank and holey jeans back on, I can, but it comes with a hard hat and tool belt.”

  The smirk she’d come to know spread across his face. “While I admit you do look amazing in your work attire, I much prefer this sexy look.”

  Oh, dear. She may just sigh after all. Sexy? Now she saw why women fell so easily into his trap.

  “If you’re not too stunned at the fact that I do actually look like a woman off duty, shouldn’t we go? You did make reservations, right?”

  Zach brushed an auburn curl from her face, tucked it behind her ear. “Damn if I don’t lose my head around you.”