Her Innocence, His Conquest

by Jules Bennett

  “I was just asking where they’re getting married,” Ana chimed in. “I’m surprised they’re getting married at Cole’s house.”

  “We didn’t want anything unfamiliar or too out of the way for our closest family and friends.” Tamera looked up at Cole, love radiating around them. “We plan on having a long reception and leaving for our honeymoon right after and we wanted a place for our family to stay overnight. Our house seemed perfect.”

  Ana smiled. “That sounds wonderful. Very intimate and personal.”

  Zach was certain if all this love, wedding and happily-ever-after talk proceeded much longer, he’d break out in head-to-toe hives. This was definitely not a topic he was comfortable with, nor did he want to hang around long enough to get comfortable with it. The moment would never come.

  “Been by the site in the last couple days?” he asked Cole.

  His twin nodded. “Matter of fact I ran by earlier today.”

  “The preparations are coming along ahead of schedule and the rest of Ana’s crew arrived two days ago, so that will speed things along even more.”

  Tamera rolled her eyes. “Do we have to discuss work? We’re all off, so let’s just enjoy the party. I’m hungry, Cole. Let’s go get a plate.”

  Cole eyed his brother, giving him the “we’ll talk later” look. Zach chuckled as he took a long pull of his beer. Never, ever would a woman get that deep into his life that she called the shots on his next move. Just another reason love wasn’t for him.

  It was something he wished he would’ve known before his wife ran off with another man and then continued to haunt him because her affair didn’t last.

  But Zach was happy his brother and Tamera had found their way back to each other and were now planning the wedding of the year.

  “Don’t look so sour,” Ana said, snapping him from his thoughts. “If you want to talk shop, I’m all ears.”

  “A woman after my own heart,” he joked.

  A lopsided grin spread across her face. “I’m hardly after your heart, Zach.”

  “That’s good, considering I won’t give it away again.”

  “Again?”

  Dammit. Of all the times to bring up his most vulnerable moment.

  “I was married before,” he said casually. “Didn’t last. She wants back together, I don’t. End of story.”

  Ana rubbed a delicate hand up her arm and shook her head. “Just another reason we’re so different. Marriage is a huge deal. That’s one of the reasons I never want to do it. There’s no way a man would be what I need in a husband.”

  Interesting. “What do you want?”

  She shrugged, clutching her tiny purse with both hands. “It’s not so much what I want as what I need. Faithfulness, loyalty, stability, honesty. He’d have to put me first. I’m not saying spoil me and pamper me, I’m saying be attentive to my needs and know my desires.”

  If only she’d let him know her desires, he’d meet every single one of them. But he certainly wasn’t vying for a slot in the husband category.

  “Don’t get me wrong,” she went on, staring at all the couples mingling hand in hand around the lavish grounds. “I’m so happy when two people who are meant to be together find that happiness. It’s just not something I’ll ever have. But, believe me, I’m not complaining.”

  The longer she talked and watched other people, the clearer it became she was lying. Oh, she may not know she was lying to herself, but she was. The longing in her eyes, the softness in her voice as she spoke of her requirements… Yes, Anastasia Clark wanted that fairy tale and one day she’d probably find it. The right man would come along and give her all of that and more.

  Zach didn’t want to think about Ana with another man. Not when he hadn’t even had a chance to explore that passion that lurked inside of her.

  “Oh, and a dog,” she added.

  “Excuse me?”

  She turned her pale green eyes back to him. “I’d have to have a dog. If he loves animals, then that’s a good sign he’s caring and nurturing. Of course, in my work a dog isn’t very practical, not with me traveling all over the country.”

  “Maybe when you meet your prince charming, you’ll settle into his castle and not travel anymore.” Zach couldn’t help but grin as her eyes narrowed. “Then you can have all the dogs you want.”

  “I told you, I’m not settling down. I’m certainly not slowing down anytime soon on my work, either. I love what I do, love my independence.”

  Even better. She wasn’t looking for a commitment. Perfect.

  “I see a client of mine,” Zach told her. “I need to go say hi. You’re welcome to come with me.”

  She waved a hand through the air. “You don’t need to babysit me. Go, mingle. I’ll come find you when I’m ready.”

  Zach left Ana as she made her way toward one of the numerous tiered food tables. He chatted with one client, and then with many more previous clients his family’s firm had worked with.

  After about an hour, Zach scanned the area for Ana but had no luck in spotting her. Surely she wouldn’t have left with someone and not told him. He wandered back in through one of the seven French doors that led into the house. This set led into the formal sitting room where more partygoers chatted. No Ana.

  Then he heard that sexy laugh.

  His head darted around and he spotted that red hair, that emerald dress, and his ever-present arousal smacked him in the face. Jealousy soon followed as he watched her chat with a man that Zach knew was married to a very sweet, unknowing woman. The rich, middle-aged man smiled as he pushed a stray strand of Ana’s hair that had slipped from her bun.

  Zach had never considered himself territorial before, but there was no way in hell he could let this go on. He had no doubt Ana didn’t have a clue the man she was talking to had a mischievous gleam in his eye and had set his sights on her.

  “Gabriel Stanley, nice to see you again,” Zach said as he approached, not affected one bit by the glare he’d just received from the other man. “I saw your wife outside. She looks wonderful. You two having another boy?”

  Gabriel shoved his hands in his dress-pants pockets. “Yes. We’re having our third boy.”

  “How wonderful,” Ana beamed, oblivious to the tension. “Congratulations. You didn’t tell me that.”

  Zach nearly laughed. No, old Gabriel probably didn’t tell his prey he had a wife and family…. That would certainly put a damper on any affair he hoped to have with her.

  “She looked a bit tired,” Zach added. “You may want to check on her.”

  The muscle in Gabriel’s jaw ticked. “Ana, it was a pleasure to meet you. Zach, see you around.”

  “Well, that was incredibly rude,” Ana said once they were alone. “Why didn’t you pee on me to mark your territory?”

  Zach stood directly in front of her, staring into those eyes that were as mesmerizing as any emerald. “He’s married.”

  “And?”

  “He was flirting with you.”

  Ana grinned and patted him on the cheek. “You’re cute when you’re jealous. Almost makes me want to pursue that to see if those feelings are sincere.”

  “I’m not jealous,” he insisted, though if that got another foot inside her stone wall, he’d own up to it. “Let’s go.”

  She opened her mouth as if she wanted to argue, but closed it and nodded. “We should tell Victor goodbye.”

  “He’s busy talking with guests. He won’t mind if we slip out.”

  Giving her no other option, Zach took her hand and led her through the mansion and out onto the stone driveway where they waited for the valet to bring the car up.

  Strained silence accompanied them back to her South Beach condo. He didn’t want her to think of him as a jerk. After all, wasn’t he supposed to be showing her a different side of men?

  Wait a minute. Since when had his conquest gone from getting into her bed to showing her that he was genuinely interested in getting to know her? He didn’t want a relationship
by any means. Then again, if they were going to be together so much, he might as well work every angle to his advantage.

  “Look, I’m sorry if you think I was rude to you back there.” He cleared his throat. “But I won’t apologize for being rude to Gabriel.”

  “Yeah, that sounded sincere.”

  Zach shot her a quick sideways glance. “I am sincere. And I’m not afraid to apologize when I know I’m wrong or I’ve hurt someone’s feelings that I care about.”

  Her sharp intake of breath shocked him. He’d better clarify his statement.

  “I know how you view men,” he went on. “But we’re not all bad and we’re not all like Gabriel. Just because some men choose to enjoy women doesn’t mean they are playing them. They may just be dating around, one at a time and having fun.”

  “Like you,” she said.

  Sitting this close, with her wearing so little, Zach had to reach out to touch her. He slid his hand across the console and rested it on her thigh. “Like me. I don’t lie to women, ever. If I’m with someone, she knows where I stand on relationships and she also knows that she can trust me not to be with someone else while I’m with her.”

  “For some reason, I believe you.”

  And for some reason, he exhaled a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. He wanted Ana to think of him as one of the good guys. He wanted to set the bar for her so when she did go out and realize she wanted that fairy tale, she wouldn’t fall for any frogs.

  Dammit. He was now thinking like a five-year-old little girl. He was a man, for crying out loud. He wasn’t supposed to think of fairy tales and frogs.

  Bottom line, he’d show her how a real man was supposed to treat a woman. And he could certainly do that without getting wrapped up in a relationship.

  Seven

  When Zach pulled up to her condo, she started to get out. “Thanks for the ride.”

  “I’ll see you up.”

  She began to protest as he exited the car, but he quickly opened her door and extended his hand, leaving her no choice but to accept his gesture and follow. She wanted to get away from him, away from his overbearing antics. She was a grown woman, for heaven’s sake and she could handle herself. Maybe she had liked being hit on at Victor’s party—though the fact that Gabriel Stanley was married with a child on the way was a bit creepy and extremely wrong.

  Zach told the valet that he’d be right back, then he slid an arm around her waist and escorted her inside to the elevator.

  The he-man routine wasn’t quite her style, but she couldn’t help but feel humbled and a bit special because he’d come up to her when he thought she may be getting in over her head with a married man.

  Either Zach had really high morals about fidelity or he wanted her all to himself.

  Or, the most likely scenario, both. A part of her worried she was taking this flirting too far.

  Ana flicked open her clutch as the elevator dinged on her floor. Zach’s hand hadn’t moved from her back and the heat radiating from him had probably put a hole right through her dress.

  The simple affection made her heart flip, but she knew it was only because she wasn’t used to seeing that side of a man. She was used to sweaty, grimy men working all day on sites. She hadn’t been on a date in months and even then, it hadn’t been anything special.

  Zach took the key card from her and slid it into her door. She couldn’t let him in. Not only did she fear her willpower would fizzle the second he stepped over that threshold and the door slammed behind him, but she couldn’t let him see all of her personal things. No one ever saw all the items she carried with her from site to site. They were her sanctuary. When he’d questioned her earlier about her pictures, she’d panicked.

  Zach opened the door, gesturing for Ana to step in ahead of him.

  “Thanks again.” She turned, holding her hand out for the key. “I’m sure I’ll see you Monday.”

  Zach didn’t turn the key over to her like she’d expected. He kept hold of it while his eyes roamed over her face, focusing on her lips.

  “I’ve watched you all night,” he told her in a softer, huskier voice. “Watched that creamy skin slide against your dress. Pieces of your hair dance around in the breeze. I’ve never practiced more restraint than I did tonight.”

  Control had to remain with her, she knew, or they would both make a decision they weren’t ready for. “Don’t, Zach. Just give me the key.”

  He laid the key in her upturned palm, only to cup the side of her face and stroke her bottom lip with his thumb. “You don’t want me to go. If you’re honest with yourself, you want to know what it would be like.”

  The “it” wasn’t in question. And, yes, she had wondered, dreamed. But that didn’t mean anything could or would happen. Though she knew exactly what he was talking about when he’d said he’d practiced self-restraint. God knew she was having to hold herself back right now.

  She never thought she’d be at the point of restraint. She’d always assumed when she chose to take a lover, she would be so certain, all of her doubts would vanish. Yeah, so not the case. Not that she’d decided one hundred percent to take Zach as her lover, but she was inching closer and closer.

  “We’re so different, Zach.”

  He stepped closer. “Then why aren’t you pushing me away?”

  Because she couldn’t form a coherent thought. Between his sultry words, that crisp scent of his cologne and his potent touch, Ana only knew her body was approaching flashpoint and was racked by an ache she hadn’t felt before now.

  “I’ll go if you tell me to,” he murmured a second before his lips came down onto hers.

  Both arms came around her waist as he softly coaxed her lips open with his tongue. With her dress low-cut in the back, Zach’s rough palms slid over her smooth skin, proving once again how opposite they were…yet how amazing he felt.

  He pressed her against his body as one hand snaked up beneath her hair and massaged her neck.

  With all the assaults on her body at once, Ana hadn’t even noticed Zach had backed her farther into the foyer until the door clicked shut, closing out the light from the hallway.

  Ana pulled back, her hands clutching his hard biceps. A soft glow from the living room filtered around them, but the half-wall kept most of the light out.

  “Zach,” she said breathlessly, “I can’t. We can’t.”

  Zach’s eyelids were heavy, his lips moist and swollen, his breathing erratic. “Don’t be scared,” he whispered as he eased her back against the wall and covered her mouth once again.

  Scared happened long ago. Now she was downright terrified. Certainly not of him, but of herself for wanting something, craving something she had no control over.

  Ana wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her aching body to his. The tie behind her neck came free with ease as Zach gave the knot a gentle tug. The soft material slid down, stopping where their bodies were joined.

  Zach eased back, breaking their kiss for a moment. They both looked down as the top of her halter dress slid away from her breasts.

  “Breathtaking,” he whispered.

  Ana didn’t know what to say, what to do. “Zach…”

  “Shh.” He laid a finger to her lips. “I won’t hurt you.”

  She pushed just a bit more against his chest before he could claim her tingling lips again. “I’ve never done this before. And as much as I’d like to give in, I just can’t.”

  Zach stared at her, as if only just registering her words. Then slowly he pulled her straps back up, tied them around her neck with shaky hands.

  Ana didn’t take her eyes off him as he straightened her dress. Embarrassment and shame filled her. “I didn’t mean to tease you or to let this get out of hand.”

  He stepped back, shoved his hands into the pockets of his dress pants. “I don’t know what to say.”

  Feeling the need for security, Ana wrapped her arms around her waist and glanced down to the floor. “It’s okay. You can just go and we’l
l pretend this night never happened. This was my fault for letting you in.”

  “Nobody lets me do anything.” His husky voice enveloped her. “I wanted to come in with you, Anastasia. Nothing could’ve kept me out.”

  She couldn’t look at him, didn’t want to see the disappointment in his eyes. Since when had his feelings and what he thought of her really mattered? This was precisely why she didn’t get involved, on any level, with men. Her emotions weren’t too far below her steel surface and it never took much for them to slip out.

  Zach’s fingertip slid beneath her chin and tipped her face up. “Look at me.”

  As much as she wanted to avoid him, she knew the sooner she cooperated, the sooner he would leave and she could get past this awkward moment.

  Ana lifted her gaze, but instead of finding anger or disappointment, she discovered a passionate, caring look she’d never expected in Zach’s eyes.

  “Why are you ashamed?” he asked. “I’m surprised, yes, but I’m even more impressed. I knew you were strong, independent, but I had no idea just how vulnerable you were.”

  She straightened her shoulders. “I’m not vulnerable or ashamed.”

  He stroked the pad of his thumb over her lips. “Don’t lie to me or yourself. You think I’m disappointed, so you’re ashamed you lost control. You’re also vulnerable or you would’ve let go long ago. You’re afraid of getting hurt. Who hurt you in your past, Ana? Who put this worry, this doubt in you?”

  The burn began in her eyes, her nose, then her throat. When tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, she closed her eyes and turned away to break free of his mesmerizing touch.

  “Leave,” she whispered. “Just…leave.”

  “I would never force you, would never make you feel pressured. But I won’t let go of this attraction between us and neither will you.” Zach reached for the door, pulled on the knob. “I’m a patient man when I see something I want. I’ll wait for you, Anastasia. Because I want you more than anything I’ve wanted in a long time. That’s new for both of us and something we’ll have to get used to.”

  Before she could say anything else, he opened the door and left.