Her Innocence, His Conquest

by Jules Bennett

  “They’re gone.”

  Ana jerked around to see Zach closing the office door. “Oh, um, didn’t they need to talk to me some more?”

  “I told them you had an emergency call and you’d come down to the station in the morning to let them know if anything was taken and to file an official report.”

  Ana tugged her rubber band from her hair, smoothed the tangled curls back as best she could and looped it back into a low bun. “Thanks. Guess I’d better start cleaning up.”

  Zach crossed the tiny space, stepping over files and papers, and came to stand within inches of her. “Care to tell me what put that tear track on your cheek?”

  “Not right now.”

  He studied her face. “We’re going to be bunk mates all night. I’m here when you’re ready to talk.”

  Torn, Ana stood still as Zach began to pick up the papers and put them in stacks on her desk. Not only had he dropped the subject, he’d genuinely been concerned and offered her a listening ear later. Just like last night when her emotions and feelings were all over the place, he’d known when to give her space and say just the right words.

  Okay, so maybe some good qualities did come from him being a playboy. Ana wasn’t sure. But she did know one thing. She had to be on her guard where this man was concerned because if she wasn’t careful, he’d cause more damage to her life than any vandalism or divorce ever could.

  She was on a slippery slope and losing her grip fast falling for Zach Marcum. Each day she slid just a bit more. Unfortunately he wasn’t on the slope following her down.

  Cole and Tamera had brought fast food, an air mattress, pillows and a couple of lightweight blankets. After Zach assured his twin and Tam that he and Ana would be fine sleeping in the on-site office, they finally walked out.

  But not before Cole motioned for Zach to join him outside.

  “Could I have a word with you?” Cole asked.

  “Be right back,” Zach told Ana.

  Cole sent Tamera on to the car and stood at the bottom of the wrought-iron steps waiting for his fiancée to be out of earshot.

  “Don’t screw this up.”

  Zach rested one black boot on the top step, the other on the bottom step. “I’m not screwing anything up.”

  “I know you,” Cole stated. “I also know Ana isn’t your type, but the two of you are shooting off some pretty strong sparks. I was serious when I told you you couldn’t get her because she wasn’t your type and she wouldn’t be interested.”

  Zach shrugged. “I never take you seriously. Was there anything else?”

  “She’s not here for your enjoyment, Zach,” Cole warned, lowering his tone. “I haven’t spent much time around her, but there’s a sense of innocence about her. She’s a professional. Make sure you stay that way as well.”

  Anger bubbled to the surface. Between the break-in, Ana’s upsetting phone call that he still ached to know about and Cole’s fatherly warning, Zach was ready to explode.

  “If you’re finished letting me know how to live the next year of my personal and professional life, your fiancée is waiting.”

  Without another word, he turned and went back into the cool office where Ana was setting up the air mattress in the middle of the floor. Every window, save for the one with the small air-conditioning unit, had been busted. They’d boarded them up in order to keep in the cool air.

  On her knees, pulling the air pump from the suction of the mattress, Ana glanced up as he came back through. “Home sweet home.” She smiled.

  Even though she tried to keep her tone light, Zach caught the question underlying her statement. When her eyes darted to the bare bed, the stack of pillows and sheets on the desktop and back to him, he knew she was worried. Cole had only brought one mattress.

  “Ana, you don’t have to stay here.” He closed the door behind him, not moving much farther into the tiny office. There was no reason to make her any more jittery. “I’ll be just fine. In all honesty, I’m sure whoever did this won’t be back tonight, if ever. I can call Cole back and have him give you a lift home.”

  Shaking her head, Ana came to her feet. “Don’t be absurd. I’m not going anywhere. I meant that the first and second time I said it.”

  “You’re nervous.”

  “Yes.”

  He smiled at her quick, honest answer. “Don’t be. I also didn’t lie when I said nothing would happen until you’re ready. I would never push you, Ana.”

  “I’m not concerned about you, Zach.” She crossed her arms over her abdomen. “I’m scared of myself.”

  “Excuse me?”

  She sighed, moving around the mattress to lean against the small desk that had been shoved into the corner. Her long, lean legs extended out in front of her. Zach held his place, waiting for her to continue.

  “I don’t recognize myself lately,” she said, staring down at her jeweled flip-flops. “You make me want things I’ve never wanted before. Make me have thoughts about something other than work and my family. I’ve never thought about…”

  “Yourself?” he asked, earning him a slight nod. “You’re too busy working or taking calls from your parents or helping people who need you. You can’t say no to anyone, so therefore your own needs are put on hold.”

  Ana brought her gaze back up to his. “You’re not telling me anything I don’t know, but I just don’t know how to let go.”

  Easing closer, Zach shrugged. “I can’t believe this is coming from my mouth, but take it slow. I don’t want you to regret being with me. And since we’re here all night, and my first choice of activities isn’t an option, we’ll work on the seating chart for the shower.”

  Ana’s eyes studied him for a moment. And now that he’d moved closer, he could see just how hard her pulse was pounding. Out of nerves? Or arousal?

  “I never know what you’ll do or say next,” she murmured. “You’re not who I thought you were.”

  That made two of them. He had no idea he’d ever want to put his social life on hold to wait for a woman who may or may not ever be ready to sleep with him. And if/when she did decide, what the hell then? He had nice words to give her about waiting and being patient, but when the time came, could he really give her everything she needed? Would he be attentive enough, gentle enough?

  “Let me go get the list of names,” he told her, once again heading back outside, needing some distance. “I’m going to move my bike closer to the office, too.”

  He walked out into the sun setting over the ocean to retrieve the list from the saddlebags on his Screamin’ Eagle and couldn’t help but think of how far they still had to go on this property.

  Normally when a project started, Zach was in a hurry to see it completed. Not this time, though. Because when this resort was done, Ana would move on to another town, another site. Another man?

  Zach kick-started his Harley to life and gritted his teeth. No, he was in no hurry to see this project come to a close, but he wouldn’t dwell on the inevitable. Right now, he was working on his master plan of seduction.

  Ten

  Nerves slammed around in Ana’s body as she waited for Zach to come back. Was this fate’s way of smacking her in the face by giving her the opportunity with a man she knew could show her everything she needed to know and more about intimacy?

  Yes, Zach’s willingness to be her teacher wasn’t her concern. The fact that she knew without a doubt that her heart would get battered in the process was more bothersome.

  Ana slipped out of her flip-flops and took the pile of sheets to make up their bed.

  Their bed.

  There was no way that she could sleep with Zach on this mattress. No. Way. She’d never shared a bed with anyone, much less a man.

  This was a bad, bad idea. So what if Cole only had one mattress in his attic? Why didn’t he just go buy another one? Probably because Zach told him not to.

  Ana snapped the fitted sheet from the folded pile and wrestled the elastic corners over the air mattress, all the while c
ursing the blasted person or persons who were responsible for the break-in. Not only did they make a total mess of her meager work space, but so did the cops, and now she was forced to be with Zach and his sexy smile, powerful words and arousing touches.

  Just as she sent the top sheet sailing into the air to let it fall carelessly over the bed, Zach stepped back in with folded papers in hand and an expression she couldn’t quite read.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  He shook his head, laid the papers on her desk. “Nothing—other than the fact that your office got trashed, I’m stuck with this guest list while my sister is out of town and this is not how I wanted to spend an evening alone with you.”

  Ana couldn’t help but laugh. “Careful. Your bottom lip is starting to pucker. Pouting won’t change a thing.”

  “You’re right, but you asked.” He glanced down to the bed in the middle of the floor, then back up to her. “You know there’s no way we can sleep on that.”

  Yeah, she knew. She was just surprised he thought so.

  “I’ll take this blanket and sleep on the floor by the door,” he told her, grabbing the thin cotton blanket from her desk chair.

  “I’m not tired.” Ana didn’t want to get into sleeping arrangements right now. Her nerves were already a jumbled mess. “Let’s look at the guest list and see how many people you all should expect so we can get some numbers to your caterer.”

  Zach spread the blanket out on the hard floor and came back over to where Ana had the papers spread across her desk. His cologne wasn’t overpowering, but it was strong and dominating, just the same. Much like the man.

  She knew her office was small, even more so every time he’d been in here, but now that she knew they were going to be here for hours, through the hot, hopefully silent night, the space really seemed to close in around her.

  Ana stared down at the papers, resting her hands on the edge of her desk, right alongside of Zach’s. Yeah, there wasn’t a word on there that she could focus on. How could she when all she could think about was whether she should take this opportunity and run with it?

  But at the same time, just because the opportunity was there, did that mean she had to act on it?

  “…and since we’re going with the ice cream social and mingling motif, seating won’t be an issue so we won’t have to worry about dealing with exes and people who would rather not be seated next to their in-laws.”

  Ana dragged her mutinous mind back to the issue at hand. Forcing herself to listen to Zach, she nodded. Zach seemed to have it all sorted out. Obviously he wasn’t having an issue at all.

  “The names printed in red are the ones who are coming.” He pointed to another set of names. “These in green haven’t sent their RSVP back in yet.”

  Ana cleared her throat. If he could manage this crackling tension, then so could she. “How many of these are children?”

  Zach ran a long, tanned finger down the last page. “She has here approximately seventeen.”

  “Okay, so we’ll need two dozen cupcakes at least,” Ana told him, grabbing a pen from her desktop and jotting down notes on the list. “I’d say more like three dozen, though. I assume Kayla will take care of calling the caterer?”

  Zach nodded. “She should be back tomorrow, so yes, she’ll do that.”

  Ana picked up a small notepad from her desk and moved to the mattress. She sank down, crossing her legs and began to jot more notes down, trying desperately to get into the role of wedding shower coordinator and keep her distance from Mr. Tall, Dark and Yummy.

  No such luck. He followed her, removed his black boots and sat next to her on the bed. Because he outweighed her by a good fifty pounds, she had to catch herself from tumbling against him.

  “What are you writing now?” he asked, leaning closer to get a look.

  “Just some of my thoughts for Kayla. I—”

  Zach placed a hand over her hand on the pen. “You’re shaking.”

  Ana kept her eyes diverted to the paper and forbid herself from looking up into a set of chocolate eyes she just knew were watching her every move.

  But she wasn’t about to act like the unknowing, naive woman who didn’t know what he was referring to. “I tend to shake when I’m nervous.”

  “Do I make you nervous, Anastasia?”

  She risked a glance over at him—so much for her forbidding herself. “Only when you’re with me,” she said with a slight smile.

  His warm fingers stayed wrapped around her hand, but his other hand came up to the base of her throat. “Your pulse is always going so fast. Are you scared?”

  “I’d be a fool not to be scared.” She closed her eyes, allowing his sensual touch to take over. “You promised not to push me.”

  “You don’t look like you’re being pushed into anything.” She heard the smile in his voice. “You appear to be enjoying my persuasion.”

  Those wandering fingers came up around her jawline, slid over her slightly parted lips and stroked them. “You like my touch, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  The pen slid from her hand, rolled off her lap. The notebook slid onto the sheet as well.

  “Why don’t you just let your body take over?” he whispered, moving in closer. “I know you have so much passion.”

  Oh, how she wanted to let him take complete control over this situation. But she couldn’t. If she let him in, even the slightest bit, she feared he’d leave her wanting more of something he couldn’t give.

  She came to her feet, nearly tripping backward as she stumbled off the mattress. “This isn’t happening. It can’t.”

  Zach’s gaze started at her bare feet, traveled up her legs and body before locking onto her eyes. “It will happen, Ana. You want this just as much as I do and you won’t deprive yourself for long. One of these times when we’re alone, you’ll lose control. And I’ll be there ready and willing.”

  Shivers slid up Ana’s spine at the matter-of-fact tone. “Are you always this sure of yourself?”

  His grin was menacing, threatening. Arousing. “Always.”

  She stepped back once again when he came to his feet and held out his hand. “Come on,” he told her. “I have an idea.”

  Keeping her hands to herself, she eyed him. “What?”

  “Just come on.” He pulled his boots back on, tossed her flip-flips her way and grabbed his keys. “I’m going to be your first one way or another.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Ana exclaimed once they stepped outside her office into the stifling Miami heat. Even though it was nearly midnight, the air was thick and Zach’s idea was preposterous.

  He smiled, crossed his arms over his wide chest and shook his head. “This is the perfect spot for you to learn how to ride.”

  Ana stared at the big, black motorcycle like it would bite her. “There’s no way I’m getting on that and driving it.”

  “Why not? I had a first time, too.”

  She laughed. “I don’t want to hear about your firsts and I don’t want to learn.”

  He leaned down next to her ear and whispered, “We can always go back inside.”

  Ana swallowed. “Give me a helmet.”

  “No need.” He eased back and handed the key to her. “We’re just going to be around here and you won’t be going fast. Besides, there are no rules on private property.”

  Still, fear of the unknown territory speared through her. “Zach, this is silly. What if I tear up your bike?”

  He shrugged, took her hand and placed it on the handlebar. “You won’t tear it up and if you do, it’s a piece of metal. It can be fixed and I have others.”

  The warm metal beneath her palm did nothing to soothe her nerves. “Is there anything I should know before I mount up?”

  Zach let out a deep-from-the-belly laugh, smacking a kiss right on her cheek before he came around the other side of the bike. “Mount up? No, there’s not much you need to know. I can stand here and tell you that this is a Harley-Davidso
n Screamin’ Eagle specially made when I ordered it. I could go through the impressive engine I had put into it, along with all the accessories, but I won’t bore you.

  “Right now all you need to know is how to sit on it before you start it. Get used to holding all that power between your legs.”

  She quirked a brow. “You’re seriously not going to start with those double entendres, are you?”

  Zach shrugged. “If that’s the only way to ease you into everything. Now sit.”

  “Don’t I need pants and boots or something?”

  He glanced to her bare legs and flip-flops. “Nah. The engine won’t get hot in the little bit of time you’ll be riding. That is if you can get it started and can steady it.”

  Ana rolled her eyes. “Like I said. How hard is it to sit with this thing between your legs?”

  When Zach merely smiled, those stark white teeth shining bright compared to his tanned skin and dark rugged stubble on his jaw, Ana knew she was in over her head.

  And not just with the Harley.

  Keeping her hand firm on the handle, she tossed her leg over the seat and grabbed hold of the other handle. “Okay, now what?”

  He stood in front of the bike, arms crossed over his impressive chest, the hint of a tattoo on his bicep peeking from beneath his black T-shirt. Well, that answered one question. One down, how many hidden tattoos to go?

  With the moon behind the clouds, this sexy, irresistible man before her looked like the polar opposite of a millionaire CEO type…. He looked like the devil wrapped in a nice, enticing package.

  “Try to balance the bike between your legs. Put your weight on your feet and ease the bike so it’s up and not leaning on the stand.”

  Her hands gripped the bars as she shifted her weight, and the bike. “Oh, no…”

  He was right beside her, curling his big, strong hands around hers, shoving his rock-solid body against her side to prevent her from tilting.

  “Good grief.” Ana’s breath came in fast pants, not just because of the near fall on this huge bike. “I had no idea it would feel that heavy. It didn’t seem like that when I sat behind you.”