Her Innocence, His Conquest

by Jules Bennett

  A burst of giddiness swept through her at the fact that Zach may actually love her. She’d wondered before, but now she had a bit more hope. When they’d been one and he’d looked into her eyes, she’d seen the emotion as clearly as if he’d said the words. She seriously didn’t think she was imagining things just because her own feelings were out there.

  As Ana listened to her mother’s messages, her excitement increased. Her mother wanted to come for a visit and to see how the new project was coming along.

  Nearly six months had passed since Ana had seen her mother. She couldn’t wait to show her how the site was progressing. Maybe she could stay until the end of the project since she was technically single and had no job to be home for.

  Oh, who was Ana kidding? She was more excited about Zach and her mother meeting. Of course, that was a giant step into relationship territory and she didn’t want to stress Zach or make him feel trapped, but she did want him to see another side of her. And she wanted her mother to meet the one man who’d touched Ana so deeply, he’d be embedded into her heart forever.

  Ana called her mother and made arrangements for her to fly in on Friday. That would give her time to get Zach used to the idea of her mother’s arrival.

  And even though the proverbial “meeting of the parents” was a giant step in a relationship, Ana couldn’t let this opportunity pass her by.

  She sank down on her bed and stared out the wide window toward the harbor. Taking on this project had changed her life in so many unpredictable ways. How would she cope with leaving Miami? Would Zach want her to stay? They still had many months to go before she could pack up and go. Surely in that time he would be honest with himself.

  Ana knew, at this point, the best thing she could do was just be herself. After all, she hadn’t done anything to get Zach to have feelings for her, so she certainly wasn’t pressing her luck by making him open up about something he feared.

  No, this was a monumental decision and one Zach needed to come to on his own. And if he didn’t, well, when she left and said goodbye for the final time, she’d leave a piece of her heart with him.

  Eighteen

  Ana called Zach’s house, hoping to catch the housekeeper. Thankfully the Latina woman remembered her.

  “I never see one of Mr. Marcum’s ladies. I hear about them, but never see,” she repeated with a heavy accent.

  Okay, that was a plus in her favor, though Ana didn’t really want to hear about all of Mr. Marcum’s ladies. She asked the woman if she could stop by and pick up Jake for the day.

  Now Ana was in a rental car, with towels placed all over the front seat and floor to help defer the mess of any accidental doggie business and she was heading to Zach’s office for a surprise. Since he was always doing things for her, she decided to take half the day away from the site and spend it with him. After all, her mother would be in town tomorrow and Ana had barely mentioned the fact. What would he think of meeting her mother? Surely he knew, because she’d given her body so freely and confessed her feelings, that she wanted more from this relationship than just an occasional romp.

  Ana found a parking spot directly in front of his office. As she exited the car, she squinted against the harsh gleam of sunshine reflecting off the six-story glass office building.

  A bubble of excitement popped up when she glanced in the backseat at the large picnic basket and white blanket she’d brought. She reached across the console and scooped up Jake, tucking him under her arm.

  When she stepped through the double doors, the receptionist greeted her. “Good afternoon, Miss Clark. Are you here to see Mr. Marcum?”

  Ana nodded. “But don’t tell him I’m here. I want to surprise him.”

  The young woman’s eyes darted down the hall toward the elevator and back as she bit her lip. “Um…okay.”

  That was weird, Ana thought as she headed for the elevator. Another woman, a very tall, stunning blonde, stood waiting as well.

  The doors slid open just as Ana got there.

  “What a cute dog,” the other woman said as they entered the car together. “What’s its name?”

  Ana pushed the number four and said, “Jake. My boyfriend just bought him for me and I’m here to surprise him and take him to lunch.”

  The elevator lifted and seconds later the doors opened on the fourth floor.

  “But I thought Cole just got married,” the blonde said, her brows drawn together.

  Ana stepped off the elevator with the woman. “Oh, he did last Saturday. I’m dating his brother.”

  The woman’s eyes widened, her mouth dropped open. “Really? Well, I’m his wife.”

  Ana’s hold on the dog tightened, but she was careful not to squeeze too tight. No need in causing harm to the wrong being. Surely she heard wrong or this positively breathtaking woman was delusional.

  “You say Zach bought you the dog?” the beauty asked. “Funny, he always told me he never wanted pets messing up our tidy house. But whatever. I didn’t catch your name.”

  Ana refused to show any emotion and let this woman have the upper hand, no matter that her heart had just taken a punch. “If you’ll excuse me,” she muttered, purposely ignoring the request.

  Just as she turned to go, the woman touched her arm. “I need to see him before you and Toto here go in.”

  From the corner of her eye Ana spotted Zach striding down the hallway. And, oh, joy, the ex noticed at the same time, too. They both watched an unknowing Zach as he came toward them with his head down, reading a document.

  Ana ate up his looks from his shiny black shoes to his faded designer jeans and long-sleeve black dress shirt rolled up onto his tanned forearms. Even his messy, spiky hair and stubble along the jawline didn’t diminish the fact that this man was sexy. Sexy and very much in trouble.

  “Zach.”

  Ana stood back, holding Jake to her chest as the ex crossed to him.

  “Melanie.” He jerked to a stop, then darted his eyes over her shoulder to look straight at Ana. “Ana? What’s going on?”

  Ana shrugged, letting Melanie have her say. No way was she going to interrupt this. Seeing Zach’s reaction to his ex would give her an insight into his true feelings—something she never doubted until now.

  “I need to talk to you,” Melanie said, throwing a glance over her shoulder. “Alone.”

  Suddenly Ana wished she’d thrown on a cute sundress instead of her white shorts and blue tank. But she figured they’d be at the beach for the picnic and she wanted to be comfortable. Melanie, however, seemed to be comfortable in her skinny mini strapless dress and stilettos.

  Yeah, Ana could so see Zach wanting to spend the rest of his life with an hourglass instead of a stick figure with a B cup…and that was on her “puffy” days.

  Jake whimpered and Ana kissed his fur. “You’re okay,” she whispered in his little ear.

  “After we talked the other day, I didn’t hear from you so I thought I’d stop by and talk in person,” Melanie said. “You didn’t answer the texts I sent on Saturday night.”

  Saturday night. The night Ana had given herself to a man who was still in a relationship with his ex-wife. A viselike grip tightened around her heart and Ana couldn’t hold back the gasp as air whooshed from her lungs.

  Zach’s eyes darted back to Ana, as if he knew where her thoughts had wandered. And if Melanie’s revelation hadn’t just ripped out her heart, the look in his dark eyes did.

  Sorrow, shame, guilt, they all stared back at her. How long had they been talking? Is that why he’d been so patient with her? He was already getting some from his ex?

  God, what a loser and gullible mess she was. But Ana refused to be the “other” woman as her mother had for years.

  “If you’d just told me that you were in a serious relationship, I wouldn’t be here,” Melanie went on to say.

  Zach looked back to Melanie and ran a hand through his hair. The other hand holding the document fell lazily to his side. “I didn’t say anything because I
’m not in a serious relationship.”

  “Really?” Melanie laughed. “Because this sure looks serious. A dog, Zach?”

  If the fist around her heart hadn’t been squeezing hard enough before, it sure was now. Ana refused to be the third party in whatever twisted relationship Zach and his ex obviously still had. She wanted out of here now, but she didn’t want to look like she was jealous or hurt. No, she didn’t want to give either of them the satisfaction of knowing how naive she’d been to believe a playboy like Zach Marcum could change.

  “Go ahead and talk privately,” Ana told them with a smile she knew looked just as fake as it felt. “I need to take Jake outside anyway.”

  She turned to go and Zach called out her name. Ignoring him, she punched the elevator button.

  “Ana.” He grabbed her arm. “I’m sorry.”

  “What? Sorry you lied or sorry that you got caught?” Venom all but dripped from each word. “Don’t apologize when you don’t mean it.”

  “I do. Don’t leave like this. Let me explain.”

  Glaring over her shoulder at him, she jerked her arm free and brought both hands up to Jake who was now trying to get to Zach. “Don’t worry. You told me when you told your wife exactly what we have. We’re not serious, so go talk with Melanie and any other woman you desire. Just make sure it’s not me.”

  The doors slid open and Ana stepped onto the elevator. As she turned, the doors closed, shutting her off from Zach’s angry face and Melanie’s triumphant glare.

  Ana couldn’t get to her car fast enough. She ran by the receptionist who Ana noticed gave her a quick, apologetic smile.

  Finally alone, Ana sat Jake in the passenger seat and squealed the tires as she pulled away from the curb. She didn’t want to be in the vicinity of Zach Marcum for a long time. She actually never wanted to see him again, but since they weren’t done with the resort yet, that would be impossible.

  Wonderful. Just wonderful. She would have to see him every day for the next several months. Thankfully the exterior was near completion and her men would be mostly working inside now. There would be plenty of room for her to hide in the monstrous resort when Zach came to check on things. She’d just have her second-in-command fill Mr. Marcum in on the progress.

  Ana turned down another palm-lined road. She really had no clue where she was going; she just needed to drive.

  All of this was her own fault. Every bit of it. So why was she mad at Zach? He’d told her up front that he didn’t do relationships. Hadn’t he said marriage had sucked the love right out of him? He hadn’t lied to her about that. But he had lied, at least by omission.

  That was the part that hurt the most. He had been talking with his ex the whole time he’d been trying to get her into bed. He’d been so convincing that he cared about her feelings, so gentle when they’d finally made love.

  Made love. Yeah. That was totally one-sided. No wonder he panicked when she professed her love to him. What a total idiot, she thought, hating herself more and more with each passing moment.

  Ana pulled her car off the road and parked facing the beach. With her head in her hands, she let the tears fall, one right after the other, angry at herself for letting anyone in that could cause this much damage to her heart again.

  Why hadn’t she seen the signs? Why? Even after she’d opened up and told him how she felt about him, that she loved him, he still hadn’t confessed. His silence spoke volumes; too bad she was just now hearing it.

  Jake crossed the console and slid his sandpaper-like puppy tongue along the tears that seeped through her fingers.

  Yes, all of this mess was her fault and that made her a complete idiot. But the fact that she still loved him made her a damn fool.

  “Oh, honey. Now don’t do this to yourself.”

  Ana sat on her bed, sobbing into her mother’s loving arms. “I can’t help it. I’ve tried to hate him. I’ve even tried to push his betrayal out of my mind, but that’s all I can think of.”

  Lorraine Clark stroked her daughter’s hair and leaned back against the satin-covered headboard. “Has he tried to call?”

  Ana slid her head down into her mother’s lap and let the gentle stroking of her long hair relax her as much as it could. “He’s tried. I won’t answer. I’m such a coward. I even called out of work today. But since it’s Friday, that wasn’t a big deal. My crew can handle one day. Besides, I’m hoping by Monday I’ll be better.”

  “Why can’t you go to the site?” her mother asked.

  Ana closed her eyes and wiped her damp cheeks. “Because he’s the architect for the project. He’s at the site at least once a day.”

  “Oh, Anastasia.”

  Her mother’s soft tone and simple words only made Ana ache more. Even her mother noticed the severity of the situation. Of course her mother would notice. Her mother had lived through a lifetime of pure hell.

  But now she was free. They both were—thanks to Zach.

  Another heart-wrenching sob tore through her. Not even her mother’s soothing words and comforting presence could help repair her shattered world.

  She had to get this out now. No way would she show even an inkling of sadness on the site.

  “I hate being weak,” she murmured into her mother’s long crinkle skirt. “I hate knowing that I let someone get that close to me when I knew the outcome. I knew this would happen, but I didn’t care. Deep down I thought I would be the one. Foolish, really, to think the one time I find myself attracted enough for a relationship, it’s with someone like him.”

  Her mother’s hands stilled in her hair. “You love him.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  Lorraine let out a soft sigh. “Unfortunately we don’t choose whom we love. Right or wrong, sometimes our hearts and our heads don’t communicate well.”

  Ana sat up, wiped her eyes again and sniffed. “I’m sorry to have a meltdown the second you get here. You’re dealing with your own problems.”

  Her mother smiled and reached for Ana’s hands. “No matter what’s going on in my life, I’m never too busy for you.”

  Ana studied her mother’s creamy skin, the slight wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. With blond, shoulder-length hair and bright green eyes, Lorraine Clark was a beauty even at the age of sixty. The woman didn’t look much over forty and Ana knew how lucky she was to have at least one parent who would drop anything to be with the ones she loved.

  “What is wrong with Dad?” Ana asked before she could stop herself. “I’m sorry. That was rude.”

  “That’s okay. I’ve often wondered what I could have done differently.” A sad smile formed as Lorraine looked across the room out the window toward the bay. “It took me a long time to realize it wasn’t me at all. He wasn’t the man I wanted him to be. We didn’t have the relationship I conjured up in my head.”

  “Why did you stay?”

  Her mother’s gaze came back to Ana. “Fear of being alone. I’d been with him so long that I didn’t know if I could make it on my own. Plus when you were younger, I was so worried I wouldn’t be able to take care of you financially. Of course, I had no idea he’d started gambling away everything we had.”

  Ana embraced her mother. “Let’s do something for ourselves today. What do you say we take advantage of the spa in this hotel? We need to be pampered.”

  Lorraine eased back and smiled. “I couldn’t agree more. And no more talk about love and foolishness. This is girls’ day.”

  Ana could go the rest of the day and not discuss Zach, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t always be in the forefront of her mind. The only way she could get over him was to move on. From here on out all she would concentrate on would be work and her mother.

  What else did she need?

  Nineteen

  Zach pulled his Screamin’ Eagle onto the site.

  Two weeks had passed since he’d talked, alone, to Ana. Every time he came to the site, she was inside the resort and her assistant foreman had filled him in on where the project
stood. One time she wasn’t around because she’d gone to run an errand—one that he could’ve done had she called him and admitted she needed help.

  She refused to return his calls, ignored his texts. God, she was acting like…him. Zach killed the roaring engine and stared at the beautiful gigantic resort. Ana was brushing him off like he’d done to women when they got too close. Only when Ana had gotten close, he wasn’t nearly as ready to get rid of her as he had been every woman in the past.

  But now she acted as if nothing had happened between them, as if they hadn’t changed each other’s lives. And, yes, she had changed his life. He couldn’t pinpoint when, but she had.

  Anger flooded through him. Hadn’t she told him she loved him? That was something she couldn’t just turn off. Unless she hadn’t meant it to begin with. But Zach knew Ana never said anything if she didn’t mean it. Could he have killed that love so quickly? He didn’t want to even consider the notion.

  Zach wanted to make Ana listen. Make her understand that Melanie wasn’t part of his life anymore. He was over her.

  Had been over her.

  It just took seeing the two women side by side to come to grips with what he already knew.

  Ana had been standing there in her little shorts and tank with her wild red curls, holding their dog, and Melanie had looked like the knockout she was with every hair in place, every nail professionally polished to a shine. But it had been Ana to whom his body had responded.

  Zach stopped dead in his tracks on the dusty path to Ana’s office. He’d called Jake “their” dog. Since when was Jake “their” dog?

  Making his feet move again, Zach realized that the dog had been theirs from the get-go. Obviously even then he knew he cared for her more than he wanted, more than he thought possible.

  Behind his dark shades, he scanned the area. Ana wasn’t in sight, so he made his way toward her office. He tapped lightly on the door, but didn’t wait for her to respond or answer. He walked right in—and froze.