Ana sat at her desk, and a woman probably around forty or so sat opposite her. The two were sharing lunch and laughing, but their faces froze and all chatter ceased when he entered.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” he said, closing the door behind him. “Ana, I need to speak with you.”
Ana set down her fork in her salad and came to her feet. “I’m having lunch with my mother, Zach. Is this about business?”
Zach’s eyes darted back to the other woman. Good Lord, that woman was Ana’s mother? She was stunning, poised; obviously she’d aged very well.
“I’m Zach Marcum.” He extended his hand. “I see where Ana gets her beauty from.”
The woman came to her feet, smiled and shook his hand. “She said you were charming. I’m Lorraine Clark.”
Zach held on to her hand, quirked a brow over at Ana. “She’s mentioned me, huh?”
“Only as a warning,” Ana said, unsmiling. “What do you need?”
He dropped Lorraine’s hand and shoved his hands in his denim pockets. “The same thing I’ve needed for weeks. To talk to you alone.”
Ana mimicked his stance by placing her hands on her hips. “Surely you of all people recognize a brush-off, Zach. Isn’t that how you work? Go back to Melanie or whoever else you want this week. I’m not interested.”
If she didn’t care that her mother overheard their conversation, then neither did he. “I’m not interested in Melanie. I want you.”
Ana stared, then looked down at her desk, but he didn’t miss the moisture that gathered in her eyes or the way she blinked rapidly trying to keep her emotions hidden.
“Well, we can’t always have what we want.” Ana’s tone softened, and her throat sounded full of tears and emotions. She picked up her salad and tossed it into the garbage. “Now, if that’s all, I’d like to finish talking with my mother.”
Zach nodded, refusing to grovel for anything. He’d caused this damage and now he had to live with it.
“It was a pleasure to meet you.” He offered Lorraine a smile even though he wanted to yell or throw something, anything to make Ana listen. “I need to speak to the assistant foreman before I leave. If you’ll excuse me.”
He left the office without looking back. If she was truly done, then he would walk away and leave her be. But he didn’t believe she was because she couldn’t look him in the eye.
Zach did a one-eighty and got back on his bike. He didn’t need to speak to the foreman that badly. There was something much more important he had to do. A plan formed in his mind and he knew this could seriously make or break his future.
For once in his life, he was putting business on the back burner, putting himself second and putting a woman first.
He didn’t know another term for this insane way of thinking. It must be love.
Ana was so looking forward to a weekend with no contact with Zach. She and her mother had planned a glorious day at the beach doing nothing but soaking up the sun and catching up on some reading…something Ana hadn’t done in, well, she couldn’t remember how long.
While her mother changed in the bedroom of the suite, Ana threw some bottles of water, a book and a towel into her yellow mesh bag. The day at the spa they’d had together last weekend was great, but Ana needed another day of relaxation. Especially after Zach had confronted her in front of her mother.
God, she wished he’d just see what she was offering. Why couldn’t he see how fake Melanie was? Ana had been in the other woman’s presence for all of five minutes and was less than impressed.
If that’s what Zach found attractive, then obviously she was the wrong woman for him. But oh, how she wished he weren’t that shallow. She truly believed he wasn’t, but he was rich and perhaps he’d gotten swept into that lifestyle. Ana had been in Miami long enough to realize that image was everything.
The ache that had taken up permanent residence in her heart grew deeper roots each day. The way Zach had listened to her, had offered advice when it came to her father and her childhood, the way he knew what would make her smile and laugh all were indications he cared for, if not loved, her.
He’d bought her a dog, for crying out loud. Hadn’t his ex even said he’d forbidden a dog in their house?
She replayed every moment they’d spent together, over and over, and she never saw a spot where he acted like he didn’t want to be with her.
Each flash of memory was filled with laughter and unspoken promises.
Maybe she’d just gotten wrapped up in Zach because she’d given herself to him, but Ana highly doubted it.
Dammit, she just wanted to find a reason or a person to place blame on. But she knew blame could only lie with herself. She knew going in what kind of man Zach was.
“All ready.”
Her mother’s cheery tone snapped Ana out of her stroll down agony lane.
Lorraine stepped from the bedroom wearing her one-piece red bathing suit with a black wrap around her hips. “Let me just grab my bag.”
A heavy knock sounded on the door. “Okay, I’ll get the door,” Ana called over her shoulder.
Ana moved through the living area and opened the door. To Zach. Holding Jake.
“He missed you,” Zach said, holding the dog out.
Taking Jake, Ana held him against her chest and swallowed that lump of emotion that came along with seeing Zach. “Thanks. Mom and I are going out. I’ll take him with us.”
Zach shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the doorjamb. “I was hoping you’d come with me. I have something to show you.”
Ana didn’t want to be standing this close to him, let alone go anywhere with him. The spicy, clean aroma she’d grown accustomed to from Zach wafted around her. The sexy stubble he always seemed to have was just a tad longer than usual. His eyes were puffy as if he hadn’t slept and his hair was downright unkempt. Ana knew those long, tanned fingers had run through that thick hair over and over.
As much as she enjoyed that he was looking as miserable as she felt, she still loved the man, even though she wanted to throttle him for taking her heart and crushing it with both hands.
“That’s not a good idea, Zach.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” her mother said, stepping up behind her. “Go on, Ana. We can go to the beach next weekend when you’re off.”
Ana turned to her mother. “What will you do?”
Lorraine smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll just take a book and pick out a nice lounge chair with an umbrella and relax. Now go on.”
Even though Ana hated to admit it, she was curious as to what he wanted to show her. And to be honest, she knew they needed to talk. They couldn’t leave things up in the air even though Ana knew the outcome. Stepping out that door with Zach would just bring on more heartache, but after all she’d given him she deserved the chance to speak and let him know where she stood.
“All right.” Ana turned back to Zach. “Let me grab my bag.”
“You won’t need anything,” he told her. “Just Jake.”
Hesitant, Ana decided to leave her belongings, except her key, which she slid into her shorts pocket. She kissed her mother goodbye, made sure she had the spare key and followed Zach out the door.
Silence surrounded them in the hallway, accompanied them into the elevator and settled between them once they were in his truck.
Okay, so obviously he wasn’t in a talkative mood. She could deal with that…for now. Eventually they would have to talk, but she would go with his flow until they got to the surprise destination.
When they pulled into his driveway, he hopped out and came around to help her down from the truck. She kept hold of Jake as she followed him into his house.
“Come into my office.”
Ana set Jake down and went with Zach. The little puppy’s paws clicked on the marble floor behind her as she entered Zach’s spacious office. Ana couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the two exterior walls. His lavish, well-manicured
gardens were quite the view and definitely could inspire anyone working at the oversize mahogany desk.
And it was the desk that drew her attention now. Sprawled across it were blueprints.
“Before you look at this, I need you to know something.”
Ana risked taking her gaze from the harmless paper up to Zach’s dark eyes. “What?”
“Your father won’t be a problem for you anymore. I paid off all his debts and he signed a legal, binding document not to come in contact with you or your mother ever again. Not in person, not via the internet or phone or any other form of communication.”
Ana sucked in a breath. “Why did you do that?”
The muscle in Zach’s jaw ticked as he glanced down to the desk. “I want no secrets between us.”
With a mock laugh, Ana crossed her arms. “Too late for that, isn’t it?”
“Look over these,” he told her with a roughness to his tone as he pointed down to the drawings. “I’m looking for a company to build this.”
Ana swallowed hard. “Zach, after this resort is done, my company is moving on. We have a six-story office building to construct in Dallas. Besides, I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to work together anymore. Let’s just finish these last two months and put this behind us.”
“Can you just look at the plans?” he pleaded.
Stepping up to the desk, Ana looked down, but it didn’t take her long to see this wasn’t any commercial project. “This is a house. I don’t generally contract homes.” She studied the amazing plans, though, nearly salivating at the lucky would-be owner. “Who wants this done? Victor?”
“Me.”
Ana looked up. “You?”
Oh, God. Just drive the knife in and give it a swift turn, why don’t ya? Now he expected her to build a home where he could resume residence with his ex-wife. Yeah, she should’ve listened to her first instincts and not gone with him today. She should be sitting on the beach with a fruity little drink, reading the latest gossip magazines with her mother.
Instead she and her heart were here, taking another beating. Was Melanie somewhere in the house? Did she still have that smirk Ana so wanted to smack off?
Ana glanced to the door, half expecting the ex to be keeping watch over Zach. “Does Melanie know you’re asking me to build her house?”
Zach came around his desk and stood within inches of her. Ana tipped her head back to look into his heavy-lidded dark eyes.
“You’re not building a house for Melanie. You’d be building a house for me…and you.”
Hope, hurt, stress in general all plagued her at once and Ana couldn’t look him in the eyes another second. She turned, crossed the room to sit on the bulky leather couch. As much as she wanted to believe, she couldn’t look at him, couldn’t let herself get drawn back into the dark depth of his eyes, his world.
She curled her feet beneath her, rubbed her damp palms down the cover-up she’d thrown over her swimsuit. “Don’t. Just don’t. This can’t happen, Zach.”
“What can’t happen?”
Ana shoved her stray curls from her face and lifted her gaze to his. “Whatever you have planned. You aren’t over your ex, that’s obvious. And that’s okay. I knew you weren’t long-term when I got involved with you. Part of this mess is my fault, but please don’t make me believe in something you can’t give.”
Zach closed the gap between them, crouched down to take her hands in his. “You’re right. When we first met I wasn’t in a place where I could, or even wanted to, get involved with someone. I was hung up on Melanie even if I didn’t admit it to myself.”
Hearing those words, knowing he meant them didn’t help the tight band around her chest. If anything, he’d just pulled it tighter.
“But you changed everything,” he admitted. “I never wanted another relationship, but I can’t deny myself. I can’t walk away from you.”
Ana stared into his eyes, saw the shimmer of his own unshed tears. “How can I believe you? How do I know you don’t just want me because you lost me? What if you decided next month you’re ready to move on? You’ve even admitted yourself that you’re always looking for something better.”
He nodded and tucked a curl behind her ear before squeezing her hands. “I was, but I found something better. You. You’re the something I’d always been looking for.”
That hope that had started forming in her heart when she’d seen the house plans grew just a bit more. “What about Melanie? You love her.”
“No, I don’t.” He eased up next to her on the couch and faced her fully. “I thought I loved her, and maybe I did on some level, but whatever I felt for her is absolutely nothing compared to the feelings I have for you.”
Ana leaned in closer to Zach. She wanted to look in his eyes when she asked the next question. Wanted to look for any doubt, and lie.
“What do you feel for me?”
“Love.” A wide smile lit his face. “I admit, when I first realized I loved you, I denied it to myself. I didn’t want to get hurt again.”
Ana didn’t even try to stop the tears from falling now. “Hurt? You destroyed me when I found out you’d been talking with Melanie. To know that you love me… God, Zach, that’s more than I ever thought you’d feel for me. I want to believe…”
Zach cupped her damp cheeks in his palms, pulled her against him for a hard, loving kiss. Yes, loving. She felt it in every part of her. He did love her.
Ana wrapped her arms around his neck, unable to control her emotions a moment longer.
“Believe,” he murmured against her lips. His forehead rested against hers. “Ana, believe in everything I’m telling you. Don’t doubt my love for you. Ever.”
Ana couldn’t speak for the tears, so she nodded.
“Is that a yes that you’ll build our house?” he asked.
“Y-yes.” She sniffled. “I knew you loved me, Zach. I just never knew if you’d see it yourself. Months ago when I poured my heart out to you about my childhood you listened. You’ve been so patient, so understanding. I know what I’ve found in you will make me happier than I deserve to be for the rest of my life.”
He eased back, wiping her tears with the pads of his thumbs. “I have another condition.”
“What?”
“We only have a couple months left on Victor’s resort, then you can send your crew on to Dallas, but I want you here for a while.”
Ana drew her brows together. “I’ll have to go get things started, Zach. I can’t just forget this project because you asked me to. What is so important?”
“Marry me,” he said with a smile. “Tell me you’ll stay in my life forever.”
Stunned, elated, nervous. Ana didn’t know what label to place on all the feelings whirling around in her mind, her heart.
“Are you sure?” she asked, praying to God he was. “You married before and swore you’d never marry again.”
“That’s because I married the wrong woman. Everything about you, about us, is right.”
Ana grabbed hold of Zach’s strong hands as he continued to hold her face. “I want babies and more dogs.”
Zach kissed her again, his mouth hard, possessive. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her tight against him.
“More of anything with you is fine with me,” he told her as he eased her back against the couch, already working her sheer cover-up off. “I have another surprise for you.”
“I’ve seen it.” She laughed.
“Oh, well, I do have that,” he joked. “But I bought you your own bike. It’s in my garage.”
She held a hand to his chest to stop him. “My own motorcycle?”
“Well, yeah. I want you riding with me.”
Ana ran the possibility through her mind and nodded. “I suppose since you were my first with everything, you may as well teach me to ride. Provided we can get to actually start the engine this time.”
Zach’s smile remained in place, but his eyes grew serious as he explored her face. “You were
my first, too. Love never meant anything to me until you, Anastasia Clark.”
Ana knew this journey she was about to embark on with Zach was just the start of many firsts to come.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8921-9
HER INNOCENCE, HIS CONQUEST
Copyright © 2011 by Jules Bennett
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Her Innocence, His Conquest Page 16