Always & Forever by Chantel Rhondeau Page A

feet. “Are you ?”
    “I can’t believe I allowed my anger to make me so careless toward you.” He shook his head. “I’m not such a terrific date so far.” Zach ascended the stairs slowly and gave Lilly plenty of time to make her way up them.
    A small hiss escaped her with every step, which she hoped Zach couldn’t hear.
    When they reached the top, he didn’t turn on a light, but led her across the room and pulled her gently onto a couch. One of his arms slipped behind her head and rested on the cushion. The soft light coming in from outside provided an intimate element to the room. Lilly longed to put her head on his shoulder and stay here the entire night. She imagined the way his strong arm would feel around her shoulders, holding her tightly.
    This was not the time to slip into one of her fantasies.
    “Lilly, I didn’t think about your leg.” Zach closed his eyes and shook his head. “I wanted to get away from everyone for a minute, but I should have been more careful of you. Are you sure you’re okay?”
    “Stop worrying.” She reached up to touch his chin before letting her hand drop. “I know you didn’t mean to hurt me.”
    Zach chewed on his bottom lip. “But I did hurt you, didn’t I?”
    “There’s hurting people, and there’s hurting people. This was an accident. It’s okay.”
    Zach caressed her cheek and looked deep into her eyes. She trembled at his feather-light touch, loving the feel of him against her skin, fearing it at the same time. The lonely look in his eyes haunted her.
    “Who hurt you, Lil?”
    She shook her head. No way would she tell him about that. “Tell me about yourself. Your problem is the one here with us tonight.”
    Zach ran his thumb across her lip and his fingers brushed against her cheek. Never had he touched her this directly before. A wild desire blossomed in Lilly, edging out the less important tremors of fear. The little, incidental caresses Zach had engineered before wouldn’t be enough to sustain her after tonight.
    The need she felt for Zach alarmed her with its intensity. She had never been so ready for a man to kiss her. Never had she wanted anyone the way she wanted Zach.
    He pulled back from her a little. “Are you with me tonight because you want to be?”
    She wrinkled her brow, confused by the change in subject. It was difficult to concentrate on his voice, and not his hand. “Of course I am. How could you ask such a question?”
    “I mean, I know you aren’t after my money. You proved you aren’t at all interested in that.” He moved his hand away from her face to caress her hair, crushing some curls gently under his fingers. “Are you here because you felt forced into it? Maybe you’re worried what Grandma will do if you refuse to date me.”
    Lilly searched his face. Gone was the confident man who propositioned her the day before. Gone was the arrogant heir who expected the world to fall at his feet. Zach looked lost and insecure, a look she never expected to see on his face.
    “I wouldn’t go out with you for that reason either.” Lilly leaned into him and put her arm around his waist, burying her head against his shoulder. She couldn’t bear to look at the hurt that shined through his eyes. “I walked out of Margaret’s when I thought you were propositioning me. I really thought I might not have a job anymore. I chose to be with you tonight.”
    Perhaps she had been a little afraid of losing her job, but Lilly had to be honest, at least with herself. She’d fantasized about dating Zach—dreamed of being his girlfriend. It had all been a harmless daydream until yesterday afternoon. When Zach offered to pay her, it had broken her heart. Having him show up on her doorstep with flowers, begging her to reconsider—there was no way to deny him a second time. She wanted to be with him, whatever way she could.
    Zach’s arm drifted down off the couch and he rubbed her back. The sensation was exactly what she’d imagined. She