it. “I could be.” His ego said that.
Did feelings for Dolores still occupy his body? Grace took note and squelched her hormones screaming for her to touch him. He smelled like a man, an enticing one at that. She read somewhere that if you liked how a man’s sweat smelled he was your soul mate.
Her mind streaked back to her dreams. All moisture left her mouth. She dragged herself back to the present. “Oh? And who else?”
“No one else.”
She bit her lip. A debate raged inside of her. Did he not realize what other people thought of her Dolores? If only one person had told her of Dolores’ hijinks she might not have believed him, but Hank had no reason to lie to her.
“You think so?”
His stare tried to bore a hole through her as if daring her to refute him. “I hear Dolores has been with a lot of people.”
She regretted the words when the pain pierced across his steel eyes, making them closer to flint than anything that could hold up a building.
His jaw clenched and a muscle worked in his cheek. “Those are lies.”
“Zach,” Grace said in her “calm the patient” voice.
His shoulders slumped. “Okay, I know about Dolores. That’s why we’re divorced. She ran around on me.”
He turned away from her. She obeyed her instincts and moved to him, touching his back. The pain must be raw and still near the surface for him. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault and I should be done with it by now.” He turned back to her, shifting her close to him. “For some reason I want to trust you, but I can’t.”
His head tipped and moved closer to her. His hand warmed the side of her face. Colors danced on the border of her vision as desire shot through her.
If of their own accord, her head leaned into him, her lips parting. Her brain screamed that she couldn’t do this. The last time she gave into an attraction she’d wound up arrested for a murder she didn’t commit. “No.”
Her self-control did not reach her feet so she was unable to move.
He stopped, his eyes on fire, his breath ragged across her cheek. “No?”
“We can’t. I have a job to do.”
He brushed past her. “And what is that? Protecting Dolores?”
“Yes in a way. She asked me to help her.”
“Yeah, you said that. Her corpse talked to her. You got those cops in Pennsy so stymied they speak highly of you.”
Her back stiffened this time. “I haven’t done anything wrong. I helped them.”
“That Detective wouldn’t get specific about how you helped. Something about an arson. Why don’t you tell me the details.”
Every fiber of her being wanted to spill the whole story. She took a deep breath, but knew she couldn’t tell him the truth. The one thing he wanted, she didn’t feel he could handle.
Shaking her head she backed away out of the kitchen. “Trust me. You don’t really want to know the truth.”
He followed her grabbing her arm. Electricity seared its way through her.
“Try me.”
“No. You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Are you attracted to me?”
She swallowed hard and crossed fingers behind her back. “No.”
“Then why were you as eager to kiss me as I was to kiss you?”
“You misread my body language.” She tugged herself loose. “I have to go. I still want the answer to my question.”
“So do I Grace. So do I.”
Chapter Seven
Zach’s phone rang as soon as Grace left. His caller I.D. said it was Celia.
He debated not answering it, but she’d keep calling him. Maybe she knows when he’s home. The idea spooked him a bit.
“Celia.”
“Listen to her.”
“Who?”
He settled onto his couch, the cordless phone cradled against his shoulder. This woman was the bane of his existence some days. Why didn’t she just leave him alone?
He knew why, but that didn’t give her license to disrupt his life. Okay, maybe it did, but he didn’t have to like it.
“That woman who just
Did feelings for Dolores still occupy his body? Grace took note and squelched her hormones screaming for her to touch him. He smelled like a man, an enticing one at that. She read somewhere that if you liked how a man’s sweat smelled he was your soul mate.
Her mind streaked back to her dreams. All moisture left her mouth. She dragged herself back to the present. “Oh? And who else?”
“No one else.”
She bit her lip. A debate raged inside of her. Did he not realize what other people thought of her Dolores? If only one person had told her of Dolores’ hijinks she might not have believed him, but Hank had no reason to lie to her.
“You think so?”
His stare tried to bore a hole through her as if daring her to refute him. “I hear Dolores has been with a lot of people.”
She regretted the words when the pain pierced across his steel eyes, making them closer to flint than anything that could hold up a building.
His jaw clenched and a muscle worked in his cheek. “Those are lies.”
“Zach,” Grace said in her “calm the patient” voice.
His shoulders slumped. “Okay, I know about Dolores. That’s why we’re divorced. She ran around on me.”
He turned away from her. She obeyed her instincts and moved to him, touching his back. The pain must be raw and still near the surface for him. “I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault and I should be done with it by now.” He turned back to her, shifting her close to him. “For some reason I want to trust you, but I can’t.”
His head tipped and moved closer to her. His hand warmed the side of her face. Colors danced on the border of her vision as desire shot through her.
If of their own accord, her head leaned into him, her lips parting. Her brain screamed that she couldn’t do this. The last time she gave into an attraction she’d wound up arrested for a murder she didn’t commit. “No.”
Her self-control did not reach her feet so she was unable to move.
He stopped, his eyes on fire, his breath ragged across her cheek. “No?”
“We can’t. I have a job to do.”
He brushed past her. “And what is that? Protecting Dolores?”
“Yes in a way. She asked me to help her.”
“Yeah, you said that. Her corpse talked to her. You got those cops in Pennsy so stymied they speak highly of you.”
Her back stiffened this time. “I haven’t done anything wrong. I helped them.”
“That Detective wouldn’t get specific about how you helped. Something about an arson. Why don’t you tell me the details.”
Every fiber of her being wanted to spill the whole story. She took a deep breath, but knew she couldn’t tell him the truth. The one thing he wanted, she didn’t feel he could handle.
Shaking her head she backed away out of the kitchen. “Trust me. You don’t really want to know the truth.”
He followed her grabbing her arm. Electricity seared its way through her.
“Try me.”
“No. You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Are you attracted to me?”
She swallowed hard and crossed fingers behind her back. “No.”
“Then why were you as eager to kiss me as I was to kiss you?”
“You misread my body language.” She tugged herself loose. “I have to go. I still want the answer to my question.”
“So do I Grace. So do I.”
Chapter Seven
Zach’s phone rang as soon as Grace left. His caller I.D. said it was Celia.
He debated not answering it, but she’d keep calling him. Maybe she knows when he’s home. The idea spooked him a bit.
“Celia.”
“Listen to her.”
“Who?”
He settled onto his couch, the cordless phone cradled against his shoulder. This woman was the bane of his existence some days. Why didn’t she just leave him alone?
He knew why, but that didn’t give her license to disrupt his life. Okay, maybe it did, but he didn’t have to like it.
“That woman who just
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