Get back to my roots, my childhood. Find out who I was again. Be Zen. Do some outdoorsy stuff. Learn something new. So I did a lot of research and came up with Hood River. I’ve been clean and sober for two months now. I haven’t done any cocaine, nothing like that. Just a little wine now and then, as you noticed. But I also—never mind…” He trailed off, as if he’d been about to say something and then changed his mind. She’d caught him doing it at least once before, too.
He’s hiding something.
“What? Why are you telling me all this?”
“Because so far it’s been pretty easy. But then I met you, and…” He took a deep breath and sighed it out. “Oh, God. I don’t think I can do it.”
“Do what?”
He pushed his chair back violently and stood up.
“Damn it! I want you, Savannah. I’ve wanted you from the moment I walked into your office. But— damn it , I’m sorry.”
He grabbed his empty plate and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Savannah stunned and silent at the table.
CHAPTER 9
She had no idea what to do. Go to him? Stay here? Leave the house? There was absolutely something he wasn’t telling her. Something in his past, something he was afraid of. Had he committed some crime? He’d been so open, and then he’d just clammed up and left the room. She took stock of the situation. Zac was emotional, even volatile. He could go from happy and flirty to upset in a heartbeat. Was this the kind of man she wanted to spend time with?
She was torn. She needed his money, his project, so desperately. But she wasn’t willing to start up a personal relationship just to get it. That would make her no better than the women he’d been running away from. A money-grubber, a gold-digger. She decided she would not intentionally jeopardize the project, but that if he wasn’t emotionally stable enough to spend time with, then she might have to end things before they had even begun.
Her mind returned to what it might have been that he was hiding. She racked her brain thinking about all the articles she’d read about him. Had he gotten caught with drugs? Overdosed on heroin and ended up in the hospital? Had sex with a minor? No, too creepy. Raped a woman in a drugged-out fit of lust and rage? Ugh! Absolutely not, don’t even go there.
Whatever it was he might be hiding, she was totally turned on by him. A warm, flowing sensation swirled around her core, down into her pelvis, between her legs. She wanted more of that sensation.
She heard dishes banging around and water running. She could at least help him clean up.
She took her plate into the kitchen. Zac stood at the sink, his back to her, scrubbing the wok. She set her plate on the counter and it made a little clink against the granite and the silverware rattled on top. He stopped scrubbing for a moment, took a breath, then started up again. She watched his back, his arms, his neck. Again she felt the urge to touch him. Her eyes strayed down to his butt, finding it muscular and round underneath perfectly tailored black wool.
She fought against her fantasies, but they started anyway…She would come up slowly behind him and touch his shoulder gently with a few fingers. He would moan as she started working the tension from him. Her hands would move down his back, feeling the strength there, as her mouth got closer and closer to the bare skin of his neck. Then she would kiss him there as her hands reached his waist and continued going down. He would keep washing dishes, pretending he didn’t know what was happening, resisting her advances because of whatever was holding him back, fighting the urge to ravish her. But all the while he would be wanting it more than anything.
Finally he would turn around and kiss her mouth, running his fingers through her hair and holding her close. They would kiss, long and passionately, until he grabbed her waist and lifted her onto the kitchen island, pushing his body between her
He’s hiding something.
“What? Why are you telling me all this?”
“Because so far it’s been pretty easy. But then I met you, and…” He took a deep breath and sighed it out. “Oh, God. I don’t think I can do it.”
“Do what?”
He pushed his chair back violently and stood up.
“Damn it! I want you, Savannah. I’ve wanted you from the moment I walked into your office. But— damn it , I’m sorry.”
He grabbed his empty plate and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Savannah stunned and silent at the table.
CHAPTER 9
She had no idea what to do. Go to him? Stay here? Leave the house? There was absolutely something he wasn’t telling her. Something in his past, something he was afraid of. Had he committed some crime? He’d been so open, and then he’d just clammed up and left the room. She took stock of the situation. Zac was emotional, even volatile. He could go from happy and flirty to upset in a heartbeat. Was this the kind of man she wanted to spend time with?
She was torn. She needed his money, his project, so desperately. But she wasn’t willing to start up a personal relationship just to get it. That would make her no better than the women he’d been running away from. A money-grubber, a gold-digger. She decided she would not intentionally jeopardize the project, but that if he wasn’t emotionally stable enough to spend time with, then she might have to end things before they had even begun.
Her mind returned to what it might have been that he was hiding. She racked her brain thinking about all the articles she’d read about him. Had he gotten caught with drugs? Overdosed on heroin and ended up in the hospital? Had sex with a minor? No, too creepy. Raped a woman in a drugged-out fit of lust and rage? Ugh! Absolutely not, don’t even go there.
Whatever it was he might be hiding, she was totally turned on by him. A warm, flowing sensation swirled around her core, down into her pelvis, between her legs. She wanted more of that sensation.
She heard dishes banging around and water running. She could at least help him clean up.
She took her plate into the kitchen. Zac stood at the sink, his back to her, scrubbing the wok. She set her plate on the counter and it made a little clink against the granite and the silverware rattled on top. He stopped scrubbing for a moment, took a breath, then started up again. She watched his back, his arms, his neck. Again she felt the urge to touch him. Her eyes strayed down to his butt, finding it muscular and round underneath perfectly tailored black wool.
She fought against her fantasies, but they started anyway…She would come up slowly behind him and touch his shoulder gently with a few fingers. He would moan as she started working the tension from him. Her hands would move down his back, feeling the strength there, as her mouth got closer and closer to the bare skin of his neck. Then she would kiss him there as her hands reached his waist and continued going down. He would keep washing dishes, pretending he didn’t know what was happening, resisting her advances because of whatever was holding him back, fighting the urge to ravish her. But all the while he would be wanting it more than anything.
Finally he would turn around and kiss her mouth, running his fingers through her hair and holding her close. They would kiss, long and passionately, until he grabbed her waist and lifted her onto the kitchen island, pushing his body between her
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