Part 13 (1/2)

He cast her a sideways glance. ”What are you smiling about?”

Her cheeks went hot. She hoped he couldn't see them in the darkness inside the car. ”Nothing. I was just I was thinking you were right. I promised to help Maria. And if you're willing to take the blamehey, that's okay with me.”

He grinned. He did that a lot, she noticed, and it looked really good on him. ”That's my girl.”

”First thing Monday, I'll call and make the arrangements.”

”Like I said, it's not that big a deal. Odds are Carson will never have a clue.”

Zach drove through town, rounded the corner onto Cherry Street, and pulled his sporty black convertible up to the curb. He walked her up to the door of her apartment and she wondered if he would expect a good-night kiss.

”Thanks, Zach. I really appreciate what you're doing.”

He tipped his head toward the door. ”Aren't you going to invite me in for a drink?”

”I thought you said you didn't drink.”

”I said I don't drink much. And never when I'm driving. Besides, I was thinking of a cup of coffee.”

She knew she shouldn't. But it was Friday night and she rarely went out and so far Zach had been a perfect gentleman.

A thought she found oddly annoying.

She doubted Zach would behave this way with Lisa Doyle. Apparently, she didn't have as much s.e.x appeal as Lisa had.

”All right, come on in. I'll make us a pot of decaf. That way we'll be able to sleep.”

Zach's eyes found hers and her breath caught. There was nothing gentlemanly in the hot look he gave her. It was blatantly s.e.xual, almost scorching. Sleep, it said, was the last thing on his mind.

Her stomach contracted. Now that they were there in her apartment, their business concluded, his manner seemed to have changed.

She swallowed. As she thought back over the evening, she had noticed that same look several times, but his gaze had quickly been shuttered and she figured she had imagined it.

”Decaf sounds good,” he said, his eyes still on her face.

Turning away, she went into the kitchen. She was surprised when Zach followed.

”Nice place.” He looked around at the bare tile countertops, just a toaster and a can opener; the small round wooden table with nothing but salt and pepper shakers in the middle.

”Nice and clean, you mean.” She pulled a can of decaf down from the cupboard. ”I keep meaning to decorate the place, but I can't seem to get my mind wrapped around the fact I'm back here in San Pico. When I was in high school, all I ever thought about was leaving.”

”Why'd you come back?” He was standing right behind her, so close she could feel his breath against the nape of her neck. Her nerves kicked in. As she reached for the bag of coffee, she tried to keep her hand from shaking.

”I needed a place to recover from my divorce. My dad was here, my sister. Now Dad's gone and my sister's moved away. If it weren't for my job, I don't think I'd still be here.”

He moved a little closer. ”I'm glad you are.”

The air snagged in her lungs. He settled both hands on her hips and slowly turned her to face him.

”What what are you doing?”

”What I've been wanting to do all eveninggetting ready to kiss you. I just hope you don't slap me as hard as you did that day outside Marge's.”

She looked up at him, saw the heat in his eyes he no longer tried to hide. For the first time, it occurred to her that she had been wanting him to look at her that way all evening. ”I won't slap you.”

”Thank G.o.d,” he said an instant before he bent his head and kissed her thoroughly.

It was an incredible kiss, his mouth like hot, damp silk. It burned across her lips, taking and taking, making her catch fire along with him. She could feel his heat, his hunger. She knew now it had been there all along.

Zach kissed her and kissed her, deep, penetrating kisses, hot, drugging kisses that made her insides turn to mush and her knees wobble. He backed her up against the table, trapping her as if he thought she might try to escape, and kissed her some more. Elizabeth looped her arms around his neck and slid the tips of her fingers into his thick dark hair.

His tongue was in her mouth and she could taste the maleness of him. No man had ever kissed her this way, as if he couldn't get enough, as if he needed to kiss her as much as he needed to breathe. Her nipples tightened, throbbed inside the cups of her white lace push-up bra.

”You drive me crazy,” he said against the side of her neck. ”I can't stop thinking about you.” Her head fell back and he began to rain kisses along her throat and over her shoulders.

”This is insane,” she whispered, but she was talking to herself and not to Zach.

She felt his hands on her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, cupping them over the fabric, gently kneading. ”I want to make love to you. There's nothing insane about that.”

She shook her head, knew she should pull away. But she wanted to feel the heat, the fire, just for a few minutes more. She tried not to think of Lisa Doyle, of the women he had in L.A. She tried not to remember what Carson had said, I can't believe you're letting Zach use you this way.

She heard the buzz of her zipper, felt his hands slide inside her bra to cup her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Desire roared through her. Heat tugged low in her belly, speared out through her limbs. She had to stop him. This was happening way too fast. She wasn't Lisa Doyle. She didn't do one-night stands.

He nibbled the lobe of an ear. ”G.o.d, you taste so good.”

She swallowed, tried to move away, but his fingers were tugging on her nipple, his hands testing the size and shape of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, making them swell into his palms.

She hadn't been with anyone since Brian. It was only natural, she told herself, to be excited by the touch of a man.

But this wasn't just any man, this was Zachary Harcourt and she didn't trust him. Couldn't afford to trust him.

He unfastened her belt and tossed it away, buzzed the zipper the rest of the way down over her hips. He started to slide the dress off her shoulders, but Elizabeth caught his hand.

”I can't do this.”

He kissed the side of her neck. ”Why not? We're both adults. We can do whatever we please.”

She stepped a little away, took a deep breath and looked him straight in the face. ”Carson says he says you're just using me to get to him.”

Zach's jaw hardened. He caught her hand, pressed it against his erection. He was big and hard. He thickened even more at her touch. ”Carson has nothing to do with this.”

”I'm not like Lisa.”

”No, you were never like Lisa.”

”Zach, please.”

There must have been something in her tone, something that made him understand that she was fighting not just him but herself.