Part 13 (2/2)
With a sigh, he reached behind her and zipped up her dress. ”I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rush you. It's just ”
Her hands trembled as she adjusted her clothes. ”Just what?”
”I've wanted you from the moment I saw you that day at Teen Vision. I've made myself go slow. I wanted to give you a chance to get to know me. I've tried to be patient, Liz. I'm not a patient man.”
She fumbled for something to say, her heart racing madly. ”No one calls me Liz anymore.”
”Why not?”
”Brian didn't like it. He thought Elizabeth sounded more sophisticated.”
He leaned down and very softly kissed her. ”They're just names for different facets of the same person. I think Liz is your sensual side.” He kissed her softly and she trembled. ”You haven't done this a lot, have you?”
She shook her head. ”I had a boyfriend before Brian. That's all.”
”And since then?”
She looked away. ”I don't think I can handle a man like you, Zach. You've been with dozens of women. I don't have that kind of experience.”
He caught her chin, forcing her to look at him. ”You said you weren't like Lisa and you're right. But a real woman doesn't need to use s.e.xual tricks to satisfy a man. I'm hotter for you right now than I was when I was inside Lisa Doyle.”
She flushed. Zach was a virile, sensual man and he made no bones about it.
”Besides, I could teach you those things. Whatever you want to learn. We could do anything you can imagine.”
Her stomach clenched. Anything you can imagine. She had never thought of herself as a s.e.xual woman and yet those words made a soft ache throb deep in her womb. ”II need to think about this, Zach. You and I, we're different peopleespecially when it comes to s.e.x. II'm just not that brave.”
He dragged her against him and started to kiss her again, his tongue sliding deep inside her mouth. Her body tightened, trembled. His hand found the hem of her skirt and he shoved it up till it rode at her waist. He palmed her s.e.x over her white lace panties. She was wet. And she was hot. She couldn't remember ever being so hot.
”I think you're brave enough,” Zach said, sliding his hand inside her panties. ”You just don't know it.”
She gasped as he caressed her, stroked her, caught her moan in his mouth. She was on the edge of climax when he stopped kissing her and pulled his hand away, eased her skirt back into place. He stepped back a little, leaving her trembling with desire, aching to have him inside her.
”I want you, Liz. I'm crazy to have you. But not for any other reason except that I'm attracted to you in a way I haven't been to a woman in years. I want to see you again tomorrow night.”
She wildly shook her head.
”All right. Next week then. I'll give you some time, if that's what you need.”
”I I don't know, Zach.”
”Yes, you do, Liz. You know what you need and so do I. I'll see you next week.” Turning away from her, he walked out of the kitchen, crossed the living room, and pulled open the door.
At the echo of it closing behind him, Elizabeth sank down in one of the kitchen chairs. As a game player, she was certainly no match for Zachary Harcourt.
Then again, maybe he wasn't playing a game. Maybe he wanted exactly what he said. Maybe he just wanted her.
Her body pulsed at the heady thought.
It was insane, of course, and yet, why shouldn't she consider it? Zach said he wanted her. After tonight, it was clear how much she wanted him. She had always been careful where men were concerned, never done anything wild or reckless.
And where had it gotten her?
Married to Brian Logan, who had cheated on her nearly every day.
Maybe for once she ought to do something daring. Maybe she ought to explore her very limited s.e.xual education with Zach.
She had a week to think about it.
Surely by then she would come to her senses.
Thirteen.
The Integrity Home Inspection truck arrived at the Santiago house on Tuesday morning after Miguel had left for work in the fields. Elizabeth met them at the property, left them there for the three hours they would be working, then returned when it was time for them to leave.
”What did you find?” she asked Wiley Malone, the owner of the company. He and two of his employees had been hired to make a thorough inspection of the home. She would have to pay the cost herself, but the price he had quoted hadn't been all that bad.
”Good solid house,” Wiley said, a burly man in coveralls with thinning, gray hair. ”No leaks, no problems with the plumbing. Walls have good insulation.”
”What about under the house? Did you find anything in the crawl s.p.a.ce?” The house sat about three feet off the ground, supported by a concrete perimeter foundation, with wooden floors beneath the carpet.
Malone grinned. He had very large teeth. ”Found some fat black widow spiders. Sprayed 'em for youno charge. Didn't smell anything unusual, though, just a little mold and musty-smellin' dirt. If you're worried about the soil, I'd get Higgins Consulting out here to take a sample. They look for contamination, environment problems. Maybe they can find something.”
”Thank you, Mr. Malone.”
”It's just Wiley, and you're welcome.” The men collected their gearladders, flashlights and toolboxesand headed over to the truck they had come in. Elizabeth watched them drive away, then turned to see Maria standing on the porch.
”What did those men find?”
”They said the house was sound.”
Maria nodded resolutely. ”I did not think they would find anything wrong.”
”We still need to check the soil under the house, see if there is some sort of environmental pollution. I'll call the company today.”
”They will not find anything, either.”
Elizabeth sighed. ”So you want me to believe there is actually a ghost in the house.”
”What if there is?”
”I'll call the soil company. Once we see what they find out, we can go from there.”
But Higgins Consulting didn't find anything wrong with the soil, certainly nothing that would explain the noises, or the cold or the sickening smell.
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