Page 48

He was aroused.Deeply, erotically, hungrily aroused just by looking at her.
Bethany couldn’t wrap her mind around that.
“Well, okay, sure.But promise me one thing?”her friend demanded.
Zach rasped, “I’ll try.”
“Whatever you do, don’t fucking graduate to calling each other Honey Boo Boo.I don’t want to puke into my Dom P.”
“You’re welcome, Keely.”
She grunted.“You’ll keep, Zachary Savage.Just look after my girl, or I’ll come after you with a blunt instrument.Dom Perignon or no Dom Perignon.”
His grey eyes danced with merriment.“Understood.”He took the phone off speaker and passed it back to her.
“You’re okay?”Bethany asked.
“As long as you are.I’m keeping Iron Balls updated with news of Aunt Mel.She’s getting worse by the day.”
Bethany laughed then sighed.“As long as you make sure my Aunt Mel makes a miraculous recovery before I come back, I’ll let you run with it.Karma can be a bitch, and I’m not having my aunt’s life toyed with.”
“Don’t worry, I told you I’ve got your back.Umm, am I still on speaker?”
Her gaze flickered to Zach.He’d leaned his head against the headrest but his eyes were still trained on her.“No,” she said.
“So everything okay with you?Is he treating you well?Are you having fun?”
“Yes, yes and yes.”
“Great.Keep it that way.And keep in touch, for God’s sake.You know how much I hate to be left hanging.”
“I will.Bye, Keely.Love you.”
She rang off.Zach continued to watch her.“What?”
“I like her.”
She paused to consider if his words were meant to be superficial or not, then berated herself for trying to read too much into the situation.“Good.She’s important to me.”
His gaze turned speculative.“How important?”
“Are there categories of important?”
He shrugged.“I just want to know if I have to compete with her for your attention once we return to the real world.”
About to answer in the negative, she paused.“She’s been there for me every time I’ve needed her.”
His gaze bore into hers.“And how badly have you needed her?”
“Very badly six months ago.And a lot since then.She’s been my rock.”Despite her effort to not sound shaky, he heard the slight tremble in her voice.His nostrils flared slightly, a sign that she’d come to recognize meant he was seriously pissed about something.
“Tell me what that asshole did to you.”
“Who, Chris?”She shrugged, but the burn of humiliation seared her insides.“He decided he preferred other assholes.Literally.And of the male persuasion.”
Zach’s eyes widened.Then his jaw tightened.The hand on her mound slid lower, gripped her harder, possessively.That hold centered her, made her think of no one else, nothing else but him.
“He told you he preferred men?”