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He faced her.Opened his mouth.No words came out.He sucked in a heavy breath, and his shoulders hunched.
She could barely get her vocal cords to work.“Message received.”She shook her head in derision.“And you’re right.We’ve known each other, what, a handful of days?How could I possibly be in love with you?How could I possibly believe that I can’t imagine my life without you?”The words burned her throat so badly, she was surprised she could swallow around the pain ricocheting through her heart.
He made another rough sound.“Baby?—”
“Are you really a killer, Zach?”
He flinched, and a tiny part of her felt hope for that action; a foolish part that wanted something to grasp in a world suddenly gone nuts.
I should be running!
But she couldn’t force her feet to move.All she could see when she looked at Zachary Savage was the man who’d made love to her like she was part of his soul; who’d had the patience to help her overcome her fear of water.
Then she looked at the stones, and a shiver coursed down her spine.The evidence of death was too hard to refute.
She took a step back.“Don’t worry, Zach, you can hang on to your secrets.Stay here with your precious shrine and your sacred memories.”She started to walk down the center marble walkway, which divided the pools, and realized she’d have to walk past him.
His eyes narrowed on her as he saw her hesitance.Her heartbeat tripled.She couldn’t risk him touching her for fear she would break apart.
She stared at the shallow pool and fought the rising panic.On top of everything else, she couldn’t deal with the terror that stemmed from her fear of water.Not right now.
Holding her breath, she stepped into the water.It closed over her ankle, wet and clinging.Panic flared higher.Her legs started to turn to jelly.Her arms flailed.
Zach stepped toward her.She looked at him.At the man who’d been so gentle with her, who’d called her brave and worshipped her body over and over this past week.
The man who’d just confessed to killing his wife.
She darted sideways before he could touch her.
Feeling solid tiles beneath her feet, she ventured another step.Then another.
And then she was running.
“Bethany!”
She didn’t stop until she was in the bedroom.Grabbing her weekender, she shoved as many of her belongings as she could find inside the bag.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
She froze.Zach entered the room and stalked to where she’d just slammed the bag shut.
She licked her lips and sucked in a breath.Here in the well-lit bedroom, she couldn’t miss the fact that he was only wearing boxers.His sleek body gleamed under the golden lights, and even in the midst of despair, something inside flared to life.
On top of having her life turned upside down, it was just too much to bear.
Hot, choking tears scoured her throat and pricked her eyes.Hands shaking, she tugged the button of her jeans closed and shoved her feet into her heeled wedges.
“You can physically stop me from leaving if you want to.But I know you won’t.I know that because the only reason I’d stay is if you tell me what you meant.And we both know that’s not going to happen.Don’t we, Zach?”
His eyes hardened.“Emotional blackmail doesn’t work with me.”
“And secrets don’t work with me!You know what I went through with Chris.”
He growled.“Do not compare me to that asshole.”
Her fingers tightened around the handle of her bag.“Then prove you’re different from him!”
Anger flamed through his eyes, and his fists clenched.But he remained silent.