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Her deep blush brought another laugh, and her heart lifted to see the anguish greatly diminished.He would never get over the circumstances leading to Farrah’s death, and she now understood the bleakness she saw in his eyes sometimes.But seeing him smile again made her heart lift with joy.Which was why she didn’t mind that he teased her with hot words and heated glances all the way to his place.She didn’t even mind when he described in precise detail how he intended to fuck her, and she stumbled on the way to his private elevator.
He installed her bag in his bedroom and, returning downstairs, mixed her a drink.After delivering another sizzling kiss, he reluctantly pulled away.
“You have free run of the place.If you need anything, use the buzzer on the wall and Philip will help you.I’ll come and find you when I’m done.”
She nodded and watched him walk away.
Tall, impossibly gorgeous and totally devastating to her senses, she continued to be stunned by how much more depth there was to Zach.And she admitted she was terrified by what lay ahead of them.
With a past plagued with drugs and a highly turbulent relationship, she couldn’t help but dream up scenarios that would be equally devastating for how Farrah had died.
She wandered through the condo, trying not to let her imagination run away with her.She let herself remember the guy who’d had tears in his eyes as he talked about ruining a young girl’s life.Whatever came after that, Zach had proven once and for all that he was human, and compassionate; that he felt guilt and regret.
That had to be enough, surely?She shivered and realized she’d wandered into the swimming pool room.
Water shimmered under strategically placed lights, casting moving shadows along the walls.
The water was deep.Much deeper than anything she’d ventured near for the past decade.She risked getting closer to the edge of the water, slowly.Then breathed out when her freak-o-meter didn’t start screeching out of control.She walked round the pool and back to where shallow steps led into deeper water.
Gathering the skirt of her dress in one hand, she slowly lowered herself onto the first step and sat on the edge of the pool.
Swimming and water were part of Zach’s private life.She was shameless enough to wish to be a part of that life.Flexing her toes in the cool water, she sipped the tequila-based cocktail Zach had fixed for her.
She was finishing her drink twenty minutes later when he walked in.
Sharp eyes darted from her immersed feet to her face, and a smile broke out on his face.
She returned the smile, a spurt of pride welling up in her chest.
“Hey, Peaches,” he said as he came to crouch behind her.His hand slid round her nape and up into her hair.
“Hey,” she responded, tilting her head up to watch his face.His incredibly handsome profile knocked the breath from her lungs.
“Think I’ll be able to convince you into the water anytime soon?”
She swallowed before she could speak.“I’m willing to give it my very best shot.”
His smile widened.“That’s my girl.”
He rose, went to the shelves holding the towels and brought one back with him.After drying her feet, he picked up her shoes and tugged her after him.
“You told me your high school crush was swimming.So you were a swim jockey?”
He looked back at her and nodded.She noted his smile was a little strained.“Swimming was my whole life back then.I competed all the way to nationals.”
“Why was it your whole life?”she asked, half holding her breath in case he shut her down.
But he merely tugged her to his side and hurried along the hallway toward his bedroom.“Because it was my means of escape from home, and from my mother.”
Her breath caught.He kissed her mouth and pushed her into the bedroom.
“Don’t look so surprised, Bethany.I’m a fast learner.And I’m learning very quickly that opening up a little with you gains me serious brownie points.You can ask me another question later and I’ll answer.But right now, I need to pay you back for my ten days of suffering.After that, I’ll see about building up more brownie points.”
“But… we’ve made up since then!”
He laughed, a pure predatory sound that jerked her heart to her belly and flipped it back up.
He hooked his fingers under her dress straps and started lowering them.Her strapless bra quickly joined the heap at her feet.