When shed thanked Zach for getting the right doctors, hed seen real gratitude in her eyes. And hed liked pleasing her. Too much. In that white dress, which clung in all the right places, she looked young and innocent-not to mention breathtakingly sexy.
He wanted her in his bed. He wanted revenge for all that shed done to him.
Do what shes accused you of. Use Tuck. Make your demands.
Yet something held him back.
For years, hed told himself he hated her, had willed himself to hate her. But when hed held her and kissed her at her grandmothers house, his hate had been tempered by softer, more dangerous emotions.
Hed once believed that if he had enough money and power, he would never be vulnerable to the pull of love again.
But now here she was, with her golden hair smelling of perfume and shimmering with coppery highlights so bright they dazzled him, with her lips full and moist, with her long-lashed eyes smoldering with repressed need.
Was she lonely, too? He wanted to hold her against his body and find out.
But more than that, fool that he was, he wanted to protect her. And her idiot brother.
He had to get out of here, go somewhere where he could think this through.
To her, he snarled, This meetings canceled. Then he punched the intercom and spoke to his lawyers secretary. Tell Davis to take over.
I dont understand, Summer whispered. What about Tuck?
Ill deal with you two later.
She let out a frightened sigh that cut him to the quick. Zach, please
He wanted to turn to make sure she was all right.
Instead, he shrugged his broad shoulders and sucked in a breath.
To hell with her.
Without a backward glance, he strode out of the room.
Three
He was impossible! Arrogant! Rude!
If hed slapped her, Zach couldnt have hurt Summer more than he had when hed turned his back on her and walked out.
Fisting her hands, she got up and ran after him. But with his long legs, the elevator doors were closing before she caught up to him.
Zach, youve got to listen-
His glare was indifferent and cold as the doors slammed together.
Well, youve sure got him on the run. You must have scared the hell out of him, Davis said, chuckling behind her. Thats not so easy to do. Usually he shreds his adversaries.
Zachs attorney looked slim and handsome in his tailored Italian suit and prematurely gray hair. He had been a year or two older than she in high school, but she and he had never been close. Davis worked for Zach now, not her.
Her heart swelled with uncertainty. She was afraid to say anything to Davis because whatever she said would be repeated to Zach. She couldnt risk damaging Tucks chances.
Where do you think he went? she asked.
Weve got a lot of legal work to wrap up, so hes in town for a few days. He spent his morning at the construction site, and he didnt mention having any other meetings this afternoon, so maybe he went home. Id leave him alone for now, let him settle down. Dont push him into making a rash decision about Tuck. Believe me, hell call you when hes ready.
But wouldnt it be better to deal with him now, when he wasnt ready? Wouldnt that give her an advantage?
Besides she was under contract to perform in New York, and her calendar was full. She didnt have a second to waste. No way could she stay here indefinitely without major consequences to her career. Directors, producers and other actors were depending on her.
Acting on a mixture of intuition and desperation, she went out to her rental car and followed the winding bayou road to the old Thibodeaux place.
His pale, beige antebellum-style home had a wide front veranda and ten stately columns. Weeds grew in the flower beds, and the grass was overgrown. Wild passion flowers had taken over the edges of the yard. She rang the bell and nobody answered, making her wonder why he didnt have adequate staff.
When she began to pace the veranda, she saw it had a few rotten boards and was in need of a thorough sweeping. She peered through the smudged pane of a front window. Inside, she saw stacks of boxes on the dusty, scarred floors of the palatial rooms.
Apparently, his people hadnt finished moving him in. Was he even here?
When she rang the bell again with no answer, she decided to walk around back by way of a redbrick path that lay in the shade of vast oak trees that needed a good trimming. All the forest-green shutters were peeling, as well.
The mansion had been built a decade before the Civil War and had served as a Yankee headquarters.
Now, the house and yard needed love and lots of money, but with enough of both, it could be a beautiful home for some lucky family. Had Zach bought it because he was thinking of settling down? Marrying and having children? Little dark-haired boys or girls? She imagined them playing out in the yard and hated the way the vision tugged at her heart.
A gleaming silver Mercedes was parked in front of Zachs three-car garage. His car? How many did the man own?
Seeing the low, white-picket fence, also in need of fresh paint, encircling the pool, she opened the gate and stepped gingerly through the high weeds to let herself inside.
Intending to knock on one of the back doors, she headed toward them only to stop when she saw a half-empty bottle of expensive scotch on a nearby table. At the sound of someone bouncing with a vengeance on the diving board, she turned just as a pair of long, tanned, muscular legs disappeared into the water.
Zach?
He didnt answer, of course, because he was underwater and speeding like a dark torpedo toward the shallow end. When she heard more splashing, she walked to the edge where the water lapped against the stairs. Centering her white heels precisely on one of the large navy tiles that bordered the pool, she waited for him to come up for air.
He was fast. Obviously, hed stayed in shape since hed been on the swim team in high school.
Oh, my God. He was naked!
Suppressing a cry at that realization, she saw his clothes discarded untidily on the far side of the pool. Still, instead of turning and fleeing, she stopped and stood her ground. Her nervous state was such that she felt it took him forever to surface.
Thankfully, since he was in the water, when he did stand up, she couldnt see much of his lower body, but his perfect, muscular, wetly gleaming, tanned torso stimulated her overactive imagination anyway.
He shook his wet black head, flinging droplets of water all over her.
Hey! she cried, stepping even farther back.
He scowled up at her in shock even as his black eyes greedily raked her with male interest. Grinning, he made no effort to sink lower in the water or cover himself. Why am I even surprised?
I knocked, she said defensively as hot color rose in her cheeks. On your front door.
Did you really?
A warm breeze caressed her cheek. She looked anywhere except at his wide, dark chest and muscular arms. Even so, she was aware of his height, of his taut stomach and of that dark strip of hair running down his middle and disappearing into the water.
You didnt answer, she said.
A lot of womenwomen who werent looking for troublewould have just left.
IIm not looking for trouble.
Well, you damn sure found it.
I have to know what youre going to do about Tuck.
Since youre obviously determined were going to have a chat on that subject, maybe youd be so kind as to get me a towel out of the bathhouse. Since I thought I was alone, I didnt think Id need one. Or Do I-need one?
Yes! she cried. You most certainly do!
He laughed.
Thankful for something to do other than trying to avoid looking at his amused and much-too-sexy face, she all but flew to the bathhouse. Returning quickly, she set the fluffy, folded rectangle on the edge of the pool. Patting it primly, she turned her back on him.
Water splashed as his bare feet thudded across concrete. She felt her body warm as she listened to him towel off, visualizing his tall bronzed body behind her without a stitch on.
He was certainly taking his time. Was he trying to tempt her into turning around? She wanted to turn. Thankfully, she resisted. Surely hed had time to secure the towel, but another intolerable minute passed.
Finally, as if sensing her impatience and interest in his physique, he chuckled and said, Its safe for you to turn around now.
But it wasnt. Not when his fierce black eyes devoured her, obviously reading her wicked desires. Not when he wore only that towel and they both knew he was naked and gorgeous and completely male underneath it.
She wished she didnt feel so keenly alive every time she was anywhere near him. She wished she wasnt drawn by his tanned arms and bare chest, that she didnt remember lying with him as a girl after theyd made love and nuzzling that dark strip that vanished beneath the thick folds of his towel.
Oh, how shed loved him that night after hed made love to her. Like a foolish child, shed thought he belonged to her, that he would always be hers.
Maybe he would have-if shed fought Thurman and the town. Maybe then she wouldnt feel as she did right now, as if she was starving for love.
Youve got guts to come out here all alone. Arent you scared of what I might do to you?
Her heartbeat accelerated. She didnt fully understand her motives. Shed just known that she couldnt let him bully her, and that she couldnt stand by and let Tuck be hurt because of her past sins.
Moving closer to him to prove her bravery, she said, You ran away. Maybe youre the one whos scared of me.
He flushed darkly. And then again, sweetheartmaybe not.
Sweetheart. The word ripped her heart. In the past, hed always said the endearment so tenderly it took her breath away. Today, his voice was harsh with irony.
Before she knew what was happening, his hand snaked toward her, and he yanked her against his body, which was wet and warm and as hard as steel.
Her heart leaped into her throat as she caught the faint scent of scotch on his breath. Too late, she wondered how much hed drunk.
I wasnt scared of you, you little fool. I was scared of me. Of what I might be tempted to do if I didnt get away from you. Then you come hereand deliberately invade my privacy. You tempt meinto this, into holding you again. Sweetheart, youre playing with fire.