by Kat Martin
Silently, he vowed that this time when he saw her, he would take things slow and easy, be careful not to frighten her away.
* * *
Maria phoned Elizabeth at the office early Friday morning. Terry had not yet arrived and the front desk was empty, so Elizabeth picked up the phone. She recognized Maria’s voice, though it sounded high-pitched and shaky, the woman very near the edge of hysteria.
“Elizabeth, Dios mio, thank God, you are there.”
“Take it easy, Maria. What’s wrong?”
“She…she came again last night. The ghost. She was there in my house.”
Elizabeth ignored a faint shiver as she remembered the frightening night she had spent in the little yellow house. Still, there couldn’t be a ghost. She didn’t believe in ghosts. “Was Miguel there when she came?”
“He was sleeping. I tried to wake him, but I couldn’t. It was the same as before, only I could see her better. She said that I should leave the house. She said that if I stayed they would…they would kill my baby.”
“Maria, listen to me. We’re going to figure this out.”
Maria started crying. “Señor Harcourt, he is sending all of the overseers to the County Farm Implement Show up in Tulare. Miguel will be gone for two nights. I am supposed to stay with Lupe Garcia. She is Chico’s wife, another of the other overseers. I do not want to go. They all think I am loco, that I am behaving like a child.” She started sobbing into the phone.
“Don’t cry, Maria, please. What nights will Miguel be gone?”
“Tomorrow night and Sunday.”
“All right, then. You have a place to go for those two nights and in the meantime… In the meantime, I’m going to try to find out what is happening in the house.”
Maria’s breath hitched. “You are not…you are not thinking to stay there yourself?”
The notion had only been swimming around in her head. Now it seemed like a good idea. Sort of.
“Yes, I am. I’m going to find out what’s happening. I think this is the best way to do it.”
“But you should not stay there alone. It is not safe.”
“I’m not afraid of ghosts, Maria. I’ll be fine.”
“I do not think—”
“Someone has to do this. We have to figure out what’s going on.”
Maria’s voice trembled. “You are right, but still I am frightened.”
“Everything’s going to be all right.” Elizabeth hung up the phone, beginning to formulate a plan.
Tomorrow morning, she would go over and see Maria, make arrangements to get a key so she could get into the house that night. She owned a gun. With the kind of work she did, she even had a permit to carry, though she had never done it. Tomorrow night, she would take the gun with her just in case. Perhaps someone was playing a terrible joke, or maybe whoever it was meant to hurt the family living in the house. If they came while she was there, she might need the gun to defend herself.
Or maybe something had been wired into the walls and the inspectors had somehow missed it. If someone was there, manipulating the eerie happenings, she would be ready.
She worked hard all day, her mind skipping from her client appointments to the task she had set for herself tomorrow night. In a way, she was excited. Maybe there really was a ghost!
She laughed at the notion. Something was going on, but she doubted the place was haunted.
At five o’clock she finished up for the day and left the office. Her thoughts were on Zach now, on the evening ahead. All week she had tried not to think of him and rarely been successful. She had tried to imagine herself as the femme fatale Zach believed her to be but couldn’t seem to conjure the image.
Still, by the time six o’clock rolled around, she was restless and growing more so by the moment. She had picked out a movie for them to see, but discovered she was no longer in the mood. When Zach called to tell her he was going to be half an hour late, she found herself prowling the apartment thinking about him, remembering the way he had kissed her, touched her, remembering the promise he had made.
I could teach you those things. Whatever you want to learn. We could do anything you can imagine.
Her stomach contracted. Desire slipped through her and her nipples tightened. It was ridiculous.
Wasn’t it?
Then again, she was a woman just like any other. She had the same wants and needs.
By the time Zach knocked on the door, her breasts were tingling, her skin sensitive in a way she had never experienced before. Her hand trembled as she reached out to open the door.
“Hello, Zach.” Her voice sounded husky and unfamiliar, as if it came from a different woman.
Zach’s warm brown eyes instantly darkened. He must have some sort of mating instinct, she thought, an ability to read exactly what she was thinking.
“Hello, Liz.” His gaze slid down to the sleeveless scoop-neck top she wore and he noticed her nipples were pebbled into little peaks. “You’ve been thinking about me.”
She looked up at him, saw the glittering heat in the gold of his eyes. She should have been embarrassed but she wasn’t. “Yes,” she said softly. “I have.”
For several seconds, Zach just stood there, looking like a man at war with himself. “I’ve been thinking about you, too,” he said, and then he hauled her into his arms.
* * *
Damn, he’d planned to be on his best behavior tonight, been determined to control the throbbing sexual need he felt whenever he saw her. Then he had stepped through the door, looked into those pretty blue eyes and read the need she no longer tried to hide.
Christ, he wanted her, wanted to be inside her so much he ached with it. Instead he kissed her. Kissed her and kissed her, ravaging her lips, taking her with his tongue, filling her mouth as he longed to fill her body. She was slim, yet beautifully curved, a womanly figure that perfectly fit his taller frame. He reached beneath her pale blue, short cotton skirt and cupped her bottom in his hands, pulling her closer, into the vee of his crotch, letting her feel how hard he was for her.
Her slim hands dug into his shoulders and he felt her tremble. He was wildly aroused. He wanted to rip off her clothes, wanted to drag her down on the carpet and bury himself inside her. He clamped down on his control, determined not to let it get away from him as it had before. Liz wasn’t fighting him, wasn’t resisting, and yet he was determined that if she made the least attempt to stop, he would let her.
This wasn’t supposed to be happening. But God, he was glad it was.
He trailed kisses along her jaw. “I want you so much,” he whispered against the side of her neck. Waves of burnished dark hair brushed his cheek and his groin tightened. “I can’t remember wanting anyone so badly.”
“I want you, too, Zach.”
He took a deep breath, fighting to remain in control, but the feel of her breasts pillowing against his chest made it nearly impossible to do. Feeling no resistance to another penetrating kiss, he lifted her into his arms and carried her across the living room to the bedroom, set her on her feet beside the queen-size bed.
His mouth settled softly over hers. He loved kissing her, loved the way she tasted, the slickness of her tongue over his, the little ripples of pleasure that moved through her body whenever he deepened the kiss. Catching the hem of her sleeveless knit top, he drew it off over her head, then pressed soft kisses along her throat and shoulders.
She was wearing the same kind of lacy white bra she had been wearing before, sweet but incredibly sexy. He popped the catch, drew the straps off her shoulders, then gave himself a moment to enjoy the sight of her lovely bare breasts.
He didn’t take too long. He knew this was difficult for her. Any minute he expected her to bolt from the bedroom. He palmed her breasts, circled the nipples with his thumb, tugged on the ends, pinched
lightly, then replaced his hands with his mouth.
The creamy texture of her skin made an ache throb in his groin and he fought to stifle a groan.
“Zachary…”
“Easy, baby.” He suckled the fullness, bit the ends, then returned to exploring her mouth. He could feel her trembling, feel her heart pounding nearly as hard as his own.
He unzipped her skirt and eased it over her hips, let it fall into a puddle at her feet. Her toes were painted a pretty pale pink, and he liked the feminine way they looked peeking out of her open-toed, high-heeled sandals. She was wearing a tiny pair of lacy, white thong underwear, he saw, and another jolt of heat rocked through him.
“Did you wear those for me?” he asked, palming her sex, feeling the heat there, making her tremble.
“No, I…maybe I…yes, I suppose I must have.”
She hadn’t meant to do this, he figured. Or if she had, the decision had been subconscious. He knelt in front of her, blew on the folds of her sex through the panties, pressed his mouth there, his tongue against the fabric, dampening it and giving him even better access to the soft flesh beneath.
He thought of stripping the panties away and taking her with his tongue, but she was a novice at the game of pleasure and he didn’t want to frighten her.
“Zachary…?”
Hearing the faint note of uncertainty in her voice, he moved up her body, tasting her breasts again, kissing her until she relaxed once more.
She reached for the buttons on his shirt, her courage apparently returning. “I want to touch you,” she said. “The way you touched me. I want to see you naked.”
Zach kissed her. “I want that, too.”
She unfastened the last few buttons, her hands shaking, then eased the garment off his shoulders and tossed it over a chair in the corner. He kicked off his loafers as she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his fly, hesitated only an instant, then shoved his pants down his legs to the floor.
He stepped out of them and took off the rest of his clothes, his eyes on her face as she studied his erection.
“I hope I can…handle all of that.”
He gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there to help.”
She reached out and touched the tattoo on his arm. “Born to be wild.” She looked up at him, desire clear in her eyes. “Make love to me, Zach.”
She didn’t have to ask him twice. Lifting her up, he settled her in the middle of the bed, took care of protection, then came down slowly on top of her. He kissed her, slid his hands down her body until he found her softness and began to stroke her. She was incredibly wet and slick and it made him want her even more.
“Zach, please…”
“Soon, love.” But not until he had her on the edge of climax, until she was close to screaming. He liked sex and he was good at it. He wanted to be good for Liz.
He stroked her slowly, skillfully, kissed her breasts, her throat, her lips. He increased the rhythm and she arched up off the bed, made a soft little pleading sound in her throat.
“Zach, please…I need…I need…”
“I’ve got exactly what you need, baby.” And then he was parting her legs, fitting himself between them, sliding his erection into her softness.
Liz arched upward, driving him deeper still, burying him all the way to the hilt. He groaned at the feel of her gloving him so sweetly, heard her soft little mewling sounds of pleasure. Her nails dug into his back, and she trembled beneath him.
“Oh, God, oh, God, Zach, you feel so good.”
“Easy.” Out and then in, deep, rhythmic strokes, giving her as much of himself as he knew how, but the pleasure was beginning to overwhelm him and he was afraid he would lose control. Not yet, he told himself. Not until she’s ready. Just hang on just a little longer.
He surged deeply again, and sweat popped out on his forehead. Faster, deeper, harder. Sweet Jesus! He couldn’t take much more.
He was clinging to his last thread of control when he heard her cry out his name, felt her body tighten sweetly around him. She slipped into a powerful climax, and Zach let himself go.
He reached his own, earth-shattering release and wondered why it seemed so different with Liz.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It was an hour later that Elizabeth finally left the bed. Zach ordered Chinese takeout from the Great China Restaurant, and she went to answer the door in her bathrobe, since he refused to let her get dressed.
“No way,” he had said, shaking his head. “I’ve got plans for you tonight and clothes aren’t part of those plans.”
Elizabeth laughed, determined that just this one night, she would be the siren Zach seemed to believe she was. Tomorrow would bring a return of sanity, she was sure, but just for this one night…
They made love again before they fell asleep and again before dawn. Bright sun poked through the curtains far too soon, and Elizabeth awakened to find herself sprawled over Zach’s chest, groggy and pleasantly sated.
But the light of day was upon her now, the knowledge that what had happened last night couldn’t possibly continue. She had known that from the start, known that this was just a fling, a wild night to remember. He was Zachary Harcourt, the town bad boy, and no matter how much he had changed, there were things about him that hadn’t.
His affair with Lisa Doyle proved that.
Zach liked women, used them, left them. He always had.
Elizabeth wasn’t about to risk her heart with a man like that, no matter how much she enjoyed him in bed.
She eased away from him, slipped quietly into the bathroom to shower and dress for the day. As the water pounded against her skin, easing the unfamiliar soreness between her legs, she heard the doorknob rattle, then his softly muttered curse.
He wanted to join her in the shower, but she wasn’t about to let him, no matter how tempting the notion might be. The water was washing away the scent of him, the evidence of his possession, and in its place, the solid, practical woman she had been before was emerging.
She dried herself, toweled her hair, leaving it to dry in soft curls around her face, put on a little makeup and left the bathroom. The smell of fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen pulled her in that direction. Zach was standing there shirtless, wearing just his slacks and no shoes, and the sight of all that bare, hard-muscled flesh sent a surge of heat pulsing through her.
Elizabeth ignored it. “You can use the shower, if you like before you leave.”
One of his dark eyebrows went up. He surveyed her no-nonsense khaki slacks and loose-fitting white cotton blouse.
“I noticed there’s a swimming pool out back. I was thinking we might take a swim then maybe drive over to Mason a little later and catch a movie or something, but it looks like you’re having morning-after regrets.”
She shook her head. “No regrets. Last night was great, Zach. Incredible. It’s just…”
“Just that you don’t intend for it to happen again. The question is, why not?”
She accepted the cup of coffee he handed her. “You know why not. Because you’re you and I’m me. I’ve got my career and you’ve got yours. You live in L.A. I live in San Pico. To put it simply, we’re two very different people.”
“That’s right. You’re a woman and I’m a man. That’s about as different as it gets.”
She was afraid he’d be stubborn. “All right, I’ll spell it out for you. I don’t want to risk getting involved with you, Zach.”
Zach opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again and walked over to the window, shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks along the way. He stared outside for several long moments, then turned back to her.
“Maybe you’re right. As much as I’m attracted to you, I’m not looking for a long-term relationship. I’m a loner. I always have been. I like m
y life the way it is.”
“No strings. No involvement.”
“Yeah, that’s about it.” But there was something in his eyes…something that said maybe he wasn’t so sure.
It didn’t matter. She knew the risk he posed and after Brian, she didn’t have that kind of courage.
Zach refilled his coffee cup, took a slow sip as he studied her over the rim. “Even if you’re right, we’ve still got the weekend. I don’t see why we can’t enjoy ourselves until it’s over.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Better to end things cleanly. Besides, I’ve got plans for tonight.”
He took another sip of coffee and she saw that his eyes had darkened. “That so?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me you don’t have a date with my brother.”
She laughed. She couldn’t help it. “Of course not. I’m spending the night at Maria’s.”
“Miguel’s going out of town again?”
She nodded. “Maria’s staying with one of the other overseers’ wives. I figured with them away, I’d have a chance to really see what’s going on.”
Zach frowned. Setting his cup down on the counter, he strode toward her. “You aren’t saying you plan to spend the night there by yourself?”
“I think it’s a good idea. I’ll be able to do a little investigating, maybe figure things out.”
“What if what’s going on in that house is some kind of sick joke? What if there’s someone behind it, someone who doesn’t care who gets hurt?”
“I’ve got a gun. A thirty-eight revolver. I’m going to take it with me.”
“Yeah? Well, what if there really is a ghost? You can’t kill a ghost with a gun.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Maybe it is, maybe not. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of research on the subject. According to the stuff I’ve read, there are things called malevolent spirits. They can do some pretty bad stuff, and you sure as hell can’t stop them with a gun.”
