by Janie Crouch
“She was helping me get to my room. She probably wasn’t nearly as drunk as I was. I got her inside, and she was so beautiful. So willowy and tall. So serene and quiet, as always. But so alive. And I just wanted to taste her aliveness. That was wrong. I was using her. I kissed her.”
But God, she had made the sexiest breathy noises. That he remembered as clear as day. He’d been drunk, and maybe she’d been too, but when he’d pulled her through the door and kissed her, it had been magic, hot, and mind-blowing.
“Once we were in the room...” He remembered easing himself away from where he’d pushed her up against the wall and ravished her mouth like his body had been waiting for years for the opportunity and now it could. “We talked for a while again. She wouldn’t let me drink anymore. She helped me get into bed and was going to leave. Kissed me so tenderly.”
“Don’t leave me, sweet Annie. I need you.”
That smile. God, she was gorgeous. “You need sleep.”
“I need you. Stay with me.”
“Zac. I shouldn’t—”
Even close to stupid drunk, he had honed reflexes. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her to him, wrapping an arm around her and tucking and rolling to his side with her half under him. He kissed her again. He had to hear that noise she made in her throat. It was so damn sexy.
His fingers trailed up from her hip, under her shirt to the soft, soft skin of her belly. His tongue dipped into her mouth, inviting her shy one out to play, smiling when it did, when her tongue began to duel sweetly with his.
His hand slipped over her breast, thumb strumming that perked nipple, and she gasped, then moaned.
“That’s right, sweetness,” he said against her mouth. “Give yourself to me.”
He pulled back, so he could look her in the eyes. Those big chocolate eyes that had always drawn him.
“Yes,” she whispered.
That was all it took. Within just a few minutes their clothes were lying on the floor, his head becoming dizzier as he kissed up and down her body.
She moaned again. Deep, husky, and soft. Her hands resting tentatively on his shoulders.
That’s when the problem started. Right now, standing dazed in the Mayor’s lobby, he recognized it so clearly for what it was. But at the time he hadn’t seen it. Too drunk. Too grieving. Too stupid. He wanted to yell at his past self to just move away from her now.
Annie was different than Becky. Bec had always been so direct, secure, and loud. Nothing tentative about her. With every minute that passed with Annie, all he could do was count the differences between the two women. Realize that he’d only ever been with Becky and he was never going to be with her again.
What was he doing?
Annie moaned once more, her arms wrapping around his neck. “I want you, Zac. I always have.”
What? He couldn’t be hearing right. His head was spinning again. “Annie, maybe we should...” His words trailed off when one of her long, lithe legs wrapped around his hips, bringing their naked bodies closer together. Now it was him who moaned.
“Yes, you’re right,” she whispered. “We should. I never thought it would be you who...” Now her words trailed off as she tucked her face against his neck. Her fingers trailed down his waist, then beyond, digging into his hips, urging him closer.
So, he went. He ignored the voices in his head screaming for him to stop, and listened to his dick instead, thrusting hard into her core.
With her cry of pain, his world froze. Everything did. Was she a virgin?
“Annie? What the f—”
“It’s okay. I’m okay. I just... I didn’t...” She wiped a tear from her face. “I’m glad it was you, Zac. I wanted you to be my first. I’ve always loved you.”
And in that second everything changed. What was he doing? Becky had been dead less than two weeks, and he was already fucking some other woman?
He slid out of her and to the side. No, not some woman, Annie.
His wife’s best friend. Even worse of a betrayal. And she was spurting words of love like they hadn’t just committed the most atrocious of betrayals.
“Zac, I...” She reached out to him, big brown eyes staring.
“Don’t touch me.” The words ripped out of him as he flung himself off the bed, landing in a crouch like he was warding off an attacker. He couldn’t stand to look at Annie in the bed. Couldn’t stand the thought of her. Of himself. Of what he’d done. “You just betrayed Becky. Betrayed the only person in this town who ever wanted you here.”
“Zac, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
He couldn’t stop staring at the blood on her thighs. “You were a virgin? Why would you do this to me?”
Damn, that wasn’t what he meant. He just meant why would she give her virginity to him, of all people? But she was answering before he could correct himself.
“I just...I wanted you. I thought you wanted me too.”
He had. Oh God, not only tonight, but for years. He shook his head. “I can’t believe you’d do this to her.”
He rubbed both hands against his eyes. No, he couldn’t believe he’d done this to Becky.
He had to get out. Had to get out and not come back. No, this was his room. Annie had to go. “Just get out. Get out and don’t come back.”
“Zac...”
He had to get her out. He grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the bed and over to the door, opening it. She was crying now. He’d made her cry. He was such an asshole. God, the room was spinning.
“Please,” she whispered. “My clothes.” He grabbed her dress off the floor and threw it at her where she stood naked out in the hallway.
God, she was crying. She had to go away before he brought her back in and made this worse. “I can’t even look at you.” If he did, he’d bring her back and make love to her over and over. And in the morning, they’d both hate themselves even more. They’d never be able to come back. He shook his head. “Don’t come back. Ever.”
Her big eyes stared at him, clutching her dress to her torso. He closed the door and stumbled back into the room, the world swaying all around him before he crashed toward the small desk, hitting his head. Blackness.
He held his head now, could still remember the huge bruise he’d had on his temple the next morning.
“Oh Jesus, Mayor.” He felt like he was going to be sick.
Mayor Dimont opened the counter and brought him through, leading him to a chair. “Sit before you fall down, Mackay.”
“What I did...” There were no words. “You’re right. She should never talk to me again.”
“I only caught the tail end of it. Happened to be coming by the hallway and was very surprised to see a naked Annie until her dress flew out the door at her. Heard some harsh words.”
What he’d said went way beyond harsh words. “She left Oak Creek because of me. What I said. What I did.”
“But now she’s back. And you remember what happened that night. So, I guess the real question is...what are you going to do about it, Mackay?”
“Finally going home?” Riley caught Anne in the hall as she shut her office door behind her. “How long have you been here? I’ve already started and ended a twelve-hour shift and you’ve been here the whole time.”
“Yeah, they needed me, so I picked up an extra shift.” Mostly because until her new contract was finalized, she got paid for any extras she picked up. And because she was too much of a coward to go home and face the damage the flooding had caused. “Some pipe broke in my house so now I have that fun to look forward to. I’ve been looking up fix-it-yourself videos during my free time.”
She’d already showered and changed in the locker room since she didn’t have any power and water at her house. She’d have to live without it for a couple days, which was totally doable— though not optimal—since it wasn’t too cold. But hopefully she’d be able to clean up as much as possible and maybe figure out the problem without bringing in an expensive plumber or electrician.
; “Yeah, I heard about the water damage at your house.”
That had to be Mayor Dimont. Anne rolled her eyes. “I’d forgotten about small-town life. But I would’ve thought a broken pipe wouldn’t have been worth the talk.” Unless rumors were starting to fly about why Anne hadn’t called for the proper people to fix it, that she didn’t have the money. Ugh. She just needed to get the place livable.
Riley tilted her head and studied her. “No, a broken pipe isn’t in terms of rumors.”
The young nurse opened her mouth, then shut it again, so Anne just kept walking. She needed to get home while it was still light outside. She’d been working since five AM, but at least she wasn’t about to have an emotional breakdown like yesterday. She’d been afraid that sleeping at The Mayor’s Inn would bring back all the nightmares of the past, but evidently her psyche had had enough, because after a shower, Anne had fallen into a deep sleep.
They passed Mia at the nurses’ station, the other woman’s eyes flinging poison-tipped, lit-on-fire daggers at Anne before turning away completely.
“Wow, what did I do now?” Anne murmured. Maybe word was also getting out that she’d had dinner with Zac last night.
“I don’t think it’s anything you did,” Riley responded. “Ignore her. We all do.”
That wouldn’t be a problem. Anne had real battles; cosmetic ones weren’t worth her energy.
She waved good-bye to Riley as they split in the parking lot, then said her normal prayer when starting her car. It didn’t turn over with the first crank, but that wasn’t anything unusual. Second crank, again nothing.
She rubbed her hands on the steering wheel. “C’mon, baby. Not this week.” Preferably not any time in the next year, considering the financial and literal mess that waited for her at home. But she definitely didn’t want her car to quit today.
On the third crank, she started. “Good girl. Thanks, baby.” She kissed the steering wheel.
Driving home, she tried to remember everything she’d learned in the Plumbing 101 YouTube videos, as well as info on how to handle water damage. Her carpet and likely much of the floorboards underneath were probably destroyed. Replacing them was going to cost a big chunk of money. It would’ve been better to have done more when she’d first discovered the damage, she’d realized after her research, but she had to respect that she’d been at the end of her physical reserves.
She wasn’t sure she was much better than that now, but she would get it done. When continuing was your only option, you found a way.
She knew something was very wrong when she arrived at her house and noticed two trucks and a car parked out front. What in the world?
Her front door and the side one attached to the portico were both open. She could hear men talking inside as she approached, laughing and cursing good-naturedly at one another. Her duffel bag fell to the ground as she took in the sight in front of her.
All her boxes and furniture had been moved to the side not affected by the water. Clothes, towels, and blankets that had been sopping wet last night were now hanging on the clothesline in her backyard. Boxes that had been soaked until all that was left were messy pieces were now in a pile on a tarp by her door.
There were half a dozen big, ridiculously handsome guys, all working around her house, casually throwing insults at each other as easily as they did hammers.
And they all looked to be from Linear Tactical. Some she recognized. Finn was working in her living room, some adorable boy about six or seven years old at his side swinging a hammer in imitation. Aiden and Baby, Finn’s little brother—although he was an inch or two taller and just as wide as Finn—were also helping.
She didn’t know much about repair, but they were all busy doing things that would’ve taken her hours alone, mostly demolition, and sorting through what could be safely dried and saved.
Two other guys she didn’t know were discussing something in the kitchen, and someone else had their head stuck under the sink with plumbing parts all around him.
Over to the side, an iPod with speakers was crooning something about being drunk on an airplane. Anne was neither drunk nor on an airplane, but she certainly understood the sentiment as she stepped farther inside.
Everyone stopped talking and joking. The music cut off. One of the unknown guys in the kitchen reached over and nudged the sexy jean-covered ass hanging out from under her sink with his foot.
“Zac,” he said.
Of course, the sexy ass was Zac.
“Hey, Annie.” From the living room, Finn grinned and gave her a little salute, standing and sliding his hammer into his tool belt, then wiping his brow. The boy next to him followed his motions exactly.
“Um, I-I-I...” The eyes on her triggered her stutter. She swallowed and started again. “I’m not sure exactly what’s happening here.”
Zac finally worked the rest of his sexy body out from under the sink. “Hey, Annie,” he echoed. “Let’s go outside and talk. It’s too loud in here.”
With that remark the hammers and talking immediately resumed, making it, indeed, too loud to talk inside her house.
She was still trying to process everything that was happening—were they putting down hardwood floors in the part of her house that hadn’t flooded?—when Zac stopped right in front of her. She had to lean to the side to see around him.
“What are they—?”
He touched her elbow, the contact soft, almost tentative. “Come outside with me and I’ll explain, okay?”
She could only nod as she turned, his hand sliding to the center of her back as they walked out to her car. He didn’t stop touching her until she sat on the edge of her hood. She didn’t look at him, just kept studying the house.
“I need to apologize.”
Now she dragged her eyes away from the house. “You do?”
“The guys and I promised Carol we would help with her plumbing issues about a year ago. We kept meaning to do it, but then she got sick and had more pressing needs, and plumbing didn’t seem important. So, we never got to it.”
“Oh.”
She wanted to roll her eyes at her response. She had two degrees and six years of medical training and that was the best she could come up with?
Her thoughts scattered further as Zac leaned on the car next to her, his leg almost touching hers. “I came to give you some leftover pizza from last night. Your side door was open. When I walked in to make sure everything was all right, I noticed the flooding and loss of power. And it hit me. I allowed this to happen by not taking care of it back when Carol first asked.”
“But—”
“The guys all felt the same. And since we didn’t have anything going on at Linear today, they came in and helped. With the six of us, and of course little Ethan, stuff isn’t taking long. In a couple days when everything dries, we’ll be able to finish installing the new flooring. It’s a laminate—a fake hardwood—but it looks nice, and I think you’ll like it.”
“Oh, but—”
“Yeah, Carol picked it out and paid for it, so I hope it’s okay. It’s just been sitting in storage at the office. Tearing out her floors when she was so sick would’ve been too disruptive.”
What exactly was she supposed to do with this info? Complaining about what they’d done would just be churlish and ungrateful of her. “Oh.”
Again with that? Geez. “Of course,” she added quickly.
He pushed off the car to stand in front of her. “But I should’ve asked. I wanted to do something nice for you. Call it a welcome-home-I’m-glad-you’re-here gift.”
How the hell was he making six foot two and two hundred pounds of pure muscle seem so boyish and charming? His tight black T-shirt clung to his biceps and trim waist. Those blue eyes peered at her not with their normal icy efficiency, but with soft hesitation. As if he expected her to fly off the handle and yell at him for this.
Which maybe she should. Because he’d broken into her house, sort of. But...this was, without fail, the kindest thing anyone
had ever done for her.
“You’ll have to tell me how much I owe for the labor and supplies.” Somehow, she’d pay him what she owed, even if something else had wait.
“Nothing.”
She couldn’t get her eyebrow up any higher. He grinned, that little dimple in his chin deepening. “I promise, everything was already paid for. And the guys wouldn’t hear of taking your money. They’d wanted to do this for Carol. And Carol would have wanted you to have the flooring she bought. The plumbing issue wasn’t a big deal. I got it fixed, and we can turn your water back on soon. The pipe fitting that busted just happened to do it at the wrong time, probably right after you went to work. Then you pulled a double and went out to help Kimmy, so it had plenty of time to leak water everywhere.”
Another song came on, the guys singing off-tune with Tom Petty. “And the electricity?”
“I’ll admit, the thought of electrocuting myself had me keeping away from that. But I had a buddy who was able to stop by on his lunch break. He said his fix wasn’t permanent—the wiring in this house is pretty old—but it should hold you for a year or two.”
“That had to have cost money. I can pay you—” His arms reaching on either side of her, trapping her between his body and the car, stopped her words.
“No, Annie.” All she could see were his eyes. She wanted to look away, she really did, but couldn’t. His gaze trapped her. Pinned her. “You won’t pay me anything. I wanted to do this. My gift.”
“Why?” She didn’t recognize the breathy voice coming out of her own body.
His lips touched hers in the lightest, sweetest of kisses. Once. Twice. A third time. “Because some things can’t ever be fixed. But you damn well try anyway.”
On the way to a crime scene was not how Zac wanted to spend time with Annie, but he would take it.
They’d actually seen each other a lot over the past month since he’d brought the gang in to fix water damage in her house. Everything he’d said that day had been the truth. The team had told Carol they’d be happy to put down the floor for her. And it had been sitting in the storage section of the barn for months. Hell, it was even true that it was a welcome-back-to-town gift.
