SATURDAY NIGHT, Zach arrived at the fair about eight o’clock—an hour before it closed. He wandered the aisles, careful to stay away from Shelley’s booth. If she saw him too early, she might take off running.
As the mob thinned toward closing time, he homed in on his quarry. She was straightening stacks of paper, talking with another woman he recognized as her receptionist from the office.
Shelley looked up as he came closer. Her eyes widened. “Zach?”
“Hi. How’d today go?” Brilliant opening.
“Great. Just great.” She stared at him, a puzzled line between her eyebrows. “What are you doing here again? Was Carol that enthusiastic?”
“No. I came by myself.” Even to his own ears he sounded half-conscious. Why was he having so much trouble making conversation these days?
The receptionist stepped forward. “That looks like everything. Are we ready to go?”
Zach nearly swore. If Shelley had given someone else a ride, that would be the end of his plans. He could handle an extra car. An extra person just would not work.
“Sure.” Shelley sat down in a chair, reached under the table and stood up again with her purse. She looked at Zach. “Mindy drove us over from the office this morning. I left my car in the garage.”
The tension in Zach’s gut let go. “I could give you a ride. If Mindy doesn’t mind.”
“That’s okay—” Shelley started.
“Sounds good,” the receptionist said at the same time. She grinned at Zach and he winked back at her. “Your car has to be closer than mine—they make the exhibitors park a million miles away. Is it still snowing?”
“Wasn’t when I came in. And there’s not much accumulation.” He made a mental note to send flowers to the front desk Monday morning.
Mindy nodded. “You don’t need to walk that far in the cold, Shelley.” She put a hand on the other woman’s shoulder, then slipped out of the booth. “I could bring the car around, but this way, I can go straight home—if you don’t mind.”
Shelley looked from her receptionist to Zach and back again. “That’s true. Thanks for all your help—enjoy your Sunday.”
“See you Monday.” Before her boss could say a word, she’d vanished into the crowd.
Zach watched her disappear, then turned back to find Shelley looking at him with raised eyebrows. “Real finesse.”
He grinned. “Pretty good, wasn’t it?”
No smile in reply, just a puzzled frown. “But why?”
“Because we need to talk. Because I haven’t seen you in a while. Just…because.” A bank of lights somewhere in the hall cut off. “We’d better get out or we’ll be stuck in the dark all night.”
She gave him a suspicious glance, but picked up her coat. “I guess I don’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice, Shelley.” He took the coat from her hands and opened it so she could put her arms in. “I’ll call you a cab and pay for it myself if that’s what you want.”
She froze for a second, then moved all the way into the coat and let him put it over her shoulders. As always, being this close to her took his breath away.
“Never mind,” she said. “I appreciate the ride, Zach.”
“Anytime.” Her soft smile drew one from him. He put a hand in the small of her back and gently urged her toward the door. “Have you had dinner?”
“N-no.”
“Neither have I.”
Under his palm, he felt her take a long breath. “Why don’t we go somewhere and get something to eat?”
Zach gave a silent cheer. “Sounds like a plan. What kind of food are you in the mood for?”
“Chinese?”
“You got it.”
His favorite Asian restaurant featured white tablecloths, low lighting and excellent food. After they ordered, the server took the menus away and brought a pot of green tea, which Shelley poured for both of them. And then she looked over at Zach.
“Well,” she said softly. “I certainly didn’t expect the night to end like this.”
“Pretty amazing,” he agreed. And then, gently, “How are you feeling these days?”
“Good. Tired. Clumsy.”
Zach shook his head. “Not clumsy.”
Shelley laughed. “You haven’t seen me trying to get off the couch.”
“No, I haven’t.” Disappointment must have come through in his voice, because she sobered, and toyed with her fork. With a sense of fatalism, Zach took the jump. “Shelley, this isn’t working.”
She avoided his gaze. “You could have taken me to my car.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. And you know it.”
Her shoulders moved with a sigh. “I know.”
Taking another risk, he reached for her hand. When she didn’t resist, he pulled in a needed breath. “I really want to be a part of your life.”
Shelley sighed again, but this time she looked up, and her eyes were gentle. “I know.”
“Can we work that out?”
The server came to their table with bowls of soup. When she’d left again, Shelley said, “We can try.”
Relief exploded inside him like fireworks. Zach squeezed her fingers and sat back.
“Good answer.” He grinned. “Now let’s eat!”
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE EVENING had to end, but Shelley didn’t want to say goodbye. She’d missed Zach these last weeks, missed his unpredictable visits, his grin, his kindness, like a warm blanket around her. Being with him made life simpler, encouraged her to think she might be able to manage, after all.
But they couldn’t spend the night in a garage. Time to make a break. “This has been lovely.” She put her hand on the door latch.
His fingers closed around her wrist. “Shelley.”
She looked back at him. Shadows shaped his face. His eyes sparked blue in the darkness. Her gaze fell to his mouth and desire curled in her chest as she remembered the taste of his kisses. She had to concentrate to understand what he was saying.
“I tried to…lure…you into some kind of relationship before. I thought if I showed you we could get along—” He cleared his throat. “I guess that wasn’t a good idea. So now I’m saying it plainly. I want to see you, know how you’re doing, what you’re doing. Just give me a chance, okay? I know we can work this out for all of us, if we’re careful and patient.”
“I’ll try, Zach. That’s the best I can do.” She opened the door and got out of the car. “Thanks for dinner.”
“You’re welcome.” He stared at his hands on the steering wheel for a few seconds, then looked her way. “Can I come over some night this week? I’ll bring food.”
She would have liked to feel less enthusiastic at the prospect. “Okay. Call me.”
“I will.” He flashed a grin. “Sleep well, Shelley—after you get home, that is.”
She laughed and shut the door. Zach waited while she unlocked the Mercedes, got herself settled and started the engine. Then he followed her out of the parking garage and all the way to the interstate out of town. With a tap on the horn, he took the southbound exit as she turned north.
Questions assailed her during the drive. He’d said he lived southeast of the city. What kind of house? she wondered. Was he neat or messy? Did he like antiques or modern furniture?
So much they didn’t know about each other, even though they’d shared their bodies and created a child. Would time together before the baby was born change anything? Was she being weak, simply giving in to her own wish to be with Zach? Was she leading him on, creating a situation both of them would regret? Or was he the one leading her on?
She’d argued herself into a headache by the time she got home. The house was quiet and dim, a bit too chilly. She turned up the heat and climbed the stairs, thinking about her aching legs and back, her tired, swollen feet. A little pampering right now would feel so good… someone to bring her a drink and massage her shoulders, maybe run a bath and talk to her while she soaked. Someone to hold h
er in bed, his hand rubbing her belly as the baby bumped and punched.
No. Not just someone. Zach.
Mechanically, Shelley hung up her suit, put her shoes in their cubbyhole and her lingerie in the hamper, then donned the oversize T-shirt she’d taken to sleeping in. Without a drink, without a massage, without Zach’s body curved around hers, she huddled under the covers, alone and miserable but so tired that sleep had claimed her before she could shed more than a few hot tears.
ENCOURAGED BY Shelley’s acceptance of his plans, Zach suggested they get together on Friday night, for a movie, maybe.
He came up with an even better idea on the drive to her house that evening. “How about the Indigo, instead?” He thought she’d enjoyed Jimmy’s club. Success was always worth repeating.
But even before he’d closed the front door, Shelley shook her head. “I don’t think so, Zach.”
“You don’t like jazz?”
“Actually, I do. I bought a couple of CDs recently.”
Another point scored. “Jimmy’s got a good group lined up this weekend. And a better cook. The roads are clear and dry. What other reason could there be not to go?”
She glanced down at her stomach, and he followed her thought. “You look great.” And she did. Every time he saw her, she only got more beautiful.
“I look like a candidate for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.”
“Nah.” Zach pretended to study her closely. Her red sweater and black leggings practically begged for a pointed cap trimmed in white fur. “Now, there is some resemblance to a certain jolly old elf.” He grinned at her. “All you need is the reindeer.”
“You jerk.” She turned her back. He heard a telltale sniff.
Damn. What a time to get clumsy with women! Zach closed his hands over her shoulders. “Shelley, I’m teasing. I’ve never seen you that you didn’t look like a million dollars. You’re as gorgeous right now as you’ve always been, and sexy as hell.”
“You’re just a smooth talker.” She shook her head, and the scent of spiced lemon drifted over him. “I’ll bet you say that to all the expectant mothers of your acquaintance.”
Smiling, he slid his hands down her arms to her elbows and back again. “As a matter of fact, I don’t.”
The red sweater left her neck bare. Zach took a risk and eased his palms inward across her shoulders, underneath that shining hair. He cupped the sides of her neck with his fingers and pressed his thumbs firmly into the muscles along her spine.
Shelley gave a soft gasp. “That’s so good. My neck has been stiff for weeks.”
“You work too hard,” he murmured. “Let your chin drop.”
She did as he asked, at the same time as Zach took a step forward. Their bodies came into contact, her straight, narrow back pressing into his chest. Her breathing slowed, the tension seeped out of her body as he continued to rub her neck. After another couple of minutes, she practically purred with contentment.
Zach took a deep breath of his own. He enjoyed making Shelley feel good. And he could do so much more…with his hands roaming, down over her breasts and along her swollen stomach, shaping her hips and the curve of her bottom… with his mouth wandering, over her head, along the side of her neck, across the sensitive palm of her elegant hand…with his arms folding, pulling her back, tucking her tight against him and recovering that rhythm they’d found so many months ago.
All of which would do wonders for him, too. He had wanted Shelley the first time he saw her.
But sex wasn’t part of the picture. Not now, not until she realized there was much more between them than just the physical needs they could satisfy.
So he moved away from Shelley’s warmth. He took his hands from the bare and vulnerable nape of her neck. His body shivered with tension.
“Are you sure about a night out?” His voice wasn’t as steady as he’d hoped.
“I’m sure.” Her voice wasn’t any better. “How would you explain why you’d brought me? Jimmy wouldn’t understand.”
“Oh, Jimmy already knows.”
“What?” She whipped around, faster than a woman in her condition should move. “He knows what?”
“That we’re…um…” Involved? Connected? “That you and I—” The hole he was digging got deeper.
She stared at him with a chill in her eyes. “Explain exactly what you told him.”
“That I’m interested in you.”
“That I’m pregnant?”
“Well…yeah.”
“That you’re the father?”
Lust wouldn’t be a problem anymore. Zach had a feeling getting out alive might be. “I, uh, told him that part, too.”
BREATHING FAST, Shelley struggled to stay calm. How could he do this? How could he put his hands on her, give her such pleasure, when he’d betrayed her so thoroughly?
“Who else have you told? Your mother? Carol?”
“Nobody. But Jimmy’s my best friend.”
Some comfort. “And who has he told? All the guys he hangs out with?”
“No. He wouldn’t do that.”
She paced around the entry hall, torn between shame and fury. “I was trying to keep things as quiet as possible, Zach. The whole city does not need to know about… this.” Her knees wobbled and her hands had started to shake. She wondered if she could handle this argument sitting down.
Zach pushed his fists into the pockets of his jeans. “I understand that. But it’s pretty hard to hide a pregnancy.”
“I covered that aspect of the situation.”
The tilt of his head was skeptical. “Oh, sure—with a lousy ring and a fake husband. Great solution.”
If it weren’t so unbelievable, she’d have thought he was jealous. “What’s wrong with the ring and the husband?”
“They’re a lie, Shelley! A lie that cheats me out of what I’m asking for—a wife and our baby.”
She stared at him, at the hurt and… and…loss?…on his face. What in the world was he saying? “You’d rather be—” She cleared her throat. “Married?”
“Hell, yes!” He stood silent for a few seconds, his stare caught somewhere between laughter and…tears? “What else have I been telling you for the last three months?”
The room went black for a second, then started to spin. Shelley grabbed the banister to stay on her feet. Fighting Zach—fighting herself—suddenly seemed impossible. “Well, okay, then. Let’s get married!”
Zach gazed at her, and she almost laughed at the shock on his face. His eyebrows drew together. “What did you say?”
“I said we should get married.” Repeating the words was even scarier than blurting them out the first time. She would have liked to disappear into the floor. Maybe she’d misread him…
Zach looked down at his shoes, and then into her face again. “Okay. This weekend?” His calm only tripled her fear. “We can go to Las Vegas.”
Her stomach dropped as reality crashed in. She put up a hand. “Wait—don’t we need to think about this a little more?”
“No, we don’t. We need to get married first, and the rest of the situation will fall into place.”
“Your family…my mother…” The room had stopped spinning, but only the banister kept her standing up.
“They’ll have to adjust.” He stepped close and took her hands with his. “I’m going home to make plane reservations. I’ll have to check that it’s okay for you to fly. You’re going to go to bed, get a good night’s sleep, and pack in the morning. We’ll spend the night there. I’ll let you know what time to be ready.” The blue of his eyes was as deep, as hypnotic, as she’d ever seen it. “Clear?”
She couldn’t muster the strength to argue. The situation had gone beyond her control, and she didn’t know how to retrieve it. “Clear.”
“Good.” He leaned forward and touched his mouth to her forehead. “Sleep well. Lock the door behind me. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
“Okay.” She stood where she was, watched him walk to the door a
nd open it, then step through, closing the panel behind him. After a few seconds, the door reopened.
Zach put his head in. “Lock the door, Shelley.”
“Right.” She did as he said, and then leaned back against the panel, heart pounding, throat tight. Was this another mistake? Had she just ruined the rest of her life…and Zach’s…and the baby’s?
The good night’s sleep Zach ordered her to get resisted every effort she made. She pictured him in her house. Swimming in the pool, reading in the family room, playing with a baby on the living-room floor. She saw his clothes in her closet, his shoes by the bed. His scent filled her bathroom, and she imagined his face in the mirror, steamy after a shower they’d taken together. She would dry beads of water from his smooth, tan back, leaning close every now and then to lick a drop or two, and then more, until he turned to take hold and bring her up against him for a wild and wicked kiss…
But Zach hadn’t mentioned sex. She knew he would fulfill his commitment to his child, because he was that kind of man. She would be selfish and…and silly…to expect anything more.
Not the kind of thoughts that made for a restful night.
ZACH CALLED at ten Saturday morning. “How’d you sleep?”
“Just fine,” she lied. “How about you?”
“Great. Our flight leaves at two. I’ll pick you up about noon, okay?”
“Why don’t I just drive to the airport and meet you? That’s an extra hour of driving you won’t have to do.”
He was quiet for a moment. “Okay, sure. I could use the time. I’ll meet you at the ticket desk at one?”
“See you there.” Her hand was shaking as she set the phone down. She’d never been this nervous in her life. If only someone could tell her she was doing the right thing…
Shelley picked up the phone again and dialed her mother’s number. “Hi, Mom.”
“Good morning! How are you?”
Terrified. “Pretty good. How was your week?”
“Busy, the way I like it. What’s going on?”
“I thought I’d better let you know…” Deep breath. “I’ll be leaving town today.”
“Oh? Anywhere special?”
“Um…Las Vegas.”
Expecting the Best (Harlequin Superromance) Page 13
