She turned back around toward the sink muttering, and he could have sworn he heard her say something that sounded a lot like, I’ll give you anything you want. But when he asked her to repeat what she’d said, to make sure, her response was simply, “Nothing.”
He sucked in another deep breath. Had he really just imagined the words? Probably. No more than wishful thinking on his part.
“So do you want any pie, Zach?”
He came to stand next to her. “So you baked a pie, did you?” He wondered what she had cooked while he’d been taking a shower.
“No, I didn’t bake anything. It’s the microwavable kind. I have it from someone who knows you well that you have a sweet tooth.”
Oh, yeah, he had a sweet tooth, all right, and at the moment tasting her was all he was craving.
Half an hour later Zach stood drying the last of the dinner dishes while Anna took her shower. Conversation over dessert had been nice. She’d told him how things had been going with her at work, and he shared with her how things had been going for him— deliberately not mentioning that he was considering going into politics. The people that knew wouldn’t say anything to her, so for now his secret was safe. Besides, when she found out, he would be the one to tell her and only after he was convinced she would be willing to be a politician’s wife.
After drying his hands on a towel, he grabbed two wineglasses and the bottle of wine he had located in the basement, right where he’d known it would be. He would never forget those summers he got to spend here on the island. The Denisons had been super, and he would always cherish the time he got to spend with Trey Fuller and his great-grandparents, forging a friendship with Trey that would last a lifetime. The two of them kept in touch often, and Trey had been the first person he’d confided in upon accepting his true feelings for Anna.
Going out on the porch that practically wrapped all the way around the huge two-story Southern-style home, he breathed the scent of the nearby ocean, flowering plants, and crisp pines. A few years ago, Randolph had decided to screen in the entire length of the porch to keep out the man-eating mosquitoes that came out in the summertime.
Zach set the wine bottle and glasses down on a wicker table before settling his masculine frame onto a matching sofa. He leaned back against the comfortable cushions, thinking this was just where he wanted to be—alone on a private island with the woman he loved. And he had her for the next two days all to himself.
“I wondered where you had gone,” Anna said, coming out on the porch to join him moments later.
He glanced up, flickering his gaze over her. She looked refreshed and as beautiful as ever, and with the light shining through the doorway he could see she had changed into a long skirt and blouse. He wasn’t sure just what kind of material the skirt was made of, but all he knew was that when she walked, the fabric had a way of clinging to her curves.
His body tensed, responding to her mere presence. He shifted in his seat. “I’m glad you could join me,” he said, watching how instead of coming to sit beside him she chose to sit in a chair opposite him. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad idea, he decided. Already he was tottering close to the edge. It wouldn’t take much to push him right on over.
“Well, did you find Grampa Murphy’s stash?” she asked him, and it was then that he noticed her hair was no longer loose but was in a ponytail.
“I said I would, didn’t I?” If only he could lean over and snap whatever was holding her hair together so he could watch it tumble around her shoulders.
“Well, may I have a glass?”
“I guess you may,” he said, reaching over and pouring two glasses of wine from the bottle. “Careful, this is strong stuff. You don’t want to indulge too much or we’ll be sleeping until Sunday.”
She grinned over at him. “And miss out on you taking me boating tomorrow? Don’t count on it.”
He handed her the glass then watched as she took a slow sip. Even the way she sipped her drink was sexy as hell.
“Tell me some more about him,” Anna asked in a quiet tone.
Whenever the two of them were alone Anna enjoyed hearing stories about her father, stories Zach’s father had passed on to him, since Ross Fuller had died before Zach and Anna were born. A lot of the stuff she had heard before, several times, but Anna never got tired of hearing it over and over again. In a way, he always enjoyed sharing it with her, and it only made his love and admiration for his father and the man who had been his dad’s best friend that much greater.
“Long ago there were two best friends by the name of Ross Fuller and Noah Wainwright. They attended Howard University School of Law together and were roommates. They were as close as brothers, and there was nothing one would not do for the other. Their friendship was solid. It was made to last a lifetime.”
He glanced over at her, saw the attentive expression on her face and the concentration in her eyes. As usual she was listening closely, taking in every word.
“Our country was embroiled in a bitter war, the Vietnam War,” he continued. “We were sending men, some too young to know how to hold a gun, or to fight, to defend our country’s honor. And because they loved their country, Ross and Noah decided to enlist after law school. Noah went into the air force and Ross into the marines, and they stayed in touch, those two best friends. Then one day Noah received a letter from Ross letting him know he had fallen in love with a beautiful Vietnamese girl named Gia and that he wanted to marry her. It was by a sheer act of God that Noah was able to be with Ross on the day he and Gia were married.”
Zach took another sip of his wine. Now came the sad part, the part that always brought out her tears. “Months later, Noah lost Ross when Ross became a casualty of the war, but no matter what, he was determined to fulfill the promise he’d made to his best friend that if anything were to happen to him, that Ross’s family would become his. Those two best friends had made plans for their children’s future, you see.”
Anna lifted her brow, and Zach knew why. He’d never told her this part before, the one about the plans Noah and Ross had made for their offspring’s future.
“What kind of plans?” she asked softly.
“If they were girls, they would be best friends. If both were boys, they would also be best friends,” he said, staring deep into her eyes.
She nodded. “And if they were a boy and a girl?” she asked thoughtfully.
“In that case, Ross and Noah figured their son and daughter would grow up, marry, and their love would be the tie that would bind the Fullers and the Wainwrights together forever.”
For the longest time neither said anything. Anna finally broke eye contact when she looked down into her wineglass. “Our fathers were something else, weren’t they?”
“Yes, they were. I would have loved to have known Ross Fuller.”
Anna nodded. “So would I. But there are times when I feel he is with me, especially whenever I’m in a disheartened mood. Those are the times I could swear that I hear him, whispering words of encouragement, letting me know he’s there, and that he’s proud of me and loves me, and that he loves my mother, too. And I believe even now they are together.”
She glanced over at Zach. “Does that sound crazy?”
Zach shook his head because he knew that even in death he would love her as well. “No, that doesn’t sound crazy at all. There are a number of things that defy logic, Anna. There are some things that can’t always be explained. Have you ever heard of predestination?”
She nodded. “The belief that a person’s life is predetermined before they are born?”
“Yes. I think there’s truth in some of that.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.” Now was not the time to tell her that in his heart he actually felt he was placed on this earth to love her. And everything the both of them had ever endured in life was in preparation for the moment they would become one—including his marriage to Shaun. Shaun had been given to him to love but for only a short time, to strengthen his belie
f in love and to teach him how to appreciate the importance of sharing your life with someone.
“I think I’m going to turn in now, Zach.”
It was still early yet, and he wasn’t ready for her to go inside, but evidently she was ready to leave. “All right. I hope you get a good night’s sleep. We’ll be going boating first thing in the morning.”
“Okay. Good night, Zach.”
“Good night, Anna.”
He watched as she quickly went inside and knew that his life, his world centered on this one particular woman.
20
Zach was standing in the kitchen leaning against the counter sipping a cup of coffee when Anna, who didn’t appear to be quite fully awake yet, strolled into the room early the next morning. He thought she had a sexy rumpled look, and the midriff-baring tank top and shorts she was wearing weren’t helping matters. “Good morning, Anna.”
She glanced up. “Good mor—”
Instead of completing the sentence, she rushed across the kitchen and when she came to a stop in front of him, he looked at her questioningly. “I need a sip. Bad,” she said in a desperate plea.
He looked at his coffee cup then back at her. “Okay.”
He handed her the cup. She took a sip and closed her eyes as if the coffee was exactly what she’d needed. She let out a deep sigh before taking another sip. She then returned the cup to him after smacking her lips. When she opened her eyes, a satisfaction shone in them. “Thanks. I needed that.”
He smiled. “No problem.” And for Zach it hadn’t been a problem. In fact, it had been a real turn-on to watch her drink from the same coffee cup that he had. It made him feel good that she had no qualms about sharing it with him with her lips touching the same spot that his had.
“Do you want me to pour you a cup?” he asked when she walked over to the table and sat down.
“Please. I hate to be a bother, but I didn’t get to sleep until a little before dawn.”
“Really? Why?”
“The sound of crickets, frogs, and no telling what else. I could hear them as clear as day even with my window down.”
Zach walked over to her with her cup of coffee, amused. “Welcome to Glendale Shores. The sounds are always annoying the first night, but then you finally get used to it.” He sat down across from her. “Don’t you remember how things were the last time?”
She smiled at him as she took a sip of her own coffee. “I was too busy looking through all those photo albums that when I did go to bed, I was out like a light.”
He grinned over at her. “You know what that means, don’t you?”
She raised a brow. “No. What?”
“I’m going to have to keep you up late tonight so you can sleep.”
Anna wondered how he intended to do that. She had plenty of her own ideas, but none was safe to mention. “So what time do you want us to hit the water?”
“As soon as you finish your coffee.”
She picked up her cup to take another sip. “But don’t you have to get the boat ready?”
He smiled. “It’s done. I also packed our lunch already.”
“How long have you been up?”
“At least a couple of hours.”
“You couldn’t sleep either?”
One corner of Zach’s lips lifted in a grin. “No, I couldn’t sleep either.” He didn’t add that the reasons were vastly different from hers. Nature had kept him up too, but it had nothing to do with the local wildlife. “Would it make you happy to know Trey’s new boat has a cabin below?” he asked.
Her sleepy eyes lit up. “With a bed?”
He laughed at that. “Yes, with a bed.”
She grinned with delight. “Umm, you wouldn’t think badly of me if the first couple of hours I got into that bed, would you?” she asked, looking at him over the rim of her cup.
Not if you don’t think badly of me if I crawl in that bed with you. “No, I won’t think badly of you.”
She leaned over and patted his cheek. “Thanks, Zach. You’re a sweetheart. What would I ever do without you?”
With great effort he kept his head from turning, even slightly, or else he would have been tempted to kiss the hand she still had resting on his face. “Does that mean you’re going to keep me around?” he asked in a low voice.
She released her hand from his face, leaned back in her chair, smiled before sipping more coffee, and said softly, “For always.”
For always.
Three hours later Anna’s words were still all Zach could think about as he inhaled a breath of cool morning air while keeping the boat on its course around the island. She was down below in the cabin sleeping, and he wasn’t two seconds in finding a good spot to anchor and join her in the bed. He couldn’t help wondering how she would react if he were to do something like that.
He had gone down to check on her around an hour ago to find her curled up in bed lying on her side and dead to the world. That gave him a chance to study her, thinking he’d never seen her sleep before. Even in peaceful bliss, she was beautiful, the thing fantasies were made of.
This island was also something else fantasies were made of. No heavy traffic and sirens going off. Other than the ruffle of the waves off the Atlantic and seagulls flying overhead, this was a place of calm and peace. Of course there were the occasional sounds of the night, the same ones that had kept Anna awake, but even that couldn’t take away from the island’s serene magnificence.
“Is it lunchtime yet?”
He turned at the sound of Anna’s voice. She looked well rested, gorgeous, and he couldn’t help but lean back against the rail and stare at her.
She stared right back. “Well, is it lunchtime?”
“No such luck, woman. It’s not ten o’clock yet. Do you think all you’re going to do on my watch is sleep and eat?”
“Doesn’t sound like a bad thing to me” she said, grinning. Her hair was loose and seemed to be flying in the wind. He liked it that way. He also liked the way she was dressed. She was wearing a pair of black shorts and a white tank top that bared her belly.
With a bigger smile she asked, “Are we going to fish or spend your entire Saturday hunting for the lost treasure?”
Anna tried to stop the butterflies from fluttering around in her stomach. Now that she was refreshed, so were her thoughts, and the main thing they were latching on to was Zach. He was leaning against the rail dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a white sleeveless shirt that showed off his muscular chest and strong arms. Then there was that wide and sensuous-looking mouth he had. He seemed to be watching her the same way a hawk would eye a mouse before swooping down on it. Was she imagining things or was he actually looking at her differently today? She swallowed deeply, overwhelmed by the mere possibility.
“Oh, you remember our tale of the lost treasure, do you?” he asked.
She turned her gaze to all the water beyond the boat, forcing her body to calm down. “How could I not remember when you and Trey convinced me it was true?”
Zach laughed, and the sound seemed to wrap itself around her. “Growing up, Trey and I always believed it since Grampa Murphy was convinced it was true. But then your uncle Randolph said if it had been true that he and your father Ross would have found it by now, since they spent a lot of their childhood searching the island for it and always came up empty-handed. He thought it was a tall tale Grampa Murphy fabricated to keep them busy and out of trouble during their summer visits.”
“But you and Trey thought differently?”
She could tell he was remembering those times, entertaining pleasant childhood memories. “Yes. We were convinced your uncle and father didn’t look good enough and that we would eventually find it.”
“But you never did.”
“No, but the fun is in looking, so whenever Trey comes here, we can’t resist looking around again just in case we overlooked something.”
She nodded. “Well, I hope you find your treasure one day.”
It was o
n the tip of his tongue to tell her he had already done so. Whenever he gazed at her he saw something so valuable and priceless that he knew he wanted to keep) her for always.
And he knew that before they left the island she would understand that their relationship had taken a turn, and it would be up to her to decide where it would go from there.
Part
three
By night on my bed I sought him whom
my soul loveth: I sought him but I found
him not.
I will rise now, and go about the city in
the streets, and in the broad ways I will
seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought
him but found him not.
The watchman that go about the city
found me: to whom I said. Saw ye him
whom my soul loveth?
—SONG OF SOLOMON 3: 1–3
21
Lyle thought that Beaufort, South Carolina, situated between Savannah and Charleston, exuded much of the same charm as both cities but on a smaller scale. They had made good time, leaving the island by ten that morning. He had driven the scenic route from Hilton Head, and the moment he and Monique entered the city, they could immediately tell the town was rich in history.
The historic district was filled with elegant homes that had been built in the 1700s and 1800s, and the quaint but bustling waterfront shopping district was brimming with numerous stores and a huge assortment of eating places.
He glanced over at Monique when he parked the car on Bay Street in front of a very picturesque old house that had been made into a bed-and-breakfast inn. From the smile on Monique’s face, he could tell she was pleased with his choice of where they would be spending the night.
When a strand of Monique’s hair caught a breeze off the nearby Beaufort River and blew in her face, as if it was the most natural thing to do, he reached out and pushed it back away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.
“This place is beautiful, Lyle,” she murmured, looking at him and then back at the huge two-story inn. “I bet it’s as nice on the inside as it looks on the outside.”
What a Woman Wants Page 15
