If You Were Mine (21 page)

“So, were you impressed?”

She looked momentarily surprised by his question. She put

down Cuddles before going to kiss Atlas on his long muzzle, then

moved to the sink to wash her hands before eating.

“Yes. Very.” She shot him an innately sensual look over her

shoulder. “Both times.”

“Good,” he said, but when the seconds ticked by and she

didn’t move over to him, he had to add, “You missed one.”

She looked confused. “What did I miss?”

He nodded toward where the dogs were standing by the

door, pawing at it. “You kissed everyone but me.”

Surprise softened her pretty features and Zach actualy

found himself holding his breath as he waited to see what she

found himself holding his breath as he waited to see what she

would do.

Technicaly, good morning kisses weren’t in their sex-only

agreement, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want one.

Slowly, she moved toward him, his chest tightening down

even further with every step.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel left out,” she said softly,

and then she was putting her hands on either side of his face as

she went up on her toes to press a kiss to his lips.

Their kisses until now had been al about sex, and

desperate need.

This one was different.

The desire was stil there, riding between them the way it

had from the first moment they’d met, but there was a softness in

this kiss that he’d never shared with anyone.

When she stepped back, she looked as stunned as he felt.

Turning quickly to the dogs, she went to open the sliding glass

door to let them out into his yard.

Zach moved beside Heather at the door to watch the dogs

play. “Your mutt likes it here.”

Heather sighed before agreeing, “He does.”

“What about you?” Zach didn’t know where the question

had come from, just that he needed to know.

The toast popped up and she started to move away from

him to get it, but he reached out and grabbed her hand, turning

her toward him. She looked down at their linked fingers.

“You know exactly how much I liked last night.” She

sounded resigned and a little bit upset about it. “The sex was

sounded resigned and a little bit upset about it. “The sex was

great.”

He dropped her hand, stupidly upset with her answer.

What the hel was wrong with him? She was exactly the woman

he’d been looking for. Up for ridiculously great sex with none of

the other junk attached to it. Like feelings. Or wanting more. Or

trying to angle things to be his girlfriend.

Heather was perfect.

The whole damn thing was perfect.

He yanked the bread out of the toaster, slapped on butter

and jam, then dropped the plates out on the breakfast counter

where he’d already put two cups of coffee.

“So then, we’re on for doing it al over again tonight?”

Jesus, first he was trying to get her to write him poetry

about being together, and then when she didn’t give him the

answer he wanted, he was actualy begging for a second night.

She slid onto the leather barstool and picked up a piece of

toast. “Sounds fun, but the big auction for the animal shelter is

tonight.”

If she was trying to blow him off, she’d have to work a hel

of a lot harder than that.

He got up to let the dogs back in, but instead of returning to

his seat at the bar, he stood in front of her. “What time should I

pick you up?”

She frowned. “I didn’t ask you to go with me.”

“I like animals.” He looked down at Cuddles, who had

found a shoe from his closet to chew on. He took the shoe out of

the puppy’s mouth and replaced it with a plastic chew toy.

the puppy’s mouth and replaced it with a plastic chew toy.

“I’ve put a lot of work into this event, and I can’t let

anything distract me from bringing in the most money for the

shelter that I can.” She put down her unfinished toast. “It won’t

work for you to come with me, but I’m happy to get together for

sex afterward if you want.”

Heather was saying exactly what he’d always wanted a

woman to say, was offering precisely what he’d always dreamed

a woman would offer. Only, now that his wish had finaly been

granted, it turned out that getting exactly what he wanted grated

like a sonofabitch.

“What are you going to wear?”

She blinked at his non sequitur. “A dress.”

She was beautiful even when she was frowning at him. He

didn’t see any point in checking the urge to lean forward to kiss

the lines between her eyebrows.

“What color?”

He didn’t think she was aware of reaching up to press her

fingertips to the place he’d just kissed as she said, “Blue.”

Zach wound a lock of her hair around his index finger and

slid his thumb over the silky softness. “I’ve never seen you in a

dress.”

“You’ve seen me naked. Isn’t that good enough?”

He didn’t think before answering, “No, it isn’t.”

She slid off her seat and backed away from him. “What are

you doing, Zach?”

“Working on getting an invitation to your party.”

“Working on getting an invitation to your party.”

She shook her head. “If you came with me, everyone

would think we were dating.”

“So what?”

“
So what?
” She sounded more than a little aggravated.

“We’re not dating and you’re not my boyfriend. We agreed,”

she reminded him, “that this thing we’re doing is just sex.” Her

gaze was too steady as she held his. “Tel me now if you’ve

changed your mind and we can stop right here.”

Zach’s gut twisted at the thought of not seeing Heather

again. One night with her wasn’t nearly enough, but hot sex

wasn’t al he’d miss if she decided not to be with him anymore.

He’d miss her laughter.

He’d miss the way she softened around the dogs.

He’d miss her smart mouth ripping into him just like the

people he loved the most in the world always had.

But he knew why she was wary. Her father was an asshole

who had lied to her his whole life. Zach couldn’t love her,

wouldn’t make the mistake of promising her a forever he didn’t

have, but he would never lie to her.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Heather.”

She went perfectly stil. “I know you’re not. Because I’m

not going to let you.”

She grabbed her bag, picked up her car keys, and made a

sound that had Atlas leaving his game with Cuddles and moving

to her side.

Zach grabbed her hand before she could walk away from

him. “I’l see you tonight.” He knew what she wanted to hear, so

him. “I’l see you tonight.” He knew what she wanted to hear, so

he made himself say, “For sex.” He let his mouth curve up into a

grin. “Realy, realy great sex.”

He knew it could go either way at this point. Al he could

hope was that she’d enjoyed the time she’d spent in his arms

enough to want to do it al again.

Finaly, she said, “It wil probably be realy late by the time

everything is over.”

“Late-night sex is one of my specialties.”

He was beyond glad when she finaly smiled again. “Only

you would have
sexual specialties
.”

“Here’s another,” he said before he gave her a goodbye

kiss that he intended she remember for the rest of the day.

The first thing Zach noticed that evening when he stepped

into the large balroom at The Fairmont was Heather’s laughter.

She was speaking with an older couple and even from across the

room, the sound of her joy washed over him, just as it had that

morning when she’d been on his lap in bed and he’d made her

laugh.

My God,
he thought as he took in her long, silky hair

flowing down her back and the long-sleeved, dark blue dress

that ended just below her knees to showcase her perfectly toned

and tanned calves and ankles.
She’s so beautiful.

He loved her in shorts, and had more than one fantasy

He loved her in shorts, and had more than one fantasy

about al the fun he could have with that long braid of hers in

bed. She’d always taken his breath away, without doing a damn

thing to try to accentuate her natural beauty. Al around her,

women were decked out in sequins and sky-high heels intended

to draw eyes to them. But in her simple blue dress, Heather

outshone them al.

She hadn’t wanted him here as a distraction, but he’d come

anyway because that was how he’d always run his life. Putting

what he wanted—and his own happiness—first.

Only, now that he was here, as he watched her move

through the crowd to speak with people who clearly admired the

hel out of her, he realized he couldn’t go through with his plan to

surprise her, then kiss her into not being mad at him for ignoring

her request to stay away.

It was one thing to rearrange her seat at the bal game so

that she’d have to sit next to him. It was another to screw up an

important event she’d worked long and hard on just because he

was a selfish prick who couldn’t make it another hour without

seeing her.

Tonight he wanted Heather to be happy.

Moving to a shadowed part of the room, he drank in her

grace, her confidence, as she took the stage. He’d always

gravitated toward younger women who didn’t demand anything

from him apart from a good time. Heather was the polar

opposite of them al. She didn’t need him, didn’t need any man

to take care of her or to tel her she was worthy.

A few seconds later, the music playing over the speakers

A few seconds later, the music playing over the speakers

turned off and the spotlight went to where Heather was standing

on the stage.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming here tonight to support

the San Francisco Animal Shelter. I know each and every one of

us in this room is shocked to know that animals are stil being

abused and neglected, household pets most often of al.”

Behind her, a screen showed pictures of dogs walking with

their owners, cats playing with children, puppies cuddling with

babies. Some of the dogs and cats were missing a leg or an eye,

but anyone could see how happy they were now that they’d

finaly found families who loved them.

“That’s why we’re al here tonight, to raise money to

support those animals who are brought in to the shelter hurt and

afraid. With the right love and care, it’s our hope that they wil al

find loving homes and owners who wil care for them the way

they should have been cared for from the day they were born.

Every penny of the proceeds from tonight’s auction wil go

straight to the shelter, and the animals who so desperately need

our help. Thank you for reaching deep for them.”

As she stepped away from the podium to let the auctioneer

run through the list of items up for bidding, Zach puled his valet

parking tag from his pocket and headed for the front of the hotel.

“I need you to bring my car around and leave it out front.”

“Aren’t you going to be driving it, sir?”

“No,” he said without even needing to give it a second

thought, “I won’t.”

* * *

Heather was pleased with how wel the bidding was going

on the auction items. Stil, as the auctioneer caled out the final

items on the list, she calculated that it was going to be a close

finish to reach their fundraising goal.

And then, suddenly, the other man from the auction firm

motioned to the auctioneer with a piece of paper.

Heather frowned. What was going on?

The auctioneer unfolded the paper and whatever he read

on it made his eyes widen. Without taking the time to confer first

with Heather, he quickly moved back behind the podium.

“I’m pleased to let everyone know that we have a last-

minute addition to our biddable items. A truly excelent addition.”

It was as if he needed to catch his breath first before saying,

“The classic 1967 Lamborghini 400 GT is in mint condition.”

The approximate value he listed had Heather’s jaw dropping to

the floor. The room rumbled with sounds of amazement as the

auctioneer grinned and said, “It is currently parked in front of the

hotel for your viewing pleasure. The owner is available to answer

questions. Bidding wil begin in precisely ten minutes.”

It was a stampede as every man and half the women made

a dash for the balroom doors.

The auctioneer turned to Heather and said, “This is truly

extraordinary. If I had the funds, I’d bid on it myself.”

Needing to know who would give the animal shelter

Needing to know who would give the animal shelter

something so precious, just moments before bidding ended,