Seducing Zeb (Tarnished Saints Series) (9 page)

Cat took that as her cue to leave
also, and got up to join him.

“Hold on,” said Judas, swigging
down the last of his lemonade. “I’ve got the night shift anyway, so I’ll drop you two off before I head on over to the police station.”

“Thanks,” said Zeb. “Sorry to cut out so early, but I’ve got court in the morning and I need to keep a clear head. It’s a pretty nasty divorce case I’m working on.” He caught Cat’s eye when he said it, almost as if he were reminding her just what he was capable of, and that their marriage wasn’t
going to last.

“Well, Cat, how about I come get you in the morning and show you around town while Zeb is at court?” asked Judas’s wife, Laney, handing the sleeping baby back to her daughter, J.D.

“I’d love that,” she said, feeling very included.

“That’s not necessary, Lan
ey.” Zeb was obviously trying to keep her away from his family and she didn’t like it.

“I’d love to spend the day with you, Laney and I’m excited to see your new antique shop,” she said, ignoring her husband altogether.

“Then I’ll come by in the morning a little before ten, how does that sound?” Laney had bright red hair, green eyes and a wide smile.

“And bring her to the diner for lunch,” Candace chirped in. “I’d love to show her around our restaurant.”

“And if you want to see the town hall, come on by and I’ll show you what I do as mayor,” Levi added.

“And of course you’ll want to see the police station. I’ll give you a tour
after school,” said Judas’s daughter J.D. snuggling her three-week-old baby to her chest. “I used to work there, so I’m sure dad wouldn’t mind, would you, Dad?”

Judas’s face lit up with a smile. “Of co
urse not, Jaydee. You bring Cat over and I’ll introduce her to the whole town.”

“Let’s go already,” growled Zeb, putting his hand at the small of Cat’s back and guiding her toward the police car.

“You didn’t have to be so rude to your family,” Cat said softly as Zeb hurried her away from the crowd.

“Cat, I’m
not trying to be rude, and I know my family has good intentions, but I was hoping we’d have a little time alone before you go off and become everyone’s best friend.”

“You did?” she asked, surprised to hear him say this. “I thought you were trying to get away from me.”

He stopped at the squad and opened the front door for her, surprising her again that he wasn’t going to demand she sit in back with the luggage.

“You’re my wife, Cat,” he said. “And even if it’s only for a few short weeks
, I’d like to know a little about the girl I’m married to.”

“I’d like that,” she said with a nod,
thinking that maybe being around his family who accepted her so easily, some of it was rubbing off on him. He closed the door and got into the back seat. Cat was deep in thought on the ride to Zeb’s condo – her new home. And she was also anxious, yet nervous to spend time alone with Zeb. Because she was afraid that she was going to actually like it after all. And if she did, it would only be too painful when she had to give all this up in a few short weeks and go back to living on the streets and all alone again.

Chapter 8

Cat was exhausted by the time they settled into Zeb’s condo on the fourth floor and had all the luggage inside. Judas left them, and now they were alone.

“So, this is my place. What do you think?” Zeb closed the front door, stepped over the suitcases and led the way to the living room.
Cat followed, drinking in the beauty and splendor of the way Zeb lived.

The front room had charcoal grey couches with grey and orange pillows sitting a
top a geometric patterned throw-rug that covered the tiled floor. The rest of the furniture was black, and on one wall was the biggest flat screen TV she’d ever seen. On the other side of the living room she saw wall-to-wall windows and a patio balcony overlooking Lake Michigan.

The interior was one big room that
opened up to a bachelor-type kitchen with stainless steel appliances, state of the art of course, and an island to eat at with bar type stools around it that looked to be art deco, bright green and on a metal pole that could be adjusted up or down.

“Nice,” she said, taking in the interior of the room. “Expensive.”

“Wait til you see the bedroom.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say about that,
but followed him anyway to the bedroom where a huge bed that was covered with an ivory white bedspread and burgundy pillows sat low to the ground taking up most the room.

“Watch this,” he said, picking up a remote off the bedside table. He pushed a button and the lights went on, and with another button soft music spilled forth. “Or if you’re in the middle of . . . something and don’t want to deal with the remote, this will work as well.” He put down the remote and looked upward and gave a command. “
Jeeva, open the blinds,” he said, and a whirring sound was heard and all of the sudden the entire wall seemed to move, as electric blinds moved sideways and revealed wall-to-wall windows.

“
Who are you talking to?” She looked around the room.

“Blinds are open, Master Zeb,” came a woman’s voice from somewhe
re, and Cat’s eyes opened wide, not able to believe what she’d just heard.

“You have a voice act
ivated . . . butler?”

“Not a butler –
a virtual assistant. I guess you’d say . . . a maid.”

“I noticed. And you even named her. What will you be asking her to do for you next?”

“Oh, stop it, Cat and look at the view.”

“It is
a nice view,” she said, walking over and staring out at the lake. It was a beautiful day and the sky was blue with puffy white clouds. Through the wall-to-wall windows it almost seemed like a perfect painting.

“Jeeva, open patio doors
,” he said, and all of a sudden the clicking sound of a lock was heard and the windowed walls slid open, revealing the balcony that had two lounge chairs, a hot tub and what looked like garden squares with growing flowers and small shrubs in them.

“Patio doors are opened, Master Zeb,” came the woman’s voice again.

“The master part has got to go,” she said feeling disgusted by his arrogance. “Still, this is unbelievable.” She walked out onto the balcony to get a better look. The breeze hit her in the face and she could hear the sound of the waves washing up upon the shore in the distance. “Romantic,” she said under her breath, feeling happy yet sad all at the same time.

“That it is.” He unfastened his tie and slid it off, followed by his jacket. “Have a seat an
d I’ll get us some refreshments.”

The sun was just setting over the lake and it was making the most beautiful swirls and shades of red and orange. She kicked off her shoes and settled herself on the lounge chair and before she knew it, Zeb was back with a bottle of chilled champagne and two crystal flute glasses
as well as a tray of what looked like bruschetta atop small pieces of crusty bread. “I hope you like bruschetta and Dom Perignon,” he said.

“I . . . guess so
,” she answered, not knowing how to respond to that. She knew she liked bruschetta but had never had such an expensive champagne before. That champagne had to cost at least a hundred and fifty to two hundred dollars a bottle. “I’ve never had Dom Perignon before.”

“Well, since this is our honeymoon, I thought w
e should enjoy it even if our marriage is pretend and won’t last long.” He set the two flutes down on the table and popped the cork and poured them some drinks. Then he handed one to her and held his out. “A toast. To the shortest marriage either of us will hopefully ever have.”

She wasn’t sure what that meant or if she really wanted to drink to that, but before she knew it, he’d clinked her glass and was leaning on the railing looking out over the lake. “So surreal, isn’t it?” he asked. “I like living here because it makes me forget about everything and
it relaxes me to be here.”

“What’s wrong with Thu
nder Lake?” She took a sip of champagne, feeling the bubbles tickling her nose. “After all, by living here, you’re separating yourself from your brothers and their families.”

“Thunder Lake is just a watering hole, and Sweet Water is so small it doesn’t even have a
fire station or more than one real restaurant in town.”

“But it’s where your family is. I’d think family would be important to you and you’d want to be around them.”

“I’m close enough here,” he said, coming to sit down and helping himself to some bruschetta. “Besides, half my brothers don’t even live here, so what’s the difference?” He took a bite, licked his lips and nodded to the plate. “Try some. It’s leftovers from a quaint little restaurant not far from here. I love bruschetta. When I was in law school, I would go into a restaurant - and since I couldn’t afford a whole dinner I’d order just this.”

“You ought to make it yourself. You’d probably save a lot of money.”

“Maybe.” He took another bite, staring out the window again. “But I enjoy eating out. Being a bachelor, I don’t have anyone at home cooking for me, so it doesn’t matter.”

She cleared her throat to remind him he was married now, and he looked up.

“Oh, that’s right,” was all he said.

“
So tell me about your family,” she said, then sampled the bruschetta, realizing it truly was delicious.

“I thought the girls already told you everything about my family you need to know.” He settled himself
back on the lounge chair, and poured himself another glass of champagne.

“Well, they may have, but there were so many names mentioned that I honestly can’t remember.”

“Well then let me give you the low-down, shall I?”

“Please.” Her glass was empty and in an instant Zeb was refilling it. He was pampering her instead of avoiding her and she rather liked it. She wondered what it would be like to actually be courted by him.
She was sure he’d give a girl the royal treatment.

“Thomas is the oldest of the twelve siblings. He is married to Angel. He has six boys – Dan, Sam, Zeke,
the twins, Josh and Jake and little Eli. And Angel has Gabby from another marriage.”

“Ok, that’s easy enough to remember, I guess.”

“And then there’s Levi who married Candace and they have six-year-old twins, Val and Vance.”

“Oh, so they’ve been married for a few years then
, that’s nice.” She reached for some more bruschetta.

“No, only a few months actually.”

“What? I don’t understand.”

“Levi didn’t know he had kids til after he was released from prison and became mayor, but I’ll let him tell you about that.”

“Prison? Did he kill someone?”

“No, that was Thomas – or so everyone thought.”

Cat was starting to think that maybe Zeb wasn’t the worst of the lot after all. This was all a lot of information to take in and she took another sip of champagne, liking the small buzz she was starting to feel. While Zeb talked, he kept refilling her glass even though it wasn’t empty.

“So Judas is next in line – he’s the sheriff of Sweet Water and just got married to Laney.”

“So he didn’t know he had a daughter either?”

“Nor a grandchild on the way,” Zeb explained. “But he’s adapting nicely.”

“So, do any of your other brothers have kids?” she asked. “Or you?” she added, suddenly realizing that for all she knew Zeb could have kids as well.

“
I don’t. And as far as I know my other brothers don’t have kids either. But with them anything is possible, so who really knows? Anyway, next in line is James and myself. As you already know, we’re twins. Then comes Simon who was in the Navy, and Pete who is the only one to follow in my father’s footsteps.”

“He’s the minister and in Peru right now?” she asked.

“That’s right. See, you catch on fast.”

“And I thought your family said something about a brother raising sled dogs in Alaska.”

“Yep, that’s John. And Phil is teaching in France. I haven’t seen him in forever. Then there’s the younger ones. Andrew is a firefighter, Nate who you’ll meet soon is a musician and just got back from the Caribbean, and Thad is the baby and is still in the Caribbean with Simon and most likely getting into trouble.”

“And yo
ur parents are dead?” She wiped her hands and mouth on a napkin Zeb had placed on the tray.

Zeb took anoth
er drink of his champagne, staring out over the water before he answered. “Yes. Pa passed away with a heart attack five years ago, and Ma had Alzheimer’s and was in a home. She died just recently. That’s part of the reason everyone’s slowly coming home. That, and the fact they won’t get their inheritance unless they move back and marry.”

“Yes, that part I know from James. That was a big part of the reason we were getting married
in the first place.”

“Well, don’t s
ound so disappointed.” He raised the glass to his mouth and downed the rest of his champagne. He seemed bothered and didn’t even look at her when he spoke, picking up the bottle to refill his flute. “Maybe you and James can still get married after our annulment goes through.”