IfYouWereMine

Zach&Heather~TheSullivans#5

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Cantwopeoplewhohavebothswornofflovefindforeverineachother'sarms?

ThelastthingZachSullivanwantsistotakecareofhisbrother'snewpuppyfortwoweeks.Untilhe

meetsthedogtrainer,thatis.Heatherisbright,beautiful,andhecan'tstopthinkingabouther.

Unfortunately,shejustmightbetheonlywomanonearthwhowantsnothingtodowithhim.

HeatherLinseycan'tbelieveshe'sstuckworkingwithoneofthecity'stopdogs,auto-shoptycoon

ZachSullivan.Especiallywhenhisfocusisclearfromthestart—notonlytolearnhowtodealwithhis

temporarypuppy...butalsotomakeHeatherhis.Havingswornoffloveatseventeenwhensherealized

itwasnothingmorethanapackoflies,shehasstucktohervownevertofallforacharmingman.

ButasHeather'sdeterminationtopushZachawayonlyfuelshisdeterminationtogetcloser—andthe

sensualandemotionalconnectionbetweenthemgrowsmoreandmoreundeniable—willthebiggest

Sullivanbadboyofalltemptherintobelievinginloveagain?

ChapterOne

ZachSullivanstaredwithdisgustatthebundleoffurchewingonhisshoelace.
“No way.” He shifted his foot to try and get the little bugger off, but for such a tiny thing, it was

tenacious.Itgrowledalittleandshookitstailasitrenewedfocusonhisshoe.Hisnewshoe.“Sophie
lovesdogs.Askher.”

HelookeduptoseeGabesmirkingathim.Clearly,ithadbeenwaytoolongsincehe’dwipeda

grinoffhislittlebrother’sface.

“Sophie’s got enough to deal with lately, between her pregnancy and marrying Jake,” Gabe told

him.“ChloeandChasearegoingtohavetheirkidanysecondnow.MarcusandNicolaarealwaysonthe
road.Ryanispracticallylivingatthestadiumforbaseballseason.AndIwouldn’ttrustLoriwithadogif
shewasthelastpersononearth.Trustme,youwereattheendofmylistforsomeonetowatchthepuppy
whilewe’reawayonvacation,butSummerinsistedyouneededtohaveCuddles.”

Zachalmosthurled.“Cuddles?”
“Summernamedher.”Theybothlookeddownatthepuppy.“Ithinkthenamefitsprettywell.”
GabewasincrediblyprotectiveofSummer,hisfianceeMegan’sdaughter.Zachknewbetterthanto

insultthedog’sname,evenifitwas,handsdown,theworstoneever.

“Look,”Gabesaid,“Summerisconvincedyou’retheperfectpersontokeepthepuppy.Forsome

reasonnoneofuscanfigureout,shethinksyoucandonowrong.Don’tdisappointher,Zach.”

ZachhadthoughtSummerwasprettygreatforaseven-year-old.Untilnow,whenshewastryingto

stickhimwithadoghedidn’twantfortwoweeks.Especiallysincetherewasnowayapuppywasgoing
tofitintohislifeforeventwodays.

Hisdaily—andnightly—schedulewasallaboutfastcarsandprettywomen.Whatthehellwashe

goingtodowithapuppy?

Shaking his head, Zach said, “You’ve really lost your touch, Gabe, letting two girls lead you

around.”

Zach was still surprised by how smitten his brother was—not only with Megan, but with her

daughter,too.Anditwasn’tjustGabewhohadfallenwaydowndeepinthebottomlesspitof“truelove.”
Chase,Marcus,andSophiehadtrippedintoit,too.

TheirmotherwasbeyondthrilledknowingtherewerebabiesandmoreSullivanweddingsonthe

way.Zachwashappyshewashappy.Justaslongasshehadnofalseexpectationsabouthimfallingin
love.

Becauseitwasnevergoingtohappen.
ButGabeclearlydidn’tcareifhe’dlosthistouch,orthathe’dneverbeabletopickupastrangerat

abarforhotsexagain.Ifanything,hisbrotherlookeddisgustinglyhappyaboutit.

“I’mnotaskingyoutodressthepuppyupinfrillydoggyclothesortospendalldayrollingaround

inthegrasswithher.Ijustneedyoutokeepherfedandwateredandwalkedwhilewe’reonourtrip.So,
willyoudoitordoIhavetobreakSummer’sheartbytellinghershe’swrongaboutyoubeingagood
guy?”

Asiftopunctuatehisbrother’srequest,CuddlesfinallyletgoofhergriponZach’sshoelaceand

lookedupathimwithoversizedbrowneyes,herlittlepinktonguelickingatherwhiskersasifshe’djust
finishedatrulytastymeal.

Damnit,he’dalwaysbeenasuckerforpuppy-dogeyes.
Hewasn’thappyaboutit,buthesupposedhecouldsuckitupforacoupleofweekswhileGabe,

Megan, and Summer took a European vacation to see castles and princesses and whatever else it was

SummerhadbeengoingonandontohimaboutatthelastSundaylunch.

Hisreputationasaplayerwithwomenwaswelldeserved,anditwasexactlyhowhelikedthings:

nodeepconnectionstohavetodealwithdowntheroad,nowomantodisappointorleavebehindoneday.
Buthisfamilywasdifferent.Hisbrothersandsistersmeanteverythingtohim.

“Fine.”Hescowleddownatthedog.“I’lldoit.Whatisshe,anyway?”
His brother grinned, not bothering to hide his evil pleasure at Zach’s capitulation. “A Yorkshire

Terrier.Evidently,she’sabigone.”

“Big?”Hebentandpickedherupbytheruffwithtwofingersbeforeputtingherbackdownbyhis

shoe.“Shecan’tweightmorethanacoupleofpounds.”

“Closertothree,”GabesaidasheheadedforZach’sfrontdoorandcamebackafewsecondslater

withahugecardboardbox.“Hereareherthings.”

Zachknewwhatthefoodandbowlswerefor,buteverythingelselookedlikeitbelongedinthetoy

boxatapreschool.“Whydoesathree-poundpuppyneedallofthisforjusttwoweeks?”

Hehadabadfeelingaboutthiswholething,sensinghoweasilyfourteendayscouldturnintoway

longerthanthatifhewasn’tcareful.

Gabeshrugged.“We’veonlyhadheracoupleofdaysandSummerhasmostlybeentakingcareof

hersofar.Timingkindofsucksonhavingtoleavehersosoon,butIknowMeganreallyappreciatesyou
steppinguptotheplatelikethis.”

It grated that they all thought he was such a done deal with the puppy before ever talking to him

aboutit,butnotnearlyasmuchasitdidwhenCuddleschosethatexactmomenttosquatdownoverthe
toeofhisshoeandemptyherbladder.

Hersurprisinglylargebladder.
“You’dbetterbebackforherintwoweeks,”Zachwarnedinalowvoice,“orshe’sgoingstraight

tothepound.”

Gabe’slaughterrangoutashewiselyhightailedittohiscar.

***

Heather Linsey was just finishing up with the students in her preliminary-level dog trainer

certification class when her cell phone buzzed. She pulled it out, but when she saw the name on her
screen,shequicklyshoveditbackintoherpocket.

“Icanhandlegivingeveryonetheinformationforthenextsetofclassesifyouneedtogetthat,”her

assistant,Tina,said.

Heatherforcedasmile.“I’vegotit.”
But her brain was only half on her students as she congratulated them on a job well done and let

them know she was available to help them if they had any problems setting up their businesses. After
finishingupwithaquickreminderaboutthebigBarkintheParkfundraiseratthebaseballstadiumthat
comingFriday,andtheauctionthefollowingSaturdaynight,sheheadedbacktoherofficewithAtlas,her
GreatDane,closebesideher.

Heatherclosedthedoorbeforepullingthephonebackoutandputtingitonherdesk.Shewished

shecouldjustdeletethemessage,butsheknewfrompastexperiencethatitwouldbesmartertofindout
whatherfatherwanted.

“Sweetheart, I was hoping I’d get you rather than your voice mail,” he began, and she was

amazedatjusthowstronghisdenialwas.Didn’therealizeshehadn’tpickedupacallfromhiminyears?
Sherubbedherhandsoverherarmsashecontinued,“IhaveabusinesstriptoSanFrancisconextweek
andI’mthinkingofbringingyourmotherwithme.It’sbeentoolongsincewe’veseenourgirlandwe
bothmissyou.”

TheskinonHeather’sarmsstartedtotingle,andthenburn,acrossthepatternofcriss-crossedscars

thatwentfromherwristsuppastherelbows,allaroundherarms.Nearlytenyearslater,thescarswere
faintenoughthatsheprobablydidn’tneedtowearlongsleevesallthetimetocoverthemup.Buteven
thoughthecutswerelongsincehealed,everytimeshehadtodealwithherfather,shefeltthisphantom
pain.Almostasifshewasseventeenyearsoldagainandlockingherselfintoherroomtotrytodealwith
herout-of-controlemotionsbymakingsmallcutsacrossthesurfaceofherskinwitharazorandwatching
thembleed.

Atthesoundofherfather’svoice,Atlashadn’tgonetohishugedogpillowinthecorner.Instead,

he’dstuckrightwithherandputhisbigheadinherlap.Shestoppedrubbingherarmsandstrokedhis
headinstead.

“Letmeknowyourschedulesowecanplanoureveningwithyou.Yourmothersendsherlove.”
The message ended and she stared blankly at the phone on her desk, her hand absentmindedly

movingoverAtlas’sshort,softfur.Shecouldn’tbelievehowlongthey’dbeenplayingthisgame,theone
whereherfathertriedtoactlikeeverythingwasnormalandtheyhadaperfectrelationship.Especially
whenheknewthatsheknewfor a fact that everything wasn’t perfect, that his “perfect” marriage to her
motherandhis“loving”relationshipwithhisdaughterwasjustabig,stupidlie.

Aknockcameatherdoor,jarringheroutofherdarkthoughts.“Comein.”
AgnesMackelroy,aprettymiddle-agedwomanwhomHeatherlikedagreatdeal,pokedherheadin

the door. “Good morning, Heather. I was hoping you had a few minutes.” Despite Heather’s smile, the
womanseemedtosensesomethingwaswrong.“Iseverythingallright?”

Heathernoddedquickly.“It’salwayssolovelytoseeyou.”
Anditwastrue—shecouldn’tbehappiertoseeAgnesandherdog,Joey,especiallyifitmeantshe

didn’thavetothinkaboutherfatheranymore.

Agnes had been one of Heather’s first clients at Top Dog when the ink was still drying on her

business cards. Over the past few years, she’d made dozens of referrals for Heather to work with her
family’sandfriends’dogs.

Heather knelt to say hello to Agnes’s Chow Chow. “Look at you with your fancy new knee,” she

saidasshescratchedthedogunderhischin,rightwherehelovedit.Atlassoonbumpedheroutofthe
waytosayhello.“Itakeithe’sbeendoingwellsincesurgery?”sheaskedAgnes.

“Justsplendidly!He’sbacktohisoldself,outdiggingupmygardenmorning,noon,andnight.”
Heather had to laugh at that, even though stopping that behavior was something she’d worked on

longandhardwithAgnesandJoeylastyear.“Wouldyoulikemetodropbylaterthisweekseeifwecan
gethimtocelebrateinadifferentway?”

“No,I’mperfectlyhappytoletJoeyhavehisfun.Ididn’tmuchcareforthecolorofthebegonias

anyway,”Agnessaidwithatossofherhand.“I’mactuallyhereonbehalfofaverygoodfriendwitha
newpuppy.”

“Perfect timing. I’ve just finished up a group training class and have several new trainers who

wouldlovetogettheirfeetwet.Whydon’tIgiveyouafewoftheirnumbers?”

“Iwashoping,”Agnessaid,“thatyouwouldbeavailabletohelphimpersonally.”
Heather’sbusinessanddog-trainingstaffhadgrownsomuchoverthepastthreeyearsthatshespent

mostofhertimemanagingthebusiness.Whileshestilllovedtopopoutofherofficetoplaywiththedogs
thatcameinandoutofhertrainingcampus,atthispointsherarelytookonone-on-onetrainingclients.
Butshecouldn’tpossiblysaynotoAgnes,whowasresponsibleforsomuchofherearlysuccess.

Mentallyreshufflingherbusyschedule,Heathersaid,“What’syourfriend’sname?”
“Hisname,”Agnessaid,“isZach.”
SomethingakintoawarningskittereddownHeather’sspineatthewoman’salmostworshipfultone.

Thenagain,sheknewAgneswashappilymarried.

“And I know how much he’d appreciate it if you could meet with him this morning at the garage

whereheworks.I’mafraidthelittleYorkieisrunningthepoormanincircles.”

HeatherwrotedowntheaddressforSullivanAutos,thengavebothAgnesandherdoghugsasthey

saidgoodbye.

Shecouldn’timagineamechanic’sbossbeingtoohappyaboutamadcappuppyrunningaroundin

anautoshop.Nottomentionthatitdefinitelywasn’tthesafestenvironmentforanuntraineddog.

“Readytogoplaywithapuppy?”shesaidtothedoglyingatherfeet.
Atlas’searsperkedupathisfavoriteword.Ithadalwaysamusedherhowmuchhertwo-hundred-

poundGreatDanelovedtoplaywithpuppies,eventhoughtheytendedtonipathimwiththeirsharplittle
teeth and use their sharp nails to climb onto his broad back with no concern whatsoever for their own
welfare.

Shesuspectedthereasonhadtodowiththefactthattheearlypartofhisownlifehadn’tbeenatall

carefree.Clearly,hethrivedonbeingaroundapuppy’suntamedwildness.

Itwasawarmdayoutandshepulledherlonghairupfromherneckintoaponytailasshegrabbed

hertrainingbagandheadedouttohercar.Atlasboundedintothebackseat,immediatelystickinghishead
outofthewindowinanticipationofwindinhisfur,histongueflyingfree.

Tenminuteslater,HeatherpulledupoutsideSullivanAutosandslippedonAtlas’sleash.Shecould

seeahalfdozenmenonsiteandeventhoughherdogwasworldsbetteraroundmenthanhehadbeenwhen
she’d first taken him home four years ago, she was concerned that so many big men in one place might
overwhelm him. She wasn’t surprised when he stuck close to her, the stiffness of his ears and tail a
telltalesignthathewasn’tentirelyrelaxed.

“Everything’s fine,” she soothed him, rubbing gently between his ears. “We’re just going to play

with a puppy, remember?” His tongue plopped out at that happy news and she grinned in response.
“That’sright,we’vegotnothingtoworryaboutat—”

“Wherethehellisthatdamnedpuppy!”

ChapterTwo

Thefrustratedroarsplitaparttheotherwisenormalsoundsofthesprawlingautogarageandboth

HeatherandAtlaswentonredalert.Sheimmediatelybegantoscopeoutthehidingplacesapuppywould
belikelytogoinaplacelikethis...especiallyifitwereafraidofitsnewowner.

HerGreatDanetuggedhertowardahedgeattheedgeoftheparkinglotandshefollowedhislead.

Ifanyonecouldfindalostandhelplesslittleone,itwasAtlas.Hestoppedinfrontofathickhedgeonthe
edgeoftheparkinglot,sniffedatthebush,thenwhimperedandpawedatthedirt.

Heatherdroppedhisleashtogetdownonherhandsandkneestopeerinside.Ahyes,shecouldsee

black-brownfurbetweentheleavesandbranches.

“Hey there, cutie,” she crooned softly. “Want to come out and meet a friend I’ve brought to play

withyou?”

Unfortunately,justthen,themanyelledagain.“You’dbettergetyourfurrylittlebuttbackhere!”
Ofcoursethepuppydidn’tcomeanycloser.Andwhywouldit,ifallithadtolookforwardtowas

moreyelling,ormaybeevenworse?

Hoping she wasn’t going to end up with fierce little teeth clamped around her hand or ankle, she

startedtopushinthroughthebranches.Thesharptipsscratchedatthebareskinofherlegsinhershorts,
butshewastoointentonthepuppytopaymuchattentiontothecutsandscrapes.

A large branch snagged on her long-sleeved T-shirt and she realized she couldn’t go any further.

Breakingthroughafewofthebranches,shefinallymanagedtosquatsothatshecouldgetdownonthe
puppy’slevel.Reachingintoherpocket,sheprayedshehadasmallcrumbleofatreatleftoverfromthe
lasttimeshe’dworntheseshorts.

Givingthanksthatshehadn’tactuallyrememberedtodothewashlastnight,shepulledoutasmall

pieceofsausage.

“Mmm.Doesn’tthissmellyummy?”
She’dthoughtthepuppywastremblinginthebushes,butnowthatshewascloser,sherealizedit

wasn’tscared.

Itwasplaying.
And, clearly, the way its whole body was vibrating with glee, the puppy thought her little

predicamentofbeingstuckinthebusheswithitwashilarious.

Despite her jammed-in position between a bunch of sword-sharp sticks and branches, she had to

agreethatitkindofwas.

Knowingatthispointthatitwasamatterofwaitingforthelittleguyorgirltogettiredofthegame,

she sat back on her heels and looked up through the branches and leaves. The clouds slowly changed
shape above her in the blue sky. Huddled in a bush might not be the standard place in the world for a
breatherfromheroftenhecticworkday,butshefoundshewasgladforamoment’srespite.

Unfortunately, she could still hear the owner yelling for the dog and vowed to deal with him

appropriatelyonceshehadthepuppy.

“Iwouldn’twanttocomeouteither,ifIwereyou,”shetoldthepuppyinasoftvoice.“Butdon’t

worry,AtlasandIwon’tletanythinghappentoyou.”

She ran a training business, not a rescue, but if she found that an owner and a dog weren’t

compatible,shedidanyandeverythingshecouldtotakecareofthedog.

“Doingokayoutthere,bigguy?”sheaskedAtlas.
Sheheardtheloudthumpofhistailonthepavementinresponse.
“QuitethelittleadventureAgnessentuson,isn’tit?”

Whichdidn’tmakesense.Howcouldthemanwhowasyellingandcursingatthepuppybeaclose

friendofalovelywomanlikeAgnes?Havingseenthewomaninteractwiththedogsheadored,Heather
hadthoughthertrainingclientwasmoreperceptivethanthat.

Suddenly,awettonguepressedintoHeather’spalmandshelookeddowntoseethepuppytryingto

climbontoherlapasitmunchedonthetreat.

“Well,hellothere,”shesaidtotheverycuteYorkie.
Gently,shelaidonehandonthepuppy’sbackandahappysoundcamefromitsthroatasittriedto

burrowclosertoherfingertips.Heatherspentafewmomentsmassagingtheincrediblysoftfur,butwith
theownerstillyellingforhisdog,sheknewtheycouldn’tstayinhereforever.

“Howaboutwegofindyouanicefullwaterbowl?”Andamuchnicerowner,too,whilewe’reat

it.

She cradled the dog in her arms to shield it from the branches and slowly began the backward

processionoutofthebrambles.Shelaughedasthepuppylickedherchin,eventhoughthescrapesonher
legsweregoingdeeperonthewayoutthantheyhadwhenshe’ddivedintothebush.

Heatherwasstillintheprocessofawkwardlycrawlingoutofthedirtonherhandsandkneeswhile

holdingontothewrigglingpuppy,whensheheardfootstepsbehindher,alongwiththerenewedthumping
ofAtlas’stail.

Turningherheadasfarasshecouldtotryandlookoverhershoulder,shespottedapairoflarge

brownbootsonthepavementbesideherdog.

“Didyoufindthelittlebugger?”
Grittingherteeth,shereplied,“Ifyou’retalkingaboutthepuppy,yes,Ifoundherstuckinthisbush.”
Okay,somaybestuckwasn’tpreciselythetruth,giventhatthedoghadclearlybeenplayinghide-

and-seek,butwhattheownerdidn’tknowwouldn’thurthim.Besides,herallegiancewastothepuppyin
herarms,nottoamanwhoclearlyhadnobusinessowningit.

Heathercontinuedtoworkongettingoutofthebush,which,unfortunately,seemedintentonkeeping

herprisonerforever.Justacouplemorefeetandshe’dbefreetogivethemaninthebrownbootsapiece
ofhermind.

She felt a bead of sweat slide between her shoulder blades as she tried to lift her torso, but no

matterhowshetugged,shecouldn’tmovemorethananinchinanydirection.Frustratedwithbeingonher
hands and knees in front of a stranger, with her scratched-up kneecaps stinging like crazy, she yanked
herselfback.Butapartfromhershirtrippingatthesideofherribs,shewasn’tanyclosertobeingfree.

“Holdup,you’recaughtonabranch.”
Theman’svoice,whenhewasn’tyellingatinnocentpuppies,hadarich,deeptimbrethatmoved

throughherveinslikepotentredwineonanemptystomach.

She felt the stranger reach across her back to thread her T-shirt back through the branch that had

takenholdofher.Didhemeanforhisfingertipstoskimherspine?shewonderedassheheldherbreath
untilhewasdone.

Butwhetherhedidornothadnothingtodowithherreaction.
Sheshouldn’thavefeltlikealoverhadjustcaressedher.
Heather waited for Atlas to growl at the man for daring to touch her, but instead, he just kept

wagginghistail.

Shecouldn’tbelieveit.Afteralifetimeofdistrustingallmeneverywhere,Atlashadn’tdecidedto

takeaninstantlikingtothisone,hadhe?

“Allclear,”themanfinallysaid.“Here,reachbackformyhandandI’llhelpyouup.”
Hedidn’tgivehertimetoagreeorevade,hesimplyslidhiscallousedpalmagainsthersofterone,

andpulledhertoherfeet.Herlegshadbeencrampedintothetightpositionforlongenoughthatblood
rushedtoofasttohercalvesandfeet.Unsteady,sheswayedagainsthim,hershoulderpressingagainsthis

chest.

Herhandstillinhis,hesaid,“I’vegotyou,”ashebroughthisotherarmaroundherwaisttokeep

herfromtumblingwiththedoginherarms.

Shewasshockedbyhowgooditfelttohavehisarmsaroundher.Sostunned,infact,thatwhenhe

said,“I’lltakeheroffyourhandsnow,”shealmostlethimtakethepuppyfromher.

Butdespitehowtopsy-turvyherbodywasbehaving,shehadn’tforgottenthewayhe’dyelledfor

thepuppy,orhowangryhe’dseemed.

Heathertookastepbackoutofhisarms,finallypullingherhandfreetoholdthedogclosertoher

chesttoprotectit.“No,”shesaidasshefinallylookedupathisface,“Idon’tthinkthat’sagoodid—”

OhmyGod.
Shetookanotherstepback,butthistimeithadnothingtodowiththedoginherarms.Heatherhad

never understood her friends who drooled over pictures of good-looking men, had always figured she
wasn’tparticularlyvisuallyoriented.

Nowsherealizeditwassimplythathergazehadn’tlandedontherightman.
Withinfivesecondsoftakinginhisdarkhair,hisperfectlychiseledface,hisblueeyesandbroad

shoulders,herheartstartedtopoundtoofast,hermouthdriedout,herpalmsgrewdamp,andherbreath
quickened.Nottomentionthefactthatallofhergirlypartswereactuallygrowinghotandtingly.

Notonceintwenty-sevenyearshadsheeverbeenstruckwithsuchavisceral,physicalreactiontoa

man.

Whatwaswrongwithher?
Forcinghersynapsestorefire,shesaid,“Isthisyourpuppy?”
Heloweredhisgazetothepuppy’scuteface.“Unfortunately.”
Jerk.
“Iknowyou’reinterestedinmydogtrainingservices,”shetoldhim,“butI’mafraid—”
“You’readogtrainer?”heasked,cuttingheroffbeforeshecouldtellhimthatnotonlywasshenot

goingtoworkwithhim,butshealsothoughtitbestthatshefindthepuppyanewhomerightaway.One
thatwouldappreciatethelittledoginallhermischievousglory.“You’renotoneofthegirlsforthead?”

Hegesturedoverhisshoulderandshelookedtoseeahalf-dozenwomeninbikinisstandingaround

waitingforaphotographertofinishsettinguplights.

Sheblinkedathim,unabletobelievehecouldpossiblyhavethoughtthat.“God,no,”shesaid,and

then,“YouaskedAgnesMackelroytocallmeaboutsomespecialtrainingsessions.”Shepausedbefore
asking,“Didn’tyou?”

Heshookhishead.“IalwaysknewIlovedthatwomanformorethanjustherkillerAstonMartin

collection.”Thesmilehegaveherwasclearlyintendedtomeltherintoapuddleoflustathisfeet.“Trust
Agnestoalsosendtheprettiestdogtrainerontheplanetmyway.”

Absolutely,positivelyrefusingtomeltforhim,shearchedhereyebrow.“Excuseme?”
Atlasreactedtotheicytoneofhervoicebylettingoutalowwhine.Shecouldn’tbelievethisman

wastalkingtoherlikethis,tryingtoflirtwithherbysayingshecouldbeoneofthemodels.Especially
whensheknewexactlywhatshelookedlikeinherripped,sweatyshirt,muddyshorts,andskinnedknees.

Ifonlyshe’dtrainedAtlastobeanattackdog...
A man holding a large camera called out to them. “Hey Zach, the models need to know how you

wantthemonthecars?”

“Don’tletusstopyoufromyourimportantwork.Atlas,let’sgo.”Shepickeduphisleashasherbig

dogrosetohisfeetbesideher.

ShewasheadingtohercarwhenZachsaid,“Hey,Ithoughtyouweregoingtostaytotrainme?”
How,shewondered,didhemanagetomakeherjobsoundquitesofilthy?Decidingnottodignify

hisobnoxiouscommentwithareply,shedidn’tevenbreakstride.

Atleastuntilhesaid,“Forgetsomething?”
Darn it. She’d been hoping to make a quick getaway while he was distracted by tiny bikinis and

spray-ontans.

Steelingherselffortheconfrontation—andforlookingathimagainwithoutreactinglikeateenage

girlhitwithherfirstburstofhormones—Heatherturnedaroundslowly.“Iheardyouyellingearlier.We
bothknowyou’renotinterestedinhavingapuppy.”Shelookeddownatthefluffinherarms,deceptively
innocentasitsnoredsoftly.“Especiallyonethatcanbesoplayful.”

Hecrossedthedistancebetweenthemandshehadtofighttheurgetotakeastepback.“I’llgetone

ofthosecratesforitforthenextcoupleofweeks.”

Heather didn’t stop the snarl from erupting from her lips. “You use a crate for specific training

purposes,nottoimprisonadogallday.”Sheshouldhavejustturnedandwalkedawayfromhim,butshe
hadtoknow.“Whywouldyougetapuppyifyoudon’tevenwantone?”

“My seven-year-old niece-to-be dumped her on me this morning, to take care of while she’s on

vacation.She’llcrucifymeifanythinghappenstoit.”Shewassurprisedtoseeahintoffearhithiseyes.
“IrememberjusthowviciousmylittlesisterscouldbewhenImadethemmad.”

Evenasshetriedtosteelherselfagainstlikinganythingaboutthisman,shecouldn’tmissthedeep

affectioninhisvoiceashespokeaboutthewomeninhislife.Sheshouldn’tcarehowgood-lookinghe
was,orhowelectricithadfeltwhenhe’dtakenherhandorheldhertokeepherfromfalling.

Andshecertainlyshouldn’tcareifhehadasoftspotforseven-year-oldgirlsandlittlesisters.
Still,itexplainedwhyhewasn’ttheleastbitequippedtodealwithapuppy.Heathersighedasshe

realizedthatperhapswalkingawayfromhimwithhispuppyintowwasn’tgoingtobequiteaseasyas
she’dthought.

“Damn it,” he said, his eyes darkening as he suddenly squatted down and ran one hand over her

thigh.

Shejumpedback.“Whatareyoudoing?”
“You’re bleeding.” He looked incredibly pissed off by this fact. “What the hell were you doing

crawlinginthereinshorts?”

“Savingthedogyoulost,”sheshotbackathim,evenasapartwaydowndeepinsidewarmedatthe

factthatheevencaredaboutherskinnedknees...nottomentiontheshockinglyseductivefeelofhishands
onherskin.

She’dbeentakingcareofherselfforsolongthatshecouldn’trememberthelasttimesomeonehad

worriedabouther.

“ComeinsidetheshopandI’llcleanyouup.”
The thought of him touching her again had her swallowing hard. She’d always thought there was

something so sexy about a mechanic’s hands. The fact that they were so skilled at building and fixing
thingsmadeitdifficultnottowonderwhatelsethosehandsweregoodat.

No!
She knew better than to wonder something like that about this mechanic. Talented hands did not

maketheman,unfortunately.

“Youshouldgetbacktothemodels.Icantakecareofitmyself.”
Butjudgingbythelookonhisface,foramomentshethoughthewasgoingtopickherupandcarry

herovertothegarageagainstherwill.Instead,hesaid,“Youhurtyourselfsavingmydog.It’smyfault
you’rebleeding.Letmetakecareofyou—”Hestopped,cursingsoftly.“YousavedmydogandIdon’t
evenknowyourname.”

“Heather.”
“Heather.” He held the seven letters on his tongue as if he was savoring them, and she was held

spellbounddespiteherself.“That’saprettyname.I’mZach.”

Itshouldn’thavefeltsointimatejusttotellhimhername.Butwhenhe’drepeateditinalow,husky

tone,justhearingitfallfromhisgorgeouslipshadbeenpracticallybetterthanfull-blownsexwithany
otherman.Andshedefinitelyshouldn’twanttosavorhisnameonhertongue,too.

“What’sthepuppy’sname?”
Hewinced,givingheranotherflashofnormalthatwassounexpectedgiventheperfectpackageit

wasin.“Doyoureallyneedtoknow?”

“Trustme,I’veheardalotofcrazydognamesovertheyears.”Butsomethingtoldherthisonewas

goingtotakethecake.Atleastshehopeditwould.“Andyouknow,shemighthaveactuallycomebackto
youifyou’dcalledforherbynameinsteadof‘Dog.’”

Amusclejumpedinhisjawrightbeforehemuttered,“Cuddles.”
Heatherpressedherlipstogethertotrytokeephergigglesfromerupting,butshecouldn’tstopthe

laughterfromshakinghershoulders.

***

TherewerehalfadozengirlsinbikiniswaitinginZach’sgarage,butthewomanlaughingwithhis

dog in her arms, wearing a sweaty, long-sleeved T-shirt and muddy shorts, with a messy braid trailing
downherback,putthemalltoshame.

Hecouldn’tthinkofatimehe’deverseeneyesthatcolor,brownwithsomanyflecksofgoldthathe

couldn’t look away. And, Jesus, that mouth of hers, rosy and full, made a man want to do crazy
things...likegrabthepuppyandkissitalloveritsdrooly,disgustinglittlefaceforbringingHeatherhere
today.

He’d been pissed off at Gabe and Summer for dumping the dog on him for two weeks. Now he

realizedheshouldthankthem,instead.

Unlikemostwomen,however,hecouldtellHeatherwantednothingtodowithhim.Fortunately,her

dogdidn’tseemtohaveanyofthesamequalms,especiallywhenhesniffedtheglazedsugaronZach’s
fingersfromthedonuthe’dbeeneatingforbreakfast.

“Hey,mutt,”Zachsaid,thinkingfast,“Ilefttherestofmydonutonthecounterinside.Youwantit?”
The huge dog’s ears twitched as if he understood, but he didn’t move. Instead, he looked up at

Heatherforapproval.

Clearly, she was gearing up to refuse. But, man, that huge dog could play up the puppy dog eyes

whenhewantedto.Zachwasimpressed.He’dhavetorememberhowtodothatinthefuture.

HerdogletoutalowwhineandHeatherfinallysighedandsaid,“Okay,fine.Go.”Assheletgoof

hisleashandtheenormousdoglopedofftowardthegarage,shefollowedhim,stillcarryingCuddles.

“Igetthatyouweren’tpreparedforapuppy,butIcan’tleaveherwithyouifyou’regoingtoputher

inacrateallday.Sheneedstounderstandhowtostaywithyousoshedoesn’tgethurtbysomethinginthe
garage.You’regoingtoneedtoworkontraininghertounderstandyourcommands.Andyou’regoingto
havetodoitwithoutyellingather.”Sheshothimahardlook.“Everagain.”

He would agree with whatever Heather said just as long as she stayed long enough for him to

convincehertogivehimachance.Hecouldn’tremembereverwantingawomanthisbad,thisfast.

“HeyChase,”hetoldhisbrother,“I’vegottocallofftheshoot.”
The models looked at his brother in confusion and Chase told them to take five before saying,

“Chloeisgoingtohavethebabyanydaynow,andthenI’moutofcommissionforawhile.Yousureyou
wanttoreschedule?”

Despiteherongoingproteststhatshewasfine,ZachwasalreadykneelinginfrontofHeatherand

gentlywipingattheopenskinonherkneewithanantisepticwipefromanearbyFirstAidkit.

“I’vegottoclearmyscheduleforpuppytraining.”

“Seriously?” Heather blinked at him like he was driving on three wheels. “That’s why you’re

sendingeveryonehome?Isn’tyourbossgoingtobemad?”

“Agnesdidn’tmentionmylastname,didshe?”
Hereyeswidenedwithdisbeliefasshelookedfromhimtothesignonthewall,thenbackagain.

“You’retheSullivaninSullivanAutos?Thisisyourgarage?”

“Don’tworry,IknowcarsalotbetterthanIknowdogs.”
Butheknewwomenbestofall.And,hethoughtasheslidaBand-Aidstripoverherleftknee,he

couldn’twaittogethishandsonmorethanHeather’sknees.Becauseevenashecleanedandbandaged
hercuts,herskinwassowarm,sosoft,soresponsivetohistouch.

AfterheslidanotherBand-Aidstripoverhersilkysmoothskin,heheldouthisarms.“Nowthatthe

shoot’soff,I’mallyourstotrain.”

Most women would have been pleased by the sensual undertones in his words, or would at least

haveblushed,butshesimplyglaredathimwithicycooleyes.

Cuddles yawned and curled closer into her chest. What Zach wouldn’t do to be where the puppy

was.

She shifted her legs out of his reach. “You can’t cancel your photo shoot. You’ll lose too much

money.”Shestoodupandgrabbedherdog’sleashagain.“Atlas,it’stimetogo.”

Damnit,shewasgoingtoleave.Panicgrippedhim,eventhoughhe’donlyjustmether,eventhough

hecouldeasilyfindanotherwomantohavesexwith.“Heather—”

She frowned as she looked down at where he was still kneeling on the cement floor. “Since you

can’tkeepCuddlesherewhileyou’re—”Shepausedtolookatthemodelschainsmokingandtalkingon
theircellphonesintheparkinglot.“—working,I’lltakehertomyoffice.Whenshewakesup,shecan
playwithAtlasuntilyougetthereforourfirstsession.”

Shetoldhimtheaddress,thenmadeaclickingsoundthathadherhugedogfollowingheroutofthe

garagewithanadoringlookonhisfurryface.

Zachunderstoodexactlyhowthedogfelt.Onesignfromherandhe’dhappilydothesamething.
Hisbrothermovedbesidehimand,together,theywatchedHeatherleave,herlongbraidswinging

behindher,herlegsstrongandtannedinhershorts.

“Who’sthat?”
Zachgrinned.“Mynewdogtrainer.”
And,hopefully,ahellofalotmorethanthatrealsoon.

ChapterThree

The afternoon sun was streaming in through Heather’s office window as she finally hung up her

phone.Rubbingthebackofherneckwithbothhands,shestretchedthetightmuscles.Ifshe’dknownit
wasgoingtobethismuchworktoheadupthefundraisingcommitteefortheSanFranciscoanimalshelter
orjusthowharditwouldbetoconvincepotentialdonorstogivetotheirworthycause...

Well,shewouldhavesignedupforthejobanyway.Butatleastshemighthavebeenbetterprepared

forit.Fortunately,thebigfundraisingeventswereboththisweekend,andthenshecouldlieinabathwith
hereyesclosedandaverybigglassofwineaslongasshewantedto.

But for right now, coffee would make everything better. And maybe a couple of those chocolate

trufflesshehadtoldherassistantTinatothrowaway.

She got up from behind her computer and Atlas and Cuddles both yawned as she walked past.

“Don’tletmeinterruptyournaps,”shetoldthem.

They’d played together all day and she was impressed that Zach’s dog had only had a couple of

accidents,morefromtheexcitementofplayingwithabigdogthananythingelse.

Atlas immediately plopped his big head back on his huge dog pillow and she shot him a mock

scowlassheopenedthedoor.“Keeprubbingitinhowawesomeyourrelaxedscheduleisandnexttime
I’llsendyououttodealwitheveryoneofthosecompaniesIjustcalled.”

Herfinalwordslandedinathudagainstahard,malewall.“Talkingtothedogs,huh?”
Heatsearedherhandsasshepressedthemagainstthechestoftheridiculouslygorgeousmanwhose

lowvoicehadjustrumbledthroughher.

“Zach.”
“Heather.”
He smiled down at her, his dark eyes full of so much sensuality that she almost felt singed by

nothingmorethanhisgaze.Onethatseemedtopromisemorepleasurethanshe’deverimagined.

Seriously, what was wrong with her? She took a much needed step back. And why was it so

difficulttopullhermindbackfromthegutter’sedgearoundthisman?

She’dneverhadaproblemkeepingherguarduparoundmenbefore.Forallhisgoodlooks,Zach

Sullivanshouldn’tbeanydifferent.Especiallywhenhewasascharmingastheycame.

Charminghadneverbeenapointinanyman’sfavorwhereHeatherwasconcerned.Notwhenher

fatherhadgiventhetraitsuchabadrap.

“How’sthepuppydoing?”
She moved to the side so that he could see Cuddles licking Atlas’s muzzle with the kind of great

enthusiasmthatonlyapuppycouldexhibit.

“Sheseemstohavehimunderherspell.”
“Shesuredoes.”
She realized Zach was staring at her, or more specifically, her hair. She’d had it back in a braid

earlier,buthadtuggeditfreeastheafternoonworeon.

“Youhavebeautifulhair.”Hismouthmovedupintoaridiculouslysexysmile.“Makesaguywant

torunhishandthroughittoseeifit’sassilkyasitlooks.”

Since she foolishly found herself wanting the same thing, she reached into her pocket for a hair

band,thenpulleditbackintoaponytail.She’dputonanewshirtuponherreturntotheoffice,butshestill
hadonhermuddyshorts.

Pointedly ignoring the compliment about her hair, while telling herself she didn’t care if she still

lookedlikeagrubbymess,shesaid.“Areyoureadytogetstartedwithtraining?”

Hervoicewasbriskandprofessional,butZachonlyseemedtorelaxmoreagainstherdoorjamb.
“Youdidn’ttellmeyouownedthisplace.Veryimpressive.”
“Heather, I’m back from the bank dropoff and they wanted to know if—” Tina’s mouth fell open,

thensnappedshut.“Hi.”

“Hello,”Zachsaidtoherattractiveblondeemployee.“I’mZachSullivan.”
Herassistant’seyeswidenedandallshesaidagainwasabreathy,“Hi.”
Tinawasbrilliantwithnotonlydogs,butalsotheirowners.Shewasanorganizationalwhiz.And

shehadaveryseriousboyfriend.

Still, one look at Zach was clearly all it took for her brain cells to wash down the drain. It was

smallcomforttoHeatherthatshewasn’ttheonlyonethathadhappenedtotoday.

Goodthingshewasoverit.
Completely,onehundredpercentoverhissquarejaw,andhisbroadshoulders,thewayhismouth—
Yikes.Really,herbrainneededtostopdoingthat.
“Tina,”shesaidinascrupulouslyprofessionalmanner,“ZachisthenewclientImentionedwould

bebylaterforsomeone-on-onetrainingwithCuddles.”

“She’ssuchacutepuppy,”Tinagushed.“AndIjustlovehername.Mostguyswouldn’tbeconfident

enoughtonametheirdogCuddles.”ShebeamedatZach.

Ugh.Heatherdidn’tthinkshecouldstomacheithercoffeeorchocolateanymore.Thesoonershegot

Zachoutofherofficeandoutintotraining,thesoonerhe’dleave.

Andtheneverythingwouldgobacktonormal.
Likeherheartrate,forone.
“Atlas, heel.” Her dog carefully extracted himself from beneath the tiny puppy and moved to her

side.

Fivep.m.waspreciselywhenthebulkofherdaycareclientscameintopickuptheirdogsand,

unfortunately, just the walk across the large room out to the fenced-off grass behind the building was
enoughforZachtoattractashockingamountoffemaleattention.Womenshe’dknownforyears,whether
singleorhappilymarried—eventhegrandmothers—couldn’tkeeptheireyesoffhim.Thelastthingaguy
likeZachSullivanneededwasapuppytomakehimamagnetforevenmorefemaleattention.

Whentheyfinallymanagedtogetoutside,heputthedogdownonthegrass.Cuddlesimmediately

startedrunningincircles,chasinghertail.ShecouldtellfromthewayAtlaswasvibratingbesideherthat
hewantedtoplay,too,buthewastoowelltrainedtobreakprotocolonawhim.

“HowlongdidyourbrotherhaveCuddlesbeforeheaskedyoutowatchher?”
“Acoupleofdays.”
Shewasgladtoheartheslatewasfairlyclean,atleast.“Thefirstfewdayswithapuppyarereally

important.Theycanbesocutethatevenwhenyouwanttokeeptotherules,youendupbreakingthem.
Butthatwouldbeabigmistakewithher.”

“Sheweighsthreepounds,”hesaidasCuddlesbegantorollonthegrass.“Howmuchtroublecan

shereallygetintogivenalittlefreedom?”

Heather knew far too well the price of freedom. Not just for dogs who felt lost and afraid in a

boundarylessworld,butforwomenwhofellforcharmingmenlikeZachSullivan.Menwhowantedwhat
theywanted,whentheywantedit,withoutanyregardforanyoneelse—andgotit.

“Freedomisoverrated,”shetoldhiminahardvoice.Whenheraisedaneyebrowathertone,she

moderateditbeforesaying,“Don’tforget,she’srecentlybeentakenawayfromhermotherandlittermates
andshehasnocluewhatsoeverhowtonavigateourworld.Justlikethismorningatyourgarage,anything
couldhappentoher.It’syourjobtowatchoverher,andtoteachherhowtostaysafe.”

“Thisisn’tjustabusinessforyou,”henoted.“Youreallycareaboutdogs,don’tyou?”
Surprised that he had any insight whatsoever into her, she put her hand on Atlas’s back and said,

“Someonehasto.”

Zachlookeddownatherbigdog.“Whathappenedtohim?”
Atlas’searsperkedupwhenherealizedtheyweretalkingabouthim.
Once more, she was stunned by how closely Zach was paying attention to her subtle cues, rather

thanbeingtoobusyadmiringhisreflectioninherwindowtonoticetheworldaroundhim.

“IfoundAtlasatapuppymill.”
“Apuppymill?”
“It’swhereunscrupulousbreederscrankoutasmanypedigreeddogsastheycansellforbigbucks.

Hisleftearfloppedtothesidejustenoughthatnoonewantedtobuyhim.Oncetheyrealizedthat,they
stoppedfeedinghimorlettinghimoutofhiscrate.”

Zachgotdownonthegrass.“Roughstart,huh?”Atlasnotonlyletthebigmanrubhisears,buthe

practicallystartedpurring.“Luckyyou,gettingtogohomewithHeather.”

Sherolledhereyes,positivelythrilledthatZachhadcappedoffhistoo-sweetreactiontoAtlas’s

storywithablatantlysexualquip.Shecouldtellthathegenuinelylikedherdog,andshewouldhavebeen
moreafraidofitgettingtoherifhehadn’tbeensobusytrollingouttheoverused—and underwhelming
—pickuplines.

“Okay, let’s get started. I’ll show both you and Cuddles the end goal with Atlas, and then we’ll

begintheprocessofteachingherhowtoobeyyourcommands.Soundgood?”

Hestoodbackupandnodded.“Sure.I’mgreatatgivingcommands.”
Intentonignoringthesensualundertonesheseemedtoslidebeneathpracticallyeverywordoutof

hismouth,shesaid,“Therearefivebasiccommandswe’llwantCuddlestounderstand.Come,sit,stay,
down,andheel.Butforthefirstday,themostimportantiscome.”

Thankfullyhedidn’tjumponanydoubleentendreswiththatcommandasshepickedupadogtoy

andthrewitacrossthelawn.“Atlas,fetch.”

Herdoglopedoffwiththepuppyhotonitsheels,almostasiftheydidn’twanttobeseparatedfor

evenasecond.Whenhewashalfwaytothetoy,shecalledout,“Atlas,come!”

Heskiddedonhishugepawsanddidaquickabout-face,allbuthurlinghimselftowardher,thetoy

instantlyforgotten.Still,hewascarefulnottosteponthepuppy.

“Goodboy.”
Asshegavehimthesignaltositandthenheldoutatreat,Cuddlesfinallyreachedthetoy,falling

ontoitandcausingafaintsqueak.Atlas’searswentup,buthedidn’tmovefromwherehewassittingin
frontofher.

“Your turn,” she said to Zach, knowing just how badly this was going to go with such a

rambunctious puppy and a temporary owner whom she very much doubted was taking any of this
seriously.Shehandedhimatinydoggietreat.“Ifshecomes,giveherthis.”

Heraisedhiseyebrowsatheruseofthewordif.Withouthertellinghimwhattodo,hekneltonthe

grass,heldhisarmsoutwideandsaidinafirmvoice,“Cuddles,come!”

Therambunctiouspuppylookedupfromtheoversizedplastictoyshe’dbeentryingtognawon.As

ifshe’dbeenmerelytryingtofindawaytokilltimebeforeZachneededhertocomebewithhim,she
flewacrossthegrass.

“Goodgirl,”hesaidashestrokedherfurandfedherthesmalldogtreat.HelookedupatHeather.

“Howwasthat?”

Grudgingly,sheadmitted,“Good.”
Reallygood.
Andtheworstpartofitallwasthatsheknewexactlywhythepuppyhadcomerunning.Zachwasn’t

justamagnetforwomen.

Itseemedhewasabletoexertaneargravitationalpulloveralllivingthings.

She refused to let herself be charmed, though. Especially when every second around Zach forced

her to grab on tighter to her self-control to keep from smiling at one of his lines...or being overly
impressedathowgoodhewaswithbothhispuppyandAtlas.

“Walkwithmetotheothersideofthegrassandwe’lldoitagain.”
For the next fifteen minutes, Zach Sullivan demonstrated a surprising affinity for commanding the

attention of the puppy. She knew she should be happy about the fact that he was a natural, rather than
letting it grate on her. And yet, instead of praising Zach, she gathered up the puppy and kissed its soft
nose.

“Greatwork,Cuddles.Didyouhavefuninclasstoday?”
The dog licked her, then wriggled until she let her back down to continue tormenting a happily

botheredAtlas.

“We’redonealready?”Zachsoundeddisappointed.
“Puppies tire easily.” When he pointedly looked down at Cuddles, who was now trying to dig a

holetoChinainthegrass,sheclarified,“WhatImeanisthattheydon’thaveverylongattentionspans.
Fifteen minutes is long enough for them to learn a little more each day without either of you getting
frustrated.Inanycase,todaywasagreatstart.Andhopefully,ifshedoesmanagetorunoffagain,now
you’llbeabletogethertocomebackonyourown.”

“We’rebothreallygladyouweretheretofindherinthebushesthismorning.”Helookeddownat

Heather’slegsandshealmostshiveredassherememberedthefeelofhisbig,warmhandsonherskin.
“Howareyourknees?”

“They’refine,”shesaidbriskly,wantingtoturnhisattentionbacktohisdog...notthefactthatshe

waswaytooawareofhowgoodhesmelled,orthatevenassheworkedtokeephergazefromstrayingto
hisbig,stronghands,shewasgettinglostinhisfar-too-mesmerizingeyes.“Tonightisgoingtobereally
important.Youshouldsetupasmallroomorsectionofaroomtobehersforthetwoweeks.Putpaperon
the floor and her food, water bowls, and bed in one corner. Put her toys throughout the area. And
whateveryoudo,unlessshe’ssleeping,Idon’trecommendleavingheraloneoutsideofthegatedareafor
morethanfifteenminutes.”

Hefrowned.“WhatifIhaveplans?”
Shecouldquiteeasilyguessthekindof“plans”hehad.“You’llhavetobreakthem,unlessyoucan

bringheralongandpaycloseattentiontohertheentiretime.”Shesmiledathisdisconcertedexpression.
“Wouldyouliketoscheduleanotherfifteen-minutetrainingsessionfortomorrow?”

“Whenareyoufree?”
Sheshookherhead.“IonlymetwithyoutodayasafavortoAgnes.NowthatIcanseeyou’lldo

finewiththeproperinstruction,youcanworkwithanyofmytrainers.”

“Idon’twantanyoneelse,Heather.”Hemadesureshewaslookingbackathimashesaid,“Ionly

wantyou.”

Hemightaswellhavepulledheragainsthimandkissedherfortheeffecthiswordshadonher,and

Heatherquicklyrealizedthatwithinthefewminutesshe’dspentwithZachSullivan,shewasalreadytoo
closetotheedgeofwantingsomethingshecouldnevermakethemistakeoflettingherselfhave.

Untilshewasseventeen,she’dbelievedinlove.She’dthoughtherparentshadthemostwonderful

marriage,hadprayedshe’dfindamantoloveherthewayherfathersoclearlylovedhermother.And
thenshe’dfoundoutthetruth...thatherfatherhadbeencheatingonhermotherforpracticallytheirentire
marriage.Allthattime,he’dbeenlyingtohermother.Andtoher.Becauseeverytimehecamehomefrom
one of his business trips saying how much he loved them, how much he missed them, how they meant
everythingtohim—ithadallbeenalie.

Heatherslippedafingerbeneaththesleeveofherlong-sleevedshirtandtracedoverthefinelines

of her old scars from cuts she’d put there herself night after night, when she hadn’t known how to deal

with her swirling, dark emotions. When all she’d wanted was to feel control over something. Over
anythingatall.

She hadn’t known at the time just how many teenage girls and boys cut themselves like that. It

wasn’tuntillater,whenshewentawaytocollegeandthenurseatthestudentmedicalcenterhadseenthe
cutsduringagynoexamwhenHeatherwaswearingaclothgown,thatshe’dbeengivenapamphleton
cutting.She’dalreadybeguntogetpastitbythen,butknowingshewasn’ttheonlygirlintheworlddoing
it did help some. Still, even though she hadn’t cut herself in nearly ten years, the scars had never quite
disappeared,bothinsideandout.

Fortunately, she wasn’t that lost girl anymore. She was a strong, capable woman who enjoyed

channelingherenergyintowork,friends,anddogs.Shewashappy.Shehadeverythingshewanted.
AmanlikeZachwasexactlywhatshedidn’tneedtogetentangledwith.Notwhenhewastoocharismatic
forhisowngood...andhers,too.

Heedingthewarningbellsgoingoffallthroughoutherbrainandherbody,sheheldhergroundand

toldhim,“Youcan’thaveme.”

Itwasn’tuntilshesawdeterminationflareinhiseyesthatsherealizedshe’djustissuedachallenge

—areallybigone—tothewrongman.

“Another trainer will be waiting here for you at five p.m.” And she’d make certain it was a

completely heterosexual male trainer that Zach couldn’t sweet talk into doing whatever he wanted. The
mostimportantthingwasthatsheputanendtotheirconnection.“Itwasnicemeetingyou.”

Shedoubtedthewisdomofholdingoutherhandtoshakehis,butitwastheonlywaytomakesure

heknewtheyweredone,thatwhateversparkshadbeenjumpingbetweenthemwereofficiallygoingtobe
extinguishedtodayatthecloseofbusiness.

Hemovednearerandwrappedhisfingersaroundhers.“IoweyouforsavingCuddlestoday.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head, as his warmth enveloped her head to toe, “you don’t owe me

anything.”

“WebothknowIdo.AndIalwayspaymydebts.”
OhGod,whycouldn’tshebreathe?
Shewasn’tavirgin,wasn’tsomeyounggirleasilydazzledbyamanjustbecausehelookedinher

direction.Onthecontrary,shewasapragmaticwomanwhoknewonlytoowelljusthowfalseapretty
facadecouldbe.

“TakegoodcareofCuddles.”Sheslidherhandfromhis.“That’sallthethanksyouoweme.”
Before she could walk away, however, her stomach growled and she snarkily muttered, “Agnes’s

callcamejustasIwasabouttograbsomethingtoeat.”

Again,shedidn’trealizehermisplayingofthesituationuntilhesaid,“Letmemakeituptoyouby

buyingyoudinner.Somewherewecansitoutsidesothedogscanplay.”

Didhethinkshe’djustfallenofftheturniptruckyesterday?Sheknewexactlyhowheexpecteda

makeituptoyoudinnertoplayout.He’dplyherwithafewglassesofwineandthenthenextthingshe
knew,she’dbeflatonherback,beggingforhimtotakeher.

Itwasn’tthatshewasaprude.Onthecontrary,justbecauseHeatherhadalwayscarefullyguarded

her heart with men, didn’t mean she’d foolishly given up the pleasure of being a woman. She’d just
alwaysmadesurethatherpartnersweren’tanymoreinterestedinherheartthatshewasintheirs,andthat
therewasnochanceofanythingevergoingdeeperthanthephysical.

ButwithZach...
Daringtogiveintotheshockinglystrongurgetokisshimwouldbethestupidestthingsheeverdid.

Evenfromadistance,beingnearhimmadeherfeelcompletelyoutofcontrol.Ifheweretoputhismouth,
hishands,onhernakedskin—

Justthethoughtofthathadhersensesreeling.

Shetookanotherstepbackfromhim.“I’mstillplayingcatch-upfrombeingpulledoutoftheoffice

forsolongthismorning,soI’llhavetopassondinner.”

Shetoldherselfshewasn’tbeingacoward.Onthecontrary,shewasbeingsmart,protectingherself

fromtheexactkindofmanthatcoulddestroyher.

“Remember what I said about tonight,” she told him before he could press her on dinner again.

“Don’t make the mistake of letting Cuddles get away with anything because she’s cute. You’ll only
confuseher.”

“WhatifI’vegotathingforcute?”
This time, he very clearly wasn’t talking about the dog. Evidently she hadn’t been direct enough

withhimthusfar.Itwaslongpasttimetoputhiminhisplace.

“Thenyou’dbettergetoveritrealfast.Atlas,timetosaygoodbyetoyourfriend.”
Heather made a low clicking sound, then turned her back on Zach and walked away from

temptation.

ChapterFour

Zach wanted Heather with a hunger he’d never felt before. His fascination with girls had started

earlyandhe’dbeenkissinginschoolhallwayswaybackinmiddleschool,goingaheckofalotfurther
thanthatbyhighschool.Butforalltheplayinghe’ddoneduringhisthirtyyears,he’dneverfeltsucha
strongneed,especiallysoquickly.

Hadthisbeenthewayhisfatherhadfeltabouthismotherwhenhe’dmether?
Suddenlyrealizingthecrazydirectionhisbrainwasgoing,healmostlosthisholdonCuddles.She

gavealittlesqueakashetightenedhisgriponher.

Whatwaswrongwithhim,thinkingaboutHeatherthatway?
Eversincehewassevenandhisfatherdiedunexpectedlyofananeurism,leavinghismotherbehind

tomournhimatthesametimethatshehadtokeepraisingeightkids,Zachhadknownthathecouldnever
lethimselfformthatstrongabondwithawoman.Hewastoomuchlikehisfather.Lookedlikehim,acted
likehim,hadallthesameinterests.Heevengotthesameheadacheshisfatherusedtoget,onesthatwould
comeonlikeabullettrainoneminute,andbegonethenext.They’dbeensomuchalikethatZach’suncles
hadbarelybeenabletobearoundhimafterhisfather’sdeathbecauseheremindedthemtoomuchofJack
Sullivan.Evennow,wheneverhesawhisfather’sbrothers,hecouldtellhowharditwasforthemtobe
aroundhim.

Allhislife,Zachhadbeencarefultokeeptheboundariesclearwithwomen.Hewasallforgreat

sexuntiltheymadethemistakeoftryingtostickemotionsonit,atwhichpointhealwaysgottheheckout.
Hecouldn’tstandthethoughtofawomanfallinginlovewithhim,planningherlifearoundhim,onlyto
havehimcheckingoutonherwaytooearly,thewayhisfatherhadhismother.

Likefather,likeson.ItwaswhyZachhadalwaysgoneforspeed.Cars.Women.Life.Hewantedto

experience as much of it as he could before it ended early. Because he knew he was too much like his
fatherforittogoanyotherway.

Damnit,heneededtostopwastingtimeanalyzingthisthingwithHeather.Shewashot.Smart.And

sexwithherwasgoingtobegreat.

Thatis,ifhecouldconvincehertogivehimago.
Finally, he smiled. Because if there was one thing Zach knew how to do better than any guy on

earth,itwasconvincingwomentogivehimago.

Ahalfhourlater,whenheremployeeshadallgonehome,hedialedhercellphone.“Pizzadelivery

outfront.”

“Ididn’torderanypizza.”
Hehunguponherandwaitedbythelockedfrontdoor.Whenshesawhimthroughthelongwindow

atthesideofthedoor,hethoughthecaughtaflashofasmallsmilebeforeshereplaceditwithascowl.

“Whyareyouhereagain?Andhowdidyougetmycellnumber?”
“Cuddles couldn’t stop worrying about you missing meals because of us.” He leaned against the

doorjamb.“AndAgnescheckedinalittlewhileagotomakesureweweredoingallright.Itoldherwe
were, but only because of you. She thought it best if I had your direct line just in case I have another
puppyemergency.”

Again,itlookedlikeherlipswantedtocurveupward,butfromthewayshealwaysworkedtokeep

herbeautifulfacesoserious,heknewshewasboundanddeterminedtoresisthim.

Lordknewhe’dliketohaveherboundandbegging,instead...
Knowingtherewasagoodchanceshe’dsimplytakethepizzafromhim,thenlockhimoutonthe

sidewalk, he held Cuddles out so that Atlas could see his new friend from the office. The Great Dane

immediatelystartedwhining.

“Really,Atlas?”Heatheraskedinanexasperatedvoice.“You’regoingtopullthisnow?”
HerdoghappilywaggedhisenormoustailandZachusedtheopportunitytoputthepuppyinside,

knowingshewouldn’tleavehimoutthereifshehadhisdog.

Yup,henowofficiallylovedtheannoyinglittleballoffur,evenifshehadtriedtousehisT-shirtto

sharpenhertug-of-warskillsonthewaybackfromthepizzaplace.

“I’m guessing you want to share the pizza.” She looked impossibly grumpy at the thought of his

joiningherforthedinnerhe’dbroughtover.

“I’moneofeight.Welearnedtoeatfastaskidsorgohungry.Ifyouwantsome,you’dbetterstart

now.”

Hereyesgrewbig.“Eight?Pleasetellmeyou’retheworstofthebunch.”
Hegrinned.“Easily.”
Shewasshakingherheadatthenewsofhisbigfamilyassheheadedforatableandchairsoffin

thecorner.Asshewashedherhandsatanearbysink,shegavehimampletimetoappreciatetheviewof
hergorgeouslegsinhershortsandthewayherlonghairnearlybrushedherhips,evenintheponytail.He
couldn’twaittofindouthowsoftitwaswhenhishandsweretangledinitand—

The loud screech of a chair over linoleum yanked him from his hot daydream. Heather’s face

lookedlikethunderasshesatdown.“Stoplookingatmelikethat.”

Hewashedhishands,thensatdownacrossfromher.“HowamIlookingatyou?”
Shenarrowedhereyesathim.“Don’taskmeastupidquestionwhenyouknowexactlywhatyou’re

doing.”

Thiswasn’tusuallythewayitplayedout,withbothsidesflirtingwhilenoonesaidwhattheyreally

meant. But Zach was perfectly happy to give up the game. Really happy about it, in fact, given that the
gamehadbeengettingprettyoldlately.

Heshrugged.“Sorry,butit’sgoingtobeprettymuchimpossibleformetostoplookingatyoulike

that.”Helethiseyesmoveoverherface.“You’regorgeous,youknow.”

Shelookedshockedbyhiscompletelyhonestcompliment,andheknewhe’dgottenoneuponher.

Finally.Feelinggoodaboutthings,heflippedopenthelargecardboardbox,grabbedapieceofpizza,and
putitononeofthepaperplateshe’dpickedupattherestaurant.Shelookeddownattheslice,thenback
upathim.

“Youlikeeggonyourpizza?”
“Neverorderonewithoutit,”helied.
Heputherpieceinfrontofher,thenpickedoneupforhimself,takingalargebiteofit,eggandall.

Afterherassistanthadspilledtohimwhatherfavoritetoppingswere,hehadbeenpreparedtosuckitup
regardlessofhowbadittasted,butitwasactuallyprettygood.

“NoonelikeseggontheirpizzabutmeandpeoplefromFrance.You’rethefirst.”
“Yourfirst,huh?”
Sheshookherheadandsighed.“Ican’tbelieveIhavetospellthisouttoyou,butIobviouslydo.”

Shelookedaroundthebuildingasiftomakeabsolutelycertaintheyweretheonlytwopeopleinitbefore
saying,“I’mnotgoingtosleepwithyou.”

Well,then.Nowtheywerewayoffthenormaltrack.
“Whynot?”
“YoureallywantmetotellyouwhyIfindthethoughtofsleepingwithyoucompletelyabhorrent?”
Sexyashellandagoodvocabulary.HewasgoingtogiveAgnesafreebieonhertune-upnexttime

hesawherasthanksforthisintroduction.

“Sure, lay it on me.” It would help a great deal, actually, if he knew why she was resisting him.

Becausethenhecouldbreakdowneachofherreasons,onebyone.Henoddedatherpizza.“Buteatfirst.

It’sgettingcoldandIknowyou’restarved.”

Whenherstomachgrumbledagaininagreement,shefinallytookabite.Hehandedheracoldsoda

towashitdownandashewatchedhertakealargegulpofthesweet,fizzydrink,Zachwantedhermore
witheverypassingsecond.Gorgeous,smart,andasabonus,sheateanddranklikeawomanwhoenjoyed
food,versusthekindofwomenhenormallyhadsexwith,whobarelypickedatit.

Lord,whathewouldn’tgivetofeedherpizzainbed,tohavehernakedandusinghisstomachasa

plate,hertonguelickinguptheoilfrombetweenhisabs,andthenlowerdown...

“You’re doing it again,” she said when she caught the way he was looking at her, but her

chastisementwasmilderthistime.

Heresistedtheurgetodoafistpumpintheairatfinallymakingsomeheadway.“Alreadytoldyou,

Ican’thelpmyself.You’retoopretty.”

Shereachedforanotherpieceofpizza.“That’sonebigreason,rightthere.You’rewaytooquick

withthelines.”

“It’snotaline,it’strue.”
“See?”Shepickedapieceofeggoffthepizzaandpoppeditintohermouth.“Waytooquick.”
“Okay,you’vegotit.Iwon’ttalkwhenwe’reinbed.”
“I should be surprised that you just said that,” she said almost more to herself than to him, “but

alreadyI’mnot.”

She ran her finger over the rim of her drink and sucked the sugar off it, which made him ache

beneaththetable.

“I’malsonotinterestedinbeingyourflavoroftheweek.Ornight,asthecaseprobablyis.”
“Forgetaboutanightoraweek,”hetoldher.“Amonthwillworkjustfine.”Althoughrightnow,

eventhirtydayswithHeathertiedtohisbedposts,herlong,silkyhairspreadallaroundher,didn’tseem
likeitwouldbelongenough.

Sheletoutalong,irritatedsighassheturnedtowatchthedogsdrinkingfromthebigwaterbowl

acrosstheroom.“Youshouldhavebeenapoliticianinsteadofamechanic.”

Hedidn’tcorrectherbytellingherhewasmorethanamechanic,thatheownedfortySullivanAuto

franchisesupanddowntheWestCoast.

“Andjusttobeclear,”sheadded,“you’renotmytype.”
Nowitwashisturntosay,“Goodthingyou’readogtrainerandnotapolitician.You’reaterrible

liar,Heather.”

Shescootedherchairbackandhecouldtellshewasangryasshechuckedtherestofherpizzainto

thetrash.“What,youthinkyou’resoirresistiblethatyoubelievethereisn’tawomanalivewhodoesn’t
wanttobewithyou?”

“I’msurethereis,”hesaidinaneasyvoiceashestoodup,“butyou’renother.”Beforeshecould

throwsomethingathishead,hesaid,“Cuddles,come!”

Hissmartlittlepuppyracedoverintohisopenarmsandthetwoofthemgotthehelloutofthere.

ChapterFive

“Help!I’mhavinganotherpuppyemergency.”
Heatherheldthephonetoherearassherolledoverinbedandblearilylookedattheclock.“It’s

five thirty in the morning.” It wouldn’t be so bad if she’d gotten more sleep, but all night long she’d
watched the clock tick over from 11 p.m. to midnight to 1 a.m. and then 2 a.m. before her brain finally
gaveupandshutdown.

DamnZachSullivanfornotonlywakingherup...butforbeingthereasonshehadn’tbeenableto

sleepinthefirstplace.

“Cuddlesdoesn’tcarewhattimeitis,”hegrowledintoherear.
Yesterday,shewouldhavebeeninapanicoverthetoneofhisvoice,wouldhaveassumedhewas

goingtodosomethinghorribletothepuppy.Butafterspendingpartoftheeveningwithhim,whileshe’d
confirmedthathewasfullofhimself,shealsofeltconfidentthathewasgoodwithanimals.

Evennaughtylittlepuppies.
“That’slifewithapuppy,”sheinformedhimaroundayawnassheleanedbackagainstherpillow

andwatchedthesunstarttoriseoutsideherbedroomwindow.

StrangethatitshouldseemsoeasyandnaturaltobetalkingonthephonewithZachwhenshe’djust

methim.Andyet,itwas.

“Justcleanupwhatevermessshemade,tellheryouloveheranyway,andbesuretoshowupfor

yourtrainingsessionthisevening.”

“Cuddles!”heroared.
She heard something crash to the floor, and then a muffled string of curses, before they were

disconnected.

Sheclosedhereyes,butalreadysheknewitwaspointless.Sheshouldn’tgorunningwheneverhe

called,especiallynottoamanlikeZachSullivan,whowouldonlyseeitasconfirmationthathewasking
oftheworld.Butatthesametime,sheknewshe’donlybedistractedalldaywonderingifheandCuddles
weregoingtomakeittofivep.m.inonepiece.

Shedraggedherselfintotheshowerandranitabitcolderthanusualtotrytowakeherselfup—and

coolherselfdownfromtheverysexydreamshe’dbeenhavingabouttheexactpersonsheshouldn’thave
been.Aftershedriedoff,shepulleduphisnumberonhercellphonefromwhenhe’dcalledherthenight
beforeandlefthimamessagetellinghimthatshewouldbecomingtohelp,afterall.

Itwasfarmoretemptingthanitshouldhavebeentoblowdryherhairandthrowonsomemakeup,

but it was bad enough she was heading to his house this morning with nothing but a phone call. If she
actuallydressedupforhim,allchanceofretainingherself-respectwoulddisappear.

By the time she’d slid on a pair of jeans, one of a dozen long-sleeved T-shirts in her closet, and

braided her hair to keep it out of the way while she was dealing with whatever puppy mayhem had
descendedatZach’shouse,he’dtextedherwithhisaddress.

SheletAtlasoutintothebackyardandfedhimbeforetheysetout.“Guesswhat?We’regoingtosee

yournewbestfriendCuddles.”

Atthesoundofthepuppy’sname,herdoghappilythumpedhistail.
“I’mgladatleastoneofusishappyaboutthis,”shemutteredasshedrovetowardPotreroHill,one

ofthemostexclusivedistrictsinSanFrancisco,withviewstoforever.Whoknewautomechanicsdidthis
well?

Thethoughthitheragainasshepulleduptotheenormoushouse,alongwiththequestionofhow

Zach could possibly afford it. But when everything inside sounded ominously quiet as she stood on the

frontstepandknockedonthedoor,worryaboutwhathadhappenedbetweenhimandthepuppyhadthe
questionmovingintothebackground.

BecauseeventhoughshehadasensethatZachprobablylivedtodothingslikewakepeopleupout

ofasoundsleepat5:30inthemorning,shenowhadafeelingtherealreasonhe’dcalledherwasoutof
actualdesperation.

Hoping she wasn’t too late, she knocked on the door again, more loudly. Zach opened the door,

saying,“Shhh.”

Helookedlikehell.Stillfartoogorgeousforameremortal,butdefinitelynothisbest.
No doubt, even she’d managed more sleep than he had last night. And from the looks of his half-

shavenface,andthejeanspulledupoverhiships,therealdamagehadstartedtogodownwhenhewasin
theshower.

Okay,shefirmlytoldherselfasthemusclesonhisshirtlesschestrippledinfrontofher,shecould

handleanicesetofabs.Heck,she’dspenttimewithaprofessionalathleteforawhile,soitwasn’tlike
shehadn’tseenagoodbodybefore.

Fortunately,ZachwassodistraughtbywhateverCuddleshaddonethathedidn’tseemtonoticeher

droolingoverhisbarechest.Thelastthingsheneededwasforhimtoknowjusthowhardatimeshewas
havingresistinghim.

Hepointeddowntoherdogandordered,“Don’twakethepuppyup.”
Atlas’s ears flattened and Heather rolled her eyes. Men were such babies. Zach was acting like

wakingupCuddleswouldbreakhimasheslowlyopenedthedoor,wincingateverycreakintheframe.

Heather’smouthfellopen.“OhmyGod.”ShelookedatZachinshock,thenbackathishouse.“I

can’tbelieveCuddlescouldpossiblyhavedoneallthisbyherself.”

Amusclejumpedinhisclenchedjaw.“Believeit.She’sthedevilinapuppydisguise.”
NormallyHeatherwouldhavetakenoffenseatanyonesayingthataboutahelpless,sweetpuppy,but

shewasstunnedbythedestructiontoZach’slivingroom.

Thepuppyhadnotonlyrippedopeneverypillowonhiscouch,shehadalsogonetotownonwhat

Heather guessed was a really expensive rug. There were scratch marks up and down one side of the
kitchenislandandahalf-dozendarkstainspotsontheexposedpartsofthehardwoodfloor.

Even Atlas looked alarmed by the state of the apartment, as he stood beside her at the front door

likeastatueofaGreatDane.

“Whereisshe?”HeatheraskedinthehushedvoiceZachhadwantedhertouseearlier.
Hepointedtoapileoffeathersbesidethecouch.HeatherhadtolookcloselytoseeCuddlescurled

upinthecenterofit,sleepingthesleepofthetrulyexhausted.

“I’mgoingtokillmybrother,”hesaidinalowvoicethattoldherhemeanteverysingleword.
She didn’t blame him for feeling that way. He was a bachelor who’d had a rambunctious puppy

dumpedonhim.Intruth,noneofthiswasZach’sfault.Hewasjustdoingthebesthecould.Unfortunately,
itseemedhewaswayoutofhiselementwiththisparticularpuppy.

Heatherhadworkedwithhundredsofdogsovertheyears,andshe’dbeenabletotellrightaway

thatthisonewasahandful.Thesmart,playfulonesalwayswere.

“Whathappened?”
“Shewouldn’tstopcryinglastnightwhenIputhertobedbehindhergate.”
Heatherrolledhereyes.“WhatdidItellyouyesterdayaboutstickingtotherules?”
“Neither one of us was going to get any sleep unless I let her come into the bed.” He gave her a

ruefullook.“ShefellrighttosleepassoonasIputherononeofmypillowsandIfiguredweweregood
togountilmorning.”Heranhishandoverhisface.“Iknow,I’manidiot,butIdidn’tthinkthreepounds
of fluff could do this kind of damage. I can’t believe I forgot about the teeth. And the bladder. And the
nails.”

“Howlongdoyouthinkshewasupbyherself?”
“I don’t know. I thought she had burrowed under a pillow and assumed she was still in the bed

whenIgotuptoshaveandgetintheshower.”Hegrimaced.“ThatwaswhenIheardthecrash.Alamp
shattered,fortunatelynotonher.SheknockedoveranotheronerightafterIcalledyou.SweartoGod,I
lookawayforthreesecondsandshe’slikethefreakingTasmanianDevil.”

HeathergaveAtlasthesignaltostaybythedoorbeforeshemovedtowardthepileoffeathersand

puppy.“Isshehurt?”

“She’sfine.IcheckedheroverbeforeIlethersackout.”
The truth was that by this point, most people would have been angry enough to at least give the

puppyasmackonitsrump.Funny,wasn’tit,thatshecouldsoeasilyimagineZach’slargehandsmoving
gentlyoverCuddles’slegsandsoftbellyashemadesurethepuppywasokay.

Takingpityonhim,shesaid,“I’llhelpyoucleanup.Goaheadandfinishyourshower.”
Helookedpatheticallygratefulasheshowedherwherethegarbagebagswere.
“Thankyou,Heather.”
Ohboy.Shehadn’tpreparedforasmilelikethat,onecompletelydevoidofseductionorwicked

intent.ItwasonethingtoguardherheartagainstaLothariowithnomoralfiber...itwasanotherentirelyto
remaincoldanddistantwithaflesh-and-bloodmanwhomshewasafraidmightbejustashumanasthe
restofthem.

He was halfway across the living room when he turned and said, “If it weren’t for the puppy of

massdestructionoverthere,I’dinviteyoutojoinme.”

Ah,therewasthemanshecouldsomuchmoreeasilyfightherattractionto.
“Ifitweren’tforher,Iwouldn’tbehere.”
She turned her back on him as she stuffed feathers and ceramic shards into the trash. When she

heardZachturntheshoweron,sheletoutthebreathshe’dbeenholding.Rockingbackonherheels,she
lookedoveratAtlas,whowaswatchingoverCuddlesfromhisspotbythedoor.

“Whathavewegottenourselvesinto,Atlas?”
He raised his dark eyebrows at her question, but he didn’t look away from the puppy. She didn’t

blamehimforbeingcompletelywrappedupinthecute,butverynaughty,littledog.

Lord knew she couldn’t seem to pull her thoughts away from Cuddles’s equally cute and naughty

temporaryowner.

ChapterSix

Zachstillcouldn’tbelievethewaythepuppyhadgonetotownoneverypieceoffurnitureinhis

house,butitwasworthit.BecauseHeatherwashere.

Afterthewayshe’dtriedtoblowhimofflastnight,hedoubtedanythingelsecouldhavegottenher

toagreetocomeoverasquickly.

His sisters, Lori and Sophie, had been itching to redecorate his place for a while, anyway. Lord

knewthey’dprobablyneverstoplaughingwhentheyheardwhathadhappened.Hissiblingsweregoing
to love this. Chase had probably already spread the news about Heather to everyone after yesterday’s
photoshoot.

ZachputonjeansandaT-shirttoheadintothelivingroomtohelpHeathercleanup.Hestoppedat

theendofthehallinsurprise.“You’redonealready?”

Shesmiledathimfromtheopenkitchenattheothersideofthelivingroom.“I’veparticipatedin

morethanmyfairshareofpuppycleanups.Itlookedworsethanitwas.Althoughyourcouchisdefinitely
agoner.”

Hesniffedtheair.“Areyoucookingsomething?”
Sheflushedslightly.“Ididn’tgetachancetoeatbreakfastandIfiguredyoumustbehungry,too.I

hopeyoudon’tmindthatIhelpedmyselftoyourfridge.”

Withakitchentoweltuckedintothewaistbandofherjeansandherhairstartingtocomeoutofher

braidasthesunroseinthekitchenwindowbehindher,shewashandsdownthemostbeautifulwoman
he’deverseeninhislife.Hischestclenchedashewatchedherstirringeggsandbutteringtoast.

Apart from his mother, no woman had ever made him breakfast before. Many had wanted to, but

he’dneverletthem,hadneverwantedtoshareanythingsointimatejustincasetheygotthewrongidea.If
someonehadtoldhimhe’dwelcomeawomaninhiskitchen,andthathe’dbetryingtofindevenmore
reasonstogethertostaywithhimawhilelonger,he’dhavetoldthemtheyneededpsychiatrichelp.

Thethingwas,hewantedHeatherbadenoughthathewaswillingtobreakafewrulesforher.Not

thebigone,ofcourse.Hewasn’tgoingtofallinlovewithheroranything.

Butbreakfast,andwantingtospendmoretimewithherthanheusuallydidwithawoman,wasn’t

thatbigadeal.

Shelooked over athim from aroundan open cupboard door,clearly surprised tosee that he was

stillstandinginthesameplace.“Ican’tfindyourwhisk.”

He finally got his feet moving, but when he got to the kitchen, he stood there and stared at the

cabinets.

“Youdon’thaveacluewhereitis,doyou?”Hecouldtellshewaslaughingathim,whichhe’dtake

anydayoverhershuttinghimdownthewayshehadlastnight.

“Idon’tevenknowwhatawhisklookslike.”
When she started to laugh out loud, he leapt to cover her mouth with his hand. At her alarmed

expressionathismanhandling,hewhispered,“Cuddlesmightwakeup!”

Heathernoddedherunderstanding,thencoveredhishandwithherstopullitoff,butnotbeforehe

felthowsoftherlipswereagainsthispalm.

Andnotbeforehenotedthewayhereyesdarkenedasherhandcoveredhistoslideitawayfrom

hermouthandcheeks.

He’dwantedherfromthesecondhe’dseenherstuckinthebushathisgarage.Andtherewasno

stopping the kiss from happening anymore. Not when she was in his kitchen, and she was so close and
warmandsoftagainsthim.

Hereyeswentsoftasheloweredhisheadtohersandhecouldalreadytasteher.Onekisswouldn’t

benearlyenoughtotaketheedgeoffhisdesire,notwhenshewasallhecouldthinkab—

Ahigh-pitchedseriesofbarkshadherjumpingoutofhisarms.
Cuddleshadpickedonehellofatimetowakeup.
ZachandHeatherturnedtowatchthepuppydashacrosstheroomtomakeaflyingleapontoAtlas.

Thebigdogremainedstillasthepuppyrubbedandwriggledagainsthim,butZachcouldseehowhappy
hewasabouttheaffection.

Quicklyturningtoaction,ratherthanlettingthemgetcloseagain,Heathergrabbedtwoplatesand

ladledonscrambledeggs.

“I can’t believe how fast those two bonded. It’s like they were always meant to be together and

werejustwaitinguntiltheycouldfinallymeet.”

Zachtriedtoignorethewayhischestclenchedagainatherwords.Itwasjustthatshewassodamn

sexyasshesatdownathisdiningtable,kickedoffherflip-flops,andtuckedonelegunderher.

“It’sreallyamazinghowgoodshealwaysisaroundAtlas,”Heathercommented.“It’salmostlike

shewantstoimpresshim.”

“Inthatcase,youguysshouldmoveinforthenexttwoweeks.”Purposefullyignoringherasiflook,

hesatdownandtookabiteoftheeggs.“Thesearesogood,youcouldcookformeeverymorning,too.”

“Really?CouldI?”Sarcasmdrippedfromeveryword.
“Surething,”herespondedwithagrin.
Sheshookherhead,buthecouldseeherfightingtheurgetogrinbackathim.Ifonlyhe’dbeenable

to sneak in that kiss in the kitchen, he wouldn’t have to work so hard for her now, or keep moving so
slowly.

He thought about how long it took him to rebuild a classic car from the engine out, and how

satisfying it was not just to get the final product, but every minute he spent wrenching on the intake
manifoldorworkingundertherearend.

CoulditbethatrushingthingswithHeatherwasn’tthewaytogo,either?
“Oh,Ialmostforgot,”shesaidgettingupfromthetabletohandhimaphoto,“Ifoundthisundera

pillow.Theframeisbroken,butIdon’tthinkCuddlesdidanydamagetothepicture.”

Itwasanoldblackandwhitephoto,oneoftheonlyoneshehadwithhisfatherinit.Hismomand

dadhadtheirarmsaroundeachotherandMarcus,Smith,Chase,Ryan,andZachweredoingtheirbestto
holdstillforthephotographer.

“Ifitwasn’tblackandwhite,Iwouldhavethoughtthemaninthepicturewasyou.”
“It’s what everyone says. I’m the carbon copy of my father. When I was a kid, we would spend

hoursunderthehoodofsomejunkycarhewastryingtoputbacktogether.”

“Howoldwereyouhere?”
“Four.”
Hisfatherhaddiedonlythreeyearsafterthepicturehadbeentaken.Threeyearsandtwoweeks.

TheanniversaryofJackSullivan’sdeathwasneveragoodday.Zach’screwatworkhadlearnedtosteer
clearofhisshittymoodonceayear.

“Youlooklikeyou’redyingtoripoffthatbowtie,”Heathersaidwithasmallsmile.Onethattold

himmoreaboutthewayshefeltabouthimthanshe’dwillinglygivenuptohimsofar.

“Youknowthewaythelivingroomjustlooked?”Hegrinned,remembering.“Multiplythatcarnage

byfiveafterthispicturewasshotandwewereletloose.”

Helovedthesoundofherlaughter,thewayitpushedawaythedarkcloudsthatcamefromthinking

abouthisfather.

“I wouldn’t think a woman as beautiful as your mother could deal with so many boys,” Heather

commented.

“Evenwhenshewasyellingatus,youcouldhavesoldapictureofhertoamagazine.”Hesmiled

downattheblackandwhite,keepinghisfocusonhismotherratherthanhisfatherthistime.“Evennow,
aftereverythingwe’veputherthrough,she’sstillagreat-lookingbroad.”

He looked up to see Heather staring at him as if she’d never seen him before this very moment.

Damnit,he’dneverhadaproblemwithflappinghislipsaroundwomenbefore.Itwasusuallytheother
wayaround,whentheycouldn’tstoptellinghimhowexcitedtheyweretobewithhim,howmuchthey
werehopingtomeethisfamousbrothers.

“Ithoughttherewereeightofyou?”
“MomwaspregnantwithmybrotherGabeinthispicture.LoriandSophiecameacoupleofyears

later.”Hedecidedtobreaktheiceforher,justincaseshe’dbeenholdingoutonhim.“Smithisthatone.
Andthere’sRyan.”

Shelookedatthepictureagain.“Whoaretheothertwo?”
Hefrowned.Didn’tshecarethatSmithwasoneofthebiggestmoviestarsintheworldandRyan

wasthestarpitcherfortheHawks?

“MarcusandChase.”Hestudiedherfacecarefullytomakesureshewasn’tputtinghimon.Sure,if

shewasn’tasportsfanshemightnotknowwhoRyanwas,butshe’dhavetoliveunderarocktonotknow
whoSmithwas.“Youwatchmovies,right?”

“OfcourseIdo.”Shegotup,pickeduptheiremptyplates,andtookthemovertothesink.“Seen

anythinggoodlately?”

AtlaspawedatthescreendoorandZachgotuptolettheGreatDanegotakecareofbusiness.Of

course Cuddles went with him. He hoped she’d learn something about using the grass rather than his
hardwoodfloorinthenearfuture.

“Youreallydon’tcarethatSmithSullivanismybrother?”
Hedidn’tknowwhyhewaspushinghersohardonit.Buthedidn’twanttobedisappointedlater

whenitturnedoutshe’dbeensecretlyanglingforaninvitationallalong.

Shepausedwithaplateinonehandandaspongeintheother.“Heis?”Shelaughedatherself.“I

shouldhaveputtwoandtwotogetherearlier,shouldn’tI?I’vebeensobusywithmybusinessthispast
year that I guess I don’t get out as much as I used to.” She shot him a look as if she was afraid she’d
offendedhimbynotcaringaboutSmith’sfame.“ButIhearyourbrotherhasbeenreallygreatinhisrecent
movies.IsthereoneIshouldmakesuretosee?”

Hejoinedheratthesink,dryingthedishesshe’djustwashed.“Seenone,you’veseen’emall.”
“Icantellfromthewayyoutalkaboutallofthemhowmuchyourfamilymeanstoyou,”shesaid

softly.

“I’dtakeabulletforanyoneofthem.”
“Youwould?”
Hedidn’thavetothinkaboutit.“We’refamily.”
“Family.”Shewassilentforalongmoment.“They’reluckytohaveyou.”
Wantingtoerasetheshadowsthatdidn’tbelonginherprettyeyes,hesaid,“That’swhatI’malways

tellingthem.”

Sheshookherhead.“Gocheckonthedogs,wouldyou?Ithinkweshouldgetawayfromthescene

ofthecrimeforabittodomoretraining.I’llfinishupinhere.”

Hewasheadingoutofthekitchenwhenherealizedhe’dforgottensomethingimportant.Hewalked

backtowhereshestandingonhertippy-toestoputthecleanplatesbackinhiscupboard.

Beforesherealizedwhathewasdoing,hekissedheronthecheek.
“Thanksforbreakfast,Heather.AndforcomingtohelpwithCuddles.I’dhavebeencompletelylost

withoutyou.”

Herskinwassosoft,andshesmelledsogood,hewantedtodosomuchmorethankisshercheek.

Instead,heforcedhimselftostepawayandheadtowardthebackyard.Hehadn’tgivenuphisquesttoget
herintohisbed,butjustthenitdidn’tseemrighttotrytoseduceherthewayhenormallywouldhave.

Butashewalkedaway,hecouldn’tstophimselffromturningtolookbackather.
Shewasstandinginfrontofthecupboards,herhandonhercheekwherehe’dkissedher...looking

justasshell-shockedashefelt.

ChapterSeven

Heatherwasn’tusedtopeoplesurprisingher.Ithadtakenherawhiletolearnhowtoreadpeople,

howtoseparatethehonestfromthedeceitful,therealfromthefake,buteversincetheageofseventeen,
she’dmadesurenottoletanyoneslipthroughherfilter.

She’dthoughtshehadZachSullivanpinnedfromthatfirstmoment.Butthewayhe’dlookedatthe

blackandwhitephotoandtalkedabouthisfamily,withsuchdeeploveandaffection...itmadeherwonder
ifshe’dbeenwronginherfirstimpressionsofhim.

Onthesurface,amanlikeZachdidn’tseemtoneedanyoneelse.Notwhenhelookedsoperfect,so

untouchable,andcertainlynotwhenitwasobviousthathe’dspenthiswholelifewithstrangersfallingall
overthemselvestopleasehimjustforthebarestscrapofhisattention.

Standingthatclosetohiminthekitchen,withtheheatofhispalmacrossherlips,hadheronthe

vergeofbegginghimtokissher.Nodoubtshewouldprobablyhavedonejustthatandmorehaditnot
beenforCuddles’sverywell-timedbarking.

Butintheend,itwasthekisshe’dgivenheronhercheekthathadtakenherabackthemost.
She actually found herself wishing he would stick to his original game, and be the charmer with

only one thing on his mind. Because more than anything, she needed to shut her emotions down before
thingswentanyfurtherinsideher.

She couldn’t feel anything for the charming man with the adorable puppy...not when she already

knewhowitwouldallendupaftershe’dwatchedtheliveshowbetweenhermotherandfatherplayout
inherchildhoodhomeforseventeenyears.

TherewasagoodparkthatalloweddogsonlyacoupleofblocksfromZach’shouse,closeenough

towalkto.Ofcourse,thatwasplentyoftimeforatleasttwodozencompletestrangerstowaylaythem
withexclamationsovertheamazinglycutepuppy—ormorespecifically,theownerandhispuppy.

If she heard the words so cute and adorable one more time she was going to make Cuddles and

Zachwearmasksthenexttimetheywentoutinpublictogether.

Not, of course, that she was planning on any future public outings. These were extenuating

circumstances,afterall,notthebeginningofanykindoffoursomearoundtown.

PoorAtlas,shethoughtashenudgedCuddleswithhisnoseandthepuppyletoutahappybark.He

wasgoingtobeheartbrokenwhenshefoundanothertrainerforhisnewfriend.

Thenagain,ifshecouldbetoughenoughandtrustherselfaroundZach,thenshecouldmakesome

additional concessions to her daily schedule to continue working with them directly. Surely she had
enoughself-controltokeeptheirrelationshiponaprofessionallevelforthenexttwoweeks,didn’tshe?

Whenthey’dfoundanemptypatchofgrass,sheputdownherbagoftraininggearandsaid,“We’re

goingtoworkonpositivereinforcementtoday.”

Zach raised his eyebrows. “You want me to reward the little punk after what she pulled this

morning?”

ShegaveAtlasasubtlesignalandhestoppedpantingafterthesquirrelclimbingupthetreetotrain

hisfullattentiononherinstead.“Goodboy.”Shesmiledathim.“Down.”

Shereachedintothepouchshe’dstrappedontoherbeltloopandsquatteddowntohandhimatreat.

ShescratchedbetweenhisearsandlookedupatZach.“WhydoyouthinkAtlaswantstopleaseme?”

Hiseyessizzled.“Whowouldn’twanttopleaseyou?”
Sheswallowedhard,notsurehowtheirconversations—even about totally unsexy things like dog

training—alwaysmanagedtoveersoquickly.

No,thatwasn’tpreciselythetruth.Sheknewexactlyhowithappened.

Because Zach Sullivan was walking, living, breathing sex. And she was a sensual woman who

couldn’thelpbutrespond.Atleastonaphysicallevel.

Continuingasifhehadn’tjustsetthebloodtoracingthroughherveins,shesaid,“It’scomforting

forhimtoknowthatI’mincharge,andthatI’llalwaysgivehimclearcuesastowhenI’mhappyorupset
withhim.”

Zachfrownedatthepuppyinhisarms.Shedidn’tthinkhewasawareofit,buteventhoughhestill

claimed to be angry with the dog, he held her gently against his chest, her little head leaning into his
heartbeat.“Seemstomeyellingisaprettyclearcue.”

Shehadtosmileatwhatanadorablycutepairtheywere,evenassheshookherheadatthefactthat

shewasactingjustaspatheticallyasallthewomenthey’dcomeacrossduringtheirwalk.

“Honestly,alltheyellingdoesismakehermoreanxious.Whichmakesheractoutmore,especially

whenshedoesn’tknowtheproperbehaviorstoreplacethenaughtyoneswith.”

“AndhereIusedtothinkIlikedmygirlsnaughty.”
Shegroaned.“You’reincorrigible.”
She should be a whole lot more upset about it, but the truth was, she kind of liked his sense of

humor.

“Incorrigibleenoughtotellyouhowhotitiswhenyouusebigwords?”
She should have known better. If she gave him an inch, he’d take a mile. Suppressing a grin, she

said, “Try irritating, instead.” She took Cuddles from him, then handed him the bag of dog treats. “Go
overtothattreeandlet’sworkonthecomecommandafewtimesfirst.”

She held her breath, waiting for him to make some off-color play on the command they were

workingon,buthesimplystucktotheprogramandheadedovertothetree.Not,ofcourse,thatshewas
disappointedhehadn’tgrabbedtheopportunityforadoubleentendre,orthatshewasstartingtoenjoythe
constantsparkofbeingwithsuchamagneticman.

But,oh,asshewatchedhislean,muscledbodymoveinthesunlight,shecouldn’tholdinasighof

purefemaleappreciation.ZachSullivanmighthavebeenirritatingandincorrigibleontheinside,buton
theoutsidehereallywasaworkofart.

AfterafewminutesofCuddlesrunningintoZach’sarmsathiscommand,thepuppy’stonguewas

hangingout.

“Bringheroverhereandyoucangivehersomewater.”
She put a small bowl on the grass and handed Zach a water bottle to fill it with. Cuddles

immediatelyploppedhermuzzleintothebowl.BeforeHeathertoldhimwhatshewantedhimtodo,Zach
startedpettingthepuppyandtellingherhowsmartshewas.HertailwaggedallthewhileandHeather
knewtherewasnopointintryingtofighthersmileasshewatchedthemtogether.

Okay,soZachhadmadeaterriblefirstimpressiononher,buthejustmightturnouttobeherbest

studentyet.

WhenCuddleshadherfillofwater,HeatherturnedtoAtlas,whohadbeenwaitingpatientlybyher

heels.Shepulledamulti-coloredropeoutofherbagandtosseditafewfeetaway.

“Go ahead and play, Atlas.” Cuddles bounded through the bowl of water in her hurry to go play,

too.

“Thatmuttofyoursworshipsyou.”
“He’spurebredGreatDane,notamutt,”sheinformedZach,andthensaid,“Ithinkhe’sprettygreat,

too.”

It was so tempting to relax with Zach, and to pretend they were sharing a morning in the park

togetherwiththeirdogs.Tootempting.

Clearly, she needed to work harder to remember what they were together: dog trainer and puppy

owner.Nothingmore.

“Nowwe’llworkonpositivereinforcement.WhatI’dlikeyoutodoiscalloutCuddles’snamea

fewtimeswhilethey’replaying.Youdon’tneedtotellhertocome,buteverytimeshelooksatyou,give
heratreatorpetherortellherhowgreatsheis.”

Zachnodded,thenturnedhisfocustothepuppy.“Cuddles.”
Thepuppylookedupathim,stillholdingthetatteredropeinhermouth,toseewhathertemporary

owner wanted. He was immediately there with a treat and a hug. What a lucky pup she was to be the
recipientofsomuchofZach’sfocusedattention.

Hesteppedback.“How’dIdo?”
“You’reagluttonforpraise,aren’tyou?”
Hemovedtobrushastrandofhairoutofhereyes,hisfingertipsmakingthebarestcontactwithher

skin.“Thatgood,huh?”

OhGod,shethought,asthrillbumpsroseacrossthesurfaceofherbodyathisgentletouch,good

didn’tevenbegintocoverit.

“Doitagain,”shesaid,herwordscomingoutfartoobreathyforanythingoutsideofabedroom.
His eyes darkened as he slid his fingers against her hair again, this time brushing the pad of his

thumbacrosshercheekbone.“Withpleasure.”

Shegotsolostinsweetsensation,inthesinfulpromiseofpleasureinhiseyes,thatittookherfar

longerthanitshouldhavetostepbackfromhisheat.

“Notthat.Saythepuppy’snameagain.”
Foramoment,shethoughthewasgoingtoignoreherclarificationandpullheragainsthiminstead.

Hereyesdroppedtohismouthoftheirownvolition.What,shecouldn’tstopwondering,woulditbelike
to feel them press against hers? Not one of those soft kisses he’d given her against her cheek in the
kitchen,butaraw,demandingkissthatlefthernoroomtohideexactlyhowhemadeherfeel?

Abruptly, he turned and called for the puppy. Again, Cuddles responded immediately and he

showeredherwithpraiseandaffection.

Heather could feel her cheeks flaming at the embarrassing way she kept losing herself over him,

especially after the way she’d mentally derided so many other women for doing the exact same thing.
Tighteningherresolvetokeepherwitsabouther,sheturnedherentirefocusbacktothetrainingsession.

WhenCuddleshadrespondedtoZachsayinghernameagooddozentimes,shesaid,“Ithinkthat’s

goodenoughforhertostarttoassociatepleasurewithyou.”

“Pleasure?”
Ohno,whathadshejustsaid?
Sheforcedherselftocontinueasifitwerewhatshewouldhavesaidtoanyotherclient.“Themore

sheassociatestreatsandaffectionwithyou,thelesslikelyitisthatshe’llgetherjolliesfromshredding
yourcouchapart.Especiallyonceshelearnsthatyoudon’tapproveofthatbehavior.”

“Ithoughtyousaidyellingwasout.”
“Youwon’tneedtoyellatheranymore.Becauseifyoucatchherpullingfeathersoutofapillow

anddon’tsmileandpetherandtellherhowwonderfulsheis,she’llbedisappointed.”

“Iwonderifthesamethingwouldworkwithmystaff?”
Shehadtolaughattheideaofhimdealingwiththebigmenshe’dseenworkinginhisgaragesthe

wayhejusthadwiththepuppy.

A young couple walked past, their hands linked, their mouths fused to each other’s faces. It

wouldn’t have been so bad if they hadn’t stopped just then to paw at each other and murmur adoring
wordsagainsteachother’slips.

ZachcaughtHeather’sgrimace.“Youdon’tapproveofthelovingcouple?”
“Icouldhavelivedwithoutseeingthemcleaneachother’stonsils,butotherthanthat,I’mhappyfor

themforaslongasitlasts.”

“Aslongasitlasts?”Helookedconfused.“Ithoughtallwomenbelievedinforever?”
Justthestupidones.“Nope,notallofus.”
Hewashelpingherpackupherbagashesaid,“Whynot?”
Theirconversationhadcrossedthelineagain,fromprofessionaltopersonal.Clearly,Zachwasn’t

big on boundaries. So instead of answering him, she just shrugged and said, “What about you?” even
thoughshecouldfairlyeasilyguesstheanswer.

“I’mnotaforeverkindofguy,”hesaid,asifthatexplainedeverything.Andthen,“Someguyyou

weredatingbrokeyourheart,didn’the?”

Anywarmthshemighthavebeenlettingherselffeeltowardhimimmediatelycooled.“Myheartis

perfectlyintact,thankyou.”

Hesnappedhisfingers.“I’vegotit.Yourparentssplitupandyou’venevergottenoverit.”
Shehadtounclenchherteethtosay,“Wrongagain.Myparentsarestilltogether.Not,”sheadded

pointedly,“thatit’sanyofyourbusiness.”

Andnotthattheirintactmarriagehadgivenheronesinglegoodthingtobelieveaboutlove—orany

hopewhatsoeverinabeautifulforever.Infact,itwasthejusttheoppositewhenevershethoughtabouther
parents’ relationship, about the way her father had cheated on her mother probably from the first day
they’dmet,andthefactthathermotherstayedwithhim,likeadogbeggingforscrapsregardlessofthe
wayhetreatedher.

Heather picked up her bag and called for Atlas so that they could leave. She never should have

comeovertoZach’shousethismorninginthefirstplace,orhadbreakfastwithhim,letaloneasecond
one-on-onetrainingsession.Shecouldn’twaittogetbacktoheroffice.Backtohernormallife.Backto
the way things had been before thoughts of Zach Sullivan—and what his kisses might feel like—had
startedtocrowdoutallhergoodsense.

Butinsteadofgettingthemessagethatshewasdonetalkingaboutwhyshedidn’tbelieveinlove,as

CuddlescamesprintingupbehindAtlas,Zachsaid,“There’sgottobeareason.”

Professionalhadgoneoutthewindowsolongagoshedidn’teventrytogetbacktherethistime.

Instead,shesaidexactlywhatwasonhermind.“LetmemakesureIhavethisstraight.Aguycannotbe
looking for love because it’ll complicate his easy life. But a woman has to have all sorts of trauma to
makeherlikethat?”

Even the nauseating couple stopped licking each other’s faces to take in their heated discussion.

Well,heatedonhersideanyway,becauseZachlookedcompletelyunrepentant.Worse,heseemedamused
withherreaction.

“Thatsoundsaboutright.”
Shethrewthebagofdoggytreatsstraightathisheart.

***

Beautifulwomenfellathisfeet,theydidn’tchuckthingsathim.Andtheydefinitelyneversaidthey

didn’tbelieveinforever.

WasHeatherperfect,orwhat?
Hotdamn,hecouldn’twaittogetherintobed,andkeepherthere.Especiallynowthatheknewshe

wasn’tsecretlylookingforthebigcommitment.

Thefuntheyweregoingtohaveonceshefinallycamearound...
Thedogsthrewthemselvesonthedoggytreatsthathadspilledoutofthebagwhenitbouncedoff

hischest.

“Wasthatpartofyourlessononpositivereinforcement?”heteasedher.
He tried not to laugh when she growled at him as she bent to pick up the bag and shoo the dogs

awayfromthefood.Hewasbendingdowntohelpherwhenhelookeduptoseeateenageronanout-of-
controlskateboardbarrelingdownthehillstraighttowardthem.

The kid was yelling for them to get out of the way and Zach quickly scooped Cuddles up in one

hand and slid his arm around Heather’s waist with the other. “Atlas, come!” he ordered as he rolled
quicklytotheside.

TheedgeoftheskateboardclippedZach’scalfhardenoughtomakehimgruntinpain,butallthat

matteredwasthathehadHeathersafeandsoundbeneathhim,thepuppycradledinthecrookofonearm,
andAtlasbesidehisbeautifulowner.

Theywereoutofthepathofdangernow,andheshouldhaveletHeathergo.Buthowcouldhewhen

shewassosoft,sowarm...andwaslookingupathimwiththosebigeyesthathadturnedhisheartoverin
hischestfromthefirstmomenthe’dseenthem.

He’d wanted her from that first moment, but strangely, he wasn’t thinking about sex now. Not

entirely,anyway.

“Didyoureallyhavetodothat?”sheaskedinavoicethattrembledslightly.
Hebrushedherhairawayfromherforehead,lettinghishandlingerinthesoftstrandsthathadcome

loosefromherbraid.

“Yes.”
Hewantedtopresshislipstoherforehead,wantedtoreassurehimselfthatnoharmhad—orwould

—cometoher.

Heleanedcloserandbrushedhismouthtoherskinbeforesaying,“Itwouldhavereallypissedme

offifyou’dbeenobliteratedbyapimplyfourteen-year-oldandhisskateboard.”

“I was all set to stay irritated with you,” she whispered, sounding aroused and breathless and

anythingbutirritated.“Saysomethingcocky,please.”

Strange,butforthefirsttimethathecouldremember,hedidn’twantto.
This was the perfect chance to take that kiss he knew she wanted to give him, more than just

brushinglipsagainsthercheek.

He’djustsavedherandshewasgrateful—hecouldfeelherheartbeatingagainsthisasherbreath

came too quickly. Lord knew she’d been driving him crazy with her curves, her pretty smiles, her
expressiveeyesallmorninglong.

Damnit.
Hecouldn’tdoit...allbecausehelikedher.
Toomuch.
Zachrolledontohisbackonthegrassandstaredupatthebluesky,bitingbackastringofcursesat

hisstupidityinwillinglygivinguphischancetofinallyseduceHeather.

Once the puppy was set free again, Cuddles immediately scampered onto his chest and started

lickingfirsthim,thenHeather,longenoughthatthepuppygotthembothlaughingastheytriedtorollout
oftheway.AndwhenHeather’sfingersaccidentallyslidagainsthis,itwasthemostnaturalthinginthe
worldtofithisagainstherssothathecouldliftherhandtohislipsandpressakisstoherpalm.

Hisphonerangatthesamemomenthersdidandhefeltherfingersstiffeninhis.Andeventhoughit

turnedoutthatlyingthere,fullyclothedbesideeachother,wasbetterthananytimehe’deverspentnaked
withanotherwoman,hemadehimselfletgoofherhandasshemovedtogetbackonherfeet.

Neitherofthemsaidawordastheycheckedtheirmessagesandthenwalkedbacktohishouse,and

assheandAtlasgotinhercaranddroveaway,Cuddleswhinedinhisarmsasifherhearthadjustbeen
splitintwo.

ChapterEight

Heatherdidn’tbelieveinbackingdownfromachallenge.Itwashowshe’dbeenabletobuildTop

Dog from a one-on-one training business into a full-service training center and doggy day care. She
wasn’tafraidofstandingupforherselforfacingdowndifficultsituations.

Butshehadn’tgottentowhereshewasbybeingstupid,either.
AndthatwaswhatspendinganymoretimewithZachSullivanwouldbe.Stupid.Tothenthdegree.
Itwasn’teventhetwoalmost-kissesthatworriedher.Kissing,evensex,wassomethingsheknew

howtocompartmentalize.Justbecauseshewasn’tlookingforahappily-ever-afterdidn’tmeanshewasa
nun.

But that moment when she and Zach been laughing together and his hand had found hers...she

scrunchedhereyesshuttotrytoshakeawaythosefeelingsofwarmth.Ofcontentment.

Ofsweetconnection.
Only, no matter how hard she’d tried since that morning to block Zach out—to pretend he hadn’t

madeherfeelsomethingdeepandtrue,totrytoignorehowhelitupeverytimeabouthisfamily,andthat
he’dtakeabulletforthem—everytimeshethoughtabouthimshe’dendeduprightbackinthesamespot.
Notjuststuckindesire,butlongingforsomethingshe’ddidn’teventhinksheknewhowtobelievein.

Theclockwastickingcloserto5p.m.andZachwouldbeappearingwithCuddlesanyminutenow.

Butshe’dbebusymeetingwithheradvisoryboardmemberstodiscusstheprosandconsofapossible
expansionintowholesaledogtreats.Luckily,everyonehadbeenavailablewhenshe’dcalledthemafew
hoursearlier.

Heatherwasleadingthelastofherboardmemberstotheconferenceroomwhenshefelttheairin

thebuildingshift.Shedidn’tneedtoturnaroundtoknowthatZachwasthere.Andnotjustbecauseshe
couldhavesensedhispresenceinthemiddleofahurricane.NotevenbecauseAtlaswasvibratingwith
theneedtogreethistinylittlefriend.

But because the combination of the beautiful man and Cuddles always elicited an overwhelming

chorusofcooingandgiggling.

Shetriedtogettheconferenceroomdoorclosed,butbeforeshecould,JerryCaldwell,aleading

organicdogfoodmanufacturer,spottedZachandcalledouthisname.

The man she was working so hard to avoid pinned her with an intense look that had her breath

comingtoofastbeforehewalkedovertoshakeJerry’shand.

“I’vegotanAustinHealeycominginwithyournameonit,Jerry.”Zach’sgazeshiftedtoHeatheras

headded,“She’sarealbeauty,withgorgeouslinesandcurves.Youwon’thaveachanceofresistingher.”

Shefeltherselfflushandknewtheonlychanceshehadofcoveringherreactiontohimwastofocus

onthepuppyinhisarms,instead.Atlasandthepuppywerealreadysniffingandlickingeachotherwith
purehappiness.Clearly,shewasn’ttheonlyonewho’dbeenwaitingfor5p.m.torollaround.

Onlyoneofthemhadbeendreadingit,though.
But,oh,whataliarshewas.BecausethetruthwasthatshehadbeenanticipatingseeingZachagain

evenmorethanAtlashaddreamedofseeingthepuppy.

“HowdidCuddlesdotodayatyourgarage?”sheaskedZach.
Jerrylaughedoutloudatthename.“You’vegotapuppy?”Heshookhishead.“Andyounamedher

Cuddles?I’vegottoadmit,Sullivan,Ididn’tseethiscoming.Notinamillionyears.”

ShewaitedforZachtomakeanexcuseabouthisnieceandhowitwasn’thisdogorhisname,but

insteadhisgazeshiftedtoherforasplitsecondbeforehereplied,“Ididn’tseeitcoming,either.”

Fortunately,Jerrydidn’tseemtohearanystrangeundertonesintheconversationashesaid,“Dogs

willdothattoyou.Butit’sworthit.Bestfriendyou’lleverhave.”HeshookZach’shandagain.“I’lldrop
bytheshopearlynextweektocheckouttheAustinHealey.”

After Jerry had walked over to the coffee dispenser, she informed Zach, “David is going to be

workingwithyouandCuddlestonightoutback.”Sheknewshedidn’thavetomakeexcusestohimsince
healreadyknewshe’dplannedtopasshimofftoanothertrainer,butstillshesaid,“I’vegotameeting
withmyadvisoryboardtonight.”

“Soundsimportant.”
“Itis.”Theheatofhisbodydrewhertowardhimandsheforcedherselftotakeastepback.“Have

agoodtrainingsession.”

Atlas’searsweredownashefollowedherinsidetheconferenceroomandwatchedthepuppyhe

adoredheadintothebackwithZach.

Godhelpher...shefeltthesameway.

***

Anhourlater,Heathersatathercomputertotypeuphernotes.Butforthefirsttimeinaverylong

time,shecouldn’tconcentrateontheworksheneededtogetdone.Atlaspawedthedoorandshewalked
outsidewithhimtolethimtakecareofbusiness.Hesniffedeveryinchofthelawnandsheknewhewas
searchingforasignthatCuddleswasstillthere.Butboththepuppyandhisownerhadleft.

Wasitonlytwenty-fourhoursagothatZachhadbeenstandingoutsidethefrontdoorholdingapizza

box, acting like he owned the rest of the world and he wanted her to become another one of his many
possessions?

Atlas finally gave up on Cuddles and watered a bush in the corner, but he didn’t look all that

relieved.Heatherknewsheprobablylookedthesameway.Irritatedandlost.

She needed something to take her mind off Zach. Knowing more work wasn’t going to do it, she

textedherbestfriend.Upforamovietonight?

Brendatextedbackintheaffirmativeandthatshe’dpickupticketstoasweepinghistoricaldrama

she’dwantedtoseeforawhileandmeetHeatheratthetheatreforthe7p.m.show.

Heather had just enough time to drop Atlas off at home before heading out. At the theatre, she

huggedherfriend,carefulnottoknockthehugecontainerofpopcornshewasholdingontothefloor.“I’m
sogladyoucouldcome.”

Brenda grinned and linked their arms together. “Me too. It’s so much better to drool over Smith

Sullivanwithyou,ratherthantryingtosittherewithmyhusbandandpretendthatI’mnotgettinghotall
over.”

Heatherstiffenedfromheadtotoe.“We’rewatchingaSmithSullivanmovie?”
Herfriendpickedoutseatsrightinthemiddleofthetheatreandpeoplestartedtofillinallaround

them,trappingHeather.

“Evenbetter,Ihearhehashisshirtoffforhalfofit.Myhusbandissogoingtogetluckytonight.”
OhGod.HeatherhadneededanightoutatthemoviestotakeherawayfromZach...nottoremind

herfortwostraighthoursaboutthemanshewastryingsodesperatelytoforget.

“So,”herfriendasked,rightoncue,“haveyoubeenseeinganyonenewlately?”
HeatherchokedonthepopcornandreachedfortheredslushieBrendahadboughtforher,suckingit

downsofastshegotnailedwithbrainfreeze.

“No,”shesaid,althoughBrant,aguyshe’dcasuallydatedforthepastfewmonths,hadcalledand

leftheramessagetodayaboutwantingtoseeher.Shelikedhimwellenough,butifsheagreedtomeet
himfordinnersheknewwhathe’dexpect.Andrightnow,shecouldn’timaginegettingnakedwithanyone
except—

Hergroanofself-disgustwascutoffbythestartofthepreviews.Heathersankdowninherseatand

gritted her teeth. Somehow she’d make it through the movie. After all, how similar could Zach and his
famousbrotherbe?

***

Reallyfreakingsimilar.
Brendawasstillwipingawayhertearsasthelightscameupinthetheatre.“Wasn’tthatanamazing

lovestory?Tohaveamanlikethatwantyousobadly...Ican’tevenimagine.”

Heatherpressedherlipstogether.Shewasgoingtokeephermouthshut.Shewasn’tgoingtosay—
“Iknowhisbrother.”
Shoot,whatwaswrongwithher?
Heatherslungherpurseoverhershoulderandtriedtostandup,butBrendaclampedherhandon

herarm,holdingherinplaceinherseat.“Whosebrother?”

They were the only two people left in the theatre and the cleanup crew was coming in with their

garbagebags.

“SmithSullivan’sbrother.”
BrendasquealedsoloudthatHeatherwinced.“OhmyGod!Whenwereyougoingtotellme?”
Neverhadbeentheplan,becauseZachwasn’tsupposedtoplayanykindofimportant—orlongterm

—roleinherlifeatall.

“Zachisoneofmynewdogtrainingclients.”
“DoeshelooklikeSmithSullivan?”
Heatherfelthercheeksturningpinkatthewayherfriendsaidhisnameliketheywerekidsouton

theplaygroundandhewasthepopularboytheyallhadacrushon.

“Actually,”sheadmitted,“he’sevenbetterlooking.”
Herfriendpinnedherwithalookshecouldn’tescape.Brendawastheonlyonewhoknewallabout

Heather’sfamily.She’dmetherfatherandmotherandhadseentheirickydynamic—thecharmerandthe
charmed,theliarandtheenabler—firsthand.

“Ishereallyjustaclient?”
Brenda’svoicehadsoftenedandHeatherknewthequestiondidn’thaveanythingtodowithherone

degreeofseparationfromamoviestar,butthefactthatherfriendgenuinelywishedforHeathertofind
trueloveoneday,despiteeverything.

“Yes.”Shestoodupandwenttothrowawaytheemptypopcornbox.“Seriously,Iwouldn’thave

mentionedhimifwe’dseenanothermovie.”

Brendablocked her wayout of thetheatre. “What does Zachdo? He’s notthe baseball player, is

he?Orthewineryowner?”

Heathernarrowedhereyes.“WhydoyouknowsomuchaboutSmithSullivan’slife?”
“I’mafan,”Brendasaidwithouttheslightesthintofdefensiveness.“So,whichoneishe?”
Withasigh,Heathersaid,“He’sthemechanic.”
Brenda’seyeswentwide.“You’rekidding,right?He’snotjustamechanic.He’samogul!”
“Amogul?”Sheshookherhead.“Heownsanautoshop.”
Herfriendalmostlookeddisappointedinher.“Iknowyou’vebeenreallybusywithyourbusiness

lately,butyoureallyshouldknowmoreaboutoneofthemostfamousfamiliesinSanFrancisco.Yournew
client owns a zillion auto shops. They’ve made him filthy, stinking rich.” Her friend was practically
drooling.“Talkaboutaneligiblebachelor.”

Well,itexplainedthebighouseinthepriceyneighborhood,atleast.Funny,though,evenwithallthe

moneyshenowknewhehad,hecertainlyhadn’ttriedtowooherwithit,thewayherfatherhadalways

workedtobuyherandhermother’slovewithlavishgiftsandtrips.

Infact,shefoundherselfthinking,withasmallsmileshecouldn’tcontain,evenifZachdidn’thave

money,shewascertainhe’dbejustasirritatinglysureofhimself.

“Pleasesleepwithhimandtellmehowitis.”
Heatherhadtosmile.Onlytwopeoplewho’dknowneachothersincecollegecouldsaythingslike

thattoeachotherwithastraightface.

“Sorry.Idon’tthinkit’sgoingtohappen.”
“But he wants to, doesn’t he? And don’t deny it, I can tell by the way you’ve been blushing this

wholetimethathe’smorethanjustaclient.”

Heathercouldn’tlietoherbestfriend.“You’reright,Ithinkhewantsto.ButI’vealreadyshuthim

down.”

“WhywouldyoudothatwhenyouhavethechancetosleepwithaSullivan?”
That one was easy. Because if keeping the walls up around her heart with Zach while they were

fullyclothedandtrainingthedogswashard...well,itwouldbedownrightimpossibleifshewerenaked
andinhisarms.

Butallshesaidwas,“Itwouldn’tbeagoodidea.”
HeathercouldtellBrendawantedtosaysomethingmore,butshesimplyputherarmaroundherand

said,“Let’sdothisagainsoon,okay?Maybemakeitadoubledate?”

Heathershookherhead.“Everthehopefulone,aren’tyou?”
“Forlove,”herfriendreplied,“always.”

ChapterNine

The next morning when Heather got to work, feeling cranky and tired, Tina was clearly excited

aboutsomething.“Apackagecameforyouafewminutesago.”

The sugar from last night’s slushie had given Heather a headache, which was exacerbated by the

factthateverytimesheclosedhereyes,shesawZachandherselfdressedintheperiodclothesfromthe
movie acting out a scene where he pulled her into his arms and kissed her like he’d been waiting his
wholelifeforherlove.

Shestoppedatthethresholdofherofficewhenshesawthebigredrectangularboxsittingonher

desk.Atlasimmediatelyrantoitandstartedsniffingit,histailwaggingfast.

Nooneeversenthergifts.
Shehadherhandoverherpoundingheartasshemovedcloseenoughtopickitup.Eventhoughher

assistantwasclearlydyingtoknowwhatitwas,thankfully,TinarespectedHeather’sprivacyenoughto
givehersomespace.

She looked for a card, but there wasn’t anything but a huge red bow on the outside of the box.

Slowlyliftingthecover,shehadtoblinkacoupleoftimestomakesureshewasseeingthingsright.

Shecouldn’tcontainhersmileassheliftedthehugedogbonefromthesoftvelvetfabricithadbeen

sittingin.

“Lookslikeyouhaveasecretadmirer,”shetoldAtlasashesatliketheverygooddoghewasand

lookedlonginglyatthebone.Shehelditouttohimandhegentlytookitfromherbeforetrottingtohis
pillowbedinthecorner.

Thatwaswhenshesawthesmallcardalmostburiedbeneaththethickredvelvet.

Atlas,

I missed you yesterday. Training wasn’t the same without you to play with afterward. I hope I’ll see
youtonight.

Yourfriend,
Cuddles

Heather’sheartturnedoverinherchestasshecarefullyputthenotebackinsidethebox.Shefelt

funny,rightintheregionofherchest.Hereyesfeltstrangetoo,liketheyhadsomethinginthem.

“Youjustgotyourfirstlovenote,Atlas,”shesaidinavoicemaderawwithunwantedemotion.
Herdog’searsperkedupathisname,buthewastoofocusedonhisbonetopaymuchattentionto

hisowner.

Whichwasaverygoodthing,becauserightthenHeatherdidn’twantanyonetolooktoocarefullyat

herreactiontothegift.

Notevenherdog.

***

Zachnearlysmashedhisphoneahalf-dozentimesthroughouttheday.Everyoneonthegoddamned

planethadcalledhim.

Exceptfortheonepersonhe’dwantedtohearfrom.

He’d been so sure the dog bone would thaw Heather’s resistance to him, that she’d call him

laughingatthenote,pickingupwherethey’dleftoffintheparkwhentheywerelaughingtogetheronthe
grass.

Butnothing.
Notagoddamnedthing.
Ratherthankeepherdistanceduetohisfoulmood,Cuddleshadtrulyliveduptohernameallday

long. Every time he turned around, she was rubbing up against his leg or begging to be picked up. The
guys at the garage had gotten so used to seeing him haul her around with him that they’d pretty much
stoppedmakingsarcasticcomments.

ThepuppyburrowedontohislapashedroveovertoTopDogandhewassurprisedtorealizehe

didn’thatehavingawarmbundleoffurattachedtohimasmuchashethoughthewould.Foracoupleof
weeks,hesupposeditwouldn’tbesobadhavingthefurballaround.

WhentheyturnedthecornerandCuddlessawHeather’sbuilding,shestoodupandpawedexcitedly

at the window. “Don’t worry,” he told her in a grim voice filled with purpose, “we won’t leave until
you’vehadsomequalitytimewithyourfriendtonight.”

IfHeathertriedtohidefromhis5p.m.trainingsessionwithameetingorsomeotherlameexcuse,

hewasgoingtowaitheroutandforcehertofacetheattractionsimmeringbetweenthem,nomatterhow
longittookorwhatshewasinthemiddleof.

Damnit,hewantedher.Andheknewshewantedhim,too.Notactingontheirmutualdesirewas

justplainstupid.

HeheadedstraightforHeather’sofficeandwhenshelookedupandsawhim,hecouldhavesworn

hereyesflashedwithamixtureofhappinessandattraction.

Ofcourse,shedidn’tactoneitherofthose.Instead,shepointedlylookedatCuddlesinhisarmsand

said,“Shehaslegs,youknow.”

HeheldthepuppyclosertohischestashewalkedintoHeather’soffice.“Shelikesituphere.”
Heather muttered something he couldn’t quite make out, but he didn’t need to hear it to know it

wasn’t flattering. Atlas nearly tackled him to get to the puppy. Cuddles leapt out of his arms and
practicallylandedontheGreatDane’sback.

Heatherwatchedthetwodogstanglewithoneanotherinhorror.“Pleasedon’ttellanyoneyoujust

sawmydogdothat.”

“Whatwillyoutrademeformysilence?”
Becausehe’dsurelikethatkisssoonerratherthanlater.Itwasmakinghimcranky,allthiswaiting.

Especiallywhenhewasn’tusedtowaitingforawoman.

Hell,he’dneverwaitedforanythinginhislifebeforeHeather.
Shepinnedhimwithalookthattoldhimhewasn’tgoingtocornerherintoakissthateasily.“I’m

heretonighttoworkwithyouandCuddles,aren’tI?”

“Whatchangedyourmind?”
Shelookedsurprisedbyhisquestion.Frankly,hewasalittlesurprisedhimself.
Zachwasn’tonetospendalotoftimetryingtofigurewomenout.Apartfromhissisters,whohe

could barely make heads or tails of, and his mother, he hadn’t had any long-running relationships with
women.Hehadn’twantedone.

Andeventhoughhestillneverplannedonmakingvows,orstickingaringonsomeone,hewanted

toknowheransweranyway.

Inlieuofanswering,shelookedoveratthedogs.Whenhefollowedhergaze,hesawthatAtlasand

Cuddles were playing a hilariously off-balance game of tug-of-war with a rope. Atlas was patiently
holding the wet, frayed rope in his mouth and Cuddles was losing her furry mind trying to shred it.
Suddenly,thebigdogtuggedontheropeandthepuppywentsprawlinginaslobberyheaponthefloor.

Heather’slaughterwarmedhiminplaceshehadn’trealizedhadbeencold.
“HowcouldIresisttheHuge&Tinyshow?”
Sheranherfingersoverthereddogboneboxhe’dsentandhewishedsheweretouchinghimlike

that.Soon,damnit,shewouldbe.Hewouldn’trestuntilhefiguredouthowtogethertocomearound.

“Besides,noonehaseversentAtlasagiftbefore.”
“Soitwasthebonethatthrewyouovertheedge?”hesaid,lettinghimselfsavorthevictoryofa

greatideaperfectlyexecuted.

Sheshrugged.“Plusthefactthatallofmyothertrainerswerebusytonight.”
Hertimingwiththeslamwassoperfectthathehadtolaugh,eventhoughitwasathisexpense.
ShemotionedforAtlastofollowthemoutbacktothetrainingarea.Ofcourse,Cuddlesfollowed

rightbesideherbigfriend.Shewasallbusinessastheybeganwiththecomecommandagainthenbegan
toworkonsit.

As if he knew he had to make up for his earlier outburst of excitement, Atlas was the perfect

exampleofawell-traineddog.NomatterhowCuddlestriedtodistracthim,hekepthiseyesonHeather.

Zachcouldn’tpullhiseyesfromher,either.Shewasshockinglybeautiful,eveninasweatshirtand

fadedjeans,herbraidtrailingdownherbackwithwispsofhairframingherface.

Hewishedhehadanexcusetotouchher,tofeelthewarmthofherskinbeneathhisfingertips,her

softnessagainsthislips.

Shedirectedhimtobeginusingthesitcommand,butforthefirsttime,Cuddlesdidn’timmediately

pickuponwhattheyweretryingtolearn.

After a few failed attempts, Heather said, “You’ve got to focus on your dog to let her know how

important it is to you that she does what you’re asking her to do. She can tell if you’re distracted by
somethingelse.”

“You’reright,”headmitted.“Iamdistracted.”Inallseriousness,ifhedidn’tgetthatkissfromher

soon,hewasgoingtolosehismind.

“Allsheneedsisfifteenminutesofyourfocusedattention.Surely,”shechallengedhim,“youcan

pullthatoff.”

“DoyouknowwhatCuddlesdidalldaylong?”Withoutwaitingforhertoreply,hetoldher,“She

pinedforyourmutt,hopinghe’dbeheretonight.I’mprettysureatrainingsessionisthelastthingonher
mindwhenallshewantstodoisplaywithherfriend.”

“Itoldyou,Atlasisnotamutt,”shesaidautomatically,andthen,“Andyou’reexaggeratingabout

thepining.”

“SweartoGod,”hesaid,“IshowedherapictureofaGreatDaneonmyphoneandshewentwild.”
Hecouldseeherfightingagrinassheworkedtokeeptojustbusiness.“Ourtimeisalmostupand

I’dhateforyoutoleavetonightmakingnegativeheadwaywithCuddles.”

“How about this,” he negotiated, “I’ll get both of us on track for the rest of the session if you’ll

agreetoletthemplaywhileweeatdinnerafterward?”

Hermouthtightened.“Afterbreakfastatyourhouseandwhathappenedatthepark—”Anotherflush

told him she hadn’t forgotten how perfectly their bodies had fit together when he’d saved her from the
skateboarder.“—Iknowitseemslikethelineshavegottenblurred,butIhaven’tchangedmymindabout
things.Aboutus.I’mhappytosupportyourtrainingwithCuddlestomakethingsbetterforthebothofyou
whileyou’retakingcareofher,butI’mnotinterestedinanythingelse.”

“Areyouseeinganyone?”
Sheblinkedathim.“DidyouhearwhatIjustsaid?”
Hegrinned.“Sothat’sano.”
Herlipsliftedfromherteethinthatsnarlhefoundsosexy.“I’venevermetanyonelikeyoubefore.”
“Thankyou.”Hecouldn’tstopgrinning.

“Itisn’tacompliment,”shesnapped.
“Onedate.”
She began to pack up her training bag. “No dates. I think we’re officially done here. And I can’t

workwithyouonThursdayorFriday.”

“Wedon’twanttoworkwithanothertrainer.”
“It’snothingpersonal,”shesaid.“Ijustcan’tdoit.”
Zachhatedthefactthatitactuallydidn’tsoundpersonal.Butwhy?Womenlovedhim.Whydidn’t

this one? And, more to the point, why couldn’t he just let it go and move on to the next easy—boring
—conquest?

“WhatcouldpossiblybemoreimportantthanCuddles?”Andme?
“BarkinthePark.”
Ittookhisbrainabeattoolongtofigureoutwhatshewastalkingabout.Finally,ithithim.“The

dogdayattheballpark?”

“I chaired the committee and I have a lot of loose ends to tie up before the game starts Friday

night.”

“Soundslikealotofwork.”
“Itis,”sheagreed,andhefinallynoticedhowtiredshelooked.
“Icanhelp.”
“No!” She flushed again. “What I mean is that I’ve got a great team of people who have been

workingwithmeandwe’reinthehomestretchnow.Butthanksfortheoffer.”Shelookedatherwatch.
“Weshouldcallitanight.”

Likehellhewasgivingupthateasily.
“IfCuddlessits,havedinnerwithme.”
She looked like she was going to refuse, but then she glanced over at Cuddles, who was on her

back,workingonagooddeepbackscratchinthegrass.

“Okay,butwhenshedoesn’t,youhavetoagreenottoaskmeoutagain.”
Hecouldn’tbelievethewholethingwasuptothepuppy.“Deal.”
“Cuddles!”Thepuppylookedathimfromwhereshewassprawledoutonthegrassandhegavethe

handcommandasplitsecondbeforesaying,“Come!”

Sheimmediatelyhoppedupandspedovertohim.
“Thatonedoesn’tcount,”Heathertoldhim.
He shot her a look that said he already knew that. He paused, sent up a silent prayer, then said,

“Cuddles,sit!”

Thepuppyblinkedupathimforseveralsecondsandhethoughtitwasallover...untilherlittleears

wentbackandsheploppedherreardownonthegrassasifshe’dbeenwaitingherwholeshortlifefor
himtotellhertosit.

HereachedintothetreatbagonHeather’sbelt—takinganyexcusetotouchher—andhandedoneto

thepuppywhiletellingherwhatagoodgirlshewas.

“Howwasthat?”heaskedHeather.
Sheshothimasuspiciousglance.“Youplayedme.”ShelookedatCuddles’sinnocentfaceandthen

hislessinnocentone.“Youwerepracticingbeforetonight,weren’tyou?”

“Wewantedtoimpressyou.”Whichwastrue.“Still,you’vegottoadmititwasprettyclosethere

forawhile.”

Shesighedandsaid,“IknowagreatIndianplacewithapatiothatallowsdogs.”

ChapterTen

Theysettledintotheirseatswiththedogscontentedlychewingontheplasticbonesshe’dbrought

forthem.Heathertookasipofhercoldbeerandcouldn’trepressasighofpleasure.SheandZachhadn’t
talkedmuchasthey’dwalkedthethreeblocksfromherbusinesstotherestaurant,apartfromhertryingto
convince him that Cuddles could manage the trip on her little paws, while he made one excuse after
anotherforwhyhe“needed”tocarryher.

She’dneverseenanyonegetattachedtoadogsofast,andfrankly,shewasworriedabouthowhe

was going to deal with giving the puppy back to his brother. She’d actually taken a few minutes that
afternoontoscanherlistofYorkiebreederstoseeifanyofthemhadanewlittercomingsoon,butshe
wasverymuchafraidCuddleswasirreplaceable.

The mischievous but loving puppy fit perfectly with the mischievous but loving man who was

holdingherinhisarms.

Loving?
Ugh.Shetookanothergulpfromherglass,whilesternlyremindingherselfthateventhoughthiswas

practicallyascriptofhervisionofaperfectnightout,itwasn’tadate.Andshehadnobusinessthinking
ofZachasloving...notevenifhewascurrentlylookingatherwithmoreaffectionthandesire.

Hiseyesdarkenedasshestaredintothemandsheamendedthatthoughttoslightlymore.
Justasthewaitercametotheirtable,Zach’sphonewentoff.“Sorry,it’smybrother.”Hegestured

tothemenu.“Gonutswiththemeal.Itrustyou.”Hestooduptotakethecallawayfromtheotherdiners.

Even after she’d ordered, the buzz was still going through her from his last casually tossed-off

words.Itrustyou.

Whatwoulditbeliketobeabletosaythattosomeonewithoutpause,togivehertrusttosomeone

she’dmetlessthanaweekago?

ShetriednottostareatZachwherehewasstandingonthesidewalktalkingwithhisbrother,but

whenhelaughedandhisgorgeousfacelitup,sherealizedshewasn’ttheonlyonewhocouldn’ttakeher
eyesoffhim.Everyotherwomanonthepatiowasstaring,too.

Amazingly,hedidn’tseemtonoticeorcarethathewasthecenterofattention.Insteadofsoakingup

the public’s adoration like the vain man she’d once thought he was, he was utterly focused on what his
brotherwassaying.

“Iseverythingokay?”sheaskedwhenhe’dsatbackdown.
“Chase’swife,Chloe,isacoupleofdayspastherduedate.Ilefthimamessageearliertomake

sureeverythingwasokay.She’sfine,butantsy.”

Yet again she was amazed by how close he was to his family, especially given his outwardly

footloose-and-fancy-freepersonality.Amazingly,thefactthatheclearlywasn’tlookingforawifeofhis
owndidn’tstophimfromappreciating—andworryingabout—hissiblings’wives.

She couldn’t put the puzzle of Zach Sullivan together...and it only added to her worries where he

wasconcerned.Ifonlyhewereblackandwhite,thenshewouldknowexactlywheretoshelvehiminher
head,ratherthanhavingtheveryrealconcernthathewascreepingintoherheartbybitsandpiecesevery
timetheyweretogether.

“Howmanynephewsandniecesdoyouhave?”
Hisexcitedsmilemadehergowarmallover.“Thiswillbethefirst.”
Amanwholovedpuppiesandbabieswashardtoresist.Almostimpossible,actually.
Butsheneededtokeepdoingjustthat,darnit....
“Dotheyknowifthey’rehavingaboyoragirl?”

“If they do, they haven’t told any of us.” He grinned at her. “We’ve actually got a betting pool

going.”

“Yourfamilyisbettingoverthesexofyourbrother’schild?”
Herefilledherglassashesaid,“Itwasmymother’sidea.”
Shelaughedoutloudatthat,thefeelofthatspontaneousjoybubblingupfromherchestsurprising

herthesamewayitalwaysdidwhenshewaswithZach.

“Shereallydoessoundlikearemarkablewoman.Stunning,raisedeightkids,andnowhasherfirst

grandchildontheway.”Sheshookherhead.“Agambler,too,fromthesoundsofit.”Shethoughtaboutthe
gorgeous man in the black and white photo who looked so much like Zach. “I’m assuming your father
encouragesalltheSullivanfamilymadness?”

The laughter left his eyes. “He died when I was seven. Just a couple of weeks before my eighth

birthday.”

Shegrippedthestemofherglasstighter.Hehadn’tsaidanythingduringbreakfastathishousewhen

they’dbeenlookingattheblackandwhitephoto.

“I’msorry,Ijustassumed—”Shetriedtoclamphermouthshut,butstillthewords,“Thatmusthave

beensohardonyou,”slippedout.He’dsaidbeforehowmuchlikehisfatherhewas,thathegothislove
of cars from him. A young boy who clearly worshipped his father had to have been devastated by his
death.

Heshrugged,butshecouldalmostseetheweightonhisshouldersassheforcedthemovement.“We

pulledtogether,alllookedoutforeachother.”

She did some quick math from the picture she’d seen, and realized he’d been right there in the

middleasthefifthchildoutofeight,nottheoldest,nottheyoungest.Sheknewhoweasyitwastogetlost
inafamily,evenwhenyouweretheonlychild.

HadthathappenedtoZach?
“Howdidithappen?”
“Hehadananeurysmattheoffice.Wefoundouthewasdeadwhenwegothomefromschool.He

wasonlyforty-eight.”Heliftedhiseyestohersandwhatshesawinthemtoreatherheart.“Itwillbe
twenty-threeyearsnextweek.”

ShehadtoreachforZach’shand.Eventhoughithadbeenmorethantwodecadessincehisfather’s

death,shecouldseethatitstillhurthim.Deeply.

“I’msorry,”shesaidagain.
Every time they’d been together, he’d tried to touch her. But now that she was the one who’d

reachedforhim,hepulledawayandreachedforhisbeer,gulpingitdownbeforeputtingtheemptyglass
backonthetable.

“Shithappens,”hesaid.“Sucks,butwhatcanyoudo?”
It wasn’t hard to guess that the flippancy came from trying to cover how bad he felt. And really,

who was she to question people’s coping mechanisms? After all, when she found out that her beloved
fatherwasatwo-facedbastard,she’dturnedintoaseventeen-year-oldcutter.

Still,shefelttherewasmoreZachwasn’tsayingandwasabsolutelycertainthathisfather’sdeath

hadaffectedhimonsomedeeperlevelthanhewouldbesharingwithheroverIndianfoodtonight.Andno
matterhowmuchshetriedtoremindherselfthatitwasdangeroustolethimgettooclose,hisunexpected
vulnerabilitystruckrightattheheartofher.

Afterthewaiterdeliveredsteamingplattersofnaanbread,Tandoorichicken,andcurry,helooked

upatherandsaid,“Yourparentsarestilltogether.WhatelseshouldIknowaboutyou?”

Most men barely listened when a woman talked about herself. Trust Zach to remember every

freakingword,nomatterhowcasuallytossedoffithadbeenduringanimpromptutrainingsessioninthe
park.

She broke off a piece of the flat bread and took a bite of it, even though it suddenly tasted like

sawdust.Whenshe’dwasheditdownwithasipofbeer,shesaid,“There’snotmuchelsetotell.”

Buthewasn’tthateasilydaunted.“Wheredidyougrowup?”
“WashingtonD.C.”Shestareddownataplatefulloffoodshenolongerhadthedesiretoeat.
“You’realongwayfromhome,”hecommented.
Yes,shewas.Onpurpose.She’dwantedtogetasfarawayfromherparentsaspossible.“Ilikethe

WestCoast.”

Heraisedaneyebrowathercurtwordsandsherealizedshewasn’tplayingitnearlycoolenough

ashesaid,“Anysiblings?”

“No.”
Atlaslookedupatthetoneofhervoice,andmovedtoputhisheadonherlapasiftocomforther.
“Whatdidtheydotoyou,Heather?”
Shesighed,knowingthatifZachhadbeenthatpersistentaboutgettinghertohavedinnerwithhim,

therewasnowayhewasgoingtoleavethisonealonewithoutgettinghertoeventuallytellhimwhathe
wantedtoknow.

Andmaybeitwouldhelphimunderstandherreluctancetodatehimifheknewmore.
“Everyonelovesmyfather,”shetoldhim.“It’swhatalwaysmadehimsuchagoodsalesperson,that

peoplecan’thelpbutbecharmedbyhim.”

“Sellingwhat?”
“Usedtobechemicals.Nowit’scellphonetowersalloverthecountry.”
“Howmuchtimedidhespendontheroadwhenyoulivedathome?”
“Abouthalftheyear.”
“That’sgottobehardonakid.”
She liked how he made it sound like they were talking about someone else. “My mother worked

overtime to keep us busy when he was gone so we wouldn’t have time to think about being lonely or
missing him. And it was always a big celebration when he returned. He got me great presents from the
roadtomakeupforbeinggone.”Presentsshe’dwantedtosmashintoazillionlittlepieceswhenshe’d
foundoutthetruth.

“Diditwork?”
ShemetZach’sgaze.“No.”ShereacheddowntostrokeAtlas’sheadasiftosteelherselfforwhat

was coming next. “But it was worse when I found out he’d been cheating on my mother for years. For
theirwholemarriage,actually.”

Zachcursed.“Thatsucks.”
“Youwanttoknowwhatwasevenworsethanthat?”Shecouldn’twaitforhimtoreply,notwhen

thewordsweresuddenlytrippingovereachothertogetoutofhermouth.“Sheknewaboutit.”Heather
pushedherplateaway.“Allthoseyears,evennow,sheknowshe’scheatingonher,butshestayswithhim
anyway.”

She’dnevertoldamanthisbefore,hadn’tevencomeclosetolettingoneinenoughtospeakabout

familysecrets.Ifsomeonehadtoldheraweekagoshe’dbespillinghergutstothecockymanwhoowned
theautoshop,sheneverwouldhavebelievedit.

“Whydoyouthinkshestays?”
Itwasthequestionshe’daskedherselfathousandtimesovertheyears.“Healwaysmakessureto

tellherhowmuchhelovesher.Eventhoughweallknowit’sabigfatlie.”

***

ZachSullivanwaspissedoff.Beyondangry.Ifherfatherwasn’t2,500milesaway,he’dbehunting

himdowntopoundhimintoawall.

NowonderHeatherwouldn’ttakeachanceonbeingwithhimevenintheshortterm,ifallsheknew

were“charming”menwholiedthroughtheirteethtoherandhermother.Itkilledhimtothinkofherasa
younggirlstuckinthemiddleofallthat.

Seeingthevirtuallyuntouchedfoodontheirtable,thewaitercameoverwithaworriedexpression.

“Doeseverythingtasteokay?”

Zach watched Heather pin on a false smile. “It’s great, thanks.” She slid her fork into a chunk of

chicken,butshedidn’tputitinhermouth,justpusheditaroundonherplate,hermindclearlyelsewhere.

Thinking about what a dick her father is, he guessed. And why her mother doesn’t have a

backbone.

He’dhuggedhissisters’tearsawayahundredtimesovertheyears,hadlistenedtoSummerpour

outherfeelingsaboutaboyshelikedinsecondgradewholikedtopullherpigtails.Buthe’dneverbeen
temptedtocomfortawomanwhowasn’tpartofhisfamily.

Zach knew it was dangerous to feel this way about Heather. She was breaking all the rules, ones

thathadneverbeenindangerofcrackingapartbefore.

Buthowcouldhepossiblyleaveherlikethis,withshadowsinhereyes?
Thethingwas,heknewHeatherdidn’twanthisshouldertocryon,thatitwouldonlywoundher

pride.Fortunately,he’dsatthroughoneofSummer’s“shows”onlyafewweeksearlier,andallthebad
seven-year-oldjokeswerestillfirmlylodgedinhisbrain.

Althoughhe’dneverfeltlesslikemakingajoke,healsoknewhe’dneverneededtomakeonemore.

“Whatdoyoucallfrozendogpoo?”

Heather’s eyebrow rose as she looked up from her mutilated chicken chunk. “What did you just

say?”

“Apoopsicle.”
Hereyeswidenedassherealizedhewastellingherajoke.
“I’mgoingtopretendyoudidn’tjustmakethathorriblejoke.”
“Whathappenedwhenthedogwenttothefleacircus?”
“Please,don’tmakemeguess.”
“Hestoletheshow!”
Shegroanedandputherhandsoverherears.“Someone,anyone,pleasemakeitstop.”
“Whatdoyousaytoadogbeforeheeats?”
Reliefsweptthroughhimwhensheplayedalongbyscrunchinghereyesshutandwhispering,“Bone

appetit.”

For the rest of their dinner they each worked to see who could tell the worst joke while they

polishedoffeverylastbitoftheIndiandishes.Zachwasprettysurehewonbyalandslide,butevenifhe
hadn’t, he’d memorize the contents of every bad joke book in the world if it meant putting a smile on
Heather’sface.

Hehadn’tjustbrokentherulestonight,he’dsmashedthemtosmithereens.Butforacoupleofhours,

hedecidedhedidn’tcare.

Besides, there was a big difference between laughing with Heather and falling in love with her.

He’d wanted to sleep with her from the start. It was no hardship to add laughter—and comfort—to the
mix.

Lovestilldidn’thavetoplayintotheequation.
Hell, after what he’d just found out about her father, it was no wonder she wasn’t looking for

forever.Yetagain,thetwoofthemwerewellmatched.

Whenthedisheswereclearedawayandthewaitermentioneddessert,sheputherhandsoverher

stomachandsaid,“IwishIcould.”Shereachedforherwallet,butZachhadalreadyhandedthewaiter

plentyofcash.

“Thanks for dinner,” she said, a soft smile on her beautiful face. “I had fun.” She looked faintly

surprisedassheadded,“Alotoffun.”

Sohadhe.Morefunthanhecouldeverrememberhavingwithawoman.
Whethershe’dlikeditornot,they’djusthadtheirfirstdate.
Andithadbeenagoodone.
Asifshe’djustrealizedthat,shetensed.“I’vegottogetareallyearlystarttomorrow.Davidwill

take good care of you and Cuddles on Thursday and Friday. I’ll check my schedule to see if Monday
eveningwillworkformetocheckonyourprogress.”

Eventhoughthey’djustspentthepastfewhourstogether,Zachwasn’treadyforhertogoyet.Plus,

withthewaythespicyfoodhadmadeherlipsalittleredder,alittleplumperthantheyusuallywere,all
hecouldthinkaboutwaskissingher.Hestoodandreachedforherhandtohelpherupfromherseat.She
lookedatitforamomentbeforeputtingherhandinhis.

Before he could make his move, Heather made hers, her mouth soft on his cheek, she whispered,

“Good night, Zach,” a warm breath against his ear before she patted Cuddles on the head and walked
awaywithAtlasfollowingbesideher.

Withanyotherwomanhewouldhaveassumedshewasteasinghim,tauntinghimbycomingclose,

butnotnearlycloseenough,purposefullytestinghispatienceassomesortofsensualdance.

ButfromHeather,thatkissonthecheekhadbeensomethingcompletelydifferent.Notatease,but

thebeginningoftrustthathecouldprettyeasilyguesssherarely,ifever,gaveaman.

Bythetimehe’dpickedupCuddlesandheadedupthestreettohiscarinHeather’sparkinglot,she

waslonggone.Whichwasjustaswell,becausehehadanimportantphonecallheneededtomake.One
hedidn’twanthertohear.

Pullinghiscellphoneoutofhispocket,hedialedhisbrotherRyan,whowouldbepitchingforthe

HawksonSaturdayduringBarkinthePark.

“Hey,Ry,Ineedyoutodosomethingforme.”
Unlike Heather’s father, Zach had never cheated on a woman. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t

willing to play a few games if necessary. Because he sure as hell wasn’t willing to wait until the
followingMondayforthechancegetonHeather’scalendaragain...ortohavetheirfirstrealkiss.

ChapterEleven

Fridayevening,Heatherwalkeduptothewill-callwindowatthebaseballstadiumwithAtlason

hisleash.Hewasstickingextraclosetohersidebecauseofthecrowdsofmen.

“Hi,Igotacallfromtheofficethatthey’veupgradedmyticket.”
Shegavethemanbehindtheglasshernameandhewhistledwhenhepulledoutherticket.“Thisis

oneofthebestseatsinthestadium.”

Shegrinnedathimasshethankedhimfortheticketandheadedintothestadium.Ithadbeenareally

nicesurprisewhenshe’dfoundoutshewasbeingupgradedtoabetterseatasathankyouforherhelp
withthefundraisingevent.Shedidn’tgetouttotheballparkmuch,butshenevermissedtheonedayeach
seasonwhendogsandtheirownerswereinvitedtoenjoytheafternoontogether.

It was a perfect day out, full of bright sunshine and blue skies with soft clouds moving slowly

overhead.Evenbetter,dogswereabsolutelyeverywhere.Howcouldshenothaveagoodtime?

She sighed as she scanned the signs for the section her seat was in. For the past couple of days

she’dbeendragging.Sleepwashardwonandevenherfavoritechocolatetruffleshadlosttheirappeal.
She’dbeenputtingindoubletimebetweentheofficeandthefinishingtouchesonthefundraisers,buther
outputwasn’tevenclosetohalfasgoodasithadbeentheweekbefore.

Maybe she was coming down with a summer flu. Or maybe her friends were right and she was

workingtoohard.

Liar,liar,pantsonfire.
Another sigh followed the first as the childish phrase played on repeat in her head. She knew

exactlywhyshewasbummingout.

Shemissedhim.
Somehow,ZachSullivanhadwormedhiswayintoherhead.Shedidn’tregretgivinghertimetothe

animal shelter, but on Thursday at 5 p.m. when she’d been down at their headquarters working out the
finaldetailsfortonight’seventandSaturdaynight’sauctionandparty,therewassomewhereelseshehad
wantedtobe.

JokingwithZach.LaughingwithZach.Beingimpressedbyhowwellheworkedwithhistemporary

puppy.

Finally finding the right section, she and Atlas navigated their way down the stairs past the other

dogs.Thereweresixemptyseatsinherrow,andasshetookhers,shelookedupandrealizedshereally
wasinthebestseatinthehouse,rightbehindhomeplate.

Firmly reminding herself that this was her chance to relax and enjoy herself for a few hours, she

closedhereyestoleanbackinherseatandsoakupsomesun,whenAtlasstartedquakingandshivering.
Notthebadkindwherehewasscared,butwithpureexcitement.

ItwasthewayheactedwheneverCuddleswas—
“Greatnightforabaseballgame,isn’tit?”
Asthelowvoiceshehadn’tbeenabletogetoutofherdreamsrolledoverher,throughher,finally

settlingdeepdowninherflutteringbelly,CuddlesandAtlashadanecstaticreunionbeforebeginningto
happilyrootaroundonthecementforremnantsofsmashedhotdogsandpopcorn.

In a millisecond she went from dragging and tired to abundantly alive. At the same time, her

unstoppablepleasureatseeingZachmadehermad.

Mad at herself for not having any self-control, even though she knew better. And mad at him for

outmaneuvering her time and time again. Because all the things that hadn’t made sense about her ticket
upgrade,suddenlydid.

“Ican’tbelieveIforgot—yourbrotherplaysfortheHawks,doesn’the?”
Zach settled into the seat next to her. Too close. Close enough that she could feel the heat of his

thighagainsthers.Whyhadshewornshortsinsteadofjeans?

“I’llintroduceyoutoRyanafterthegame.”
Sheignoredtheoffer.“Youswitchedmytickets,didn’tyou?”
Hegrinnedather,actuallyhadthenervetolookproudofhimselfasheleanedcloserandlowered

hisvoice,hisbreathwarmandfartooseductivebyherearashesaid,“You’rewelcome.”

Sherolledhereyes.“Mostpeoplewaittohearthewords‘thankyou’first.”
Just then, a beautiful pregnant woman stopped at their row and said, “Zach, what are you doing

here?”

***

Damn it, thought Zach, his sister Sophie had told him they were planning on skipping this game

becausetheyhadtodealwithoneofJake’sout-of-townpubs.

Sophie’s husband, Jake, quickly zeroed in on Heather before looking back at Zach with a clearly

amusedexpressiononhisface.“Isn’tthisoneofthebiggestNASCARracesoftheyear?Neverthought
you’dmissoneofthose.”

It was, but Zach had barely given it a second thought when he’d bailed after Wednesday night’s

dinnerwithHeather.SullivanAutossponsoredoneoftheracers,buthisstaffcouldhandletheevent.

“Heather,thisismysisterSophie.AndJake.”
HisoldfriendpulledSophiecloserandclarifiedinapossessivevoice,“I’mSophie’shusband.”
Heatherstooduptosay,“It’ssonicetomeetyou,”butasshereachedouttoshaketheirhands,Atlas

decidedtomakehismoveonapopcornsellerwhowasalmostwithinreach.

SophiegaspedasHeather’sfeetwereyankedoutfromunderherbyheroversizedmutt.Allthreeof

them reached for her, but Zach got to her first, pulling her down onto his lap before she could hit the
cement.

Pleasure shot through him as she instinctively wound her arms around his neck and breathlessly

gazed into his eyes. “You keep saving me,” she said softly enough that he was the only one who could
hear.

Eightythousandpeopleandtheirdogsceasedtoexistasherwarmcurvesshiftedagainsthim.He

was stunned all over again at how beautiful she was with her hair falling out of her braid, in a long-
sleevedT-shirtandshortsthatshouldn’thavedoneanythingtoshowcaseherfigure,butmanagedtoallthe
same.

“You’rewelcome.”
Thistime,insteadofforcingherselftoremainirritatedwithhim,sheletherselfgiveintoasmile.
Itwasthemostbeautifulthinghe’deverseen.
“Thank you.” Another small smile before she frowned. “I don’t know what’s come over Atlas

lately.Maybeit’sthepuppyenergyrubbingoffonhim.”

Hell,thoughtZach,forgetherdog.Whathadcomeoverhim?Itwasonethingtoenjoythefeelof

hercurvespressingagainsthimbecauseshewasabeautifulwoman.

Itwasanotherentirelytowanttoholdherjustbecause.
Unfortunately,Heatherobviouslyrememberedthattheyhadanaudienceasshetooquicklypushed

out of his lap. He was impressed with how well she played off what could have been an awkward
momentbyjokingwithSophieandJakeaboutthedangersofowningadogwhowastwiceasbigasshe
was.

ZachalmostgroanedatthefactthatheandHeatherweregoingtobeondisplayforthenexttwoand

ahalfhours.Sure,hissiblingswereusedtoseeinghimwithwomen.Lotsofwomen.Whattheyweren’t
usedto,however,wasseeinghimwithawomanlikeHeather.

As soon as they realized the two of them weren’t sleeping together yet, there were going to be

questions.

Andiftheyrealizedthatheactuallylikedher,thequestionsmightneverrunout.
He’dnevertoldhisbrothersorsistersaboutthewayhefeltabouthisfather’sdeath,ortheimpactit

hadmadeonhislifeandhisbeliefsabouthisfuture.

Hedidn’twanttostarthavingtoexplainnow.
Fortunately,hissisterandhernewhusbandwereprettywrappedupineachother.Justaslongas

onlyoneofthetwinscametoday,he’dlivethrough—

“Yay,it’saparty!Scootover.”
Damnit.Lorihadcome,too.
ItwasturningintoaSullivanfamilyreunionatthebaseballstadium.
Hescowledatthenewarrival.“Aren’tyousupposedtobeontourwithNicolarightnow?”
Hisotherlittlesistergavehimanevilsmile,theoneshe’dpatentedbythetimeshecouldspeakher

first word. Clearly, she’d not only seen Heather sprawled across his lap as she walked into the
stadium...butshe’dlikelyseenthewayhe’dbeenlookingather,too.

“We’re on break for a few days and I haven’t caught one of Ryan’s games yet this season.” She

leanedoverhimandheldoutherhandtoHeather.“Hi,I’mZach’sothersister.Itissonicetomeetyou.”

“Great to meet you too,” Heather said as she shook his sister’s hand. “I’m Heather. And this is

Atlas.”

Lori’seyeslitupasshecooedoverHeather’shugedog.“OhmyGod,he’sgorgeous!”
AtlasshovedpastZachtogettohissister,withCuddlesonlyabeatbehind.
“Ithinkthefeelingismutual,”Heathersaid,laughingasLoriencouragedbothdogstojumpupon

herlapatthesametime.

His hopes that the dogs would save him from his sister’s prying were dashed when she

simultaneouslypattedthemandasked,“So,howdoyoutwoknoweachother?”

“I’mworkingwithyourbrothertotrainCuddles.”
“Boy,thatmustbeapaininthebutt,huh?”
Heather frowned. “No. Of course not. Cuddles is incredibly smart and receptive to positive

reinforcement.”

Lorilaughed.“I’mnottalkingaboutSummer’spuppy.I’mtalkingaboutZach.”
Heather’seyeswidenedforamomentbeforeshethrewherheadbackandlaughed.“Youhaveno

idea.Noideaatall.”

ChapterTwelve

Heathercouldn’thelpspendingmoretimewatchingZachinteractwithhissistersthanshedidthe

game.Andshelovedseeinghimonthewrongfootforonce,evenifwasjustfromhismomentarysurprise
atseeingthemthere.

Atthesametime,however,hewasasenamoredofthemashewasannoyedbythewaytheypoked

andproddedathimasallgoodlittlesistersmust.Throughitall,shecouldfeelhisprotectivenesstoward
themsimmeringjustbeneaththesurface.

Justashe’dsaid,hewouldtakeabulletforthemwithoutblinkinganeye.HekeptaskingSophie,

whowaspregnantwithtwins,howshewasfeeling.Finally,hissisterhadsnapped,“NexttimeIseethe
doctor,I’mgoingtosendyouherreportsoyou’llbelieveI’mfine.”

Zachhadactuallylookedseriousashe’dsaid,“That’dbegreat,Soph.”
Sophie’shusbandmuttered,“That’snevergoingtohappen.”
NowonderZachwassoconfident.Itwasn’tjusthislooks,itwasallthatunconditionallovefrom

hisfamily.

Afamilywhoactuallyunderstoodwhatlovewas.
Envystolethroughherassheimaginedwhatitmusthavebeenliketogrowupinafamilylikehis.

Shehopedheknewhowluckyhewas.

Afterthefourthinning,Loricalledoutforpopcornforeveryone.Zachgrumbledandreachedforhis

walletwhenLorisaid,“Thisone’sonme.”

Heraisedaneyebrowinsurprise.“Feelinggeneroustoday,Naughty?”
Heatherhadtogrinatthenickname.Itdefinitelyseemedtofitthesistersittingbesidehim.
“IjustfiguredIshouldgetsomecelebratingdoneearly,”Lorisaid.
“What are we celebrating, Ryan’s impending shut-out?” Sophie asked as she took a bag of hot

popcorn.

LoripinnedZachwithaknowingglanceandawickedgrin.“Zachknowswhatwe’recelebrating,

don’tyou,bigbrother?See,whenyouguysgotmarried,wemadethisbetaboutwhowouldbethefirstto
fall—”

Zachabruptlystoodupandgrabbedthedogs’leashes.“Thedogsneedtotakecareofbusiness.You

coming?”heaskedHeather.

“Ithinkyou’vegotthisone,”shetoldhim.“Oh,anddon’tforgetthese.”Shehandedhimacoupleof

blueplasticbags.

Helookedatthemwithdisgustbeforetakingthemwithascowl,scoopingupCuddlesanddragging

Atlasupthestairs.AfterJakegotuptojoinZachandthedogs,LoriscootedoverontoZach’sseatbeside
her.

“HowlonghaveyouandZachbeendating?”
Heather choked on the piece of popcorn she’d just swallowed and had to quickly take a sip of

lukewarmlemonadetowashitdown.“We’renotdating.I’mjusthelpinghimtrainCuddles.”

Lorilookedterriblydisappointed.So,Heathernoticed,didhertwin.
“Seriously?You’renottogether?”
Whyhadn’tshegonewithZachtotakethedogsoutside?
AndwhatwaswiththeseSullivanswhoalwayssaidthefirstthingthatpoppedintotheirheads?
“No, we’re not,” she told Zach’s sister, but she flushed as she thought about all of his double

entendres,thewayhe’dkissedhercheek,herhand.Andhowmuchfunshehadwithhim,thewayhemade
herlaughevenwhensheshouldhavebeenscowling.

“Darnit.You’rebeyondperfectforhim,isn’tshe,Soph?”
“Lori,stopembarrassingher.”Sophieshotherasympatheticlook.“Sorryaboutmysister.IwishI

couldsaythisisanaberration,butthetruthis,she’salwayslikethis.”

Heatherhopedtheycouldmoveontoanothersubject,likeSophie’spregnancy,butthosehopeswere

quicklydashedasSophieadded,“Althoughitwouldbereallyfantasticifyoutwodidstartdating.”

Heatherfeltlikeshewasbackinhighschool,gettinggrilledonhersecretcrushasLorisaid,“I’ve

neverseenhimlookatanyonethewayhelooksatyou.”

Heatherbarelyrestrainedherselffromasking,Howdoeshelookatme?
“He’s just happy I agreed to work with him and Cuddles.” She shook her head, remembering the

wayshe’dfoundthetwoofthemthatfirstdayathisgarage.“I’mafraidthepuppywaswaytoomuchfor
himtohandleatfirst.Buthe’sdonereallywellwithher.”

Sophiesmiled.“He’salwaysbeengreatwithanimalsandkids.Evenwhenhetriestoactlikehe

can’tbebotheredwiththem,theyalladorehimtheinstanttheymeethim.”

“Funnyyoushouldsaythat,”HeatherfoundherselftellingZach’ssisters,“Atlasdoesn’ttrustmen

veryoften,especiallybigones,buthewasneverafraidofZach.Notforoneinstant.”

Lori clapped her hands together with glee. “You do think he’s great! I can’t wait for you to meet

everyone,”shesaidasifitwerenowadonedeal.

“Ican’tdateZach!”Heather’swordscameouttooloud,toofast,tooimpassioned.
God,shewasmakingsuchafoolofherself.AssoonasZachhadshownupwithCuddles,sheand

Atlas should have hightailed it out of the ballpark. But she’d been so happy to see him. Had felt so
incredibly,wonderfullyalivejustatthesoundofhisvoice.

She’d thought she was strong enough not to be tempted by him. But not only had he succeeded in

tempting her...he’d done it so fast it made her head spin. He was slipping in under her walls, and the
armorsheworearoundherheart,toofast.Toofrequently.Itseemedthatnomatterhowmuchenergyshe
expended to try to push him away—when she remembered to push him away and wasn’t laughing with
himorwantinghim—shewasn’tevenclosetosucceeding.

The problem was that while Zach was fun and blatantly sexual, he also came with a core of

somethingrealbeneaththedevil-may-caresarcasm.Andthatwaspreciselywhatscaredher:therealman
beneaththejokesandthesexualinnuendo.

ShecouldfightherreactiontothecharmingZach,butthesweet,loving,genuineZachwasawhole

otherstory.

Still,sheknewsheneededtokeepfighting.Becauseifshemadethemistakeoflettinghimin,and

thenheendeduphurtingher,she’dneverforgiveherself.

Ofcourse,shehadn’tmeanttoinsulttheolderbrotherSophieandLoriclearlyworshipped,soshe

said,“Zachisaniceguy.I’msurehe’llfindsomeonegreatoneday.”

“I hope so,” Lori said with a sigh. “I know he acts like he doesn’t need anyone, but I’ve never

boughthisact.Thenagain,maybeit’sbecausehe’smybrotherandIlovehimandIdon’twanthimtobe
aloneforever.”

“He loves you, too. All of you.” She’d known that ever since the first time he’d spoken of his

family,beforeshe’devermetthem.“Hehaspicturesofyoualloverhishouse.”

LorishotSophiealookbeforesaying,“You’vebeentohishouse?”
Heatherclarified,“HehadabitofanemergencywithCuddlesthefirstnighttheyspenttogether.We

hadanemergencytrainingsession.”

Onethatendedwithherhandinhisandhislipsonhercheek.
Strangely,LoripickedthatmomenttostoptorturingHeather.Instead,sheleanedbackinherseat,

poppedahandfulofpopcornintohermouth,andsaidaroundit,“Sophie’sright.Ishouldn’thavesaidall
thatstufftoyou.Iwasjustsocaughtupinafantasyofhavingsomeonelikeyouasasister-in-lawinstead

of one of the awful girls he usually hooks up with.” She sighed. “It figures you’d be too smart to want
anythingtodowithhim.”

JealousyhitHeatheratthesamemomentastheurgetodefendZachdid.Clearly,hecouldhave—

and regularly did have—any woman he wanted. Heck, as they’d been watching the game hadn’t every
womanintheirsectionbeendroolingoverZach,withSophie’sgood-lookinghusbandcominginaclose
second?

“Trustme,”Loricontinued,“Itotallygetwhyyoudon’twanttodateZach,butIhaveacoupleof

othergreatbrotherswhoaresingle.SmithandRyanaretotalcatches,ifyouaskme.”

Heather was flattered, but couldn’t imagine being with a movie star or a professional athlete.

“Thanks,butI’mnotlookingforarelationshiprightnow.”Orever.

BeforeLoricouldgetinonemorewordaboutherbrothersandwhatgreatcatchestheyallwere,

Heather turned to Sophie and asked her about her pregnancy. Heather loved kids as much as she loved
dogsandassheedgedclosertothirty,shewasthinkingmoreandmoreaboutwhenshewasgoingtotryto
havethem.Shewasbeyondgladthatthereweresomanyoptionsforasinglewoman,betweenin-vitro
andadoption.

“Areyouexcitedabouthavingtwins?”
Sophielitup.“Yes.WhenI’mnotterrifiedabouthavingthem.”Herfacewentalldreamy.“Jakeis

goingtobeagreatfather.”

Lorimadeapukingsound.“It’sbadenoughthatyou’reallovereachotherlikeSaranWrap.Saveus

fromtheloveisperfectsoundtrack,wouldyou?”

EventhoughshesilentlyagreedwithLorionthewholelovething,HeatherwasamazedthatSophie

didn’tlooktheleastbitinsulted.Instead,shestartedsinging,“Loveisperfect,ohsoperfect,”tothetune
ofIFeelPretty.

LoricoveredherearsandstartedsingingLoveBitesinaperfectimitationofDefLeppard’ssinger

untilthethreeofthemcollapsedintogiggles.

Suddenly, Heather actually wished she could date Zach. Not just because her hormones wouldn’t

leaveheralone,butbecausetherewasnodoubtinhermindabouthowfunitwouldbetobeapartofthe
Sullivanfamily.

But,evenassheletherselfenvisionthatforabriefmoment,sheknewtherealitywasnothinglike

thefantasy.RegardlessofhowwellthingsmightstartforherandZach,nomatterhowmuchheseemedto
like her and want her in the present, she knew with utter certainty that he wasn’t the kind of man who
wouldevercommittoonewomanforever.

SoifapartofherwasatallenviousatthewayJakehadcontinuallykissedhisprettywife,ifshe

secretly longed at all for a man to look at her with such complete adoration, all she had to do was
rememberthevowshe’dmadetoherselfwhenshewasseventeenandhadfoundoutthetruthaboutthe
extentofherfather’slies.

Never.Shewouldneverputherselfinapositiontobetreatedlikethat.Becauseshewouldnever

makethemistakeoflettingherselffallinlove.

***

“Heather’saprettygirl.”
Zach tugged Atlas away from the lamp post he was admiring and directed him toward a bush.

“Pretty?Areyoublind?She’sgorgeous.”

JakenoddedhisagreementjustasCuddlesgotintoapositionthathadZachgroaning.Thebluebags

wereburningaholeinhispocketandhereallywantedtokeepitthatway.Itwasonethingtocleanup
afterthepuppyinhisbackyard...

Hemutteredacursethatperfectlydescribednotonlywhatthepuppywasdoing,butHeather’shuge

dogaswell.Jakehadn’tstoppedlaughingathimsincethey’dlefttheirseatsandheonlylaughedharder
now.

“SoHeather’sjusttrainingthepuppy?”
Zachwasn’tgoingtoadmittohisclosestfriendthathe’dstruckoutwithHeatherahalf-dozentimes

alreadyandthattheonlywayhe’dgottenherheretodaywasbytrickingherintoit.

“She’sonehellofadogtrainer.”Andonehellofawoman,too.
Lordknewshehadhimwrappedsotightlyaroundherlittlefingerthathebarelyknewwhichway

wasupanymore.Heonlyknewhewantedhermorewitheverypassingsecond...evenasshetriedtopush
himfartheraway.

Jakenoddedinthedirectionofthedogs,bothofwhomwerefriskynowthatthey’dtakencareof

theirimportantbusiness.“Lookslikeyou’vegotsomecleanuptotakecareof.”

Zachstillwasn’tcompletelyokaywiththefactthatJakehadgottenhislittlesisterpregnantonthe

sly.Whichwaswhyheshovedabluebaginhisfriend’shandandheadedforCuddles’spile.Jakecould
dealwithAtlas’smessinthenameofpayback.

ChapterThirteen

ThesecondZachsatbetweenLori,Sophie,andHeather,hecouldtellsomethingwasdifferent.It

waslikethey’dgonefrombeingstrangerstobecomingfriends.

Whoknewwhathislittlesistershadtoldher?Allheneededwasforsomeofhiscrazierexploitsto

getbacktoHeatherandshe’dgrabherdogandstartrunning.

“EverythinggookaywithHugeandTiny?”sheleanedclosetoaskhimwhenAtlasploppeddown

acrosstheirfeetandclosedhiseyes.Cuddleshadalreadycurledupagainsthischest,whichwasquite
clearlythepup’sfavoriteplaceonearth,consideringhowmuchtimeshespentthere.

“Thosebluebagscameinhandy.”
He loved her smile and soft laughter. “Good,” she said, still chuckling. “Thanks for taking Atlas

with you.” She looked at him almost shyly. “And thanks for changing my seat, too. I’ve really loved
gettingtoknowyoursisters.”

Hersweetwordslandedstraightinthecenterofhischest.Heleanedcloser,closeenoughthathe

couldhaveeasilytakenhermouthwithhis.

“Whateverthey’vetoldyou,it’salllies.”
Heexpectedmorelaughter,buthereyesweredarkinsteadoffilledwithhumor,andherbreathwas

comingfaster,hergazetrainedonhislips.

“I hope not,” fell from her lips, and he would have kissed her right then and there, his lookeeloo

familybedamned,ifshehadn’tjerkedbacksharply.

She focused her entire attention on the game after that, and the second it finished, she stood up.

“Thatwasfun.Sonicetomeetyouall,butIshouldreallybegoing—”

Lori cut her off. “Wait, you have to meet Ryan.” Before she could protest, his sister shoved past

Zach, picked up Atlas’s leash, and slipped an arm through Heather’s. “You’re going to love him.” She
winkedoverhershoulderathimbeforesaying,“Heisn’tanythinglikeZach.”

Okay,soZachhadbeenirritatedwithhissisterearlier,butnowherecognizedLoriforthejewel

shereallywasfornotlettingHeatherrunfromhimsofast.

Heatherwasfrowningandheoverheardhersay,“Actually,I’mnotsureit’ssuchagreatideaifIgo

backwheretherestoftheteamis.”

Loribrushedoffherconcernwithoutaskingforareason.“Areyoukidding?Allthosehot,sweaty

guysmakeitafabulousidea.”

As if Ryan would ever let Lori date one of the guys on his team in this lifetime. Fortunately, the

players on the Hawks had always understood just how off-limits the Sullivan twins were. Unlike, he
thoughtwithascowlinJake’sdirection,hisownfriend.Ofcourse,giventhewaySophieandJakewere
alwaysgivingeachothergooeylooksthewaytheywererightthen,hesupposedithadallworkedoutin
theend.

Walking behind Heather, he couldn’t take his eyes off her gorgeous legs in her shorts, the sweet

curveofherhips,thewayherdark,shinyhairswungoverherbackinitsusualbraid.Frankly,thelast
thinghewasworriedaboutrightnowwashislittlesister.BecauseifRyan—oranyofhisteammates—
lookedatHeatherthewrongway,hewasgoingtohavetokillthem.

***

Heatherhadn’tbeenintothelockerroombefore,eventhoughshe’dbeeninvitedmorethanonce.If

she’d taken the guy she dated occasionally up on his invitation, it would have made their casual

relationshipseemlikemorethanitwas.

Whichwaswhysheshouldn’tbefreakingoutrightnow.Justbecausesheand—
“Heather?”
BrantJohnston,thefirstbasemanfortheHawks,grinnedwhenshewalkedinwithLori.
She felt herself flush, but it wasn’t because of Brant. It was the knowledge that Zach had moved

besideherinaflash,everymuscleinhisbodytensedasthoughhewereabouttospring.

She was just flustered enough that, before she could stop him, Brant pulled her against him for a

hug.“Youlookgorgeous,asalways.”

Foraprofessionalathlete,Brantwasactuallyquitesweet.Andtherewasnoquestionthathewas

good-looking,withhisgoldenhair,blueeyes,andathleticbuild.Butshehadneverevenbeentemptedto
takethingsbeyonddinnerandsex.Ithadabeenafewmonthssinceshe’dlastseenhim,eventhoughhe’d
calledacoupleoftimestoseeifshewantedtogettogether.Shejusthadn’tbeenallthatinterested.

Quickly stepping out of his arms, she planted a smile on her face that she hoped looked genuine.

“Greatgame.”

Outofthecornerofhereye,shecouldseethatZach’sfacelookedlikethunder.Lori,Sophieand

Jakewerewatchingthesceneplayoutwithsomethingakintogleeontheirfaces.

“If I’d known you were coming today, I would have made sure you had a great seat.” He finally

noticedherdog.“Hey,how’sitgoing,Antler?”

She thought she heard Zach growl just as his brother found them. Atlas wasn’t particularly

comfortablewithsomanybigmenaround,butshecouldtellZach’spresencemadehimfeelmuchmore
securethanusual.

“Ryan,”Zachsaid,puttingaratherpossessivehandonthesmallofherback,“thisisHeatherand

herdogAtlas.”

Sheknewthespecialemphasisonherdog’snameandhishandonherwerebothforBrant’sbenefit,

butevenwhilesomethingwarmedupinsideofheratthecrazythoughtofactuallybelongingtoZach,she
couldn’tstandbeingthebonethattwomenweretuggingbetweenthemtoseewhowouldwin.

SteppingoutofZach’sreach,sheshookRyan’shand.“It’ssonicetomeetyou.”
She could feel Ryan working to size up the situation between her and Brant and Zach. Atlas had

never much cared for Brant the couple of times he’d met him, but just as he’d been with Zach, he
practicallyturnedintoasquirmingpuppywhenRyanscratchedhishead.Yesindeed,therewasnodoubt
thatSullivanmenhadquiteapotenteffectonliving,breathingthings.

Somewhere in there Brant had moved closer to her. “It’s been too long, Heather. Why don’t we

celebratethegametogethertonight?”

Amonthago,shemighthavegone.Afterall,shewasasensualwomanandsexwithagood-looking

guywasn’taterriblewaytoendaFridaynight.

Buteventhoughshedidn’thaveanyotherplans,andcertainlywasn’tinarelationshipwithanyone

else,theideaofcasuallyseeingBrantdidn’tseemlikeaverygoodoneanymore.Actually,itseemedlike
aterribleidea.

Sheopenedhermouthtosaynothankyou,whenZachreachedoutandslidalockofhairthathad

escapedherbraidbehindherear.

“Youdidn’tmentionyouknewBrantthismorningwhenyouweremakingbreakfastforus.”
Athisgentletouch,shesimultaneouslywantedhimmorethanshe’deverwantedanotherman...and

couldhavepunchedhimforbehavinglikesuchacavemanwiththefalseinsinuationsofwhyshe’dbeen
makingbreakfastathishouse.

PurposefullyturningherbackonZach,shetoldBrant,“It’sbeenaprettybigdayalreadyanditwill

be an even bigger one tomorrow.” She looked down at her dog, who looked like he’d run a marathon
insteadofgobblingupstraypiecesofpopcornandplayingwithhisbestpuppyfriendallafternoon.“I’ve

gottogethome.”

She was turning to Zach’s family to say her goodbyes, when Brant surprised her by pulling her

againsthimforanotherhug.Anevenlongeronethistime.“I’llcallyousoon.”

Shebarelystoppedherselffromrollinghereyesasshesteppedoutofhisarmsandturnedtotell

Lori,Sophie,Ryan,andJake,“Itwassonicemeetingallofyou.”

“Itwastotallyourpleasure.”LorihuggedHeather.“Ihopewe’llseeyouagainreallysoon.”
Heatherdidn’tknowwhattosaytothat.ShewasZach’sdogtrainer,nothisgirlfriend.Whatreason

wouldshehavetorunintohisfamilyeveragainunlesstheyallgotdogs?

ShepulleduptheslackonAtlas’sleashandheadedforthedoor.WhensherealizedZachwasright

besidehereverystep,shesaid,“Iknowthewayout.”

Ofcourse,hedidn’tbackoff,juststayedrightbesideherasshewalkedoutofthepark.
“Howmanytimeshaveyoubeenwithhim?”
Shepickedupherpace.“That’snoneofyourbusiness.”
“Whydidn’tyougowithhimtonight?”
That wasn’t any of his business either, but she said, “I’m tired. My dog is tired. I’m ready to go

home.”

Shepushedoutasideexitintoanalleythatledtotheparkinglot.Thetruthwas,eventhethoughtof

kissingBrantagainhadherentirebodyrecoiling.Notbecausehehadn’tbeenanokaylover,butbecause,
suddenly,therewasonlyonemanshecouldimaginekissing.

“Whatifhecallsyouwhenyou’renotsodamnedtired?”
FuriousatherselfforhercontinuedlackofcontrolwhereZachwasconcernedhadherspittingout,

“RightnowI’mnotfeelingit,butmaybeonadifferentday,ifI’minthemood,whynot?”

Zachgrabbedherarmandpulledherintohim.“Here’swhynot.”
His mouth came down on hers in a kiss that had everything simmering between them finally

exploding.

ChapterFourteen

Heatherhadfoughtthiskissfornearlyaweek.She’dliedtobothofthemaboutnotwantingit,even

asfantasiesaboutwhatitwouldbelikekeptherdistractedduringthedayandtossingandturningatnight.

Butnoneofherfantasieshaddonetheirfirstkissjustice.Therewasnowayshecouldhaveever

imaginedittakingplaceinadesertedalley,withZach’sstrongmusclespressingherintoacementwall,
hishipsagainsthers,hislargehandsslidingintoherhair.

And,ohGod,thefeelofhislipsonhers,thewayhistongueslippedandslidagainsthers...shewas

losttosensation,totheinsatiablegreedtotakemoreoftheforbiddenfruitshe’dbeencravingbodyand
soul.

“Heather.” He groaned her name against her lips, then began to alternately nip at her lower lip,

then lave over the small bites, as if a simple kiss wasn’t enough when what he really wanted was to
devourher.

She knew she should be pushing him away, that she should keep fighting their connection out of

sheerself-preservation,butherbodysimplyrefusedtofollowthatintelligentdictate.

Instead, she was wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. She wanted him closer, needed

more.She’dneverfeltlikethiswithanyoneelse—completelyoutofcontrol,alreadywayoutontheedge
fromnothingmorethanoneincrediblypotentkiss.

Yes,sheknewsheshouldstop,thatsheshouldbepushinghimawayandtellinghimitcouldnever

happen.Only,inamomentofmoreperfectconnectionwithZachthanshe’deverthoughttohavewitha
man,shefoundherselfdeepeningthekissinstead.

Leavingonehandinherhair,hebegantoruntheotherslowlydownthesideofherbody.Shenearly

criedoutintohismouthwhenheslidover—andpast—thecurveofherbreastonthewaytocupherhip
withhispalm.Hedidn’tstopuntilhehadcurvedhispalmaroundherthigh,baredbeneaththehemofher
shorts.

God,thefeelofhishandonherskinwasshockinglygood.Andshewasevenmoreshockedwhen

heliftedherleguparoundhiship,butnotenoughthatshethoughttostophimfromtakingthatleverageto
moveinclosertotheheatedveebetweenherlegs.

Heatherhadalwaysenjoyedthepurelyphysicalreleaseofsex,butithadneverbeenintenseenough

forhertoforgetherself,tolosetrackofwhatshebelievedin.Anyonecouldcomeoutthesidedoorand
findthemherelikethis,practicallyhavingsexagainstthewall.Theywerestillfullyclothed,butevenso,
shefeltasifZachhadalreadystrippedherbare.

Shetriedtopullherselfoutoftheabyss,oh,howshetried,butwhenhestartedtorainkissesdown

across her jaw and found that super-sensitive spot just at the underside of her chin, how could she do
anythingbutletherheadfallbackagainstthewall,anddrinkineveryexquisitesensationofhismouthon
herskin?Hisroughstubblescrapedatherinthemostdeliciouswayandsheusedherleghookedoverhis
hiptopullhiminevencloser.

Anyandallprotestsshemighthavegivenhim—orherself—hadflownoutthewindow,andshewas

threadingherfingersintohisdarkhairwhensomethingpulledatherwristonce,thentwice,hardenough
thethirdtimetofinallyjolther.

“Thedogs,”shemanagedinabreathlessvoiceasshetriedtocatchholdofherracingheart.While

she and Zach had been lost in their kiss, the dogs’ leashes had tangled up around each other and their
owners,too.“Weneedtountanglethem.”

Zach very reluctantly let go of her leg before snapping, “Cuddles, quit moving!” in a frustrated

voiceashebentdowntouncliptheleashandscoopthepuppyupinhisarms.

“It’s not her fault,” she told him as she worked to pull the leashes apart with shaky hands. “We

shouldn’t have been doing that here.” As if the location were the only problem with their kiss. “We
shouldn’thavebeendoingthatanywhereatall,”shequicklyclarified.

Only,thetruthwasthatifthedogshadn’tbeentherewiththem,Zachprobablywouldhavestripped

herclothesoffwhilehekissedherupagainstthewall.Andinsteadoftryingtostophim,shewouldhave
beenbegginghimtohurrysoshecouldgetcloser.

Soshecouldhavemore.
“It’sexactlywhatweshouldhavebeendoing,”hesnappedather.
Hisfrustrationshookthebreathlessnessrightoutofher.Afterall,assheremindedherselfyetagain,

shewasn’tateenagerwhocouldn’tcontrolherraginghormones.

“Thisisn’tevenaboutme,”shesnappedback.“YoujustwantmebecauseI’machallenge.”
“Wrong,” he shot back. “I want you because I want you. From the first second I saw you, I’ve

wantedyou,Heather.”

Howdidhemanagetoturnherinsidestogoo?Firstwithhiskiss,thenwithhiswords.
Still, she had to hold her ground. “You and Brant were fighting over me like I was that bone you

sentAtlas.”

“Iwasfightingforyoubecauseyou’remine.”
Hereyeswidenedathispossessivedeclaration.“I’llneverbelongtoaman.”
Forthefirsttime,hedidn’tlaunchbackatherwithaquickretort.Instead,shefelthimstop.Look.

Assess.

“What,”hesaidinasuddenlysoftvoice,“areyouafraidof?Isitme?Orisityou?”
Itwastheverylastthingshe’dexpectedhimtosay.Andevenasherbrainfloodedwithanswers

rangingfromfallingforyoutoeverything,shesaid,“I’mnotafraid.”

Heraisedaneyebrow,butdidn’tcallheronherfib.Instead,hesaid,“Proveit.”
Sheliftedherchin.“Iknowwhatyou’redoing.Iknowthatwhateverwayyoucomeupwithforme

toproveittoyouisgoingtobeforyourgoodandyourgoodonly.”

Heactuallyhadthenervetoreachforheragain,toslidethepadofhisthumbacrossherlowerlip.

And,foolthatshewas,shecravedhistouchenoughtolethim.

“It’llbegoodforbothofus,Icanpromiseyouthat.”Hetrailedthebackofhishandoverhercheek

in a lover’s caress. “I’m not looking for love any more than you are. We’re the perfect match, Heather.
Don’tworry,thisisgoingtomakeusbothhappy.Really,reallyhappy.”

Oh.
She should be cheering, should be so glad that he’d just spelled things out so clearly. But even

thoughhe’djustgivenherpreciselywhatshe’dalwayssaidshewanted,hiswordsfeltlikeaknifeshoved
straight through her chest...as if some stupid, reckless part of her heart had secretly been wishing he
wouldfallinlovewithher.

Eventhoughshewouldn’thavetrustedhisprofessionsofloveiftheyhadcome.
It was yet another reason she should have been walking away from him, hauling Atlas out of the

stadium,gettingbothofthemawayfromthemanwhowasmorepotentthananyshe’deverknown.

Only, she’d lost hold of her self-control at the first brush of his mouth against hers, and knowing

howgooditfelttohavehisbodypressedintohers,warmandsolid,hadherdesperateforanothertaste.A
longeronethistime,withnobarriersbetweenthem,andnooneandnothinginterruptingthenaturalflow
oftheirpassion.

Butatthesametimethatshecouldfeelherselfsinkingdeeperbeneaththesensualspellhewound

aroundher,Heatherhadrunherlifefortoolongtoletaman—especiallyoneasconfidentandcharming
asZachSullivan—leadherdownadarkpath.

Ifsheweregoingtoheadintothedarkness,she’dgoofherownfreewill,damnit.

“Justsex,”shesaidinasteadyvoice.Wantingtobeabsolutelysureshewasclearwithhim—and

herself,too—sheadded,“That’sallthisisevergoingtobe.”

Aflashofpurelymalevictorymovedthroughhiseyesasheimmediatelythreadedhisfingersinto

hersandtuggedhercloser.

“Kissmetosealthedeal.”
Her breath came even faster at his softly spoken command. She hadn’t realized how much she

cravedZach’sbrandofsensualdominanceuntiltoday.She’dlovedthewayhe’dstolenthekissfromher,
had been beyond excited by the sinful feeling of wantonness as he took what he wanted from her up
against the wall. And now, even as she should have been annoyed at his demand that she kiss him to
finalizetheirarrangement,shewasmoreturnedonthanshe’deverbeen.

Sheknewwhatheexpectedhertodo—eithergivehimapeckonthelipsoutofannoyanceorlet

himcontrolthekissagain.

Butnowthatshe’dmadethedecisiontoenjoybeingphysicalwithZach,shenotonlywasn’tgoing

todenyherselfwhateverpleasureswereinstore...shewasalsogoingtomakedarnsureherealizedhe
wasn’tanylessaffectedbyherthanshewasbyhim.

This time she was the one reaching for his jaw, feathering out her fingers across the super-sexy

dustingofstubblethatshadowedhistannedskin.Desireflaredinhiseyesasshemovedontohertippy-
toestogetcloser.Sheslidherhandintohishairandpulledhisfacedowntohers.

Herlipstouchedhisasplit-secondbeforehegrowledandslammedhismouthagainsthers.Itwas

theperfectkisstosealthedealfortheirnewlynegotiatedaffair,awonderfulpredictorfortheincredibly
passionate,no-holds-barredsextheyweregoingtohavewitheachother.

Nothingmore.

***

Zachhadneverlostcontrolwithawomanbefore.Notevenclose.
NotuntilHeather.
Whentheybothfinallycameupforairwiththepuppysquirmingbetweenthem,hecouldn’tbearthe

thoughtoflettinghergo.GivingCuddlesroomtobreathewhilestillholdingherclose,heasked,“Doyou
needanythingfromyourplaceforAtlas?”

Herbeautifuleyeswerehazywithpleasurefromtheirkissassheblinkedupathimandnodded.
Hewantedherinhisbed.Itwaswhereshebelonged,wherehe’dneededherfromthefirstsecond

heseteyesonhercurvesasshecoaxedhispuppyoutofthebushesathisgarage.

Lord,hecouldn’twaittohearmoreofthoselittlegaspsofpleasureshe’dbeenmakingwhenhe’d

beenkissingher...andtowatchherexpressionasshecameapartbeneathhim.

DesperationtogethernakedASAPhadhimtakingherhandinhis,herdog’sleashinhisotherhand

andpullingallfourofthemouttowardtheparkinglot.

“I’llfollowyouovertoyourplaceandhelpyougrabwhatyouneed.”
Hefeltherhandstiffeninhis.“It’sjustonenight,Zach.We’renotmovinginwithyou.It’sjustgoing

tobesex,”sheremindedhiminafirmvoice.

Shewastoofirm.Toocontrolled,evenaftertheirsecondkiss.
Ohyes,hewasgoingtoenjoymakingherlosecontrol,wasgoingtomakethathissolepurposefor

theforeseeablefuture,infact.

Atlas’searshadperkedupasifhe’djustrealizedhewasgoingtogettospendthenightwithhis

best friend. The Great Dane nuzzled the puppy and Zach grinned. Heather could fight the pull between
themallshewanted,buthewascountingonherhavingahellofatimebreakinguptheirdogs.

Usingthedogstokeepherclosetohimwasn’tplayingfair.

Thenagain,whenhadaSullivaneverplayedbytherules?

ChapterFifteen

Heather worked to slow down the overly fast pounding of her heart. Now, more than ever, there

shouldn’t be anything to be nervous about. Not after she and Zach had just clearly laid out the terms of
theirsex-onlyrelationship.

Andyet,nowthatthedealhadbeenmade,shewasstillmorethanalittleamazedtofindherselfin

hisbedroom.Backatthebaseballstadium,she’dthoughtsheknewwhatshewasgettingherselfinto.

Shesuddenlyrealizedhowfarfromthetruththatreallywas.
ZachSullivanwasaforceofnature.Notjustbecauseofhisstunningmalegoodlooks,butbecause

ofhisstrong,yetsweet,personality.Thefirsttimeshe’deverlookedathim,ofcourseshe’dthoughtof
sex.Therewasn’tawomanalivewhowouldn’t,notwithafaceandbodylikehis.

Oh, but if he knew how nervous she was, she could only imagine what he’d do. Laugh at her,

probably.Teasehermercilesslyfromhereonout.Andconsiderhimselfthevictor.

Thatknowledgewaswhathadherresortingtotheactshe’dperfectedasaseventeen-year-old,the

onethatsaidshedidn’tcarewhatanyonethoughtofher...evenifshedesperatelydid.

“So, this is the legendary bedroom.” She deliberately kept her body language loose and easy,

hookingathumbintothepocketofhershortsassheraisedaneyebrowtoscantheroom.

Zach,whowasstandinginthedoorway,said,“Legendary,huh?”
Darnit,thathadbeenexactlythewrongwordtouseonaguywithanegolikeZachSullivan’s.But

sheknewbetterthantotrytobacktrack.Instead,shepulledhersweatshirtoff,puttingitovertheleather
chairinonecorner.

“So,”shesaidwhensheslowlyturnedbacktohim,“areyoureadytodothis,orwhat?”
Hisdarkgazeheatedup,causingripplesofelectricitytomoveacrossherskinwithnothingmore

thanonelook.“Theresomewhereyouneedtobe?”

Godno,shewasn’tplanningonleavingany-timesoon.Heck,shecouldbarelyremembertherestof

theworldexistedwhenshewaswithhim.Butboy,wouldtherebetroubleifheeverrealizedthat.

Hisbeautifulmouthmovedupintoasmallgrinjustbeforeheadded,“Orareyoujustinthatmuch

ofhurrytofinallyhaveme?”

“Justreadytobeimpressedwithyourpatentedmovesbeforemynextbirthdayrollsaround.”
Anyothermanwouldhaveactedlikeshe’djustcalledhisentiremasculinityintoquestion,butnot

Zach.Instead,hesimplycontinuedtogrinthatway-too-gorgeousgrin.

“Boxnumbertwoitis,”hesaidashemadeasmallcheckmarkintheair.“Youcan’twaitanother

secondtohaveme.”

Heatherwouldhavemadeitapointtocontradictthatridiculouslyarrogant—and pathetically true

—assumption, had it not been for the soft click of Zach closing his door to keep the dogs out of the
bedroom.Thebedroomlightswentoffabeatlater.

She heard her swift intake of breath as his bedroom went immediately dark. Despite the large

windows, the moon was hidden behind a thick layer of fog tonight and her heartbeat ratcheted up even
higher.

She’dnevermuchcaredforthedark,hadneverseentheromance,thesexiness,inhavingthecontrol

ofhereyesighttakenaway.Notwhenitfeltlikeittookawayherchoices,too.Oneofherloversafew
yearsbackhadwantedtoblindfoldher,butshehadn’tbeeneventheslightestbitinterested.

Sheworkedtofightbackherinnatepanicasshesaid,“Whatareyoudoing?”
Heathercouldn’tseeZachinhisbedroom,butshecouldhearhimmovingslowlytowardherfrom

thedoorway.

“Gettingreadytoimpressyou.”
Whydidhisvoicesoundevendeeperthanusualinthedark...andwhycouldn’tshestopherselffrom

holdingherbreathashecamecloserandcloser?

She’dspentsolongincontrolthateventhefewmomentsofstandinginanunfamiliarroomwaiting

forZachtokissher,touchher,weretoolong.

Shecouldn’tkeeptheslighttrembleoutofhervoiceasshesaid,“Zach,Idon—”
Before she could finish admitting to weakness, he was there with his hands on either side of her

face,touching her sogently she couldhardly believe it wasthe same manwho’d practically been born
withawrenchinhishands.

Thepadsofhisthumbsstrokedoverherlips,whispersoft,andsheinstinctivelyopenedforhimto

lick at the tip of one finger. His low groan rumbled through the room, the only sound apart from her
breathing.

Shewaspantingeventhoughshewasstandingperfectlystill,buttheredidn’tseemtobeanywayto

getherbreathbackwhenZachwasslidinghishandsslowlydownfromhercheekbonestoherneck.She
wantedtoarchintohishands,buteventhoughhistouchwasbarelyskimmingthesurfaceofherskin,it
wasasifhewasholdinghercompletelycaptive.

“Suchsoftskin,”hemurmured,andshewantedtofeelthealmostreverentwordsagainstherlips,

wanteddesperatelyforhimtokissher.

She’dalwaysbeenanequalopportunitylover,neverbelievedinwaitingforamantomakethefirst

move,neverhopedforthechanceofpleasureifshecouldacttotakeitforherself.Butthatwassex.

Thiswasseduction.
Oneshe’dneverseencoming.
Because how could she have predicted the feel of his calloused hands lighting every inch of her

skinonfiresoslowly,sosweetly,thatshewasbarelyawareofthemworkingonthefewsmallbuttonsat
thetopofherlong-sleevedshirtsothathecouldmoreeasilypullitoverherhead?

Andhowcouldshehaveknownthathe’dsmellevenbetterupcloseinthedark,acleanall-male

scentthathadhersensesracingtodrinkitin.

“Fromthewayyoutalkaboutthelinesandcurvesofyourcars—”
Hemadehiswayfromonebuttontothenextwithoutsomuchasgrazingherbreasts.She’dknown

helovedtotease,butshehadn’trealizedthattraitwouldtransferovertothebedroom,too.

“—Ithoughtyou’dwanttoseeeverything.”
Itwastoodarkforhertoseemorethanthefaintoutlineofhisshape,butshesworeshecouldfeel

hissmile.“You’reright,Idolikelookingatprettythings,”heconfirmedsoftlyashemovedtothehemof
hershirtand pulleditup overherhead toletit fallto thegroundbehind her.“Goodthing Ihavegreat
nightvision.”

“Icanbarelydriveinthedark,”shesaid,knowingshewasbabblingnow,butstandingthereinonly

herbraandshortshadhernervesbubblingupalloveragain.

This time she didn’t have to guess if he was smiling, she could hear it in his low chuckle. The

warmthofhislaughterwashedoverherthewayitalwaysdidandhelpedsettleherdownsome.

Forallthetimeshehadirritatedorfrustratedher,thetruthwasshe’dalwayslikedbeingwithhim.

More than she could ever remember enjoying being with a man, which was precisely why she’d made
suretheydidn’tendupinhisbedroombeforenow.Notwithoutalistofrulesandregulationsaboutwhat
wasallowable.

Greatsexwasobviouslyonthemenu.Emotionalentanglementwasn’t.
Butwhere,shehadtowonder,didseductionfall?
Only,asZach’shandsspannedherwaistbeforemovingtostrokeoverthetautmusclesofherback,

shecouldn’tholdontothequestion.

Allshecoulddowasfeel.
And,oh,howwonderfulwasittohavestronghandsonher,workingdeeptorelaxpartsofherthat

hadbeentightforsolongshehadn’tevenbeenawaretheyweretense.

“Youfeelsogood,Heather.JustthewayIknewyouwould.”
She could hear the honest appreciation in his voice, knew it didn’t matter if he’d said the same

thingstoahundredwomenbeforeher.Allthatmatteredwasthathewassayingittohernow.

Hemovedhishandsuptohershoulderbladesandfoundaknotthathadheralmostwhimperingas

hepressedintoitwithabsolutelyzeromercy.

“You don’t take good enough care of yourself,” he admonished in that low voice that made her

insidesturntoliquid.“Youworktoohard.Andthatbigmuttofyoursisalwaysyankingyouaround.”He
gentlyspunheraroundsothatherbackwastohisfrontandhecoulddigharderintohershoulders.“He
needstobemorecarefulwithyou.”

Despitethefactthathismassagewasturninghertomush,shehadtoremindhimagain,“He’snota

mutt,he’sapurebred.”

“Funny,”Zachsaidasheslidherhairoveroneshoulder,closeenoughnowthatshecouldfeelhis

warmbreathonherexposedneck,“healwaysanswerstomutt.Yousurehispapersweren’tforged?”

Shestillcouldn’tbelievethewayherdoghadtakentoZach,consideringhisbasicdistrustofall

men. Then again, animals had a gift for seeing beneath the surface to people’s true natures. They knew
howtoreadafalsesmileforevil,aseeminglyinnocuoustouchasadangerousthreat...or,conversely,that
a man who acted like an island was capable of such warmth and enough sweetness to take her breath
awayagainandagain.

Beforesherealizedit,hehadtheclaspofherbraundoneandwasworkingitoffhershouldersso

thatitwasfallingtothefloortojoinhershirt.Eveninthedark,shewantedtocoverup,wantedtolifther
handsoverherbreasts,thoughshe’dalreadyconsentedtosleepwithZach.

“AmImakingyounervous?”heasked,hislipsnearlyatherearlobenowashemovedcloserstillto

hernowhalf-nakedbody.

“No.”Anditwastrue.Shewasn’tscared.
Shewasexcited.
Beyondexcited.
At long last, he pressed his mouth to her skin, brushing his lips against her earlobe, his tongue

barelymakingcontactbeforeheasked,“Thenwhyareyoutrembling?”

“Ihavesensitiveears,”shetoldhim.
“Good to know.” He pressed another soft kiss just below her earlobe this time, before saying,

“AnywhereelseIshouldknowaboutthat’ssensitive?”

OhGod.
Untilnow,she’dfeltlikeshe’dbeenabletopitherselfagainstZachSullivanasanequal.Butthat

wasbeforethey’denteredhisbedroom...whereshequiteclearlydidn’tstandachanceofbeinganything
butputtyinhisbig,strong,all-knowinghands.

Still, she had to keep trying to stay toe-to-toe with him, didn’t she? Otherwise, how would she

possiblybeabletorespectherselfinthemorning?

“MaybeweshouldturnthelightsbackonandI’lldrawyouamap.”
“Suchasassymouth,”hemurmured.“MakesmethinkIshouldputittobetteruse.”
Itshouldhavebeenenoughwarningforhertobraceherselfforhiskiss,butwhenheslidonehand

intoherhairandturnedherfacesothathecouldreachhermouthwithhis,shecouldn’tdoanythingbut
gaspattheextremepleasureofhavinghismouthonhersagain.

For how gentle his hands had been—and still were—the wildness of his kiss told her a different

story.

He wanted her. Badly. And as his tongue thrust against hers, she was glad to be able to finally

unleashallthepassion,thedesire,she’dbeenholdinginchecksincethefirstmomentshe’dmethim.

Shetriedtoturnintohisarms,wantedtopressherbarechestupagainsthis,wantedtoknowifhe

wasashard,ashot,asshe’ddreamthewouldbe.Butinsteadoflettinghermoveagainsthim,heslidone
handaroundherwaistandheldheragainsthimlikethat,backtofront.And,strangely,insteadofwanting
tofighthishold,insteadoffeelinglikehewascontrollingher,shefelttheexactopposite.

Felt the comfort, the safety of knowing he wasn’t going to let her fall. And accepted, in this one

instanceatleast,thatheknewpreciselyhowtoleadthembothstraighttopurepleasure.

Her shorts were falling to her feet before she even realized he’d undone the button and zipper.

Shockedbyhoweasyitwastogetlostinhiskisses,shepulledhermouthfromhis.

Asifhecouldguessatherskittishness,ratherthanclaimingherlipsagain,heransoftkissesover

her cheek and then her neck and shoulders. Her skin came alive inch by inch—a path of sensation, of
pleasure.

Andyet,shestillcouldn’tletgoofthathitoffear,theworrythatshewasallowingherselftoget

lostinsomeoneelse,untilZach’svoicebrokethrough.

“Are you sensitive here?” He brushed his thumb up at the top of her spine until it reached her

hairline,andsheshiveredinresponse.“I’lltakethatasayes,”hesaidsoftlyashefollowedthatsame
pathwithhistongue.“Whataboutthisspot?”Hisfingersfoundthesmallofherback,andthenextthing
she knew, he was kneeling behind her, his mouth barely a beat behind as his tongue licked over the
incrediblysensitiveskin.

Whenshecouldn’tstopthebreathfromwhooshingfromherlungs,hesaid,“Definitelyyes.”
Andthen,justasshewastryingtoprocessthestartlingfactthathewasindeedmakingamapofthe

sensitiveplacesonherbody,shefelthislargehandscomearoundeithersideofherribcage,justbeneath
thelowerswellofherbreasts.

“I’mgoingtotakeaguessthatthisoneisgoingtobeayes,too,”hesaidagainstherleftsideashis

tongue traced between two ribs and she shuddered against him, her knees nearly buckling at the sweet
pleasureofbeingtouchedlikethis.

Likeshewasallthatmattered.
Likeheactuallythoughtshewaspreciousandworththetimeitwouldtaketoexploreherpleasure,

tolearnwhereithidandwhatwouldmakeitcometolife.

He mirrored his actions on the other side of her body and she tried to hold still and not beg for

more,butthesmall,desperatesoundthatcamefromherthroatgaveheraway.

Zachpressedhislipstothesmallofherback.“Allingoodtime.”
A moment later, still kneeling behind her in the dark, he hooked one finger into each side of her

pantiesandheldthere.Sheswallowedhard,aloudsoundinthedarksilence.

“DoyouknowhowlongI’vebeenwaitingforthismoment?”
Each word came more ragged than the one before it. Just as his wild kiss had been, the raw

statementwastestamenttohowbadlyhewantedher,despitehisslow,teasingseduction.

Somehowshemanagedtoask,“Howlong?”
Heslidherpantiesdownjustenoughtopressakisstothetopofonecheek,groaningashegave

equalmeasuretothesoftfleshontheotherside.

“Forever,Heather.ItfeelslikeI’vebeenwaitingforeverforyou.”
Andthen, just afterthe most shockingwords in the worldhad been spoken,her panties were off,

lyinginapuddleofcottonatherfeet.

She waited, holding her breath, for Zach to touch her again, to kiss her—please, please, please

don’tleavemelikethis—buthewasasstillasshewas,hisbreathonherskinallthatwastouchingher.

“Ilovethewayyousmell.”Hiswordswentfromrawtogutturalasheinhaled.“Ilovethewayyou

feel.”Hishandsmovedtoherhips,andshefeltsmallandintenselyfeminineashegentlycaressedher.
“AndIlovethewayyoutaste.”Herainedsmallnipsandkissesatherbackside,thendownherthighs,
untilhefinallyreachedthebacksofherknees.

Itshouldn’thavebeenanerogenouszone.Sheshouldhavebeenlaughing,notsoftlymoaningashis

tonguemovedacrosstheskinatthebackofherlegs.

“Ithinkwe’vefoundawholesetofothersensitivespots,”heconfirmedforherasshetrembledso

hardthathishandsonherhipswereactuallyholdingherup.“ButIbetthere’smore.”Hepausedandher
breathcaughtashesaid,“Awholelotmore.”

Thenextthingsheknew,hewasbackonhisfeetandliftingherinhisarms.
“Zach,whatareyoudoing?”
Nomanhadeverpickedheruplikethisbeforeandcarriedherovertoabed.Itfelttooromanticfor

whattheyweretoeachother,forwhatthey’dagreedon.

“Heather,I’mcarryingyouovertothebed!”heteased,mimickinghershockedtone.
Howcouldshedoanythingbutlaugh,eventhoughshewasmorearousedthanshe’deverbeenin

herlife?Laughterandsexhadneverbeenconnectedforherbefore.

Thenagain,she’dneverbeenwithaloverlikeZachbefore,hadshe?

ChapterSixteen

ZachSullivanshouldhavebeeninhiselement.Givingwomenpleasurewaswhathedidbest.
Itdidn’tmakesense,then,thathefeltsofaroffhisgame,sototallylostinHeatherthateveryother

sexualexperiencehadfallenaway—leavinghimtohavetofigureitalloutonekiss,onetouchatatime.

He’dturnedoffthelightstomakesurethathestayedincontroloftheevening.Only,thedarkness

wasdoinganumberonhim,too.

Her scent was everywhere, sweet and aroused. Her skin was impossibly soft. And when she

trembledashekissedher,whenshegaspedwithpleasureassensationtookherover,hischestclenched
tight.

“Yourarmsaregoingtogettiredsoonifyoudon’tputmedown.”
He lowered his mouth to hers again, but stopped just short of making contact. “Questioning my

stamina,areyou?”Withoutwaitingforhersure-to-be-sassyreply,hecoveredherlipswithhisownand
kissedthebreathfromherlungs.

Both of them were panting by the time he finally laid her down in the center of his bed and then

quicklytookoffhisclothes.

He hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d told her he had great night vision. My God, she was

beautiful. He just wanted to look at her, wanted to memorize every soft curve, every hollow laid out
beforehim.

“Zach?”
Shereachedoutintothedarknessandhecapturedherhandsinhis.“I’mrighthere.Justenjoyingthe

view.”

Shemadeasoundofsurpriseattheknowledgethathereallycouldseeherinthedark,evenasher

fingers threaded through his. Coming palm-to-palm with her was yet another moment of connection he
hadn’texpected.Onemoretoaddtothealltherestthathadalreadycome.

Zachdidn’tholdwomen’shands.Buthedidn’twanttoletgoofHeather,sohemovedontothebed

withher,straddlingherthighswithhisowntokeepherrightwherehewantedher.

“Youreallycanseeme?”
Wellenoughtoseethepaniconherfaceatbeingnakedwhenhewasstillfullydressed.Ofcourse,

hegreatlyenjoyedthrowingheroffkilter,especiallywhenshetriedsohardtobethesteadiestwomanon
theplanet.

“Surecan.”
Shemadeafrustratedlittlesoundthathehadtocoverwithanotherkiss,asoftonethistime.Not

letting go of her hands in his, he put them on either side of the pillow and took his time exploring her
sweetmouth.

God, he’d wanted to kiss her like this for so damn long, desire eating him up more with every

secondhespentwithher.Helovedthewayshedidn’tholdanythingback,thatshewasn’ttryingtotease
himorturnhimon.Shekissedthesamewayshedideverythingelse,withsweetfocus.

Zach had planned on seducing her, but as her tongue stroked against his, as her fingers tightened

againsthis,andsheliftedherhipsuptotrytofindthereleasehewasdrawingout,hehadtowonderifit
wasreallytheotherwayaround...andHeatherwastheoneseducinghim.

Hepulledbackfromhermouthonthecrazythought,determinedtogetbackontrack.Theonewhere

hewastheoneholdingthecards,notthewomanhehadn’tbeenabletoresistfromthefirstmomenthe’d
seteyesonher.

StaringdownatHeatherintheshadowedroom,hemarveledagainatjusthowbeautifulshewas.

Otherwomenwithbodieslikeherswouldhavedonewhatevertheycouldtoshowcaseittotheworld,not
coveritupwithfadedshirtsandshorts.

Only, hadn’t he been going crazier day by day, wondering exactly what was hiding beneath those

shapelessclothes?Almostasifbynotsimplyshowinghimherassets,she’dampeduphisanticipationof
themomenthefinallygottoseeallofher.

“So?”
Hecouldhearthebravadocoveringtheinsecurity,andthefactthatshehadanyworriesatallabout

herworthmadethattwingecomebackinhischestagain.

Knowinghewasn’tthekindofmanwhohadwordsformomentslikethis,hedecidedtoshowher

howbeautifulshewasinawaythatshecouldn’tpossiblymisunderstand.

Heloweredhismouthtothetipofonebreastandtuggeditbetweenhislips.Heatherarchedupinto

hishandsandgaspedouthisname,buthewassofocusedonthesweettasteandfeelofherarousedflesh
againsthistonguethathebarelyheardher.Heswirledhistonguearoundthetautpeakbeforelettingitgo
totastetheother.

Usinghishandsonhersandhisthighsoneithersideofherhips,ZachheldHeatherstillasshetried

towritheagainsthimwhilehelovedherperfectbreasts,onetotheother,againandagain,untilshewas
begging.

“Please,Zach,Ineed—”
Helightlyscrapedhisteethoverthetipofonebreastandhergaspofpleasureswallowedupthe

restofherplea.Hedidn’tneedhertotellhimwhatsheneededbecauseheneededit,too,neededtotaste
everyinchofherskin,neededtoknowthefeel,thescentofherallover.

Hemovedupfromherbreaststohershoulders,thentothesoftundersideofonearm.Butinsteadof

turningevenmoreintoliquid,shestiffenedashislipsandtonguetrailedtowardherelbow.

Of course, that only made him more intent on making her feel good. On helping her to forget

anythingbuthowgooditwastofinallybetogetherlikethis.

Hismouthfoundhersoftnessagain,onlythistimeherealizedtheskinwasslightlyraised.Whenhe

tastedthecrookofherelbowandthentheundersideofherforearm,eachtimehefoundmoreofthesame.
Slightlyraisedskinthatcameasatotalsurpriseagainsttheperfectsmoothnessoftherestofher.

“Heather,”heasked,hisguttwistingatthepainshemusthavefelttohavesuchscarsnow,“howdid

yougethurt?”

Evenasheasked,hewastrailinghisfingersoverherotherarm,findingthesamescars.Theywere

faint, completely healed, but he couldn’t have missed them. Not in the dark when there was nothing to
distracthissensesfromher.

AndnotwhennothingseemedtomattermorethanHeather.
“They’reoldscars,”shesaidsoftly.“FromanaccidentwhenIwasateenager.”
Hervoicehadbrokenonthoselastwordsandhehatedthewayshe’dgonefrombeingsosensual,

soopentohim,tosuddenlystill.Stiff.Asifshewasscared...andregrettingwhattheyweredoing.

“I’mgladthey’vehealed,”hetoldher,beforepressinganotherkisstofirstonearm,thentheother.
Herbreathhitchedasifshemightcry.Butthenshesaid,“Iam,too.”
Hehadtokissheragain,neededtoturntheirlovemakingbackaround,backtowhereithadbeen

beforehefoundthescars,andshe’dgottenupset.Hedidn’tknowhowlongtheykissed,buthelovedthe
wayshethreadedherfingersbackthroughhis,asifsheneededhimjustasmuchasheneededher.

And Lord, how he needed her. Needed to taste more of her, needed to know if the scent of her

arousalwouldbeassweetonhistongue.

Pulling her hands down with him, not willing to relinquish that connection with her for even a

second,heliftedhismouthfromherstomovelower,downoverherstomach,andthenlowerstilltothe
dampcurlsthatdrewhimlikeamagnet.

He’dpracticallylostcontrolearlierwhenhe’dbeenkneelingbehindher.Itwasevenworsenow,

thisdesiretotakeher,tomakeherhis.

Andtokeepher.
Zachbarelymanagedtoremindhimselfthathedidn’tkeepwomen.Hedidn’tevenconsiderit.Sex

wasforpleasure.Onlypleasure.

SweetLord,whatpleasureitwastobewithHeather.
Lovingthewaysheinstinctivelyopenedherlegsforhimashecameclosertohercore,heswept

overherwithabroadstrokeofhistongue.Hehadplannedtotease,totasteherslowly,butthewayshe
archedupintohismouth,thosesweetlittlesoundsshemadeashedroveherhigherandhigher,madehim
loseholdofhiscontrol.

Next time he’d make her wait, next time he’d tease her mercilessly until she was begging and

pleadingforrelease.

Zachneededtoclaimherashisrightthisverysecond.Heneededtoknowthatshewasasoutof

controlashewas,thathewasn’ttheonlyoneoutontheedgeofpassion.

Likeamanpossessed,helickedandsuckedatherarousedflesh.Already,heknewhe’dneverget

enough.Hewasalreadyaddictedtothetasteofher.

Andthen,amomentlater,herhandsclampeddownsohardonhisthathernailsbitintohisskinas

sheshatteredagainsthismouth.

ChapterSeventeen

Noneofherotherlovershadevernoticedthescarsonherarms,notevenwiththelightson.
Heather knew why, knew that it was because none of the men she’d been with before Zach had

caredenoughabouthertotakethetimetolearnhersecrets.

Sexhadneverbeenallaboutherbefore.
But,asshewassurprisedtorealizeyetagain,Zachwasdifferent.Henoticedeverything,thingsthat

other men would never have paid any attention to. He’d lingered over her scarred skin with his mouth,
andhe’dgivenhersuchsofthealingkissesshe’dhardlybesurprisedifthescarswerecompletelygonein
themorning.

Heather had never felt anything like this, such all-encompassing pleasure. She’d always been the

onetoknowherbodybest,usuallyhavingmoresuccesswithbattery-operateddevicesthananyofthemen
she’dbeenwith.

ButnoneofthemhadbeenZachSullivan.
The things he could do with his lips. With his tongue. She’d never come that hard, that long, that

good before. Even now that she was starting to come down from the incredibly high peak, Zach didn’t
seemtobedone,wasn’tclimbingoverhertofinishwhathe’dstartedandgetwhatwascomingtohim.

Instead, he licked over her slowly, soothing the sensitive area after the riotous explosion of

pleasurehe’djustputitthrough,whileseemingtosavorheratthesametime.

Finally,heliftedhisheadandsaid,“Ilovethewayyoutastewhenyoucome,”beforeloweringhis

mouth back between her thighs and pressing a kiss to her. “You know how greedy I am,” he murmured
againstherincrediblysensitiveflesh.“Iwantmoreofyoursweetness,Heather.Rightnow.”

She shouldn’t have been so easily aroused again, not by a couple of bossy sentences, but even

beforehetreatedhertomorefocusedattentionfromhisbrillianttongue,justknowinghowmuchhewas
enjoyingbeingwithherhadHeathergoingfromzerotoahundredagaininamatterofseconds.

Gently,heslidoneofhishandsfromhersandranitdownoverherhips.Sheshiveredathistouch,

andthenshewaslosingcontrolofherbodyagain,needingthatbeautifulreleasethatonlyZachcouldgive
her.Againandagainshebuckedintohishand,hismouth,wanting,begging,needing,gasping.

Andthen,thereitwas,akaleidoscopeofcolors,assheburstapartagain,thistimecryingouthis

name,needingtofeelitonhertongueassherosetoimpossibleheights,thenfelldown,down,downinto
thedarkness.

Heatherhadneverknownthatshecouldbepuresensation.Everyinchofherskinfelthyper-aware.

Everycellinsideherwasready,waiting,formore.

Sheshouldhavebeenexhausted,shouldn’thavebeenabletocraveanythingmore,butwhenZach

began the long, slow climb up her body, his mouth pressing kisses to the insides of her thighs, her hip
bones,herribcage,shecouldn’twaitanothersecond.

He had never let go of his grip on her right hand and as he slid the fingers of his left over hers,

connectingthemagain,sheusedallhermighttopullhimtowardher,overher.Shecouldn’tseehisfacein
thedark,butthatdidn’tmatter.Shedidn’tneedtoseehimanymore.

Justknowinghewastherewithherwasenough.
“Zach.”
“You’resobeautiful,”hesaidashetookherlipswithhis,herhandsbackuponeithersideofher

head.

Hemightactasthoughlifewasjustforfun,buthere,inbed,shesensedwhohetrulywas.Amanto

whomeverythingmattereddeeply.

Shedidn’twanttofeelanythingforhimbeyondannoyanceandlaughterandarousal.Butsheknew

why she had started to fall for him. Not just because of his ridiculously good looks...but because she
sensedwhathetriedtokeepsodeeplyhiddenfromthemall.

Asurprisinglybig,beautifulheart.
Still blurry after her orgasms, and from the emotions she couldn’t seem to fight back in this one

perfectmoment,shereachedouttoputherhandsonhischest,onhisbreastbone,beneathwhichhisheart
beathard.Steady.

Sheleanedforward,pressingakisstothehairsthatdustedoverhisskin.
Hestilledafterherkisslandedonhischest.Shewantedtomakeajoke,wantedtosaysomethingto

lightenthemood,tomakeitcleartohimthatwhattheyweredoingwasjustsex.

Instead,shefoundherselfwhispering,“Youare,too.”Soincrediblybeautiful.
Suddenly, he was slipping his hands from hers and she felt the bed shift. For a split second, she

worriedthathe’dseenthetruthbeneathherkissoverhisheart—atruthshecouldn’tevenadmittoherself
—andwasplanningtogettheheckoutofthebedbeforeshecouldmakethemistakeofpairinganymore
emotionwiththegreatsextheywerehaving.

But before she could find a way to string any words together that would make sense, to make it

cleartohimthatshewasn’tgoingtomakethatmistake,shecouldheartherippingofpaper.

ThankGod,shethought,hewasputtingonacondom.Andthenshewaspresseddownagainstthe

mattressagainandhewasoverher,herfingersthreadedthroughhisagain,histhighspushinghersopen,
wider,thenwiderstilluntilshewaswrappingthemaroundhiswaisttotakehimintoher.

“Mine.”
The one word penetrated the darkness and her heart was nearly pounding out of her chest as she

waited,poisedontheedgeofdangerousanticipation.

“I’vebeenwaitingforyouforsolong,Heather.I’mfinallygoingtomakeyoumine.”
“Yes,”shesaid,theonewordraw,andmoredesperatethanshe’deverheardfromherownlips.

And for all that she was trying to stop herself from saying something she’d regret in the morning, the
words,“Makemeyours,Zach,”couldn’tbestopped.

Whenhesurgedinsideher,sofiercelythatherheadwouldhavehithisheadboardifhehadn’tbeen

holdinghersofirmlyinplace,herbreathwhooshedoutofher.

She’dneverbeenwithamanthisbig,orthisstrong.Andshe’dcertainlyneverknownonewithsuch

sweetknowledgeofawoman’spleasure.Becauseashecontinuedtotakeherhard,fast,deep,sheknew
thatthiswaswhatshewanted,wasexactlywhatshe’dbeenyearningfor.

Notonlytofindsomeonewhocouldhelpherloseherself.Buttofindamanwhowouldpossessher

bodyinthedarkness,thenmakeherlaughinthelight.

Zach’spowerwasextraordinaryoverher,insideofher,sweatfromhischestmixingwithhers.She

wantedtotouchhim,wantedtorunherhandsoverallthosemuscles,theunwaveringstrength.Butatthe
sametime,howshelovedholdinghishands...andbeingheldrightback.

Her hips moved with his, rising to meet each powerful thrust, falling as he pulled back before

comingintoheragain,seeminglydeepereverytime.Shecouldfeelherbodytightening,innermusclesnot
usedtosuchexquisitepleasure,almostachingwithhowsensitiveherarousedfleshnowwas.

“Again,”hegrittedout,shewassurefrombetweenclenchedteeth,asheworkedtoholdontohis

own control. “Come for me, Heather. I need to feel you around me.” He plunged in harder, deeper.
“Now.”

Shewastheonewhogavetheorders,theonealwaysincontrol.Evenasfarflownasshewasinto

the sensual spell he’d wound around her with kisses, and caresses, and mysterious darkness, her brain
triedtosendoutawarning.Awarningtoholdsomethingback.Awarningtobetheonedictatingpleasure
forherself,ratherthanhavingitgiventoherasagift.

Butevenasflashesofsensecameatherthroughathickfogofdesire,howcouldshedoanythingbut

obeyZach’sorder?Especiallywhenhewasonlytellinghertodowhatherbodysodesperatelywanted?

Yes, she thought as she released her remaining hold over herself and let the plunge and pull of

Zach’sbodytakehercareeningovertheedgeonemoretime,thiswasexactlywhatshewanted.Toallow
herselfapleasureshe’dneverbeenabletofindwithanyoneelse.

Shewouldheedthewarnings,shewouldguardherheart,butshewouldn’tdenyherselfanyofthe

primalneed,theelementaldesireforthisman.Foraslongasitlasted,shewouldtakeallhehadtogive.

“SweetJesus,”hegroanedasherinnermusclesgrippedhimandshegroundherhipsupagainsthis

toprolongthepleasure,“whydidIwaitsolongtotakeyou?”

Sheshouldhavebeeninsultedbythewayhespokeabouttakingherandmaybeshewouldbelater,

butsheknewthetruth.

Untilthisverymoment,he’dbeengivingtoher,everythingsheneeded,everythingshewanted.All

he’dcaredaboutwasherpleasure.Yes,herpleasurepleasedhim,butthatwasn’twhyhe’dtouchedher,
kissedher,lovedherthewayhehad.

He’ddoneitallforher,hadbeenminutelyattunedtoeverybreath,toeveryheartbeat,toherscars,

and then to every gasp of pleasure. Only now that he knew she was completely satisfied, did he let
himselftake.

Heatherknewtheprecisemomenttheirlovemakingwentfrombeingallabouthertobeingforhim.

Thetenorchangedasheletgoofherhandsandslidhispalmsoverherbreasts,cuppingher,squeezing
herbeforemovinghishandslower,tocupthecurveofherhipsinhishands.

Itwasperfect,theshiftfromherpleasuretohis.Itwasjusthowitshouldbe,justhowshewanted

it,thattheywereequalpartnersineachother’spleasure.ShewantedtogiveZachwhathe’dgivenher.

Completefreedomtofallapart,withnorepercussionswaitingafterward.
Ashegrippedherhipstighterandtighter,shecouldfeelhimgrowingevenbigger,evenharderwith

eachpowerfulthrust.Hisfocusmightnotbeentirelyonherpleasureanymore,butevenso,shecouldfeel
herselfonthevergeofflyingagain.

Finallyabletotouchhim,shereachedup,ranherhandsoverhischest,thenovertohisupperarms.

Hismusclesandtendonsflexedbeneathherfingertipsandshemarveledathisstrengthevenassheused
herowntoholdontohimwithherhandsonhissweat-slickenedskin,herlegstightlywrappedaroundhis
hipsasshemethimthrustforthrust.

She wanted to focus only on him now, needed to make sure he felt as good as she did, but she

couldn’tstopherbodyfromrespondingtohowgooditfelt.Only,shedidn’twanttogotherealonethis
time.

“Zach.” She tried to warn him, but it was too late, she was already falling. “Please,” she heard

herselfbegthroughafog,knowinghewouldn’tunderstandwhatshewanted,thathewouldjustthinkshe
was pleading for him to prolong her next climax. Still, she said it again, the only two words she could
form.“Please,Zach.”

It didn’t take more than a split second for Heather to realize she’d underestimated him yet again.

Somewhereinthebackofhermind,itoccurredtoherthatheunderstoodherdesires,thathequitelikely
knewherbody,hersensualneeds,betterthansheeverhadherself.

Inthenextsweet,perfectmoment,Zach’snamewasfallingfromherlipslikeabenedictionashe

stilledaboveher,thenpulsedlongandhardwithhisownpowerfulrelease.

And,oh,howshelovedthewayhethreadedhishandsintoherhair,thencoveredhermouthina

kissthattoldherjusthowmuchshepleasedhim.Atleastasmuchashe’dpleasedher.

Finally,hecamedownoverher,breathinghard,hisweightheavyoverhersashepressedhereven

deeperintohismattress.Shedidn’tmindhisweightorthedampnessthatstuckbetweenthem,notwhen
shecouldwrapherarmsaroundhisbackandsimplyholdhim.

ChapterEighteen

HeatherwokeupafewhourslaterinthecircleofZach’sstrongarms.Instinctively,shesnuggled

into his naked body, but the warnings that hadn’t been able to pierce through the arousal clouding her
brainbefore,nowrushedinwithunrelentingfury.

Herelaydanger,feelingsoftandwarmandsafewithZachSullivan.
Shewasawoman,soshewouldallowherselfalittlesoftness.Warmthcouldn’tbehelped,either.

NotwhenZachwasawalking,breathingheatingunit.

Butsafe?
Onlyacompletefoolwouldletherselfbelieveshewassafewithhim.
Besides,theiragreementintheballpark’salleyhadbeenperfectlyclear.Theirrelationshipwasall

aboutsex.

Nothingelse.
OhGod,howcouldshealreadybeinsofaroverherheadwiththisman?She’dthoughtshewas

toughenoughtomakeapleasure-onlydealwithhim...butifshe’dknownthewayhewasgoingtomake
lovetoherlastnight,thatitwouldfeellikehewasgivinghisheartandsoultoher,too,sheneverwould
havebeensostupidlyarrogantastothinkthatshecouldbetheonewomanontheplanetnottoloseher
heart to Zach Sullivan. Adding in the way he’d found her scars, and asked how she’d been hurt, like it
brokehishearttoeventhinkofanythinghappeningtoher—nottomentionthewayshe’dcompletelylied
tohimabouthowthescarshadcometobe—hadashiverofwarningskitteringupherspine.

Andyet,evenhadsheknownallofthat,wouldshehavebeenabletoturnherbackonthechanceto

feelhisarmsaroundher,hislipspressingagainsthers,hishandsroughandsureonherskin?

No,shehonestlydidn’tthinkshewould.
Beyond irritated with herself for having neither self-control nor a big enough sense of self-

preservationwherehewasconcerned,shebegantolifthisarmfromwherehewasholdinghertightlyto
him.

Zach’sarmtightenedaroundherwaist.“I’vebeenwaitingforyoutowakeup.”
Hisbreathwaswarm,sensual,againstherear,hiserectionpressingintoherbottomasshetooka

deepbreath.Therewasnothingshewantedmorethantostayherewithhim.

Whichwasexactlywhysheneededtosucceedatpushingfromhisarmstoslideoffthebed.“Ineed

togo.”

“Notyet.”Histeethfoundherlobeandtuggedatit.“Ineedyouagain.”
Shebarelystifledaneedymoanasshefelttheimmediateansweringthrobatherbreasts,between

herlegs.Sheneededhim,too.

Onlyhoursafterhe’dgivenherashockingamountofpleasure,shewasdesperateformore.Forthe

slowcaressofhislarge,callousedhandsoverherskinashelazilyfilledhishandswithher.

“Youhavethemostbeautifulbody,Heather.”
Wantingtostopherstupidheartfromswellingathisheatedpraise,shemadeherselfsay,“Howcan

youtell,”asifshewerecogent,ratherthanalreadysinkingdeeperanddeeperbeneathhisspell,“when
youhaven’tevenseenitproperlyyet?”

Shelovedthesoundofhissoftlaughteragainstherneck,fartoomuch.
“Icanseeinthedark,remember?ButIcouldbeblindandknowhowbeautifulyouare.Justfrom

this.”Helethisfingertipsplayacrossherbreasts.“Andthis.”Heslidhishanddownoverherstomach
musclesintothealreadydampcurlsbetweenherlegs.

Shecouldn’tbelievehowdesperatehemadeherfeelwithhishandbetweenherthighsandhislips

plottingacourseofsensualdestructionacrossherneckandshoulders.ThankGod,thenextthingsheknew
hewasshiftingonthebedtoreachforanothercondom.

Whensheheardthefamiliartearingofthesmallpackage,shespuntoyankitoutofhishandsinthe

dark.Desiregaveherperfectaim,eventhoughshecouldstillbarelyseeathing.

Zachhelpedguidethecondominherhandtohiserectshaftandtogethertheyrolleditdownover

thethick,throbbinglength.

Lastnightshe’dlethimtakecontrolandithadbeenamazing,butnowthatsheknewthepleasurehe

couldgiveher,shecouldn’tpossiblysitbackandwaitforhimtotease,totantalizeagain.

Laying her palms flat on his chest, she pushed him back onto the bed and moved over him to

straddlehiships.Abreathlater,shewassinkingdownonhim.

“Youfeelsogood.”She’dneverbeenatalkerinbed,butwithZachshecouldn’tseemtoholdback

whatshewasfeeling.

Notwhenbeingwithhimreallywasthatgood.
Herinnermusclesclenchedaroundhimandshelovedthesoundofhisalmost-helplessgroanasshe

begantomove.

“Sodoyou.”Shefelthimthrobinsideofher,growingbiggerwitheverywordhespoke.“SogoodI

can’tbelieveit.”

She loved the way he moved with her, loved the feeling of hard muscles rippling beneath her

fingertipsasshebracedherselfonhischestandstomachassherodehim.Shelovedthefeelofhisbig
handsstrokingoverherfleshinthedarkness,thewayheseemedtoknowexactlywheretotouchherto
elicitevenmoresighsofpleasure.

Andeventhoughapartofherdesperatelywishedthesuncouldrisequicklysothatshecouldsee

himbeneathher,comingintoher,thetruthwasthatnothinghadeverbeenasgoodasthesweetcarnalityof
makinglovewithZach,darknessallaroundthemcreatingaworldthatwaspuresensation.Ifshecould
have,shewouldhavemadeitstretchonforever,wherenothingexistedbuttheirelementalconnection.

But everything was tightening too quickly, building too fast inside her again, heading toward the

peakhe’dsentherhurtlingoversomanytimesalready.Andwhenhesettledhislargehandsonherhipsto
shiftherpelvisslightlybeforethrustingupinasecretplaceinsidethatsentherreelingevenfurther,she
knewshehadnochoicebuttogiveintothemasteryhealreadyhadoverherbody.

“Whatdidyoujustdo?”
Hediditagainandshealmostcamerightthenandthere.
“Youlikeit,don’tyou?”
Likeit?Washecrazy?
Shefreakinglovedit.
Butshecouldn’tmanagewordsanymore,notwhenhewasthrustingupintoheragain,rightinthat

beautifulspotthattookherbreathcompletelyaway.Aquicklearner,shequicklyfiguredouthowtomove
withhimtomakeitevenbetter,thepushandpullofpureecstasyashewithdrew,thencamebacktodrive
herevencrazierwitheverypowerfulthrust.

Ifthathadbeenalltherewas,itwouldhavebeenenough.Morethanenough.Beyondamazing.
ButZach,shehadquicklylearned,neverdidanythingbyhalves.Andifhewasintentonrockingher

world,byGod,hewasgoingtoallbutblowittosmithereens.

Thenextthingsheknewhewassittingup,hisarmsmovingaroundherwaistasheadjustedherso

thatshewassittingonhislap,herlegsnowcrossedbehindhiships.Hewassodeeplikethis,deeper
thanshecouldhaveimaginedshecouldtakehim.

“Holdstill.”
Shewasgladforthemomentarypause,forthechancetoappreciatebeingsoclosetohim.
Oh!

Theslowslideofhistongueoverthetipofonebreasthadhersuckinginabreathbeforehemoved

tothenextanditwhooshedbackoutofherlungs.Backandforth,hearousedherwithhislipsandtongue
andteeth,thebristlesacrosshischinanutterlydeliciousscrapingagainsthersensitiveskin.

Hehadn’ttoldhershecouldmoveagain,buttherewasnowaytostopherhipsfromrockingagainst

his.Everythinginsideherdrewupsotightshethoughtshewouldshatter.

Andthen,onthenextstrongpullofhislipsagainsther,shedid.

ChapterNineteen

ZachhadtopullHeathercloser,hadtotrytoeraseanyspaceleftbetweenthemashefollowedher

over the edge. He continued to hold her close as they fought for breath in each other’s arms. He didn’t
wanttoletgoofher,wouldhappilyhaveheldheronhislapforever,butwhensheshiftedoverhim,he
forcedhimselftoloosenhisholdasshebegantoliftherselffromhim.

The sun was just starting to rise, and even though his night vision was good, seeing Heather’s

incrediblebeautyinthelightofdaytookawaythebreathhe’dfinallyregained.

“Letmelookatyou.”
“Thedogsneedtobeletout.”
Hewasn’twillingtoletherusethemasanexcusejustyet.“Theycanwaitafewmoreminutes.”
Pulling her firmly back onto his lap, he began to get hard again as he let his gaze rove over her

breasts,herwaist,herhips.“Nexttime,we’regoingtohaveeverylightinthehouseon.”

Shewentstillforamoment,beforelaughingoutloud.Helovedthewayshefelt—andlooked—as

herbodybouncedabovehim.

“IthinkIjustmightbeabletostomachlookingatyou,”shesaidasshescannedhisbodywithher

intelligent,appreciativeeyes.“Ireallydohavetogo,though.”

She pushed off his lap and he watched her walk naked toward the bathroom. The door closed

behindherandheheardthelockclickbeforetheshowercameon.

If she hadn’t just locked him out, he would be in there with her, showing her how much fun they

couldhavewiththecustomwaterjetsthathe’dhadinstalledonthebackwallofhisshower.

Zachgotoutofbedandreachedforhisclothes.SexwithHeatherhadbeenphenomenal.Butinstead

offeelingrelaxed,hewaswoundtight.

He’dnever,notonceinhislife,felttheurgetopinawomandownontheirnextdate.ButHeather

didn’tactlikeanyotherwomanheknew,allofwhomwouldhavebeenpullingoutthestopsthismorning
totryandnailhimdownforanothereveningtogether.

Hell,evenlettingherfallasleepinhisarmslastnighthadbeenoutsidetheboundsofhisrulebook.

Andhenevertookwomentohisplace.Itwaseasiertothrowonhisclothesandheadoutifhewentto
theirs.

Buthehadn’tthoughttwicebeforebringingHeathertohishouse.Notwhenhe’dbeenfantasizing

aboutthewayshe’dlookinhisbedsincethemomenthe’dseteyesonher.

The craziest thing of all, though, was the fact that he’d loved falling asleep with her. Almost as

muchashe’dlovedeverythingthathadcomebefore...andafter.

Whatwashappeningtohim?
Theonlythingheknewforsureanymorewasthathedidn’thaveaprayerofkeepinghishandsoff

her. Not after the hours they’d just spent together had completely blown his mind. Only an idiot would
willinglygiveupthatkindofpleasure.

Zach wasn’t an idiot. Not by a long shot. And he knew he needed to be extra careful about the

complicationsthatclearlywenthandinhandwithsuchextremepleasure.

HelikedHeather,andthatwasn’tgoingtochange.Butlovingherwasstilloutofthequestion.Now,

morethanever.

BecausethethoughtofmakingacommitmentofforevertoHeather,andthenleavingherbehindto

mournhimwhenhediedsuddenlyjustlikehisfatherhadmadeZach’sbloodruncoldinhisveins.

HeneverwantedanythingtohurtHeathereveragain.
Especiallynothim.

Heshovedonhisjeansandheadedintothekitchen,whereAtlasandCuddleswerecurledupwith

eachotheronhisrug.Atlaslookeduphopefully,thensighedwhenhesawitwasonlyZach.

“She’sintheshower.You’llgetherbacksoon.”
Andheshouldn’tbejealousofthefactthatherdamndogwasgoingtogettospendthewholeday

withher.Slamminghiscoffeepotintothemachine,heheardacrackandswore.

CuddlesfreakedoutattheloudsoundsandstartedbarkingjustasHeatherwalkedintotheroom,her

hairwetaroundhershoulders.Shehadononeofhiscleanbutton-downshirts,whichhungtoherknees.
Her face was makeup free, her feet were bare...and she looked more beautiful to him than any of the
perfectstarletsthathungfromhisbrotherSmith’sarmathismoviepremieres.

“Poor baby,” she said as she bent down for Cuddles to run into her arms. “Did that big, foul-

mouthedmanscareyou?”

ZachshovedawayhisenvyathownaturallyHeatheropenedherarmsforhispuppy.Whatifhe’d

runtoherlikethat?Wouldshehavebeenthatreceptive?Wouldhereyeshavelitupandwouldshebe
kissinghimnowinsteadofthelittlefurball?

“It’sallanact,”hetoldher,“thewholeI’m-just-a-little-defenseless-puppything.”
“Idon’tcare.”ShepressedakisstothetopofCuddles’shead.“Iloveheranyway.”Shelookedup

andpinnedhimwithaknowingglance.“Andsodoyou.”

“IfcountingdownthedaysuntilIcangiveherbackisyourdefinitionoflove,thenyeah,she’sthe

dogI’vebeenwaitingformywholelife.”

Hermouthmovedupintoawidegrin.“You’regoingtobelostwithouther.”
Notbotheringtodignifythatridiculousstatementwitharesponse,heploppedfourpiecesofbread

intothetoaster.

“So,wereyouimpressed?”
Shelookedmomentarilysurprisedbyhisquestion.SheputdownCuddlesbeforegoingtokissAtlas

onhislongmuzzle,thenmovedtothesinktowashherhandsbeforeeating.

“Yes.Very.”Sheshothimaninnatelysensuallookoverhershoulder.“Bothtimes.”
“Good,”hesaid,butwhenthesecondstickedbyandshedidn’tmoveovertohim,hehadtoadd,

“Youmissedone.”

Shelookedconfused.“WhatdidImiss?”
Henoddedtowardwherethedogswerestandingbythedoor,pawingatit.“Youkissedeveryone

butme.”

Surprise softened her pretty features and Zach actually found himself holding his breath as he

waitedtoseewhatshewoulddo.

Technically,goodmorningkissesweren’tintheirsex-onlyagreement,butthatdidn’tmeanhedidn’t

wantone.

Slowly,shemovedtowardhim,hischesttighteningdownevenfurtherwitheverystep.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel left out,” she said softly, and then she was putting her hands on

eithersideofhisfaceasshewentuponhertoestopressakisstohislips.

Theirkissesuntilnowhadbeenallaboutsex,anddesperateneed.
Thisonewasdifferent.
Thedesirewasstillthere,ridingbetweenthemthewayithadfromthefirstmomentthey’dmet,but

therewasasoftnessinthiskissthathe’dneversharedwithanyone.

Whenshesteppedback,shelookedasstunnedashefelt.Turningquicklytothedogs,shewentto

opentheslidingglassdoortoletthemoutintohisyard.

ZachmovedbesideHeatheratthedoortowatchthedogsplay.“Yourmuttlikesithere.”
Heathersighedbeforeagreeing,“Hedoes.”
“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

grabbedherhand,turninghertowardhim.Shelookeddownattheirlinkedfingers.

“YouknowexactlyhowmuchIlikedlastnight.”Shesoundedresignedandalittlebitupsetaboutit.

“Thesexwasgreat.”

Hedroppedherhand,stupidlyupsetwithheranswer.Whatthehellwaswrongwithhim?Shewas

exactly the woman he’d been looking for. Up for ridiculously great sex with none of the other junk
attachedtoit.Likefeelings.Orwantingmore.Ortryingtoanglethingstobehisgirlfriend.

Heatherwasperfect.
Thewholedamnthingwasperfect.
Heyankedthebreadoutofthetoaster,slappedonbutterandjam,thendroppedtheplatesoutonthe

breakfastcounterwherehe’dalreadyputtwocupsofcoffee.

“Sothen,we’reonfordoingitalloveragaintonight?”
Jesus, first he was trying to get her to write him poetry about being together, and then when she

didn’tgivehimtheanswerhewanted,hewasactuallybeggingforasecondnight.

Sheslidontotheleatherbarstoolandpickedupapieceoftoast.“Soundsfun,butthebigauctionfor

theanimalshelteristonight.”

Ifshewastryingtoblowhimoff,she’dhavetoworkahellofalotharderthanthat.
Hegotuptoletthedogsbackin,butinsteadofreturningtohisseatatthebar,hestoodinfrontof

her.“WhattimeshouldIpickyouup?”

Shefrowned.“Ididn’taskyoutogowithme.”
“Ilikeanimals.”HelookeddownatCuddles,whohadfoundashoefromhisclosettochewon.He

tooktheshoeoutofthepuppy’smouthandreplaceditwithaplasticchewtoy.

“I’veputalotofworkintothisevent,andIcan’tletanythingdistractmefrombringinginthemost

moneyfortheshelterthatIcan.”Sheputdownherunfinishedtoast.“Itwon’tworkforyoutocomewith
me,butI’mhappytogettogetherforsexafterwardifyouwant.”

Heatherwassayingexactlywhathe’dalwayswantedawomantosay,wasofferingpreciselywhat

he’dalwaysdreamedawomanwouldoffer.Only,nowthathiswishhadfinallybeengranted,itturnedout
thatgettingexactlywhathewantedgratedlikeasonofabitch.

“Whatareyougoingtowear?”
Sheblinkedathisnonsequitur.“Adress.”
Shewasbeautifulevenwhenshewasfrowningathim.Hedidn’tseeanypointincheckingtheurge

toleanforwardtokissthelinesbetweenhereyebrows.

“Whatcolor?”
Hedidn’tthinkshewasawareofreachinguptopressherfingertipstotheplacehe’djustkissedas

shesaid,“Blue.”

Zach wound a lock of her hair around his index finger and slid his thumb over the silky softness.

“I’veneverseenyouinadress.”

“You’veseenmenaked.Isn’tthatgoodenough?”
Hedidn’tthinkbeforeanswering,“No,itisn’t.”
Sheslidoffherseatandbackedawayfromhim.“Whatareyoudoing,Zach?”
“Workingongettinganinvitationtoyourparty.”
Sheshookherhead.“Ifyoucamewithme,everyonewouldthinkweweredating.”
“Sowhat?”
“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
steadyassheheldhis.“Tellmenowifyou’vechangedyourmindandwecanstoprighthere.”

Zach’s gut twisted at the thought of not seeing Heather again. One night with her wasn’t nearly

enough,buthotsexwasn’tallhe’dmissifshedecidednottobewithhimanymore.

He’dmissherlaughter.
He’dmissthewayshesoftenedaroundthedogs.
He’d miss her smart mouth ripping into him just like the people he loved the most in the world

alwayshad.

Butheknewwhyshewaswary.Herfatherwasanassholewhohadliedtoherhiswholelife.Zach

couldn’t love her, wouldn’t make the mistake of promising her a forever he didn’t have, but he would
neverlietoher.

“I’mnotgoingtohurtyou,Heather.”
Shewentperfectlystill.“Iknowyou’renot.BecauseI’mnotgoingtoletyou.”
Shegrabbedherbag,pickeduphercarkeys,andmadeasoundthathadAtlasleavinghisgamewith

Cuddlesandmovingtoherside.

Zachgrabbedherhandbeforeshecouldwalkawayfromhim.“I’llseeyoutonight.”Heknewwhat

she wanted to hear, so he made himself say, “For sex.” He let his mouth curve up into a grin. “Really,
reallygreatsex.”

He knew it could go either way at this point. All he could hope was that she’d enjoyed the time

she’dspentinhisarmsenoughtowanttodoitallagain.

Finally,shesaid,“Itwillprobablybereallylatebythetimeeverythingisover.”
“Late-nightsexisoneofmyspecialties.”
Hewasbeyondgladwhenshefinallysmiledagain.“Onlyyouwouldhavesexualspecialties.”
“Here’sanother,”hesaidbeforehegaveheragoodbyekissthatheintendedsherememberforthe

restoftheday.

ChapterTwenty

ThefirstthingZachnoticedthateveningwhenhesteppedintothelargeballroomatTheFairmont

wasHeather’slaughter.Shewasspeakingwithanoldercoupleandevenfromacrosstheroom,thesound
ofherjoywashedoverhim,justasithadthatmorningwhenshe’dbeenonhislapinbedandhe’dmade
herlaugh.

MyGod,hethoughtashetookinherlong,silkyhairflowingdownherbackandthelong-sleeved,

darkbluedressthatendedjustbelowherkneestoshowcaseherperfectlytonedandtannedcalvesand
ankles.She’ssobeautiful.

Helovedherinshorts,andhadmorethanonefantasyaboutallthefunhecouldhavewiththatlong

braidofhersinbed.She’dalwaystakenhisbreathaway,withoutdoingadamnthingtotrytoaccentuate
her natural beauty. All around her, women were decked out in sequins and sky-high heels intended to
draweyestothem.Butinhersimplebluedress,Heatheroutshonethemall.

She hadn’t wanted him here as a distraction, but he’d come anyway because that was how he’d

alwaysrunhislife.Puttingwhathewanted—andhisownhappiness—first.

Only,nowthathewashere,ashewatchedhermovethroughthecrowdtospeakwithpeoplewho

clearlyadmiredthehelloutofher,herealizedhecouldn’tgothroughwithhisplantosurpriseher,then
kissherintonotbeingmadathimforignoringherrequesttostayaway.

Itwasonethingtorearrangeherseatattheballgamesothatshe’dhavetositnexttohim.Itwas

anothertoscrewupanimportanteventshe’dworkedlongandhardonjustbecausehewasaselfishprick
whocouldn’tmakeitanotherhourwithoutseeingher.

TonighthewantedHeathertobehappy.
Movingtoashadowedpartoftheroom,hedrankinhergrace,herconfidence,asshetookthestage.

He’dalwaysgravitatedtowardyoungerwomenwhodidn’tdemandanythingfromhimapartfromagood
time.Heatherwasthepolaroppositeofthemall.Shedidn’tneedhim,didn’tneedanymantotakecareof
herortotellhershewasworthy.

Afewsecondslater,themusicplayingoverthespeakersturnedoffandthespotlightwenttowhere

Heatherwasstandingonthestage.

“Thankyou,everyone,forcomingheretonighttosupporttheSanFranciscoAnimalShelter.Iknow

each and every one of us in this room is shocked to know that animals are still being abused and
neglected,householdpetsmostoftenofall.”

Behindher,ascreenshowedpicturesofdogswalkingwiththeirowners,catsplayingwithchildren,

puppiescuddlingwithbabies.Someofthedogsandcatsweremissingalegoraneye,butanyonecould
seehowhappytheywerenowthatthey’dfinallyfoundfamilieswholovedthem.

“That’swhywe’reallheretonight,toraisemoneytosupportthoseanimalswhoarebroughtinto

theshelterhurtandafraid.Withtherightloveandcare,it’sourhopethattheywillallfindlovinghomes
andownerswhowillcareforthemthewaytheyshouldhavebeencaredforfromthedaytheywereborn.
Everypennyoftheproceedsfromtonight’sauctionwillgostraighttotheshelter,andtheanimalswhoso
desperatelyneedourhelp.Thankyouforreachingdeepforthem.”

As she stepped away from the podium to let the auctioneer run through the list of items up for

bidding,Zachpulledhisvaletparkingtagfromhispocketandheadedforthefrontofthehotel.

“Ineedyoutobringmycararoundandleaveitoutfront.”
“Aren’tyougoingtobedrivingit,sir?”
“No,”hesaidwithoutevenneedingtogiveitasecondthought,“Iwon’t.”

***

Heather was pleased with how well the bidding was going on the auction items. Still, as the

auctioneer called out the final items on the list, she calculated that it was going to be a close finish to
reachtheirfundraisinggoal.

Andthen,suddenly,theothermanfromtheauctionfirmmotionedtotheauctioneerwithapieceof

paper.

Heatherfrowned.Whatwasgoingon?
Theauctioneerunfoldedthepaperandwhateverhereadonitmadehiseyeswiden.Withouttaking

thetimetoconferfirstwithHeather,hequicklymovedbackbehindthepodium.

“I’m pleased to let everyone know that we have a last-minute addition to our biddable items. A

trulyexcellentaddition.”Itwasasifheneededtocatchhisbreathfirstbeforesaying,“Theclassic1967
Lamborghini400GTisinmintcondition.”TheapproximatevaluehelistedhadHeather’sjawdropping
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.Biddingwillbegininpreciselytenminutes.”

Itwasastampedeaseverymanandhalfthewomenmadeadashfortheballroomdoors.
TheauctioneerturnedtoHeatherandsaid,“Thisistrulyextraordinary.IfIhadthefunds,I’dbidon

itmyself.”

Needing to know who would give the animal shelter something so precious, just moments before

biddingended,Heatherquicklyheadedawayfromthestageandhadtopushthroughthecrowdedlobby.
Thereweretoomanypeoplejammedintothesmallspaceforhertoseeanypartofthecar,butoneman
wasalmostaheadtallerthantherest.

Zach.
Shockhadherstoppingdeadinthecenterofthelobby.TheLamborghinihadtobehis.
Herheartthuddedtoahaltinherchestassherealizedshecouldn’tlethimgiveitaway,evenifit

meant the shelter would have almost an entire extra year of operating expenses taken care of with the
money that car would bring in. Not if he was giving it away for all the wrong reasons...and not if the
donationmeanthe’dnowexpectthingsfromherthatshesimplycouldn’tgivehim.

Healreadyhadherbody,foraslongashewantedit.
Butherultimatetrust—andthesecret,walled-offpartsofherheart—wouldalwaysbeofflimits.
Shehadtopushthroughthepeopletoreachhim.“Zach!”shecalled,needingtogethisattentionto

tellhimitwastoomuch,butbeforeshecould,theauctioneer’svoicecouldbeheardoverthecrowd.

“Thetenminutesarenearlyup.Biddingwillbeginrightaway.”
The excited group rushed back into the ballroom, leaving only Heather and Zach standing alone

outside.Hiseyesrovedoverherface,herhair,herdress,herlegs.

“You’rejustasbeautifulasIknewyou’dbe.”
Shefeltherselfflushwithpleasureathiscompliment,evenasshesaid,“Youshouldn’thavedone

this,Zach.”Flustered,sheblurted,“Whydidyoudoit?”

“Ihadto.”
“Didyou—”Shecouldn’tbelieveshewasactuallygoingtosaythis.“Didyoudoitforme?”
Hiseyesweredarkastheyheldhers.“Yes.”
Herbreathcaughtinherthroat.“Givingawayanexpensivecarwon’tchangeanythingbetweenus.

Youknowthat,right?”

“IfIthoughtIcouldbuyyou,IwouldhavedoneitthatfirstdayImetyou.Don’tinsultusboth.”The

biteofhiswordssoftenedasheadded,“Youwereveryconvincinguponthatstage,Heather.”

She flushed, biting back the apology on her tongue. Instead, she said, “It’s too much, Zach.

Especiallysinceyoudidn’texactlytakemuchtimetothinkoverthedonation.”

“No,”hetoldherinasseriousavoiceasshe’deverheardfromhim,“auctioningoffoneofmycars

isn’t nearly enough. Just thinking about what might have happened to Cuddles if she’d ended up in the
wronghandsmakesmesick.”

“Still,”sheinsisted,“youcouldhavegivenawaysomethingelse,likefreecarserviceforayearat

yourgarage.I’mafraidyou’regoingtoregretgivingawaysomethingsoprecious.”

“It’sjustacar,Heather.Ahunkofmetalthat’sputtogethertodrivefast.Iwouldnevergiveaway

anythingtrulyprecious.”Hiseyesdarkenedevenfurtherwithheatandaflashofemotionthathitherjust
behindherbreastbone.“YoumustknowbynowthatI’mfartooselfishforthat.”

Healwaysdidthattoher,madeithardforhertofindherbreathatthesametimethatshecouldn’t

helpbutgiveintoasmile.“Youareprettyselfish,”sheagreed.

“Greedy,too,”hesaidashefinallymovedcloseenoughtopullherintohisarms.
Ifshe’dmanagedtoforgethowgoodhisgoodbyekisshadbeenthatmorning,thekisshegaveherin

frontoftheFairmontwastheperfectreminder.

Of course, she hadn’t forgotten a thing about that earlier kiss. And she wouldn’t be forgetting

anythingaboutthisone,either.

Whenhefinallylethergo,shewasgladhisarmswerearoundhertoholdheruponshakylegs.
“Besides,” he murmured against her earlobe, “getting to see you in that dress—and knowing I’m

goingtostripitoffyoulater—iswortheverypenny.”

Heatherlikedhimsomuchmorethansheshould.Hemadeitsohardnotto.Ifhe’dgivenawaythe

carbecausehewantedpeopletobeimpressedwithhim,ifhe’ddoneittotrytobuyapartofherheart,
shecouldhavewrittenhimoffasjustanotherrichblowhardwithmoremoneythansense.

Buthe’dclearlydoneitsimplybecausehebelieveditwastherightthingtodo.
Andthistimeshewastheonekissinghimbeforegrinningandsaying,“Iwouldhaveletyoutakeoff

mydressforfree.”

ChapterTwenty-one

“Timeforbed.”
Heather looked up from where she was placing empty wine glasses in their plastic cases to find

Zachstandinginfrontofher.“Butthere’sstillsomuchtodo.”

“Thecateringstaffcantakecareoftherestofit.”Hetookherhandsinhisandpulledhertoher

feet.

The heat in his eyes immediately drew her in and she knew there was no more fighting the

inevitable. She wanted to sleep with Zach again, of course, but she was worried that she was going to
forgettokeepitjustsex,evenmorethanshehadforgottenthenightbefore.Afterhisselflessnesstonight,
shewasverymuchafraidthatherheartwasgoingtodosomethingstupidinresponse.

Shewassurprisedwhenheledhertothebankofelevatorswithhislargehandonthesmallofher

back. She was tall enough that she rarely felt small around a man, but between his height and broad
shoulders—andhisairofconfidentmasculinity—she’dalwaysfeltincrediblyfemininearoundZach.

“WhereisCuddlestonight?”
“Hanging with Atlas at your assistant’s house. She’d already mentioned that she was going to be

watchingAtlasandsaidshewashappytohavethemboth.”

Heather turned to him in surprise just as the elevator door opened. “Have women always been

unabletoresistgivingyouwhateveryouwant?”

Hispretendedtoleerather.“WhateverIwant,huh?”
Sherolledhereyes.“Iwastalkingaboutotherwomen,notmyself.Icanresistyoujustfine,”she

liedwithaflourish.

Hisgrintoldherheknewotherwiseasheslidhiskeycardinforthepenthousesuite.
“You booked the penthouse for tonight?” On top of giving away a shockingly expensive car just

hoursago?“Haveyoucompletelylostyourmind?”

“Most women not only give me whatever I want, but they also know my net worth within five

minutesofmeetingme.”Heslidthefingersofonehandintoherhairandtuggedhercloserbeforesaying,
“You’rethefirstonewhodoesn’tcareaboutmymoney.”

Hewasright,shedidn’t.Andmaybeifsheweren’tsotired,shewouldhavemoderatedherthoughts

alittlebetterbeforeblurting,“You’rehardlyeverserious.Howcanyourunabusinessthatbigwithout
workingallthetimelikeeveryoneelse?”

True to form, he didn’t look upset about what she’d just said, or how she’d said it. “Like I said

before,they’rejustcars.Andtrustme,Heather,”hesaidinthatlowvoicethatalwayssentshiversrunning
upanddownherspine,“wheneverIdecidetofocusonsomethingIwant,Ialwaysgetit.”

Shebelievedhim,especiallywhenhepressedherbackagainstthewalloftheelevator.Hismouth

was sinfully delicious against hers as his stubble rasped against her cheeks and chin. She immediately
woundherarmsaroundhisnecktopullhimcloserastheirkissdeepened.

“Isthere a Stopbutton in thisthing?” she found herselfasking against hislips, even though she’d

never done something crazy like have sex in an elevator. Then again, she would never have felt safe
enoughtodothatwithanyonebutZach.

Butbeforeeitherofthemcouldfindit,theyreachedthetopofthebuildingandthedoorsslidopen.

Together,theymovedoutoftheelevator,notseparatingorstoppingtheirkiss.Feelingbold,shegrabbed
theroomkeyfromhim,presseditagainstthecardreaderbesidethedoubledoors,andusedhistietodrag
himinside.

Lastnighthe’druntheshow.

Tonight,shewantedherturnatbeingincharge.
Thelastthingsheexpectedtoseewasamassagetablesetupinthemiddleoftheexpensive-looking

carpet.“Dowehavethewrongroom?”

“Nope,”hesaidwithasoftkisstoherlips.“You’vebeenworkingsohardallday.Idon’twantyou

tobesoretomorrow.”

Shecouldn’tbelievehe’darrangedamasseuseforher.
Orthathewasplanningtomakeherwaittohavehim.
“Youdon’tplayfair,doyou?”
“Youwouldn’twantmeto,”hesaidagainstthecurveofherneck,wherehe’dstartednibblingon

herskin.

Andhewasright,shethought,eventhoughherentirebodybuzzedwitharousal,withthedesperate

needtohavehiminsideofherrightnow.EveryothermanthathadcomebeforeZachnowseemedboring.
Unimaginative.Shecouldn’trememberasinglereasonshewouldwanttobewithanyoneelse.

He gave her one of those evil grins she was beginning to dread...and wish for at the exact same

time.“BeforeIcallinthemasseuse,I’dbettergetyouundressed.”

Heturnedheraround,foundthezipperatthebackofherdress,anddrewitdown.Thedarkblue

fabricflutteredawayfromherbodyandallittookwasonesofttugforittoslidedownhershoulders,
overherarms,pastherhipsandtothefloor.Turningheraroundwithhislargehandsonherwaist,hetook
astepbacktolookatherinherbra,panties,thigh-highstockings,andheels.

“You’rethemostbeautifulwomanI’veeverseen.”
Shehatedtobreakthespell,butshedidn’twanttheretobeanyliesbetweenthem.Especiallywhen

hedidn’tneedtosaythingslikethattogetherintobedwithhim.

“I’mnot.”Shefoughttheurgetotrytocoverherarms,andtheoldscars,byhidingthembehindher

back.

“Youare.”
Hesaidthewordswithsuchintensity,thateventhoughshecouldn’tpossiblyseehowitwastrue,

shehadnochoicebuttobelievehemeantit.

And then, he was reaching for her hands. But instead of threading his fingers through hers, his

thumbs caressed her old scars, one by one as he moved his hands further up from her wrists, over her
forearms,tothesoftundersideofherelbows.

Itwastoomuchforher,thewayheseemedtoadoreevenherimperfections,andshemadeasound

ofprotest.“Zach,I—”

He kissed her before she could say anything else, but he didn’t stop touching her, didn’t stop

exploring her battered skin with his fingertips. She’d been right about a mechanic’s hands, about how
talentedtheycouldbe.Hewasturninghertoputtyagain,butshedidn’twanttojustsitbackandfeel.

Shewantedtoberighttherewithhim,anequalinpassion,apartnerindesire.Andshedidn’tthink

shecouldstandforhimtobethatgentle,thatsweet,anothersecondlongerwithoutherheartfalling.

Slidingquicklyfromhisgrasp,sheundidtheclasponherbra.Asthestrapsfellfromhershoulders,

andherbrabegantheslowslidefromherbreasts,shelovedthehungerinZach’seyes.

Andlovedevenmorethatitseemedthemostobviousthingintheworldtodropslowlytoherknees

infrontofhim.

***

Zach had planned to keep his hands off Heather until she’d had her massage. He’d witnessed

firsthandtonighthowhardshe’dworkedforthefundraiser,andeventhoughhe’dwantedhereverysingle
second since she’d left his arms that morning, he’d been trying to wait to take her again until she was

relaxedandreadyforhim.

Heshouldhaverealizedhisplanswereshottohellwhensheyankedhiminsidethesuitebyhistie.

Buthewassousedtodoingthingshisway,itstillhadn’toccurredtohimthatHeathermightnotlethim
getawaywiththattonight...orthatshe’dactuallydroptoherkneesandlickherlipsinpuresensualneed
assheunzippedhim.

Hehadtoslidehishandsintoherhairashertonguefoundhimfirstandthenshe—
Jesus,hermouth.
A few minutes later, Zach somehow managed to pull back and lift her into his arms. But as he

movedtowardthebedroomandkickedopenthedoor,hehadtoleanoverhertotakeonebeautifulbreast
intohismouth.

Shewrappedherarmsaroundhisneckandcriedouthisnameashelavedfirstone,thentheother.

Theysankdowntothemattresslikethat,withhisgreedymouthonhersoftskinasherhandsheldhishead
overherchest,groaningwhenhislipsandtonguemetherwarm,sinfullysweetflesh.

Zachhadalwayslovedsexineveryform—slowsex,roughsex,playfulsex,quickanddirtysex—

buthe’dneverfeltthisdesperation,thisprimalneedtoclaimawomanashisbefore.Andwhenhefinally
lookeduptoseeHeather’slong,darkhairfannedoutonthepillow,hercheeksflushedwithexcitement,
hereyesdarkandhazywitharousal...helostit.

Allthoseplanstoheightenheranticipationbymakingherwait,totakehistimelearninghercurves

andhollowsalloveragainwiththelightsonthistime,shatteredinthefaceofhisoverpoweringdesireto
takeher.

Tomakeherhis.
His hands were shaking as he slid his fingers into the sides of her panties, his erection growing

evenbiggerattheshockinglysexyviewofHeather’snearlynakedbodyonthebed.Hewantedherfull
breastspressedintohischest,herlonglegswrappedaroundhishipsashetookherup,up,up,thenover
withhim.

“Hurry,”sheurgedhim,buthowcouldheresistthescent,thetasteofher?Herpantieswereonly

halfwaydownherthighswhenhebenthisheaddowntorunhistongueoverher.

Shebuckedupintohismouthashelavedthecenterofherarousalandasplitsecondlaterhehadto

usehishandsonherhipstoholdherstillasshebegantocryoutandquiverbeneathhismouth.Ripping
herpantiestherestofthewayoff,hepushedherlegsopenwidertowringeveryounceofpleasureoutof
herbeautifullyunexpectedclimax.

Zachlovedthewayshetrembledbeneathhislips.Shewasoneofthestrongestwomenhe’dever

met,butwhentheyweremakinglove,shewasallsoftnessandpleasure.

Hewantedtotakeherupoverthatedgeagain,couldhavelistenedtohergaspsofpleasureallnight

long,andwouldhaveforgonehisownorgasmtodojustthathadshenotalreadyrippedopenthecondom
he’dthrownontothebedandsatuptoslideitoverhiserection.

“Allnightlong,Ineededyouinsideme,Zach.Ican’twaitanothersecond.”
This time it was her hands that were shaking as she pulled him down over her. Their mouths

connectedattheexactmomentheslidintoher,andheswallowedhergaspofpleasurewithhiskiss.

Againandagaintheyrockedtogether,hardfleshagainstsoft,Heatherpossessinghimeverybitas

muchashewaspossessingher.Theyrolledsothatshewasontop,herstrongmusclesflexingassherode
him harder, faster, their mouths still fused in passion. His hands couldn’t decide where to go, to her
breastsorherhips,andheendedupstrokingheragainandagainfromcurvetocurve,herskingrowing
hotter,slickerbeneathhispalms,ashedrovehigherintoherwitheverycaress.

Andjustashefeltherinnermusclestightendownoverhim,heconfessed,“Ineedyou,too.More

thanI’veeverneededanyone.”

He could hardly believe the beauty before him as his heated words gave her the final push she

neededtotumbleintoapowerfulclimax.Onesostrongthatdespitehowbadlyhewantedtostaylucid
enoughtowatchher,todrinkineverysecondofherpleasure,Zachhadnochoicebuttojoinher.

Ittookalongwhileforthemtocatchtheirbreath,andwhenhemovedtoliftherupagain,shewas

halfasleepagainsthimashecarriedherintothebathroom.

“Tootiredforamassage,”shemurmuredagainsthischest.
Hekissedherforehead,thenturnedonthetub,makingsurethewaterwaswarmbeforelowering

thembothintoit.Shesighedasshefeltthewatermoveoverhernakedskin,butshedidn’topenhereyes.
Instead,withherbacktohisfront,herhipsbetweenhisthighs,sheleanedherheadbackfartheragainst
hisshoulder.

“Socomfortablewithyou,”shesaidinasleepyvoice.
Hesmiledagainstherhair,happytobeherpillowforaslongassheliked.Anothertime,he’dshow

her all the fun they could have in the tub together, but knowing she’d appreciate waking up clean and
fresh,hesoftlyranthebarofsoapoverherbeautifulskin.

Shepracticallypurredbeneathhistouch,buteventhoughheknewshewasenjoyingthesensuality

oftheirbath,nothingcouldtrumpherneedforsleeprightnow.Still,hewasn’tevenclosetobeingasaint,
sowhenherthighsinstinctivelyopenedforhimtosoapherup,helethimselfplayoverthatsoftskina
littlemorethanhehadeverywhereelse.

Evenhalf-asleep,shebuckedupintohishand,andmadelittlepleadingnoisesforpleasurethathe

couldn’t help but want to fulfill. Dropping the soap, he swirled his fingers into the curls between her
thighs.

Hecouldtellshewassomewherebetweenadreamandthebathtubasshebreathedouthisname.

God,helovedhearinghersayit.Whethershewashornyorangry,laughingorirritated,hewantedher.

Neededher.
Healreadyknewjusthowshelovedtobetouched.Momentslatershewasshudderingagainsthim,

hereyesstillclosed,asmilecurvingupherlipsbeforeeverymuscle,everyboneinherbodyfinallywent
laxagainsthim.

Heliftedherfromthetub,toweledheroff,andtuckedherintobed.Asshecurledagainsthim,one

thighoverhis,herfacepressedintothecrookofhisshoulder,herarmacrosshischest,hewassurprised
torealizeheactuallydidn’tmindgoingtobedwithouthavinghertakecareofhispleasureagain.

Not when the chance to be with Heather like this, when she was soft and supple and perfectly

trusting,wasalreadymorethanhethoughthecouldeverhave.

ChapterTwenty-two

HeatherwasjustwakingupwhensherealizedZachwasn’tinbedwithher.Shecouldn’tbelieve

howlateitwas.Sheneversleptpast6:30a.m.,sohowcouldtheclocksay10a.m.?

Sittingupinbed,shelookedthroughtheslightlyopenbedroomdoorintothepenthouselivingroom,

whereshecouldhearZachspeakingonthephone.

“Idon’tknowifIcandothisone,Tommy.Areyousurenooneelseisavailable?”camebeforea

slightlyresigned,“Sure,Icanbetherebythisafternoonforsomepracticerunswiththecrew.”

Shegrabbedasuper-softrobefromthearmoireandwalkedintothelivingroomjustintimetohear

Zachcurseashedroppedhisphoneontothecoffeetable.

“Goodmorningtoyou,too,”sheteasedhim.
Hereachedoutandgrabbedforhersofastthatshefoundherselfsprawledonhislapwithhismouth

onhers.Sheshouldhavegottenenoughofhimalready.Instead,everytimehekissedher,touchedher,she
onlyfoundherselfwantingmore.

“IhadsomanyplansforaSundayalonewithyou,”hemurmuredagainsthermouthwhenhefinally

letherupforair.“MybuddyTommyjustscrewedthemallup.”

Heatherhadtoworkhard—reallyhard—tokeepfromshowingherowndisappointmentthathehad

toleavealready.Shehadn’tplannedtospendanypartoftheweekendwithhim,butafterthewayFriday
nighthadturnedintoSaturdaymorningandthenwasrepeatedalloveragainSaturdaynight,she’dstarted
togetusedtohavinghimaround.Enough,atleast,thataSundaytogetherwouldn’thavekilledher.

Shealmostaskedhimwhereheneededtorushoffto,butitwasthekindofthingagirlfriendneeded

toknow.Notasexbuddylikeher.

Fortunately,hetoldheranyway.“Tommywasagoodfriendofmyfather’s.Mydadtaughtmehow

tobuildanengine,andthenTommyshowedmehowtodriveonerealfast.”Hewaspressingsoftkisses
alongtheundersideofherjawashespoke.“Hisdoctorwouldn’tsignoffonhimtogetintothecarthis
timearoundandheneedssomeonetosubforhiminaraceonMondaymorning.I’vegottogettoSouthern
Californiabythisafternoontodosomepracticerunswiththecrew.”

Of course he raced cars, she thought. A man like Zach wouldn’t be content with just being a

business mogul. It wouldn’t be enough that he could slay at least half the human population just by
glancingintheirdirection.Hewouldneedtherushoftestingthelimitsofthefastcarshebuilt,too.And
shehadaprettygoodsensethathewasn’tafraidofgettinghurt,thatthosekindsoffearswouldn’thold
himbackthewaytheymightwithotherpeople.

But just thinking about Zach getting into a race car and driving real fast had her heart pounding.

Whatifhegothurt?Whatifthesepastfewdayswithhimweretheonlyonessheevergottohave?

Shewassurprisedtorealizethescarsonherarmsweretingling,likeamainlinefromheremotions

toherbody.

Workingtosoundlikeitwasnobigdeal,sheasked,“Howlonghaveyoubeenracing?”
Justbecauseshewassleepingwithhimdidn’tmeanhisgrinhadanylessimpact.Ifanything,ithit

her even harder now. Because she knew how fast that grin could bend into a sensual look that melted
downhershould-stay-icycore.

“PrettymuchsincethedayIgotmydriver’slicense.”
“Soundslikefun,”shesaid,butthencouldn’tstopherselffromadding,“butisn’titdangerous?”
Hiseyesflashedwithsomethingshecouldn’tquitereadbeforeheshrugged.“We’regoingcloseto

200milesperhour.Ofcourseit’sdangerous.”

Herfingersitchedtosmackhimforhisdevil-may-careresponse.“I’msureyourfamilywouldbe

reallyupsetifanythinghappenedtoyou.”

Hiseyesnarrowedonherasifheknewshewasreallysayingshewouldbereallyupsetifanything

happenedtohim.Butinsteadofcallingheronactingmorelikeapossessivegirlfriendthanshehadany
righttobegiventheirarrangement,hesaid,“Youshouldcome.I’llstrapyouinrealtightandtakeyoufor
aride.”

Justthatfast,thewickedglintinhiseyesgotherhearttoracingforreasonsthathadnothingtodo

withhisgettinghurtinaspeedingcar.

Bothashiverofneedandathrillatthethoughtoflettinglooseinaspeedingcarwerethereasshe

teased,“Youjustliketheideaofstrappingmeintosomething.”

Heabruptlystoodupwithherinhisarmsandcarriedherovertothemassagetable.“Unfortunately,

therearenobindingsonthis,butI’msurewecanimprovise.”Shetriedtoclutchtherobetoherchestbut
hequicklyhaditoffhershoulders.“Readyforyourmassage?”

Herbreathwasalreadycomingtoofastandhermouthfeltdryasshesaid,“Don’tyouneedtogo

raceafastcar?”

“Ipromisedyouamassagefirst,andIalwaysmakegoodonmypromises.”
Shetriednottoreadtoomuchintohistalkofpromises.Itwasjustsexytalk.Hewasbeingplayful,

the way he usually was. People threw around a lot of words they didn’t mean when they were having
reallyawesomesexwithoneanother.

“Inthatcase,I’mnotgoingtoturndowntheoffer,”shesaidinadeliberatelylightvoice.“Howdo

youwantme?”

Hiseyesdarkenedwithdesireatherprovocativequestion.“Let’sstartwithyouonyourstomach.”
Tryingnottofeelself-consciousaboutbeingcompletelynakedonthepaddedmassagetable,shegot

intoposition.Helefttheroomforamoment,andwhenhecamebacktostandinfrontofher,shelooked
downathisbarefeetthroughtheholeinthepaddedheadrest.Shewasn’tsurprisedtonotethathisbare
feetwereasperfectastherestofhim.

“Usuallythemasseuseputsasheetoverme.”
“Isureashellhopeso,”hegrowledasshesuddenlysmelledlavender.“You’dbetterneverletany

elseseeyoulikethis.”

Hewasthemostpossessivemanshe’devermet.Butanyprotestsshemighthavemadeaboutnoone

owningherbutherselfwerelostinamoanofsheerblissashishandsbegantomassagehershoulders.

“IthoughtsexwithyouwasthebestthingI’deverfelt,butthismightactuallybebetter.”
ShewassolostinthethroesofthesweetpleasureofZach’shandsbreakingdownherstiffmuscles

that it wasn’t until he said, “The best thing you’ve ever felt, huh?” that she realized what she’d just
admitted.

“Massagesareworsethandrugsforme,”sheimprovised,thewayhewastouchinghermakingher

wordssurprisinglytrue.“IgetloopyandsaythingsIdon’tmean.”

Hislaughterwashedoverherjustashemoveddownoverhershoulderbladestothemiddleofher

back.Hishandsweresolargethattheyeasilyspannedherribcage.“IwonderwhatelseIcangetyouto
say?”

Nomatterhowgoodhemadeherfeel,shewaskeepinghermouthshutfromhereonout.Godonly

knewwhathewasgoingtodowiththatinformationshe’djustaccidentallyhandedhimonasilverplatter.
ThelastthingaguylikeZachneededtoknowwasthathewasthesexualchampionontopofeverything
else.

“Do your worst,” she challenged him, but her words were muffled by another low moan of

pleasure.

“Don’tyoumeanmybest?”heaskedinasilkyvoicethatshouldhavehadhertensingtoprepareher

defenses.

Buthowcouldshewhenhechosethatmomenttopresshisthumbsintothesmallofherbackwhere

she’dbeenachingfromliftingandcarryingeverythingintheballroomtosetuplastnight’sfundraiser?

“Oh.God.Yes.”
Butherutterandcompletecapitulationobviouslywasn’tgoodenoughforhim,becauseamoment

later he had slid his hands down to her hips and was massaging her glutes. She gasped at the shocking
pleasure of her sore muscles beneath his fingertips, along with the sensuality of knowing whose hands
wereonher...andthathecouldchooseatanymomenttodosomuchmorethanjustmassagehermuscles
withthem.

“Can’tevenformwordsnow,canyou?”
Hesoundedincrediblypleasedwithhimself,andyet,shecouldhearthewayhisconfidentwords

brokeattheends.Asifhewasholdingontohiscontrolbyaverythinthread.

From the first moment she’d met him, she’d wanted to snap that control, wanted to best him by

knockinghimoffhispedestal.Andeventhoughshelikedhimawholeheckofalotmorenowthanshe
everthoughtshewould—anddespitethewayhewasturninghermusclesandmindtomushwithhands-
downthebestmassageshe’deverhad—shestillcouldn’tresistthaturge.

Frankly,shedidn’twantto.
The truth was that if she ever let down her defenses around Zach, Lord knew how he’d take

advantageofthat.

“ThisiswhenIusuallyturnover,”sheinformedhiminwhatshehopedwasafairlysteadyvoice.
Thistimehewastheoneleftspeechlessassherolledoverontoherbackanddeliberatelyliftedher

armsaboveherhead.Zach’seyes,shewaspleasedtosee,blazedwithfire.

Beforehecouldpickaplacetorub,sheboldlysaid,“Myarmsaresore.”
She’dhiddenherscarsfromeveryoneelse,buteverytimeZachtouchedthem,caressedthemarks

ofoldpain,shefeltsoothed.

Healed.
Theonlysoundsintheroomcamefrombothofthembreathing,fasterandlouderwitheverysecond

ofthesensualmassage,andshewasn’tsureanymorewhichofthemwasmakingmorenoiseasheworked
out the tension in her biceps and triceps. When he moved his hands down toward her breasts, she was
surehe’ddecidedtogoforthegold,butinsteadhefoundamusclejustbelowhercollarbonethathadher
practicallysobbingwithgratitude.

“You’reamazing.”
She opened her eyes and saw him staring down at her with such intensity as he replied, “So are

you.”

The reverence in his words, combined with the fact that he still didn’t touch her breasts as he

movedhishandslowerdownherribcage,hadhereyesclosingagain,herlowerlipslidingbetweenher
teethasshetriednottobeghimforevenmorepleasure.

“That’smyjob,”sheheardhimsay,andthenhisteethwerereplacinghersonherlowerlipandhe

tuggeditinbetweenhislips.“God,youtastegood,”hesaidandthenhewaskissinghersomemore,an
upside-downkissthatstoletherestofherbraincellsawayinperfectchoreographywithhishandsasthey
movedfromthebottomofherribcagetofeatheroverherstomach,thenlowerstill.

Sheopenedupforhim,moanedintohismouthasheslidonehandpastherdampcurlsandintoher,

whiletheothermovedinperfectcirclesoverthepointofarousalbetweenherlegs.Justthatquickly,she
wentoffbeneathhim.Somehow,hemanagedtobetherenotjustwithhishands,hisfingers,butwithhis
mouth,too.

Tooimpatienttoletherclimaxrunitscourse,shepulledhimupoverhersothatbothofthemwere

lyingonthenarrowmassagetable.Sherippedatthezipperofhisjeansandhewasreadywithacondom
thesecondshehadhimfree.

Wrappingherselfaroundhimwassonatural,soperfect,thatitwasalmostasifhe’dalwaysbeen

therewithher,inherarms,holdingher.

Lovingher.

ChapterTwenty-three

AshortwhilelatershedroppedZachoffathisplacesothathecouldheadforSouthernCalifornia.

HeatherwenttopickupthedogsatTina’shouseandafterareunionwheretheybothactedlikeshe’dbeen
goneforoneyearinsteadofonenight,shetookthemtotheparkandthedogbakeryandthecoffeeshop.
Bythen,theyweredraggingenoughforhertoacceptthatshecouldn’tavoidgoinghomeanymore.

She loved her house. After being around people all day long at her office, it had always been a

wonderfullyquiet,peacefulrespite.

Sothen,whydiditsuddenlyfeeltooquiet?
Andhowcouldshepossiblyfeellonelywhenshehadtwoabsolutelywonderfulfurrycompanions?
Shedidn’talreadymissZach,darnit.Itwasn’tatallokaythathecouldhavetakenaspotinherlife

thatquickly,orthatthoroughly.

Her phone rang and she had her hands too full with bags of dog food to look at the caller screen

beforeanswering.

“Hi,Heather,it’sLori.Zach’ssister.Wemetatthebaseballgame.”
HeatherhadgivenLoriherphonenumbertopassontoafriendwhowasthinkingaboutgettinga

newpuppy,butshehadn’texpectedZach’ssistertocallherself.

“OfcourseIrememberwhoyouare,”shetoldLori.“Howareyou?”
“Are you free tonight? We’re doing an impromptu girls’ night here and I thought you’d be a great

addition.”

Any other time Heather would have made her excuses, but her empty house still loomed way too

big.Besides,LoriandSophiehadbeenreallynice.Whyshouldn’tshespendsometimewiththem?Just
becausesheandZachwouldeventuallyruntheircourseandgotheirseparatewaysdidn’tmeanthatshe
couldn’tmakeacoupleoffriendsalongtheway.

After a quick shower, she grabbed a bottle of wine and a container of brownies she hadn’t been

abletoresistattherecentfarmer’smarket.FemalelaughterrangoutasLoriopenedherdoor.

“Heather’s here,” she called out to everyone and a moment later, Heather found herself being

openly studied by several sets of eyes. “Heather, this is Chloe, Nicola, and you already know Sophie.
ChloeismarriedtomybrotherChase.NicolaisdatingmybrotherMarcus.”

Ohno.Whyhadn’tsherealizedshe’dbewalkingintoSullivanSignificantOtherland?HadZach

scrambledherbrainthatmuchwithhissupersexymassagethatshecouldn’tthinkstraightanymore?

“Look,shebroughtbrownies.WhatdidItellyou?Issheagoodone,orwhat?”
Chloe,whowasextremelypregnant,nodded.“It’ssonicetomeetyou.”
Nicola echoed the sentiment as she handed her a glass of red wine. Heather knew enough about

Zach’sfamilytorememberthatMarcusownedawineryinNapaValley,butwasoftenontheroadwith
hispopstargirlfriend.Shetriednottobetoostarstruckandprayedshewouldn’tmakeanidiotofherself
aroundthegirlbyadmittingthewaysheandAtlaslikedtodancearoundtheroomtoNico’ssongs.

Loripinnedherwithaknowingglance.“Afriendofminewasatthefundraiserlastnightandsaidit

wentreallywell.”Sheraisedhereyebrows.“Shealsomentionedsomethingaboutakiss.”

Clearly, word had spread—quickly—not only about Zach donating his car, but also about the

scorching kiss outside the Fairmont. Heather was glad Lori wasn’t the type to beat around the bush,
becausenowthatshehadfinallycluedintowhatwasgoingon,shehadtomakesuretheydidn’thavethe
wrongidea.

“ZachandIarestilljustfriends.”Asthethreeotherwomenblinkedatherinsurprise,sheclarified,

“With some benefits.” Despite the fact that she knew she was blushing, she wanted them to understand.

“Butwe’restilljustfriends.”ShelookedatLori.“Sorry,Iknowyouwerehopingformorethanthat,but
—”Sheshrugged.“—it’salleitherofuswants.”

Nicolarecoveredfirst.“LoriandSophiesaidIwouldreallylikeyou,buttheywerewrong.Ilove

you.”Shegrinned.“Seriously,IthinkI’mgoingtodedicatemynextsongtoyou.”

“UnlessIbeatyoutoitbyhavingagirlandnamingherHeather,”Chloesaid.
Heather realized she must have been sitting there with a shell-shocked look on her face when

Sophieexplained,“They’veneverseenawomanresistfallingheadoverheelsinlovewithZachbefore.
Especially when he puts on the charm by giving away an expensive car to try to impress her.” Sophie
thought about it for a moment. “I haven’t either, actually. Women always get so stupid around him, just
becauseofwhathelookslike.It’sgottobekindofweirdforhim,eventhoughIguesshe’susedtoitby
now.”

Chloenoddedheragreement.“Atmywedding,youshouldhaveseenmygirlfriends.Ithoughtthey’d

allbetryingtogetatSmithbecausehe’samoviestar.Buttheywerepracticallyformingalineinfrontof
Zach.ChasetoldmethatSmithloveshavinghimaroundasafoil.Iheardheonceofferedhimafulltime
jobonthesetofhismoviesjusttohangaroundanddeflectattention.”

Heatherlaughed.Shecouldalltooeasilypictureit.Butshecouldn’tletthemthinkZachhadgiven

awaythecarforselfishreasons.

“Hereallywantedtosupporttheanimalshelterwithhisdonation,”sheinsisted.
“Of course he did. Like I told you at the game, he’s nice,” Lori said, before adding around the

brownieshe’dshovedintohermouth,“Evenwhenwewerekids,SophieandIcouldn’ttellwhowanted
tohangoutatourhousebecausetheywantedtobeourfriends,orwhowasjusttheretodrooloverZach.”

“You’vegottotellusyoursecretofstayingsoresistanttohim,sowecanpassitontoourfriends,”

Nicolasaid.

Heatherworkedtokeephersmileintactevenasapictureofherfathercomingbackfromoneofhis

businesstripsallsmiles,withfalsewordsoflove,slammedintoher.

Her“secret”wasn’toneshewouldwishonanyoneelse.Itwasbetterthatallofthembelievedlove

wasreal,thattheyheldontohoperatherthancynicism.

Butsheknewtheywouldn’tletheroffwithoutgivingthemananswer,soshesaid,“Well,despite

the fact that he isn’t hard to look at and he makes me laugh, he’s also really irritating. And way too
possessive.” At the perfect silence that followed, she turned to Lori and Sophie and said, “No offense.
Forallhisfaults,hecanbeareallyniceguy.”

“Forallhisfaults?”Sophieechoedwithwideeyes.
“Way too possessive?” Lori looked around at the other women, before turning back to Heather.

“Areyousurewe’retalkingaboutthesameZachSullivan?”

Heathercouldn’tbelievethey’dmisssomethingthatobviousabouthim.“Haven’tyounoticedthat

mineispracticallyhisfavoriteword?”

NicolastartedchokingonhersipofwineandasChloepattedherback,shetoldHeather,“Chase

andItriedthefriends-with-benefitsthing.”Shelookeddownatherbelly.“Prettyobvioushowwellthat
workedforus,isn’tit?”

Heatherwasn’tsureifthatwassupposedtomakeherfeelbetterorworseaboutheragreementwith

Zach. But before she could decide, Nicola said, “Cover your ears, girls,” to Lori and Sophie, before
tellingHeather,“MarcusandIskippedthewholefriendsthingandwentstraightforthebenefits.Itwas
justsupposedtobeaone-nightfling.”

“Istillcan’tbelieveyoufellasleeponhimduringyourone-nightstand,”Lorisaid.
Nicolashotheramockfrown.“Can’tyouatleastpretendthatyoudon’tknowallthedetailsofmy

whirlwindromancewithyouroldestbrother?”

Lori rolled her eyes. “We’re Sullivans. It’s our code to know absolutely everything about each

other.Right,Soph?”

Sophietookasipfromherglassofsparklinggrapejuice.“Unfortunately,yes.”JustasLori’smouth

opened,likelytosaysomethingincriminating,SophiebeathertothepunchbytellingHeather,“Iseduced
JakeatChloe’sweddingandendeduppregnant.Butitturnedouthe’dbeeninlovewithmeforaslongas
I’dbeeninlovewithhim,soitallendedupworkingout.”

Heatherwasoverwhelmednotonlybyhowopeneachofthewomenwasbeingwithher—andeach

other—but also by what they’d told her about the other Sullivans. Each of their one-night stand and
friends-with-benefitsattemptshadturnedintolong-termrelationshipsandmarriages.

Ohno...whatwasshedoing?
Andjusthowfaroverherheadwasshereally?
“Zach’sracingforTommy’steamtomorrowinLA,isn’the?”Loriasked.
“Ihateitwhenhedoesthoseraces,”Sophieadmitted.“AtleastwhenGabeisrunningintoburning

buildings, I know he’s facing danger to help people. But if Zach crashes, it’s just for fun. I swear I’ll
neverforgivehimifhegetshurtinoneofthosestupidraces.”

Sophie’s concerns echoed the ones Heather had been trying to push away ever since Zach had

mentionedtherace.

Loridismisseditwithasimple,“Zachisindestructible.”
Maybeitwasthewine,maybeitwasthewayjustthinkingabouthimmadeherendorphinsshootoff

intothestratosphere,butHeatherwouldn’tbesurprisedifitturnedoutZachactuallywasindestructible.

Unfortunately, she was pretty sure that she wasn’t...and when the day came that friends-with-

benefitsturnedtojust-friends,ortonothingatall,shewasnolongersureshe’dbewalkingawayfrom
thatcrashinonepiece.

EvenifZachcould,alltooeasily.

ChapterTwenty-four

Monday morning came too bright and early for the little sleep Heather had managed. She told

herselfitwasonetoomanydarkchocolatebrowniesthathadkeptherawake,ratherthanthewaythebed
alreadyseemedtoobigwithoutZachholdingherassheslept.

They’donlyspenttwonightstogether.Shecouldn’tpossiblymisshimalready,andshouldn’tbeon

pinsandneedlesoverworriesabouthimgettinghurtintheracethatmorning.

Anhourlater,aftercheckinginwithherstaffandacceptingtheircongratulationsonthesuccessful

fundraiser,shesettledinbehindhercomputerinheroffice.Atlasimmediatelytookhisplaceonthebig
dog bed in the corner and closed his eyes to take his morning nap. But instead of draping herself over
Atlas the way she usually did, Cuddles stood in the middle of the room and gave Heather one of those
patheticlittlewhinesshe’dstartedlastnightwhensherealizedZachwasn’tbackyet.

Heather scooped up the puppy and gave her a kiss on her muzzle. “Don’t worry, he’ll be home

soon.” When the puppy still looked sad, she found herself echoing Lori’s words from the night before.
“Zachisindestructible.He’llbejustfine.Howaboutwewatchhimwintheracetogether?”

Shekeptthepuppyonherlapassheclickedonthelivestreaminglinkhe’demailedher.Abunchof

menincolorfulracingsuitswerewalkingaroundthefancycars,butitwasn’thardforhertospotZach.
Hewastaller,broader,athousandtimessexierthananyoftheotherdrivers.

Herheartbeatalittlefasterjustwatchinghimrunonebighandoverthebodyofthecar,andthrill

bumpsliftedacrossthesurfaceofherskinasifheweretouchingherinsteadofthevehicle.

CuddlesletoutasoftyapthatmadeHeatherthinkshecouldseeZachonthescreen,too,anditmade

Heather’s stomach hurt to think of how the puppy was going to react when Zach gave her back to his
brother.

Therewasnowayfortheyoungdogtounderstandthatsheshouldn’thaveletherselfgetsoattached

tohim,thatsheshouldn’thavemadethemistakeoffallinginlovewithhim.

Goodwordsofwarningforallfemaleseverywhere.
ThedriversgotintotheircarsandHeathergrippedthepuppytighter,buryingherchininthesuper-

soft fur on top of Cuddles’s head as the cars zipped away from the starting blocks. Zach was in the
SullivanAutoscar,ofcourse,thenow-familiarblueandgoldlogoablurashepushedthepedaltothe
metal.

Shecouldn’tbelievehowclosehegottotheothercarsashedidonelap,thentwo,thenthree.He

wasn’t in the lead yet, but something told her he was simply biding his time, taking it easy the way it
alwayslookedlikehedid,beforegoingallinforthewin.

Sherememberedwhathe’dsaidtoherintheelevator:Trustme,wheneverI’vedecidedtofocuson

somethingIwant,Ialwaysgetit.

Noquestionaboutit,ZachSullivanwouldn’traceifhewasn’tinitforthewin.
Againandagainthecarswovearoundthetrack,untilseeminglyfromoutofnowhere,Zach’scar

shotoutaheadofthepack,andtheywerealleatinghisdust.

For a moment, she forgot to be scared about his getting hurt as she chanted, “Go, go, go!” at the

screen.

Cuddles was standing with her front paws on the desk, joining in with her in dog language. And

whenZachfinishedtheraceagoodcarlengthaheadoftherest,sheliftedthepuppyupandcheered.

Only,itturnedoutthetwoofthemweren’ttheonlyoneswhowerehappywithZach’sperformance.

Because as he unfolded his large body from the car, several scantily clad girls rushed over to him and
wrappedtheirperfectbodiesaroundhimincongratulations.

Tina knocked, then popped her head in. “I thought I heard you call for me. Is everything okay in

here?”

God,no,itwasn’tokay.Howcoulditbewhenshewasliterallybeingeatenup,insideandout,by

jealousy?Shewantedtoriptheotherwomen’shandsoffZach.

Hewashers!
SheclickedonthelittleXatthetopofherscreentoclosethestreamingvideoandnoddedatTina.

“Everything’sfine,thanks.”

It would be, at least, once she’d set her brain back to rights and refocused her attention where it

shouldbe.

SheputCuddlesonthefloor.“I’dliketogooverthefinalnumbersfortheshelterthismorningso

thatIcandraftupareleaseonitbytonight.”

Butassoonastheypulledupthespreadsheettotallyuptheexpensesandincomefromtheauction

items,andTinaexclaimedovertheLamborghinithatZachhaddonated,Heatherrealizeditwasn’tgoing
tobequitethateasy.

Because somehow, in the span of one short week, Zach Sullivan had infiltrated every part of her

life.

***

Zachhadalwaysbelievedthattherewerefewthingsbetterthantherushofbeinginaracecar.
BeingwithHeatherwasbetter.Waybetter.
WhenTommyhadcalledtoaskhimtorace,forthefirsttimeever,insteadofjumpingatthechance,

Zachhadtriedtoturnhimdown.He’dtoldhimselfitwasbecausehewantedtostaywithHeatherinthe
hotelroomtospendtheentiredayexploringeveryinchofherskin,tomakeherlaughbetweenacrobatic
bouts of lovemaking, to watch her eyes light up and her skin flush with joy and then the heat of desire
againandagain.

Butevenashetriedtodenythetruth,heknewhisreasonsfornotwantingtoracewerebiggerthan

that.

What,hecouldn’tstopwondering,ifthiswasit?Whatifhisnumbercameupontheracetrack...and

hedidn’tgettoseeHeatheragain?

No.
He’dbeencareful.Sohadshe.They’dagreednottofallinlovewitheachother.
Besides,hehadn’tdiedintherace.Notthistime,anyway.
Zachjumpedoutofhiscarinfrontofherbuildingandnearlyknockedoveragroupofpoodlesashe

raninsidetogettoher.Herassistantwasinthemiddleofsayinghellowhenhebargedpastherandinto
Heather’soffice.

It nearly killed him to take the time to lock the door behind him and pull down the blinds on her

windowbeforehegrabbedherfromwhereshewasstandingatherfilecabinet.Thepapersinherhands
scatteredalloverthefloorasheslidhishandsintoherhair.

Asecondlater,herlegswerearoundhiswaist,andhewasloweringherdownoverherdesk,his

mouthlockedtoherswhileshekissedhimbackjustaspassionatelyashewaskissingher.Shemadea
smallsoundofpainandheshovedastapleroutfromunderher.Usinghishandstocaressthesoftnessof
herhipwhereithadduginremindedhimofthewayshe’dfeltwhenhe’dbeenmassagingherinthehotel.

“Missed you,” he said between nipping at her lips and yanking off her long-sleeved shirt. He

pressedakissrightbetweenherbreasts.“Neededyou.”

Hethoughthesawhereyesflashwithsomethingmorethandesireasshefollowedsuitbyroughly

yankinghisT-shirtoverhishead.Sheleanedintohischestandhethoughtshewaskissinghimuntilhe

realizedtheyweremorelittlebitesthatshewasgivinghimallover.Jesus,itwashot,butawholehellof
alotmoreaggressivethanshe’deverbeenbefore.

Despitehowbadlyhewantedher,hisinternalradarwasgoingoff.“What’swrong?”
“Nothing,”shesaid,butagaintherewasthatflashinhereyesthatlookedtoomuchlikeanger,and

whenshefolloweditupwith,“Justshutupanddomealready,”heknewahellofalotmorethannothing
waswrong.

Somewhere between their extraordinary hours together at the Fairmont and now, he must have

screwedup.Hedidn’thavethefirstcluehow,justthathehad.

Withanyotherwomanhewouldn’thavecared,wouldhavejustfinisheddoingherandthengotten

outofthere.ButheandHeatherweremorethanjustbang-buddies.

“WhatdidIdo?”
“Youwentanddidyourstupidrace,eventhoughyoucouldhavebeenhurt.”Thelingeringworryin

hereyeswasquicklymaskedasshesnarled,“Congratulationsonyourbigwin.”

Itwashardtryingtothinkaroundthelowlevelofbloodinhisbrain,withherlegsstillaroundhis

andherbeautifulbreastsboundingaroundinawhitecottonbrathatshouldn’thavebeensexybutmadeit
nearlyimpossibleforhimtoformacoherentsentence.

Still, he knew he’d better figure out how to get his brain to work real quick, because he had a

feelingawholelotmorethanahotquickiewasatstake.

“Youwatchedmerace?”
“Cuddleswantedto.”
She pressed her lips together hard as if she dared him to challenge that silly statement, and he

barelycheckedtheurgetolickacrossthefirmlineofherprettylips.

“Soyousawmeblowtheotherguysoutofthewater?”
“Amongotherthings,”shemuttered.“Youcertainlydon’tneedmetokeepcongratulatingyou,when

everyoneelsedidsuchagoodjobofitontheracetrack.”

Hewasaguy.AndhewashornyashellaroundHeather,especiallywithherstrippedhalf-naked.

Buthewasn’tstupid.

She’dobviouslyseenthetrophygirlscongratulatinghimonthetrack.Andithadupsether.
“I’mnotgoingtoscrewaroundonyou,Heather.”
Hewatchedsurpriseandhopeflickerinhereyes,beforeshetampedthemdown.“Youdon’towe

meanypromises.It’sjustsex.That’sallwe’redoing.Havingsex.”

Anger rose in him, just as hot as hers. “Are you going to sleep with anyone else while we’re

together?”

“No.”Shelookedlikeshecouldn’tbelievehe’daskedherthatquestion.“God,no.”
“ThenwhyareyouassumingI’lldoit?”
Shelookedathimlikehewasacompleteidiot.“It’swhateveryguydoes.”
“No,”hetoldher,“noteveryguy.Notme.”Frustrationhadhimsaying,“I’mnotyourfather,damn

it.”

But she was shaking her head and trying to push him away. “I saw you with those girls at the

racetrack.Isawyouputyourhandsonthem.”

“Topushthemaway,notpullthemincloser!”
Hewouldn’tlethergo,wouldn’tletherleavehisarmsinangerwhentheonlythingthathadgotten

him through the past thirty hours was the thought of having her back in them. “Can’t you see you’re the
onlyoneIcaneventhinkabout?TheonlyoneIwant?Don’tyouunderstandthatI’mlosingmymindover
you?”

Shelookedstunnedbywhathe’djustsaid,asstunnedashefelthimself.
“Pleasekissme,Zach.Justkissme.”

Justaswillingasshewastolethiswordsgo,hekissedthebreathfromherlungswhilestripping

offherjeansandmakingshortworkofhisown.

Jesus,helovedhermouthagainsthis,lovedhersoftness,lovedthoselittlesoundsshemadewhen

hetouchedherjustright.Heslidintoherslickheat,andshewassoresponsiveshewascomingalmostthe
secondhetouchedherbetweenherlegs.

Atthelastsecond,herealizedhe’dsomehowforgottentoputonacondom.Somehowhemanaged

totoughitoutthroughherorgasm.Shemadeasoundofprotestwhenhepulledoutandhepressedakiss
totheinsideofherthighsashekneeleddowntograbacondomfromhispants.

Hesatdownonherdeskchairandquicklyshovediton,thenreachedforherandpulledherontohis

lap,lovingthefeelingofsinkingdeepintoheralloveragain.Hecouldtellhowmuchshelikeditfromthe
wayshegaspedashefilledherallthewayup.

“It’syourturnnow,”shesaidasshewiggledherperfectrearendoverhisthighs.
“My turn,” he growled against her neck, licking, kissing, nipping his way down to her breasts,

whichwerestilltryingtocomefreefromherbra,“andyours,too.”

Hefoundhelikedherbreaststrappedbehindcottonlikethat,likedhavingtoworktotasteher,to

run his tongue inside the top edge of the fabric to tease the taut flesh, until her inner muscles tightened
downoverhimandhefinallygaveuphisowncontrolandcamewithher.

“Iloveitwhenyousmelllikesex.”Heburiedhisnoseinthecrookofherneckandlickedatthe

sweat drying on her skin. Their quickie should at least have taken the edge off his need for her...but it
hadn’tdoneadamnthingtomakehimwantherless.“Iloveitwhenyoutastelikesex,too.”

Unfortunately,itwasn’tlongbeforeherealizedCuddleswasattheirfeet,rubbingagainsthisshins.
On a gasp, Heather shifted and looked over her shoulder to find Atlas lying on the pillow in the

corner,blinkingupatthetwoofthem.

“OhmyGod,Iforgotaboutthedogs.”Shehoppedoffhislaptosearchforherclothes.“Atlashas

neverseen...I’vealwaysbeenreallycarefultogointothebedroomwhenI...”

Shelookedhorrifiedasshestutteredoutpartialsentences.Andsodamnadorablewiththatflushon

hercheeksthathehadtogogiveherakissevenashelaughedather.

“He’sabigboy.He’llgetoverit.”
“I’msurprisedhedidn’tfreakout,actually,seeingyouovermelikethat.”Shewasflushingeven

morenowasshepulledherjeansbackupandgrabbedhershirtfromthefloor.

“Hedidn’tfreakoutbecauseheknowswhothebossis.”
Sheyankeddownhershirt.“Me.I’mtheboss.”
Hepulledonhisclothes,thenscoopedupCuddles,wholickedhimwithundisguisedgleeallover

hisfaceandneck.“Right.You’retheboss.”

Shepushedherdamphairoffherface.“Ishouldhaveknownyou’dbeevenmoreinsufferableafter

winningyourcompletelypointlessrace.”Shemovedovertoherdeskandbegantoputitbacktorights.
“Someofushaveworktodo.”

Hewasabouttoreachforheragain,whenaknocksoundedonherdoor.
“Heather?” Her assistant sounded worried about something more than just interrupting her boss

havingsexinheroffice.“Yourparentsarehere.”

ChapterTwenty-five

OhGod.She’dforgottenaboutherfather’sphonecallearlierthatweek.Workingtotrytokeepher

panicfromtakingover,Heatherlookeddownatherself,thenoveratZach.

“They’regoingtoknowwhatweweredoing.”
What, she silently berated herself as she made sure everything was zipped and buttoned, had she

beenthinking,havingsexinheroffice?

That was just the thing. She hadn’t been thinking. The second Zach had walked in, she’d lost all

controlofhersynapses—andherhormones.Herreactiontohimwasthatinstinctive,thatprimal.

Heputdownthepuppyandmovedclosertoundothetangleshe’djustputintoherhair.
“Youlookgreat,justlikeyoualwaysdo.”Hismouthleftherstinglingagainbeforehesaid,“Don’t

worry,Heather.It’llbeallright.”Shejustshookherheadathim,buthegentlycuppedhercheekandsaid,
“I’vegotyourback.”

Shedidn’tknowhowhealwaysmanagedtodothat,tocompletelyturnherinsideoutnomatterthe

circumstance,butforonceshewasgladforthewayjustonesoftkiss—andahandfulofsweetlyconfident
words—had her unable to focus all of her energies on being completely freaked out about her parents’
visit.

Heputhishandonthedoorknob.“We’vegotthis,Heather.”
Strangely,eventhoughthey’dbeencaughtbarelysecondspost-sex,shedidfeelawholelotmore

abletodealwithherparentswithZachthanshenormallydidonherown.

She’dseenhiminactionenoughbythennottobesurprisedbythewayhehadhermothereatingout

ofhishandwithinsecondsofsayinghello.Herfather,however,wasslightlylessthanhisusualcharming
self.

Thenagain,hadanymanevercomeevenclosetoout-charminghim?
“Heather?”Hermother’seyesmovedfromZachtoHeather,thentothedeskthey’dmadeamessof.

“Isthisabadtime?”

Belatedly, Heather realized she’d forgotten to put her shoes back on. She moved to quickly slip

themon,butnotquicklyenoughforherparentsnottonoticewhatshewasdoing.

Herfatherpulledherintoahugbeforeshecouldactfastenoughtostepoutofreach.“Myprecious

girl.HowyourmotherandIhavemissedyou.”

Whenshewasactuallyagirl,she’dlovedthewayhe’dcomehomefromabusinesstripandhugher

andtellherhowmuchlovedher,thatshewasthecenterofhisworld.Butshehadn’tbeenthatnaïvefora
verylongtime.Sheknewbetterthantothinkanyonewasthecenterofherfather’sworldbuthimself.

Herfatherdidn’ttakehisarmfromaroundherwaist,asthoughhewastryingtomakesomekindof

statementtoZachaboutwhomshereallybelongedto.Atlasstoodup,hisruffbristling,andshewasglad
tobeabletousehimasareasontomoveawayfromherfather.

Hefrownedatherdog.“Doeshesitinyourofficeallday?”
Heatherranacomfortinghanddownherdog’sback.Atlashadneverlikedherfather.“Yes.”
Clearlynotimpressedwithheranswer,heasked,“Didn’tyougetmymessagelastweek?”
“Iapologizefornotcallingyouback.Thisweekhasbeenreallybusy.”Shetriednottoflushatthe

memoryofwhatsheandZachhadjustbeenbusydoing,especiallywhenherfatherlookedbetweenthe
twoofthemagain,hisfrowndeepening.

If only she’d remembered to call him back, then she could have invented a bulletproof excuse.

Maybeeventakenanimpromptutripoutoftownforafewdaystosomewhereshecouldn’tbereached.

“Ihopeyou’renottoobusytospendafewhourswithus,”hesaid,effectivelytrappingherintoan

eveningtogether.

Thankfully,Cuddleschosethatmomenttostartbarking,pullingattentionawayfromherforjustlong

enough to regain her equilibrium and to figure out how to respond. Zach had watched the exchange in
silenceandsheguessedthathehadquicklytakenherparents’measure.

She shot him a look that she hoped he could read as well as he read her thoughts in bed: Please

don’tleavemealonewiththem.

Zachpickedupthebarkingpuppyandsmiledather,beforeturningthatbeautifulfaceofhisonher

parents.“HeatherandIwouldbeverypleasedifyoujoinedustonightat212Stockton.”

Heather tried not to act surprised that he’d just named one of the hottest new restaurants in San

Francisco. Even now that she knew how wealthy he was—and how well connected via his famous
siblings—the fact that he did absolutely nothing to broadcast his wealth had her completely forgetting
aboutit.

Shecouldtellfromthelookonherfather’sfacethatheknewjusthowharditwastogetatableat

thatrestaurant.Clearly,notonlycouldhenotbelieveaguyinwrinkledjeansandaT-shirthadthepullto
getone,buthewishedhe’dthoughttodoitfirst.

Hermother’seyeswerewideassheresponded,“Ijustsawapieceabout212StocktononTV.It’s

ownedbyagroupofmoviestarsandbillionaires.”

Herfather’s expression darkened.“All I wantis to spend qualitytime with mylittle girl, not rub

shoulderswithabunchofstarswithmoremoneythanmorals.”

Fairly certain that Zach’s brother Smith was likely one of the “moral-free movie stars,” Heather

said,“Whydon’tIshowyousomeoftheimprovementsI’vemadetothetrainingareas?”Nodoubther
parentswouldquizherendlesslyaboutZach,andnitpickallthepartsofherbusinessthatweren’tshiny
andperfect,buteventhoughshewouldhavelovedtoleanonhim,herparentsweren’thisbattletofight.
Theywerehers.

Only,Zachdidn’tlooktheleastbitupsetaboutherfather’scomment.Ifanything,helookedmore

relaxedthanusual...remindingherofadeadlypredatorabouttostrike.

Turningthefullfocusofhisattentiontoher,Zachsaid,“Iknowyouhavesomeimportantbusiness

tofinishup,”ashegentlybrushedalockofhairbackfromherforeheadandtuckeditbehindherear.It
wasamovemadeevenmorespectacularlyprotective—andpossessive—byhowcasualitwas.

“I’llshowyourparentsaroundsothatyoucangetbacktowork.”
HeatherknewfirsthandthatZachwasamasteratgettingexactlywhathewanted.Buttowitnesshim

outmaneuveringherfathermadeherglad.

Andscaredthebejesusoutofher.
Afewmomentslater,whenhermotherandfatherhadnochoicebuttofollowZachandCuddlesout

ofheroffice,Heathersatdownontheofficechairshewouldneverlookatinthesamewayafterwhatshe
andZachhaddoneonit.

Yetagain,shereflectedonthewayZachSullivanhadinfiltratedeverypartofherlifeinoneshort

week.

ThankGod.

***

Zachwasn’tusedtoworryingaboutotherpeople.Sure,hemadesuretotreathisemployeesright

and his family was never far from his mind, but ultimately he knew his siblings could take care of
themselves.Besides,iftheyneededhishelpwithanything,theywouldcall.

But the expression on Heather’s face when her assistant told them her parents were outside had

hauntedhimforhours.

Heatherwassostrong,soconfident.Sassyandbeautifulandsodamnedsmartshe’dkepthimonhis

toes every single second that he’d known her. No one and nothing should ever make her look that sad.
Completely on guard, like she was trying to prepare for an emotional blow that could come at any
moment.

Beforeheevenraisedhishandtoknockonherfrontdoor,Atlasannouncedhisarrivalwithafew

loudbarks.Heatheropenedthedoorandshewassobreathtakinglybeautifulinherdressandheelswith
herhairflowingaroundhershouldersthatasplitsecondafterCuddlesleaptoutofhisarmstogoplay
withAtlas,Zachwasruiningherperfecthairwithhishandsashekissedher.

Shekissedhimbackwiththesameheatbeforesaying,“Thankyouforcomingwithmetonight.”
“Iwouldn’thavemissedit,”hesaid,anditwastrue.Hecouldn’tstandthethoughtofleavingher

alonewithherparents.Notwhenheknewhowupsettheymadeher.“Igethowfamilycanbe.”

“Iwishwewerelikeyourfamily,butwe’renot.Wedon’tactuallyloveeachother.”Hervoicewas

thickwithunshedtearsasshesaid,“Wejustlieaboutit.”

“You’ve never lied about anything,” he said, hating the way she said we. “They’re your parents.

They’renotyou.”Hepulledhercloser.“Tellmewhatyouneedfrommetonight.”

“Justthis,”shesaid,buthervoicewasshakingassherepeated,“Justbehereforme,likethis.Just

pleasedon’tletmethinkaboutthewayhetreatsherandhowshealwaysletshim—”

Hismouthcoveredherstocutofftherestofthesentence,herwishimmediatelyhiscommand.Ifshe

didn’t want to think about her parents’ screwed-up relationship, then he would do whatever was
necessarytokeephermindonotherthings.Nowandthroughoutdinner,whateverwayhecould.

Becausehewasherfriend.Andthat’swhatfriendsdid.Theylookedoutforeachother.
Andyet...evenasheslidhishandsunderherskirtandHeatherletoutasoftgaspofpleasureashis

fingersfoundher,hecouldalmostheartherumblesinthedistance.Rumblesofsomethingbig,heavy,and
impossibletoavoidasitspedtowardhim.

Hemovedhishandstoherbottomtoliftherupfromthefloorandshewrappedherlegsaroundhim.

But even the intense pleasure of having her heat all around him wasn’t enough for him to get some
distancefromtheemotionsthatweretryingtonailhimstraightinthemiddleofhischest.Rightfromthe
firstmomentthey’dmet,hehadn’tbeenabletokeephismind,hands,ormouthoffher.

Andhisheartwasheadingthesameway,whetherhewantedittoornot.
Itwaspure,practicedinstinctforZachtofightthesefeelings.Topretendtheyweren’ttrue.Totell

himselfasheundidhispantsandwasinsideofhersecondslater,thatHeatherwastheperfectfriendto
havesexwith,andnothingmore.

Shekissedhimwithawildnessthattoldhimhowmuchsheneededthisdistraction,thisoutlet,this

chancetoletherselfbefierce,bold,withoutriskingretribution.Heknewshewantedtobetakenwiththat
samefierceness,sohedidn’tholdbackasheslammedagainsther,pushingherintothewallevenasshe
pushedrightbackathimwithherhips.

He’dneverwantedanyonelikehewantedher—moreeverytimetheycametogether—andyeteven

thoughhecouldhavelostitatanysecond,hemadehimselffocusonherreactionssothathe’dknowwhen
shewasclose.

Tonight wasn’t about his feelings, it wasn’t about his fears for the future that had always been

wrappedupinhisfather’suntimelydeath.No,tonightwasn’tabouthimatall.

Onthecontrary,itwasaboutmakingsureHeathersurvivedherparents’visitwithminimaldamage.

Andheknewexactlywhatwouldkeepherontheedgeofherseatallnight,regardlessofwhomtheywere
havingdinnerwith.

Heather gasped into his mouth as her inner muscles began to tighten down around him. Lord, it

killedhimtopulloutofherrightthen...buttheknowledgeofjusthowphysicallypainfulthenextseveral
hoursweregoingtobedidn’tstophimfromdoingitanyway.

Hewouldn’thavemadethesexualsacrificeforanyonebuther.
Hereyesflewopenashegentlysetherbackonherfeetandpulledherskirtdownbeforedoingup

hispants.

“Zach?Whatareyoudoing?”
Hehadahellofatimekeepinghisvoicesteady.“Weneedtogo.”
Shewaslookingathimlikehe’dlosthismindashegrabbedherpursefromthecounter,toldthe

dogs not to cause any trouble, and dragged her out to his car. And maybe he had lost it, purposefully
stoppingjustbeforethebigfinalelikethat.

Only,tonight,somethingbiggerwasatstakethangettingoffwithabeautifulwoman.
Heather’sheartwasontheline,andhewasgoingtomakedamnedsureitremainedinonepiece,no

matterwhatherfathertriedtopull.

***

HeatherwasgoingtokillZach.Herparentshadalreadyseenheroncetodaylookinglikeshe’djust

steppedoutofhisbed.Thiswasalmostworse,thispersistentwantingthatbuzzedthroughher,makingit
virtually impossible to not only appreciate the glass of fine red wine from his brother’s winery, but to
nurseherfrustrationatherparentsforactingthesamewaytheyalwaysdid.

Shenarrowedhereyesacrossthetableasherfatherstrokedhermother’shandandgazedatheras

if he were the luckiest guy in the world. Anyone looking at them would think he was the most devoted
husbandontheplanet.

God,itallwassofalse.Sofake.Itmadeherwantto—
“Toobadwedidn’thaveenoughtimetofinishwhatwestartedatyourhouse,”Zachmurmured,his

breathhittingheronthespotjustbelowherearlobethatinstantlymeltedhereverytimehecamenearit.

She couldn’t decide if she wanted to kick him under the table to get him to stop...or if there was

somereasonshecouldinventtopullhimintoadarkhallwayandmakehimfinishwhatthey’dstarted.

Still,eventhoughshewaspracticallyjumpingoutofherskinfromwantinghim,onceshe’dcalmed

downabitduringtheshortdrivetotherestaurant,she’dfinallyfiguredoutwhathewasdoing.

Andshecouldn’thelpbutadorehimforhisbrilliantdistractiontechnique.
“So,”hermothersaidasshebeamedatthetwoofthem,“yourfatherandIaredyingtoknowhow

youmet.”

ThankGod,thatwasaneasyone.“Zachlosthispuppy—”
“—andHeatherfoundit.”
“Aren’ttheyadorable,thewaytheyfinisheachother’ssentences.Justlikewedo,sweetheart,”she

saidtoherhusband.

Heathersuddenlywantedtopuke.
Zachslidhishandupherthighbeneaththetablecloth,toaspotthatwasmuchtoohighforpublic

comfort.

“No,” he said in an easy tone. “We’re nothing like the two of you.” He grinned at Heather. “You

hatedmeonsight.Didn’tyou?”

Shecouldn’texplainwhyZach’shonestymadehersohappy.Especiallywhenitwasguaranteedto

upsetherparents.Butoh,howshelovedwhathe’dsaid.

No,we’renothinglikethetwoofyou.
Shewantedtograbhimandkisshiminfrontofthewholeworldforthatalone.
“It’strue.Hewasyellingatthepuppy,soItriedtotakeCuddlesawayfromhim.”
“Cuddles?”Herfatherlaughedwithfaintderision.“That’ssomenameforadog.”
Ratherthanrisetotheimpliedchallengetohismasculinity,Zachsimplyrefilledthewineglasses

andsaid,“IstilloweyourdaughterforsavingCuddles.”

Hermotherlookedconfused.“Ifitallstartedoffsobadly,Idon’tunderstandhowthetwoofyou

starteddating,then?”

Heatherhatedlying.She’dgrownupinaliar’shouse,afterall.
“We’rejustfriends.”Itwasthetruth,although,unlikethenightathissister’sapartment,shedecided

toleaveoffthewithbenefitspart.

“Justfriends?”Hermotherlookedbetweenthetwoofthem.“Buttodaywhenwedroppedbyyour

building—”

Hermotherdidn’thavetofinishhersentenceforittobeabundantlyclearthatshe’dassumedsince

theyhadbeenhavingsexinHeather’sofficethattheywereanitem.

Justasshe’dknownitwould,Heatherfelttheeveningbegintocrashinaroundher.Butthen,Zach

slidhishandhigherupherthighandsaid,“Ourdogscan’tstandtobeapart.Itwasloveatfirstsightfor
thetwoofthem.”Hiseyesheldhersamomenttoolong.“WhichmeansHeatherisstuckwithme.Aren’t
you?”

Herfather’sfrownwouldhavenormallymadeherfeellikegarbage.Anyothertimeshewouldhave

feltsickatthefactthatafterallhe’ddone,itstillmatteredtoherwhathethought.

Butyetagain,Zachsomehowmanagedtoturneverythinginsideoutandupsidedown.Enoughthat

shefoundherselfsmilinginthefaceofbarelyaverteddisaster.

“It really was love at first sight for Cuddles and Atlas.” She raised an eyebrow at Zach.

“Fortunately,you’vegrownonmesincethatfirstdayatyourgarage.”

Hermothertriedtonodasifitallmadesense,andherfatherwasstillgloweringatZach,butwhen

thewaitercametotellthemthespecials,shefounditsurprisinglyeasytotunethemallout.

BrilliantmanthatZachwas,hemadesurethefeelofhisfingersonherskin,thewayhewasplaying

withthehairlyingbetweenhershoulderblades,keptherfocusmoreonhimthanonanythingherparents
weredoingduringdinner.Andashepurposefullysteeredtheconversationtohisfamoussiblings,andhis
motherpracticallylosthermindatlearninghewasSmithSullivan’sbrother,shewasamazedtorealize
thatZachhadcomethroughforherinawaynoothermaneverhad.

Rightwhensheneededhimthemost.

ChapterTwenty-six

ItwasstilldarkoutsidewhenZach’scellphonestartedbuzzingonherdresser.Whenheignoredit,

thecallcamethroughagain.

Heatherturnedinhisarms.“Soundsimportant.”Herwordsweremuffledbyhisbicep.
Evenasheshiftedawayfromhertoreachforhisphone,heenjoyedrunningahandoverthecurve

ofherhips.Shemadeasmallsoundofpleasureathistouchandhecouldn’tbelievehowmuchheliked
havingherinhisbed.Inhisarms.

Inhislife.
Whenhesawthenameonhisphone’sscreen,hecameinstantlyawake,thoughtsofearly-morning

sexwithHeathermovingtothebackburnerforafewseconds.“Chase?Arecongratulationsinorder?”

Hecouldhearthesatisfiedgrininhisbrother’svoice.“ChloeandIwantyoutocomemeetEmma.

We’reathome.”

Pure joy at hearing about the newest Sullivan warred with his sudden realization of what day it

was:thetwenty-thirdanniversaryofhisfather’sdeath.

Zach’schestclenchedtightasheheardChase’swifespeakinginthebackground.“Shewantsyouto

bringHeather.”

IttookZachafewmomentstoforcethoughtsofhisfatheroutofhisheadbeforeheturnedbackto

Heather.

Shewassittingupinthebed.“Yourbrotherhadhisbaby?”
Her long hair was flowing around her shoulders, tangled from the previous night’s lovemaking.

Thingshadbeencrazywhenthey’dgottenbacktoherhouseafterallthehoursofteasing.He’dtakenher
againstherdoor,finishingwhathe’dstartedbeforedinnerinthesameplace,drivingintohersohardthat
thedoorframeshookwitheverythrustashetookbothofthemtoheavenandback.

Forthesecondtimeinonedaythedogshadgottenashow,butshehadn’tseemedtocarequiteas

much. Not, he thought with a satisfied grin of remembrance, when she’d been too overwhelmed with
pleasuretodomuchthinking—orworrying—atallbeforefallingintoanexhaustedsleepinhisarms.

Yetagain,hecouldn’tkeephishandsoutofthedarksilkashemovedbacktoherbedandpressed

hismouthtohersinagood-morningkiss.

“HernameisEmmaandhewantsustocomemeether.”
Pleasurelitherfaceattheideaofseeinganewbaby.Still,sheasked,“Us?”
He knew better than to tell her that she was a special request. “Come with me to meet my niece,

Heather. Please.” He would have wanted her there anyway, but now that Emma’s birth and his father’s
deathwereforeverentwined,heneededHeathertheretokeephimgrounded.

Sheslidfromhishandsandthebed,beautifullynaked.“Raceyoutotheshower.”
Hegotunderthewaterjustbehindher.Helovedtowashherhair,couldn’tgetenoughofherlittle

gaspsandmoansofpleasureashesoapedherupandrinsedheroff,butdespitetheinevitablearousalthat
builtfromafewhotkissesneitherofthemcouldresistgivingandgetting,theyquicklyrinsedoff,toweled
off,andputontheirclothes.Heatherletthedogsoutintohisbackyardtotakecareofbusinesswhilehe
pouredfoodandwaterintotheirbowls.Shegrabbedtwobananasfromthekitchencounterandhanded
himoneastheyleftthehouse.

***

Zachdidn’tbothertoknockbeforewalkingintoChase’shouse.ItseemedtoHeatherthateveryone

insidewastalkingandlaughingatonceandsheclutchedtheteddybeartoherchestthatshe’dpurchased
forthebaby.

ShowingupwithZachathisbrother’shousefirstthinginthemorningwasakintowearingaT-shirt

thatsaid,Yes,we’resleepingtogether.Ofcourse,sheremindedherself,afterdrinksatLori’shouse,they
allknewthatanyway.

Itwasjustsex.Greatsexwithafriend.Areallygoodfriend.Butnothingmorethanthat.
Heatherhadremindedherselfofthissomanytimesinthepastfewdaysthatithadbecomeamantra

inherhead.Only,itwassohardtokeepherguardupwhenZachwassoplayful,soeasytolaughwith,so
tempting to kiss. And on nights like last night when he’d been nothing short of her knight in shining
armor...well, she simply couldn’t get her head—or heart—around the confusing swirl of emotions he
inspired.

Hourbyhour,shefelthimcreepinginfurtherandfurther,pastthethick,strongwallsshe’dbuiltso

manyyearsbefore,andshewaspowerlesstostopit.

Fortunately, before she could feel weird about walking into the middle of a Sullivan family

celebration,Lorispottedherandranoverwithopenarms.

“Yay,I’msogladyou’rehere!”
HeatherhuggedZach’syoungersisterandsmiledather.“Congratulationsonyournewniece.”
Loriwasglowingwithpride.“She’sgorgeousandobviouslyaSullivansinceshecouldn’twaitto

gettothehospitaltomakeherbigappearance.Goodthingtheyhadafantasticmidwifeoncall.”

Abrothershehadn’tyetmetshookherhand.“I’mMarcus.”Hiseyeswerewarmandshenoticedhe

didn’tletgoofNicola’shand.“It’sreallynicetomeetyou.”

Nicolahuggedherwithherfreearm.“Howarethebenefitsgoing?”shewhisperedintoherearand

Heathercouldn’thelpbutlaughandsay,“Good.”

Ryan,Sophie,andJakecamebytosayhelloagainandshewasbothglad,anduncomfortable,when

Zachmovedbesideheragain,hishandwarmonherlowerback.

“Chasehadtogotakecareofadiaperchange,”Zachsaid,scrunchinguphisfaceindisgust,“and

thenwecanseeChloeandthebaby.”

“Even with these two in me,” Sophie said, looking down at her stomach, “I can’t believe Chase

actuallyhasababynow.”Shepausedbeforeadding,“Andthatshewasborntoday.”

Itdidn’ttakelongforHeathertolearnthattheirfatherhaddiedonthisveryday.
Zach’s hand tightened on hers as Marcus said, “I can’t help but think he had a part in this,

somehow.”

Eachofthesiblingsseemedtopulltogethermoretightly.AllbutZach,whoslippedhishandfrom

hersandmovedfromthecircleofSullivans,hisexpressioncompletelyshutteredinawayshehadn’tseen
itbefore.

Heather wanted to pull him into a quiet corner to ask him if everything was okay, and to let him

know she was there for him the way he’d been there for her with her parents. Before she could, Ryan
popped the cork on a bottle of champagne and a beautiful woman with gray hair walked into the room
fromthebackofthehouse.

Heatherquicklyrealizedthephotoshe’dseenofZach’smother,whilestunning,hadn’tcomeclose

todoingherjustice.

ShelovedthewayZachsoeasilymovedtohughismother,withsoftwordssaidonlyforherears,

beforeturningtointroducethem.“Mom,thisisHeather.Heather,thisismymom,Mary.”

“Congratulations on your new grandchild, Mary,” Heather said as Zach’s mother regarded her

through warm and intelligent blue eyes. Heather was mesmerized and more than a little stunned by the
closerelationshipthiswomanhadwithallofherchildren.

“Thankyou,”Marysaid,lookingbothradiantandsadasshesmiled.Wasshealsothinkingabout

Zach’sfatherandthegrandchildhewouldnevermeet?“I’msogladyou’reheretosharethismomentwith
us.”

AdozenwordswasallittookforHeathertofeelperfectlywelcomeinwhatshouldhavebeena

family-onlyevent.Oneday,whenHeatherhadkidsofherown,shevowedtolovethemthesamewaythis
woman had obviously loved hers, enough to welcome their friends and lovers into the fold with open
arms.

“I’mthrilledtobehere.”
ShetooktheglassofchampagneZachhandedherandraisedherarminatoastasSophie’shusband

said“Slainte!”theIrishversionof“Cheers.”

They were all drinking when Chase walked out, looking exhausted and rumpled...and beside

himselfwithhappiness.Zachgrabbedherhandandpulledherthroughthecrowd.Okay,sonotonlydid
shelovethewayheclearlycaredabouthismotherandsiblings,butthefactthathewasinarushtogo
meethisnewniece?

Unbelievable.
Especiallyconsideringheropinionofhimthatfirstdaythey’dmet.Shecouldn’tbelievehowwrong

she’dbeen.

“Hi,Heather,”Chasesaid.“It’sgreattoseeyouagain.”
Eventhoughshe’dbarelymethimforthirtysecondsatZach’sgarage,shehadtohughim.“I’mso

happyforyouandChloe.”

“Thanks,we’rethrilled.WanttomeetEmma?”
Zach was already halfway down the hall to their bedroom and she could hear Chloe laughing at

somethinghesaidashepushedopenthebedroomdoor.AfewsecondslaterChaseheldthedoorforher,
butHeatherdidn’twalkthroughit.

Howcouldshe,whenshewasutterlymesmerizedbythesightofZachholdingbabyEmma,staring

downatherprettylittlefaceinabsolutewonder.

Heather’sheart—and her soul—were captured as she watched Zach slip one finger into the little

fistandraiseittohislips.

He looked up at Heather, his eyes utterly intense and full of love. “You’ve got to come see her.

She’safreakingmiracle.”

Thepullofhislowvoicewastheonlythingthatcouldpossiblyhavegottenherstuckfeetmoving

again.Butshecouldn’tbreathequiterightasshemovedcloserandshefeltherlegsshakingasheshifted
thebabyinhisarms.

Emma was perfect, and so beautiful, that Heather knew she didn’t have a prayer of stopping the

tearsthatwerecoming.Shehadn’tcriedsinceshewasateenager,butthesightofthebabyinZach’sarms
pulledatapartofherthatwassupposedtobeshutdown,closedoff,impenetrable.

Suddenlyrealizingjusthowdeepshewasinthequicksand,sheyankedhergazefromZachandthe

babytohandChloetheteddybear.

“I’msorry,Ishouldhavesaidhelloandcongratulationsfirst.”
“Thanks,Heather.It’sgreattoseeyouagain,”Chloesaidinatired,buthappy,voice.
AsChasesatdownontheedgeofthebedbesidehiswifeandbrushedherhairbackfromherface,

Heatherwasamazedbytheincredibleintimacy—andunconditionaljoy—betweenthetwoofthem.

Sheshouldhaveleft,knewshedidn’thaveanyrighttobeapartofthisfamilyforevenafewmore

seconds, but when the baby gave a sweet little yawn in Zach’s arms, the yearning was too strong for
Heathertoleavejustyet.“CouldIholdher?”

Chloesmiled.“Ofcourse.”
Handlingthebabywithsurprisingease,Zachslidthewarm,blanket-wrappedbundleintoHeather’s

arms.

ThelittlegirlopenedhereyesandblinkedupatHeatherwithperfectinnocence.
“Ohmy,”shesaid,“aren’tyoupretty?”
“You’reinbigtroublewiththisone,”Zachtoldhisbrother.
“Iknow,”Chasereplied.“AndIwouldn’thaveitanyotherway.”
Thebabyimmediatelyturnedherheadatthesoundofherfather’svoiceandeventhoughHeather

wantedtonuzzleEmma’scheekandkeepbreathinginherfreshbabysmell,sheforcedherselftomove
acrosstheroomtogiveherbacktoChaseandChloe.

“Congratulations,”shesaidagain,tearscloseenoughagainthatsheknewshehadtogetoutofthere.

Notjustfromtheirbedroom,butoutofthehouse,awayfromtherestoftheSullivansandeverythingshe’d
toldherselfsheneverwanted,butsodesperatelydid.

“Ineedtogetbacktothedogs.Zach,youshouldstay.I’llwatchCuddlesaslongasyouneedme

to.”

Shepracticallybrokeintoarunasshefledthebedroom.Shethoughtsheheardhissiblings,maybe

even his mother, say her name as she made a beeline for the front door, but apart from blurting out
somethingunintelligibleaboutneedingtogetbacktothedogs,shedidn’tstoptoacknowledgethem.

Shecouldn’tletLoritellherhowgreatZachwasagain.
She couldn’t let Sophie look at her so sweetly and say they were all really hoping for a normal

sister-in-law.

She couldn’t let herself fall deeper into the quicksand that she should have been smart enough to

keepoutofinthefirstplace.

Zachhaddriventhemhereinoneofthedozencarsheseemedtohaveinhisundergroundgarage,

but a walk would do her good, would help her clear her head and figure out what the heck was wrong
withher.

Only,shealreadyknewshecouldwalkalldayandallnightforthenextyearandneverbeableto

erasethepictureofZachwiththebabyinhisarms.

Heather loved kids enough that, despite not wanting to do it the traditional way, she had always

plannedtohavechildrenofherown.Notonlybecauseshewouldn’tdarerisktrustingamanenoughto
pledgealifetimetohim,butalsobecauseshecouldn’tpossiblyriskherchildren’sheartseither,theway
hermotherhadriskedhers.

But as soon as she’d seen Zach and the baby, when she’d witnessed the complete adoration, the

pure,unconditionalloveinhiseyes...she’dstupidlywantedthatdreamfamily.Withhim.

Becauseshe’dfalleninl—
No.
God,no.
Horrifiedbywhatshe’dalmostadmittedtoherself,shewasstartledbyZach’sstronghandsonher

waist,pullingheragainsthimoutonthesidewalk.Ofcourse,herbodyhadtobetrayherbyinstinctively
curlingintohisheat.

She felt his mouth in her hair, and then his kiss on the top of her head before he asked, “What’s

wrong?”

“Ican’tdothis.”Knowingsheneededtobestrong,thatsheshouldhavefacedhimhead-onrather

thanrunning,sheforcedherselftoturnaroundandlookhimintheeye.“Thisthingwe’redoing—” She
suckedinashakybreathtogetitout.“—it’samistake.”

How she wished she’d never laid eyes on the man who had turned her world completely upside

down. But that was a lie, too, because she couldn’t imagine not having had these past two weeks with
him.

Still,thatdidn’tchangethefactthatsheneededtogetoutwhiletherewasstillachanceofretaining

onesmallsliverofanunbrokenheart.

“IthoughtIcoulddothis,butseeingyouwiththebabyandthedogsandyourfamily—it’stoomuch.

Iletmyselfgetintoodeep.Ishouldn’thavebeenintheretodaywithallofyou.”

“Theyallwantedyouthere,Heather.AndIneededyouwithme.”Heslidthepadsofhisthumbs

acrosshercheekstowipehertearsaway.“Seeingyouwiththebaby—”Hepaused,hisgazeintenseand
filledwithemotion.“You’regoingtobesuchabeautifulmother,Heather.Sodamnbeautiful.”

Thereverenceinhiswordsmadehertearsfallfaster,madeitevenmoreimperativethatshesay,

“I’msorry.Ican’tseeyouanymore.”

“Why?”hedemandedfiercely.
BecauseIcan’tkeeppretendingI’mnotfallingmoreinlovewithyouwitheverybreathyoutake,

witheverycaressfromyourstronghands,witheverysweetwordfromyourlips.

Insteadofsayinganyofthosethings,sheforcedherselftoshrug.“Itwasfun,but—”
“Fun?” It was more growl than word. Any trace of the teasing man he often was completely

disappearedastheyfacedeachotherdownonanearly-morningSanFranciscosidewalk.“Webothknow
it’sbeenahellofalotmorethanfun.”

She couldn’t let him say anything more. Not when Zach Sullivan was hands-down the most

charming,charismaticmanontheplanet,tothepointwhereheactuallymadeherfatherlooklikearank
beginnerbycomparison.

Andnotaftershe’djustwatchedafantasyflashbeforehereyesofhimholdingtheirbabyoneday.
Desperatetotrytosavewhatwasleftofherheart,frantictotrytokeephersoulfrombeingutterly

destroyedalongwithit,shesaid,“That’swhyweshouldstopseeingeachother—beforeeitherofusgets
anydeeper.”

“Too late.” His eyes flashed with surprise and he stared at her in the same stunned disbelief that

she’djustexperiencedmomentsbefore.“Holyhell,IthinkI’malreadyinlovewithyou.”

Her entire body tingled at his words, especially the several square inches just beneath her

breastbone.

She’dneverseenZachlooklessthansteadyonhisfeet.Ormaybehejustlookedthatwaybecause

she was spinning so fast from having heard the one four-letter word she’d been certain Zach Sullivan
wouldnever,eversay.

Hisemotionalconfessionknockedthebreathrightoutofher.Joyathiswordsoflovewarredwith

disgustatherselfforwantingtohearhimsaythemagain,toinsistthattheywouldremaintruenomatter
whatshesaidordidtotryandpushhimaway.

“We agreed,” she said just above a whisper, her throat raw, the words hoarse. “Just sex. No

emotions.Nofallinginlove.”

ChapterTwenty-seven

It was crazy, but the more horrified Heather was by his being in love with her, the more Zach

realized his feelings weren’t going anywhere. She hadn’t tricked him into this. His falling for her had
happenedallonitsown,despitethefactthatlovewasn’tsupposedtobeinhisplans.

HischestclenchedtightatthethoughtofleavingbothHeatherandthekidshecouldn’timaginenot

havingwithhernow,behindtoosoon.Buteventhoughheknewheshouldbelettinghergofindsomeguy
whocouldreallygiveherforever,itturnedouthewasjustasmuchofaselfishbastardashe’dalways
been.

Which was why even thoughts of how crushed his mother had been by his father’s sudden death

couldn’tstophimfromsaying,“Ichangedmymind.”

Heslidhishandintoherhairthesamewayhealwaysdidwhentheyweremakinglove.Because

that’swhatithadalwaysbeen,rightfromthestart.

Notjustsex,butlove.
“Youchangedmymind.”
“No,”sheprotestedinherbeautiful,stubbornway.Hewouldn’twantheranyotherway,evenas

shesaid,“Youcan’tchangeyourmindaboutlovewhenyoudon’tevenbelieveinit,remember?”

“IneversaidIdidn’tbelieveinlove,”heclarified.“IjustsaidIwasn’tlookingforit.ButIdidn’t

knowyouwerecomingintomylife.Icouldn’thaveknown.”Helookedintoeyesthatweresobeautiful,
whether lit with laughter or hazy with passion. “I meant it when I said you were mine. From the first
momentIseteyesonyou,Iknewit.Youknewit,too,Heather.Thatthefirsttimewemet,thefirsttimewe
touched,thefirsttimewekissed,Iwasyours.”

Shedidn’ttrytodenyitthistime,simplysaid,“Iwasn’tlookingforthis.Idon’twantthis.”
Didn’tsheseehowstrongshewas?Strongenoughtomakebetterdecisionsthanhermotherever

couldhave?Forthemillionthtimehewantedtotearherfatherapartforthewayhe’dhurthisbeautiful
daughter.She’dbeeninnocent,purelikeEmmaonce...untilherfatherhaddestroyedherfaith.

“Iloveyou,Heather.”
Loveforherhadbeenthere,insideofhim,allalong.SeeingHeathersurroundedbyhisfamily,and

then with Emma, and knowing how perfectly she fit in with everyone else he loved, had just made his
feelingsforherallthemoreundeniable.

Herbeautifulfacewasfullofsomuchemotionasshelookedupathim,thathisthroatcloggedjust

lookingather.

“Howdoyoualwaysdothistome?”shewhispered.
Hopelitinhim,warringwiththedarkknowledgethatmakingherprofessherlovetohimwasn’t

fair.Notwhenhe’dgoanddieonhertoosoon,justlikehisfatherhad.

Shovingthedarknessawayashehadathousandtimesbefore,hewhisperedback,“WhatdoIdo,

Heather?”

Finally,shereachedforhim,puttingherhandoverhisheartthesamewayshehadtheirfirstnight

together.“Youmakemefeelsomuch.”

Shewasn’trunninganymore,andthatshouldhavebeengoodenough.Butitwasn’t.Hewantedto

hearhersayshelovedhim,too.

“Howmuch?”
“Everything.”
Nothingcouldhavestoppedhimfromkissingherthen,andashismouthcoveredhersherealizedhe

didn’tneedhertosaythewordsafterall.

Becausetheloveshefeltforhimwasrightthereinherkiss.

***

ThetripbacktoZach’shousewasablur.Heather’sphonekeptbuzzingwithremindersofmeetings

sheneededtoattendandvoicemailsfromherassistant.Zach’ssiblingstextedandcalledtogetthedirton
whythetwoofthemhadlefthisbrother’shousesoabruptly.Withoutevendiscussingit,itwasclearthat
work,family—alloftheusualthingsthatmadeuptheirdays—wouldhavetowait.

Onlythedogscouldn’tpossiblybeignored,notwhentheyneededtobefedagainandtakenona

walktotheparktorunoffsomeenergy.Throughout,whileHeathertoldKatetocanceleverythingforthe
restoftheday,andshethrewAtlas’sropeandwatchedCuddlestackleitwithherentirebody,theonly
thingHeathercouldfocusonwasthewayZachneverletgoofherhandforonesecond.

Andthefactthathelovedher.
Lovewasawordthathadn’tmeantanythingtohersinceshewasseventeen.She’dbeencertainit

couldneverimpactheragain,notaftersomanyyearsofhearingherfatherthrowitaroundlikesparkly
confetti.

ButwhenZachsaidit,she’dfelttheresonanceofthosefourlettersdownsodeepinhersoulthat

herentireworldshiftedonitsaxis.

She’dtriedforsolongtopretendlovedidn’tmatter.
Itdid.
She’dtriedforsolongtokeepthatpartofhercold.Untouchable.
Zachhadtouchedher,warmedher.
She’dembracedbeingalone.
Onlytofindamanwithoutwhosesmiles,off-colorjokes,andsensualwhispersasshewascoming

apartinhisarms,she’dbelost.

BythetimetheygotbacktothehouseandAtlasploppeddownonhisdoggybedwithCuddleslying

acrosshimthewayshelovedbest,Heatherfeltlikeherinsideswereavolcanoonthevergeofexploding.

Herhandwasstillinhisastheyheadedforthebedroom.Zachclosedthedoorwithasoftclickthat

soundedlikeabulletgoingoffinsideherhead.

Feelingshaky,shehadtoreachforhim,hadtowindherarmsaroundhiswaistandback,knowing

he’dbestrong.Solid.

She’dneverletherselfleanonanyonebefore.
Zach caressed her cheeks, his thumbs brushing over her mouth before his fingers moved into her

hair,tothespotthatfeltjustrightwheneverheheldherthere.

“I’venevermadelovetoanyonebefore,”shewhispered,overwhelmedbywhatshewasfeeling,

howstrong,howunstoppableheremotionswere.

Heleanedcloserandhismouthhoveredoverhers.Butinsteadofkissingher,hewhisperedacross

herlips,“Yes,youhave.Everytimewe’vetouched,you’veletmeloveyou.”Hisvoicewasevendeeper
thannormal,andrawwithemotion.“Andyou’velovedmerightback.”

Hisreplywasutterlyunexpected.
And,amazingly,justastrue.
Just because she hadn’t wanted to let herself love him, didn’t mean she’d even come close to

succeeding.Fromthatfirstbrushoftheirfingertipsinthepark,tothekissshe’dgivenhimonhischeek,to
passion exploding in the alley at the ballpark...no matter what she’d told herself, no matter how she’d
triedtopretendnoneofitreallymattered,everysecondwithZachhadshiftedthewallsaroundherheart.

Untilthey’dcomecrashingdown.
“Lovemeagain,Zach.”

Hismouthcoveredhersaheartbeatlaterwithakissthatwassosureandwarmandutterlysinfulit

madehertoescurlinhertennisshoes.Helovedhermouththewayhelovedeveryinchofherskin—with
completepossession,unbridledpleasure,andpuremalesatisfaction.

Histongueslippedandslidagainsthers,beforemovingbackouttorunasensualpathacrossher

lips,fromonecornertotheother.“Sosweet.”Henibbledonthefleshofherlowerlip.“Sosoft.”His
tonguelavedoverthesmallbites,soothingheratthesametimehebuiltherarousalevenhigher.

Andthenshewasinhisarmsandhewascarryingherovertothebed,pressingherbackintothe

duvetashecoveredherbodywithhis.Bothofthemwerestillfullyclothed,butthatdidn’tstopherfrom
wrappingherlegsaroundhimandpullinghimevencloser.

Hedeepenedtheirkisswithapossessivegrowlthatsentthedialsoneverylastnerveinherbody

way past eleven. There was no space in their kiss for thinking, for worrying, only the sweet release of
feelingherselfopenallthewayup,insideandout.

ForZach.
Heliftedhisheadtostareintohereyes.“Mine.”Thewordwasrough,raggedfromhislips.Fire

burnedinhisgaze,hotter,moreintensethanherbeautifulcharmerhadeverbeenbefore.“You’remine.”

Beforeshecouldtellhimyes,shewashis,andalwayshadbeen,hismouthwasstealingherbreath

away again and his hands were pulling at fabric, unzipping where he could, ripping when fabric didn’t
comeoffeasilyenough.

Heatherlovedeveryoneofhisroughdemands,thesameonesshewasmakingofhimasshekicked

offhershoes,thenyankedhisshirtoffandshovedhispantsdownwithherfeet.

She’dneverfeltthiswild,orthisfree,before.
OnlywithZach.
Shehadtorunherhandsoverhishardmuscles,hischestandarms,hisbackandshoulders,tomake

sure it wasn’t a dream. His hands were just as greedy as they stroked over every inch of her skin, his
mouthfollowinghisfingersfromherankles,thenupherlegstothatspotbehindherkneecapthathadher
tremblingandgaspingathowsensitiveitwasbeforehemovedevenhighertotheneedyfleshbetweenher
thighs.

Emotionscrashedintoherashistongueslidover,thenintoher,untilthecombinationofheartand

body,mindandsoul,hadherreleasegoingonandonuntilshewasbeggingZachtostopwithonebreath,
andformorethenext.

Shewaslost—andthen,miraculouslyfound—as he slid his mouth and hands from her to replace

themwithsuchhardheatittookwhatwasleftofherbreathaway.

Shewasamazedbythebeautyoftheirconnection,thewayherbodyhadalwaysrecognizedhisas

its mate every single time they’d come together, even when her head, and her heart, had wanted so
desperatelytoremainunsure.

Hismouthcoveredhersagainastheyrockedtogether,theirbodiesslippingandslidinginaperfect

rhythmofstrength.Andsurrender.

Tolove.

***

Heather’shairspilledaroundthemasshecameoverhim.Evencaughtinhisneedtopossessher,

Zach could feel her need to possess him right back, to claim the heart he’d given her. As they shifted
together so that he was lying beneath her and she was sitting up on her shins to take—and give—so
sweetly,sobeautifully,hecouldbarelydoanythingbutstareinwonderatthewomanwhohadrockedhis
worldsocompletely.

Herhandswerepressedflatonhischest,herheadthrownbackassherodehim,andheshiftedhis

legssothatshecouldleanbackagainsthisthighstogodeeper,toflyhigher.Hergaspofpleasureatthe
smallchange,andthenatthefeelofhishandsonherbreasts,herbelly,betweenherthighs,wasalmost
morethanhecouldtakeasherbodytightenedaroundhis.

“Heather.”
Atthesoundofhername,sheopenedhereyestolookdownathim.
“Ineedtohearyousayit.”
Hereyesdarkenedwithpassion.Andwithalltheemotionshe’dfinallystoppedholdingbackfrom

him.

“Iloveyou.”
Theywerethethreemostbeautifulwordshe’deverheard.
“Again,”hedemanded,evenashetightenedhisholdonherhipsandslidindeeper.
“Iloveyou.”
“Givememore.”Hewouldnevergrowtiredofhearinghersaythewords,ofhavingherbecome

onewithhimlikethis.

“I love you.” She leaned down to kiss his mouth. “I love you,” preceded another kiss on his

shoulder.“Iloveyou,”landedonhischestalongwithherlips.

Everywhereshecouldreach,shewhisperedherloveforhim,thensealeditwithakiss.Throughout,

theirbodieswerejoined,movingtogether.

“Don’t stop loving me,” he begged her, even though it wasn’t fair to ask her for this. “No matter

whathappens,promisemeyouwon’teverstop.”

Hersmiledwobbledathisrequestassheleaneddownsothatherbreastswerepressingagainsthis

chestandhermouthwasalmostonhis.

“HowcouldIstoplovingyou,”shesaidsosoftlyhecouldbarelyhearherwordsovertheblood

rushinginhisears,“whenI’veneverbeenabletodoanythingaboutthewayyoumakemefeel?I’lllove
youforever,Zach.”

He could hear the surrender, but also the joy, in her admission, as their passion hit its sensual

crescendo. Knowing just how much the words cost her, he wanted to give her more than just another
climax,morethanjustthepleasureheknewshe’dfoundinhisarmsasshelaysoftandsuppleoverhim
whiletheybothworkedtocatchtheirbreath.

He wanted to give her the same gift she’d just given him. He wanted to give her a promise of

forever.

Buthecouldn’t.
Allhecouldgiveherwaswhathefelttoday.Here.Now.
“Iloveyou,”hewhisperedintoherear.
Andthistime,shewhispereditrightback.

ChapterTwenty-eight

Heather had never been able to sleep during the day, not even back in college after pulling all-

nighterstofinishapaper.ButasshelaysprawledacrossZach’sbarechestwithearlyafternoonsunlight
streaming over the bed, she was so physically spent that she knew she could have closed her eyes and
keptthemthatwayuntilthenextmorning.

Ofcourse,therewasnowaythatwasgoingtohappenwiththedogspawingatthebedroomdoor.
On a groan, Zach pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Go take a shower. I’ll go take care of the fur

balls.”

Nowthatshewasawakeandtemporarilysexuallysated,herworriesaboutZach’sreactiontothe

anniversaryofhisfather’sdeathcamerightback.

“CanIaskyousomething?”
Hetookherhandsinhis,broughtthemuptohismouthforakiss.“Yes,”heanswered,“I’llbeready

foranotherroundsoon.”

Itwouldhavebeeneasytousetheirincredibleattractiontoskipoverthehardstuff,butshedidn’t

wantthat.Andshewasprettysurehedidn’twantthat,either.

Soeventhoughshecouldn’thelpbutsmileathisteasing,shestillsaid,“Thisisaharddayforyou,

isn’tit?Despitethebaby,”sheclarified,“andus.Becauseofyourfather.”

Hishandstightenedonhersforasplitsecondbeforeheshrugged.“It’sagoodthingthatwehave

somethingtocelebratenow,insteadofbeingbummedeveryyearonthisday.”

Thedogswereallbutthrowingthemselvesagainstthedoor,andwhenhepressedonemorekissto

herknuckles,thenlethergotoletthemout,shereallycouldn’tstophim.

Wishingthatlovecamewithinstructions,shewenttotheshowerandgotunderthewarmspray.If

onlysheknewhowtohealhimoverhisfatherthewayhe’dhelpedherwithhers.

Shesighedasshefacedthetruth.Yes,she’dbeenbraveandhadopenedupherhearttoZach.But

justbecauseshe’dsaid“Iloveyou”toamanforthefirsttimeinherlife,didn’tmeantherewasn’tmore
tosay.

And how could she expect him to be completely open with her when she hadn’t been completely

openwithhim?

Whenshe’dtoldhimaflat-outlie.
Zach found her forehead-to-wall as he joined her in the shower. He wrapped an arm around her

waist.

“Alreadyregrettingitall?”heteasedagainstherneck,butshecouldheartherealworrybeneathhis

jokingwords.

Sheturnedinhisarmssoshecouldpressherfacetohischestandhearhisheartbeatingstrongand

steadyinherear.“HaveIevertoldyouthatIlovethewayyoumakemelaugh?”

Maybe that was why she knew she could tell him anything; because he wouldn’t let her take

anythingtooseriously,wouldalwaysfindawaytoshowherthejoyfulsideoflife.

“Youmeanlikethis?”
Hetickledherribcageuntilshewasgigglingasthewatersplasheddownonbothofthemandmade

everythingtooslickforhertogetawayfromhisteasingfingertips.

And when laughter inevitably turned to passion and he pressed her back against the wall, she

welcomed the chance to clear her mind of anything but the sweet ache of taking him inside her yet one
moretime,lettinghimfillupallheremptyspaceswithhisheat,hiskisses.

Andhislove.

***

GoodthingSullivanAutoswasawell-oiledmachine,becauseifitwereachoicebetweenhanging

outundertheengineofacarorspendingtimewithHeather—nakedornot—Zachwouldhappilyblowoff
everyfuturedayattheoffice.HewasinthebedroompullingonaT-shirtwhenheheardHeatherspeaking
toCuddles.

“Uh-oh,didyoufindanotheryummyshoe?”
Hewalkedintothelivingroomjustasshepickedupaslobberyhunkofbrownleather.
Shegavehimacrooked,verycutesmile.“Isupposewe’vebeenalittlelaxwithtrainingherthe

pastfewdays.”

“I’vegotthis,”hesaidashegrabbedatinychewtoyfromthefloorandhelditoutforthepuppy,

whoimmediatelylatchedontoitwithhersharplittleteeth.Cuddlesshookitwithhertinymouth,herfur
flyingaroundherface,andhetoldherwhatagoodgirlshewas.

Heatherleanedbackagainstthecounter.“Itusedtoreallyannoymehowgoodyouwerewithher.

Thefactthatshesoeasilyacceptedthatyouweretheboss.”

Hegrinnedather.“Ilikedannoyingyou.”
She laughed. “Liked? Don’t you mean you still like it?” Her laughter fell away as she asked,

“You’renotgoingtogiveherback,areyou?”

HegavetheothersideofthechewtoytoAtlassohecouldtakeover.“She’snotmydog.”
Heathermadeaface.“Iknowyourniece-to-bewillprobablybedisappointed,butsheonlyhadher

a couple of days. It’s incredible the way the two of you have bonded.” She pinned him with a serious
look.“Cuddlesisyourdog,Zach.”

Ashewashedhishandsatthekitchensink,hereflectedonthefactthattwoweeksagohe’dbeena

bachelorwithnothingbiggertoworryaboutthanwherehewasgoingtodrinkhisnextbeer.

“Twoweeks.Iwasgoingtowatchher,keepherfed,takeheronafewwalks,andthenhandher

back.”Hefiguredheshouldhavefeltgrumpieraboutit,andmadehimselfsay,“Thiswasn’thowitwas
supposedtoworkout.”

“Thingsdon’talwaysworkoutthewaythey’resupposedto.”
Heknewthatfirsthand.Hisfatherdyingsoyoungshouldn’thavebeeninthecardsforhisfamily.

Butithadhappenedanyway.

Heather looked really serious. The same way she’d looked in the shower when he’d thought she

wasregrettinglovinghim.

“There’ssomethingIneedtotellyou,”shesaidsoftly.
Hisguttwisted.Shewasn’tgoingtoleave,wasshe?Shehadn’tdecideditwasabigmistakeafter

all?

Butwhensheheldoutahandforhimtotake,hegavesilentthanks.Ifshe’dbeenplanningtotell

himshe’dchangedhermindaboutthetwoofthem,shewouldhavekeptherdistance.

Hepulledhercloserbeforethreadinghishandsintoherhairandleaninghisforeheadagainsthers.

“Youcantellmeanything.”

“Iliedtoyou,”shewhisperedbeforeliftinghereyestomeethis.“Ididn’tgetthescarsonmyarms

inanaccident.Imadethemmyself.Withrazorblades.”

Just the thought of anything hurting Heather tore up Zach’s insides. But knowing she’d done it

herself?“Whywouldyouhurtyourselflikethat?”

“After I found out about my father, I was still keeping it together in school, pretending with my

mother, but every time he came home from a trip I found myself locked in my room. Almost like I was
tryingtobleedoutthepain.Tryingtocontrolsomething.Andtofindawaytodistractmyselffromallthe

anger.”

Zachhadtoreachforherhands,hadtopresskissestothesoftskinofherpulse,alongthetendons

and muscles on her forearms. He’d heard about kids cutting themselves, but he’d never known anyone
whodidit.

Atleast,he’dthoughthedidn’t.
“Youdon’thaveanynewscars,doyou?”
“No.”Sheshookherhead,almostsmilingathimasshesaid,“I’msureyouwouldhavefoundthem

bynowifIdid.Therewasaguidancecounseloratschoolwhocouldtellsomethingwaswrong.Weall
hadtotakeoneofthosevocationtestsandshesuggestedIshouldtryworkingwithanimals.Soinsteadof
goinghometocutmyselfthatdaywhenmyfatherwascominghomefromatrip,Iwenttothelocalanimal
shelter.”

“That’swhyyoudosomuchforthem,”hesaidinalowvoiceashenowrealizedwhatshe’dbeen

through.Andhowbraveshe’dbeentocomeoutontheothersidesostrong.Braverthanhe’deverbeen.
“Thosedogsandcatsinthatshelterhelpedyouthewayyou’vealwayshelpedthem,didn’tthey?”

Finally,atearfell.Thefirsthe’deverseenhercry.
“I never trusted anyone with the truth about my scars before. I never thought I could.” Her mouth

wobbledatthecornersasshetriedtosmile.Andfailed.“Untilyou.”Sheshookherhead,halflaughingas
shesaid,“Istillcan’tbelieveitendedupbeingyou.”

“Thankyoufortellingme.Fortrustingme.”
“Idon’tknowwhyI’mstillcrying,”shesaidashertearsfelloneaftertheother.“Especiallywhen

tellingyouhasmademefeelsomuchbetter,somuchlighterthanI’vebeeninalong,longtime.”

Hewishedhecouldcomecleanabouthisowndemons,wishedhehadhalfthegutsHeatherdid.But

after twenty-three years of holding the darkness deep inside, he just didn’t see how sharing his fears
woulddoanythingbutupsether.Healsoknewtherewasnothinghecouldsaytotakeawayherscars,or
tochangethemanherfatherwas.

Fortunately,hehadacoupleofbackupreinforcementsthatcamenaturallyequippedtocomfortthe

womanheloved.

“Cuddles,Atlas,come!”
Threepoundsoffurandboneandteethflewintohisarms.HehandedthepuppytoHeatherwhile

Atlasleanedhisbigheadonherthighs.Zachputhisarmsaroundherandthetwodogstolethertearsfall
onallofthem.

Andlikethefamilythey’dbecomesoquickly,thethreeofthemlovedhertearsawaywiththekind

ofslobberykissesthatonlyacoupleofdogs—andamanwho’dbeenlikenedtoonemany,manytimes
—could.

ChapterTwenty-nine

Heatherhadneverbeensobusywithdogsandwork...andZach.Shewasn’tevencomingcloseto

gettingenoughsleep,notwithasinfullygorgeousmaninherbed,orherinhis.Buttherestshedidget,
whenhisbodywaswrappedaroundhers,orwhenshewasusinghisrock-hardmusclesasapillow,was
betterthanafullnightofsleepwithouthimhadeverbeen.

Andeverydayhesurprisedher.Notjustwithlaughter.Butwithmorelovethanshecouldhaveever

imaginedwouldbehers.

On Wednesday night, he took her and the dogs to an outdoor concert on the green. The band

members were friends of his and he’d scored amazing tickets. Together they’d laughed at the way the
dogs’tailswaggedintimetothemusic.Andwhenthesunset,hepulledherbetweenhislegsandkepther
warmerthananyblanketcouldhave.

ThursdayfoundthemoutonSmith’ssailboat,thedogsintheirownfittedlifevests,Cuddlesunder

one of Zach’s arms, his free hand holding hers tightly as Atlas lay at their feet. She’d never realized
beforejusthowbeautifultheGoldenGateBridgelookedinthesettingsun...orhowniceitwastobeable
tosharethatbeautywithsomeonesheloved.

ByFriday,whenshethoughtshewasreadyforwhateverhehadplanned,hecompletelyblewher

mind by suggesting they hunker down at home on the couch and watch movies together. He made her
watch Hoosiers and even though she could have sworn nothing would ever get her interested in
basketball,shehadtoadmittobeinghookedbytheendofthemovie.Aspayback,shecuedupTheSound
of Music, and even though Zach wouldn’t admit how much he liked it, she caught him humming “My
FavoriteThings”ashewasbrushinghisteeth.

Heather had to give credit where credit was due. Zach was amazingly good at everything he did,

from loving her senseless, to getting her to talk a little more every day about her feelings about her
parents.Safeinhisarms,she’dstartedtorealizethateventhoughbloodtiedhertoherfatherandmother,
she’dsucceededatbuildinguparealfamilyforherselfviaherclosebondswithfriends,co-workers,and
theanimalsshe’dtakeninovertheyears.

Apartofherstillcouldn’tgetoverthefactthatZachSullivanwastheonewhohadhelpedhersee

thingsmoreclearly.Hewassofarfromtheself-absorbed,vainmanshe’donceassumedhewas.

Washecharming?
God,yes,hewascharming.Withcharismatospare,enoughthathereyeballssometimeshurtfrom

alltheeye-rollinghe—andthereactionsofwomenwhoconstantlydrooledoverhim—inspired.

Butwashealiarandacheat?
No,hewasn’t.
Onthecontrary,hewasoneofthemosthonestpeopleshe’devermet.Everythingwasrightthereon

thesurfacewithZach.Hedidn’tmakeyouguess,hejusttoldittoyoulikeitwas.

Still,shewasnervouscomeSaturdaymorning.Notonlybecausehewasgoingtoberacingagain,

thistimeattheracewayinthewinecountrynearMarcus’swinery,butalsobecausethiswasthefirsttime
shewasgoingtobespendinganentiredaywithhisfamily.

She’dstartedoffinsistingtoLoriandSophiethatshewasn’tgoingtodateZach,hadclearlyblown

thatbydoingthefriends-with-benefitsthing,andthenhadcappeditalloffbyflippingoutatChaseand
Chloe’shouseandyellingatZachonthesidewalkthathecouldn’tpossiblyloveherbecausetheyhadan
agreement.

Ugh.
“Lookslikeyouneedalittlehelprelaxing.”Theywerewalkingontotheracetrack,hand-in-hand,

andhewasgivingherthegrinthattoldherhehadwickedplans.

Verywickedplans.
“I’m fine,” she told him in the same firm, no-nonsense voice that she used with particularly

rambunctiousdogswhentheyneededtoknowshewasnotinthemoodtoplay.

Ofcourse,thetruthwasthatshewasalwaysinthemoodtoplaywithZach.
And,unfortunately,heknewit.
Forallhisteasing,shethoughtheseemedalittletense.Asifhedidn’treallywanttodothisrace.
Maybe,sheactuallyfoundherselfthinking,itwouldn’tbesobadtofindaprivatespotbehindthe

standswheretheycouldrelaxeachother.Thankfully,beforeshecouldgiveintotheinsanitythatZach’s
handsandmouthalwaysinspired,Loricalledouttothemfromthestands.

“Savedbyabrat,”hemutteredasshemadeabeelinetowardhisfirefighterbrotherwhohadgiven

himCuddles.“Gabe,Megan,Summer,thisisHeather.”

Shesmiledatthecoupleandtheprettygirlbetweenthem,butbeforeshecouldevensayhelloor

askthemhowtheirtriptoEuropehadbeen,Zachsaid,“Youcan’thaveCuddlesback.”

Heather’sgazeshottothelittlegirl,worriedabouthowshe’dtakethenews.Butinsteadofgetting

upset,SummergaveZachasmilesosmug,itmighthaveactuallyout-smuggedhimathisworst.

“Iknewyou’dloveher!”SummersaidasshethrewherarmsaroundZach’swaist.“Whenwesaw

herwithalltheotherpuppies,Iknewrightawaythatshewasjustwhatyouneededsoyou’dsmilemore
andbehappier.”

ZachfrownedashelookedfromthetopofSummer’sblondeheadtohisbrother’ssmirk.“Iwasset

up.”

“Itwasliketakingcandyfromababy.”
ThiswasthekindoffamilyHeatherhadoftenwishedshebelongedto.Onewhereeventhetricks

theyplayedoneachothercamefromtheheart.

Thenagain,Heather’sversionoftheperfectfamilyhadn’tincludedamoviestar.HerfriendBrenda

woulddierightnow.BecauseSmithlookedjustlikehehadlastweekonthebigscreen.Onlybetter.

ZachslidhisarmaroundHeather’swaistandpulledhertightlyagainsthim.Sotightlythatitalmost

feltlikeshewaswearingacorset.

“Smith,thisisHeather.”
SmithSullivangaveherthesmilethatshewassurehadmeltedamillionpanties.Interestingly,hers

werefine.Well,theywouldbefine,ifonlyZachwouldstoprubbinghisfingertipsagainsttheunderside
ofherbreast.

ShetriedtoshiftoutofZach’sarmsbutheonlyheldhertighter.Hewasalwayspossessive,butfor

somereason,todayhewastakingittoawholenewlevel.

AsSmith’shandcurledaroundhersandhesaidalow,“Hello,”shefeltZachtenseagainsther.
Waitaminute,didheactuallythinkhismovie-starbrotherwouldbeinterestedinher?
RyanappearednexttoSmithandgrinnedather.“Greattoseeyouagain,Heather.”
Just like Zach, Ryan was the picture of good-looking charm. But that was where the similarities

ended.WhereZachthrivedonhissarcasticedge,Ryanwasalllaid-backease.Shecouldseewhywomen
fellforhim,beyondbeingimpressedwithhisskillonthepitcher’smound.

Smithnoddedtowardthetrack.“Lookslikethey’rereadyforyoudownthere,Z.”
Ryangrinned.“Don’tworry,we’lltakecareofHeather.”
Zach’sjawclenched.“Don’tflirtwithher.”
Hadtheyforgottenshewasstillthere?Shewasjustabouttoremindthem,whenZach’shandswere

inherhairandhismouthwasonhersandhewaskissingallthebreathfromherlungs.

And then he was gone, leaving her to gasp for air in the middle of a half-dozen Sullivans, all of

whomweregrinningather.

“Come, sit with me,” Smith said, leading her to one of the padded folding seats out on the

bleachers.RyansnaggedtheseatnexttoherandherbutthadbarelyhittheseatwhenZach’stwofamous,
singlebrothersstartedflirting.

Bigtime.

***

Photographerswereoutindrovestocatchtheproracecardriverswho’dcomeoutinsupportofthe

SanFranciscofoodbank.Zachfiguredheonlyhadtoputupwiththeirflashbulbsuntiltheycaughtwind
ofSmithinthestands.

BarryJonesmadeacrackaboutgettingarunonhiminturntwo,butZachdidn’thaveacomeback

forhim.Notwhenhewastoobusystaringupatthebleacherstomakesurehisbrothersdidn’ttryanything
withHeather.

He trusted her, of course. It was Smith and Ryan he was going to kill if he saw even one picture

comeoutwiththeirhandsanywhereonher.

Zachslammedhishelmetonandpushedthroughtheotherdriverstogetintohiscar.He’dworked

withthiscrewenoughtoskipthepre-racespeech.Hehadn’twantedtodothisdamnrace,buthewasa
manofhiswordandhadtomakegoodonit.

Theracestartedandhedrovelikeamanpossessed.Notjusttowin,butbecausehewantedtoget

theracedone,thentakeHeatherbacktobed,whereitwasjustthetwoofthem.Wherenothingmattered
butherlaughter,hersweetlittlesoundsofpleasure.

Thesoundofmetalagainstmetalcamefirst,asplitsecondbeforeitslammedthroughhisbody.
Damnit,hethoughtasthecarstartedspinning,he’dknownhisluckwasgoingtorunoutoneday,

buthehadn’tthoughtit’dbethissoon.Orthatitwouldendlikethis.He’dalwaysfiguredonhavingan
aneurismlikehisfather,hadbelievedeveryheadachewasonestepclosertotheinevitable.

Zach’sbrainandbodywentintotheautopilotthatanyracerworthhisshitimmediatelyshottoina

crash.Hishandsworkedthewheel.Hisfeetworkedthebrakesandclutch.Butasthecolorsallaround
him spun together, and his brain and body followed the do-or-die instructions his crew were yelling at
himthroughhisearpiece,hisheartremainedwithHeather.

Adozenquickflashesofbeauty,ofpleasure,swelledbehindhisbreastbone,pushingevendeeper,

allthewayintohissoul.

Heatherwithscratchesonherknees,hershirtripped,dirtsmudgedacrosshercheekassheclutched

Cuddlestoherchestandglaredathim.

Thefeelofhersoftcurvesbeneathhimasherolledthemoutofthewayoftheskateboarder,and

thenherfingersslippingintohisastheystaredupattheblueskytogether.

Hermouthwarmbeneathhisattheballparkashestolethatfirstkiss,thedesperationthathadflared

tolifebetweenthemandonlygrownhottereverytimetheytouched.

Running after her on the sidewalk to tell her he loved her, and loving her even more for the way

she’dyelledathim,forhowhardshe’dtriedtoinsisttheirlovewasn’treal.

Andthen,later,thetasteofhertearsonhislipsasshe’dcriedinhisarms,thedogstherewiththem,

allofthemcomfortingher.

PeoplehadalwaysjokedthatnothingcouldtouchZachandhischarmedlife,butasthewallfinally

wonthebattlehewaswagingtocontrolthecarandtheheatoftheengine’sflamesburnedthroughmetal
andleather,heknewbetter.

He’dalwaysknownbetter.
After all, his father had died young, and everyone always said that Zach was exactly like Jack

Sullivan.

JackSullivan’slifehadbeenperfect.He’dhadabeautifulwifehelovedandeightgreatkids.He’d

beenthedefinitionofcharmed.

Buthe’dstilldied.
Andleftthemallbehind.

***

HeatherblindlypushedthroughthepeopleonthebleacherstogettoZach.Shewasattheentrygate

totheracetrackwhenRyan’sarmscamearoundher.

“Youcan’tgooutthere.”
She fought Ryan’s hold with every ounce of strength she had, but Smith was there, too, and the

brothers’muscleswerelikesteelclampedaroundher.

“Let go of me!” she screamed at the two superstars while a dozen photographers spun back and

forthtofilmthecrashandherandSmithandRyan.

ButhisbrothersjustheldhertighterasshewatchedflamesengulfZach’scar.
Hewassupposedtobeindestructible...andhersforever.
She’d known he wasn’t, that nobody was bulletproof. But it had been easier to lull herself into a

falsesenseofsecuritythantohavetofacetheutterlossofcontrolthatcamefromsittinghelplessinthe
standswhileheracedacaratdizzyingspeeds.

Shecouldstillfeeltheimprintofhislipsonhers,fromthekisshe’dleftherwith.She’dstopped

prayingalongtimeago,hadsubstitutedhardworkandfocusandrealityforthoseprayers.

Now,herlipswouldn’tstopmoving,wouldn’tstoprepeating,“Please,God.Please.”
The smoke from the fire extinguishers grew thick and dark around the car as the emergency crew

attackedtheflames.Hertearsmixedinwiththesmokeandthedustfromthetrackascarsskiddedtoa
stoponebyone.Theotherdriversgotouttowatchthesceneunfold,horrorontheirfacesastheyyanked
offtheirhelmets.

Suddenly,she saw boots.Legs. And thena man throwing himselfto the ground,rolling out of the

wayoftheflames.

ShockmadeSmithandRyan’shandsloosenjustenoughforhertoslipfree,tohurdlethegate.The

roarofthecrowdmixedwiththepoundingofherheartinherearsasshesprintedtowardZach.Hiscrew
had dragged him away from the car, had all backed away themselves as the flames only grew taller,
brighter.

Theexplosionrockedtheground,buteventhoughshestumbled,shegotrightbackuponherfeet.
Zachpushedupfromhiskneestopulloffhishelmet.Shecrashedintohimattheexactsecondhis

eyesmethers,andshepressedhermouthtohisfaceagainandagain.“Lorisaidyouwereindestructible.I
didn’tbelieveher.NowIdo.ThankGodnothingevertouchesyou.”

Hiseyesflashedwithdarknessbeforehepulledhersotightlytohimthatitalmosthurt.
“Iloveyousomuch,”shetoldhimintheirlastprivatemomentbeforethetrackdoctors,theother

drivers,andtherestoftheSullivansdescended.Heatherdidn’twanttoletgoofZach’shand,didn’twant
tolosethatconnection,butsheknewhe’dbeallherslater.

Believinghe’dbeensparedfromthecarcrashandfiresothattheycouldhavetheirforever,when

hisfingersstartedtoslipfreeofhers,shelethimgo.

ChapterThirty

AftertheemergencycrewcheckedZachoutandhe’dconvincedhisbrothersandsistersthathewas

okay,Heatherhadknownwithoutbeingtoldthatallhewantedwastogetawayfromtheracetrack.She’d
thoughtshewouldbetheonetodrivehome,butwhenhe’dheadedforthewheelshe’drealizeditwas
probablybestthathedealtwithdrivingacarsooner,ratherthanlater.

Thereweresomanythingsshewantedtosaytohim,somanythingsshewantedtotellhim—how

muchshelovedhimandhowshewasn’tsureabouttheseraces,butwouldtrytobeopentotheminthe
future if they were really important to him—but just as she buckled into the passenger seat and they
headedofftowardthecity,hismothercalled.

Mary Sullivan’s distress over the accident was palpable. And yet, Heather admired the calm that

layatthefoundationofherloveforherson.IfZachhadseemedabitshort,evenalittleirritatedwiththe
motherHeatherknewheloved,shefigureditwasoneofadozennaturalresponsestothecrash.Therehad
beensomanypeoplehoveringaroundhimwantingreassurancethathewasokay.Hehadtobeexhausted.

But even though she hadn’t been the one fighting like hell to right the car, and then to escape it,

Heather still couldn’t find her own calm. It would take time to stop seeing the man she loved go up in
flameseverytimesheclosedhereyes.Anduntilthatdaycame,shewantedtoliveeverysingleminute
withhimtothefullest.Shewasdoneholdingbackapartofherheartfromhim,donewaitingforthatother
shoetodrop.

Todayshe’dlearnedjusthowpreciouslife—andlove—trulywas.
Standing in his kitchen cooking dinner, the knife almost sliced through the tip of Heather’s finger

insteadofthebellpepperasanotherimageofZachspinningoutonthetrackzingedthroughherhead.Just
assheputtheknifedown,Zachwalkedoutofthebedroom.Hishairwaswetfromtheshower,hisperfect
facescratchedupanddowntherightside.

ThankGodhewasalive.
Despiteherlingeringdistressoverhiscrash,shecouldn’thelpsmilingathim.Thetruthwasthat

she’dalwaysgrinnedlikeafoolwheneverhewasaround.Only,Zachdidn’tsmileback.

Itwasthefirsttimehe’devernotsmiledback.
“Gabe’scomingover.”
Shewassurprisedtohearhewasupforavisitfromoneofhissiblingswhenshecouldseehow

beathewas.“IshegoingtobringovertherestofCuddles’sthings?”

“No.”Thewordshotlikeabulletfromhislips.“He’scomingtotakeherback.”
Evenashesaidit,Cuddleswasrubbingagainsthiscalvestryingtogethisattention.Buthewasn’t

scoopingherupintohisarms.

Instead,hewasignoringthepuppycompletely.Hewasn’tevenlookingather.
“Idon’tunderstand,”shesaid,andshedidn’t,couldn’tpossiblybelievethathewasserious.“You

justtoldthemyouwerekeepingher.”

He shrugged, the shrug of a man who didn’t seem to care what he’d said to a seven-year-old

girl...orwhatotherpromiseshemighthavemadealongthewaytoanyoneelse.

“She’sbetteroffwiththem.Thedogneedsakidaroundtoplaywith.”
Thedog?
ThewayhesaiditwasdifferentthanwhenhecalledCuddlesandAtlasmuttsorfurballs.Hewas

affectionate,teasingwhenhesaidthosethings.Butthiswasjustplaindismissive.

Theparamedicshadsaidhedidn’thaveaconcussion.Hadtheybeenwrong?
“Zach.”Shestartedtomovetowardhim,buttheremoteexpressiononhisfacestoppedherinher

tracks.“Areyoufeelingokay?”

“I’mfine.”
Hesatdownonthecouchandgrabbedtheremote,flippingontheTV.Thesoundofanothercarrace

immediatelystartedup.Bileroseinherthroatatthesightofthecarsracingincirclesaroundthetrack.

She wanted to scream at him, wanted to throw something at his big, thick head. Her feet unstuck

fromthekitchenfloorandsheyankedthecontrolsoffthecoffeetabletojamherthumbovertheredOff
button.

“I can’t watch that right now.” The TV screen went back to black. “How can you? Don’t you

rememberyoualmostdiedouttheretoday?”

Beforehecouldanswer,CuddleswalkedoverwithoneofZach’sleathershoes.Thepuppyplopped

downinfrontofhimandstartedchewingit,herbigbrowneyestrainedonhimasifshewerewaitingfor
acommandtodootherwise.

“Aren’tyougoingtostopher?”
Zachbarelyglanceddownatthepuppy.“No.Summerwillfigureouthowtogethertostopmaking

mistakes.”

“She’sapuppy.She’sgoingtomakemistakes.”Butwasn’tthetruththatsomemistakesweresobig

thattheycouldn’tbeundone?Liketrustingsomeonetoactuallyloveyouright.“Shetrustsyou,Zach.Gabe
andMeganandSummerarejuststrangerstoher.You’reherfamily.”

Andhers,too,orsoshe’dthought.Finally,she’dhadthefamilyshe’dneverthoughtcouldbehers.

Afuturefilledwithlaughter.Andlove.Somuchloveithadmadeherheadspin.

Now,though,itwasspinningforreasonsthathadnothingtodowithlove.
Please, she thought, the word running around and around in her head just the way it had hours

earlier. Only this time she wasn’t begging God, she was silently pleading with a flesh-and-blood man.
Pleasedon’tdothis.

Hisfacewaslikegranite.“She’llbefine.”
EveryoneofHeather’sinstinctstoldhertorun.Toflee.Togetoutandprotectwhateverwasleftof

herheartwhileshestillcould.Butsomethingwasobviouslywrong.

Verywrong.
Zachhadn’tcrackedasmile,hadn’tgivenheroneofthosesmuglooksshealwayswantedtokiss

rightoffhisface.

And,sherealizedwithadarkhitofpaininthepitofherstomach,hehadn’tsomuchastouchedher

sincethey’dleftthetrack.

Hewasalwaystouchingher.
Sheforcedherselftomovetowardhim,ratherthanaway.“There’ssomethingyou’renottellingme.

Somethingthathappenedoutthereonthetrack.”

“I’malive,”washisoffhandreply.“Everything’sgreat.”
Hiseyesweresocold,soshuttered.Allshe’dwantedwastohavehimback,butnotlikethis.
Notwhenhesuddenlyseemedtobeashellofthemanshe’dthoughthewas.
Thepaininherstomachgrewbigger,buttheneedtohavetherealZachSullivanback—her Zach

—wasbigger.Bigenoughthatshekeptmovingcloser.

“I can’t imagine how it must have felt to be in that car, trying to get out while it burned. But you

walkedawayfromit.”

Whenever she’d gotten stuck in darkness, he’d always fought for her. He’d made her laugh, he’d

heldherwhenshecried,he’dtaughtherhowtotrustagain,andtobelieveinlovewhenshe’dthoughtit
wasn’tpossible.

Nowsheneededtofightforhim.
“Talktome,Zach.Tellmewhat’sgoingon.”Thewordpleasewasonhertonguewhenthedoorbell

rang.

ShecouldbarelystandtowatchasZachshovedallofthepuppy’sthingsintoagrocerybag,picked

upCuddles,andpushedboththebagandthepuppyintohisbrother’sarms.

ThelittleYorkiewhimperedasshelookedfromGabetoZach.
“Yousureaboutthis?”Gabeaskedhisbrother.
“Iagreedtokeepherfortwoweeks.Time’sup.”
Gabe’seyesmovedfromhisbrothertoHeather.Shecouldseeworryinthem,anddisappointment.
Thesamedisappointmentthatwaschokingheruntilshecouldhardlybreathearoundit.
“Summertoldmeyouneededadogbecauseshethoughtyouwerelonely.Shewassohappythatyou

weregoingtokeepher.Shethoughtyouwantedthepuppy.”

HeatherwaitedforZachtosoftenatthementionofthelittlegirl...orforhimtoatleastacknowledge

thewayCuddleswasstrugglingtogetfromhisbrother’sarmsintoZach’s.

“Idon’tneedadog.”
Hedidn’tsayanythingelse,buthedidn’tneedtoforHeathertohearwhathewasreallysaying.
Idon’tneedanyoneelse.
Shewantedtobeanywherebutthere,withGabe’seyestakinginherdevastation.Butshewasglad

she’dstayed,gladshe’dactuallywitnessedZachdoingwhathewasdoing,becauseitwastheonlyway
shecouldeverhavemadeherheartfacethetruth.

Shedidn’trealizeAtlashadgottenupfromhisnaponhisdogbedandmovedtohersideuntilshe

felthisbigheadnudgeherhand.Sheputherhandsonhisneckandshoulders,lettinghissteadywarmth
giveherthestrengthshesodesperatelyneeded.

Hadn’tsheknowntheothershoewoulddropatsomepoint?Thatithadtobecauseitalwaysdid?
But,oh,howshe’dwantedtobelievethatitwouldn’t.
Justasbadlyasshe’dwantedtobelieveinZach.
Heclosedthedooronhisbrother,walkedbackintotheroom,pickeduptheshoeCuddleshadbeen

chewingon,anddroppeditintothegarbagecanwithathud.

Allthewhilethepuppy’scriescouldbeheardashisbrotherputherinthecar.
“Itoldyoueverything.”Hervoiceshookwithemotionshecouldn’tcontain.“Ilovedyouenoughto

tellyoumysecrets.Totrustyouwiththem.”Andwithherheart.Whichwaswhyshehadtotryonemore
time to see if he would be honest with her about what was hurting him. “I know something’s wrong,
somethingtodowithtoday’scrash.”Sheclenchedherhandsathersidestokeepfromreachingforhim,
becauseifhepushedherawayshewouldshatterintoathousandpiecesonhiskitchenfloor.“Won’tyou
trustme,too?”

Hewentcompletelystillandforamomentasshestaredintohisbleakeyes,shethoughthemightbe

abouttotellherwhyhewasactingsoweird.

Only,whenhefinallyspoke,itwasjusttosay,“Trustme,it’sbetterthisway.Itwasonlyamatterof

timebeforesomethinghappenedtoherattheshop.”Hepaused.“Orbeforesomethinghappenedtome.
Liketoday,outattheracetrack.IfIhadn’tbeenabletogetoutofthecar,theywouldhavetakenherback
anyway.Betterifithappensnow,beforeshegetsanymoreattachedtome.”

Sheblinkedathim,tryingtomakesenseofwhathewassaying.“Waitaminute.Areyouactually

tryingtoconvincemeyougotridofthepuppyforherowngood?”

Whenhenodded,sheshookherheadindisbelief.“That’scrazy.Can’tyouseehowmuchsheloves

you?Andthatshedoesn’twanttobewithanyoneelseontheoffchancethatyou’llcrasharacecarone
day?”

But with every word she spoke, she could see Zach shutting down more and more. To the point

whereitwasliketalkingtothecementwallhe’ddrivenintotoday.

Onlythistime,itwasherheartgoingupinflamesasheshutheroutcompletely.

Heatherhadthoughtshe’dfoundhim;theoneguywhocouldprovetoherthattheyweren’tallthe

same.Butshe’dneverknowifshehadornot,wouldshe?Becausehewouldn’ttalktoher.

Justlikeherfather,Zachmadealltherulesandshewasexpectedtofollowthem.
Thiswaswhyshe’dbeentryingsohardtoresisthim,toargueawayhislove...andherown.
Atlassilentlymovedbesideherasshefoundherbagandputherthingsintoit.Shewalkedintothe

bedroomtoretrievetheextraclothesshe’dstartedtoleaveatZach’shouse.Thebedmockedher,toldher
whatshehadn’twantedtobelievewastrue.

Ithadjustbeensex.
Friendswithbenefits...only,maybetheyhadn’tevenbeenfriendswhenitcamerightdowntoit.
Zach’seyesweredarkashewatchedhergatherupherthings,amusclejumpinginhisjaw,right

beneathoneofthescratchesshewassotemptedtoreachoutandrunafingerover.Justtobeclosetohim
onemoretime.

“You’releaving?”
Beforetonight,Zachwouldneverhaveaskedherifshewasgoing.Hesimplywouldn’thavelether

go,wouldhavepulledwhatevertricksoutofhissleevetoconvincehershewasbetteroffstayingwith
him.

“I’vegotabigbacklogofworkattheoffice.”
Workhadpiledupduetoallthetimeshe’dbeenspendingwithZach.Ithadseemedworthitatthe

time,thetradeoffbetweenloveandgrowingherbusiness.

Worthit,thatis,untilthemirageoflovedisappearedlikeapuffofsmoke.
“You’re that pissed off at me for giving the damn puppy back?” At last, she could see the veneer

he’dtriedtoputaroundhimselfcracking.Butitwastoolate.Especiallywhenhesaid,“Itwasn’tevenmy
dog.Ineveraskedforit.Theyjustdumpeditonme.”

It.
“No,I’mnotpissedoff.”Andshewasbeingperfectlyhonest.Shewasfarmoreheartbrokenthan

she was angry. “Just like you said, she’ll be fine.” Heather would make sure of it, would personally
assign her best trainer to work with Megan, Summer, and Gabe so that Cuddles could forget that Zach
Sullivaneverexisted.

“Thenwhyareyouleaving?”
Becausesheneededtosaveherselfwhiletherewasstillaghostofachancethatshecouldrecover.
Because if he could give away a puppy she’d thought he absolutely adored without so much as

flinchingasitcriedforhim,thenshewasn’tsuresheknewwhohewasatall.

Becauseshedidn’tthinksheratedawholeheckoflotmorethanthepuppyhadtothemanstanding

infrontofher.

Because,intheend,itturnedoutlovewasn’tenough.Justlikeshe’dalwaysknown.
Butsinceshecouldnolongertrusthimenoughtosayanyofthat,allthatcamewasanhonest,“I’m

gladyou’reokay,Zach.”

Soglad,infact,thatshe’dfeltlikeherownlifehadbeensavedoutthereontheracetrackwhen

he’dscrambledfreeoftheburningcar.

Shewasabouttostartcrying,knewanysecondshe’dbefallingapart.
Heather couldn’t do that here. Not in front of Zach. She couldn’t let her guard down around him

everagain.

Allthoseyearsago,whenshe’dfoundoutwhatherfatherhaddone,she’dvowedtoneverfeelthat

wayagain,toneverletanyonemakeherfeelsoterriblyunloved,sounimportant.She’drenewthatvow,
makesureshestuckbyitinthefuture.

Sheneededtogetoutoftherelookinglikeshewasstillinonepieceandthen,whenshewasfar,far

awayfromhim,she’ddealwiththeshatteredinsidesbeneathherskin.

WhenZachhadnearlydiedshe’dfinallyadmittedtoherselfjusthowmuchshelovedhim.She’d

finally confessed down deep in her soul that she loved him more deeply, more truly than she’d ever
thoughtshecouldloveaman.

Onlytohavehimprovehercynicismaboutlovetoberight.
Shehatedhimforthat,buthatedherselfmoreforfallingforhim.
“Goodluckwiththerestofyourcharmedlife.”

ChapterThirty-one

Zach’slifehadturnedintoagoddamnedtrainwreck.
Afterheputthewrongfluidinacustomer’stransmissionanditburnedtoacrisp,hisstaffwouldn’t

lethimnearanyofthecarsinthegarage.Hedidsomethingonhiscomputerthatgaveitavirusandhis
executiveassistantaskedhim,politelybutfirmly,topleasestayawayfromtherestofthecomputersinthe
office while she got the hard drive repaired. His vocabulary shrank to a handful of curse words when
reporterscoveringhisaccidentattheracetrackcalledtoaskwhathethoughtaboutthepicturesofRyan
andSmithholdingHeatherbackfromthetrackashiscarburned,andnowthepresswaspissedathim,
too.

Ontopofeverythingelse,Gabehadrattedhimouttotheentirefamily.AssoonasLoriandSophie

learned that he’d given the puppy back—along with a clear visual of the horror on Heather’s face that
GabehadlikelyrecountedtoalloftheminvividTechnicolor—theybegantotag-teamhimwithmessages
wantingtoknowwhathisproblemwas.

LoriwentsofarastothreatenhimwithbodilyharmifhecontinuedtoblowitwithHeather.Onher

last message she’d made it perfectly clear that she had plenty of brothers already, so it was an easy
decisionforhertostickwithHeatherifhewasgoingtokeepbeingtoomuchofafooltofigureouthowto
loveherright.

“We all know how you feel about her,” was what she’d said in her most recent message. Loud

enoughthathervoicewasstillringinginhisears.“HeatherandIweregettingtobefriends,butnow
shewon’tcallmeback.Jerk.”

He was tempted to delete all future messages from his siblings without listening to them, but he

couldn’t.Notiftheywerecallingtosaythey’dheardfromHeather.

Butnoonesaidawordaboutseeingher,notevenGabe,whohefiguredwasdoingtrainingsessions

withCuddlesatTopDog.

Itwasn’tevenmygoddamneddog,waswhathekepttellinghimselfoverandover.Theyshouldn’t

begettingtheirpantiesinsuchatwistovermygivingitbacktoSummer.

Only,alltheoldlieshe’dalwaystoldhimselfweren’tworkinganymore.Notwhenheknewexactly

whytheywereallsoangrywithhim.

Becausehe’dlostHeather.
Hell.Itwasworsethanthat.
He’d convinced Heather to walk to the edge of a hundred-story building, went out of his way to

convincehershewassafe...andthenhe’dshovedheroff.

God,thatlastnightathishousehe’dhatedseeinghersparkfade,hatedevenmorethathewasthe

causeofit,buthecouldn’tstop,couldn’tjustshutupandpullherintohisarmsthewayhewasdyingto.

Notwhenhe’dbeengrippedwiththeneedtosavethembothbeforetheywenttoofar,toodeep,into

a forever that could—or couldn’t, depending on the same bad luck and shitty fate that had befallen his
father—beoutthereforthem.

ExactlyoneweekafterHeatherhadlefthim,Zachpulledoverinfrontofhismother’shouse.His

tirejammedintothecurbwithasharppop.

Aflat.
Figured,thewayhisluckwasgoing.
Justashe’dthoughtattheracetrack,he’dfinallyuseduphisshareofgoodfortune.
HischarmedlifehadofficiallyendedthemomentHeatherwalkedoutofhishouse.
Hegrabbedthebrightlywrappedbabygiftfromthepassengerseatandshovedthepinkandyellow

balloonstiedtohismother’smailboxoutofhiswayasheheadedforthefrontdoor.Thelastthinghewas
inthemoodfortodaywasababyshower,regardlessofhowcuteChaseandChloe’skidwas.

IfonlyhecouldseeEmmawithouttherestofhisfamilyaround,pokingathim.
IfonlyhecouldforgetthewayHeatherhadlookedwithEmmainherarms.Sobeautiful,sonatural,

soamazedbytheperfectlittlelife.

When he closed his eyes at night just to lie there until the sun came up, that was what he saw.

Heatherandthebaby.Thewonderonherface.Thejoy.

Thelonging.
Howcouldhehavedoneanythingbutfallinlovewithher?
Andhowcouldhedoanythingnowbutlethergo?
Thefrontdoorwashalf-openandheploppedhisgiftonthepileinthelivingroom.Planningtosee

Emma,giveherakiss,andthengetthehelloutofthere,hehadjuststeppedoutintohismother’sbackyard
whenGabeinterceptedhim.

“Here.”Hisbrothershovedanoverjoyedballoffurathim.
ZachgrabbedCuddlesbeforeshefelloutofhisarms.“Whatthehell?”
“She’syours.We’renottakingherback.”Gabescowled.“Youcouldn’tpayustotakeherback.”
The puppy was losing its mind licking Zach all over his neck and chin. It didn’t matter how he

shiftedher,shejustkeptshoweringhimwithherslobberylove.

“Whatkindoftroublecouldshehavecaused?Igaveherbacktoyoutrained.”
Megan appeared at Gabe’s side. “She wouldn’t stop crying, Zach. No matter what we did, she

wouldn’tstop.”ShewatchedCuddlesturnherselfinsideouttoshowZachjusthowpleasedshewasto
seehim.“NowIseewhy.Youtwoareobviouslyamatchmadeinheaven.”

Zachwantedtoargue,wantedtotellthemeithertheykeptthedogorhewastakingittothepound.

But, damn it, he’d missed the little fur ball all week. He’d look down at his lap, expecting to see her
there, and had hated how empty, how sterile his living room was without her chew toys, the dog bed
emptyinthecorner.

And yet, even as excited as the puppy was to see him, she kept looking around and whimpering

betweenlicks.

Heknewwhy.Shewaslookingforherfriend,Atlas.
AndforHeather.
The four of them had been such a tight unit that the puppy couldn’t possibly understand where

everyonehadgone.

Orwhyonlyhehadreturned.
“Fine,”hegrowled,“I’llkeepher.Where’sthebaby?”
Gabe and Megan shot each other a look before gesturing over their shoulders. Chloe was sitting

withthebabyonherlap.Shelookedexhaustedandradiantallatthesametime.

Zach put Cuddles down and the puppy immediately, frantically started jumping up on his leg.

“Down!” The puppy put her front feet down and waited for his next command. “I’m just going to wash
yourslobberoffmyfaceandhands.Don’tworry,I’mnotgoinganywhere.You’llbecomingbackhome
withmelater.”

HecouldhaveswornthelittleYorkienoddedathimasifsheunderstoodpreciselywhathe’dsaid.

Justtheway,hefoundhimselfthinking,AtlashadalwaysbeensoperfectlyintunewithHeather.

Inthekitchen,heshovedthefaucetupsohardthatwatersprayedalloverhim.Hepumpedhalfa

bottleofsoapintohishands,thenstuckhishandsandfaceunderthewater,beforeyankingacleankitchen
toweloutofadraweranddryingoffwithit.

Cuddlestrailedafterhimasheheadedtowardthebaby.Chloesmiledupathim.Chase’swifewas

theonlyonewhodidn’tseemdisgustedwithhim.

Hesatbesideherandtookthebabyintohisarms.Bigblueeyesblinkedupathimandchubbylittle

legskicked.Zachdroppedhismouthtothesuper-softskinonherforehead.“Prettygirl.YourUncleZach
isgoingtospoilyourotten.”

HeheardChloelaugh.“Lookather,shealreadyknowsit,doesn’tshe?Ithinkshe’sevengivingyou

herfirstsmile.”

Anditwastrue—babyEmma’slipswerecurvedupatshegazedathimandgavealittlegurgleof

happiness.

“Eitherthat,”heheardChasesay,“orshe’sgoingtogiveUncleZachhisfirstlessoninchanginga

diaper.”

Toreinforceherfather’spropheticwords,Emma’sfacescrunchedupandshegruntedacoupleof

timeswhilesquirminginhishands.

Chaselaughedandsaid,“Here’sthediaperbag.”
But Chloe was already standing up and taking the baby out of his arms. Zach watched the two of

them walk away as Chase said, “Sounds like you’ve been screwing up big time lately. Crashing cars.
Losingwomen.”

“You guys have been waiting long enough for me to blow something. Figured I’d finally come

throughforyou.”

HeandChasewerecloseenoughinagetogetintoitplentyoftimesovertheyears,butthiswasthe

firsttimehe’deverseentrueconcerninhisbrother’seyes.

“Youknowwhatmakesyousuchagoodmechanic?There’snothingyoucan’tfix.”
Wrong.
“Congratulations,again,”Zachgrittedouttohisbrother.“I’llbebytoseeyouguysinafewdays.”

Whentherewereahalf-dozenfewerpairsofeyesonhim.Andwhenhehaddrunkenoughboozetoforget
howbadlyeverythinghe’dtouchedhadgonewrong.

HegrabbedCuddlesandtheywerealmosttothefrontdoorwhenhismotherinterceptedhim.She

wasfine-bonedanddelicatelooking,butheknewfirsthandthatshehadaspinemadeofsteel.

“Zach, honey.” Her arms came around him and the puppy and he breathed in her familiar floral

scent.“I’mgladyou’refinallyhere.I’vegotsomethingI’vebeenmeaningtogivetoyou.”

Sheturnedandheadeddownthehalltoherbedroomandhehadnochoicebuttofollowher.Family

pictureslinedthewalls.RyaninhisfirstLittleLeagueuniform,takingiteasyonthepitcher’smounda
beat before he struck out another seven-year-old. Chase and Marcus heading out on windsurfers on the
Bayatsixteen.Loriinherfirstballetrecital,justlikeEmmawouldbeinahandfulofyears,soprettyit
almost broke your heart to look at her. Sophie with her head in a book, lost in another fantasy world,
anotheradventure.Gabeclimbingthetreeintheirbackyardincut-offshortswithahammerinhishandto
finishbuildingthefort.Smithasthestarofthehighschoolmusical,hisfuturealreadycrystalclear.Zach’s
owncockygrinashesatinthewindowofhisfirstracecar,certainthewholeworldwaswaitingathis
feet.

Theirmotherhadbeenbehindthelenseachandeverytime,hadtakenthepictureofhisfatherouton

a hiking trail, a baby on his back, a toddler’s hand in each of his. Jack Sullivan was looking over his
shoulderatthecamerawiththatsamegrinthatZachhadseenamilliontimesinhisownmirror.

Allthosegoodtimesstilltocome,somuchfamilytowatchgrowup...andlifehadstillendedfor

hisfatherintheblinkofaneye.

Zachgottothebedroomdoorjustashismotheropenedthetopdrawerofherdresser.Shedidn’t

pullanythingoutofitrightaway.Instead,sheclosedhereyesandtookabreath,herprettyfacecrumpling
forasplitsecondbeforeshefinallyreachedforsomething.

Sheturnedandheldoutasmallblackboxwrappedinvelvet.“Ithinkyoushouldhavethis.”She

correctedherself.“Iknowyoushouldhaveit.”

Zachhadneverrunfromanything.Notafight.Notdanger.Butthethoughtofopeninguptheboxhis

motherwasholdingouttohimhadhimwantingtorunasfastashislegswouldtakehim.

“It’sokay,honey.”Shehelditoutsohehadtotakeit.“Hewouldhavewantedyoutohaveit.”
Zach pulled the puppy tighter with one hand as he reached for the box with the other. His hand

shookasheflippedopenthetopandhisthroattightened.

“It’syourengagementring.”Theringshe’dwornforsomanyyearsafterhisfatherdied.Theringhe

stillcouldseeonherfingerasifitwereyesterday,asifshehadn’tfinallytakenitofftenorsoyearsago.
“Youneedtokeepit.”

“Nohoney,I’vehaditjustaslongasIneeded.Theringisyoursnow.”
Heshookhishead.“Idon’t—”Hewasgoingtocry.Alreadywas,actually.“Ican’t—”
Shesatdownonthebedandpattedthecoverletbesideher.“Afteryourfatherdied,Iwouldlookat

you and it was like he was still there. Eating dinner with all of us. Playing ball in the background.
Twirlingthegirlsaroundincirclesuntiltheyweredizzy.”

Everyonewho’deverknowntheirfatherhadsaidthattohimatonepointoranother.“You’re the

spittingimageofJack.”He’dfelthowbrokentheywereoverhisfather’sdeath.Howwistfulatalife
endedmuchtoosoon.

Thatwaswhenhe’dtakentotryingtooutrunthedemonsthatchasedhim,buthehadn’tsucceeded.

Not when he’d known all along that there was no separation between him and his father, because they
wereoneandthesame.

Somethingbrokeapartinsideofhim.“Youalwayslookedsosad.Sodamnedsad.”
“Iknow.”Hervoicebroke.“IknowandI’msorry.Evenrattledwithgrief,Iknewitwasn’tfair.I

knowthatyouweren’thim.”Shereachedforhishands,grippedthemtightly.“Youarenotyourfather.”

“Hewasasaint.”WhereasZachhadneverbeenanythingclosetoone.
“Yourfatherwasn’tasaint.”
“Hewas.Agreatfathertoeightkids.Awifeheloved.Theonlythingheeverdidwrongwasdie

tooearly.”

He was stunned when his mother started laughing. “Your father couldn’t have given a leap about

loveandmarriageandkidswhenwefirstmet.”

Zachcouldn’tbelievethatwhathewashearingwastrue,buthe’dneverknownhismothertolie.
“Ilovedhimfromthestart,ofcourse.Hewasimpossiblenottolove,butthatdidn’tmeanIhadto

putupwithhim.Thefirsttimehetriedtogivemethisring,Ithrewitathim.”Hereyeswenthazyatthe
memoryassheliftedherhandtoherlefteyebrow.“Iclippedhimrighthere,hardenoughthatheneeded
stitches.So,no,hedefinitelywasn’tasaint.Notevenclose.”Hismother’sgazelockedonZach’s.“ButI
lovedhim.AndintheendthatmeantIwaswillingtogivehimtheroomtogrowintolovingmethewayI
needed to be loved. Despite everything he did wrong along the way. I know how close you were with
yourdad,”shesaidsoftly.“Helovedallofyourbrothersandsisters,butyouwerealwayssospecialto
him.Iknowhowspecialhewastoyou,too,honey.Butwhathappenedtohim—”Shesearchedforthe
rightwords.“Itdidn’thaveanythingtodowithyou.Itstilldoesn’t,Zach.Hehelpedmakeyouwhoyou
were,butonlyyoucandecidewhoyouwanttobe...andwhatyouwantfromyourlife.”

NoonehadeversaidthosewordstoZachbefore.
Becausehehadn’tletthem.
Heatherhadsharedeverylastsecretwithhim,buthe’dwithheldhis.Andnowshethoughthedidn’t

loveher,whenthetruthwasthathelovedherwitheverythinghehad.

“Heleftyouwithnowarning.”Zachfoughtforthewordstoexplainsomethingthatbeensoclearto

himsincehewassevenyearsold,butwassuddenlygrowingfuzzy.“Ican’tdothattoher.”

“DoyouthinkknowingyourdadwasgoingtodiewouldhavechangedthewayIfeltabouthim?Do

youthinkIwouldhavestoppedmyselffromlovinghim?”Shedidn’twaitforhisanswerbeforesaying,

“Ifanything,Iwouldhavebeenabsolutelyfuriouswithhimforthinkingheneededtoprotectmefrommy
ownfeelings.Tohavemissedoutontheyearswehadtogetherwouldhavebeenfarworsethanlosinghim
tooearly.”

EverythingZachhadeverthoughttobetrueshiftedaroundinsideofhimashelookeddownatthe

ringinhishand.

He’dhadeverythinghecouldhaveeverwantedinHeather.Alover.Abestfriend.Apartnerwho

wasn’tafraidtogivehimthekickintheassheoften—usually—needed.

Hadn’theknownfromthestartthatshewasdifferent?
Andthataloveassweetasherswassomethingyouheldonto,nomatterwhat?
Unless,ofcourse,youhappenedtobetheworld’sbiggestfool.
Heclosedtheboxwithasnapbeforeshovingitintothepocketofhisjeans.“Thanksforthering,

Mom.”

“You’re welcome, honey.” His mother gave him another hug. “Something tells me it’s going to fit

herperfectly.”

ChapterThirty-two

HeatherwavedthecolorfulropeatAtlas,buthisearsbarelyperkedupeventhoughtheywerein

themiddleoftheparkanditwasabeautifulday.

“You need to snap out of it.” She put the rope down and sat on the grass beside her Great Dane.

“Yourwholeworlddoesn’tbeginandendwithCuddles.”Atthesoundofthepuppy’sname,heraisedhis
darkeyebrowswithhope.“No,sheisn’tcomingheretoday.”

No doubt, Cuddles was at Mary Sullivan’s house for Chase and Chloe’s baby shower. Lori had

calledandleftamessagewiththeinvitation,butHeathercouldonlyimaginehowawkwarditwouldbe
foreveryoneifsheattendedthefamilyparty.

When Atlas sadly lowered his big head back onto his paws, she said, “Don’t you remember, you

were a perfectly fine dog before her? You’re going to be okay. It will just take a little time, that’s all.
Timehealseverything.That’swhateveryonealwayssays.”

She stroked his soft fur as she looked out at the other people in the park. All happy couples, of

course.

Refusingtoacknowledgethepainzingingthroughher,thesamewayshe’dbeenworkingtoignore

thehollowacheinthecenterofherchestallweek,shetoldAtlas,“Youstillhaveme.Istillhaveyou.We
don’tneedanybodyelse.Andjustbecausethosewerethegreatesttwoweeksofourlives,doesn’tmean
anything.We’regoingtobeawesomeagain,justyouandme.”

Shereallydidsuckatlying.JustlikeZachhadpointedoutthatfirstnightinherofficewhenhe’d

broughtherpizzaandshe’dalreadywantedhim—andlikedhim—morethansheshould.

The truth was that she felt anything but awesome. Especially when what stretched out before her

wasanendlessrinse-and-repeatofworkandfakingsmilesforherfriendsandabedthathadneverfeltso
empty.

Atlasmissedhisbestfriendterriblyandhe’dbeensluggishallweek.Sohadshe.
Becauseshemissedthemanwhohadbecomeherbestfriend.
Inthespanoftwoweeks,ZachSullivanhadn’tjustmanagedtogetintoherpants...he’dcharmedhis

wayintoherheart.Evenworse,hislaughterandwarmthhadtakenupresidenceinhersoul.

JustasAtlascouldn’tseemtomoveonfromCuddles,shehadn’tevencomeclosetoshakingherself

freeofthepuppy’stemporaryowner.

Theworstpartabouttheirbreakup,though,wasthatasthedayscreptbyandthedustsettledaround

herbruisedheart,shecouldn’thelpfeelingthatshe’dlethimdown.

Thosefirstfewnightsshe’dhatedherselfforthinkingshewasdifferent,thatshecouldbetheone

womanamanlikeZachcouldactuallyfallinlovewith.Butthathadbeenanger,andpride,spinningher
wheels.Becauseregardlessofthewaytheawfulscenehadplayedoutbetweenthem,shecouldn’tdeny
thathe’dbeenhurting.

Andthatwaswhyhe’dlethergo.
Okay,somaybelovehadn’tbeenenoughforthem...atleast,notinthatcrucialmomentofmakingthe

choice between staying and going, between keeping and giving away. But could it be? If she gave it
anotherchanceandstayedthistime,topushpasthiswallsandfindoutwhathadhurthimsobadly?

Atlas’s sighs turned to snores as he let the warm sun and her hand on his back lull him to sleep.

Heatherlaydown,herheadonhisback,andclosedhereyes.Whatshewouldn’tdoforanhourofrestful
sleep.

She took in the smells of leaves and fresh-cut grass, the sounds of birds chirping overhead, the

laughterfromstrangersallaroundher.Butinsteadoffeelingasenseofpeaceatthesoothingsoundsand

sensations,shesawherfather’sfaceinhermind’seye

Heatherfoundherselfwatchingaseventeen-year-oldgirlconfrontingherfatherwithhislies.The

girlwassobrave,sostrong,asthemanshehadtothankforherdarkhair,herlongfingers,hadlaughedin
herfaceashetoldherthatwhatshe’dfoundoutabouthissecretlifeontheroadwasn’ttrue,asheswore
sheandhermothermeanteverythingtohim.

Fromadistance,shewatchedthatgirlturnintoawoman,onewhobelievedherduplicitousfather

wastheblueprintforallcharmingmen.Thatlaughingeyesandeasyprofessionsoflovecouldn’tpossibly
bereal.

And then, with perfect clarity, she cut to that moment in the kitchen when the man she loved

wrappedhisarmsaroundherandthedogstotrytoshieldherfrombothpastandfuturepainbysimply
beingthereforher.

Shesatupsuddenly,hereyesopeningwide.
Allalong, Zach hadfought for her.From that first momentwhen he’d insistedshe work with him

andCuddles,untilhe’dgotteninthatracecarlastSaturday,he’dbeenunrelentinginhisinsistencethat
theybelongedtogether.Atfirst,justasfriends-with-benefits,untilneitherofthemcouldkeepdenyingthat
theyweresomuchmorethanthat.

Herstomachtwistedassherealizedwhatshe’ddone.Or,rather,whatshehadn’t.
Don’tstoplovingme.Nomatterwhathappens,promisemeyouwon’teverstop.
He’dbeggedherforthatpromiseasifhe’dknownitwouldallcomedowntoonemomentwhen

he’dtrytopushheraway.

Butinsteadoffightingforhimthewayhealwaysfoughtforher,insteadofforcinghimtoownupto

thereasonshewasworkingsohardtopushloveoutofhislife,she’ddecideditwassafertowalkaway
fromhiminstead.Saferforher.

Atlasopenedoneeyeassheclippedonhisleashandleanedinclosetohismuzzle.“Timetogoget

the girl and the boy. It’s not going to be easy to win them back,” she said with her first real smile in a
week,“butthey’reworthit.Andwe’renotgoingtogiveup,thistime.Nomatterwhat.”

***

“Goddamnedflattire!”
Zach should have been able to change a tire in his sleep. But the spare wasn’t cooperating, kept

slippingoffthestuds,whileCuddlessatonthesidewalkbesidehimandpantedherencouragement.

HeneededtogetoutofheretostartfiguringoutawaytowinHeatherback.Hecouldn’tstandto

wasteonemoresecondwithouther.

AnewsparedroppeddownnexttohisheadandZachlookeduptoseeRyanstandingthere,shaking

hishead.Afterallthecrackshe’dmadeabouthisbrothersfallinginloveduringthepastyear,Zachhad
expectedatleastoneofthemtocomeouttohecklehim.

“You’reamess.Can’tevenchangeatirewithoutheraround,canyou?”
Zachknewheshouldbethankinghisbrotherforthenewtire.Instead,hegrowled,“You’renotsafe,

asshole.Ifthiscanhappentome—”Thisbeingfallinginlove,ofcourse.“—itcanhappentoanyone.”

Butthebrotherthatwascloseenoughinageforthemtopracticallybetwinsdidn’tlookworriedas

hewalkedaway.Heshouldbe,thoughtZach.AndwhenthedaycamethatRyanlostitoveragirl,hewas
goingtomakesuretorubhisbrother’sgutsinit.

Finally, with the new spare in hand, he started making headway. Five minutes and he’d be out of

hereandworkingoutawaytomakeuphiscolossalscrewuptoHeather.Therehadtobesomewaytoget
hertoaccepthisapology,hejustwishedheknewwhatitwas...

Justthen,somethingwetandstickyandoverlywarmmovedoverhischeek.Hewassosurprised,

he banged his head on the side mirror. But even though his ears were ringing and it took his vision a
coupleofsecondstorightitself,hecouldmakeoutthehugepaws.

Atlas’shugepaws.
Heather.
Hejammedhisshoulderagainsthardmetalasheshottohisfeet.Thewomanhehadn’tbeenableto

stopthinkingaboutforonesinglesecondstoodonthesidewalk.

MyGod,shewasbeautiful.Themostbeautifulthinghe’deverseen.
Hisfingersitchedwiththeneedtograbher,topullherintohisarms,tothreadhisfingersintoher

hairandkissher.

“Hi.”
Theoneshortword,morebreaththansoundfromherlips,rocketedthroughskinandbone,straight

intoZach’sheart.Aheartthathadfinallystartedbeatingagain.Justbecauseshewasnear.

“I’msorry.”He’dneverapologizedforadamnthinginhislife,buthewouldsaythewordsover

andovertoheruntilshebelievedhim.“I’msodamnedsorry.IwasjusttryingtogetthistireonsoIcould
comeandtellyou.Imissyou.Iloveyou.Pleasecomebacktome.AndbringyourmuttforCuddles.I’m
notgoingtohideanythingfromyouanymore.I’mgoingtotellyoueverything,somanythingsthatyou’re
goingtowishI’dneveropenedthefloodgates.”

Shelookedlikeshecouldhardlybelievewhathewassaying,butthenshockturnedtomovement

andthenextthingheknewshewasflyingintohisarms.

Heputhishandsinherhairandhadhismouthabreathfromherswhenshesaid,“Don’tkissme

yet.”

Knowinghewascoveredingreaseandsweat,heasked,“BecauseIstink?”
“No,” she whispered against his mouth. “I love it when you have one of your rare imperfect

moments.It’sbecauseonceyoukissmeI’llbetoobusywantingyoutohearwhatyouhavetosayandI’ll
definitelyforgeteverythingIneedtosay.”

Jesus. That almost pushed him over the edge, but he could see, could feel, how serious she was.

“Whofirst?”

“Me.”
“Talkfast.”
Hermouthcurvedupintoaquicklittlesmilebeforeshetookabreathandsaid,“I’mtheonewho’s

sorry.Forleavingyouthatnight.”

Whatwassheapologizingfor?“Imadeyougo.”
“You didn’t make me. I could have stayed. I should have stayed and made you tell me what was

wrong. I should have done whatever I needed to do to find out what happened to you out there in that
burningracecar.”Shepulledbackenoughtolifthereyestohis.“Whathappened,Zach?”

“YouweretheonlythingIthoughtaboutduringthecrash.”
“Whataboutyourfamily?”
“We’vehadmywholelifetogether.Butyouandme,”hesmiledather,“we’donlyhadtwoweeks.

Itwasn’tenough.Iwantedalifetimeofmemorieswithyou,notjusttheoneswe’dcrammedintofourteen
days.It’snoexcuseforthewayIscrewedup,butthethoughtofleavingyouonedaythewaymyfatherleft
mymotherandallofus...Icouldn’tstandit.I’msomuchlikehimthatIalwaysthoughtIwasgoingtodie
thewayhedid—tooyoung,withoutanywarning.IwassoafraidofleavingyoubehindthatImadeyou
leavemefirst.”Hischestfelttightastheoldbeliefstriedtotakehimoveragain.“I’venevertoldanyone
thatbefore.Onlyyou.Doyoustillwanttobewithme,evenifIdiethewaymyfatherdid?”

“Oh,Zach.”Herhandmovedtohisjaw,herthumbstrokingoverthefadingscratchesonhischeek.

“Youcanbesuchafool.OneIlovesomuch.OfcourseIstillwanttobewithyou.”

Thatwaswhenheknewforsurethatshemightactuallytakehimback.Notjustbecauseshewasin

his arms, not just because she’d listened to his apology...but because she’d just called him out on his
stupidity,thewayshehadsomanytimesbefore.

“CanIkissyounow?”
Her gaze dropped from his eyes to his mouth and he could already taste her sweetness when she

said,“Almost.”

Hedroppedhisforeheadagainsthersandgroaned.“WoulditspeedthingsupifImentionedhow

muchIloveyouagain?”

She grinned, her lips almost touching his—but not quite—as she said, “I fell in love with you so

fast,sodeep,Icouldhardlykeepupwithit.ButeventhoughIknewIlovedyou,Istilldidn’tthinkitwas
enough.”

“Becauselovenevermeantanythinginyourfamily.”
She nodded, sighing. “I’ve measured every man against my father since I was seventeen. You

seemedsomuchlikehimatfirst.Socharming,soconfident,thatIhadtokeepmyguardupallthetime.
Only, it turned out that you aren’t like him at all. You’re sweet and kind and warm and honest...and the
onlymanalivewhocouldhavetornthroughmycontrolandmadeitpossibleformetolove.”Shesmiled
athim,asmilesobeautifulhelosthishearttoheralloveragain.“ButloveisjustonepartofwhatIfeel
foryou.”

Hewastheonepullingbackinsurprisethistime.“Itis?”
“Youtaughtmetotrust.Tohavefaithandhope.Howtolaughagain.”Sheranthepadofherthumb

overhisbottomlip.“AndwhenI’msafeandwarminyourarms,justlikethis,Iknowthetruemeaningof
peace.”

Justashe’dbeenunabletowaitsomanytimesbefore,hehadtotakethekisshewanted,devouring

herlipswiththehungerofamanwho’dgonewithoutforfartoolong.Heatherkissedhimbackwiththe
kindofpassionthatbelongedbetweentangledsheetsindarkbedrooms,notsuburbansidewalks.

Heneverwantedtostopkissingher,notwhenhehadanentireweekoflostkissestomakeupfor.

Unfortunately,hisfamily’sclappingandcheeringcouldn’tbeignoredforever.

Heather looked over her shoulder and her eyes went wide. “Have they been watching the whole

time?”

Hisbrothersandsistersandmotherandbabyniecewerealloutonthefrontlawnnow.“Through

thewindowsformostofit,butI’mguessingtheycouldn’tstandnothearingeveryword,oratleasttrying
toreadourlips.Whichisagoodthing,becauseIknowhowmuchthey’dhatetomissthis.”

Hedroppedtoonekneeandhermouthfellopen.“Zach?Whatareyoudoing?”
Thedogsbothnosedhishandashepulledtheblackvelvetboxoutofhispocketandopeneditup.

“Askingyouforforever.”

Her eyes lit up even as her mouth wobbled at the corners. He knew he wasn’t playing fair by

offeringhertheringsosoonafterthey’dmadeup.Butfromthatfirstmomenthe’dseteyesonHeather,
he’dpulledoutallthestopstomakeherhis.Hewouldn’tstopnow,wouldn’teverstoplovingherwith
everypieceofhisheartandhissoul.

“Myfathergavemymotherthisring.”
Shelookeddownatthering,thenbackupathim.“It’sbeautiful,Zach.”
“Willyoubemine,Heather?”
“I’vealwaysbeenyours.”
Helovedthesoundofit.
Always.
Andthenshesaidsomethinghelikedevenmore.
“Yes.”

Epilogue

RyanSullivansprawledoutontheloungerunderthebigoaktreeinhismother’sbackyard,enjoying

hisbeer.

EveryonewasecstaticthatZachhadconvincedHeathertotakehimback,butnonemorethanLori,

whohadbeencrowingabouthervictoryonthebetthey’dmadetoanyonewhowouldlisten,whilethe
twodogs—onehuge,onetiny—chasedeachotherincirclesonthelawn.Emmagurgledwithhappiness
wheneverthedogscamenear.

Ithadbeenaheckofayearforhissiblings.Weddings.Babies.Engagements.Evendogs.
Ryandidn’thaveanythingagainstpeoplefallinginlove,andhewasgladithadworkedoutsowell

foreveryone...butthewholethinglookedlikeaheckofalotoftrouble.Thesexpart,hewasgamefor,of
course.Butallthebreakingupandgettingbacktogether,theanguishhe’dseenonhissiblings’faceswhen
thingswentwrong?

No,thanks.
He was perfectly happy with the status quo. He liked his job on the pitcher’s mound, enjoyed

spendingtimewithhisfamily,friends,andtheprettywomenwhounderstoodnottoexpecttoomuchfrom
aguylikehim.

When his phone buzzed in his pocket, he was almost too relaxed to bother to pull it out. When it

buzzedagainafewsecondslater,hereachedintohisbackjeanspockettoshutitoff.Beforehecould,he
sawthetext:

Ineedyourhelp.

Vicki?
She’dbeenoneofhisclosestfriendsinhighschool,buthehadn’tseenher,orheardfromher,ina

longtime.Toolong.

Wassheintrouble?
Hequicklytextedherback.

Whereareyou?

Hewasgrippinghisphonehardenoughtocrackitashewaitedforheranswer.

SanFrancisco.PacificUnionClub.

Whatwasshedoingbackinthecity?Andattheexclusive,old-moneycocktaillounge?
Ryanwasoutofthechairandheadingforthefrontdoorwhenhernexttextbuzzedthroughtohis

cell.

Comequick.

GonewastherelaxedSullivantheworldthoughttheyknew.Becauseifanyonesomuchastouched

ahaironVicki’shead,Ryanwouldkillthem.

~THEEND~

Don’tmissthefirstfourbooksinBellaAndre’sSullivanfamilyseries~outnow!

THELOOKOFLOVE

(Chase&Chloe,TheSullivans#1)

FROMTHISMOMENTON

(Marcus&Nicola,TheSullivans#2)

CAN'THELPFALLINGINLOVE

(Gabe&Megan,TheSullivans#3)

IONLYHAVEEYESFORYOU

(Sophie&Jake,TheSullivans#4)

WatchforBook#6comingFall2012!

LETMEBETHEONE

(RyanSullivan’sstory)

***

PleaseenjoythefollowingexcerptsfromBellaAndre’sbooks...

IONLYHAVEEYESFORYOU

Sophie&Jake–TheSullivans#4

SophieSullivan,alibrarianinSanFrancisco,wasfiveyearsoldwhenshefellheadoverheelsinlove
with Jake McCann. Twenty years later, she’s convinced the notorious bad boy still sees her as the
“nice”Sullivantwin.Thatis,whenhebotherstolookatheratall.Butwhentheybothgetcaughtup
inthemagicofthefirstSullivanwedding,sheknowsit’slongpasttimetodowhateverittakestomake
himseeherforwhoshetrulyis...thewomanwhowilllovehimforever.

Jakehasalwaysbeenamagnetforwomen,especiallysincehisIrishpubsmadehimextremelywealthy.
Buttheonlywomanhereallywantsistheonehecanneverhave.NotonlyisSophiehisbestfriend’s
off-limits younger sister...he can’t risk letting her get close enough to discover his deeply hidden
secret.

Only,whenSophieappearsonhisdoorstepasJake’severyfantasycometolife—smart,beautiful,and
shockinglysexy—hedoesn’thaveaprayeroftakinghiseyes,orhishands,offher.Andhecan’tstop
craving more of her sweet smiles and sinful kisses. Because even though Jake knows loving Sophie
isn’ttherightthingtodo...howcanhepossiblyresist?

EnjoythefollowingexcerptforIONLYHAVEEYESFORYOU...

JakedecidedtosteercompletelyclearofSophiefortherestofthewedding.Alittledistancefrom

allthosesoftcurvesandplumpredlipswouldhelphimgethisheadbackonstraight.

“I’vegotthis,”hetoldSammy,oneofhisbestbartendersattheoriginalMcCann’sinthecity.“You

cancirculatewiththetrays.”

Fortunately,theweddingguestswerethirsty,clearlyneedingsomevinoorhopstowashthetasteof

thesyrupyvowsfromtheirtongues.PouringdrinksforstrangerswasasnaturaltoJakeasbreathing,and
heimmediatelygotintoarhythminthemiddleofthevineyardasthemealwasservedandpeoplekepta
runninglinebehindthebarbetweencourses.Hecouldn’trememberatimehehadn’tbeendryingclean
glasses,rearrangingbottles.Asakid,whenhisdadhadbeentheonerunningthetaps,Jakehadbeenin
thebackloadingandunloadingthedishwasherforafewextrabuckswhilethecooksatwhateverpubthey
wereatslungtogetherplatesoffishandchipsandcolcannon.

Whenthefemaleguestsflirtedwithhimatthebar,heflirtedback.Sowhatifnoneofthemwere

even half as pretty as Sophie? The Sullivans might be pairing up one after the other like they’d been
infectedbythesamevirus,butJakehadhadhisshots.

Lovewasn’tgoingtotakehimdown.
Heknewbetterthantothinkthatlovemeantadamnthingwhenthegoinggotroughanditwaseasier

tosplit.Nowife,nokids,plentyofprettywomen,butnorings,waswhatJake’sfutureheld.He’dplay
withallthekidstheSullivanclanwasboundtopumpout,wouldenjoybeingUncleJake,buthewouldn’t
makethemistakeofthinkinghe’deverbeagoodhusbandorfather.

McCannsdidn’tcomewiththosegenes.
“Youhaven’thadanythingtoeatyet.”
Theslightlyhuskyfemalevoicereachedinandgrabbedhimasplitsecondbeforehelookedstraight

intoSophie’seyes.Hersoftsensualityinthatpinkdress,thesweetsmellofherperfume,wereaone-two
punchstraighttoagutthathadn’tyetrecoveredfromwatchingthosetearsslipdownhercheeks,orthe
radiantsmilethathadfollowed.

Withoutwaitingforaninvitation,sheputafullplateonthebacktableforhimandmovedaround

thebartostandnexttohim.“Scootover.I’llhelpoutwhileyoueat.”Shebumpedherhipintohis,his
bodynotgivingadamnthatshewasOFFLIMITS.

How could her brothers have let her out looking like this? What were they thinking? Didn’t they

careevenalittlebitabouttheirsister’swelfare?

Whilehewasstandingtherelosinghismind,Sophietookdrinkordersanddeftlypouredglassesof

wineandmixeddrinksfortheweddingguests.Shewasalibrarian,notabartender.Sheshouldn’tbeso
goodatservingdrinks.Andnolibrarianshouldeverbethishot,either,Jakethoughtasheclampedhis
jawsotighthistemplestartedthrobbing.He’dletherhelpforfiveminutes,andthenhe’dsendherback
to her table to celebrate with the rest of her family and make sure she stayed there for the rest of the
reception.

Evenifhehadtotiehertoherseat.
AbeerbottlenearlyslippedfromhisgripasJakewashitwithacrystal-clearvisionofSophiein

hisbed,beggingforhimto—

“Ihearyou’realibrarian.Readanygoodbookslately?”
Jakesurfacedfromhistriple-Xdaydreamjustintimetonoticeamaleguestleaningonthebarand

lookingdownthetopofSophie’sdress.

Shedidn’tseemtonoticeanyofthatasshesmiledbackattheguy.Shewastooinnocenttorealize

whenaguylikethiswasaimingforonething,andonethingonly.

“Mmm,”shesaidinthatseductivevoice,stillslightlyhoarsefromhertears.“I’malwaysreading

greatbooks.Whatdoyouliketoread?”

Theguyshrugged,notseemingtocarethattherewasahugebackupofthirstypeoplebottlenecking

behindhim.“I’madoct—”

“Whatareyoudrinking?”Jakebrokein.

Theguyshothimalookthatsaid,Can’tyouseeI’mabouttoscorehere?
“Corona,”hesaidtoJakebeforeturningbacktoSophie.“AsIwassaying,I’madoctor,soIdon’t

havetoomuchtimetoread.ButwhenIdo,Iusuallyreadmedicalthrillers.”

Jakecouldn’tbelieveitwhenSophieleanedoverthebarandsaid,“Oooh,howexciting.Medical

thrillersalwaysleavemebreathless.”

Didn’tshegetthatthisloserwaswaybeneathher?Sheshouldbethrowingadrinkinhisface,not

givinghimabetterviewofherbodyassheleaneddowntogrababottleofbeer.Dr.Dickwadlookedlike
he’dhitahomerun,wascountingtheminutesuntilhecouldstripthatdressfromhertannedskinandfind
outifshetastedasgoodasshesmelled.

Likehell.Jakewouldkillhimfirst.
Jakesnatchedthebottlefromherhand.“Here’syourbeer.Timetoleteveryoneelsegetadrink.”
He could feel Sophie frowning at him as he pinned the guy with his hardest look. If she couldn’t

pickgoodfrombad,hewasgoingtohavetosaveher.Whethershewantedhimtoornotwasirrelevant.

AlthoughtheguyflinchedatJake’ssilentpromiseofviolence,itdidn’tstophimfromsaying,“Be

suretosaveadanceforme,gorgeous,”beforehewalkedaway.

Jakeheldontohiscontrolbyaverythinthread.Nothingwouldfeelbetterthantojumpoverthebar

andtackletheguytoteachhimwhathappenedwhenheflirtedwiththewronggirl.Agirlwhowastoo
sweet,toopretty,toodamnperfectforhimtoevereventhinkoftouchingonehaironherhead.

“You’renotdancingwithhim,”hegrowled.“Nottonight.Notever.”
“I’mabiggirl,Jake.I’lldancewithwhomeverIwant.”
Serving the customer always took priority. But not this time. “Sammy,” he called out across the

receptionarea,motioningforhisemployeetotakeoverthebaragain.Hedidn’twaitforSamtomakeitto
thebarbeforewrappinghishandaroundSophie’swristandpullingheroutfrombehindthebar.Hedidn’t
stopwalkinguntiltheywerehiddenbehindalargestorageshed,justontheedgeofthereceptionarea.

“Youarenotgettingwithinahundredfeetofthatguyagain.”
Angerflaredinhereyes.Eyesthathadbeenfullofhappytears,fullofpurejoy,justashortwhile

ago.“Youcan’ttellmewhattodo.”

“LikehellIcan’t.”
Sheyankedherarmfromhisandstartedtowalkaway,buthecouldn’tlethergo.Notwhenshewas

boundtodosomethingstupid,likekissasmarmydoctor.Furiousatthepictureofanyoneelsetouching
Sophie,insteadofjustgrabbingherwristorhershoulders,thistimeJakewrappedhisarmsalltheway
around her and pulled her into him. He held her tight, her chest pushing into his forearms, her height
matchinghissothatherhipsfitperfectlybetweenhisopenlegs,hersofthipspressingintohisgroin.

“Letgoofme.”
“No.”
Thewordwasmuffledbyherhair,sosoft,sosilkyagainsthischinandlips.Andthetruthwas,he

couldn’thaveletgoofherfortheworld.Notjustbecausehedidn’twantthatotherguytouchingher...but
becausehe’dneverwantedtoholdanyonemorethanhedidSophie.

Howlonghadhedreamedofholdingher?Toomanyyearstokeepcount.Andyet,he’dneverhada

clue just how incredibly good she would feel in his arms, her dangerous curves pressed into him, her
chestrisingandfallingagainsthisarms.

“I’mnotgoingtoletyougountilyoupromisemeyou’llstayawayfromhim.”
Nowitwasherturntosay,“No.”
Heshiftedhishandenoughtoslipafingerbeneathherchinandturnherfacesothathecouldlook

intohereyes.“Promiseme,Sophie.It’sforyourowngood.”

Sophieyankedherfaceawayfromhishand,thenherwholebody,andwhensheturnedtofacehim

head-on, her eyes were flashing. “I can’t believe you just said that! Especially since you of all people

havenoideawhatsoeverwhat’sgoodforme.”

“Wannabet?”
Hismouthwasonhersbeforehecouldputthebrakesonhisdesire.

Buy

IONLYHAVEEYESFORYOU

***

CAN’THELPFALLINGINLOVE

Gabe&Megan–TheSullivans#3

Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco. But after learning a brutal
lesson about professional boundaries, he knows better than to risk his heart to his fire victims ever
again. Especially the brave mother and daughter he saved from a deadly apartment fire...and can't
stopthinkingabout.

MeganHarrisknowssheowestheheroicfirefightereverythingforrunningintoaburningbuildingto
saveherandherseven-year-olddaughter.Everythingexceptherheart.Becauseafterlosinghernavy
pilothusbandfiveyearsago,shehasvowedtoneversufferthroughloving-andlosing-amanwitha
dangerousjobagain.

Only,whenGabeandMeganmeetagainanduncontrollableflamesofdesireignitebetweenthem,how
can he possibly ignore her courage, determination, and beauty? And how can she deny not only his
strong bond with her daughter…but the way his sweetly sensual kisses are challenging her to risk
everythingshe’sbeenguardingforsolong?

Ifone-orboth-ofthemaren’tcareful,theyjustmightendupfallinginlove.

EnjoythefollowingexcerptforCAN’THELPFALLINGINLOVE...

GabeSullivan’scaptainsteppedintotheroom.
“How’reyoufeeling,Gabe?”
“Good,Captain.”
HemovedtositupstraighteronthebedandToddshookhishead.“You’refinejustlikethat.Iknow

yourskullmusthurtlikehell.”Henoddedbacktothedoorway.“AreyoureadytoseeMs.Harrisandher
daughter,Summer?”

No,hethought,he’dbebetteroffneverseeingthoseeyesagain.
He’d thought about Megan and her daughter one too many times for comfort. Not just because he

wasreviewingtherescue,tryingtolookforwhathecouldhavedonedifferently,tohavegottenthemout
fasterandmoresafely—butbecausehehadn’tbeenabletoforgetherstrength,howhardshe’dfoughtto
stay conscious, and what a fighter she’d been every single second of the harrowing journey from her
burningapartment.

Still,heunderstoodthatfirevictimsoftenfeltcompelledtosaythankyoutothemenwhohadsaved

them.Especiallyinacaselikethis,wherethey’djustbarelyhelddeathatbay.

“Sure.”Hebegantonod,butasharpshootingpainstoppedhimhalfwayintothemovement.
Catchinghisgrimace,Toddsaid,“I’llaskMeganandherdaughtertocomebacklater.”
Hernamefither,Gabehadfoundhimselfthinkingonetoomanytimes.Meganwasprettyandstrong

all at the same time. It would be better to think of her as Ms. Harris. Although, he had to wonder, was
thereahusband?Andifso,wherehadhebeenduringthefireandwhywasn’theherewiththemnow?

“No,”hesaid,“it’llbebetterifIseethemnow.”
She’dsaythankyou,he’dtellherhewashappytoseeherandherdaughterdoingsowell,andthat

wouldbethat.Nomorebeinghauntedbyhereyes,bythesurprisingstrengthshe’dshownhimasshe’d
crawledonthefloorofherapartmentanddownthestairs.

Acoupleofminuteslater,Toddwalkedbackinwiththemotheranddaughter.Ignoringthepainin

hishead,Gabesatuphigherandforcedasmileonhisface.

Andthen,hiseyeslockedwithMegan’sandhissmilefrozeinplace.
MyGod,hefoundhimselfthinkingbeforehecouldshovethethoughtaway,she’sbeautiful.
Thelasttimehe’dseenherfaceithadbeenthroughathickhazeofdarksmokeandtheknowledge

thatonewrongmovemeanttheirliveswereover.Hereyeswerejustasbigandpretty,herlimbslooked
asleanandstrongastheyhadwhenhe’dbeenhelpingtomoveheralongthefloor,butnowhecouldsee
the softness in her, the sweet curves of her breasts and hips in her T-shirt and jeans. He couldn’t stop
staringatthestartlinggreenofhereyes,thesilkydarkhairfallingacrosshershoulders,andthewayher
prettyyoungdaughterwasacarboncopyofher,theonlydifferencetheirhaircolor,onedark,onelight.

Sheseemedjustasstunnedasheandforalongmoment,thetwoofthemjuststaredateachotherin

silenceuntilherdaughterranovertohimandthrewherarmsaroundhim.

“ThankyouforsavingmeandMommy.”
Thelittlegirl’sarmswerejustasstrongashermother’s.“You’rewelcome,Summer.Howoldare

you?”

“IturnsevenonSaturday.”
Shebeamedathimandrightthenandtherehelostalittlepieceofhishearttotheprettylittlegirl

withthetwomissingfrontteeth.

“Happybirthday.”He’dhavetoremembertohavethestationsendheragift.
Movementcaughthisattentionfromthecornerofhiseye.Meganwasmovingclosertohimand,yet

again,oncehelookedupather,hecouldn’tseemtopullhisgazeaway.Withoutrealizingwhathewas
doing,hescannedherlefthandforaweddingbandandfounditbare.

“Mr.Sullivan,Ican’tevenbegintotellyouhowmuchwhatyoudidmeanstome.”
HealmosttoldhertocallhimGabe,butheknewhisnamewouldsoundwaytoogoodcomingfrom

herfulllips.Alreadyhisbrainwaswantingtospinoffintoafantasyofwhatitwouldsoundliketohear
her say his name in distinctly different circumstances, with one less child and fire captain in the
room...andahellofalotlessclothes.

Buy

CAN'THELPFALLINGINLOVE

***

FROMTHISMOMENTON

Marcus&Nicola~TheSullivans#2

Forthirty-sixyears,MarcusSullivanhasbeentheresponsibleolderbrother,steppingintotakecare
of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly ordered
futurehe'splannedforhimselfturnsouttobenothingbutalie,Marcusneedsonerecklessnightto
shakefreefromitall.

NicolaHardingisknownthroughouttheworldbyonlyonename-Nico-forhercatchy,sensualpop
songs.Only,whatnooneknowsaboutthetwenty-fiveyearoldsingeristhathersex-kittenimageis
totallyfalse.Afteraterriblebetrayalbyamanwholovedfamefarmorethanheeverlovedher,she
vows not to let anyone else get close enough to find out who she really is...or hurt her again.
Especiallynotthegorgeousstrangershemeetsatanightclub,eventhoughthehunger-andthesinful
promises-inhisdarkeyesmakeherwanttospillallhersecrets.

OnenightisallNicolaandMarcusagreetosharewitheachother.Butnothinggoesastheyplanwhen
instead of simply tangling limbs, they find a deeper connection than either of them could have
anticipated.Andeventhoughtheybothtrytofightit,growingemotions-andsizzlingattraction-keep
drawingthemclosertogether.

Closeenoughforthemtowonderifstealingonemoresecretmomenttogethercaneverbeenough?

Buy

FROMTHISMOMENTON

***

THELOOKOFLOVE

Chase&Chloe–TheSullivans#1

ChloePetersonishavingabadnight.Areallybadnight.Thelargebruiseonhercheekcanattestto
that.Andwhenhercarskidsoffthesideofawetcountryroadstraightintoaditch,she’sconvinced
eventhegorgeousguywhorescuesherinthemiddleoftherainstormmustbetoogoodtobetrue.Or
ishe?

Asasuccessfulphotographerwhofrequentlytravelsaroundtheworld,ChaseSullivanhashispickof
beautifulwomen,andwheneverhe’shomeinSanFrancisco,oneofhissevensiblingsisusuallyupfor
causingalittlefuntrouble.Chasethinkshislifeisgreatjustasitis—untilthenighthefindsChloe
andhertotaledcaronthesideoftheroadinNapaValley.NotonlyhasChasenevermetanyoneso
lovely,bothinsideandout,buthequicklyrealizesChloehasmuchbiggerproblemsthanherdamaged
car.Soon,Chaseiswillingtomovemountainstolove—andprotect—her,butwillChloelethim?

Chloe vows never to make the mistake of trusting a man again. Only, with every loving look Chase
gives her—and every sinfully sweet caress—as the attraction between them sparks and sizzles, she
can’thelpbutwonderifshe’smettheonlyexception.AndalthoughChasedidn’trealizehislifewas
going to change forever in an instant, amazingly, he isn’t the least bit interested in fighting that
change.Instead,he’sgearingupforadifferentfightaltogether…forChloe’sheart.

Buy

THELOOKOFLOVE

***

GAMEFORLOVE

Inarelationshipbuiltonlies...theonlytruthistheirfeelingsforeachother.
Tofulfillhisgrandmother'sdyingwish,linebackerColeTaylormustfind–andmarry–agoodgirl.
FirstgradeteacherAnnaDavisfitsthebillperfectly.Theirdealissimple:Ifshe'llbehistemporary
wife,he'llgivehermorepleasurethansheeverimaginedwaspossible.
Only,loveistheultimategame-changer.

Buy

GAMEFORLOVE

COMPLETEBOOKLIST

The following Bella Andre titles are also available in electronic format from Amazon. Please scroll
downforAmazonUKlinks.

TheSullivanFamilyseries

TheLookofLove
FromThisMomentOn
Can’tHelpFallingInLove
IOnlyHaveEyesForYou
IfYouWereMine

LetMeBeTheOne(comingFall2012!)

BadBoysofFootballseries

GameForLove
GameForSeduction
GameForAnything

TakeMeseries

LoveMe
TakeMe

Stand-aloneNovels

CandyStore
Ecstasy
RedHotReunion
TemptMe,TasteMe,TouchMe

HotshotFirefighterseries

WildHeat
HotAsSin
NeverTooHot

FortitlesatAmazonUKpleaseusethefollowinglinks:

TheSullivansseries

TheLookofLove

FromThisMomentOn

Can’tHelpFallingInLove

IOnlyHaveEyesForYou

BadBoysofFootballseries

TakeMeseries

Stand-alone

TemptMe,TasteMe,TouchMe

HotshotFirefighterseries

WildHeat

HotAsSin

NeverTooHot

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

BellaAndrehasalwaysbeenawriter.Songscamefirst,andthennon-fictionbooks,butassoonasshe
started writing her first romance novel, she knew she’d found her perfect career. Known for “sensual,
empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publisher’s Weekly) about sizzling alpha heroes and
thestrongwomenthey’llloveforever,manyofher20+titleshaveappearedonbestsellerlists,including
THE LOOK OF LOVE (The Sullivans #1), FROM THIS MOMENT ON (The Sullivans #2), CAN’T
HELP FALLING IN LOVE (The Sullivans #3), I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU (The Sullivans #4),
GAMEFORLOVE(BadBoysofFootball),CANDYSTORE,andLOVEME.

HerbookshavebeenCosmopolitanMagazineRedHotReadstwice,havewontheAwardofExcellence,
andhavebeentranslatedintoninelanguages.TheWashingtonPosthascalledher“Oneofthetopdigital
writersinAmerica”andshehasbeenfeaturedonNPR,USAToday,Forbes.comandinTheWallStreet
Journal.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, knitting, or laughing.
Marriedwithtwochildren,BellasplitshertimebetweentheNorthernCaliforniawinecountryanda100-
year-oldlogcabinintheAdirondacks.

Foracompletelistingofbooks,aswellasexcerptsandcontests,andtoconnectwithBella:

VisitBella’swebsiteat:

http://www.BellaAndre.com

FollowBellaontwitterat:

http://www.twitter.com/bellaandre

JoinBellaonFacebookat:

http://www.facebook.com/bellaandrefans

SignupforBella’snewsletterat:

http://eepurl.com/eXj22

Document Outline

If You Were Mine
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Epilogue
COMPLETE BOOKLIST
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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