Page 18 of Unraveled

The doors are close. Just a little further.

“Wait,” he demanded, my pulse starting to speed with how near he was. I reached for the door handle, but he stepped in front, cutting me off. “Talk to me.”

“Why?” I snapped, mad that he’d cornered me. Again.

His eyes flared as I knew mine had.

“Damn.”

“What?” I stupidly asked, hating the way his stare grew intense.

“That look of yours just always gets to me.” His teeth pressed into his bottom lip as he leaned in, robbing me of my space and my air.

“Don’t even think about it, Zane.” I nearly growled through my teeth as I stepped back.

“Why?” He moved closer, stepping around so that as I backed away my back found the wall. “Don’t you want to feel again? Don’t you feel the chemistry between us? We were fucking amazing before. Don’t you want it back?” His voice came husky and hot mere inches from my lips, and tightness pulled at my chest.

His smell, one that I’d committed to memory, was mixed with perspiration, and it swirled around me with his proximity. It had always been subtle before, but now that I was alive, living again, it hit me so stronglymy stomach rolled. At least, now I knew who’d been working out.

I looked to the side, giving him my cheek and taking in whatever breathable air was nearby. His smell had never bothered me like this before.

Or maybe it wasn’t his smell. Maybe I was just sick ofhim. Sick ofthis. Sick of feeling my stomach clench in fear every time he found me alone. Maybe this was my body telling me I’d had enough.

“No, I don’t want you, Zane. Go find someone else to obsess over,” I managed to spat out.

“Can’t,” he replied, his breath along my neck as he leaned closer, pinning me in. I shivered, fighting the way the room threatened to dim at the edges, his presence too much. “I want you, and you want me. Somewhere down in there, you do. Let me show you. I remember exactly where to kiss and suck to make you arch into my arms. Let me help you live…feel…”

I jerked to the side to gain space, freeing myself of the encroaching reaction my body had to him as a trigger, and I narrowed my eyes in a glare, refusing to let him win. Not after all I had gained back.

“I lived and feltplentywith Tucker this past weekend, thank you very much, so your services won’t be needed.” I pushed past him to walk away, but he grabbed my arm and yanked me back in front of his solid, massive form. Again, the edges of my vision dimmed, but I blinked it away, forcing myself to stay present.

When had he grown bigger than Tucker? And I didn’t mean height. They must have been well covered in his tux the other night, but his arms and chest werehuge. Intimidating. Able tocrush me huge.

Tucker’s size was almost as large. With strength that knew how to cause damage but that also knew control. That provided protection.

Zane wasn’t a protector. He was my predator.

Heat seemed to radiate from not only his dominating form but from his dark eyes as well as he locked them with mine. His stare felt like ice in my veins, freezing me in place as he put it together.

“No.”

There was no disbelief there. That tone was anger. Anger I was terrified to face the consequences of again. But there went my mouth…

“Yes. Tucker did an amazing job of it, too. It was definitely a night neither of us will forget. Rocked my freaking world.” I said it right in his face. “Maybe you should hold out another week. Wait and see if there are any vacationers that need reviving. You were pretty good at thatlastsummer.”

Good Lord. Was that really my attempt at getting him to leave me alone?

I’d lost it. I was officially mental.

A muscle began to tick in Zane’s jaw as it set. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” he growled. “No matter how many times I say I’m sorry.”

“You’veneversaid you were sorry.”

He ignored me. “No matter how obvious it is that Tucker can’t measure up to what I can offer you. No matter what I say. No matter what I do. No matter how many hours I spend trying to make you see that. You’re always going to choose him,” he accused.

Finally. Finally he was getting it. Wait. “What have you done other than get Tucker hurt during that basketball game?”

Hope glittered in those dark as sin eyes once again. Why did I encourage him?

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