Page 74 of Mile High Addiction

The worried look in his eyes didn’t abate.“Are you sure?”

She nodded despite the urge to cling like a pathetic limpet.“Positive.I have a few things to catch up on myself.”

His gaze flicked to her iPad and back to her.“Okay.I’ll make it up to you, baby.Promise.”

His phone rang and he cursed.Leaning down, he kissed her for a lingering moment and then rose.“Oh, one more thing.Your birthday next week.Don’t make any plans, okay?I have a surprise for you.”With another kiss and a regretful smile at her, he strode quickly back out of the room.

Her birthday…

The idea that she would be spending it with Zach pleased her far more than was advisable or healthy.The feeling unsettled her enough to jerk her to her feet.

Unthinking of where she went, she wandered from room to room until she reached the ballroom.She hadn’t returned since Zach had brought her here on their first day.

The box containing the ballerina slippers sat on the floor where he’d left it.With trembling fingers, she opened it and took out the exquisite slippers.A shade of deep indigo—the choice of color wasn’t lost on her—they fit perfectly when she slid them on and tied the ribbons above her ankle.

Her heart skipping rapidly, she walked across the floor and picked up the remote that controlled the sound system.Flicking through, she made a selection and set the control down.

Soft strains of Yo Yo Ma’s Cello Suites by Bach drifted through the air.The familiar music alleviated her anxiety and grounded her.

If it makes you happy, do it…

Zach’s voice echoed in her head as if he’d whispered straight into her ears.Heart thundering, she practiced a few warmup moves.Her calves twinged at her first demi-plié, but old habits soon kicked in.Keeping relatively fit had helped her body stay toned and limber enough that she dared to attempt a whirling jump halfway through the Suite.

“Yes!”She grinned and kept going.Even when the grand jeté didn’t quite make it, she danced on, a sense of joy bubbling just beneath her skin as she twirled from one end of the room to the other.

* * *

In his study, Zach curbed the snarl clawing its way up his throat and forced himself to listen to yet another executive make excuses.

He knew Bethany was no longer next door.He’d seen a flash of white about an hour ago as she’d wandered past his study door.Every cell in his body yearned to be with her, and the sensation wasn’t altogether a pleasant one.

His need for her seemed to be escalating beyond reasonable proportions.Granted, they’d passed reasonable quite a while back, but he’d expected a gradual slowing down of the insane attraction between them.Instead he’d spent most of last night contemplating how to give Bethany what she wanted without losing her.

The sky had turned a light shade of grey before he’d crawled into bed beside her.And still he hadn’t come up with a way of letting her into his life and his past without the risk of losing her.

He knew, sooner or later, he’d have to find a way to tell her about Farrah.

That truth couldn’t stay hidden forever, especially once they returned to the real world.No matter how discreet he tried to keep their relationship, his life was too interesting to the tabloid media for them to remain a secret item for long.

His team of lawyers had done a good job of burying what happened six years ago.He’d done an even better job, until recently, of burying his emotions even deeper.

Could he risk telling Bethany about it now?Would she understand?God, most likely she would run as fast and as far away from him as possible.

The very thought made his fingers clench on his armrests.

No way would he let that happen.

“Mr.Savage?”

He refocused on the videoconference screen and raised an eyebrow at the table full of sharply suited men on the other side.“Seventy-five percent is non-negotiable.You tried to hard-ball my previous executive, but the simple truth is my company is supplying aeronautic parts and the manpower to build the planes.The only resource you’re providing is the fit-out.The numbers work.Take a minute and work it out.Hell, take five.”

They turned away to confer and he sat back in his chair.Reaching for his laptop, he activated the program that brought up the security cameras.

He scrolled through the feed until he saw her.

Zach’s breath punched through his chest with enough force to jerk him upright.Completely mesmerized, he stared as Bethany floated across his ballroom floor.He couldn’t hear the music, but the flow and grace of her body, and the sheer pleasure on her face, made a shudder pass through him.

Jesus, she danced like a fucking dream.

---