Page 143 of An Inconvenient Marriage
“Yes, I went into this marriage with ulterior motives. And yes, I had every intention of using you against Trent. When he’d offered you up for marriage, I’d foolishly believed the man cared enough about you that if I hurt you, it would hurt him too.”
Wiggling my arm, I tried to break from his hold again. But his grip was relentless.
“I’m not done,” he gritted out.
I wiggled some more. “I am. I’ve heard en—”
Zach smacked his mouth to mine, silencing me with a searing kiss. His tongue thrust past my lips, brutal and punishing, stealing whatever weak protest I might have had. His hands went to my face. Palms cradling my cheeks while his fingertips dug into my skin.
He kissed me like he was a dying man and I his only source of oxygen. He kissed me like he needed me almost as much as I needed him.
And when he finally drew back after I-didn’t-even-know-how-long, it took me a second to realize where I was and what was happening.
Breathing hard, Zach leaned over and pressed his forehead against mine. A warm puff of air blew over my lips with every whispered word he spoke.
“With all due respect,mi diosa, shut the fuck up and listen.”
If his kiss hadn’t been enough to stun me into silence, his gruff demand sure as hell was. Rolling the inside of my cheek between my teeth, I kept my gaze on him as he took a small step back.
Not that it did anything to put distance between us. He was still so close, I could feel the heat of his body. Could smell his intoxicating scent.
“The day I learned about my mother’s death, ruining Trent became my sole focus. Everything I did was done with the intention of getting me one step closer to vengeance. I didn’t just want to ruin him, I wanted to destroy him. Cut him where it hurt most.”
He took another step back and dragged a hand through his hair.
“I believed his business to be his weak spot. That was why I wanted in. Publicly tossing him out of the company he built from the ground up would have been the sweetest revenge. But then he gave me you.” Those dark eyes found mine. “Youwere his trophy. The one thing he had that most men coveted. The one thing he could bargain with because who could resist a night with the gorgeous hotel heiress? That was why I entertained the idea of ruining you, too.”
Licking my lips, I tried to ignore the sudden burst of pain that shot through my chest. Zach didn’t miss it. In the space of a breath, my chin was trapped between his fingers and thumb. Tilting my head back, his gaze bored into mine.
“That was before I knew you, Natalie.” Moving his hand, he brushed his fingertips along my jaw. “Before you crashed through my walls dressed for a damn funeral and gave me life.”
Fingers curled around my nape, he pressed his cheek against mine.
“Since you didn’t hear me the first time,” he murmured close to my ear. “I’ll say it again: I’ll never hurt you. The words you heard on that recording were just words. I had no intention of causing you harm in any way.”
My head spun, around and around it went. I needed some clarity… and space.
Pressing my hand against his chest, I pushed. Relief washed over me when Zach gave me what I needed and took a few steps backward.
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” I shook my head. “I confided in you, Zach. I shared secrets I hadn’t shared with anyone. And you? You just…” A few strands of hair slipped from the knot on top of my head and fluttered across my face. I tucked them behind my ear only for them to escape again.
I was about to shove it back when Zach did it for me. His fingers lingered on the skin behind my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
“I should have been honest with you. If I could go back and change the past, believe me, I would.” His throat bobbed with a swallow. “I was selfish, Natalie. Selfish because I didn’t want to let you go.”
Chest aching, I blinked up at him and whispered, “But you did.”
Tears slipped down my cheeks unchecked. Zach was right there, wiping them away with the pads of his thumbs.
“I could never let you go. I was giving you time and space to process what happened. To heal.” His gaze dropped to my mouth for a second before meeting mine again. This time, those irises were even darker and his stare even more intense than before. The air rushed from my lungs in one fell swoop.
“Make no mistake,” he rasped. “I always intended to come back for what’s mine.”
The fingers of one hand slipped around my neck and up into my hair. “I can’t feel. Can’t think.” His other hand slid down my body to curl around my hip. “I can’t fucking breathe when you’re not with me.”
Heat shot through my body, shortly followed by an ice-cold chill tingling down my spine. Butterflies took off inside my stomach, the fast-paced fluttering of their wings sending my heart on a wild gallop.
My insides were a mess.
