Page 16 of An Inconvenient Marriage
Although calling it a house was a massive understatement. This place was enormous.
I was still admiring everything when a ghost of a touch above my elbow snapped me out of my daze. I didn’t have to look to know it was Zach. Once the amazement of the property wore off, his touch on my skin registered like a branding iron.
It was light, his fingers were barely there, and yet I felt the burn of it all the way to my bones. What the hell was happening to me?
Luckily, I didn’t have to figure it out just then. Two women—one elderly and the other middle-aged—came rushing toward us with the biggest smiles. And the moment she was within reaching distance, the older of the two pulled Zach into a hug.
I couldn’t hide my shock when he wrapped his arms around her plump body and hugged her right back. Who was this man who not only knew his staff by name but apparently gave them hugs, too?
My gaze stayed glued on them when they broke apart and spoke to each other in Spanish. Whatever they were saying had to have had something to do with me if the not-so-subtle glances of the two women were anything to go by.
And if that wasn’t enough to clue me in, the way the older woman suddenly launched herself at me to wrap me up in the tightest embrace certainly would have. It wasn’t a long hug like she’d given Zach.
It lasted one maybe two seconds before she gently pushed away. Not completely, though, just enough to give her space to take my face in her hands and kiss each cheek.
It felt like I’d walked straight into something out of the freakingTwilight Zone. Affection of any kind wasn’t something I was used to or remotely comfortable with.
The only person who ever hugged me was Everlee, and it had taken us a while to get to that point, too. But oddly enough, the way this woman was thoroughly manhandling me didn’t have my stomach rolling or leave my breath trapped inside my lungs.
It was… comforting.
When she was finally done kissing me, rapid Spanish words flew from her mouth. My gaze darted to Zach who was watching the interaction with that intense stare in his eyes again. It took a second, but he finally realized I needed help, and much to my surprise actually came to my rescue.
He stepped closer and touched the older woman’s arm. Her attention shifted to him, and they exchanged a few more words before she moved away from me. The smile never left her lips. It felt rude not to smile back. We may not have spoken the same language, but at least smiles were universal.
“I need to speak to my estate manager.” Zach’s voice rumbled beside my ear. It was low and gritty and his breath warm.
Goose bumps spread across my skin like a wildfire.
“The woman who just hugged you is Renata, and the other her daughter, Martina.”
I didn’t know exactly why I did but I turned my head slightly. A mistake since the simple movement put our faces mere inches apart.
My poor heart forcefully slammed against my ribs.
It was fast and thunderous, and I was almost certain Zach could hear it, too. In the space of a breath, the Sahara Desert invaded my mouth. I slid my tongue over my dry lips. Zach’s gaze dipped, and he followed the movement in the same way a predator stalked its prey.
I was hot all over and I wasn’t entirely sure whether it was from the sun ruthlessly beating down on us or this man’s undivided attention.
“These people don’t just work for me, they’re family. You’d do well to treat them as such.”
And just like that, whatever weirdness had been going on inside my body was gone. Well, most of it at least. Until Zach inched closer and pressed his lips against my cheek. I honestly didn’t mean to, but my sharp intake of breath couldn’t be helped.
He took one look at my confused expression and mumbled, “For appearances’ sake.”
I was still processing his words when he took one step backward and immediately spun around to stalk off into the distance.
Well, okay, then. That wasn’t weird at all.
And also, with him gone, what the hell was I supposed to do?
That question was quickly answered when Martina tapped my arm and motioned for me to follow her. She led me down the path toward the house. As I suspected, it was as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside.
Pale-yellow walls added a certain warmth and popped stunningly against the dark hardwood floors. The small square windows allowed for a surprisingly good amount of sunlight so stream in. It bathed the entire interior in a warm romantic glow.
We walked from the foyer to the spacious living room. And although the house seemed like it belonged in the 1800s from the outside, the inside was an entirely different vibe. Still keeping with what I presumed to be a local style, it was also sleek and modern.
Unfortunately, I had little time to admire it before Martina led me up a wooden staircase and down a long hallway to the room at the very end.
