Page 24 of An Inconvenient Marriage
Yet again, she responded with the same two emojis, she just added three more rows of them.
Me:You’re horrible.
She didn’t respond after that, and because I didn’t know if I’d interrupted anything, I sent nothing again either. I was about to put my phone away when a text popped up.
Everlee:I know you said he is an ass but I don’t think he’ll try anything. If he does, kick him in the balls. You’ll be fine, sweetie. I promise.
For the first time, I wasn’t afraid of the possibility of a man trying something. If I were being brutally honest, I was terrified of the things Zach made me feel. The way my skin buzzed as if it were a living thing. Of how the butterflies living inside my belly seemed to go berserk when he pinned me with that dark, intense stare of his.
All of it scared the crap out of me. And not terribly either.
I didn’t know how or evenifI should tell Everlee any of this, so I sent a simple “thank you” and shut off my phone.
Zach was still asleep when I went back into the room. That was also the moment I realized how silly I was being. Two people could sleep together on one bed without ever touching each other.
Especially in one that size.
Holding on to that, I went to the bathroom and went through my nightly routine. My bravado slipped a little when it was time to actually get into bed, but I gave myself a quick mental shake, then slipped beneath the covers and turned my back to Zach.
With any luck, my racing heart would calm enough for me to fall asleep.
Morning came far too soon. I swear, it was as if I’d just crawled into bed a few minutes ago and now the sun streamed in from who knew where. Squeezing my lids together, I groaned and rolled over onto my back.
I should probably get up and get dressed for the day. Maybe if I asked nicely enough, Zach would show me the vineyard and winery. I might not have indulged in alcohol, but I was seriously interested in seeing how the wines were produced.
Mmm, yes, the idea of exploring more and learning new things was enough to get me moving. Blowing out a breath, I pushed my arms over my head and arched my back into a slow stretch.
It felt so good, I couldn’t help but moan. Which I quickly swallowed when a low Spanish curse filled the room.
My eyes flew open, and I immediately shot into an upright position only to find Zach glaring at me. His expression was something I hadn’t seen before. His dark brows pulled together tightly, and his jaw muscle popped.
I couldn’t move. My limbs didn’t work. My lips wouldn’t part.
Then it happened.
His gaze dipped to my chest. It was only for a fraction of a second, but his sharp intake of breath and the way his nostrils flared was enough for me to peek down, too.
I.
Was.
Mortified.
Sometime during the night, my tank top had slipped down. Not all the way, though, there was still a piece of flimsy see-through material covering the tips of my breasts. What it didn’t cover was how they were standing at attention for all the world to see.
“Oh my gosh.” I grabbed the bedspread and hugged it against my chest and desperately tried to get out of bed without giving him another show. In my hurry to scamper away, I didn’t realize the sheets were tangled around my feet until it was too late.
I twisted and turned and landed smack-dab on my butt on the floor.
More Spanish curses filled the room followed by bare feet slapping against the wooden floor.
Oh no. No, no, no.
“Are you all right?”
Zach’s voice was so low and gravelly I had a hard time suppressing the shiver that tingled my spine. Pity I couldn’t stop the goose bumps from popping up all over my skin. Or keep my heart from beating to its suddenly wild rhythm.
I hugged the bedspread closer to me and hoped like hell he would just turn around and walk away.
