Authors: Bella Andre
compartmentalize. Just because she wasn’t looking for a happily-
ever-after didn’t mean she was a nun.
But that moment when she and Zach been laughing together
and his hand had found hers...she scrunched her eyes shut to try
to shake away those feelings of warmth. Of contentment.
Of sweet connection.
Only, no matter how hard she’d tried since that morning to
block Zach out
—
to pretend he hadn’t made her feel something
deep and true, to try to ignore how he lit up every time about his
family, and that he’d
take a bullet
for
them
—
every time she
thought about him she’d ended up right back in the same spot.
Not just stuck in desire, but longing for something she’d didn’t
even think she knew how to believe in.
The clock was ticking closer to 5 p.m. and Zach would be
appearing with Cuddles any minute now. But she’d be busy
meeting with her advisory board members to discuss the pros
and cons of a possible expansion into wholesale dog treats.
Luckily, everyone had been available when she’d caled them a
few hours earlier.
Heather was leading the last of her board members to the
conference room when she felt the air in the building shift. She
didn’t need to turn around to know that Zach was there. And not
just because she could have sensed his presence in the middle of
just because she could have sensed his presence in the middle of
a hurricane. Not even because Atlas was vibrating with the need
to greet his tiny little friend.
But because the combination of the beautiful man and
Cuddles always elicited an overwhelming chorus of cooing and
giggling.
She tried to get the conference room door closed, but
before she could, Jerry Caldwel, a leading organic dog food
manufacturer, spotted Zach and caled out his name.
The man she was working so hard to avoid pinned her with
an intense look that had her breath coming too fast before he
walked over to shake Jerry’s hand.
“I’ve got an Austin Healey coming in with your name on it,
Jerry.” Zach’s gaze shifted to Heather as he added, “She’s a real
beauty, with gorgeous lines and curves. You won’t have a
chance of resisting her.”
She felt herself flush and knew the only chance she had of
covering her reaction to him was to focus on the puppy in his
arms, instead. Atlas and the puppy were already sniffing and
licking each other with pure happiness. Clearly, she wasn’t the
only one who’d been waiting for 5 p.m. to rol around.
Only one of them had been dreading it, though.
But, oh, what a liar she was. Because the truth was that she
had been anticipating seeing Zach again even more than Atlas
had dreamed of seeing the puppy.
“How did Cuddles do today at your garage?” she asked
Zach.
Jerry laughed out loud at the name. “You’ve got a puppy?”
Jerry laughed out loud at the name. “You’ve got a puppy?”
He shook his head. “And you named her Cuddles? I’ve got to
admit, Sulivan, I didn’t see this coming. Not in a milion years.”
She waited for Zach to make an excuse about his niece and
how it wasn’t his dog or his name, but instead his gaze shifted to
her for a split second before he replied, “I didn’t see it coming,
either.”
Fortunately, Jerry didn’t seem to hear any strange
undertones in the conversation as he said, “Dogs wil do that to
you. But it’s worth it. Best friend you’l ever have.” He shook
Zach’s hand again. “I’l drop by the shop early next week to
check out the Austin Healey.”
After Jerry had walked over to the coffee dispenser, she
informed Zach, “David is going to be working with you and
Cuddles tonight out back.” She knew she didn’t have to make
excuses to him since he already knew she’d planned to pass him
off to another trainer, but stil she said, “I’ve got a meeting with
my advisory board tonight.”
“Sounds important.”
“It is.” The heat of his body drew her toward him and she
forced herself to take a step back. “Have a good training
session.”
Atlas’s ears were down as he folowed her inside the
conference room and watched the puppy he adored head into
the back with Zach.
God help her...she felt the same way.
* * *
* * *
An hour later, Heather sat at her computer to type up her
notes. But for the first time in a very long time, she couldn’t
concentrate on the work she needed to get done. Atlas pawed
the door and she walked outside with him to let him take care of
business. He sniffed every inch of the lawn and she knew he was
searching for a sign that Cuddles was stil there. But both the
puppy and his owner had left.
Was it only twenty-four hours ago that Zach had been
standing outside the front door holding a pizza box, acting like he
owned the rest of the world and he wanted her to become
another one of his many possessions?
Atlas finaly gave up on Cuddles and watered a bush in the
corner, but he didn’t look al that relieved. Heather knew she
probably looked the same way. Irritated and lost.
She needed something to take her mind off Zach. Knowing
more work wasn’t going to do it, she texted her best friend.
Up
for a movie tonight?
Brenda texted back in the affirmative and that she’d pick
up tickets to a sweeping historical drama she’d wanted to see for
a while and meet Heather at the theatre for the 7 p.m. show.
Heather had just enough time to drop Atlas off at home
before heading out. At the theatre, she hugged her friend, careful
not to knock the huge container of popcorn she was holding
onto the floor. “I’m so glad you could come.”
Brenda grinned and linked their arms together. “Me too.
Brenda grinned and linked their arms together. “Me too.
It’s so much better to drool over Smith Sulivan with you, rather
than trying to sit there with my husband and pretend that I’m not
getting hot al over.”
Heather stiffened from head to toe. “We’re watching a
Smith Sulivan movie?”
Her friend picked out seats right in the middle of the theatre
and people started to fil in al around them, trapping Heather.
“Even better, I hear he has his shirt off for half of it. My
husband is so going to get lucky tonight.”
Oh God. Heather had needed a night out at the movies to
take her away from Zach...not to remind her for two straight
hours about the man she was trying so desperately to forget.
“So,” her friend asked, right on cue, “have you been seeing
anyone new lately?”
Heather choked on the popcorn and reached for the red
slushie Brenda had bought for her, sucking it down so fast she
got nailed with brain freeze.
“No,” she said, although Brant, a guy she’d casualy dated
for the past few months, had caled and left her a message today
about wanting to see her. She liked him wel enough, but if she
agreed to meet him for dinner she knew what he’d expect. And
right now, she couldn’t imagine getting naked with anyone
except
—
Her groan of self-disgust was cut off by the start of the
previews. Heather sank down in her seat and gritted her teeth.
Somehow she’d make it through the movie. After al, how similar
could Zach and his famous brother be?
could Zach and his famous brother be?
* * *
Really freaking similar.
Brenda was stil wiping away her tears as the lights came up
in the theatre. “Wasn’t that an amazing love story? To have a
man like that want you so badly...I can’t even imagine.”
Heather pressed her lips together. She was going to keep
her mouth shut. She wasn’t going to say
—
“I know his brother.”
Shoot, what was wrong with her?
Heather slung her purse over her shoulder and tried to
stand up, but Brenda clamped her hand on her arm, holding her
in place in her seat. “Whose brother?”
They were the only two people left in the theatre and the
cleanup crew was coming in with their garbage bags.
“Smith Sulivan’s brother.”
Brenda squealed so loud that Heather winced. “Oh my
God! When were you going to tel me?”
Never
had been the plan, because Zach wasn’t supposed
to play any kind of important
—
or long term—role in her life at
al.
“Zach is one of my new dog training clients.”
“Does he look like Smith Sulivan?”
Heather felt her cheeks turning pink at the way her friend
said his name like they were kids out on the playground and he
was the popular boy they al had a crush on.
was the popular boy they al had a crush on.
“Actualy,” she admitted, “he’s even better looking.”
Her friend pinned her with a look she couldn’t escape.
Brenda was the only one who knew al about Heather’s family.
She’d met her father and mother and had seen their icky
dynamic
—
the charmer and the charmed, the liar and the
enabler
—
firsthand.
“Is he realy just a client?”
Brenda’s voice had softened and Heather knew the
question didn’t have anything to do with her one degree of
separation from a movie star, but the fact that her friend
genuinely wished for Heather to find true love one day, despite
everything.
“Yes.” She stood up and went to throw away the empty
popcorn box. “Seriously, I wouldn’t have mentioned him if we’d
seen another movie.”
Brenda blocked her way out of the theatre. “What does
Zach do? He’s not the basebal player, is he? Or the winery
owner?”
Heather narrowed her eyes. “Why do you know so much
about Smith Sulivan’s life?”
“I’m a fan,” Brenda said without the slightest hint of
defensiveness. “So, which one is he?”
With a sigh, Heather said, “He’s the mechanic.”
Brenda’s eyes went wide. “You’re kidding, right? He’s not
just a mechanic. He’s a mogul!”
“A mogul?” She shook her head. “He owns an auto shop.”
“A mogul?” She shook her head. “He owns an auto shop.”
Her friend almost looked disappointed in her. “I know
you’ve been realy busy with your business lately, but you realy
should know more about one of the most famous families in San
Francisco. Your new client owns a zilion auto shops. They’ve
made him filthy, stinking rich.” Her friend was practicaly
drooling. “Talk about an eligible bachelor.”
Wel, it explained the big house in the pricey neighborhood,
at least. Funny, though, even with al the money she now knew
he had, he certainly hadn’t tried to woo her with it, the way her
father had always worked to buy her and her mother’s love with
lavish gifts and trips.
In fact, she found herself thinking, with a smal smile she
couldn’t contain, even if Zach didn’t have money, she was
certain he’d be just as irritatingly sure of himself.
“Please sleep with him and tel me how it is.”
Heather had to smile. Only two people who’d known each
other since colege could say things like that to each other with a
straight face.
“Sorry. I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
“But he wants to, doesn’t he? And don’t deny it, I can tel
by the way you’ve been blushing this whole time that he’s more
than just a client.”
Heather couldn’t lie to her best friend. “You’re right, I think
he wants to. But I’ve already shut him down.”
“Why would you do that when you have the chance to
sleep with a Sulivan?”
That one was easy. Because if keeping the wals up around
That one was easy. Because if keeping the wals up around
her heart with Zach while they were fuly clothed and training the
dogs was hard...wel, it would be downright impossible if she
were naked and in his arms.
But al she said was, “It wouldn’t be a good idea.”
Heather could tel Brenda wanted to say something more,
but she simply put her arm around her and said, “Let’s do this
again soon, okay? Maybe make it a double date?”
Heather shook her head. “Ever the hopeful one, aren’t
you?”
“For love,” her friend replied, “always.”
The next morning when Heather got to work, feeling cranky
and tired, Tina was clearly excited about something. “A package
came for you a few minutes ago.”
The sugar from last night’s slushie had given Heather a
headache, which was exacerbated by the fact that every time she
closed her eyes, she saw Zach and herself dressed in the period
clothes from the movie acting out a scene where he puled her
into his arms and kissed her like he’d been waiting his whole life