In Zach's Arms (Once a Marine, Always a Marine Book 1) (7 page)

He let his eyes roam the curves that his hands had explored. The fire in her eyes only stroked his need. Zach’s body stirred, overriding his anger.

“It’s safe here, Zach. And I wanted to be outside for a few minutes to clear my mind and get some fresh air. Jesus, I’m on the porch.”

Knowing he was scaring her a little, he took a deep breath and willed his calm to return. It wasn’t her fault that someone had targeted her. And she didn’t have the new information that he had.

“It’s not as safe as you think.”

“You’re pissed because you told me not to leave the house and I did.”

And that was something her father would have done. Zach wasn’t winning any points here and he knew it, but he couldn’t necessarily control his possessive personality either.

He sighed and shook his head.

“There are bears up here in the mountains, you know.” He was under control again and he was sorry he yelled. But the thought of anything happening to her, well, he didn’t even want to think about it.

“You’re the only grumpy bear around right now,” she said, crossing her arms and glaring at him. It was her tough look, one she’d perfected in high school.

He towered over her when he stood close. The smell of the peaches and cream scent that clung to her skin reached him, calming him further.

“You know what happens when you poke a bear?”
 

“He grunts and grumbles and growls like he’s got a thorn in his paw?” She shrugged. “Who can know with bears? I hear they’re stubborn.”

Zach growled low in his throat and snaked his arms around her body to cup her ass. Up close, her feminine scent created an instant response. He could be ninety and half dead and she could still get him to respond to her.

“They take what they want, when they want it.”

She stood rigid in his arms, refusing to look up at him.

“I’m sorry, Beth.”

Beth toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. It took her a few minutes, but gradually, she forgave him for being hotheaded. Her eyes softened and she lightly dragged her nails against his scalp.

“Tell me more,” she whispered into his ear.

He moved closer, feeling her soft body yield to his stronger one. It would be so easy to pick her up and take her back to bed. Satisfaction guaranteed, for both of them. But that wasn’t going to happen. He needed to focus and keep his mind on the prize: Beth’s heart, not just her gorgeous body.

And the first step was getting her over the irrational fear of living together and her instant reactions to anything that sounded like a command from him.

“Did you think about what I said?”

Her restless fingers stilled in his hair. “Why can’t we just stay in the moment? Why does this have to be defined?”

Zach hugged Beth close, trying his best to comfort her and ignore his body demanding he have his way with her. He was not sympathetic to her plight, however; this was about both of them, not just her past.

If she walked away from him, it wasn’t going to be pretty.

“Living together makes sense, Beth, for both of us. We could be with each other all the time, in all the ways your father never let us. The sex is great. Hell, it would even be better for tax purposes.”

The tax thing was spur of the moment, but she laughed a little when he said it, just like he hoped she would. Beth was terrified of love and marriage. Taxes were a universal fear and, as irrational as it was, she was more comfortable with that than love.

“Like a business arrangement?” She pulled back and narrowed her eyes. “No mushy emotional entanglements?” Biting her lower lip, she dropped her eyes and then her hands. “What about kids?”

“We handle whatever comes our way, together.”

“I just don’t know. You know how I feel about commitment. What if I can’t do it?”

“You’re the only woman I will ever be with like this, Beth. If you say no, I’ll live and die alone.”

She looked into his eyes for a long moment, maybe searching for the truth or hoping that deep down he was kidding. But he wasn’t. It was her or no one.

“Who can resist the allure of sticking it to the IRS?” she said after a couple of moments.

It wasn’t the answer he wanted, but at least she wasn’t running away either. It was a start. Something to build on. He wouldn’t stop trying until she finally agreed to be his wife.

Chapter 8

Elizabeth hugged Zach, knowing that he was only trying to ease her fear by suggesting this so-called business arrangement. It was sweet and the least romantic thing someone could possibly say while talking about moving in together. But coming from Zach, it was beautiful.

She would think about it, even if it terrified her. She owed it to him to at least consider it. The last time he’d suggested anything like this was when he’d proposed to her. She’d been seventeen and finally free after her father’s death. She’d hurt Zach deeply by her instant refusal back then, but there was no way she was willing to even dwell on the possibility of binding herself to someone.

“Let’s go back inside and have some lunch. I’m starving,” he said, tugging her up the steps.
 

Elizabeth couldn’t help her instant relief at the change in topic. “Can we go into Flagstaff for lunch and a bit of shopping?”

His brow furrowed a bit. “What do you need in town?”

“Clothes and girl stuff.” She held back her smile when Zach immediately grabbed his keys. Girl stuff was as mysterious as a woman’s purse. He was a guy and guys were terrified of lengthy explanations regarding feminine needs.

“Got it.”

The ride into town was wild and a lesson in white-knuckle dashboard clutching. Zach drove an older model truck with a lift. She liked him cupping her ass to get her up into the cab. Otherwise, she’d have needed a step stool. And once they hit the main road, it was nice being up so high.

Zach told her that Flagstaff was still growing and was home to the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks. It looked like an old west boom town mixed with newer, more modern architecture. Small Mom and Pop businesses were squashed up against each other with old-fashioned shingles out advertising the names of the businesses and old west facades sported new paint. Then, on the next block, a strip mall offered chain fast food restaurants and stores.

It was late afternoon and the streets were filled with people going about their day and throngs of college students who packed up their cars with bags of laundry and backpacks. Probably heading down the hill to Phoenix for the weekend.

Zach found a spot to park on historic Santa Fe Avenue and came around to open Elizabeth’s door. He reached up and grabbed her around the waist, slowly dragging her from her seat.

Zach still had her suspended above the pavement when he leaned in and began nibbling on her lips. She wound her arms around his neck and, when she sighed, he took that opening to kiss her thoroughly.

Her eyes drifted closed and her world narrowed to Zach and his kiss. Her nipples hardened into points against his chest and her last pair of clean panties got wet.

“Maybe we should just go back home,” Zach said.

“Maybe you should put me down and let me shop. And I’m pretty sure those guys over there are staring.”

“Let them.”

Zach brushed his lips gently against her nose and set her on her feet. That’s when she noticed they were parked in front of the freshly-remodeled façade of one of the older buildings on the street. The window was ornately designed and boasted the name J.Z. Alarms and Consultation.

“Well, that’s one way to attract business,” Jesse said as he came through the door.

“Shut up, Jess,” Zach said. “You’re embarrassing Beth.”

“Oh,
I’m
embarrassing Beth. I’m sure it had nothing to do with you mauling her on the front steps of the store.” Jesse chuckled and winked.

“Hi, Jesse,” Elizabeth said, emerging from Zach’s embrace.

“Hey yourself. It’s been too long since I’ve seen your beautiful face. Come on in and let me show you around our baby.”

“The location is fabulous. I love how it looks fresh from the 1800s.” She allowed Jesse to sweep his arm around her and lead her inside. When she glanced over her shoulder, Zach was scanning the street while he locked up his truck. He shot a glare at the guys who’d been staring and got a bunch of thumbs-ups before they turned back to loading a keg.

***

“What’s going on with the investigation?” Jesse asked Zach an hour later.
 

Zach stared out the front window as Beth walked into a dress shop across the street. He hadn’t wanted her going out by herself, but he also didn’t want to smother her. She may not think she was in danger here, but Zach wasn’t taking any chances. If she moved out of sight, he was ready to leave the store and follow along.
 

“They have a few leads, but Detective Wolfe has closed ranks and is keeping everything under wraps. Our conversation was less than pleasant. I’m not worried though; Little Mike’s got friends in that office, so I’ll know what he knows.”
 

“Wow, Little Mike’s a cop now? He’ll either make Chief or end up in jail,” Jesse said. “When did he get out? I lost track of him when he got orders for Bagdad.”

“He’s been out for a couple years now.”
 

Zach knew Mike wouldn’t let him down. He was a bulldog when he had an assignment.
 

“When are you going to marry her?”

“As soon as I can find a preacher willing to perform a ceremony with a handcuffed and gagged bride,” Zach replied grimly.

“Gun shy, huh? Well, maybe she’s looking for someone with a gentle nature and better cooking skills?”

Zach didn’t bother to look at Jesse, just kept an eye on the street for anything suspicious. Beth hadn’t left the dress shop yet. “You’re my best friend, but I will kill you if you even think about it.”

Jesse let out a loud laugh and walked up beside Zach. “She’s something special, but I don’t envy you,” he said in a quiet tone. “She’s jumpy as hell. It’s obvious that she’s got baggage. Are you sure she’s what you want?”

“I’ve been sure since I was eighteen years old.” Zach’s tone was final. There was no hesitation. No doubt. She was his to love and cherish and she always would be. Even if she never married him.

“Does she love you?”

“Yeah, but she’s going to fight me on it.” Zach relaxed his stance. He’d never been a talker, but Jesse was his closest friend and would never betray his trust. “She doesn’t like to talk about her home life. She’d kill me if she found out I’m telling you, but I have a clear picture of her past and why she shies away from just about anyone but me.”

“Sounds bad.”

“You have no idea.” Zach closed his eyes for a moment, thinking about the sad little girl Beth had been. It had taken months before she would speak a single word to him. She’d been a freshman in high school and he’d begun sitting with her at lunch, just to try and get a response out of her. Something about her pulled at him, even in the beginning. She wouldn’t even smile at him for the first year.

“I followed her home one day after school, trying to figure out what was going on. It was spring and the house was wide open, so I just sat in the bushes by the back door, listening. Didn’t take long to understand why she hates even the thought of commitment.”

Beth stepped out of the shop and walked to the next one. She stood there staring into the windows, looking lovely enough to break his heart. She wore low-rise blue jeans and a silky emerald-green tank top that showed off glimpses of creamy skin between the jeans and the top when she moved. Her long blonde hair hung loose around her shoulders, shining brightly in the sun.

“What happened to her?” Jesse asked.

“Her father was a son of a bitch. I don’t think he was physically abusive, and if he was, it was toward her mother only. But he was emotionally intimidating and controlling. Told them when they could speak, when they could eat, and what they could wear. And her mother just went along with it. If Beth argued, then she was demeaned in the worst way.”

Zach shook his head and had to unclench his fists. To this day, he wished he could have found a way to get her out of that house sooner. But they’d both been kids.

“He used to lock Beth in her room if he thought she was getting smart with him. She wasn’t allowed to go anywhere but school and home. She couldn’t watch TV or have a radio, nothing but schoolwork and recreational reading from the Bible. No school events and, certainly, no dating.”

“That’s crazy,” Jesse said.

“She has nightmares about him. She told me that, from the time she hit high school, her father was convinced that she was going to turn into a whore. He nailed her windows shut and locked her inside at night to make sure she couldn’t sneak out. Beth was so traumatized by that bastard that she wouldn’t even look at anyone at school or talk to them. I know she thinks she’s a coward for not standing up to him, but she’s got more strength than she realizes.”

Zach reached up and rubbed the tension from his neck, flexing his shoulders. “She’s terrified of marriage and kids. I think she’s afraid history could repeat itself.”