Zack hung his head. “I’m two and a half months behind. When I couldn’t pay on January the first, the manager gave me an extension until the fifteenth. Which I missed, because I was in the hospital.” Not that it made a difference. He was living on borrowed time, no money in his checking account.
“Oh.”
One blow after another. Could it get any worse?
She straightened her spine with purpose, pinning him with her amber gaze. “Do you have a place to stay?”
“I . . .” His face heated. Yeah, things could definitely get worse.
“Well, you do now. You’re staying with me.”
He bit back a bitter retort. Didn’t every self-respecting man love to be bailed out of trouble by the woman he’d die to call his own?
Might as well slice his balls off and let her use them for fuzzy dice on her rearview mirror.
“I appreciate the offer, but I can’t impose on you.”
“What? Like you have a better option?” Arching a slim brow, she crossed her arms over her chest. Zack tried not to stare at how the position hiked up her bosom as she went on. “Who are you going to call? Your buddies at the station? You want them all here, in your business, making sympathetic noises until you puke?”
Which Cori hadn’t done, to his immense relief. He studied her, rubbing his aching chest. God, she was right. Firefighters were a brotherhood. If one was in trouble, they banded together. One phone call and word of Zack’s problems would spread like wildfire. The only man he trusted to keep this on the down-low was Six-Pack, and he wasn’t about to intrude on the lieutenant’s newly wedded bliss.
But he couldn’t accept. The words wouldn’t form.
Cori sighed. “Okay. The truth is, my motives aren’t completely altruistic. As wimpy as this sounds, I’d feel better having a man staying with me right now.”
“Because of the weird van sightings and the noises at night? I really don’t think you have anything to worry about.” She shook her head, eyes liquid. Her fear ground into his gut like jagged glass and he straightened, gripping her shoulders. “Something else
did
happen Friday night. Tell me.”
Her lips trembled. “When I got home from visiting you, it was late. When I stepped onto the porch, a man was waiting for me.”
“Sonofabitch,” he gasped, cupping her sweet face. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
“No. I ran, but he didn’t chase me. I’m fine.”
Cori wasn’t “fine.” A bad night, she’d said. In his worst nightmare, he’d never expected her to be targeted by a stalker. He couldn’t imagine her terror, and a knot of cold rage began to form in his stomach.
“What did the police say?” Gently, he stroked her smooth cheeks with his thumbs, needing to touch her. Reassure himself that she was okay.
“That I’d probably surprised a burglar and scared him off before he had a chance to break in.” She gave a watery laugh. “I haven’t been home since.”
“Where have you been sleeping? A hotel?”
“My friend Shea loaned me her sofa. She sent her brother to my house yesterday for a change of clothes. I’m going home today.”
Zack frowned. “Who’s her brother?” He didn’t like the idea of a strange man poking through her house. “How do you know he’s not the one behind all of this?”
She smiled at his protective tone. “Shane Ford is a homicide detective with the Sugarland PD. I doubt he’s our creep. They’re twins. Shea and Shane. Cute, huh?”
“If your friend’s brother is a cop, can’t he do something? Put some pressure on his buddies to investigate?”
“Homicide, hell-oo. I’m not Shane’s problem until
after
I’m dead.”
“Jesus, that’s not funny. Come here.” What he knew about women could fit inside a speck of DNA, but he figured frightened women needed comforting. Especially this one. By him.
Zack pulled her into his arms and she went willingly. He tucked her head against his shoulder and she burrowed inside his coat. Warm and soft. Breasts crushed against his chest, hands clutching his back. Breath fanning against his collarbone. All woman.
All mine.
And just like that, the universe rearranged itself. Nothing was more important than Cori, sheltered in his arms. Nobody had the right to frighten her. No man would touch her while his heart still beat in his chest.
Emotions surged, wild and confusing, filling the vast emptiness. Like a hurricane, the onslaught shook his foundations, almost painful in its intensity. And in the wake of that foreign invasion, something dark and dangerous. Ugly.
The desire to wrap his hands around the throat of the person responsible for causing her pain, and squeeze the life from his worthless body.
Cori tipped her face up and he brought his mouth down on hers. There was nothing tentative about his kiss and from the way she melted into him, she didn’t seem to mind. Groaning, ignoring the throb in his bruised face, he drank her like a man dying of thirst. Plunged his tongue into her moist heat the way he’d love to slide his cock between her thighs. Brand her with his touch, give her what he’d never given another woman. Ruin her for another man.
Mine.
She broke the kiss, eyes dancing with humor. Fear abated. “I’ll take that as a yes?”
“I forgot the question.”
“You’ll stay with me?”
He tightened his arms around her. Kissed the tip of her nose. “Yes.” Another brush of lips. “Yes.”
“Good. Let’s grab your things and make tracks. It’s cold out here.”
“Best idea I’ve ever heard.”
But his key no longer fit the lock. Not surprising, but definitely frustrating. Zack offered Cori his arm and they walked to the office together, the one place he’d hoped to avoid. He started to cough again and it made his lungs burn. His head ached and he felt dizzy. Funny, he’d been pretty darned revved while kissing the stuffing out of Cori. If only his tired body would cooperate with his libido.
In the dingy little office, the manager stared at Zack from across her ancient desk for about three seconds before bursting into harsh, gravelly laughter that shook her skinny frame and revealed a mouthful of yellowed teeth.
“You want your shit? By all means, take it.” Apparently enjoying this, she pointed to a cardboard box beside her desk.
His hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Where’s the rest?”
“Sold to cover your back rent,” she said, blowing a stream of cigarette smoke in the general direction of his face. “Saved your uniforms, a few toiletries, and some papers that looked important.”
“How kind of you.”
Do not strangle her.
“Have a nice life, kid.”
Not trusting himself to say another word, he hefted the box and walked out. He ought to be grateful the vile old biddy had saved his work clothes. God knew he didn’t need to give Tanner another reason to gnaw on his ass.
Cori opened the trunk and he stashed the box inside. They slid into the car and fastened their seat belts. Cori shot him a glance as she fired the engine. “Holy crap, there was a freaking
bullet hole
in the wall behind that woman’s head!”
“Too bad they missed,” he muttered, then felt bad for saying it. That miserable old woman probably had it ten times rougher than Zack on his worst day.
“What?”
“Nothing.” He smiled, feeling strangely liberated.
“Anyway, I hope you don’t mind my saying so, but I’m glad I’m not leaving you here.” She made a face.
“To tell you the truth, I’m
very
cool with letting the cockroaches have this place. Can’t wait to be gone.”
With you.
Okay. Maybe this was one of those Big Signs from Above like you read about. Destiny and all that woo-woo shit. Chicken poop to chicken soup. Right?
The drive was nice, her company wonderful. But as they neared Sugarland, the greasy knot in his stomach returned, becoming heavier with every mile. When Cori turned onto Neptune Road and headed deeper into the rural countryside, Zack started to feel a little queasy.
Cori had said she lived on the outskirts of Sugarland, just not exactly where. Of all the dozens of roads in Cheatham County, why this one?
“Wait until you see my place,” she said, warming to the topic. His companion’s excitement visibly escalated as his sense of doom grew, and she chattered on, unaware.
“It’s so beautiful and peaceful out here—well, aside from my unexpected visitor the other night. The house sits off the road about fifty yards, and it has this great deck out back that overlooks the woods and a pretty creek. Someone put a salt block at the base of a tree close to the water, and the deer gather there almost every morning and evening. If I’m real quiet, I can slip outside, drink my coffee, and watch them.”
Zack went numb. All over. “Sounds . . . fantastic.”
“Oh, you have no idea!”
Yeah, he thought he might. When she slowed and turned down the long, winding drive, he averted his face. Stared out the window so she wouldn’t see the anguish struggling to escape the compressed little knot in his chest. Sure, Delacruz had immediately sold his house for a tidy profit. In the back of his mind, Zack had known. But why did the buyer have to be Cori? The sucker punch was almost too much.
This could not be happening, yet here he was, come full circle. In that moment he felt like a ghost. A spectator in his own life, invisible to everyone around him.
Except Cori. He glanced at her, and the happiness radiating from her stilled the turmoil. His need to protect her—to preserve that glow—surged again. Hell, she’d been upset enough when he’d nearly bought the farm saving her life. No matter how painful it was keeping the truth locked inside, she must not find out.
Zack didn’t need the pity. And Cori didn’t deserve the misplaced guilt.
“Isn’t it wonderful?” She parked in front of the garage and shut off the ignition.
Zack summoned all the enthusiasm he could muster. “I’ll say. How long have you lived here?” Of course, he knew the answer.
“Just a few weeks. Sure beats the tiny apartment I had in town. Why don’t we put your stuff inside, and then I’ll give you the grand tour?”
Boy, he must’ve done something to piss off the gods. “Great.”
They got out and Zack retrieved his worldly possessions from her trunk. Gritting his teeth, he followed her onto the porch and waited as she unlocked the door.
Slowly, he followed her inside. Paused to drink in the haven he’d never thought to see again. The soothing earth tones that had succumbed to a more feminine flair along the lines of rugs, curtains, and a couple of floral arrangements. The familiar fresh scent of lemon oil and wood.
Home.
“Zack? Are you feeling all right?”
“Um, yes. I’m fine. Where should I put this?” He jiggled the cardboard box in his hands.
“Just sit it there, in the entry. We’ll get you settled in a bit.” She frowned and he belatedly realized he hadn’t complimented her home, something most people do automatically.
He set the box on the floor, then straightened, gesturing to the large, open space as though finally noticing. “Oh, wow. Awesome place you’ve got here.”
Cori bit her lip, appearing troubled for a second. He must’ve imagined it, because her expression cleared and the contentment returned. “Thanks. The previous owner must’ve put a lot of sweat into updating it.” Reaching out, she ran a palm lovingly over the polished oak stair rail. The one he’d spent hours shaping, sanding, and polishing with loving care.
“The custom woodwork and cabinetry throughout the house is incredible. You don’t get that quality of craftsmanship from a tract builder.”
No, you don’t.
“I’m thinking he might’ve designed and made it all in the shop out back,” she went on. “There are saws, sanders, umpteen kinds of wood and stains, and I don’t know what else. Probably enough to build an ark. Can’t believe it was all left behind.”
“What will you do with it?”
“I don’t know. Sell the equipment and clean it out, I suppose. Just haven’t gotten motivated yet.”
A shard of pain knifed his gut. “I see.”
“Say, are you any good with woodworking?”
“Fair,” he lied. He’d practically lived for the texture of rough wood in his hands. For taking raw, discarded material and creating something new and shiny.
Her pretty face became animated as she warmed to her idea. “You could use the shop if you’d like. Someone might as well make use of all that great stuff.”
“Oh, I don’t know—”
“You could make something for
me
. If you wanted.”
Aw, hell. How was he supposed to look into those sparkling, tawny eyes and say no? God help him if he had a houseful of little girls someday. “Did you have something special in mind?”
She grinned, obviously pleased. “Surprise me. Care for something to drink while we take a walk? If you’re up to it, that is.”