He’d already pressed Tess’s doorbell when he realized belatedly that an unexpected visitor might frighten her. Should have called first.
But then she might have told him not to come.
The porch light came on, momentarily blinding him. Nothing else happened for a minute. Then he heard the snap of the dead bolt and the door swung open.
Tess confronted him with her arms crossed. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
Good question.
“Can I come in?”
She gave an impatient huff of breath but did step back. Zach crossed the threshold and closed the door.
“I worried about you home alone today.” Lame, but the best he could come up with.
“I went in to work, even though I’m supposed to be Tuesday through Saturday. You don’t really think they’ll physically assault me. How will that help Andrew Hayes?”
“He may decide nothing else is working.”
She didn’t blink for longer than he liked. Finally her shoulders sagged. “You’re not being a comfort here.”
“No. Sorry. I just want to be sure you keep your guard up.”
“Fine.” She glared at him. “You could have said that on the phone.”
“I didn’t like it that you weren’t there today.” Oh, hell, why had he had to say that?
She retreated a step. “You know your brother was right. Antonio didn’t deserve what happened to him. We’re the only ones who can give him any kind of justice.”
As if he needed the reminder. “If something happens to you, too...”
Looking into her witchy, green-gold eyes was like gazing into a crystal ball at an astonishing scene that was probably an illusion but could be real.
Not for me. But, damn, the temptation was there.
“You’re not my keeper.” Her voice was soft, almost tremulous.
Oh, no?
Knowing he sounded like a wind-up toy that repeated the same phrase over and over, he still said, “I need to keep you safe.”
Tess frowned. “You’re not responsible for me being involved in this. You had nothing to do with my presence there. You need to stay safe, too.” She said that last with passionate urgency.
“You don’t understand.” God, he thought, do I?
“What don’t I understand?”
Zach shook his head. He couldn’t tell her that he didn’t think he could live with it if she got hurt. Yeah, part of it was his sense of responsibility but... These unfamiliar things he was feeling confused him, but he couldn’t seem to shut them down.
He crossed the small foyer and closed his hands around her upper arms. Tension quivered through her and she stared at him in alarm. He should back off...but he could swear he saw yearning in those amazing eyes, too.
“Tess...” Shouldn’t do this. But he was already bending his head. Uncertainty kept the first touch of his lips to hers gentle. He brushed his mouth over hers. She made a sound of surrender and threw her arms around his neck, rising on her toes to meet his mouth more fully.
Her taste was indescribable, sweet and tart at the same time. His thoughts blurred when her body, long, fine-boned, supple and soft in the right places, pressed against his.
He wrapped one hand around the back of her head, his fingers threading strong, silky hair, while he grabbed her butt with his other hand and lifted her. Next thing to desperate, he was devouring her now.
He felt the thump when she came up against a wall. He hadn’t even known he’d walked her backward. If only she had on a skirt instead of jeans... He could strip them off, lift her...
He didn’t have a condom with him.
Maybe she had some. Or was on birth control.
With a groan, he tore his mouth from hers.
Her eyes had been closed. Slowly her lids lifted until she stared at him, dazed.
“I want you,” he said, voice guttural.
Her eyes widened. Then she blinked a couple of times. Her breath shuddered in and out.
“Oh, my God.” She stiffened.
Suddenly, instead of yielding woman, he had a bundle of high-tension wires in his arms.
“This is wrong.” She squirmed against him.
Blood flow hadn’t yet returned to his brain but he still recognized a no when he heard it. In fact, a hell no.
His hands didn’t want to leave her but he didn’t see a choice. After a moment he made himself step back, releasing her.