“Come on,” he said, “I was a teenager. Of course she embarrassed me.”
Tess made a face at him. “My parents didn’t embarrass me. I was too sure I was an embarrassment to them.”
“Seriously?”
She nodded. “I was this height by the time I was twelve. I towered over my mother, not to mention all the other girls my age and ninety-nine point nine percent of the boys. I was unbelievably skinny. To make matters worse, I developed a couple years later than most of the girls. I thought of myself as a giraffe.”
Zach bent his head and rubbed his sandpaper cheek against her cheek. “Spots and all?”
“Oh, God, yes.” She laughed again. “Too bad teenagers don’t have the perspective to know that someday they’ll be laughing about their worst despair.”
She felt his chuckle vibrate his chest before she heard it.
“You and I would not have had a steamy romance in seventh grade, I’ve got to tell you. Or any other kind of romance.”
Tess pulled back in mock offense. “Because you didn’t like beanpoles?”
“Because the top of my head might have come up to your chin.” He pinched her chin lightly. “I was scrawny and short. It’s funny, I’d almost forgotten until Bran reminded me. He said he thought I was taking after Mom.”
“She’s petite?” Naturally.
“Yep. Dad was a big guy, though.” An emotion ghosted through his eyes that might have to do with regrets. “To my surprise and Mom’s, though, about my sophomore year in high school, I started to grow. And grow. Forget back-to-school shopping. I needed a new wardrobe quarterly.” Amusement colored his deep voice. “Mom grumbled. I was secretly delighted.”
“Of course you were. So there you were shooting up at the same age I finally needed a bra.”
He squeezed her butt then moved one hand up to cup a breast. “And the results were very nice.”
She pressed her lips to his throat, inhaling a scent that was uniquely his. His hair had still been damp from a shower when she’d first arrived. She’d never let herself live in the moment before, but now she held no more illusions. This is all she would have with him. Then treasure the moments, she thought fiercely.
“You know,” she murmured, “when you tear apart your bathroom, you can shower at my house.”
“I am sleeping there a lot of the time anyway.”
“I like it when you sleep there,” she admitted, then felt a shaft of alarm. Would he take that as a hint that she wanted something more than their existing relationship? Well, so what? she thought defiantly. She did. What she felt was hers, whatever the consequences would be.
He’d gone still. Not for long enough to be obvious, but Tess felt it. But then he relaxed, tugging her closer again. And his voice was husky. “I don’t usually stay the night with women. But with you... I like it, too.” He was silent for a moment. “When you’re not there,” he said more slowly, “it feels wrong.”
Pleasure and anxiety made a peculiar mix, but she felt both. He’d just told her she was different...though he wasn’t altogether happy about that.
Tess rested against him, pretending she hadn’t noticed. She was struck by the fact that they’d never had the usual talk people who were dating did about prior relationships. Partly, of course, because they hadn’t dated. They’d just sort of drifted into sleeping together because he was there to protect her anyway. Once he didn’t need to, what would happen?
Tess believed in facing her fears. So it was a little bit of a shock to discover that she was afraid to confront this one. It was bad enough knowing he’d pack up and leave eventually...but what if he lost interest even while he remained here in town?
Which left her two options: scramble back to safety now or enjoy the time she had with him and not dwell on what was ahead.
Making her choice, she tipped her head back and tugged him down into a kiss.
* * *
IT WAS NO secret that Hayes was enraged to be questioned first by Detective Easley from CCPD, then by the two detectives from the special investigative unit. A couple of people quietly told Zach to watch out for retaliation.