He’d spent the day trying to convince himself that, of course, he wasn’t in love with Tess. Things had just been...intense lately. And, yes, protecting her was his first priority. Shouldn’t it be? Even thinking about the things associated with love—such as marriage and kids—made him twitchy.
At the same time, if she’d said no way, sorry—
Damn it, he didn’t want to think about that, either. He hadn’t much liked her off-handed agreement that it would be better if her father never knew about Zach, even if he’d been the one who suggested it. That made no sense, he knew.
Of course, if she had insisted on having her dad to dinner to announce the deeply significant change in her life and show off Zach, he might have freaked. Meet the parents? Words to turn a man into a coward.
By the time they managed to squeeze both vehicles into her garage, Zach’s tangled emotions had settled in his stomach like a heavy serving of pancakes.
Nothing felt good as they whiled away the evening, pretending this was normal. She did something online. He turned on a baseball game even though he didn’t care about either team. He checked for messages and email on his phone. She did a load of laundry.
The change for him came after he shaved for a second time today, cleaned up the whiskers, brushed his teeth, popped his toothbrush in the ceramic holder that was an interesting part of the tile work behind her sink, and took a last look in the mirror. He wore only a pair of pajama pants that sagged low on his hips.
Tess had taken the first turn in the bathroom, emerging while he was still digging his kit out of his duffel. She, too, was wearing pajama bottoms and a thin, white T-shirt that let him see the shadow of her nipples.
She would already be in bed. Waiting for him. As she would be every night from here on out.
For as long as we both shall live.
He frowned at himself in the mirror. No, until she didn’t need his protection anymore.
Satisfaction filled him when he turned off the bathroom light and saw her sitting up against a pile of pillows in the pool of light from a bedside lamp. This felt different tonight. More.
He’d shaved here, his toothbrush was here, he’d get dressed in the morning for work here. As if he belonged. Him. A man who hadn’t belonged anywhere since he was nine years old.
Zach walked to his side of the bed—yeah, his—and climbed in, immediately rolling to face her. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured, slipping a hand beneath her tee, feeling her muscles tighten. He stroked the silky skin of her midriff in a circular motion. “Why don’t you lose a couple of those pillows?”
She reached for the lamp.
“Leave it,” he said. “I like to look at you.”
Tess hesitated then turned back. She did as he’d suggested, tossing pillows to the floor, then pulled her T-shirt over her head, leaving her hair ruffled and her breasts bare for his mouth and hands.
Zach made love to her as he’d never made love to a woman in his life. Heat and passion merged with the tenderness and fear for her that burned in his chest. He worshipped her body, not letting her hurry him even though he ached for her. He pushed her to a long, shuddering climax, then had her reaching for him frantically again before he slid into her. He held on to his control, driven by determination to please her ahead of himself, until she shattered around him, pulling him with her.
He’d never felt anything like it, either. Not the intensity of the orgasm or the sense of peace afterward. Mind turned off, body sated, Tess’s arms around him. Breathing in her scent, his face turned into her neck, one of his hands still wrapping her hip.
This is what I want, he thought drowsily.
The lamp was still on when he woke a couple of hours later. Tess appeared unconscious. Also irresistibly naked. Zach did turn off the lamp, but then, when she woke, he made love to her again.
* * *
ZACH TIMED HIS arrival for the morning briefing perfectly. The seats were full and a few men stood to the side and at the back. He found a spot against the wall where he could lean.
Several people turned to look past him in surprise. Paul Stokes had just walked in and was striding toward the front of the room. Stiffening, Zach flicked a glance at Sergeant Perez, already half sitting on a table at the front, arms crossed, obviously expecting the undersheriff’s arrival.