Her face heating with the memory, she turned away. “Wouldn’t bother me either way. That’s your business.”
“There’s nothing you want to say to me?”
“What could I possibly want to say to you? Thanks for carrying the casserole. Just leave it there. I can manage.”
He eyed the dirty dishes in the sink. “Must be hard keeping the place neat with one hand. Need some help?”
“No, thanks, and I can manage perfectly well with one hand.”
It wasn’t true, but she wanted him out of the house. Having him there whipped up memories she’d worked hard to suppress. And they were hot, sexy memories, not the miserable ones she would have chosen as a shield to keep him at a distance.
Instead of seeing the empty bed on their “honeymoon,” she kept seeing him naked, that lean, hard body stretched out next to hers as he’d encouraged her to give him everything he demanded.
“I’ll be fine. I’m not hungry right now. I had breakfast with Ryan and Emily. Still digesting. I don’t mean to be rude, but I have work to do.” Her laptop sat on the table, providing the perfect excuse. “I need to check my emails and update my archaeology blog. I don’t want to keep you from flying another billionaire to his yacht.”
He didn’t move, and something about the stillness of his body unnerved her. It was as if he was waiting for something.
Forcing herself to look at him, she turned her head and her eyes locked with the glittering black of his.
The first time he’d made love to her he’d insisted she keep her eyes open. He’d wanted to see what she was feeling, he’d told her, he’d wanted to know if he was hurting her or turning her on. Staring into those dark eyes had been just as responsible for her sensual meltdown as the slow thrust of his body. He’d controlled the whole thing, every movement, every touch and kiss. At that moment she’d truly believed there was no force on the planet strong enough to pull them apart. She’d thought they’d be together forever, that he was as much hers as she was his.
Her wake-up call had been all the more brutal for that delusion.
It was clear to her now that sexual attraction wasn’t dulled by negative past experience. If so, then her body should have repelled him. Instead she felt inexorably drawn to the dark, dangerous appeal of the man who had broken her heart.
It took a physical effort not to slide her hand into the silky strands of dark hair that flopped over his forehead. She wanted to pull his head down to hers and lock her mouth to his, wanted to feel the skilled stroke of his tongue as he seduced her mouth with his.
Instead she curled her fingers into her palms, feeling the heat of his gaze.
She had no idea how much time passed. No idea whether it was seconds or minutes, but finally he turned and walked to the door.
Only when she heard it shut behind him did she let her smile slip.
She flopped onto the chair, groaned and closed her eyes.
One thing she knew for certain—
It was going to take more than a casserole to fix her feelings.
CHAPTER SIX
ZACH LOUNGED ON the deck, nursing a whiskey. The chair was tilted back, his legs resting on the top of the railing, as he stared at the ocean and listened to the plaintive cry of the seagulls. The water churned and boiled, lashing the rocks at the far side of the bay. The sky was black and angry. It suited his mood perfectly.
“You’re drinking Jack Daniels, which makes me think you’ve had a hell of a day. Nursing spoiled rich folk?” Philip’s voice came from behind him and Zach turned.
“I flew a bunch of bankers up to Moosehead Lake. They’re white-water rafting on the Kennebec River, staying up there tonight and I’m flying them back tomorrow. That’s if they don’t drown in the meantime.”
“You’ll lose money if they drown.”
“No I won’t. I made them pay in advance.” He swung his legs down. “I’m guessing you don’t want whiskey, but there’s beer in the fridge. Help yourself.”
Philip did that and joined him. “I heard you saw Brittany.”
Zach watched as a couple of seagulls swooped low over the bay. “I’m not even going to ask how you know that.”
“Hard to keep anything a secret around here. Rumor has it the two of you drove off together looking cozy.” Philip pulled on a sweater and Zach frowned.
“Are you cold? Do you want to go inside?”