I Heard A Rumor by Cheris Hodges Page B

dream.”
    â€œIt was quite real,” Zach said with a chuckle. “I think the best part was when your mother started crying and you walked off like you were so unbothered.”
    Chante sat up and the room started to spin. “Oh no, I think I’m going to be sick.”
    Zach rushed to her side with a glass of water. “Drink this slowly,” he ordered.
    She took a quick sip of the cool water and then a slower one. The bile she felt rushing forward dissipated. “So,” Zach continued, “what is Taiwan?”
    â€œWhy?” she asked.
    â€œIf you have connections to that Asian country, you pretty much ruined them. That phone call was brutal. Remind me to never wake you up.”
    The cup of water fell from Chante’s hand. “I have pretty much ruined my life. Taiwon is one of the partners at my law firm.”
    Zach released a low whistle. “I think you’re going to be looking for a new job after the conversation you had with him. You made me blush, and I’m a New Yorker.”
    Chante groaned and shook her head. “This is just getting worse.”
    â€œDo you want to talk about what’s going on?”
    She swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Let’s see, I pretty much ruined my life. Not much else to talk about.”
    â€œThere has to be a reason behind it. You seem way too level-headed to spaz out the way you did.”
    I used to be. I used to have everything in control until I allowed the wrong man to ruin everything that was important to me, she thought as she turned away from Zach’s glare.
    â€œI have a headache, and I’m hungry.”
    â€œGood side step. But avoiding the question won’t make me stop asking.”
    Chante rolled her eyes as she rose from the bed. “Zach, why are you here?”
    â€œMaking sure you didn’t have alcohol poisoning. Bourbon is not water.”
    â€œYou can see that I’m fine,” she said, even though the room seemed to be spinning as she tried to cross to the bathroom. Zach’s strong arms kept her from falling to the floor.
    â€œSlow down. You need more water.”
    Looking into his eyes, Chante knew she needed his lips on top of hers. She knew she needed his arms around her until the sun came up. Sighing, she also knew that she and Zach didn’t have to pretend they were getting married anymore.
    â€œI’m fine. I have to go to the bathroom.” She wiggled out of his embrace, though staying in his arms would’ve made her forget all the drunken bad decisions she’d made tonight.
    â€œAll right,” he said as he watched her walk into the restroom. “But just so you know, I’m not leaving until we eat.”
    â€œWho said I wanted you to leave?” she called from behind the closed door.

    Zach crossed the room, ordered an assortment of appetizers from room service, and opened the doors to the balcony to allow the salty warm air to blow into the room. Looking out over the ocean, he couldn’t help but smile. Someone had a situation that was even more messed up than his, even if he didn’t know the details yet. But from the short time he’d known Chante, he felt as if her actions were showing that she had something deep going on and was lashing out at everyone.
    You’re here to have fun. It isn’t your job to figure out what’s going on with a woman you barely know, he thought as he took a deep breath. Then he heard the shower start inside the bathroom. Part of him wanted to run in there with Chante and join her underneath the water and kiss her until whatever her issues were turned into afterthoughts. Just thinking about her wet and naked made him hard.
    He couldn’t remember the last time he’d wanted a woman this way. Over the last few months, Natalie had turned him against sex, which had become linked to her crimes. He had been ready to take a vow of celibacy, and he’d hoped to start it while