bedroom, Deb felt conflicted. They touched and kissed every chance they got, which wasn’t very often, but when it was time for bed, he’d hold her gently and say goodnight. His restraint haunted her long into the mornings, as she dreamed of the passion she knew he was capable of.
Her brother and his family would be arriving tomorrow and chaos would ensue. Tonight, however, Zach had asked to take her to dinner. There wasn’t much else she wanted to do other than spend a few hours alone and just talk. Yes, there were so many risks being seen in public together. She had already spotted the tabloids and seen all their speculations. One had even suggested she was pregnant.
Deb smirked. No way would she have a baby with Zach. Not this soon, anyway. She’d like to figure out how to be married first. Only time would tell where their marriage would take them. She would take this a day at a time, no expectations. Each day was a gift, and she would be satisfied with that.
Rounding the corner of the kitchen to head upstairs to get ready, she collided with Zach, recognizing him instantly by his smell. He always wore the best cologne, a spicy, expensive smell she couldn’t quite explain.
Bracing her hands against his chest, she looked up with a smile. “Who won this time?” She watched as he pulled the phone away from his ear and hung up without saying a word. Why was he always on the phone?
Zach frowned and took a deep, exaggerated breath. “He did.”
“That makes you what? One for seventy-five?”
He grinned at her. “Uh, yeah.”
An awkward silence fell between them, and she looked away. She hoped the rest of the night wasn’t going to be like this. Tenderly, he reached out and took her hand, bringing her fingertips to his lips. “I’m looking forward to tonight,” he whispered, his eyes roaming her face.
“Me too.” Suddenly, she felt shy. This felt too real, and it was still too new for her to know what to think. She didn’t like feeling like an uncertain school girl.
He turned his lips to her palm and kissed her there. A sizzling flash of awareness shot through her. She was thankful there wouldn’t be any of this tonight in public.
Or was she?
Unable to stop herself, she pulled her hand free from his grasp and hooked it around his neck, bringing him down for a quick, but thorough kiss. His breathy, masculine groan fueled her need for him. The gentle touch of his palms on her face was inconsistent with his hard, passionate kiss. His tongue showed her exactly how their bodies would mate. It made Deb long for a further intimacy.
“Oh! Excuse me!” her mother said behind them.
Deb and Zach leaped apart like secret lovers, wiping their mouths and looking everywhere but each other.
“Oh, come on, guys,” her mother said as she walked past them. “It’s not like I’ve never seen a husband and wife kiss. I’ve even stolen a couple of kisses in my day. And from the looks of things, you’re gonna have to steal every moment you can, since John has been keeping Zach so busy playing chess.”
Neither of them said anything, but once her mother was out of earshot they took one look at each other and laughed.
“I’d better get ready,” she said and turned to walk up the stairs.
He grabbed her arm. “We haven’t discussed how we’re going to deal with the photographers.”
Deb thought a minute. “No, but I don’t think we should give them much to talk about. One of them reported a baby was due in seven months.” She grinned, but Zach did not.
“You know going out is just giving them more fuel. If you don’t want to do this, I understand.” He released her arm and looked at her.
“I want to,” she insisted. “As long as you don’t get caught putting your hand up my skirt, I’ll consider you a gentleman.”
He grinned. “What about up your shirt?”
Smiling, she rolled her eyes and went upstairs.
* * * *
Zach was so nervous his fingers trembled. He felt like he was a teenager again,
Her brother and his family would be arriving tomorrow and chaos would ensue. Tonight, however, Zach had asked to take her to dinner. There wasn’t much else she wanted to do other than spend a few hours alone and just talk. Yes, there were so many risks being seen in public together. She had already spotted the tabloids and seen all their speculations. One had even suggested she was pregnant.
Deb smirked. No way would she have a baby with Zach. Not this soon, anyway. She’d like to figure out how to be married first. Only time would tell where their marriage would take them. She would take this a day at a time, no expectations. Each day was a gift, and she would be satisfied with that.
Rounding the corner of the kitchen to head upstairs to get ready, she collided with Zach, recognizing him instantly by his smell. He always wore the best cologne, a spicy, expensive smell she couldn’t quite explain.
Bracing her hands against his chest, she looked up with a smile. “Who won this time?” She watched as he pulled the phone away from his ear and hung up without saying a word. Why was he always on the phone?
Zach frowned and took a deep, exaggerated breath. “He did.”
“That makes you what? One for seventy-five?”
He grinned at her. “Uh, yeah.”
An awkward silence fell between them, and she looked away. She hoped the rest of the night wasn’t going to be like this. Tenderly, he reached out and took her hand, bringing her fingertips to his lips. “I’m looking forward to tonight,” he whispered, his eyes roaming her face.
“Me too.” Suddenly, she felt shy. This felt too real, and it was still too new for her to know what to think. She didn’t like feeling like an uncertain school girl.
He turned his lips to her palm and kissed her there. A sizzling flash of awareness shot through her. She was thankful there wouldn’t be any of this tonight in public.
Or was she?
Unable to stop herself, she pulled her hand free from his grasp and hooked it around his neck, bringing him down for a quick, but thorough kiss. His breathy, masculine groan fueled her need for him. The gentle touch of his palms on her face was inconsistent with his hard, passionate kiss. His tongue showed her exactly how their bodies would mate. It made Deb long for a further intimacy.
“Oh! Excuse me!” her mother said behind them.
Deb and Zach leaped apart like secret lovers, wiping their mouths and looking everywhere but each other.
“Oh, come on, guys,” her mother said as she walked past them. “It’s not like I’ve never seen a husband and wife kiss. I’ve even stolen a couple of kisses in my day. And from the looks of things, you’re gonna have to steal every moment you can, since John has been keeping Zach so busy playing chess.”
Neither of them said anything, but once her mother was out of earshot they took one look at each other and laughed.
“I’d better get ready,” she said and turned to walk up the stairs.
He grabbed her arm. “We haven’t discussed how we’re going to deal with the photographers.”
Deb thought a minute. “No, but I don’t think we should give them much to talk about. One of them reported a baby was due in seven months.” She grinned, but Zach did not.
“You know going out is just giving them more fuel. If you don’t want to do this, I understand.” He released her arm and looked at her.
“I want to,” she insisted. “As long as you don’t get caught putting your hand up my skirt, I’ll consider you a gentleman.”
He grinned. “What about up your shirt?”
Smiling, she rolled her eyes and went upstairs.
* * * *
Zach was so nervous his fingers trembled. He felt like he was a teenager again,
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