moment when everyone else’s dinner looks better.”
“We could always—” Zac speared a piece of the pulled pork and held it out to her. “Share.” He waited, his heart skipping into an irregular beat.
And just like that the air surrounding them was heavy with awareness and charged with expectation. The sounds of the band and the other diners receded into the distance. They were the only two people in the world.
Mallory hesitated for a moment, then, pushing her hair behind her ears, leaned forward, opening her lips. Her even white teeth caught the meat. She pulled back, chewing, her eyes meeting Zac’s before she hid them behind lowered lashes.
“Is it—” Zac stopped to clear his throat and get his voice under control. Who would have thought a simple movement like that could seem so…so… sexy . “Is it good?” He watched her swallow, holding his breath.
“Ummm-hmmm.” Mallory’s lashes swept up, then down, then up again as she held out a bite of her meal. She held his gaze. “Would you like to taste…mine?” Even in the restaurant’s dim light, he could see her cheeks were flushed.
Zac nodded, never taking his eyes off hers. It wasn’t her meal he wanted to taste. It was her. Right now he was so hungry for the woman across the table from him that it was driving him crazy.
Something of his feelings must have communicated itself to her. The hand holding the fork trembled. Her empty hand tightened, then slid into her lap, but her eyes stayed fixed on his face.
Zac leaned across the table. What was she thinking?
Chapter 12
Mallory thought her heart was going to stop as Zac’s lips closed around the bite of lobster mac and cheese. Instead it started to beat double-time when he sat back and chewed, his eyes closing as he made murmuring sounds of approval that made her nerve endings tingle. She swallowed.
She hadn’t meant to come to dinner with Zac, but she hadn’t been able to stop herself. This could be the last time she saw him. Now that he had what he wanted.
She’d watched him at the computer in his apartment. He’d been so intent on finding out more about Jerry Herkel that he’d forgotten she was there.
Sighing inwardly, Mallory looked out over the busy restaurant, not seeing it.
She didn’t understand herself. She was glad for him. Proud that she’d been able to help him. And she wished he could go get Danny and Kim and Beth and bring them back to their families right now. But some part of her also wished the investigation could go on just a little bit longer. She wanted to spend more time with Zac, but she wasn’t sure if the normal Mallory Woods was enough to interest him. Or if it was only Mallory the woman who could touch the past that he wanted.
The memory of his kiss heated her face. Her blood. Yes, he was attracted to her. But which her?
“Hey.” The touch of Zac’s hand on hers brought her gaze and attention back to him. Even though the light was low, she could see the strained look that had been in his eyes ever since he’d come back into her life had disappeared. Instead, they held a bright, eagerness. “What were you thinking about?”
“Oh.” Mallory waved her hand at the band. They’d switched up to something loud and heavy on the guitar. “They’re good, aren’t they?”
Was that a flash of disappointment she saw cross his face? She couldn’t be sure. It was gone too quickly.
“They’re no Led Zeppelin.” He picked up his glass.
“Ooh. Old school,” she teased, hoping to turn the conversation away from the too personal. “You like the old stuff.”
“It’s classic for a reason,” he answered, without heat. “And what’s on your Ipod?” His smile flashed. “If you say Michael Bublé, you might be walking home.” He sipped the water.
“Lawrence Welk.” She gave the answer with a straight face.
Zac choked, sputtering. Grabbing a napkin, he glared at her. “You are definitely walking home.”
“Okay. Okay.” She held up her
“We could always—” Zac speared a piece of the pulled pork and held it out to her. “Share.” He waited, his heart skipping into an irregular beat.
And just like that the air surrounding them was heavy with awareness and charged with expectation. The sounds of the band and the other diners receded into the distance. They were the only two people in the world.
Mallory hesitated for a moment, then, pushing her hair behind her ears, leaned forward, opening her lips. Her even white teeth caught the meat. She pulled back, chewing, her eyes meeting Zac’s before she hid them behind lowered lashes.
“Is it—” Zac stopped to clear his throat and get his voice under control. Who would have thought a simple movement like that could seem so…so… sexy . “Is it good?” He watched her swallow, holding his breath.
“Ummm-hmmm.” Mallory’s lashes swept up, then down, then up again as she held out a bite of her meal. She held his gaze. “Would you like to taste…mine?” Even in the restaurant’s dim light, he could see her cheeks were flushed.
Zac nodded, never taking his eyes off hers. It wasn’t her meal he wanted to taste. It was her. Right now he was so hungry for the woman across the table from him that it was driving him crazy.
Something of his feelings must have communicated itself to her. The hand holding the fork trembled. Her empty hand tightened, then slid into her lap, but her eyes stayed fixed on his face.
Zac leaned across the table. What was she thinking?
Chapter 12
Mallory thought her heart was going to stop as Zac’s lips closed around the bite of lobster mac and cheese. Instead it started to beat double-time when he sat back and chewed, his eyes closing as he made murmuring sounds of approval that made her nerve endings tingle. She swallowed.
She hadn’t meant to come to dinner with Zac, but she hadn’t been able to stop herself. This could be the last time she saw him. Now that he had what he wanted.
She’d watched him at the computer in his apartment. He’d been so intent on finding out more about Jerry Herkel that he’d forgotten she was there.
Sighing inwardly, Mallory looked out over the busy restaurant, not seeing it.
She didn’t understand herself. She was glad for him. Proud that she’d been able to help him. And she wished he could go get Danny and Kim and Beth and bring them back to their families right now. But some part of her also wished the investigation could go on just a little bit longer. She wanted to spend more time with Zac, but she wasn’t sure if the normal Mallory Woods was enough to interest him. Or if it was only Mallory the woman who could touch the past that he wanted.
The memory of his kiss heated her face. Her blood. Yes, he was attracted to her. But which her?
“Hey.” The touch of Zac’s hand on hers brought her gaze and attention back to him. Even though the light was low, she could see the strained look that had been in his eyes ever since he’d come back into her life had disappeared. Instead, they held a bright, eagerness. “What were you thinking about?”
“Oh.” Mallory waved her hand at the band. They’d switched up to something loud and heavy on the guitar. “They’re good, aren’t they?”
Was that a flash of disappointment she saw cross his face? She couldn’t be sure. It was gone too quickly.
“They’re no Led Zeppelin.” He picked up his glass.
“Ooh. Old school,” she teased, hoping to turn the conversation away from the too personal. “You like the old stuff.”
“It’s classic for a reason,” he answered, without heat. “And what’s on your Ipod?” His smile flashed. “If you say Michael Bublé, you might be walking home.” He sipped the water.
“Lawrence Welk.” She gave the answer with a straight face.
Zac choked, sputtering. Grabbing a napkin, he glared at her. “You are definitely walking home.”
“Okay. Okay.” She held up her
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