Wrapped in You by Jules Bennett

clue.
    â€œTell me you don’t want me and I’ll give up right now.”
    Okay, she hadn’t meant to let that out, but now that the words were hovering between them in the darkness, Sophie wasn’t sorry.
    Slowly, as if he didn’t want to let go, Zach’s hands fell away, leaving her colder now than ever.
    His stare turned cold. “I don’t want you.”
    No four words had ever, ever hurt so bad. All this time she’d been holding out hope that she would be the one to break through to him, to be the one he lost control with.
    â€œYou didn’t kiss me like you don’t want me,” she threw back. “In fact, that kiss felt like a stepping-stone to something more.”
    Forget the bulge in his pants that had settled against her stomach . . . no need to state the obvious.
    â€œThat kiss wasn’t the start of anything more. It was a kiss, it’s over. I’m sure Martin kisses you.”
    Not like that.
    â€œZach?” Braxton called from the basement.
    â€œIn the tunnel,” Zach called back over his shoulder, then looked at her once more. “Everything that just happened here, forget it.”
    If she thought for a second that he truly didn’t want her, she would totally back away. But no man would have kissed so passionately, touched so tenderly, and tried to protect her from a past she knew nothing about, if he didn’t care for her.
    So if he wanted to use hurtful words to push her away, fine. She’d use hurtful words to pull him in . . . one way or another.
    â€œI think I’ll let you finish this tour alone since you’re so set on living that way.”
    She was apparently a glutton for more torture and anguish, because she went up on her toes and laid her lips against his for the briefest of seconds before stepping away.
    â€œGood luck on forgetting that kiss.”

Chapter Six
    Zach slammed the door on his fridge and cursed the very moment his control had snapped and he’d kissed the hell out of Sophie.
    How was he to have known she would kiss him right back, matching his passion with one all her own? How was he to know she’d taste better than he’d ever imagined . . . and he’d done quite a bit of imagining over the years.
    Damn it, he could still taste her. Now what was he supposed to do? She was dating an asshat who didn’t deserve her, but at least that man could offer Sophie a future. He wanted her to be happy, didn’t he? He wanted her to have a perfect life. Zach was about as far from perfect as a man could get.
    He was an utter fool to even be thinking of the word “future” where Sophie was concerned. He’d had his chance, he’d blown it, and now he would continue to pay his penance.
    Even beyond the unexpected kiss and bold reaction from Sophie, today had been interesting on the house front as well, and they were just getting started. He and Braxton had discussed all the renovations the house would need to get it up to code and all the foundation-type work. Cosmetics would come later, but for now they needed to get all the basics out of the way.
    This wouldn’t be a quick project, and it wouldn’t be a cheap process. Zach figured all the money he got from the sale of his home, provided Liam and Braxton were on board, would go toward fixing up Chelsea’s house. He could always bunk with Braxton until he figured out something else—not what he wanted, but that might be the only option for a temporary fix.
    Unfortunately, Zach would have to tell his brothers about needing to sell their childhood home. He didn’t need all the space the old Victorian provided. The house should be filled with a family, with kids and dogs and laughter. He’d been tossing the idea around in his head for some time, but now that he needed the extra money, selling the home he’d lived in since he was twelve was the only option.
    Even though the home was in his name only, out of