Zack (Armed and Dangerous Book 1) by Cheyenne McCray Page A

muscle in his jaw ticced. “You were revolted.”
    Sky was shaking her head. “Never—”
    “That’s why I left like I did.” His gut churned as her eyes widened. “You deserved better than some out-of-control bastard like me.
    “A decade later I thought I’d changed.” His skin felt stretched tighter with every word he spoke. “God, when I saw you again, I thought maybe we had another shot.” Zack pushed his hand through his hair, wanting to rip a chunk of it out just to feel the welcome pain. “But Friday night I proved I’m the same stupid son of a bitch.”
    “Zack!” Sky’s shout, the red flush in her cheeks, and the anger in her eyes brought him to a complete halt. “I knew then and I know now that you’d never hurt anyone—except that worthless scum who deserved it.”
    She looked like she was ready to come out of the rocking chair despite her messed-up ankle as she went on, “Ellis Kerrigan was a lousy son of a bitch who deserved every damned punch you laid on him for what he did to your mother.” Sky’s voice escalated as she tossed the basket she’d been holding onto the floor. “You never gave me a chance. You were so wrapped up in your own pity party that you couldn’t see anything past your own misery.”
    Cold prickled Zack’s insides as he continued staring at Sky, suddenly not knowing what to say or do.
    Her green eyes glittered with moisture right before a tear rolled down her cheek. “Goddamn you, Zack Hunter. I loved you.” More tears followed the first as she yelled, “I. Loved. You.”
    For a moment he didn’t know what to say. Ten years ago she’d told him she loved him, but he hadn’t let himself believe her. But the way she said it now, the hurt and anger in her voice—it was like a punch to his gut.
    A wash of pain hit him like a tidal wave, for what he’d done to Sky. And to himself by leaving her. “God, I’m sorry.”
    Zack knelt in front of her rocking chair. He reached for her hands, but she folded her arms across her chest and looked away. “Save it,” she said, her voice shaking. “Just go home.”
    He leaned forward and slipped his hands behind her back, drawing her close to him and pressing his face into her hair. “Listen to me.”
    She tried to shrug him off, still hugging her arms tight to her chest.
    “I’m the world’s biggest ass.” His gut churned from the strength of his pain for having hurt Sky then and now. He drew away, caught her chin in his hand, and forced her to look at him. “I’m sorry.”
    “That’s supposed to make it all better?” She closed her eyes while more teardrops slipped from beneath her eyelids. “I loved you so much,” she said in a voice hoarse with pain.
    All this time lost. Goddamnit. I’m a fucking idiot. He stroked her wet cheek with his thumb. “I was young and stupid.”
    “What do you mean, was?” She opened her eyes and tried to pull away from his touch as he rubbed his thumb across her cheekbone. “You’re still stupid. You’re still an ass.”
    “I know.” Zack slid his fingers from her face into her hair and lowered his face. He kissed her forehead and drank in her orange- blossom-and-woman scent. “Can you forgive me for then? And now?”
    When he drew back, her eyes met his. “I don’t know.” She wiped the back of her hand across one of her cheeks. “I can’t afford to lose my heart over you. Especially not to you. You’ll just take what I have to give and leave me again. Disappear into the sunset, or whatever.”
    “I’m not going anywhere.” He brought her head against his chest and squeezed her to him. “And I intend to make up for every lost minute.”
    Sky didn’t know what to think. How to feel.
    Except for the fact that no matter what promises Zack made, she wasn’t about to give him her love again. Been there. Done that. Had the boot prints on her heart to prove it.
    “Come here,” Zack said, and somehow she couldn’t protest as he gently scooped her out of the