White pieces flew in the air like confetti at a New Year’s Eve party. “The hell you will. I love you. You love me and that’s all we need.”
“This isn’t one of your movies. You can’t just show up, quasi-quote a Beatles’ lyric to me and expect things will go back to the way they were before,” she said, stepping back when he took a step forward. “I don’t trust you or your reasons for being here.”
“Give me the chance to prove that I’m trustworthy, that I am here for us,” he said, surprising her with the quiet intensity of his voice. “One month. That’s all I’m asking.”
“You didn’t last two days being married to me.”
His jaw worked and eyes glittered in the light. “Please, Zoe.”
“Please what? Please forgive you for not being able to handle a relationship like a gown man? For throwing my love for you back in my face? For cutting me into pieces—again? For not attempting to talk to me about that day?”
“For all of that and more.” There were no explanations. No excuses. No trying to pawn his behavior off on her. His honesty was the one thing that could convince her to take another chance.
“Fine,” she said, turning to leave the room. “The guest room has clean sheets.”
“Not so fast, sweetheart. I fully expect you to participate in this. That means you treat me like your husband, your lover and your friend. If you still can’t see us together at the end, then you can tell me to leave. I’ll give you whatever you want. Annulment. Divorce. Whatever.”
“What about Gabriel?” She turned to face him, unable to believe what he was saying or offering.
“What about Gabriel?” he repeated, sounding so smug that she uncrossed her arms and threw them out in frustration, smacking a picture off of her desk.
Glass cracked and shattered all over the smooth wood floors. She let out a horrified cry, bending down to pick up the pieces. “Good Lord, I just lose it around you.” A jagged piece stabbed in her fingers. “Dammit!” They started to throb and bleed. She quickly stuffed them in her mouth.
“Are you trying to bleed to death?” Christian grabbed her by the elbow and directed her to the hall bathroom. He pointed at the toilet. “Sit.”
He looked through the vanity cabinet, muttering to himself about wrapping her in bubble wrap and never letting her leave the house.
Zoe bit her lip as he cleaned each cut, making small noises as the antiseptic burned. Well, she wasn’t buying that stuff again. The label clearly read that it was pain free. False advertising at its finest. Okay, maybe she didn’t really read the label that closely, because pretty soon the throbbing was gone and Christian was wrapping cartoon character band-aids around her fingers.
“Those are for my niece.”
“SmithAnn, right?” Christian asked, cleaning up the counter. “Her favorite is the sparkly unicorn that sings.”
“How did you know?” Surely that wasn’t on her background check.
He gave her a tender smile before checking her other hand. “I saw the DVDs in your collection.”
“What else did you see?” She closed her eyes for a moment as she thought about all the movies he’d starred in lined up along the shelves of the entertainment center.
“An endless supply of what’s his face. You women are incredibly solidified in your pirate fantasies.” His blonde hair gleamed under the soft lights of her bathroom. His skin looked darker than before and he had a small scar on his shoulder.
“How did you get hurt?” she asked, touching the jagged line, then moving him into the light to see it better.
“Burma. Happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.” She let her hands fall. He really had been there. Just like he said. “So is it working?”
“What?” she asked, completely confused by his question.
He led her back to her bedroom. “The Florence Nightingale thing you told me about.”
“But I wasn’t there to take care of you when this happened.” She gestured to the fading scar.
He lifted her hand and kissed the palm. “I’m here to take care of you.”
She sucked in a breath. Oh, this was so stupid. So completely fool hardy but she would take the chance. “I’m not going to make it easy for you.”
He gave her a wicked smile, untying her robe and sliding his hands inside. “As if I’d expect anything else, but I’m aiming to win.” He pushed it over her shoulders, cool air hitting her skin and making her shiver.
“What are you doing?” she asked, knowing full well what was going to happen between them. And she was eager for it. For him.
Loving Christian with her body was the easy part. It was surrendering her heart that was brutal. One month. She could outlast him for that long. She could put up the highest of barriers between them and wrap it in thorns. There was no way he’d bother climbing them if he was being satisfied in other areas.
He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her close. “Making love to my wife.”
Chapter Thirty-One
The next morning brought a Carolina sunrise and blue skies. A blurry one-eyed look at her clock told her it was oh-my-God-o’clock. She snuggled deeper under the covers, tentatively searching for Christian with her toes.
“Still here,” he said, his voice smooth and deep.
“I wasn’t looking for you.”
Zoe yelped as large hands grabbed her. His body made contact with hers. It was very male, very muscular and –she wiggled her butt against his groin—very aroused. Her traitorous body responded by getting all tingly in anticipation.
Last night he’d made her come so many times, she’d lost count. But she did know that every time he reached for her, she was already reaching for him. Holding him close and wrapping herself around his lean body.
He rose over her, eyes crinkling at the corners. His tan shoulders gleamed in the morning sun as its rays highlighted the room through lacy curtains. “Such a shame, because I’ve been looking for you for years.”
Her heart did slammed against her chest as he bent down to kiss her. “You should’ve looked harder.”
“You should’ve told me your real name,” he murmured against her lips. Then he sat back, taking her with him so that her head lay on his chest. “Is there any other time we’ve met?”
“Well, there was this one time at band camp,” she said and then snorted. His chest shook as he laughed with her.