Zahra hadn’t anticipated spending every night in Gregor’s bed, but for the past several, it’s exactly what she’d done. No objection. No regret. Mainly because he was such a complete lover. Gentle and patient when needed. Rough and intense when wanted. Somehow, her body seemed to silently communicate with him; he proved to be an attentive listener, fulfilling every unspoken request and never taking one inch of her body for granted. If he thought it would bring pleasure, he explored it. And she’d allowed it. All of it. All of him. She hadn’t anticipated their...fling, for lack of a better word, to span beyond one night—possibly two. Yet, neither had seemed able to get enough of the other.
She dragged her hand across the empty space beside her. This was the first time she’d awakened in bed alone. Usually, she was greeted by the warmth of Gregor’s body hugging her close to him. That was one of the things she missed most about being in a relationship. The intimacy. While she knew none of this affection was real, she was enjoying it just the same. Regardless of how it appeared, their dynamics hadn’t changed. They were still just two people enjoying each other’s company in the most divine manner imaginable. Two people who would soon go their separate ways.
Zahra ignored the ping of discontent the knowledge of the future brought forth. When it was time, she’d walk away from Gregor. That was the plan, and she intended to stick to it. Shuffling out of bed, she dressed and headed into the kitchen. By the time she left Lake Lamont, she would be ten pounds heavier. Gregor knew how to work up an appetite.
Through the back door, she spotted him standing outside, puffing on a cigar. She took several minutes to appreciate his body in the wide-leg stance. She knew firsthand just how powerful and effective his lower extremities were. On a whim, she retrieved her camera and snapped several shots of him from behind. Something about the olive-green sweater, dark jeans and boots begged for exposure. Not to mention Gregor’s impressive silhouette.
After capturing several great shots, she slid the camera back into its case and decided to join him. “Can I hit that?” she asked.
He smirked at her. “Can you handle it?”
“Well, I can’t imagine it’s headier than you, and I seem to handle it just fine, wouldn’t you say?”
“I would,” he said, offering her the cigar.
She took a drag, then released the smoke in perfectly formed Os. “Mmm. That’s good.”
“It better be. It cost fifteen hundred dollars.”
Her eyes widened. “For one cigar.” Actually, it wouldn’t have mattered if it had been an entire case.
Gregor nodded.
Zahra shook her head. “Can’t mess with money.”
He chuckled. “You seem comfortable with cigars. Most women aren’t. Did your ex smoke them?”
Braswell? The idea of him putting anything he deemed impure into his body would have appalled him. A health nut to the umpteenth power. “No. My dad does. When my mom lets him, that is.”
They laughed.
“So, your dad’s whipped, huh?”
“He would be the first to say yes, without any hesitation and my mom would agree to the same.” He’s the love of my life, her mother often said. A smile curled her lips thinking about them.
“Your parents sound great.”
Staring off at the dancing waves, she said, “They’re amazing. If it wasn’t for those two, I wouldn’t believe true love actually existed. Best friends since the stroller, two kids and still in love after all of these years. That’s rare.”
“It must have been nice growing up surrounded by so much love and family.”
“The best.” Sadness flashed in Gregor’s eyes, and he turned away. Her heart went out to him. Growing up in foster care had to be difficult. “Are you game for a little fun?” she asked to lighten the mood.
Gregor’s sorrow faded, and mischief danced in his darkened eyes. “Absolutely.”
“Great. Give me a few minutes to dress, and I’ll meet you inside.”
His roguish grin dimmed, and he cocked a brow. “We’ll need clothes?”
Zahra barked a laugh. The man’s libido seemed to be permanently channeled to overdrive. “Yes, we’ll need clothes.”
The idea of a quickie was tempting, but she knew if they climbed into bed, they would stay there all day. Gregor wasn’t a one-hit-and-quit man. He went on and on.
An hour later, Zahra and Gregor trekked into the woods behind the house. She needed to gather nature shots for the upcoming charity event at her studio. She’d gotten great pictures by the lake: the water, dock, houses in the distance and a colorful horizon.
“Tell me again why I’m following you into the woods. I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that this is probably not a good idea.”
“You agreed to be my bodyguard while I capture some amazing pics for the silent auction at my studio. It’s for charity.”
“I agreed under duress.”
She tossed her head back in laughter. “Duress?”
“Yes. You were looking at me with suggestive eyes. It made me weak and vulnerable.”
Zahra bumped him playfully. “You’re full of it.” Gregor gave her one of those sexy chuckles. Ugh! Why did she like that sound so much?
“What charity are you raising funds for?” he asked.
“Operation Warming Souls Foundation.” By Gregor’s expression, he was unfamiliar with the group. Unfortunately, many were. “OWS assists homeless women vets.”
“Ah. Sounds like a very worthy cause. How’d you get involved with them?”
“I discovered the organization while doing research for a book. My heroine was a single mother and vet who’d fallen on hard times. She couldn’t keep a job because she suffered from PTSD. Had no family to turn to. I met a woman whose life mimicked my heroine’s. She was a single mother, a vet and homeless.”
“Wow,” he said.
“She and her daughter slept in their vehicle, because it was unsafe for her to be in a shelter with a young child.” Zahra’s voice cracked, and she swallowed hard to remove the lump of emotions lodged in her throat. “Could you imagine being in such a horrible situation? And with a child.”
“Unfortunately, I can.”
Zahra stopped abruptly and eyed him. When she parted her lips to speak, he paused her with a flash of his hand.
“I prefer not to talk about it,” he said.
She nodded. They continued moving. “I witnessed how prevalent the homeless vet problem is and wanted to help. OWS helped this young woman reestablish herself. Give her life meaning again. I donated 50 percent of the first month’s proceeds from the book to OWS and the other fifty to Joleena and her daughter.”
Gregor’s expression registered surprise. “That was generous of you.”
“Joleena’s feedback brought the book to life. Readers absolutely loved it and wanted to know how they could help, too. Shortly after, I started the event at my studio. It’s a huge success and has grown every year. People really show up for the cause. You are more than welcome to attend. Friends support friends, right?”
Gregor looked away. “We’ll see.”
“You should stop hiding.”
Gregor stopped. “Excuse me?”
Zahra waved her hand through the air. “Never mind. Your personal life is none of my business.”
“You’re right. It’s not.”
While he was clearly trying to be respectful, Zahra knew she’d touched a nerve. She should have stopped there, but Zahra being Zahra, she continued. “But if it were my business, I’d tell you to stop hiding. I’d tell you to let the world see that the accident, the bashing, your ex... I’d tell you to let them see that none of those things have broken you.”
“How do you know they haven’t broken me?”
Zahra noted a hint of agitation in his tone but didn’t allow it to distract her. “I know because there is still so much brilliant light dancing behind your eyes. You’re lost, Gregor, but you’re not broken. You’re built to last.”
Gregor pinned her with one of the most powerful stares she’d ever witnessed from him or anyone else. The warmth of it heated her skin. Something shifted between them at that moment.
His eyes narrowed on her in a quizzical manner, then he inched closer. “You have something in your hair.”
Lost in his allure, she said, “What?”
“There’s something crawling in your hair.”
He lifted his hand toward her head, but before he could assist, she was moving her fingers like tiny tornados through her locks. “What is it? Get it out!” She squealed and hopped around as if squashing grapes. The camera dangling around her neck thrashed back and forth pounding into her chest. “Eek.”
“It’s gone. It’s gone,” Gregor said through rolling laughter. He captured her hands and held them to his chest. “Calm down. You’re going to knock yourself unconscious.”
“Some bodyguard you are. Letting me get attacked by insects.” His touch soothed her frayed nerves.
“Thank you for what you said earlier. I appreciated it.”
“You’re welcome.”
A moment of necessary silence fell between them. Something rustling in the brush caught Zahra’s attention. A flock of cardinals sat perched on a tree limb. She knew from watching a nature show on TV that cardinals were territorial and usually traveled solo. Except in winter, when they dropped their guard and hunted for food together.
“Aren’t they beautiful?” she said, lifting her camera and snapping several pictures.
Gregor nodded. “Every time I see a cardinal, it makes me think of my time at The Cardinal House.”
His expression gave nothing away, so Zahra asked, “Good memories?” If not, she would regret opening up old wounds. A smile touched his lips, signaling they were.
“The best. Life was simple then. On occasion, I actually miss it.” He chuckled. “It’s crazy. Sometimes I wish I was back at the ranch. Granted, my life is far more bountiful now, but at the ranch, I never had to wonder who was genuinely in my corner.”
“I can’t imagine walking in your shoes, Gregor. Cameras constantly flashing in your face. Reporters hounding you. People continuously hurling negativity at you. You must really have tough skin. I would need therapy to get through it all.”
Gregor parted his lips to say something, but obviously had a change of heart.
“Come on,” she said, leading them deeper into the woods.
“My skin’s not as tough as you think. I feel things probably too deeply sometimes. All I ever wanted to do was play football. Unfortunately, the unpleasantries come with the territory.” He shrugged. “Gotta take the good with the bad.”
“You seem awfully comfortable in the spotlight to me.”
“I’m a brand. Standing out builds that brand. Endorsement deals, movie roles, romance novel covers.” He bumped her playfully.
“Yeah, but it also gets you scrutinized.”
“Zahra, I’ve been scrutinized my entire life. At least now the scrutiny comes with a shitload of zeros.”
“You would prefer money over the peace of mind?”
“Honestly, I prefer them both. But since I’ve never known true peace, I guess I’m not really missing out on anything.”
So many emotions rushed through Zahra as she listened to Gregor. Sad ones mostly. He truly was a man lost. But the good thing about it, being lost was usually when people found themselves. And once he discovered who he truly was, he’d find peace.
Gregor hurried into he kitchen to retrieve the bottle of honey he’d seen in one of the cabinets. He and Zahra were about to be in a sticky situation. Snatching the jar off the shelf and a spoon from the drawer, he started out of the kitchen, but his vibrating cell phone on the counter stopped him.
“Not now, Thad.”
Allowing the call to roll into voice mail, he continued out of the room. Halfway down the hall, the phone vibrated a second time. The apparent urgency troubled him. Backtracking, he grabbed the phone off the island and slid his thumb across the screen, making the call active. What bad news did Thad have for him now? “Thad?”
“Man, I’ve been trying to reach you for like an hour.”
“We—I dozed off. What’s up?”
“I know I said I wouldn’t bother you, but this couldn’t wait. I need you on a plane to Indianapolis tomorrow morning. I’ve already arranged for Captain Skip to come for you first thing and a helicopter to get you to the airport.”
It took a second or two for Thad’s words to penetrate. “Indianapolis? Why am going to Indianapolis?”
“The manufacturer of the motorcycle suit you were wearing the night of your accident wants to talk with you about being the face of their motorcycle gear product line. Talk about blessings. This is huge. And a clear sign that your storm is blowing over.”
Thad went on and on, but Gregor tuned him out, his attention gliding in the direction of a waiting Zahra. The idea of cutting his time short with her made his stomach knot. He could tell Thad no, that he wasn’t up for meeting with them, but that would only open a line of questioning he didn’t want to deal with. And should he even be considering blowing off what could be a lucrative partnership for a fling? Which in true essence was all he and Zahra were. Two consenting adults who’d agreed to walk away once their time at Lake Lamont was done.
“Earth to Gregor. Man, are you there?”
Thad’s elevated voice brought Gregor back to the conversation. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m here. This is um...good news. Great news. I’ll be there.”
Thad was silent for a moment. “What’s going on with you?” he finally said. “Usually, you loudly and annoyingly tell me how you’re the man when a potential endorsement deal comes into play.”
Gregor turned away from the force drawing him toward the bedroom, shook off whatever this was that had a hold on him and got into character. “I am the man. You already know this. So, let’s get this money. Just make sure you bring your A-game to Indianapolis tomorrow.”
“There’s the G I know. Welcome back. You had me scared for a minute. And don’t play me. I always bring my A-game. Just ask my wife.”
Both men laughed.
“Nah, I wouldn’t want her to have to lie and jeopardize her chances of getting into heaven,” Gregor said, which brought on more laughter.
Sobering, Thad said, “Speaking of literary agents, how’s it going with you and Zahra?”
Gregor glanced at the jar of honey he was still holding. “We barely see each other. She mentioned something about finishing a book.” Apparently, he’d sounded convincing because Thad didn’t give him the usual there’s-something-you’re-not-telling-me response: a sarcastic uh-huh, followed by, Man, I wasn’t born under a hay bale in the middle of last night.
The two men chatted a while longer. Gregor ended the call with “See you in Indianapolis tomorrow,” the words reminding him tonight would be his last with Zahra. Tossing the phone aside, he sat the honey on the counter, pressed his palms against the cold stone and leaned forward, dropping his head.
“You’re leaving?”
Gregor flinched. Damn, Zahra had overheard his conversation. More like eavesdropped. Of course, he kept the accusation to himself. Turning, every cell in his body sparked with awareness. Zahra stood completely bare in front of him.
Dragging his eyes away from the swell of her breasts, he locked gazes with her. By the evil twinkle in her eyes, she knew exactly what she was doing to him. As if his tented underwear wasn’t revealing enough. “Yes.” It was faint, but he swore he caught a glimpse of disappointment on her face.
Closing the distance between them, she pressed a finger into his bare chest. “Good. Maybe now I can finish my book without you as a distraction.”
She smiled, but to Gregor, it didn’t appear genuine. Did the idea of walking away seem just as daunting to her as it did to him? “A distraction, huh?”
“Yes.”
Zahra yelped when he scooped her into his arms. “Woman, I’m about to distract the hell out of you.” His eyes roamed over her body. “I’m going to distract you over and over again.”
“Well, I guess one more night without writing won’t hurt. Plus, I could use the inspiration.”
“In that case, I’m going to inspire the hell out of you, too.”
When they entered the bedroom, Gregor tossed her onto the mattress, then pretended like he was going to collapse onto her, but actually gently covered her body with his. “What’s wrong?” he asked, noting the serious expression that came over her face.
“I’ve enjoyed every second with you,” she said. “Not one single regret.”
“So have I,” he admitted. And only one regret—that they didn’t have more time together.
“I wish things could be different...”
Gregor parted his lips to foolishly say they could, but Zahra continued before he could get the words out.
“...but they can’t. For good reason. We’re both healing.”
True. But instead of responding, he captured her mouth in a savage kiss. If this was their last night together, he wouldn’t waste it.