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Zach didn’t usually make a habit of inviting himself over to women’s houses for dinner. In all honesty, he couldn’t quite believe it himself.
This woman, Libby, was different though. He hadn’t worked out why yet. It couldn’t just be because she was beautiful. Although, he certainly hadn’t missed the fact that she was. No, there was something else, something that managed to crawl really deep under his skin from the instant he’d laid eyes on her. That feeling had only intensified with each interaction they’d had.
Running his hand through his hair again, he blew out a long breath. It was time to go inside. The takeout he’d picked up would get cold if he didn’t pull his head out of his ass soon.
You’ve got this. She’s just a normal woman.
The problem was, she wasn’t like any woman he’d ever met before. A fact his body was well aware of. He certainly couldn’t remember a time his palms had ever sweated before. Libby may have looked like a Disney princess, but inside she was all sass and fire. And it was sexy as hell.
Once he’d finally managed to drag himself out of the car, he reached into the backseat to grab the food and the toaster he’d promised her. Car locked, he made his way up the pebble path and stopped outside the glossy red front door.
Be cool.
Only seconds after he pressed the bell, the door swung open to reveal a very nervous looking Libby. She was biting down so hard on her lip, he had to stop himself from reaching out and saving it.
“Princess,” he greeted, feeling a little more confident when splashes of pink highlighted her cheeks. “You’re looking good.”
And she was. She had on another dress. It was slightly more casual than the one she’d had on earlier and it looked like it was made out of the same material as his t-shirt. But the way it pulled at her curves? Damn. Let’s just say, it was no less distracting.
She released her lower lip to thank him, then proceeded to tuck a long strand of silky hair behind her ear. “I guess I should invite you in?”
That made him smile. He hadn’t stuck around after he’d invited himself over for dinner, for fear she’d flat out refuse.
“I brought Chinese.” He held up the bag, hoping the mouth-watering scent would be enough to convince her. It did. She stepped back and gestured for him to come inside.
Fuck yeah.
He looked around as he entered. The door led straight into the living area, with a small arch at the back of the room which he already knew led into the kitchen. The place was nice. Homey. But it in no way reflected the woman living in it.
“Are you renting?” he called out as she disappeared into the kitchen.
It wasn’t until she re-entered the room with plates and cutlery that she answered. “No, not renting. My aunt passed away and she left this place to me. It’s why I’m here, actually.”
His stomach began to twist. Was this just a pitstop? The thought of her only being in Woodvalley temporarily made him want to throw up. It wasn’t logical. He’d met her twice. Briefly. But he was starting to realize nothing about his feelings for her were very logical.
“Are you planning on staying?” he asked, ignoring the crack in his voice.
“I don’t know yet. I guess that’s why I’m here. To figure out what I want.”
That wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He placed the bag of food down on the coffee table, trying hard to conceal his reaction. He placed the toaster box on the armchair as he watched her plant herself on the beige couch. He took a seat next to her, stifling a groan as the smell of roses filled his nostrils.
Of course she smells like roses.
“Figure out what you want?” he asked.
“Yeah.” He watched as she began removing food cartons from the bag. “I work from home so I can pretty much live anywhere. My aunt moved here a few years ago. She used to go on and on about how much she loved the place, and I always regretted never making it out to visit her.” Her hand froze on the egg fried rice box, a frown furrowing her brow. “I guess I’m a bit late.”
His hand automatically went over hers. It was only meant to comfort her. The last thing he expected was for his blood to heat from just the slightest touch of her soft skin. Christ almighty. He needed to get himself under control before he embarrassed himself.
Zack swallowed down his desire, and attempted to fix his face. He wasn’t sure it worked.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” His hand lingered a little longer until she met his gaze. Those beautiful green eyes pierced right through him. Yeah. He really needed to get his shit together and his hand off of her. Slowly removing it, he went back to questioning her. Talking was safer than touching. “So, coming here, to Woodvalley, is it ‘cause you feel guilty?”
“Saying it like it is, huh?” One corner of her mouth lifted into a sexy smirk.
“Is there any other way?”
“I guess not.” She averted her eyes again, returning her focus back to the food. This time, opening up the cartons and filling their plates. She went quiet as she continued to serve up the food. He waited patiently, supressing a smile as her pink lips parted as she became lost in her thoughts. It was only once she was done and passing him his plate she spoke again.
“Yes I feel guilty, but that’s not why I’m here. I’m here ‘cause well ... why not?” The shrug she offered up did nothing to explain what she meant by that.
“Yeah, you’re gonna have to explain that.”
A cute little snort escaped her as she leaned back into the couch cushions. “Well. I guess it’s just that I’ve spent my life moving around. With Cynthia leaving me this place, I took it as a sign to, y’know, stand still for a while.”
Stand still for a while. What did that mean? Was she running from something? He had so many questions, but he didn’t want to freak her out. So, he settled on just the one. “Where did you live before?”
“LA. I was only there a year, though. Before that, San Francisco and before that, Scottsdale.”
“Okay, I’m sensing a theme: You’re a city girl. So, what makes a city girl think she’s gonna like living in a small ass town in the middle of Wyoming?”
Her smile was so wide it hit him full force in the chest. “I’ve lived in small towns before.”
“Oh yeah? Where?”
“Winslow, Arizona.” She swung her fork in his direction, a look of glee on her face. “Was there for eight months.”
“Okay, I’ve got to ask. Why? Why so many places? And for short periods. You’re not on the run, are you?” He kept his tone light, so she knew he was joking. Kind of.
“You’re thinking about that Women Who Kill show aren’t you?” With a mischievous glint in her eye, she unleashed a playful giggle. “Well, don’t worry. I’m not about to get out my butcher knife and re-enact Psycho anytime soon. I move mostly because I can. I don’t exactly have a homebase like most people do. Growing up, my mom and I moved around a lot for her work. She passed away a while ago. No dad. No siblings. No grandparents. Cynthia was all I had and now, well ... you know what happened there.”
She shrugged again. Nonchalantly. As if having no one wasn’t a big deal. It was a big fucking deal. All his protective instincts kicked in. Instincts he never even knew existed until this very moment. The thought of this beautiful, smart, funny woman alone in this world was unacceptable. He needed to do something about it. He wasn’t sure what yet, but he would think of something.
“Are you not going to eat?” She nodded toward his plate.
“Uh, yeah,” he replied as he dropped his head and began filling his fork. “I’m glad you like Chinese. I wasn’t sure.”
“Probably because you didn’t ask. Same way you didn’t ask if you could come over.”
It was his turn to shrug, and he did so with a mouth full of food. She didn’t seem too upset about him being there. And after finding out she was on her own, she should probably get used to having him around. There was no way in hell he was going to be able to walk away from her now.
Like you had plans to walk away in the first place.
Of course he didn’t. He was already hook, line and sinkered for a woman he barely knew.
I can fix that. Well, the getting to know her part anyway.
There was no time like the present. With that in mind, he peppered her with more questions as they ate. Keeping things light, he decided to start with the subject of work. Work was a safe topic. He learned she was a web designer. One who clearly loved her job. He could tell by the way her eyes lit up as she talked about her latest project. How animated her hands became as she explained the evolution of technology and what that meant for her clients. Her passion was refreshing. All that enthusiasm was contagious, a bit like her smile. Another thing he had learnt he was a sucker for. Whenever she flashed those pearly whites at him, he found himself smiling back.
The next safe conversation topic was friends. After Zach told her a bit about the guys from work and his best friend Cody, she told him about Cat. Her best friend. They met when she was living in San Francisco. An English girl who apparently had to move back there. Libby didn’t go into details as to why, but if the sadness pooling in her eyes was anything to go by, she’d taken the loss hard. So he didn’t press her to talk about it. She didn’t mention anyone else significant, just a few people she’d met through work. But from what she said, he didn’t think they sounded all that close.
The more he learned about her, the more he liked. She didn’t take herself too seriously. She also seemed so happy in her own skin and more than comfortable spending time on her own. It was an odd concept to him. He was always surrounded by other people. Perhaps growing up in a big family with three younger brothers had something to do with that.
It wasn’t until the room sank into darkness that he realized just how long they’d been talking. Empty plates and boxes were strewn across the glass coffee table, long forgotten. As he glanced around at his surroundings, he noticed Libby shift in her seat. Maybe she had noticed how late it had gotten too.
Abruptly, she stood and went straight over to the eccentric Victorian lamp in the corner of the room that had caught his eye earlier. One pull on the chain and a warm, orange glow filled the room. But Libby was the only thing filling his vision. That face. Those legs. That body. Jesus. He needed to leave before he did something stupid. It was way too soon to hit on her. And the last thing he wanted to do was fuck something up before it had even begun.
It was time to go. Rising from his seat, he gathered up the trash on the table. “It’s late. I should get going,” he announced, only meeting Libby’s gaze as he placed the last empty container into the takeout bag he was holding.
“Oh.” She was on her way back over to the couch but stopped in her tracks at his declaration. Was that disappointment he could see on her pretty face? “Yeah, of course. Um, thank you for dinner ... and for the toaster. My mornings just got a whole lot better.” Her frown gave way to a beaming smile.
“My pleasure, princess.” He held her gaze for longer than he probably should. But she let him. And in that one look, he could tell she felt it too. Overwhelming, intoxicating chemistry. With enough sparks to blow a fuse. Or burn down a whole damn building. Knowing that would have to be enough for tonight.
Reluctantly breaking their connection, he blew out a heavy breath and turned toward the door. He heard her footsteps behind him. But it was only once he was outside that he turned back to find her gripping the glossy red wood. There was one last thing he had to do.
“Oh yeah, before I forget, there’s a fundraiser at the fire station on Saturday. You’re coming with me. I’ll pick you up around midday.” He felt his lips tug into a grin as he watched Libby’s eyebrows shoot up and her hands go straight to her hips.
“Listen, Zach. I don’t know how things work in Zachland, but in the real world, men don’t just click their fingers and women come running. Inviting yourself over for dinner is one thing. But this? This is something else entirely. You can’t just decide I’m going somewhere without actually asking me! That’s not how this works.”
An inferno blazed in her eyes, and it was turning him on.
Clearing his throat was his attempt at wiping away the smile plastered across his face. But he had a hunch it didn’t quite work. “Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the fire station fundraiser on Saturday?”
“No.”
“No?”
“You heard me. No,” she repeated.
“Can I ask why?”
“Because.”
“Because what?” He didn’t bother hiding the amusement in his voice. “You’re gonna have to break it down for me. Because you have plans? Because you don’t like fun days out with nice people? Because you don’t like supporting good causes?”
“Really? That’s how you’re gonna play this ... a guilt trip?” His gaze followed as her hip cocked out even further.
“The Woodvalley fire station sure would appreciate your support, darlin’, if only for a couple of hours.”
You have no shame, man.
No. He didn’t. And his lack of shame seemed to be working in his favor.
He could see the moment she softened. Her eyes glossed over, and her shoulders slumped. “Fine. But only for a couple of hours. And this is not a date.”
Like hell it’s not.
“Never said it was.” She was adorable when she was all flustered.
“Fine.”
“Fine,” he agreed. Once again failing to suppress his smile.
Leaning into her, he dipped his head and brushed his lips across her cheek. “Night, princess. I’ll see you Saturday.”
He didn’t wait for her reply. Why give her the chance to change her mind?
***
Benny, Luke and Hunter had cornered him in the fire station kitchen. It was Zach’s turn to cook, and he was currently laboring over his famous chilli. Which meant he had nowhere to run.
“So ... is it true? You got to second base with some chick in the middle of Farm n’ Fresh?” Benny asked.
Zach sighed and turned to face all three of his friends. Luke and Hunter were eyeing him expectantly. Benny, however, was in the middle of chugging down juice from the carton. “What the actual fuck are you talking about?”
Benny used the back of his hand to clumsily wipe away the juice from his mouth before replying. “I’m talking about three different people telling me you were getting hot and heavy in the middle of the grocery store, dude. And it’s not just me, Hunter heard it too. Right, man?”
“Yup. You’re the talk of the town,” Hunter agreed.
Perfect.
It was Luke’s turn to chime in next. “Come on, Zach. What’s the deal? You can get it on in the Farm n’ Fresh but you can’t tell us who the chick is?”
Fucking small town gossips.
“First of all, I was not getting it on in the Farm n’ Fresh, you assholes. There was no second base. No making out. Nothing. And if anyone says any different, you shut it the hell down. Understand?” He waited for them all to nod or grunt in agreement before he continued. “I’m guessing the gossips of this goddamn town are talking about the day I ran into Libby. You know, the new girl in town ... we were called to her house for that toaster fire, remember?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s hot.” Luke grinned. “Curvy in all the right places, if you know what I mean.”
“That sexy brunette in those tiny ass shorts? Hell yeah, I remember her.” Benny snickered.
The smartest man in the room was Hunter. He remained quiet. The others weren’t so perceptive and must have missed the frothing of Zach’s mouth.
He’d never wanted to kick his friend’s asses before. Until now. And if they continued to talk about Libby, he’d be left with no other choice but to follow through. A fact he decided to share with the group. “I swear to God if you mention her ass ... or any other body parts again, I’m gonna fuck you both up right here.”
“Whoa!” Benny raised his hands defensively. “Calm down, dude. We’re just telling you we remember her. Chill.”
Zach’s hand went through his hair. He was not feeling very chill. His friend’s talking shit was one thing, but the thought of the town doing it too had him fuming. He hoped like hell no one had said anything about the Farm n’ Fresh to Libby. Talk about the world’s worst welcome to town. She definitely wouldn’t want to stick around if she caught wind of what people were saying.
“What gives, man? You two dating or something?” Luke asked. Apparently, much to Zach’s disappointment, this conversation wasn’t over.
“Look,” Zach began, “I’m bringing her to the fundraiser tomorrow and I need you guys to be cool, okay? We’re not technically dating. Not yet anyway. But I like her. So, can you all do me a favor and not mention this dumb rumor to her? I want her to have a good time ... I don’t want her getting upset.”
None of the men before him said anything. They simply looked at him with goofy smiles on their faces.
“What?” He was losing patience quick.
Benny, as always, was the first to speak. “You really like her, huh?”
“Happy for you, man.” Hunter smacked him on the back before heading over to the couch. He was clearly done.
“So, if she’s not coming to the fundraiser as your date, what is she coming as?” Luke asked.
“A friend, Luke. She’s coming as my friend.”
“Okay ... so as a friend, she’s fair game, right? What happens if she hits on one of us?”
I’m gonna do it. Friend or not. I’m gonna beat his ass.
Benny must have caught on because as soon as Zach launched himself at Luke, Benny was there, holding him back.
“What. The. Fuck?” his friend bellowed.
Luke was laughing his ass off. Bastard. “Jesus, man, you’re too easy. You really are gone for the girl, aren’t you?”
Yes.
Zach was glad someone was finding this funny. He certainly wasn’t.
“Stay away from her.” He realized then that he was shaking a pointed finger at Luke. Jesus. What was happening to him? The next thing he knew he would be challenging the man to a dual – to fight for Libby’s honor.
“Don’t worry, dude, none of us would do that.” Benny finally loosened his grip on him. “He’s just messing with you. She’s yours, we get it. We’ll be on our best behavior. Promise.”
As Luke’s chuckles finally began to dissipate, he slapped Zach on the back and gave him a shake. “I was just kidding man, honest. We’ll stay away from your girl, don’t worry.”
His girl. He liked that.