It was Willow.
I had to face it. Willow wasn't other women. She was that special little piece of ass I couldn't touch until now. And I stupidly thought once would be enough. That a single night would give me everything I needed and allow me to move on.
Chapter Two
Willow
What the hell had I just done? One cab ride home and a thousand curses later, I was ready to admit the truth. I'd fallen into Zach Murdock's arms. I'd slept with the bastard.
Dammit.
So much for making a promise to myself that I would never let another man walk all over me. Zach was sexy as fuck, and I'd let all of that overwhelm me. I let my need for just a little touch control me.
Because Zach just did. He had me exactly how he wanted me, and I liked it. I was never going to learn my lesson.
I should've known better.
I threw my keys on the entry table and checked myself in the mirror. No bruising, no damage. Just a little scar under my eye to remind me of the consequences of letting a man rule my life.
But Zachary wasn't Elijah, and it wasn't a death sentence. It was one stupid, foolish night. I'd wanted a taste of him since high school, and that was exactly what I got. It was done. Over.
I could put it behind me and move on.
That was exactly what I intended to do. I had less than an hour to shower, look presentable and head to work.
I needed to make a good impression. I needed to show what I was capable of.
It was an important part of the healing process. At least, that's what Ruby told me. She was my best friend in the whole world and the reason I even got this job. Turns out, having a campus counselor for a friend and confidant could be a good thing.
I grabbed my cell phone and called her.
"Are you sure today is my first day? Can't it be, like, next week?" I asked.
"Is this a joke, or are you trying to avoid responsibility?"
"Do you have to shrink me right away?" I asked. I wanted her to back off, but the click of her tongue let me know I was in the wrong. I sighed.
"It'll be a good day. You're ready. You got a degree to be able to do this."
"I don't have it yet. I still need to finish my dissertation." I was ABD at Duke, and she knew it.
"That's a formality at this point, and you know it. Just get your ass into work. I'll have coffee and donuts waiting for you."
"Boston cream?" I asked.
"Like I could forget your favorite." It was bribery, and we both knew it. But it worked.
"All right, all right. I'm coming."
If I had slept with anyone else, I'd tell her. Anyone but Zach. I felt shame settle in, my cheeks burning with it as I avoided her gaze.
Ruby Murdock wasn't going to be happy that I'd slept with her cousin. Hell, she'd probably crucify me right then and there.
Not to mention the talking to I'd get for being out in a bar, drinking, the night before my first day of work.
I could hear it now. Do you even realize that you self-sabotage, or is it intentional?
I couldn't blame her for it. She was my best friend, and she talked me out of the worst situation of my entire life. Without her, I'd probably still be in that penthouse, spending my life trying to please a man who didn't want to be satisfied. He just wanted to hurt someone.
He just wanted to hurt me.
I shook Elijah out of my head and put the finishing touches on my makeup. Done, with fifteen minutes to spare.
I was going to rock this.
I had no other choice.
Zach
I looked out over the Atlanta skyline from the top of the skyscraper of Chance industries. It was everything I missed about home. The way the city bustled to life with the knowledge that just twenty minutes down the road you could find cornfields and small-town charm. I was standing there in the lobby of Mr. Chance's personal office waiting for my chance at the job of a lifetime.
But I had one thing on my mind when I went for my interview.
Willow Ford.
One night. It was just one night. That's what I told her and that's what I told myself. It was the only chance I had to get with her, and I took it. I thought it would be enough to get her out of my system. I thought it would be enough to walk away.
But I was wrong. When I woke up, she was gone, but she was still there in my mind.
I wanted more of her. I wasn't going to be able to shake this. I wasn't going to be able to walk away from her. I needed to have her again.
I needed more.
I'd done a lot of stupid things in my life, but this had to take the fucking cake. Getting involved with my life in tatters was just plain foolish, but getting involved with Willow? Fuck.
Someone was going to get hurt. She was going to get hurt. My job was to be a soldier, a machine. One that got paid a lot of money.
So why I was sitting here in the lobby of Leo Chance's office applying for a job in private security, I had no fucking idea.
It was just one of the options for the next job, and it paid the most.
Plus, I could stay in town and see how much trouble I could get into with Willow. Just because I knew it was going to end badly didn't mean I wasn't going to pursue it. I had to get my pleasure wherever I could.
And I wanted her again.
"Zachary Murdock?" A secretary called my name, and I stood, straightened my tie and smiled at her.
She was mid-forties, and I could tell by the rock on her finger that she was married, but that didn't keep her from blushing. I was well aware of the affect I had on women, but I tried to ignore it. Especially when I was applying for a job. But sometimes it was fun to give them something more to blush about. A rogue was a rogue by any name.
"Right this way," she said as she led me through the hallway and back towards his office.
"Thank you so much. What is your name?" I said slowly.
"Becky."
"Thank you so much, Becky. I must confess, I'm a little nervous." I wasn't nervous, not really. I just wanted an opening to talk to her. A little bit of fun before I walked through that door.
"Oh, don't be. Leo is a good man."
"Is he the lucky one who put the rock on that finger?" It was not small either.
"What? Oh no." There it was, that little bit of blush I was looking for.
"Well, whoever he is, he must be a lucky guy." I knew she'd be talking to her girlfriends about this for at least a week, so I shot her a wink and walked through the door.
I had a reputation to uphold.
"Zachary Murdock?" Leo said as he extended a hand to me and I took it. That shake was as firm as my own, and I looked at him in estimation. He was about my age, maybe a few years older, in great shape, and he had a square jaw that rivaled only Prince Charming. Damn, talk about a playboy billionaire. I bet he was rolling in money and women. Two days ago that was my ultimate goal.
But today I could only think about a single woman, and it was driving me fucking crazy.
"You can call me Zach."
"Great, Leo Chance. Leo." He sat down and pulled up a piece of paper. "Your resume looks great-military service, private details, great references."
"Thank you, sir," I said.
"Leo, please."
That was going to be a totally different feeling. I was used to reporting to superior officers and always maintaining that level of respect for command.
"Thank you, Leo." It felt awkward on my tongue, but I did as I was asked.
"Tell me, when you have such an exemplary record of service and so much travel under your belt, why do you want to come work for me?" It was a fair question. I knew that this was likely going to be temporary to me until the wanderlust took me again and I went back to my old ways.
But until then, some time at home would be beneficial for me. I'd been going for so long that I forgot what it was like to stand still.
It didn't hurt that Willow was home. Or that I was thinking about the way she curled up in the sheets or the way she let me hold her, just for a little while. Or the smell of her hair. Fuck.
"Atlanta is my home, and I've been gone for a while. I came back after a long job, and I just want to breathe. I think because I'm so well-traveled and because I've done so much, I'm ready to stop. It's time to finally take a job here. I don't want to be anywhere else." It was an honest answer, and I could tell by the smile on his face that it was one he wanted to hear.
"Good. I want someone who wants to be here. But there will be travel, too, and it should be far from boring. How many men have you commanded?" he asked.
"Over two hundred, usually in companies of ten to fifteen."
"And you have done security before?"
"Yes, for the military, but also for three private companies with operations in Afghanistan."
"And you are prepared to use lethal force?" he asked. He narrowed his eyes as he said it.