An Eye for an Eye(15)

Zach was studying her, seemingly patient but it didn't comfort her. "No, I don't. Calm down. You're thinking way too deeply. You're looking to put a bad spin on every word that comes from my mouth."

"A bad spin? You have a good spin on giving me money for sex? And what the hell is wrong with you that you want to pay me for sex?" Katie stopped and tried to recapture her control. She took a few deep breaths as he continued to sit and study her as she hovered by the door. "You're a good-looking guy. You're rich. Why can't you just go out and get a woman the traditional way? You know, date someone. Go out to dinner, maybe a nightclub or something, and then have a night of mutual pleasure?"

Zach felt a shaft of anger he knew he had no right to feel, along with an irritating resentment for the men who had gone before him. An irrational anger toward the unknown man who had undoubtedly taken her virginity. His eyes narrowed on her as red-hot jealousy filled his veins. "Is that the way you do it?"

"It's none of your damn business how I do it." Her fury turned to stubbornness as she crossed her arms over her chest and refused to say another word.

His voice hardened. "We've gotten off track here a bit. I want you to answer the question . . . I want to know if you're sexually active."

"Well, you're not going to know." Katie opened her bag and took her phone out. She punched in two numbers. "Fair warning, Mr. McIntyre, I'm about to call the police. Do you want to open this damn door for me or do you want me to punch in the last digit?"

"Calm down. I'll unlock the door." He stood up and casually made his way over to the door, watching her intently. When he passed her, he turned around and snagged her phone from her grip and ended the call with a press of a button, lifting the phone out of her reach.

Katie sucked in her breath as pure fear slithered down her spine. Taking her phone was so not funny.

"I'm going to let you out of this door in about twenty seconds, so don't get your panties in a twist. But before I do, I've got something to say to you." He sank his hand into her scalp and lifted her face until her eyes were on his. "I don't want to fight with you. My offer wasn't very smooth and I apologize for that. I wasn't offering to pay you for sex. I don't know what the hell I was thinking. It wasn't premeditated and I didn't mean anything offensive by it. I certainly didn't mean to piss you off or to scare you. All I know is that I want you and I'll take you any way I can get you. I've wanted you a long, long time." Katie was held speechless in his grasp, breathing hard. She was silent as he continued, "But, Katie. . . It's a fact that your family took my wife and child from me." His eyes went to her lips and he expelled a breath. "I believe I'm owed something in return." He lifted her chin another notch as his eyes lifted back to hers and he studied her closely. "And you're what I want."

Sharp anxiety lanced Katie at his words. The depth of his hatred and his need for revenge jarred her. But she was confused by his proposal. "And you're willing to pay me in your quest to make me suffer? That makes no sense."

"That was off the cuff and a bad idea. But I'll agree to just about anything if it will expedite matters. Frankly, the wait has become intolerable." He reached out his other hand and ran it from her temple, down the side of her cheek and settled on her shoulder. "I don't think you're going to forget everything that's happened in the past, but I'm willing to let it go if you are. I've always been willing to forget about it, pretty much from the very beginning. If you agree to give me a chance, if you agree to see me, we can start a relationship just as you described, just like any other couple, and I'll never mention money--" a pained expression came over his features and he muttered under his breath, "God, that was stupid." He shook his head as if trying to get his thoughts in order before he continued, "I'll never mention money or anybody owing anything . . . ever again."

For just a second, Katie studied his expression and a tiny kernel of temptation coiled in her stomach as she remembered his last kiss. But just as quickly, the feeling fled and panic took its place as the memory of being held down against her will infiltrated her mind. "I . . . I don't want a relationship . . . with you or with anybody."

Katie stood stunned as he swallowed hard and his tension became palpable at her refusal. "You don't understand." His hand on her face became both forceful and caressing as his eyes ran over her. His voice dropped an octave, and Katie was floored to hear a trace of what sounded like vulnerability in his tone. "I'll let everything go. Enough time has gone by now that I know I'll be able to move on." His eyes devoured hers, staring into hers with what Katie could only describe as longing before he continued, "It would be so good between us, baby. And I could give you everything."

His words and the gentle expression on his face confused her. Tears came to her eyes but she shook her head even as she felt another tiny trace of temptation. Was Zachary McIntyre begging her for a relationship? It didn't make sense; she didn't understand. She couldn't deny she was tempted, but she forced herself to stiffen her spine and whisper, "No, I can't." Why couldn't she? Why the hell couldn't she get over it? Zachary McIntyre had always fascinated her. If she couldn't let go of her past for him, would she ever be able to?

"Why can't you forget? Jesus, if I can let it go, why can't you?"

"You're confusing me so much. You're telling me you can forget about everything, but two seconds before that you said you want me for what? Restitution?" Katie couldn't stop the tremble in her voice. "You can s-see that you're confusing me, right?"

"Yeah, and I'm sorry. I realize that I'm not being very eloquent. I just want a chance with you."

"I can't, Zach. I can't have a relationship with you. Please don't ask me again."

"How can you not give me a chance? Do you think I'm not human? Do you think after what happened to me that I didn't have a right to react the way I did? I'm sorry, it was painful for me, and I took it out on you, but that was a long time ago." He scowled as his fingers clenched around her scalp. At her silence, his voice dropped. "Don't make this difficult. I know you're attracted to me, damn it; I can feel it. And I want you."

"Zach, please don't . . . It's not . . . it's not what you're thinking."

"Do you think I don't know that you want me too? Do you think I can't feel your body tremble?" His hand dropped to her neck where he softly caressed the pulse point there. "Do you honestly think that I don't know that your eyes have always found me, every single time we've been within fifty feet of each other? For years?"

Oh, God, it was true. As his gaze held hers and his question bled through, Katie was horrified that her body's reaction to his touch probably gave her away. Her head fell forward and her mouth tilted to the side in pained agreement, pained commiseration, before she could stop herself.

He interrupted her through gritted teeth. "You do want me. And I want you."

Her spine stiffened and she tightened her body, her tears drying up as deadly seriousness glittered from her eyes. "Well, you can't have me."

His eyes narrowed and his mouth clenched. "Yes."

She shook her head back and forth, her eyes glued to his.

"Stop being so damn stubborn."

"No, I won't. You can't have me. I don't want to be with . . . anybody."

At her uncompromising answer, bitterness highlighted his features and his smile became menacing. "I can't have you yet. It will happen. I'm not going to just give up. But sweetheart, I'm warning you, the longer it takes, the longer you remain stubborn for no damn reason . . ." He clenched his teeth and whatever he was thinking in that moment remained unsaid before he expelled a breath and continued, "Don't do this. Don't refuse me. I've waited for you a long time. Let the past go and let me show you how good it could be between us." His eyes searched hers. "I'm not asking you for everything. Just some time to get to know each other better. I promise that I won't try to rush you into anything. Forget what I said earlier. Forget what I said about the money. You've got me so fucked up that I can't think straight. All I want is a chance with you. We'll start with dinner . . . nothing more."

Her head shook back and forth even though pain pierced her heart, even though she desperately wanted to agree. "No."

His eyes began pleading once again. "Baby, please."

She jerked her head from his grasp and pulled away from him before he screwed with her brain even more. "No, I can't. Not now. Not ever."



Katie slammed out of the apartment and Zach let his forehead drop to the door. A barrage of emotions inundated him all at once. Resentment, disappointment, fury. He was mad at himself; he was mad at Katie. She acted as if she had something against him, when he'd never done anything to her. His gut tightened as he admitted that wasn't true. He'd shown her animosity in the past. After the accident that had snuffed out his child's life, he'd been bitter. Bitter and furious, and Katie had been right there, where he had had easy access to her, and he'd taken out his frustration and anger on her. How many times would he have to apologize for that before she'd forgive him? Would she ever forgive him?