"We have visitors," Zach said. "My agent and a few hangers-on."
"I think you mean you have visitors."
"No. From now on, my friends are your friends. You can help me entertain them."
She pursed her lips. "I think I'd rather entertain a gang of armed terrorists all intent on butchering you."
"I imagine you would." He smiled as he tucked her hand under his arm-just in case she decided to bolt. "But tough luck."
Chapter Fourteen
Dani felt totally wrung out.
She rested her head back against the soft leather as the car sped them back to the villa. She'd never spoken of Sam to anyone before. Now she realized how much she had kept bottled up inside. She'd told Zach that she'd understood why her parents had acted as they did. That didn't mean it hadn't hurt.
At the time, it had been like the end of the world, and the years after Sam's death had been as though she moved though a gray fog, splintered by sharp jabs of intense pain.
In some ways, it had been easier once her mother had left them. Being ignored by her father was like a dull ache, but her mother's accusing glances had been agony.
What a total mess.
The army had straightened her out. Well, as straight as she was likely to get, though she was aware there were still a few kinks.
She wasn't ready to meet Zach's friends. She didn't want to be faced with the evidence that she didn't fit into his life. Right now she was living in a lovely little bubble, and she had an inkling that it was about to burst. Maybe she needed to get in there and burst it first, not wait for it to happen. She gave Zach a quick sideways peek-not yet.
She felt and, no doubt, looked like she'd been dunked in seawater and dried all crumpled. She was gritty with sand. What she needed was a long shower and then to crawl into bed with Zach and forget about everything.
Zach appeared quite content to maintain the silence, though he did search out her hand and rest it on his lap.
Dani closed her eyes, but talking about Sam had brought back all those memories she'd buried deep. She could see the past more clearly now. Sam's death had been a tragic accident that had sent all their lives spiraling out of control, and she hadn't stopped until she'd gotten away from the source of the poison. But it was still in there, maybe too deep to ever be lanced.
She understood the problem. She'd spent too many years believing she was a misfit, unlovable, that she didn't fit in. More than that, the very people who might have had the power to pull her back, save her, had abandoned her instead.
Opening her eyes, she watched Zach as he stared out of the car window. In profile, he was perfect. Strong nose, passionate lips, flawless cheekbones. What did he see in her? When would he finally realize that she wasn't ?
She shook off the thought. The whole idea of coming to care for Zach was impossible; she couldn't let it happen, couldn't set herself up for that sort of pain again. Perhaps if he'd been a different sort of man, more ordinary, then she might have risked it. But if he'd been ordinary, if he'd been anyone other than Zach, would she have wanted to?
Three more days.
Gary pulled up in front of the villa and she scrambled out. Zach took her hand before she could make a run for it. She didn't want to meet these strangers now, when she was feeling so vulnerable, but she also didn't want to make a scene, so she allowed him to pull her inside the house.
The door into the lounge opened, and a man stepped out. Medium height, slender, with a smile on his narrow, handsome face.
"Zach."
He came to a halt in front of them and peered at her with laughter glinting in his pale gray eyes. "So this is how you've been amusing yourself. Novel."
"Fuck off, Julian." Zach dragged her forward. "This is Dani. And she has two very big dogs, so I'd be careful what you say."
Julian smiled and held out a hand. At least Zach had to let her go so she could step forward to take it.
"Wonderful to meet you, Dani. Any friend of Zach's is a friend of mine."
The guy sounded creepily insincere. "Likewise," she murmured.
The door behind them swung open. Through it, she could see into the lounge. A group of people stood in the center. For a moment, it looked like a whole crowd, but she realized there were just four, three women and a man. All tall. All glamorous. All staring their way. And all no doubt wondering what the hell Zach was doing with her.
She so didn't need this right now.
She tugged her hand free. "Nice to meet you," she said coolly, then turned to Zach. "I should go and check on those dogs."
It was Julian who answered. "Come and have a drink first, meet Zach's friends."
She glanced at Zach. His hands were shoved in his pockets, his lips held in a thin line, but he didn't speak.
"Maybe later," she said. "Enjoy your evening."
She turned and walked away.
"Dani." She was almost at the door when Zach called her name. She glanced back over her shoulder. "I'll see you later," he said.
Much later.
It wasn't a question, but she merely nodded curtly and strode out through the front door and into the early evening sunshine. She crossed the garden and whistled. The two dogs came bounding up, followed by Skip, who spent much of his time when Dani wasn't available with Angel and Spike. If Zach took him back to L.A., she'd have to suggest that he get another dog to keep Skip company. She talked to them for a minute, rubbing their heads, gaining the comfort she always did from the animals, then sent them back to work.
She peered back at the lights spilling from the main house. She could slip in the back way and go take a shower, stay in her room. But she didn't want to. There were lights on at the guesthouse, so she headed over there instead, Skip at her heels.
Simon was seated on the terrace, cleaning his gun. He glanced up as she approached. "You okay?" he asked, putting the pistol down on the table.
"Yeah. It's a little crowded up there for me right now."
"Don't you like Zach's friends?"
"I just didn't feel like company." Then she scowled. "Okay, no, I don't like them. We haven't even been introduced, and I hate them already. I know, I'm shallow, but they're all tall and gorgeous and "
"Different. They're a different breed from you and me."
"Maybe. Or maybe I'm tired and grumpy and covered in sand."
"Gary told me what you did today-with the little girl. You did good."
"It felt good." She stepped onto the terrace. "Is it okay if I use the shower here? I'm a little " She ran a hand through her hair; it had the consistency of toffee. "Sticky."
"Go ahead."
He went back to cleaning his gun, and Dani stepped past him and into the house. Standing under the cool spray of water, she remembered the first time she had ever seen Zach-floating in the pool in all his naked glory-she'd never believed that they would ever What?
She had to stop thinking. It never did any good.
Afterward, she studied her salt-encrusted clothes and shoved them in the hamper, then pulled on one of the fluffy white robes. She'd been dressed like this the first time they'd met.
Gary was on the terrace beside Simon when she went out. He nodded to the bottle of beer on the table. "Simon said you looked like you needed it."
"Thanks. It's been a long day."
She propped herself on the corner of the sofa, tucked her legs under her, and took a swig of beer. No doubt, they'd be drinking chilled wine up at the house.
Gary pulled a pack of cards out of his pocket. "You in?"
"Why not?"
"Won't he expect you up there?" Gary waved a hand toward the main house.
"I don't know." She could have added that she didn't care, but that wouldn't have been true and she was a crap liar.
"Oh well, I guess everyone, even girlfriends, are allowed a night off once in a while." And he dealt the cards.
Zach kept his face expressionless as he allowed the conversation to flow over him. Where the hell was she?
He'd gone up for a shower after he'd said his hellos and fully expected to find her hiding away up there. Instead, his room was empty and he'd had to fight the urge to go hunt her down.
In the end, he'd decided to give her space. Julian's visit had come at a bad time, just when she'd started to open up to him. But she'd appeared so vulnerable on the drive back; he was betting she hadn't spoken of her little brother in a long time. Now she had. And to him. Perhaps she was coming to care.
But however much he wanted her chained at his side right now, she probably wasn't up to meeting a whole load of new people.
There would be time to meet his friends later.
He hoped.
He could picture Dani in L.A. She'd cause quite a stir, with her I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude.
So he curbed his impatience, returned to his friends, and tried to give the impression he was pleased to see them when in fact he wanted to toss them all out into the night and go find Dani.
His housekeeper had left a buffet meal, and they'd all eaten his food. Then he'd kept the drinks flowing in the hope that they'd all get plastered enough and wouldn't notice when he slipped away.
"So, tell me about Dani," Julian said.
"No."
"Come on, Zach, I've been talking to you for the last half hour about a multi-million-dollar film deal, and you haven't taken a word in. I thought I might try changing the subject."
Zach peered at his empty glass, crossed the room, filled it up from the bottle of red on the side, filled up Julian's without asking, and took a sip.