"Dance?" Zack asked as the music softened and a few couples waltzed onto the floor.
She hesitated before nodding. "I'm not a very good dancer."
"Just follow my lead."
He held out his hand and Annie placed her fingers in his like she'd seen them do in the movies. He twirled her onto the floor and deftly caught her in his arms.
"Show off," she muttered but smiled anyway.
"Just letting everyone see the beautiful woman I get to dance with."
She blushed.
Zack was an excellent dancer. They glided across the floor. She felt like a princess in a fairytale. During a slower song, his hand caressed her back and he pulled her close. She could feel every muscle rippling in his body as they moved to the rhythm of the music.
"You know," he said, "you really aren't a very good flirt, are you?"
"You sound surprised. I thought I'd made that obvious from day one when all we did was argue."
He smiled. "We weren't arguing, we were disagreeing. Besides, I thought that was your way of flirting. I guess not all guys fall for that don't-mess-with-me attitude. I'm just a sucker for punishment."
Annie sucked in a breath and dared not look at his face. Did he just say, in a round-about way, that he liked her? From the beginning?
Or did she just get the wrong message entirely?
That must be it. No way would he like her. Want her, yes, to add to his tally, but not like her. Not enough to have a proper relationship with her anyway.
"Poor Peter," he continued. "I think you scared him into quitting."
"Very funny. He hasn't quit, I saw him before. He just swapped tables with the crabby old waiter. And I don't think I was the one who scared him off."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing," she said lightly, "but I saw that look you gave him."
Zack's grip on her waist tightened and he humphed but said nothing. She smiled to herself. Nothing like a little white lie to bring out the truth. The smile slipped and she breathed out a long breath. This was getting intense. And scary.
"Do you want dessert?" he asked, breaking into her thoughts.
"Of course I want dessert. It's the best part of any meal. Besides, I haven't got any ice cream at my place after you ate it all."
He took her hand and led her back to their table. "It was Snoopy."
"Really? Did he use one paw or two to hold the spoon?"
"Very funny."
They ordered dessert and coffee and considered playing a practical joke on the waiter to get him to smile but decided it wouldn't work because his sense of humor was locked away somewhere along with his real accent.
When they finished, Zack paid using his gold credit card and Annie bit her lip. She should offer to pay her half but she'd have to stop eating for a month to afford it.
"My treat," he said, signing. How did he read her mind like that? It was unnerving. He stood and helped her out of her seat. The waiter produced their jackets from thin air and Zack placed Annie's around her shoulders. His fingers caressed the back of her neck, leaving warm tingles in their wake.
"Let's go," he said, his voice a low rumble.
Flustered from the tingles and the voice, Annie stumbled and would have tipped forward if he hadn't caught her.
"You haven't had too much to drink again, have you?"
"No." She sniffed. "I don't need to be drunk to make a fool of myself. I do a perfectly good job when I'm sober."
***
They drove home in record time and Annie wondered if Zack had kept to the speed limit. It wouldn't surprise her if he hadn't-speeding fit his image.
He helped her from the car when they stopped outside her building, and held her hand as they walked to the door. The gentle rubbing of his thumb across her palm sent a rush of blood to her head. Even with high heels on, he towered over her. But far from being intimidating, his size suited him. Annie felt the power behind his touch, and his self-confidence.
He strode toward her door, never taking his eyes off her, even to see where he was going. The two dark orbs burned fiercely, their intensity warming her entire body. She sensed the connection between them, but it wasn't enough. She wanted more, more of him, and every nerve ending tingled in anticipation.
She fumbled with the key in the lock and managed to get the door open despite her shaking limbs. Zack hesitated just inside the door, as if deciding whether to take her to the bedroom or straight to the sofa. Apparently both were too far. He gently pushed her back against the wall where they stood.
"Annie," he said, voice rusty, "I'm sorry."
He brushed a knuckle down her cheek and her stomach fluttered. Muscles clenched in places that had lain dormant for too long.