Billionaire Undaunted:The Billionaire's Obsession ~ Zane(25)

"How often did he come up to the cabin? Did he leave right away?"

Ellie wished he would have left her alone. "No. He stayed that night,  using every minute to try to scare me into submission. Every time I  argued, he hit me. It was a really long night."

She felt Zane's body tense beneath hers as he asked, "Did he strip you, or did you do that yourself?"

"He used a carving knife to cut off everything I was wearing. A scare  tactic, and it worked. I was afraid he was going to rape me, kill me, or  both." She took a deep breath before adding, "He took my clothing that  first night. When he left the next morning, I was pretty torn up."

"Fuck! I wish I'd suspected him earlier when I could have had him  followed. By the time I went back to Rocky Springs convinced it was  James, it was too late."

"There's no way you could have known." Ellie stroked his cheek and  whiskered jaw. "I'm just lucky you're a genius or I'd be dead."

"Why didn't he leave more supplies? He only left enough for you to barely stay alive."

Ellie shrugged. "I think he wanted me weak and barely living. He also  got a kick out of me begging for more food and water. I tried not to,  but while I was still semi-alert, I did. I was always thirsty, always  hungry."

"He was a sadistic prick," Zane rumbled.

"Very sadistic," Ellie answered sadly. "And when I begged, I gave him exactly what he wanted."

"Don't," he said urgently. "Don't ever blame yourself. Every time he  hurt you, it was because he was almost pissing himself with fear because  Chloe left him to go work for Gabe. Walker pulled her out of a bad  situation."

"Thank God," Ellie replied, sounding relieved. "James never told me  that. He just kept saying they were getting married soon. I felt so  helpless to do anything to save her."

"You worried about her, and she drove herself crazy trying to find you.  I've never seen Chloe as distraught as when you disappeared. I think for  a while she was in denial, believing she could find you. When she  couldn't, she was destroyed," Zane confided.         

     



 

"But we're both happy now," Ellie observed wistfully. "I'm not going to let an evil dead man destroy my life or Chloe's."

Zane hugged her tightly and Ellie rested her head on his shoulder. He  rocked her tenderly as he said, "I know you won't. Christ! You're the  bravest woman I've ever known. And you managed to hold on until I found  you."

Ellie smiled against the soft material of his T-shirt. "I think I've  spent my whole life waiting for you to find me in one way or another."

"Not anymore," Zane rasped. "Never again. I'll never make you wait for anything again."

"Mmmm … what about last night? I distinctly remember you making me wait."  In fact, he'd teased her until she was almost completely crazy with the  need to climax.

Zane chuckled. "A different situation altogether. In that particular case, I was going to make it worth the wait. Was it?"

Ellie shivered as she remembered the way her body had come apart when  Zane finally stopped teasing her and gave her what she needed. "Worth  it, but completely unfair," she admonished him in a faux-petulant voice.  "I think it's my turn to make you wait."

He pulled her gently back by her hair so he could see her face. "Baby, I'd wait forever if I had to."

The sincerity in his vow sent a wave of tenderness through her heart. He  claimed not to be romantic, but his blunt words got to her in ways that  nobody else's ever had. She licked her dry lips as she stared into his  earnest gray eyes. Every word he spoke was honest, every comment  sincere. Her body clamored for her to take this man and savor him for a  lifetime.

Zane was special.

And he was hers.

"I have to pack my orders," she said weakly.

"I came down to help you," he retorted. "But I also just got some pictures from Chloe."

Getting on her knees beside him, she started feeling him up for his cell  phone. "Let me see," she insisted excitedly, rubbing a hand over the  front pockets of his jeans to find his phone.

He stopped her marauding fingers by grabbing her wrist. "Jesus, woman.  If you don't stop that you're going to find more than you're looking  for," he told her in a husky, warning voice.

"Or I might find exactly what I want," she told him in a sultry voice.

"How fast can we pack those items?" Zane asked desperately.

"Very. But can I see Chloe?" Ellie cherished every picture of her best  friend. Occasionally, Chloe sent a video, and she looked so happy.  "Where is she?"

Zane fished into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "They're in  the Bahamas. Their last stop. This weekend we can go home. She'll be  back at Gabe's place by then. I'm sorry I couldn't give you more  warning. Gabe said they were both getting homesick and were ready to go  back to the ranch."

He brought up Chloe's latest text message with a picture. Ellie smiled  broadly as she saw her friend with Gabe, a man Ellie only knew very  casually. She'd met him a few times, but every time she saw a picture of  Gabe with Chloe, she liked him even more. It was clear that Gabe made  Chloe happy, and for that alone, Ellie adored him already.

Both of them were smiling at the camera, holding their fancy drinks up  as though they were toasting the world. Chloe's lips were turned up in a  large, genuine smile that made her eyes glow with joy. Gabe had his arm  around her shoulders, grinning like he didn't have a care in the world.

Ellie traced the outline of the couple lightly. "You can tell how much they love each other."

"It's even more obvious in person, believe me," Zane answered, sounding amused.

"I can't believe I'm finally going to see her again. It seems like it's been forever. So much has happened."

"Hey, you're not nervous, are you?" Zane tilted her chin to look at her face.

"A little. I don't want to spoil her happiness now."

"God, Ellie. You won't. Don't you know how damn much she loves you?  Seeing you will put the last piece of the puzzle back together again. It  will make Chloe complete. She misses you so much, and she's been  mourning you even though you're still alive. If anybody is scared, it  should be me. She's going to kill me for not telling her the truth. Gabe  is probably going to be in trouble, too."

"He knows?" Ellie asked curiously.

"Blake is his best friend. I have no doubt he knows, but he must have  decided not to say anything. Chloe pesters me every day about you. I'm  glad she's coming home. I hate brushing her off and pretending like I'm  accepting the fact that you aren't coming back. Hell, I hate lying to  her."         

     



 

Just the thought of seeing Chloe again after so long made Ellie's eyes  moisten with unshed tears. "I'll warn you right now that I'm going to  cry, but they'll be happy tears."

"I was pretty sure you would," Zane said unhappily. "But don't do it  right now. We have plans," he answered wickedly, plucking his cell from  her hand as he stood up and pulled her to her feet.

"Yeah, I need to pack." She turned to go back to her workshop.

Zane snagged her around the waist before she could get very far and  picked her up and put her over his shoulder. "I'll do it in the  morning."

Ellie found herself hanging upside down in a very undignified position over his shoulder.

"Put me down. You have to climb the stairs," she squealed with both delight and just a little fear of him hurting himself.

He sprinted up the steps effortlessly, ignoring her feeble attempts to pound him on the back to let her loose.

Ellie gave up her struggles as they reached the bedroom, her body already craving his touch.



True to his word, Zane got up early and packed her orders, loading them  into the back cargo area of his vehicle so he could drop them off before  he went to work.

Ellie wasn't surprised. She'd learned that Zane never uttered anything  lightly. For a guy who proclaimed that he wasn't romantic, he was pretty  damn thoughtful. For Ellie, the fact that he thought about her needs  was pretty heady, and really, Zane's actions were just about the most  romantic thing she could ever imagine.





Spring had come to the Colorado mountains, which really meant that a  person never knew whether they were going to need a heavy jacket or  shorts.

On this particular day in Rocky Springs, Gabe Walker was dressed in a  T-shirt and jeans, his veterinarian wife dressed similarly as she sat on  the ground beside him as they watched the water in a small creek that  ran through his property trickle along the rocks and continue to move  downstream.

"It's so good to be back," Chloe said wistfully. "Traveling was amazing, but I missed my family and our home."

Gabe was pretty sure she missed the horses a lot, too, but he didn't  mention it. He had too much on his mind, and he was terrified of putting  a wall between him and the woman he loved more than anything or anyone  else in the world.