Expecting His Secret Heir(12)

           



       

Cementing her to him...forever.

* * *

Zach's eyes opened when he heard the click of the bathroom door the next morning...then the unmistakable turn of the lock.

In the military he'd trained himself to be instantly alert upon  awakening, but the habit wasn't always beneficial in civilian life. For  instance, at the moment, his clear mind began to play last night over  and over and over again. Which wasn't what he wanted.

The feelings and memories urged him to get his naked ass out of bed and  into the shower with her. If only he hadn't heard the telltale sound of  the lock shutting him out.

So instead he covered his naked ass with a clean pair of jeans and  headed downstairs for some coffee. At least he didn't run into the  proprietress first thing-which was good for her. He wasn't in the mood  to deal with Gladys before getting in a good shot of caffeine. The  breakfast room was empty, though there were pans of fresh rolls and  biscuits on the sideboard, and the dark smell of his favorite breakfast  brew permeated the room.

The hot black coffee distracted him from what he would say to Sadie when she appeared, what he would do from this point onward.

Her agreement with the Blackstones meant he couldn't ignore her,  couldn't get away. She hadn't been the clingy type-now or in the past.  But he could honestly say this wasn't a situation he was used to being  in with women.

His relationships since he'd been home from the air force had been few  and far between. They weren't really relationships, per se. Life had  been too full of obligations and change to indulge in something that  required that level of commitment-and he'd never felt the urge for more  than a good time.

Except with Sadie.

A flicker of movement in his peripheral vision had him looking to the  doorway. Sadie straightened her gray sweater, smoothing it down over  jeans-clad hips in the barest flicker of nerves. Then she continued into  the room and joined him at his table. Her smile was artificial, but it  highlighted the bow curve of her upper lip-the same lip that had felt so  soft and hungry beneath his own the night before.

"Are you hungry?" Sadie asked quietly, tentatively testing the waters. "Gladys's husband makes some incredible cinnamon rolls."

"I'm definitely not a man to turn down good food. My mama will testify to that," he said.

She waved him back as he started to rise, so he watched as she filled  two plates with rolls and some fruit. Then she lifted a large metal lid  and the smell of meat filled the air. She added a couple of slices of  bacon to his plate. She'd remembered. He was an avid bacon lover.

Had she learned that so well in the week they'd danced around each other before giving in to their passion?

She laid the plate before him in silence, then fixed her own cup of  coffee, doctored with sugar and a liberal dose of cream. This was a  natural rhythm that he'd noticed from her before. Just like at the mill,  where efficiency in a large-scale task seemed routine for her, so he'd  also found her to take charge of these little, everyday domestic tasks,  too. Not in an overbearing way, but with a calm efficiency that matched  her approach to life in general-at least, as far as Zach could tell.

And probably a way to make herself more comfortable around here.

After she was seated, she drew a long sip from the blue-glazed pottery  mug. He munched on bacon, but theirs wasn't a comfortable silence. He  sensed Sadie wanted to say something, and wondered idly if he was facing  the Dear John conversation he hadn't been subjected to the last time.  Odd how the thought bothered him.

He would have preferred not to care one way or another.

"I didn't plan on that, you know," she said, her usual quiet, even tone belying the anxiety with which she stared at her food.

"I know." He noticed the slight puffiness along her upper cheekbone and the fresh bandage on her cheek.

She took another sip, her gaze still trained on her plate.

The least he could give her was honesty. "Neither did I. That wasn't why I brought you home."

Suddenly her gaze snapped up, and he found himself entranced by her  brilliant green eyes. How could such a clear color hide so many secrets  from him?

They both started as something heavy landed on the table. Zach had been  so lost in their stilted conversation that he hadn't noticed the  approach of Gladys. He glanced up, sure his expression portrayed just  how much he appreciated her intrusion.

"Why, Sadie, you didn't mention you would have a visitor for...breakfast."

The overly long pause told Zach that Gladys was fishing. She must not  have noticed him making his way downstairs earlier-surprising for a  woman who seemed to know everything.                       
       
           



       

"Sorry, Gladys," Sadie said.

"Well, how lucky for me that it's Zachary Gatlin."

Zachary couldn't imagine a time when Gladys had ever been that happy to  see him, except when she hoped to get a juicy bit of gossip. He looked  up with an arched brow. This might be more interesting than he'd  thought. "And why would that be?" Zach didn't believe in beating around  the bush.

"Why, I get to be the first to congratulate you."

"On what, exactly?" There hadn't been a lot happening worthy of celebration lately.

"On being officially cleared for the cotton poisoning, of course."

She tapped the newspaper she'd dropped on the table with a  well-manicured finger. The top headline read, Founding Family Son  Charged in Mill Bombing. Zach was still trying to put the pieces  together when Sadie picked up the top section of the paper. Zach didn't  need to read it. He already knew who was to blame. Which was a perk of  being part of the inner Blackstone circle.

Sadie seemed to be devouring the text. Zach watched her for a moment,  then glanced up at Gladys as she continued to stand next to the table.

"Isn't it great, Zach?" she asked with a gleam in her eye that said she  couldn't wait to be on the phone the minute she had something to pass  along. If he didn't give her something, she'd just make up something  interesting. Of course, the fact that Zach was here, and had probably  come down from Sadie's room, would be the first thing she'd offer.

"Yes, Gladys. It's very nice."

Even though I shouldn't need the validation of being proven innocent.  His sister, his mother, Jacob and his new employers all believed in him,  even when the evidence had been totally damning. Those were the people  that mattered.

So he kept it simple.

As Gladys headed back to the kitchen with a disappointed look on her  face, Zach turned to find Sadie's eyes on his. "Why blow her off like  that?"

"Because she's looking for a scoop, something to share with the grapevine."

Sadie nodded. Her guarded expression held a hint of sadness, as if she  understood his need to protect himself. But what he really wanted to  know was what she hid behind the mask...and whether he would regret last  night if he found out her true secrets.





Eight

"I'll finish getting ready."

At least, that's what Sadie told Zach to get a few minutes alone in her  room. She needed to make a phone call before Zach took her anywhere this  morning. Since her car was still at the mill, she didn't have any  choice but to get a few things in order and hitch a ride into town.

Luckily, Zach hadn't pushed anything after their conversation at  breakfast. She'd had the distinct impression he'd just as soon step out  in the parking lot and get out of ready reach of Gladys. Not that she  could blame him.

She was well acquainted with people who blamed first and asked questions later.

Sadie also loved the people who pretended she didn't exist, because it was easier than having to be polite.

Not that she was in a position to judge. As she picked up her phone, she was all too aware of that fact.

"I need a new camera," she said without preamble when Victor picked up.

He wasn't thrilled-not that she'd thought he would be. "What the heck does that have to do with me?" he asked.

Sadie explained how the camera had been shattered when she'd dropped it, then the falling debris had finished the job.

"My question stands."

"A photographer has a camera. A nice camera."

"Then I guess you should have held on to yours."

Why did she bother explaining anything to this guy? "According to our  contract, you are responsible for all business expenses, including a  camera. I could have considered it a regular expense, but it's not, so  I'm actually giving you the courtesy of informing you that you need to  pay for it." Sadie had covered every loophole she could think of in the  deal with Victor. It was all completely spelled out in black and white.  And he'd needed her, so he'd signed.

"So sue me."

"If you don't pay, I'll just have to wait for the insurance claim.  They'll take care of it...eventually. But it will mean a delay-"

"Fine. What am I getting for my generosity?"