When I was on my own, I always tried to be extra quiet, so no one would notice or remember I was there while they played footy outside or shot pool in the games room. I was always drawn to him; drinking him in and losing myself in the spark of his wicked green eyes. And of course, I'd memorised every inch of Zane's face from spending too much of my time staring at him when I didn’t think he was looking.
So at that moment, instead of looking at him, I forced myself to keep my gaze trained on the outdoor seating area, watching everyone else mingle and farewell Max and Jada as well as my parents.
Regardless of what I actually felt for Zane, my pride was hurt and I insisted I would do my best to act as if I didn’t care one way or another if he was there or not. I continued talking to Brandon; not the best idea, but I was desperate to avoid talking to Zane.
“I can’t believe Max actually got married." He paused, and I could hear the humour mixed with faint disdain in his voice as he finished. "Damn. I never saw that coming; Max finally taking the plunge.”
I was never one to have an outburst or to ever be rude to people; that was Milan’s style and most definitely not mine. But with the way I was feeling, I didn’t feel level-headed around Zane right at the moment.
It was impossible. My heart was breaking, and there he was trying to strike up a conversation with me. All I could do was try to contain the erratic beating of my heart as I thought about what it would feel like to be in his arms again.
Although he was beginning to infuriate me, he was so darn desirable at the same time. Even though I knew I had to be crazy for wanting him the way I did, I’d never been able to stop my feelings toward him.
God, I hated how out of control he made me feel. I had to try and resist him. I had to. I curled my fingers into fists as I felt myself losing the battle of acting aloof. I whirled around to face him.
Big mistake!
I melted at the sight of him. Damn, he’s gorgeous. He wore a pair of denim jeans which hugged his tight arse and his crisp, lime-green shirt accentuated the colour of his green eyes. His shirt was open just enough around his neck for me to catch a glimpse of his smooth, tanned chest. I knew he had tattoos; I’d seen them numerous times before, but just knowing they were hidden behind a thin layer of fabric sent a kick of forbidden desire rushing through me.
I wanted to rip that shirt off and reveal his inked skin to my starving eyes. God, what I wouldn’t do to see his tattoos up close. I dreamed of being able to run my hands over his naked skin and study every last one of them. To kiss and lick each one so they were forever embedded in my mind.
“Max and Jada are in love,” I told him in a sharp voice. I was so angry with myself for letting his presence rattle me. "Not that I expect you to understand what that means.”
“Excuse me for a minute, Brandon. I need to have quick chat with Mia about work tomorrow,” Zane said as he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me inside to a quiet corner of the front bar.
Once we were inside, I snatched my arm back from his touch. I could still feel the imprint of his fingers on my arm.
“What the hell? Everyone is staring at us, even my brothers! Why did you drag me in here? We have nothing to say to one another,” I said to him in a sulky voice. I could feel my lip trembling. Shit, I better not crumble in front of him. I feel like such an idiot to let him affect me like this.
“Nothing to talk about? Are you for real, angel? We have plenty to talk about.”
“No. We. Don’t.” I moved to try and get past him but I couldn’t; he was too strong.
“Please, angel, we need to talk about last night. We’re going to have to work together closely as of tomorrow, so give me a chance.”
“A chance? You had your chance, and you blew it!”
“Fine, if that’s the way you want to play this then I’ll let it go. For now. I‘ll see you eight am sharp, Monday morning, angel. And remember: don't be late on your first day," he whispered in my ear. "I may have to punish you for tardiness."
Chapter Six
MIA
It had been only three weeks since I’d started working with Zane and I honestly could not do it anymore. He took every opportunity to tease me and antagonise me. I tried to remain calm and professional, but enough was enough. Max and Jada had been back for a week and I could not wait any longer to talk to Max about Zane.
I stormed into my brother’s office, walked straight past his PA without even glancing at the poor girl and flung Max’s door open. “He’s driving me insane. I can’t work with him anymore. You have to do something.”
“Calm down, and tell me what the problem is.” I counted to ten and tried to concentrate on not losing my cool. It wasn’t easy.