. . I believe you.” She waited a beat and then pushed off the door, swaying her way across the floor to him. Each click of her heels seemed to make his heart race even harder and he was almost certain the damn thing was going to leap right out of his chest by the time she reached him. She laid a hand against his chest and murmured, “I believe you . . . about Keelie. But Zach, there’s something you’re not being honest about and I think it’s time we just get this out in the open.”
* * *
A storm fired in his eyes.
Abigale watched it play out as her heart raced and her hands went all damp and sweaty again. Fear and terror, frustration and desire, they all tangled inside her and beneath it all was a love that all but stole her breath away.
All this time, Zach had been right here.
And part of her realized she’d known. Some part of her had known. But she hadn’t wanted to look at that because it scared her. If it fell apart, if it didn’t last, so many ifs . . . if she lost Zach . . .
He was her everything and losing him would rip the soul out of her.
But she couldn’t hide from this anymore. She couldn’t, and she didn’t want to.
As he continued to stare at her, she fisted her hand in his shirt, thought about the tattoo she’d seen so many times before, but had never really noticed. Thought about the tattoo she had on her chest—the one that still itched and hurt, healing already under the dressing she wore.
“Anything to say, Zach?” she whispered, looking up into his eyes.
His lashes flickered and for a second, she thought he was going to make this easy, but all he did was reach up and cup her cheek. “I’m not really sure what you’re talking about, Abby.” He stroked his thumb over her lower lip.
She sighed, swaying closer so she could rest her head against his chest.
Okay, then.
It’s somebody who’s loved you your entire life . . .
Breathing in the sexy, warm scent that was Zach, she steadied herself again. She had to go through with this, because she had to know. That was all there was to it. Mentally squaring her shoulders, she lifted her head and stared up at him.
He wasn’t wearing a t-shirt for once. It was a black button-down, the tails hanging out, the sleeves rolled up. Holding his gaze, she reached for the buttons and watched his eyes as she slid the first button free.
The blue of his eyes darkened to near black and his chest rose on a harsh, unsteady breath as she moved onto the second button. “Abby . . .”
“Did you get anything from Zane today?” she asked softly.
His lids drooped and the look on his face was almost as seductive as a kiss, as intimate as if he’d stripped her bare. “Yes.” He reached up and pushed a hand into her hair, but when he tried to tug her head back for a kiss, she turned away so that his lips glanced off her cheek.
“I went to Albuquerque,” she said quietly. She’d reached the final button and now she slid her hands up, pushing the shirt back and off his shoulders as she went.
He sighed and released his grip from her hair, rolling his shoulders back, letting her push the shirt off. “I figured as much. Abby, why are we talking about this? Don’t you want to yell at me about Saturday?”
Smiling a little, she leaned and pressed her lips to the heart branded on his skin, just above his heart. “Oh, we’ll get to that, although I can’t really blame Keelie for having a thing for you. She touches you again, then that woman and I are going to have a problem. But that’s not my main concern right now,” she murmured.
* * *
As Abby reached up and traced the tip of her finger over the heart tattoo, blood roared in his ears. So loud, so fucking loud, he almost didn’t hear the warning firing in his brain. And it was a damn loud warning.
She tipped her head back and once more, her dark brown eyes glinted with challenge. “You think maybe there’s something you need to tell me, Zach?” she whispered, her voice husky and raw.
He reached for her, curved his arm around her waist as he dragged her against him. His legs felt too new,