realize that. Even though their backgrounds couldn’t have been more different, she and her family had always treated him as an equal. And she had always treated him as if he was something special.
Until now.
“This is official business, not a social visit. It’s about the X-Kings and the threats against you.”
Her eyes narrowed and a frown of both confusion and suspicion appeared. At least she was giving him something besides that cool composure. Before he could appreciate the change, the bland expression returned. “How do you know about that?”
“Your boss called me.” Tired of waiting for an invitation that was apparently not going to come, Zach put his hand on the door and pushed it open. “This won’t take long.” He stepped inside, giving her the choice of either staying put and being within inches of him or backing away. And damn him for being disappointed that she backed away.
Her arms crossed in front of her, she now stood at least three feet away, leaving no doubt that she didn’t want to be anywhere close to him. “I don’t see that it’s any of your concern. It was a pointless threat made by an idiot.”
“It’s my concern because you’re in my town now. All residents, whether they’re permanent or not, have a right to protection. You’re no different.”
Ice replaced the bland expression that’d been irritating him. “Believe me, I’m more than aware of that, Zach.”
The words stung but the coldness hurt even more. “Then we need to talk about your safety.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. This house has an excellent security system and I have a handgun that I’m quite proficient with. There’s nothing you can do for me that I can’t do for myself.”
“That’s good … I’m glad you’re trained. I’ll still keep an eye out. Make sure you’re safe until you leave.”
Her lips, full and naked of anything but her natural pink color, trembled slightly before they stretched into the most fake smile she’d ever given him. “That’s very solicitous of you.” She started toward the front door. “I’ll be sure to let you know if anything comes up.”
“That’s it?” Zach blew out a sigh. “Hell, Savannah, you act like we’re strangers.”
“We are strangers, Zach. It’s been ten years. We’re different people. Very different.” She opened the door. “Good night.”
She was right. They weren’t the same people. So why the hell was his gut twisted with disappointment? Had he really expected anything else? Maybe he was lucky she didn’t use her gun to force him out of the house. Did he deserve anything less?
Shrugging off the odd, inappropriate feelings of hurt, Zach gave her a curt nod and went through the door. He heard it close behind him and then the locks clicked. Yeah, that sounded about right.
CHAPTER
TEN
Savannah leaned back against the closed door, imagining Zach on the other side, just standing there. For the first time in years, he was within touching distance. Not that it mattered. He might as well be as far from her as the sun was from the moon. Much more separated them than mere distance.
When at last she heard him move away, she slid bonelessly to the floor with a resounding thud. That had gone about as badly as it could have. The only things she hadn’t done were cry or throw something at him. She hadn’t expected to see him this soon. After the cool nod in town, she figured they’d run into each other in a few days. By then, she would have built up her defenses and been nonchalant about the whole thing. She would have exchanged pleasantries with him and acted like a mature, rational, and sophisticated woman greeting an old acquaintance. But now, there was no way he didn’t know that she had never forgotten or forgiven him.
Her boss was too thorough; she should have realized Reid would notify the local law about the threats. Of course, he didn’t know that the local law was once the love of her life. Not that it would have made a difference. The welfare of his employees was more important than matters of the heart.
She only wished she’d handled their first meeting better. She could turn on or off any kind of emotion when she was trying a case—be passionate or icy cold with little effort. But she had never been able to fake anything with Zach. So much in her personality had changed, yet apparently that one thing had remained consistent. And now, she had to figure out how