afraid to ask.”
“I feel like taking a dip.”
“In your Jacuzzi? That’s a good idea. I bet the warm water—”
“In the ocean, Jess. Tonight, after dinner.”
She pulled through the gates and drove along the winding road to his house. “I don’t know if that’s wise, Zane. You shouldn’t push it. You only just—”
“I’m going, Jess.” He set his face stubbornly, and she couldn’t think of anything to say to change his mind. “I’ve been confined long enough.”
Pulling into the garage, she cut the engine. “I get that, but I won’t be—”
Oh, shoot. He wasn’t going to like this.
“Won’t be what?”
“Home after dinner.”
“Another shopping trip?”
A lie could fall from her lips very easily. But she wasn’t going to lie to Zane. “No. I’m invited over to your neighbor’s house.”
Zane’s lips thinned. “Dylan again?”
“Adam Chase.”
Zane’s eyes sharpened on her. “You’re going over to Adam’s tonight?”
“I kind of didn’t give him a choice the other night. He was telling me about his new artwork, and I hinted at wanting to see it. I guess he was just being nice by inviting me over.” She’d been a little stunned and humbled when he’d asked her since, according to Zane, invitations from Adam were rare.
Zane closed his eyes briefly. “That’s Adam. Mr. Nice Guy.”
“You don’t think he is?”
Zane snorted. “I think he’s a genius. But I don’t know much about his personal life.”
“I don’t want to know about his personal life, either. This isn’t anything, Zane.” If only she could melt the disapproval off his face with an explanation. “It’s just me, being curious. The teacher in me loves learning.”
They’d been carefully dancing around what had happened between them. It seemed neither wanted to bring the subject up. So how could she admit that she’d rather be home with him? That after making love with him, it was better that they spend time apart. Too much alone time with him could prove disastrous. One disaster per decade was her limit. One disaster in her entire life would be preferable.
She cared deeply for Zane, thought he was gorgeous and more appealing than any man she’d ever met, but she couldn’t be dumb again. And that meant not reading too much into having sex with him, wonderful as it was. She rationalized it was all about healing. Isn’t that how Zane passed it off?
“I’m sure Adam wouldn’t mind if you joined me.”
He reached for the door handle. “I’ve seen his house, Jess. You go on. Have a nice time,” he said through tight lips.
She didn’t buy his comment for a second, but she clamped her mouth shut, and as he opened the car door, she rushed around the front end to meet him. Putting his good foot down, he braced his hands on the sides of the car and brought himself up and out.
“Lean on me,” she said. “I’m here if you need me.”
“I’ll make it just fine.”
She moved out of his way, and he walked slowly but on his own power, his boots scraping the garage floor as he made his way into the house.
Her shoulders fell, and black emptiness seemed to swallow her up. She wanted Zane to need her.
Or maybe, she just plain wanted Zane. Either way wasn’t an option. She couldn’t very well count the days until Mariah returned. Nobody knew when that would be.
But for the first time, she hoped it would be soon.
* * *
Zane leaned his elbows over his deck banister, grateful to be on his own two feet now. His gaze focused on Jess as she made her way down the deck steps to the beach. “Bye, Zane. I won’t be long.”
Her sultry voice hammered inside his brain. It was unique, and he was beginning to hear the slight nuances that differed from her sister’s. There was more sugary rasp and a lightness in her tone that made him think of only good things.
She held the straps of her heeled sandals up by two fingers and waved at him once her bare feet hit the sand. In her other hand, she held a flashlight to guide her way over to Adam’s house. It wasn’t too far, just about one hundred yards from back door to back door, but the half moon’s light wasn’t enough illumination on the darkened beach, so the flashlight was a good idea.
Her blond hair touched the top of a nipped-at-the-waist snowy white dress that flared out to just above her knees. She looked ethereal in a delicate way that would turn any man’s head.
“Bye” he heard himself growl, and lifted his hand up, a semiwave back, watching her trudge through the sand and out of his line of vision.
She was determined to go, yet he’d noted a flicker in her eyes earlier, a moment of doubt as if she waited for him to tell her to stay. He wanted her, and his newly healed body was in a state of arousal around her most of the time now, but he held back. He let her go off to another man’s house tonight instead of giving in to his lust.
Was he an idiot or being smart, for her sake?
His cell phone rang, and he plucked it from his pocket. It was probably Mariah. She’d been a saint, checking in and worrying about him when she was the one who needed the support. He’d had Jess send her flowers this morning to cheer her up.
He answered the ring. “Hello?”
“Hello, Zane. This is Mae.”
His brows rose. It wasn’t Mariah after all, but Jessica’s mother. “Hi, Mae. This is a nice surprise.”
“I hope so. Zane, how are you feeling these days?”
“Better. I’m out of my cast and healing up real good. And how are you, Mae?”
“I could be better. You know I’m an eternal worrier. And I’m worried about my Jess. I haven’t heard from her in three days.”
“Is that unusual?”
“Yes, very. She usually checks in with me every day or every other day. We’ve been playing phone tag over the weekend, and I can’t seem to reach her. She didn’t answer my call today. I wondered if something was wrong with her phone. Thought it’d be best to check in with you.”
“Well...I can assure you, she’s doing fine.”
“Really?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“That’s a
