Zachary handed the marriage proposal over to Luke Struthers,
Luke accepted it with a smile and a shake of his head. “Another one?”
Zachary grinned back. “I’m the man. What can I say?”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
He laughed out loud. “To a marriage proposal from someone I’ve never met?”
“Maybe it’ll put an end to the self-imposed restrictions?”
Zachary winced. Yeah. Not ready to go there yet. Not ready to end those restrictions. He might not have been laid in six long months, but for now that suited him fine.
Except maybe for the adrenaline pumping through his body, making him horny as hell.
But he had a valid reason for his restrictions. One—or four—this-is-your-baby scandals had been enough to send Zachary’s gonads into hiding for a very long time.
Of course the accusations had proven to be complete bullshit. Still, they’d been a nasty wake-up call. Forced him to evaluate his life and his behavior. Forced him to see that the meaningless encounters and faceless fucks he’d grown so accustomed to were not what he wanted. And they were not making him happy.
Zachary wanted the real deal—the red-haired beauty he’d fantasized about since childhood.
Or if not her, at least a woman he cared about.
He was happy for Nathan, but that didn’t stop Zachary from eyeing him enviously. “I may be under restriction, but my big brother sure isn’t.”
“I might need a crowbar to pry those two apart,” Luke commented dryly, but his tone was indulgent.
Zachary let his gaze sweep over the people standing around. The entire backstage crew had paused to watch Jamie and Sophie, who were so enchanted with each other, they didn’t notice. Every one of them beamed, as though they found Nathan’s delight as infectious as Zachary and Luke did.
His gaze snagged on a particularly adorable smile. One made by cherry-red lips stretched wide across a lovely face.
Lust hit him square in the chest.
His adrenaline rush hit an all-time high.
Okay, so maybe his gaze hadn’t been snagged by the smile. Maybe he’d subconsciously sought it out, just like he’d found himself doing since arriving in Sydney a week ago and meeting the Aussie crew.
Zachary didn’t know her name—yet. He’d made a conscious effort not to think about her, because thinking about her did those self-imposed restrictions no good whatsoever. What he did know was that each time he saw her he couldn’t look away. The sight of the tiny brunette packed a punch louder than the boom of a drum and more potent than the energy of the twenty thousand fans packed into the Rod Laver Arena.
If Zachary could have sat back down on his throne and hauled her with him, he would have. In a heartbeat. Would have stripped every last stitch of clothing from her lithe body, pulled her onto his lap and let her take them for the ride of their lives.
But that would hardly fit in with the revamped, sexually restrained Jonah Speed, now would it?
Something must have alerted her to his focused attention, because her gaze shifted, leaving Nathan and Sophie and landing firmly on him. Her lovely features reflected surprise, and after a couple of seconds, Zachary swore he saw a flicker of interest as well.
Satisfaction pooled deep in his stomach.
It had been a long while since he’d felt this level of attraction to anyone. A long time since he’d wanted a woman to consciously want him like he wanted her.
He’d grown altogether too used to the availability of a soft body whenever he desired one—or two. Groupies willing to offer whatever Zachary wanted. Sex with them had long since ceased to provide the satisfaction or the high it once had. Sex with them had long since stopped. Period. While he searched for something more meaningful, all they craved was a fix of the superstar, not the real man.
Zachary acted on impulse. “I’ll be right back.”
Luke answered, but Zachary didn’t register his words. He was too intent on his target.
Her cheeks pinked as he approached, and her chest rose and fell rapidly, but she watched every step, and her eyes filled with questions as he neared. Her scent filtered through his nose like a morning breeze, fresh and floral and arousing as hell.
She raised an eyebrow, highlighting blue eyes that resembled a spring sky—cloudless, with the promise of the heat to come.
Her gaze held him rapt. Zachary couldn’t look away, didn’t want to look anywhere but at her.
The intensity of his stare must have made her uncomfortable, because after a moment she flinched uneasily. “Can I help you?”
Oh, yeah. She could help him…so long as she got them both naked in the next three seconds.
“Uh, are you okay?” she asked curiously.
Too busy devouring her stunning features with his gaze, Zachary didn’t answer.
She flinched again. “You’re looking at me as though…” The words stumbled and died. “Oh, shit.” Her mouth formed a perfect “O” and her eyes widened dramatically. “I have something on my face, don’t I?” She brushed at her cheeks. “Crumbs? Lipstick? Mascara on my chin?”
Bemused, Zachary shook his head. Her face was perfect. So was her Australian accent.
She frowned, then quickly clamped her mouth shut before opening it again, only this time her lips covered her teeth. “Somesing in my teef? A pieth of food?”
Again Zachary shook his head, incredulous that she could pull such a ridiculous face yet still look so pretty.
She breathed an audible sigh of relief.
“Okay. Then…what? Do you need makeup, maybe?” But she was already shaking her head as her gaze roved over his features. One look was enough to tell her makeup was not his thing.
“No.”
“Ah, he talks.”
Zachary grinned.
“Look, mate. You realize you’re freaking me out a bit here, just staring at me… Oh, Lord, are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Not a ghost, no.” Although Zachary was struck by a strange sense of deja vu. Something about her seemed so…familiar.
“Then what?” She held her hands up in question. “Are you going to explain why you’re looking at me like that?”
“You reminded me of my grandmother, for a minute there.” An image of Edna, his grandmother, flittered through his mind.
She frowned. “I’m twenty-five and I remind you of your grandmother? That cannot be a good thing.”
The chuckle he emitted was belly deep. “You reminded me about something she taught me,” he amended.
“Your nan taught you to stare at women until they squirm awkwardly on the spot?”
“No. She taught me to always appreciate the beauty in the world around me. And right now, I’m pretty damn sure I’m looking at the most beautiful part of Australia.”
Her jaw dropped. “P-pardon?”
Her accent made the word sound like
“I’m looking at you, thinking you are, without a doubt, the most stunning part of Australia.” He hesitated just a second, then caught her delicate arm in his hand, aware of how large his fingers looked as they wrapped around her wrist.
He pressed the two roses into her palm. “For you. Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman. Consider it my way of expressing my appreciation.”
