“Did you sleep well last night?” He took a sip of his wine after he posed the question, regarding her with a look that took no effort from him and still felt like pure seduction.
“Like the proverbial rock.”
“We didn’t get much sleep during that last day or so on the island, did we?” He leaned against the balcony railing, inexplicably turning her on by leaving his firm forearms on display.
She smiled. Heat rushed to her face. “No, we did not. That damn storm kept us up.”
A subtle blush colored his cheeks, and he hung his head, nodding. “Right. It was the storm that kept us awake. The weather was nothing if not distracting.”
She sucked in a deep breath. She loved this glimmer of normalcy between them, their ability to fall into a fun back-and-forth, but it only made her crave more. Was there a way to get beyond the things standing between them? Even if Scott was ever able to get over himself, the Black Crescent problem was inescapable. Her meeting had gone exceptionally well today. She wasn’t about to turn her back on hard-earned success, no matter how much she knew it would anger Zane. Yes, she would come clean, but everything else was on Zane. It was his choice. Not hers.
She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Scott or Brittney wasn’t looking. “No matter what, I will never regret what happened, Zane. I need you to know that. It was amazing.”
He straightened to his full height, leaving her in the shadow of his towering frame, and touched her arm gently. How could he bring her entire body to life with only an instant of caring contact? “Yes. Of course. I feel the same way.”
Her heart began to gallop in her chest, beating an uneven rhythm.
“Dinner’s ready.” Scott was standing at the door to the balcony. His vision noticeably landed on Zane’s hand touching Allison’s arm.
Allison reflexively pulled back from Zane, and he did the same. The instant it happened, a wave of guilt blanketed her. Resentment followed. These games were so stupid. And idiotic. She had to put an end to them. Part of that was finding the right time to tell Zane about Black Crescent. “On our way.”
Allison and Zane joined Scott and Brittney in the dining room. On the front of the house, it had a splendid view of the front yard, and was appointed with all of the elegant trappings of a comfortable life. Allison didn’t like to get too wrapped up in material things. There was plenty of that going on in LA. Still, she could admit that she wanted this for herself. She wanted a husband and a house and children. More to the point, she wanted love and a life partner. She wanted it all.
The spread Brittney put out was truly spectacular—filet mignon cooked to an ideal medium-rare, with rosemary roasted baby potatoes and green beans. The wine Zane had brought was a sublime complement to the meal, and Scott seemed nothing if not relaxed and content because of it. The conversation was fun and light, full of laughs and interesting stories. Zane and Scott told tales—a few from high school, but most from recent years, stories about pickup basketball, epic golf tournaments and even a few nights out drinking. All Allison could think as she watched Zane and Scott together was that she didn’t merely appreciate that they had such a solid friendship, but that she also loved being witness to it. It was a real shame that Zane was a no-go because he was her brother’s best friend. In a lot of ways, it was also what made him perfect.
There were a few moments when Zane delivered a knowing glance with his piercing gaze, leaving Allison to grapple with the resulting hum in her body. Did he know that he could affect her like that without so much as a brush of a finger against the back of her hand? Did he know how much it made her want him, and how frustrating it made the knowledge that she’d never likely experience his touch again?
At the end of the meal, the conversation continued in the kitchen as the four of them cleaned up. They were just about finished when Lily walked in, complaining of a stomachache.
“Come on, sweetheart,” Brittney said. “It’s probably time for you to go to bed anyway. Why don’t you say good-night to Aunt Allison and Uncle Zane?”
Lily merely waved at them, curling into her mom’s hip. “Good night.”
Allison crouched down to give Lily a kiss on the forehead. “Sweet dreams, Lils.”
“Good night.”
“I’m going to help Brittney with bedtime. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Scott said.
The quiet in the kitchen when her brother left was deafening. She and Zane had just been presented with the same scenario they’d been in last month. Except this time, the playing field had definitely changed. Gone were many of Allison’s old reservations, replaced by newer and more intense ones. She didn’t have to wonder how badly it hurt to be rejected by Zane. She’d experienced it firsthand.
“I forgot you were staying here.” Zane took a step closer to her.
“Yes. I always do. The guest room is beautiful. Very comfortable.” She leaned back against the kitchen island, gripping the cool marble counter with both hands.
“Good bed?” he asked.
She laughed and shook her head. “Smooth, Zane. Real smooth.”
He shrugged and inched even closer. “I had an opening, I had to take it.” His hand was inches from hers. He reached out with his thumb and lightly caressed her fingers.
A zip of electricity wound its way down her spine. “Zane...”
“Yes? That is my name.” He slipped his fingers under her hand
