The craziest thing of all, though, was the fact that he’d loved falling asleep with her. Almost as much as he’d loved everything that had come before...and after.
What was happening to him?
The only thing he knew for sure anymore was that he didn’t have a prayer of keeping his hands off her. Not after the hours they’d just spent together had completely blown his mind. Only an idiot would willingly give up that kind of pleasure.
Zach wasn’t an idiot. Not by a long shot. And he knew he needed to be extra careful about the complications that clearly went hand in hand with such extreme pleasure.
He liked Heather, and that wasn’t going to change. But loving her was still out of the question. Now, more than ever.
Because the thought of making a commitment of forever to Heather, and then leaving her behind to mourn him when he died suddenly just like his father had made Zach’s blood run cold in his veins.
He never wanted anything to hurt Heather ever again.
Especially not him.
He shoved on his jeans and headed into the kitchen, where Atlas and Cuddles were curled up with each other on his rug. Atlas looked up hopefully, then sighed when he saw it was only Zach.
“She’s in the shower. You’ll get her back soon.”
And he shouldn’t be jealous of the fact that her damn dog was going to get to spend the whole day with her. Slamming his coffee pot into the machine, he heard a crack and swore.
Cuddles freaked out at the loud sounds and started barking just as Heather walked into the room, her hair wet around her shoulders. She had on one of his clean button-down shirts, which hung to her knees. Her face was makeup free, her feet were bare...and she looked more beautiful to him than any of the perfect starlets that hung from his brother Smith’s arm at his movie premieres.
“Poor baby,” she said as she bent down for Cuddles to run into her arms. “Did that big, foul-mouthed man scare you?”
Zach shoved away his envy at how naturally Heather opened her arms for his puppy. What if he’d run to her like that? Would she have been that receptive? Would her eyes have lit up and would she be kissing him now instead of the little fur ball?
“It’s all an act,” he told her, “the whole I’m-just-a-little-defenseless-puppy thing.”
“I don’t care.” She pressed a kiss to the top of Cuddles’s head. “I love her anyway.” She looked up and pinned him with a knowing glance. “And so do you.”
“If counting down the days until I can give her back is your definition of love, then yeah, she’s the dog I’ve been waiting for my whole life.”
Her mouth moved up into a wide grin. “You’re going to be lost without her.”
Not bothering to dignify that ridiculous statement with a response, he plopped four pieces of bread into the toaster.
“So, were you impressed?”
She looked momentarily surprised by his question. She put down Cuddles before going to kiss Atlas on his long muzzle, then moved to the sink to wash her hands before eating.“Yes. Very.” She shot him an innately sensual look over her shoulder. “Both times.”
“Good,” he said, but when the seconds ticked by and she didn’t move over to him, he had to add, “You missed one.”
She looked confused. “What did I miss?”
He nodded toward where the dogs were standing by the door, pawing at it. “You kissed everyone but me.”
Surprise softened her pretty features and Zach actually found himself holding his breath as he waited to see what she would do.
Technically, good morning kisses weren’t in their sex-only agreement, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want one.
Slowly, she moved toward him, his chest tightening down even further with every step.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel left out,” she said softly, and then she was putting her hands on either side of his face as she went up on her toes to press a kiss to his lips.
Their kisses until now had been all about sex, and desperate need.
This one was different.
The desire was still there, riding between them the way it had from the first moment they’d met, but there was a softness in this kiss that he’d never shared with anyone.
When she stepped back, she looked as stunned as he felt. Turning quickly to the dogs, she went to open the sliding glass door to let them out into his yard.
Zach moved beside Heather at the door to watch the dogs play. “Your mutt likes it here.”
Heather sighed before agreeing, “He does.”
“What about you?” Zach didn’t know where the question had come from, just that he needed to know.
The toast popped up and she started to move away from him to get it, but he reached out and grabbed her hand, turning her toward him. She looked down at their linked fingers.
“You know exactly how much I liked last night.” She sounded resigned and a little bit upset about it. “The sex was great.”
He dropped her hand, stupidly upset with her answer. What the hell was wrong with him? She was exactly the woman he’d been looking for. Up for ridiculously great sex with none of the other junk attached to it. Like feelings. Or wanting more. Or trying to angle things to be his girlfriend.
Heather was perfect.
The whole damn thing was perfect.
He yanked the bread out of the toaster, slapped on butter and jam, then dropped the plates out on the breakfast counter where he’d already put two cups of coffee.
“So then, we’re on for doing it all over again tonight?”