Chapter Eleven
Melina
The snow stopped falling just as Chapman pulled the carriage up to the back of the hotel. It seemed like Mother Nature had decided to give us a private sneak preview of the season. But even though the show was over, the magic of the moment stuck with me.
It didn’t hurt that Zane hadn’t taken his eyes off me, either.
He studied me like I was a work of art to be admired. Or maybe more like a five-star meal he wanted to devour. His attention was intoxicating, making me forget about unpaid bills, pushy coworkers, and the potential danger our time together posed to my career.
As the night carried on, I’d slowly unwound from the pressures and stress and had begun wishing it would never end. But it had to end, didn’t it? I wasn’t so na?ve as to think this spell we were under could last forever.
It was one date. One night. One heartbreak waiting to happen.
“Hungry?” he asked after I’d thanked Chapman and his horses for the wonderful ride.
“I could definitely eat.”
He linked his fingers with mine and directed me back inside, straight to the open kitchen, which was bustling with activity and bursting with the aroma of something spicy and delicious.
“Hey, Zane’s here,” someone shouted, sending a rippling murmur through the group.
Heat crawled up my neck as the entire kitchen staff turned to greet us. Thankfully, the attention didn’t last—everyone who worked in our famous restaurant took their profession seriously—and while some paused to say hello, no one left their station.
Except one woman.
Tall, lean, and gorgeous, she sauntered over to us, her eyes flitting over me, Zane, and our interlocked hands. “Hey, handsome.” She smiled, her deep brown eyes lighting up. “Here to get hooked up?”
Nausea rolled through me. Who was this woman, and how did she know Zane? Or more importantly, how well did she know him?
“I am. Plus one extra,” he drawled cryptically. “Tonya, have you met Melina?”
“Not officially.” She turned her beaming grin my way.
With a deep breath, I forced myself to return her smile and stuck out my hand. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you. I hope we’re not interrupting your work.”
“Oh, girl…” Ignoring my outstretched hand, she leaned in to give me a short but tight hug. “You have no idea how happy this interruption makes me. No idea at all.”
When she pulled away, she shot Zane a knowing look, and even though I couldn’t explain why, something about it made me feel better. The sick feeling receded, leaving a gnawing pit of hunger in its wake.
“Stay right there, I’ve got you covered.” She rushed away, only to return a few minutes later with an overflowing bag of takeout.
This date had been one surprise after another.
Yes, he’d taken me on a mini tour of the place where we worked—a place I spent more time at than my own home—but he was right about his insider knowledge.
He’d shown me things I’d never taken the time to notice, introduced me to people I hadn’t bothered getting to know, and made me feel things that I’d never expected.
And the biggest surprise of all was Zane himself.
Everyone we’d met seemed to love him, and I was starting to understand why. Despite the chemistry between us, he’d been a complete gentleman, putting my needs first. He was affectionate, attentive, and polite. Nothing like his love ‘em and leave ‘em reputation.
But I’d already known he was more than his bad boy persona, hadn’t I? A lot more.
No matter how much I’d tried to fool myself into believing he was nothing more than a man-whore, I’d already known the truth.
I’d caught a glimpse of the real Zane Alexander the first time we’d kissed. He’d shown me a different side of himself that night, and even though it was only for a moment, it was enough to keep me enthralled for the past year. Denying it didn’t make our situation any less complicated.
Besides, it was just one night. So why bother lying to myself?
Now, with our takeout in hand and me in tow, he was showing me that side of himself again.
We stalked out of the kitchen, through the halls, and straight out the front lobby doors to his truck.
It was a gleaming black pickup that had to be worth more than my annual salary.
The leather seats were heated, and the dashboard looked like a cockpit.
Meanwhile, my Honda was held together by duct tape and prayer.
I sank into the warm leather and tried not to think about the gap between his life and mine. It was hard not to, though, surrounded by it like this. The truck smelled new. Like money and cedar. Everything about it reminded me that Zane Alexander came from a world I could only ever visit.
I didn’t bother asking where he was taking me, because I was still with him, so I didn’t really care. But when we pulled into a driveway I recognized, a niggling of doubt crept in.
I’d been here once before, but that night was a blur of grief and alcohol and a kiss I’d spent a year trying not to think about.
Seeing it now, sober, the place looked different than I remembered.
Nicer and a hell of a lot bigger, too. The stone facade, the wide porch, the landscaped yard that would bankrupt my family’s grocery budget.
“Wait there,” he ordered, hopping out of the truck and rushing around to my side.
A surge of cold air enveloped me when he opened my door, but the smile he hit me with warded off the chill. I turned my entire body to face him but didn’t leave my seat.
“Something wrong?” His brow furrowed with a look of sincerity.
I shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips. “This is your place.”
“It is.”
“Yours? Not your family’s?”
He nudged my knees apart with his hips, crowding his way between my legs, his free hand dropping to my thigh.
“Don’t make me carry you into my house, Melina.
” His voice was a deep rumble that rolled straight through me.
“Because I will, and there’s no one in there to save you.
It’s my house. I own it. And no one lives here but me. ”
“You own it?”
“Yeah, firecracker.” His hand slid up my leg, over my hip, and hooked around my back. “You sound surprised.”
“I find everything about you surprising, Zane Alexander.”
His eyes closed, and he dropped his forehead to mine. For a moment, I thought he might kiss me. Hell, I wanted him to kiss me. I’d wanted it for a lot longer than just this moment, too. But he pulled away on a deep sigh, his breath caressing over me, leaving me feeling flushed and confused.
Damn him.
“Come on,” he urged with a smile. “Food’s getting cold. It’s not as good if you nuke it.”
I took his offered hand and followed him up toward his house, but he paused after only a few steps. He dug inside our takeout bag, bringing out a single-serve container.
“Almost forgot something,” he said, pulling me across the lawn to the neighbor’s front door.
I stood beside him, feeling awkward. Until an elderly lady peeked her head out.
“Oh, Zane!” She opened the door wider, revealing her fuzzy pink bathrobe and her frail hand over her heart. “I wondered who’d be knocking on my door at this time of night.”
“It’s only a bit after nine, Mrs. Walker.” His voice was light and teasing, but damn, it was laced with a kind of care that sent my own heart racing.
“Oh dear, is it that late? Past my bedtime, then.”
“Well, we won’t keep you from your beauty sleep, although I think you could probably skip a few nights and give the rest of the girls in town a fighting chance.” He winked at her, and my speeding heart did a damn backflip. “I just wanted to drop this off.”
She took the container of food, bringing it to her nose for a long sniff. “You both flatter and spoil me, young man.” Then, turning her playful gaze to me, she said, “This one’s a keeper, my dear, I hope you know that.”
“Mrs. Walker,” Zane chided, saving me from having to respond.
And thank goodness for that because what could I really say? One night. One date. That was the deal.
But standing on that porch, watching him charm this sweet old woman with the same effortless warmth he’d shown me all evening, the ground shifted under my feet.
Because she wasn’t wrong. And the part of me that knew it—the part that had known since the night on his back porch—was getting harder and harder to silence.
“Good night, youngsters.” She smiled and closed the door in our faces.
We walked back to Zane’s place, hand in hand, my mind too full to form words, and my heart still feeling a bit like it might explode. Maybe his brain was looping around similar circles as mine, because neither of us spoke until we were standing in his kitchen.
“I know we said no alcohol tonight, but would you like a glass of wine with your meal?”
I shrugged out of my coat. Was the wine a good idea? On one hand, it might get rid of some of these nerves. On the other, it might put me in danger of relaxing too much.
“Sure.” Fuck it. For one night, what was the harm?
I hung my coat on the back of a chair and smoothed my hands over the front of my long sweater. When he didn’t move to pour the wine, I looked up to find him staring at the path my hands had just traveled. And suddenly my body was on fire.
Maybe I didn’t need to worry about the wine making me lose my head. My body seemed intent on doing that job. I drifted toward him, my hips swaying with a little something extra, as though they had a mind of their own.
His eyes roamed over me, his throat bobbing hard as he swallowed.
Oh, that was sexy.
“Anything I can help with?” I murmured.
He blinked, shook himself out of his stupor, and turned back to the counter with a smirk. “There is one very hard thing I’d love your help with, but I’m trying to keep this date respectable, as promised.”
Shocked by his salacious honesty, an unruly bout of laughter seized me. I held my stomach with one hand, his counter with my other, and inched my way closer until I was standing right next to him.
Zane’s shoulders shook with laughter as well, but he kept his focus on pouring the wine and unpacking our food.
When my giggles finally subsided, I reached in front of him for a fork, my arm brushing across his abs and my chest pressing lightly against his arm.
“Let’s not bother with plates,” I suggested, digging into the Thai dish, still in its container.
Bringing the bite of food to his lips, I looked up into his burning gaze. “Or is that too scandalous for you?”
My pulse raced in my ears as his mouth closed around the fork on a groan.
“Good?” I pulled the fork back and snagged a bite for myself. The juicy morsel of chicken and noodle hit my tongue with a burst of flavor. Garlic, lemongrass, and a punch of spicy peppers flooded my senses, and I couldn’t help but vocalize my appreciation for it, too.
“Holy shit, that’s amazing,” I moaned around my mouthful.
Damn. Here I was, trying to be sexy and seductive, but suddenly I was famished. My first bite was quickly followed by a second, third, and a fourth.
Followed closely by Zane’s throaty chuckle. “Fucking delectable.” He wrapped an arm around my waist as he moved close behind me, boxing me in against the counter.
“Mm, sorry,” I mumbled, serving the next bite to him from over my shoulder.
He dipped his head, sliding his mouth around the offered portion. Then, on another grateful groan that sent shivers coursing down my spine, he nuzzled up the side of my neck, to my ear, and whispered, “The food’s pretty good, too.”