Chapter 17
Zach
Zach’s heel tapped a quick rhythm on the wooden porch. Lauren had been out with her date for hours and hadn’t bothered answering any of his messages. The least she could do was let him know she was still alive.
His breath billowed into a thick fog as he clenched his fists on the armrests of the rocking chair. It was thirty degrees outside, but he wasn’t about to give up his post.
How could she be dating? Had she been out with this guy before? Where had she met him?
The more important question was what it meant for him. He didn’t have any delusions that she’d be interested in him, but no guy with two brain cells would let his girlfriend anywhere near Zach.
That meant he’d get the boot soon. It wasn’t a surprise, except that it was.
He’d gotten used to seeing her every day.
He liked watching her sit on the couch with her legs bent beside her while she read or studied in the evenings.
He liked the way she bossed him around and called to ask if he wanted to come over for dinner.
Good grief, they were friends. They’d become friends, and he hadn’t seen it coming.
If only his feelings were as tame as the friend zone.
The rumble of a truck approached, and Zach kept his seat despite the urge to jump up and make the cowboy disappear before he hit the driveway. His heart hammered as the vehicle slowly pulled in front of Lauren’s house.
He’d turned into a statue, and if Lauren and her date had noticed him, they didn’t make any quick moves to say their goodbyes. If only he could see through the darkness in the cab of the truck.
Okay, they’d had long enough. He got to his feet, ready for whatever his body decided to do on instinct, when the guy stepped out of the driver’s side and walked around the vehicle.
Lauren was holding onto his arm and carrying a red rose when they made their way toward the house.
Her soft laugh drifted through the night as she walked arm in arm with Mr. Perfect cowboy.
Did he want to rearrange the guy’s face or rip his arm off? He’d decide when the time came. Either way, the wrangler wouldn’t look half as good if he scored a second date with Lauren.
The melodic sound of her laughter died when she noticed Zach standing on the porch. The light behind him cast a long shadow over the yard and loomed perfectly over her date.
Mr. Steal-Your-Girl quickly shoved Lauren behind him and whispered to her, “Get back in the truck.”
That was cute. He thought he was protecting Lauren. If anyone was going to be protecting her, it would be Zach. End of story.
Zach stepped to the end of the porch and crossed his arms over his chest. “Please spare us your embarrassment and get out of my sight.”
Lauren pushed against her date’s arm. “Zach, what are you doing?”
The man turned his head slightly but didn’t take his gaze off of Zach. “You know this guy?”
“I’m your worst nightmare,” Zach said.
“Oh, shut up,” Lauren spat. “Yes, I know him. He’s the man I’m about to kick into next week.”
Her date touched her arm as she passed him. “Are you sure you’re okay? I would feel better if I stayed until he leaves.”
Lauren’s shoulders sank, and her chin lowered. She looked tired, and Zach was no doubt the cause of it.
“I’m fine, Wes. Thank you for a wonderful date. I hope this hasn’t scared you off.”
Wes shot a warning glare at Zach and hesitated before lowering his hand. “If you’re sure. I’m just a phone call away.”
“Thanks again,” she said, turning to march toward Zach.
At least she hadn’t promised to call her date. That had to be a good sign.
Lauren grabbed Zach’s arm as she stomped past him and seethed, “Get inside.”
She threw her purse onto the couch and threaded her hands into her hair before whirling on him. “What are you doing?”
With her hair fanning out and a pink tint covering her cheeks, it was tough to focus on what she was raving about. “I was making sure you made it home safe.”
“Safe?” Doubling over, she let out a riotous laugh before pushing her hair out of her face when she stood. “Safe? I’m never safe. You’re always lurking around the next corner, ready to tear me to shreds!”
Okay, that wasn’t fair. He hadn’t hurt her. “That guy looked like he wanted to eat you up.”
“So?” She threw her hands out to her sides.
“So I’ll kill him,” Zach said, crossing his arms.
Lauren scoffed. “You can’t kill him.”
The heat was rising to a boil in Zach’s middle. Why couldn’t she see how vulnerable she was? All it would take would be one guy who decided he wanted more, and she’d be done for. “I don’t want him touching you. Or looking at you. Or anything.”
Lauren straightened, and her expression softened. It wasn’t a kind softening, but a resolved change, calculated and determined. She propped her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. “He can touch me if I say he can touch me.”
That did it. Something inside Zach snapped like a twig. He erased the space between them, stopping when they were nose to nose.
He had to give her credit. She didn’t back down or shrink when they went toe-to-toe. The way she pressed her lips together said she was ready to fight, but this was one thing he wouldn’t back down from.
“What about me?” he asked.
Her delicate brows pulled slightly together over her stormy eyes as she spat, “What about you?”
That was it. He was standing too close, and she was pushing too far. The soft floral scent she carried tingled in his nose and short-circuited his brain. He wasn’t in control anymore. Someone else was driving the ship, and he was just the pawn. “Do I get to touch you?”
Lauren’s nostrils flared slightly as she lifted her chin an inch higher to whisper, “Never. Get out.”
And that was his cue. He’d never been one to give up, but fighting with Lauren only made him want her more. Some pivotal part of his brain said he had to get out. It was now or never.
In three lumbering strides, he was out the door. The cold couldn’t touch him tonight. Not with the volcano about to erupt.
He was losing his grip. This was his fault. He’d lowered his defenses, but how was he supposed to have known he’d need them against her? She was the last person he’d have expected to bring him down.
Whatever she’d done to him was torture. It was a cross between anger and…desperation? Obsession? Whatever it was, it was making him physically sick, and he had to push it away before it swallowed him whole.