The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion (Entangled Indulgence) (6 page)

“We’ll attend his benefit in Asheville, pretend we’ve gotten over the past, then come back here and finish the renovation before Christmas,” she said. “Afterward, you’ll return to your father’s company. I’ll stay with mine. We wait it out. Tell him we’ve had an amicable split due to long-distance issues.” Hell, if it worked for the stars in Hollywood, it could work as an excuse for her.

Zach inhaled a deep breath. Let it out slowly. She could see the muscle working in his jaw as he considered the option. Waiting was torture, but she didn’t have a shot if she broke the silence hanging between them.

“I want Michael to be happy.” He nodded. “Chances are he’ll never question our story because he wants to believe us. And you put on a good show.”

His anger, though born out of her rejection, still cut to her marrow. “Of course,” she said. “We’ll be civil, attend Michael’s fundraising speech in Asheville, convince him to stick with the research program, then end this ridiculous charade and get back to work.” She moved an inch closer, met Zach’s black gaze. “Michael won’t fall for this scheme if you continue with your takeover plans afterward. End the bid now.”

“Your lie. My terms.” He walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and withdrew a small box. “I prefer a more definite boundary.”

Her heart
thuddedy-thudded
in her chest. She knew the contents of the box before he returned to stand in front of her. Her engagement ring gleamed inside with accusing sparkles. “I can’t believe you’ve kept it all these years,” she said, unable to believe an object could cause her more hurt.

“I don’t let go of things as easily as you do.” His eyes gleamed with something dangerous, victory and a darker emotion. “It’s perfect for meeting the terms of my proposal.”

A tendril of tension twisted around her spine. What he had in mind had nothing to do with wedding bells and island hopping honeymoons. “What kind of proposal?”

He pulled the ring out and twirled it in his palm. “I propose a fake engagement with all the benefits. That should keep Michael happy long enough to get him to stick with the clinical trial plan.”

“But that’ll mean pretending that we’re in love.”

“How hard can that be?” he asked. “Even you can’t deny the sparks flying between us.”

“No, but sparks don’t imply affection.”

“True, but Michael will see what he wants to see. We don’t have to finish up in private what we start in public, right?” He slipped the ring over the tip of his index finger. “I remember the night you threw this at me, Kennedy. Would you do me the
honor
of wearing it again?”

Something close to desire, lust, and wanting screamed warnings through her nerves. Even now his flaring nostrils, the jut of his jaw, his long lean legs and broad shoulders lured her, gave her trembles. She had wanted him from the moment he’d driven up to the lodge and taken off his motorcycle helmet.

Time slowed as she considered her options. The ticking clock sounded louder as each second passed. Could she pretend affection and keep her heart at bay? Could she play with the fire sparking between them publicly and stop herself from acting on it privately?

Tick-tock-tick-tock
clanged in her ears. If she accepted his fake proposal, she’d have no problem pretending that her blood ran hot for Zach. She’d just have to stop it from exploding behind closed doors.

Kennedy swallowed. “I won’t
honor
you.” She held out her left hand. “But I will do it for Michael’s sake.”

He slid the platinum band over her ring finger. The diamond, always too big and too grand for her slender hand, weighed heavy. The emeralds he’d chosen to surround its clarity glittered as a mocking reminder of hope long lost and dreams shattered.

She twirled the gems inward, fisted her hand. The edges of the perfect stones cut her skin.

“What about your takeover bid?” she asked.

“I’ll shelve it for Michael’s sake.”

“Great.” At least that problem was solved. What would be trickier to figure out was how to control her hormones whenever she was alone with Zach.

His eyes gleamed hot. “I’ll change our reservations from separate rooms to a single suite.”

“No way.”

“Yes way if you want Michael to believe we’re sleeping together.”

“Good point.”

He circled the underside of her wrist. “You want to start practicing our fake relationship today?”

She’d no doubt he’d test her limits. “Is it really necessary?” Kennedy asked, though her tingling sensitized girl parts had no question that it was absolutely necessary.

He pulled her closer. “Do you want to kiss or not?”

Heat flamed through her skin. Branding her. Marking her as his. She couldn’t lie.

“Yes.”

He anchored her neck, then moved his mouth over hers. His kiss was hungry, wild, bruising her lips with his power. Over and over he plunged his tongue into her mouth.

Even as her mind rebelled against the ramifications of testing her own limits, something equally wild whipped through her, obliterating her rational brain’s objections.

Chapter Six

Zach kissed her, holding her close, mercilessly assaulting her mouth with his. The battle Kennedy mentally waged against her body slipped away. She was Zach’s as she’d always been—his lover, his woman, his mate.

She curled into his strength, drew power from him, rushed her hands up his strong back and wove them around his broad shoulders. His muscles tightened beneath her touch, and she reveled in the masculine power flowing through him, the feral need growing dangerously out of control inside him.

Still, she couldn’t stop the kiss. She wouldn’t end the heat blazing between them. Over and over he plundered her mouth, rendered her mindless with his brutal, bruising lips. She met his challenge, twined his hair into her hands, acutely aware of his unspoken anger and regret, blurring the boundaries between love and hate. Emotions she’d wrestled with for years.

She refused to bend first. Refused to be the reason why they stopped this insanity. If he wanted, he could have her here. Right now. And she wouldn’t fight the taking.

He wrenched his mouth from hers, his breathing harsh and ragged. “Give instructions for the construction crews to Caleb. We leave today.”

Anger, lust, and passion roared through her veins, heated her face. She swallowed her angry retort to his abrupt tone.

This is for our friend. For the company’s future. Don’t surrender now. Don’t let him win when you have so much to lose
.

“I’ll pack my stuff and meet you in Asheville,” she said, raising her chin.

“You’ll ride with me.” Zach walked to his chair, then lifted his gaze, staring at her from top to toe. “See you in sixty—and leave the tool belt and boots in Sweetbriar. I’ll buy whatever you need for the benefit gala after we arrive. You can shop the boutiques tomorrow.”

Though she’d learned a trick or two in the feminine wear department, his disparaging appraisal reminded her that his recent dating list included A-list stars and rich socialites. She’d almost forgotten how much power Zach wielded beyond the North Carolinian border. “I’ll pack the dresses I own for this trip.” She met his obsidian gaze. “But if you want to spend your money on me, that’s your prerogative. After all, what woman wouldn’t want to buy a boatload of couture clothes on her fiancé’s dime?”

His nostrils flared. “Don’t test me,” he said.

“Don’t condescend to me.”

She’d wear a dress designed to make his mouth water. Let him suffer some serious male discomfort for all the crap he’d put her through with his takeover attempt. She twirled her emerald engagement ring and squeezed. The sharp-edged pain of the gem sliced into her palm and encouraged her to stand her ground.

“See you in an hour,” she said before leaving.

The minutes of time vanished in a vortex of rapid instructions to Caleb, a flurry of packing, and additional moments fussing with her makeup. As she pulled her suitcase into the lobby, Kennedy added an extra swing to her gait.

Her floral print sheath flowed and shimmied just above her knees. For the first time in months, she’d slipped into sheer stockings and high heels. The combination of the swirling hemline and the silky caress of her pantyhose emboldened her with a sexy, sassy, and seductive inner glow.

She preferred to wear her boots, jeans, and construction hat to command her crew’s respect, but she’d learned to use her feminine assets to her advantage when approaching the corporate world.

Now she’d use her new armor to her advantage when dealing with Zach.

As she approached him, Zach’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Warmth spread through her body. “What’s the matter, Tanner? You forget what I look like in a dress?” Kennedy rolled her suitcase to a stop and casually anchored her hand on her hip.

He might have forgotten, but she recalled how easily she’d win an argument by giving him a taste of her, sweet-as-lemonade on a hot summer night with an all-woman twist.

He closed his mouth and flushed. “I’m surprised you still remember how to strut in heels.”

Kennedy inhaled Zach’s crisp scent, heard the undertone of want in his voice. “You’d be surprised by a lot of the things I still know how to do,” she said, not admitting her lack of practice in the years since he’d coaxed that side of her out of hiding with lace and satin and other sinfully naughty gifts.

He cleared his throat. “I’ll stow your luggage in my trunk.”

She saw the white bone of his knuckles as he gripped her luggage handle. A frisson of anticipation shimmied along her skin.
Score one for girl power.
“Excellent.” She twirled on her heel and sashayed ahead of him, fully attuned to the heat of his penetrating, masculine gaze on her backside.

Within minutes, Zach had driven onto the main road and shifted his recently delivered Ferrari into full gear. He handled the machine with finesse and grace and without attempting conversation. Kennedy massaged her temples, feeling exhausted and strained to the limit by the overwhelming cloud of silence hanging between them. She swallowed down mundane observations about the weather, the scenery, the state of traffic as if they were bitter pills.

Each mile they traveled to Asheville, the foreign vehicle’s engine hummed louder. The small interior shrank until she was fully aware of Zach. He was close. So close she could feel his heat and inhale the aroma of his spicy cologne. When she glanced at his profile, she could see the fine lines etching creases in his brow, scooping a line beside his pinched mouth and knotting the muscles in his jaw.

Longing unfurled low in her belly. Her mouth dried and she licked her lips. Years ago, she’d reach out to him, feel the warmth of his palm sliding against hers. But then she’d been naïve, easily mesmerized by Zach’s charm, and the way he made her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Oh, she’d been intoxicated, blissful and blinded by love at the same time.

Now her eyes were wide open. And they weren’t innocent anymore.

Kennedy clasped her hands in her lap and looked away. She stared through her window at the mountains overlooking valleys dotted with farmhouses, the winding Tennessee River weaving its way to Florida, and the billboards advertising whitewater rafting expeditions. She squeezed her eyes and the scenery blurred, the heavenly paint sliding off the landscape’s canvas.

Within another long hour, they arrived at the opulent hotel in Asheville. Two doormen with young, eager faces rushed to assist them. She slanted her glance to Zach as he handed his car key to the valet along with a fifty-dollar bill.

“Take care of her,” he said, sliding his hand across the hood of the car. “And have the bellhop bring our luggage to my suite.”

The teenager pocketed the money and flashed a smile, his adolescent teeth gleaming with steel braces. “Yes, sir.” He wrote out a claim ticket and gave it to Zach.

A tremor crackled inside her chest. The youth’s deference coupled with Zach’s generous, nonchalant attitude about money and material possessions caught her off guard. “You always over-tip?” Kennedy asked.

“Helps smooth out potential wrinkles—or dents—before they happen,” he replied, pocketing the ticket.

“Money doesn’t solve everything,” she said.

Zach put his hand on the small of her back and guided her across the cobblestone and concrete parking lot. “I learned that lesson the hard way.”

Kennedy bit back an angry retort as she walked toward the front doors that the hotel staff held open, their heads bowed ever so slightly. “Welcome to the Grandview, Mr. Tanner,” one said.

“They know your name?”

“They should,” Zach said. “I own the property.”

“I guess that explains why a sold out hotel had no problem getting us into a suite.”

No wonder he thought he could control every situation, Kennedy thought as she stared at the hotel’s elegant façade—recently restored, according to the photos displayed on the walls she walked past. He was far more powerful than she’d imagined.

And his reputation for respecting the history and grandeur of the properties his company owned was reflected in the Grandview’s old world style and the homage the décor paid to the surrounding natural elements of stone and forest and sky.

Under different circumstances, she could spend hours in the beautiful complex—away from her past, her troubles, her worries. Fooling Michael might work, but keeping the truth from his super perceptive younger sister Hannah would be more difficult.

“Michael said he’d meet us in the lobby.”

His voice sounded rough and a muscle jumped at the base of his jaw.

A shiver traveled along her spine that had less to do with the hotel’s cool air and more to do with her body’s reaction to Zach’s light touch. “Do we meet him before or after we check in?” she asked.

“After.” He guided her to the front desk, where the clerk had their keycards and hotel information ready as soon as they arrived. “Everything I asked for taken care of?”

“Absolutely,” she said brightly. “We’ve loaded the bar with your favorite brand of scotch and a wide variety of top-shelf liquors. The sommelier selected several fine wines and there’s a wide variety of refreshments and soft drinks as well.”

“Excellent work.”

The woman blushed. “Thank you, sir.”

Zach handed Kennedy a room key and she tucked it into her purse, then heard a familiar voice call her name. When she looked up, Hannah Sullivan was crossing the lobby floor. Her heart rate kicked up a notch. “Crap,” she muttered. “If we can’t fool Hannah, we won’t pull this off.”

Zach wrapped his arm around her waist and closed the small distance between their bodies. “Better start now.”

His clean scent and the warmth of his palm on her side sent a quiver through her muscles. “Hannah,” she said when her friend reached them. “I’m so glad you’re home.” But oh how she wished she didn’t have to lie to her friend.

“So am I,” Hannah said, hugging them both, then releasing them quickly. “What the heck’s going on with y’all? Michael’s pretty pissed off at you, Zach.”

“He shouldn’t be,” Zach said.

Hannah nodded, her hazel eyes—so like her brother’s—somber. “Oh? From what I heard, you’re trying to destroy Kennedy’s company. But…” She paused and looked at their linked bodies. “It doesn’t look like you’re enemies anymore.”

“We’re not.” Kennedy raised her left hand, took in the sudden startled light in Hannah’s gaze. “We’re engaged again.”

“Holy crap. Michael’s going to be over the moon.” Hannah grabbed Kennedy’s hand and checked the ring. “And it’s the same engagement ring. How romantic.”

Not really. Still, she’d heard a skeptical tone in her friend’s voice, so she snuggled a little closer to Zach. “He’s kept it all these years in the hope of winning my heart again,” she said.

“As long as you’re happy.”

“We are,” Zach said. “Where’s Michael?”

“He’s at the Overlook restaurant,” Hannah said. “Come on. I’ll take you there and we’ll celebrate. God knows we could use something happy to think about.”

And Kennedy hoped like hell that she could keep up the charade. Still, as they walked beside Hannah, she couldn’t stop checking out the way Zach’s dress slacks showcased his powerfully muscular legs. Nor could she avoid admiring the exquisite fit of his charcoal suit jacket, which hugged his broad shoulders to perfection.

Her heart hip-hopped and skipped a beat. A heaviness filled her breasts, and they swelled. Heat scorched her flesh, pooled in all her feminine zones. Zach was devastatingly handsome. She easily recalled his physical prowess in the bedroom. Pretending that she was physically attracted to Zach would be as easy as threading an oversized needle with a fine skein of silk.

But pretending that she trusted him after he’d manipulated her into accepting this ridiculous situation? Not so much. That would be as impossible as building a house with a staple gun.

“How is he?” Zach asked as they crossed the lobby floor and moved toward the hotel’s premiere restaurant.

“He’s good, all things considered,” Hannah said. “His spirits are high and he’s handling all the changes well so far. It’s just that we never know what’s going to happen next.”

“Bad enough it’s affected his speech center,” Zach said.

“He’s still the same guy, but a little raspier when he talks.” Hannah paused before they reached the restaurant. “Listen. He’s losing his ability to walk.”

Beside him, Kennedy gasped and Zach tightened his hold on her waist, anchoring her to him instinctively. “This is happening too fast,” he said. “What can I do to help?” When they’d Skyped a week ago, Michael had only talked about his fantasy football league beating Zach’s.

“Don’t be all freaked out when you see him in the wheelchair.” Hannah tucked her long blond hair behind her ear. “Just follow his lead, and don’t let him see how much this is scaring you.”

“Why the hell not?” Zach asked.

“Because it’s scaring him a whole lot more. And the last thing Michael needs is to worry about making everyone else feel better. That’s our job.” She looked at Kennedy’s left hand, then back at their faces. “So go in there and give Michael your good news.”

”Will do.” Kennedy nodded. Then they stepped inside the restaurant and spotted Michael sitting at a cloth-covered table for four that had an expansive view of the hotel’s grounds.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that gave a perfect view of the resort’s golf greens. He waved and Michael lifted his hand in return, but the welcome in his wave didn’t reach Michael’s narrowed gaze until he realized Kennedy was glued to Zach’s side.

Then Michael’s mouth dropped and his brows lifted.

“You’ve definitely got his attention now,” Hannah said.

“Let’s do this,” Zach said.

His palm itched to caress the length of Kennedy’s curves from the tiny indent of her waist all the way down to cup the fullness of her excellent backside. Her feminine scent, a seductive floral mix reminding him of a clear spring day, made his mouth water far more than the restaurant’s succulent aromas of roasting meat and baked breads. Fooling Michael would not be an issue.