Zack Baker
She Had Guts
Needing an outlet for the energy churning inside him, Zack prowled the kitchen.
Yesterday his life had been perfectly ordered. Gena’s betrayal and the loss of Shanna had been locked in memory, the key thrown away. Today, every recollection had been unearthed and exposed by his future wife.
He grabbed a beer from the refrigerator.
His future wife.
If he had his way, they’d be married in less than two weeks—not bad for a man who’d sworn he’d never again wear a woman’s lying promise on his ring finger.
They can opened with a satisfying hiss.
Even if love wasn’t an option, he intended—in every other way—for them to be a married couple. He’d share everything with her—his home, his life, his bed…
Zacky took care of the things that were his—especially his family. Tegan’s needs were secondary.
He drank from the can, long and deep.
Who the hell did he think he was fooling?
It mattered what Tegan wanted, mattered a great deal. She was going to be the mother of his child. Despite his threats, he knew she held power.
Yet he was learning the way to get past Tegan’s defenses—gentle words and a gentler touch. He discovered that when they’d danced, talked, made love…
Tegan was a wonderful woman, one who thought with her heart more than her head. After Gena, that was a welcome change.
The thought of Gena brought his anger back to the surface. The two women were nothing alike. He knew that, but he’d still been furious when he discovered Tegan had never intended to tell him about his baby. Even though he’d locked his emotions off from all women, his heart had stopped when she nearly fainted.
Zack crushed the can in one hand.
He cared about her. He didn’t love her, wasn’t capable of that, but yeah, it mattered what she wanted.
She was getting to him.
In less than a couple of hours, she tested his physical resolve, making him hungry for her. And she’d pushed him to the edge emotionally. She’d probed his past, entering Shanna’s room against his wishes and asking questions about Gena.
Then Tegan had the nerve to close a door in his face.
She had guts.
He’d meant it when he said there would be no closed doors between them after they were married. He was every bit as attracted to her now as he had been two months ago. She stirred something inside, and a part if him realized that it went deeper than wanting to be part of his child’s life.
Even though he refused to love again, they would live together as husband and wife—in every sense.
Their future would be anything but boring, he knew. He figured it was a good thing he didn’t much care for boring.
Dragging his emotions—and hormones—under control, he took a couple of steaks from the freezer to thaw, then headed outside to complete his chores.
He’d stormed out of the house this morning before his work was done. Getting the truth out of Tegan had been more important than anything else and had crushed every other thought. Seemed she had a habit of doing that to him.
The screen door slammed behind him and Zack knew he needed physical release. Exercise was better than nothing. Being away from Tegan and the scent of her lingering in the air wouldn’t hurt, either.
Yesterday his life had been perfectly ordered. Gena’s betrayal and the loss of Shanna had been locked in memory, the key thrown away. Today, every recollection had been unearthed and exposed by his future wife.
He grabbed a beer from the refrigerator.
His future wife.
If he had his way, they’d be married in less than two weeks—not bad for a man who’d sworn he’d never again wear a woman’s lying promise on his ring finger.
They can opened with a satisfying hiss.
Even if love wasn’t an option, he intended—in every other way—for them to be a married couple. He’d share everything with her—his home, his life, his bed…
Zacky took care of the things that were his—especially his family. Tegan’s needs were secondary.
He drank from the can, long and deep.
Who the hell did he think he was fooling?
It mattered what Tegan wanted, mattered a great deal. She was going to be the mother of his child. Despite his threats, he knew she held power.
Yet he was learning the way to get past Tegan’s defenses—gentle words and a gentler touch. He discovered that when they’d danced, talked, made love…
Tegan was a wonderful woman, one who thought with her heart more than her head. After Gena, that was a welcome change.
The thought of Gena brought his anger back to the surface. The two women were nothing alike. He knew that, but he’d still been furious when he discovered Tegan had never intended to tell him about his baby. Even though he’d locked his emotions off from all women, his heart had stopped when she nearly fainted.
Zack crushed the can in one hand.
He cared about her. He didn’t love her, wasn’t capable of that, but yeah, it mattered what she wanted.
She was getting to him.
In less than a couple of hours, she tested his physical resolve, making him hungry for her. And she’d pushed him to the edge emotionally. She’d probed his past, entering Shanna’s room against his wishes and asking questions about Gena.
Then Tegan had the nerve to close a door in his face.
She had guts.
He’d meant it when he said there would be no closed doors between them after they were married. He was every bit as attracted to her now as he had been two months ago. She stirred something inside, and a part if him realized that it went deeper than wanting to be part of his child’s life.
Even though he refused to love again, they would live together as husband and wife—in every sense.
Their future would be anything but boring, he knew. He figured it was a good thing he didn’t much care for boring.
Dragging his emotions—and hormones—under control, he took a couple of steaks from the freezer to thaw, then headed outside to complete his chores.
He’d stormed out of the house this morning before his work was done. Getting the truth out of Tegan had been more important than anything else and had crushed every other thought. Seemed she had a habit of doing that to him.
The screen door slammed behind him and Zack knew he needed physical release. Exercise was better than nothing. Being away from Tegan and the scent of her lingering in the air wouldn’t hurt, either.