pressed the unit to her ear.
“What? Brina? What’s wrong?” Her voice was groggy and the frown heavy on her forehead when she sat up and took hold of the phone. His woman was clearly not a morning person.
Okay, maybe five thirty was a little early for a lot of people, but still, she looked real cranky. Good to know for the future.
“What?” Her body tensed and she snapped the word out dragging his attention from her naked breasts. “Nooooo. They caught him? Okay. Yes. I’ll be right there.”
She jumped from the bed and threw the phone into his lap. “I’ve gotta go.”
He put the phone back in its cradle and threw the sheets back. “What happened?
“Someone broke in to the gallery and trashed it. Well, Brina Jo said their plan was to trash it, but the cops got there before too much damage was done. I have to go. Where are my clothes?” She threw her hands up. “Fuck!”
She dashed from the room and her footsteps thumped down the stairs to the basement.
A white hot flash of anger went through Zach at the thought of someone deliberately doing damage to all that Teal had worked for. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, then another. Now was not the time to be angry, now was the time to be there for her…for the woman he was in love with.
He tugged on a pair of jeans, and t-shirt in hand, he met Teal in the living room.
“What more can fucking happen? Why me? Why now? This gallery is a good idea, damn it, and I can’t even get it opened!” She was cursing fiercely while she fought with a shoe and he couldn’t handle it anymore.
“Hey, hey, hey.” He reached out and pulled her against his chest. Stroking his fingers through her hair he tried to soothe her. “It’s okay. They caught whoever it was and Brina said there wasn’t much damage right? We can fix whatever it is in time for the opening.”
She pushed back from him. “What do you mean we can fix the damage?”
His chest tightened at the anger in her eyes and he had to remind himself that it wasn’t him she was angry with. “Just what I said. I’ll come with you, help you get things cleaned up.”
She shook her head and avoided his eyes, putting her shoes on. “That’s not necessary. It’s my place not yours, and I’ll deal with it.”
“I know it’s not necessary, but I’d like to do it.”
She straightened up and started for the door. “Just because I let you be in charge when we get naked doesn’t mean you are in charge of everything I do. This is my place and I said I’d handle it.”
“I know it’s your place, and I’m not trying to control you, I just want to help you.” Impatience and hurt crept into his voice and she snapped at him.
“Really? You want to help me? Then get out of my way so I can leave.
Pain knifed through his chest. This was why she was trouble. This was why he’d known he shouldn’t get involved with her. He thought he was standing beside her, and she thought he was standing in front of her, blocking her way.
He took two steps and opened the front door for her. Trying one last time as she walked past him and out the door. “You don’t have to deal with this alone, Teal.”
But she just kept walking, without saying a word.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Teal was just starting to think she’d overreacted. That she’d taken her anger at the vandals out on Zach because he was closest when she walked in the gallery, and saw Dominick talking to a police officer at the reception desk.
“Teal!” Brina Jo called out from the middle of the gallery. She left her husband, who she’d been hugging, and came rushing over. “I know it looks bad, but I’ve looked around and it looks lots worse than it is.”
She stood still while Brina Jo wrapped gave her a hard and fast hug.
The beautiful cream walls were decorated with the words ‘sinners’, ‘slut’, ‘whore’, all in neon green and yellow. The corner section where she’d placed the glass dildo, along with
“What? Brina? What’s wrong?” Her voice was groggy and the frown heavy on her forehead when she sat up and took hold of the phone. His woman was clearly not a morning person.
Okay, maybe five thirty was a little early for a lot of people, but still, she looked real cranky. Good to know for the future.
“What?” Her body tensed and she snapped the word out dragging his attention from her naked breasts. “Nooooo. They caught him? Okay. Yes. I’ll be right there.”
She jumped from the bed and threw the phone into his lap. “I’ve gotta go.”
He put the phone back in its cradle and threw the sheets back. “What happened?
“Someone broke in to the gallery and trashed it. Well, Brina Jo said their plan was to trash it, but the cops got there before too much damage was done. I have to go. Where are my clothes?” She threw her hands up. “Fuck!”
She dashed from the room and her footsteps thumped down the stairs to the basement.
A white hot flash of anger went through Zach at the thought of someone deliberately doing damage to all that Teal had worked for. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, then another. Now was not the time to be angry, now was the time to be there for her…for the woman he was in love with.
He tugged on a pair of jeans, and t-shirt in hand, he met Teal in the living room.
“What more can fucking happen? Why me? Why now? This gallery is a good idea, damn it, and I can’t even get it opened!” She was cursing fiercely while she fought with a shoe and he couldn’t handle it anymore.
“Hey, hey, hey.” He reached out and pulled her against his chest. Stroking his fingers through her hair he tried to soothe her. “It’s okay. They caught whoever it was and Brina said there wasn’t much damage right? We can fix whatever it is in time for the opening.”
She pushed back from him. “What do you mean we can fix the damage?”
His chest tightened at the anger in her eyes and he had to remind himself that it wasn’t him she was angry with. “Just what I said. I’ll come with you, help you get things cleaned up.”
She shook her head and avoided his eyes, putting her shoes on. “That’s not necessary. It’s my place not yours, and I’ll deal with it.”
“I know it’s not necessary, but I’d like to do it.”
She straightened up and started for the door. “Just because I let you be in charge when we get naked doesn’t mean you are in charge of everything I do. This is my place and I said I’d handle it.”
“I know it’s your place, and I’m not trying to control you, I just want to help you.” Impatience and hurt crept into his voice and she snapped at him.
“Really? You want to help me? Then get out of my way so I can leave.
Pain knifed through his chest. This was why she was trouble. This was why he’d known he shouldn’t get involved with her. He thought he was standing beside her, and she thought he was standing in front of her, blocking her way.
He took two steps and opened the front door for her. Trying one last time as she walked past him and out the door. “You don’t have to deal with this alone, Teal.”
But she just kept walking, without saying a word.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Teal was just starting to think she’d overreacted. That she’d taken her anger at the vandals out on Zach because he was closest when she walked in the gallery, and saw Dominick talking to a police officer at the reception desk.
“Teal!” Brina Jo called out from the middle of the gallery. She left her husband, who she’d been hugging, and came rushing over. “I know it looks bad, but I’ve looked around and it looks lots worse than it is.”
She stood still while Brina Jo wrapped gave her a hard and fast hug.
The beautiful cream walls were decorated with the words ‘sinners’, ‘slut’, ‘whore’, all in neon green and yellow. The corner section where she’d placed the glass dildo, along with
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