Bryony clutched self-consciously at the neck of the bathrobe to impede his view.
She was achingly aware of her dripping hair, bare feet, and the fact that she wore nothing at all under the thin robe. Even more humiliating was that Zach seemed to know it too, judging from the heat in his eyes as he stared down at her.
"You're not ready yet," he said.
"Obviously not," she snapped, with more ire than she felt. "I didn't see you downstairs, and I --"
"I took a drive up the coast. Since we didn't set an exact time for dinner, I didn't hurry back."
"Oh." Bryony smoothed her damp hair with her free hand, feeling foolish. He was right. She'd jumped to conclusions again.
"Anyway, I'll be downstairs having a drink when you're ready." Zach looked her up and down again, enjoying the hot flush on her cheeks and the glimpses of bare shoulder he caught whenever she moved.
She looked wonderfully fresh and sweet wrapped in white terry cloth. The steam added a slight curl to her coppery hair and lent a light sheen to her skin. He longed to slide his hands under the robe and push it to the floor. Before he could stop himself, he took hold of her shoulders and leaned down, his lips hungrily seeking hers.
Bryony's breath caught in her throat as he touched her. Her head tilted up on its own accord so she could stare into Zach's face. The hand holding her bathrobe shut unclenched slowly and dropped to her side. She felt the heat of his breath on her cheek and knew he was about to kiss her. Her pulse skittered and a delicious shudder swept through her body. She could feel her heart beating furiously in the hollow at the base of her neck.
Kevin cleared his throat. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Zach let go of Bryony's shoulders and spun around. Bryony clutched at her robe again, feeling as guilty as a teenager caught with her boyfriend on the couch. "Of course not," she said. "We were just --"
"Discussing our dinner plans," Zach said. Bryony was amazed to see that he was as calm and composed as ever. She wondered if anything ever broke through that iron surface, if anyone could arouse real emotion in Zachary Callahan. Sometimes he seemed as precise and mechanical as a computer. The night before, though, he'd seemed very human indeed. And just now, when he'd lowered his lips toward hers -- but Kevin had come in, and he'd reverted to his usual logical self.
"I have some good news," Kevin said. "Vivien sent me up to tell you, Bryony. The builder called to say our new house is running ahead of schedule."
"Oh! That's wonderful," she said. "When will they finish?"
"That's the thing," he said, grinning. "It's done now. We can move in right away."
"Just like that?" Bryony was stunned. The sisters had lived together since Vivien's graduation from medical school. Kevin had moved in five months ago, right after the wedding. Now they were both moving several miles away, leaving her alone. "Well, that's -- I mean, it's terrific. I guess."
"We were thinking of starting tomorrow," Kevin said. "We've already done a lot of the packing, so it shouldn't take long. Tomorrow and Sunday, and then we'll be finished."
"Tomorrow?" Bryony repeated, blinking in surprise. "So soon?"
"I'd be glad to help," Zach said.
"You don't have to do that," Vivien said. She'd climbed the stairs and come up behind them so quietly that no one had noticed.
"I'd like to do it," Zach said.
"Thank you," Kevin said. "I could definitely use a hand with some of the larger furniture."
Bryony looked from one face to another, a little dazed. Kevin and Vivien were moving out tomorrow. That meant she'd be alone with -- "Vivien," she said. "You can't leave. We have a houseguest, remember?"
"Don't worry," Zach said. "We'll get along fine, just the two of us. Unless you're not comfortable having me here? I can always go back to the Sea View Inn."
"No need for that," Vivien said, fixing her sister with a fierce stare. "Is there, Bryony?"
"No," she said, against her better
She was achingly aware of her dripping hair, bare feet, and the fact that she wore nothing at all under the thin robe. Even more humiliating was that Zach seemed to know it too, judging from the heat in his eyes as he stared down at her.
"You're not ready yet," he said.
"Obviously not," she snapped, with more ire than she felt. "I didn't see you downstairs, and I --"
"I took a drive up the coast. Since we didn't set an exact time for dinner, I didn't hurry back."
"Oh." Bryony smoothed her damp hair with her free hand, feeling foolish. He was right. She'd jumped to conclusions again.
"Anyway, I'll be downstairs having a drink when you're ready." Zach looked her up and down again, enjoying the hot flush on her cheeks and the glimpses of bare shoulder he caught whenever she moved.
She looked wonderfully fresh and sweet wrapped in white terry cloth. The steam added a slight curl to her coppery hair and lent a light sheen to her skin. He longed to slide his hands under the robe and push it to the floor. Before he could stop himself, he took hold of her shoulders and leaned down, his lips hungrily seeking hers.
Bryony's breath caught in her throat as he touched her. Her head tilted up on its own accord so she could stare into Zach's face. The hand holding her bathrobe shut unclenched slowly and dropped to her side. She felt the heat of his breath on her cheek and knew he was about to kiss her. Her pulse skittered and a delicious shudder swept through her body. She could feel her heart beating furiously in the hollow at the base of her neck.
Kevin cleared his throat. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Zach let go of Bryony's shoulders and spun around. Bryony clutched at her robe again, feeling as guilty as a teenager caught with her boyfriend on the couch. "Of course not," she said. "We were just --"
"Discussing our dinner plans," Zach said. Bryony was amazed to see that he was as calm and composed as ever. She wondered if anything ever broke through that iron surface, if anyone could arouse real emotion in Zachary Callahan. Sometimes he seemed as precise and mechanical as a computer. The night before, though, he'd seemed very human indeed. And just now, when he'd lowered his lips toward hers -- but Kevin had come in, and he'd reverted to his usual logical self.
"I have some good news," Kevin said. "Vivien sent me up to tell you, Bryony. The builder called to say our new house is running ahead of schedule."
"Oh! That's wonderful," she said. "When will they finish?"
"That's the thing," he said, grinning. "It's done now. We can move in right away."
"Just like that?" Bryony was stunned. The sisters had lived together since Vivien's graduation from medical school. Kevin had moved in five months ago, right after the wedding. Now they were both moving several miles away, leaving her alone. "Well, that's -- I mean, it's terrific. I guess."
"We were thinking of starting tomorrow," Kevin said. "We've already done a lot of the packing, so it shouldn't take long. Tomorrow and Sunday, and then we'll be finished."
"Tomorrow?" Bryony repeated, blinking in surprise. "So soon?"
"I'd be glad to help," Zach said.
"You don't have to do that," Vivien said. She'd climbed the stairs and come up behind them so quietly that no one had noticed.
"I'd like to do it," Zach said.
"Thank you," Kevin said. "I could definitely use a hand with some of the larger furniture."
Bryony looked from one face to another, a little dazed. Kevin and Vivien were moving out tomorrow. That meant she'd be alone with -- "Vivien," she said. "You can't leave. We have a houseguest, remember?"
"Don't worry," Zach said. "We'll get along fine, just the two of us. Unless you're not comfortable having me here? I can always go back to the Sea View Inn."
"No need for that," Vivien said, fixing her sister with a fierce stare. "Is there, Bryony?"
"No," she said, against her better
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