Page 90 of I'm Watching You

Her tirade didn’t affect him in the least. ‘Care to have a look around?’

The abrupt shift caught her off guard. ‘What?’

‘Care to look around? I’d be happy to give you a tour.’ And without taking his gaze off Lindsay, Zack added, ‘Tasha, you and Rex are welcome to come in and look around as well.’

Tasha chuckled. ‘Front row seats to World War III? No thank you. Lindsay, let’s just get going. The house is gone.’

A bit of the fight drained from her. Tasha was right. The house and her dreams were gone.

Zack seemed to sense her shift in mood, but instead of encouraging her to leave, he challenged her with his darkened gaze. ‘Are you leaving or staying, Lindsay?’

Lindsay fumed. He knew she’d always wanted to look inside the house. He was using the house to get to her.Well, he was mistaken if he thought he could get under her skin again. ‘Tasha, I’m going to have a look around.’

Tasha shook her head. ‘Why?’

‘I want to see the place,’ Lindsay said defensively.

Zack sipped his coffee as if to hide a smile.

Tasha shook her head. ‘Well, I’ll take a pass. I’ll call you later.’

‘Thanks.’ She watched as Tasha and Rex jogged down the street back toward her parked car, just a few blocks away.

‘Are you coming in? I’ve got to be at work in an hour,’ Zack said.

Now very aware that she and Zack were alone and that she wore only her jogging top, thin shorts, and running shoes, Lindsay felt her resolve fade a fraction. But pride goaded her forward as she moved around him, careful not to touch him.

The house was a disaster. Piles of construction supplies were stacked high in the living room alongside unpacked moving boxes. Dust covered scuffed hardwood floors and the paint on the walls was an obnoxious shade of avocado green. She doubted the interior had been updated since the sixties.

But Lindsay could see beyond all that. The bones of this house were excellent. Plaster walls under the green paint were sure and strong, the doors were solid wood, and the hardwood floors would glisten once they were sanded and refinished. The large bay window in the living room looked even better from the inside and once it was cleaned would allow sunlight to fill the room.

She moved down the center hallway to a kitchen in the back. Zack had furnished the room with a retro Formica kitchen table that had a funky appealing style to it. Knowing Zack, he’d chosen it more for utility than style, but it fit the kitchen perfectly. On the kitchen counter, a modern coffeepot simmered fresh coffee.

Except for the refrigerator, which she’d bet was empty, the appliances were outdated and would need replacing sooner than later, but morning sunlight streamed into the room through the large picture window. It would be a bright cheery room once it was updated.

Seeing this place stirred dreams of children and laughter. For a moment, emotion tightened her throat. ‘You’ve got yourself a winner here.’

‘That’s what I thought.’ The deep timbre of his voice sunk into her bones. ‘By the way, happy birthday.’

It surprised her he’d remembered. ‘Thanks.’

‘Are you doing anything special?’

‘No. This week’s a little out of control.’

‘An understatement.’

She moved to the window over the sink and studied the backyard. It was a patch of weeds, and the oak tree way in the back needed serious trimming, but already she could picture marigolds and geraniums brightening up the darkness.

‘Any suggestions for remodeling?’ He stood so close she could smell the scent of his soap.

She had tons. Mentally, she’d already painted the living room a pale yellow and arranged her furniture to catch the light. She stopped her train of thought.

This house and the dreams that came with it were froma life she’d had to let go. ‘No, this is your gig. I’m going to have to find another dream house.’ And that thought triggered a swell of emotion. She hadn’t realized how often she’d dreamed about this house – about turning it into a real home.With Zack.

He brushed against her as he reached around her and set his coffee cup on the counter. The electricity from his touch startled her. It had been so long since he’d touched her and she felt half starved for contact. Sexual energy burned inside her.

‘Part of the reason I bought this house was that you loved it so much. I remember how you used to talk about the yard, the gardens.’

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