Page 28 of Savage Secrets

Part of her wanted to bolt away from it. The other part of her inched forward, fingers outstretched to feel the strength of it.

Lost in thought, she stared at the controls on the coffeemaker for a long minute before realizing she needed to set it to brew.

The burble of the machine heating woke her up without even having any caffeine. She turned and looked around the kitchen. There was still so much to do to make the place functional let alone cozy.

She picked up a box and set it on the table. Sifting through it passed some time. She set aside a few items she wanted to putaround the house. A vase that had been a gift from Kirsten was something she wanted to look at every day, especially knowing how pressed her friend was for cash. Yet she managed to buy the vase Opal had been coveting in a catalogue and filled it with her favorite flowers for her last birthday.

A smile at the memory tipped the corners of her lips. She carried it into the living room and looked at the bookcase. It was filled with a mix of her father’s odds and ends and her own recently added ones. An antique fishing reel sat next to a glass bookend propping up a few books she loved.

The sound of the screen door creaking open made her turn.

“Opal?” Zach’s deep voice sent wisps of desire dancing over her skin.

“In here,” she called back.

When he appeared in the doorway, his muscled form seemingly taking up every inch of space, her breath caught in her throat.

He stopped dead, his stare roaming over her face. He nodded to the vase in her hand. “Were you going to hit me over the head with that?”

His question drew a laugh to her lips. “No, silly. I was going to put it on the bookshelf, but I can’t reach.” She looked him over, her body recalling every second of their time in bed. “You’re tall.”

He stepped into the room and shucked his heavy jacket. As he neared her, he brought the crisp spice of the wind that clung to his clothes. “Where would you like it?”

I’d like it between my legs, thank you very much.

The thought hit her brain, and the blush hit her cheeks.

She pointed to the spot next to a framed photo of her on a horse at the age of ten. “There.”

He wrapped his long fingers around the vase and carefully set it on the shelf. “That good?”

“Perfect. Thank you.”

“No problem.”

He gave her his full, undivided attention. Those dark brown eyes burrowing into hers seemed to see things she didn’t even know about herself. Zach was a man of few words, but the way he looked at her and the way his voice softened each time he said “no problem” throbbed with things unsaid.

His throat worked on a swallow. “I saw Rainie went home with Kirsten.”

“Yes. She’s sleeping over.” The air seemed to throb with so much more.

“Do you need anything else moved?”

Yes. Her walls. She needed them shaking apart with release and his name on her lips when he plunged inside her.

“Actually…” She pointed to the heavy leather recliner. “I’d like to move that to the other side of the room. Balance it out better.”

He nodded. Then he actually rolled up his sleeves. Over his thick forearms.

Her insides clutched with want. Somehow, she managed to keep her tongue from hanging out and helped him shift the chair to the other side of the room.

“That thing weighs a ton!” Standing back, she eyed the room. “That side table…”

He strode forward and picked it up in one hand. “Where do you want it?”

She moved to the spot and pointed. “Here please.”

“No problem.” Again with the soft tone.

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