Page 88 of Love Me Dangerous

“Morning!”

I tap the volume button on the portable speaker she must have brought in from the barn for this exact purpose until the music is a low murmur. “Morning.”

Linnie sets her plate and cup in the sink and spins away. “Under your skin, hmm?”

From outside, Linnie’s ride honks their horn. I peer out the window and give Mrs. Hallman a wave.

“You’re picking up, remember?” Linnie pockets her phone and snatches her thick barn coat from the rack next to the door.

“I remember. Twelve-thirty.” I pull her to me for a quick hug. “Have fun.”

She squeezes me back, but instead of slipping away, she quiets in my arms. “Zach’s good to you, right?”

I swallow my surprise. “Yeah, he is.”

She squeezes me back. “Good. I don’t like it when you’re sad.”

Before I can reply, she takes off through the door. The speaker bleeps from the kitchen, signaling the broken connection as Mrs. Hallman turns her Suburban down the driveway.

I press my forehead to the door and inhale a slow breath.

Of course, it would have been obvious to Linn that being with Gabe wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. She feels more than the rest of us, so I shouldn’t be shocked that she’s seen the shift in me since Zach became a part of my life.

What will happen to Linnie when that changes? She’s certainly tough, but she’s older now, more aware. Her shenanigans this morning make that perfectly clear.

I’m reminded of the job with Teague Lennox. He needs my answer soon.

Are my friends right about my family being okay without me for a year?

What about Zach?

The house is freezing, so I take a moment to get a fire going again, the chore settling my turbulent thoughts. The embers from last night catch quickly, and soon the flames are dancing.

When I turn away, Zach is leaning against the side of the hallway, dressed only in his briefs. In the soft light of the morning, he’s sexy as hell. From the firm plane of his chest to the thin line of soft hair leading lower, to the sultry gaze in his deep blue eyes.

“You were supposed to stay in bed,” I say because that look is throwing my world off its axis. I feel unsure and a little too vulnerable. Because I want him, and that’s not something I’m used to feeling.

He arches an eyebrow. “Feisty, huh? We can work with that.”

Desire pools low in my belly. Is this what it’s going to be like with him? One look, one simple phrase from his skilled mouth, and I turn into a needy mess?

“I can’t just stay in bed all day.” I cross my arms. The fire pops behind me in the hearth, the heat from the flames warming my back.

Zach walks over. “Who said anything about a bed?” He makes a show of taking in the living room and kitchen, the hallway behind him. “There’s an entire house here. The possibilities are endless.”

My thighs tense, sending a craving for him rippling through me. “Like what?”

His eyes sparkle with mischief. “How about I show you?”

I take in this invitation—this scandalous little promise—while the fire crackles and my blood starts to pound. “Shower first?”

“Creative.” His grin lights up his handsome face. “I like it.”

Shaking my head, I try to step past him, but he snatches me around the waist and hoists me over his shoulder.

“Hey! What about your broken rib?” His bruise has faded but he’s far from healed.

“What broken rib?”

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