Page 42 of Bedroom Therapy

“We can?” she asked. “I mean, I thought we had to hide.”

“Basically, we have to stay off the beaten track. But I was considering our options. There are plenty of little restaurants in out-of-the-way corners of the county. One of them ought to be a safe place to have dinner.”

“Okay. I’d like that.”

“Work first. Play later,” he said, his voice light. But as soon as the words were out of his mouth, she found herself thinking that they’d already been playing.

From the expression on his face, it looked like his thoughts were traveling in the same direction.

“Let’s get the stuff unloaded,” he said, then swung quickly back toward the Honda.

They both carried in her belongings, with Zach grabbing the heavier boxes. The job didn’t take long because she’d used different containers for different areas of the house. Some went right to the bedroom or the bathroom while others could be left in the kitchen.

When she got to the vibrator, she hesitated, unable to put it into the drawer of the bedside table. When Zach came to bed with her, they’d both be thinking about it.

She stopped short, raising her hand and pressing her fingers to her mouth.

When he came to bed with her. In her thoughts, she’d used that phrase without a second’s hesitation. Like she knew it was going to happen.

Well, if it didn’t, she would be disappointed—and surprised. All the things they’d done had been very stimulating. But she wanted to be in bed with him, his naked body clasped to hers. And it was hard to believe he didn’t want that too.

She canceled the graphic image as soon as it had formed in her mind. Better not to go any farther down that path, because she was becoming aroused again. And it hadn’t been that long since he’d brought her to a mind-blowing climax.

Unable to stop herself now, she stood for a moment with her eyes closed, reliving that intimate encounter with him. He knew how to touch a woman, knew how. . .

With a grimace, she looked toward the bedroom door as though she expected him to come striding down the hall. When he didn’t, she picked up the pile of garments she’d laid on the bed and headed for the closet, making sure each was secure on its hanger.

Zach knocked on the door while she was still in the closet—with her back to him again.

Deliberately she turned around. “Come in.”

He stopped in the doorway, as though he were thinking that if he came into the room, they’d end up tangled together on the bed. “I made a reservation at the Plantation,” he said.

“The Plantation! Isn’t that the most expensive restaurant around here?”

“Yeah, but I figure I can splurge.”

“I don’t expect you to pay for dinner!” she answered immediately.

“Well, I’m living here rent free. Don’t feel bad about letting me take you out to a nice restaurant.”

Because the explanation made sense, she gave a small nod.

“The reservation is for 7:00, if that works for you.”

“Yes. Thanks.”

She spent much of the afternoon unpacking.

After Zach helped her with some of the heavy stuff, he told her he was going out and disappeared for a couple of hours.

While he was gone, she set up her computer on the desk in the bedroom, opened letters and read them.

Many of them would have made good jumping-off points for the column. But she found that her mind kept winging back to Zach.

Finally, she heard him come in and pushed back her chair, eager to find out where he’d been. Then she stopped herself. She was acting like a possessive wife, and that was hardly appropriate. Still, she was curious about why he’d been gone for hours.

When she came into the living room, she saw he was carrying a paper bag and a navy blue sports coat over his arm.

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