Page 5 of I Should Hate You-but I Don't

She could see he remembered what they'd done. His refusal to stay in the house with her spoke volumes. If she didn't know him better, she'd take his lack of addressing what happened as a sign that he hated her.

But he was always kind to her.

His attitude hadn't changed after they had sex. He was the same kind, caring, and protective man who'd rescued her from a hard life.

Their time together through the years was her best-kept secret. Going off his cue when she was a child, she understood her foster parents must never know about him. To those living in Gem Haven, she was the girl who lived in the big house by herself and worked for Zane.

She exhaled, sputtering her lips. How stupid could she be, asking if she could go to town with Taylor?

She was fine with Zane dropping her off, but she'd tested him. It would've devastated her if he had allowed her to traipse off to town with Taylor. His protectiveness was one of the things she loved about him. His possessiveness fed into her insecurities and gave her the confidence that he would never leave.

After the last time they were together, she needed to know he still cared.

Now, she had to work at the campground. She rubbed her temples. That would be a nice break from the kitchen, but now she was stressed about a new job.

No one put ultimatums in front of Zane and walked away happy with the results.

What would she do in September when the campground closed for the winter?

She needed to earn more money. Zane had told her it would take at least thirty grand to hire a private detective to find Kenna. With the money she made, plus paying five hundred dollars a month to rent a room in Zane's house and her groceries, it would take her two more years before she had enough to put a detective on retainer.

She was grateful to Zane for all he'd given her. She'd done her homework and found out it would cost three times the amount Zane charged to rent an apartment in town, not counting utilities. Plus, she'd need to buy a car if she lived off Gem Haven property.

A door shut in another part of the house. Her heart rate spiked, and she froze, straining to hear. Her desire that Zane would walk into the house, grab her, and put his lips on her again was a constant wish.

Some days, she hurt for how much she wanted him.

Not wanting him to leave before she could see him, she jumped from the chair and hurried down the hallway, taking the stairs at a run. She skipped the last few steps and jumped into the foyer.

The house was big, with four bedrooms upstairs and two downstairs at the back. The foyer split the house in two. The kitchen and laundry room were on the right, and the living room and rec room were on the left. She tried to sense where he'd be.

Knowing his inclination for late-night snacks, she went to the kitchen in time to see him heading toward the back door.

"Zane." His name came out breathless and quiet, but he'd heard her.

He turned around. His heated gaze settled on her, taking in every square inch of her. It was only then that she remembered all she had on was a tank top and a pair of panties that barely covered her.

The air sizzled between them. She stepped forward, drawn to him like a ghost seeking a warm body in the dead of night.

Around the others, she kept her distance from Zane. But she couldn't hide her feelings when they were alone in the house.

She placed her bare feet on the toes of his boots, making herself taller, and wound her arms around his neck. Even then, she was too short to kiss him.

A whine slipped out of her mouth. Zane picked her up by her waist and pressed her against the wall, claiming her mouth. She fisted the ends of his hair, keeping him close and within her grasp.

Yes. God. Yes.

This is what she wanted. Just him. Just her.

He pushed his body against her, pinning her to the wall. She tangled her tongue with his, sucking and drawing him into her mouth.

He palmed her ass, dragging her up his body until the hard ridge in the front of his jeans pressed against her pussy. Her insides clenched, knowing precisely what he could do with his cock.

She'd been a virgin the last time they were together. Her shyness was gone. Her body was ready for him to fill.

He swung her away from the wall, carrying her up the stairs. She wrapped her legs around him and used her hands to keep his hair from falling on his face, blocking him from her. She caught his bottom lip between her teeth, tugged, and then sucked on the abused lip.

He grunted, knocking his shoulder into the doorframe. She tore her mouth off him and stared into his angry eyes. She framed his face with her hands, looking at him closer. Not angry. Heated. Violent. Scary.

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