Page 40 of Treat Her Right

Wynn lost her temper. “Just because I have big male friends—”

He rolled his eyes.

“—and I got carried away with you—”

“Webothgot carried away.”

She completely missed his confession in the middle of her tirade. “—doesn’t give you the right to assume I’m free with all men.”

“It also doesn’t give you the right to go snooping around in my private business. If you wanted to know about my wife, you should have asked me.”

Her chin lifted so she could look down her nose at him. “Would you have told me anything?”

“No.” Before she could finish her full-fledged huff, he added, “Because it’s none of your business.”

Wynn threw up her hands. “There, you see? Talking to you is pointless!” She realized she wasn’t helping her case any, but really, what could she do? She couldn’t change herself; she wouldn’t even know where to begin. She let out a sigh and dropped her head. “Actually,” she muttered, “I guess all of this is pointless, huh?”

Zack drew himself up. “What does that mean?”

“It means I’m beginning to accept that you’re one hundred percent not interested.” She lifted her shoulder in a halfhearted shrug. “I did hear all about your wife, and I know now that you’re more attracted to petite women.” She even snorted at herself in self-disgust. “God, I’m so far from petite it’s laughable.”

“Wynn.” He said her name like a scold.

She held out her arms. “I’m a great big lummox of a girl and I know it. I’m not cute or petite or any of those nice things. You like little weak women who you can protect, and I don’t need protection. I’m not even weaker than you.”

His expression bemused, he rumbled, “Uh, actually you are. A lot weaker, damn it.”

But she barely listened to him now. She was too upset with the realization that Zack would likely never want to be involved with her. “I’m all wrong for you.”

She paced around her kitchen, for the first time unmindful of the fine cherry cabinets and her new stainless steel sink and her side-by-side refrigerator, which just yesterday she’d kept touching because she loved it so much. Even the pleasure of getting her patio set up was now ruined.

Dejected, she turned to face him and said, “I’m sorry. I guess I’ve been a total pain in the butt.”

“Yeah.”

Though he said it gently, her shoulders slumped.

Then Zack stepped closer and he cupped her face carefully in his two hands and he said almost against her lips, “You are a pain in the neck, Wynn, and a pain in the ass and everywhere else. But you know why.” And with a small laugh, “What bullshit, to say I’m not attracted to you.”

She blinked at him, so startled she almost toppled over.

He shook his head. “You’re not blind and you sure as hell aren’t stupid. YouknowI want you.”

“You do?”

“I do.”

He briefly kissed her, but it was enough to make her breathless. “Even now,” she questioned, “with us standing here in my kitchen and everyone else right outside? Even though I haven’t just jumped you and dragged you to the ground?”

“Is that what you thought?” A sexy smile played with his mouth, making her heart punch. “That just because you took me by surprise and actually got me flat on my back was the only reason I acted as I did last week?”

Ignoring the part about taking him by surprise, Wynn nodded. The how and why of their interlude last week wasn’t important. Not when right now, all she really,reallywanted was for him to kiss her again. But he just kept staring at her mouth while his big rough thumbs stroked her cheeks and that was so nice, too, she held still and didn’t dare complain or ask for more.

“Wynn, you did just take me by surprise, you know that don’t you? You’re strong, honey, but there’s no way in hell you’d best me in a physical confrontation.”

“Okay.”

He laughed, a low husky sound, and shook his head. “You’re placating me.” And he kissed her again. “You’re something else, you know that? I’ve never met a woman who wanted a man, yet continued to insult his manhood with every other breath.”

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