Page 27 of Ours

“Oh, Zack, I’m so sorry.”

He nodded and looked to his brother. “Where’s Jake?”

His brother sighed loudly. He looked exhausted and miserable. “Gone to see the captain.” He closed his eyes for a moment like he was trying to gather himself. “Look, I’ve spoken to Mum and our family, so why don’t you take your woman here home? I think no matter what we would like to do, Jake and I are going to be here until late.”

Zack nodded.

“What about my car?” Sandy asked

“We’ll get it tomorrow, or someone will drop it off.”

Sandy nodded and followed him out of the room.

He’d ridden his Harley to work so he’d had to go to his garage and drive his spare car as his Land Rover was at Sandy’s.

He groaned as soon as Sandy saw his Ferrari Enzo. She started to pull him to the red sports car. He regretted getting it, but when he’d gotten out of the army, he wanted to celebrate with some of his inheritance, so he bought a couple of cars.

Sitting in his car, he looked at the time then back at Sandy. “Would it be all right if we stopped by my shop? I have clients now and contractors ringing this afternoon.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “I know I’m going to sound like a prick when I say this, but I don’t have time to grieve.”

Sandy nodded, picked up his hand, and kissed it. “That’s fine. I have nothing else to do now that I don’t have a job.” He raised his eyebrow and waited for her to tell what happened. She groaned. “I will not be going back to visit Jake at the station, that’s all I will say. You boys always get my temper riled.” She sighed and then a grin spread over her face. “If you want, I can drive.”

Sandy looked gorgeous in his car. He studied her. Her eyes were bright, her hair fell everywhere, and her smile was huge and hopeful. It was on the tip of his tongue to say “hell no,” but then she pouted.Crap. “Okay, do you know the way to my shop from here?”

Sandy’s eyes grew wide and she nodded. She got out of the car and ran to his side. He helped her adjust his seat as far forward as it would go it. He got in the passenger side and almost told her no again, when he heardvroom,vroom. Then her foot went down on the accelerator.

Zack got out of the car at his shop, and for the first time in his life, he patted himself down to check he was all still there and alive. He turned to a grinning Sandy, who ran her hands lovingly over the car and cooed at it.

The look of happiness on her face was priceless and well worth the pain he’d just gone through. “I take it you like the car.” Sandy didn’t even answer him just nodded. “So are you going to stay out here with the car, or come inside and help me check if I’m still alive after the ride you just put me through?”

“Ha, ha, you’re so funny.” She turned and walked in the back entrance to his shop, muttering about smart aleck men.

Going to the front of the shop, Zack apologized to his client who sat waiting, kissed Sandy on the cheek, and sighed. “Let me do these two men that are here waiting, but if you can talk to them for a moment, I’m going to ring and cancel the rest.”

Sandy smiled at him, tucked her shirt in, let her hair down, went over to the reception, and straight away took over. “Don’t worry about that. I can call them if you want. I don’t mind if you need me to stay here. I can help. I don’t have anything else to do now.”

Zack let all the tension that’d started to mount out and pulled Sandy back to him. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world to have you.” Leaning down, he captured her mouth and tangled his tongue with hers until they broke apart panting. “I love you, Sandy. I have a surprise I want to show you later.”

Sandy squeezed him tight. “I love you too, and I can’t wait to see my surprise.” Sandy pushed him away. “Now go work. I have things to do.”

“You have a job here for as long as you want it,” he said as he walked by with the client.

Sandy nodded and waved him away as she talked to the waiting clients and answered the phone.

Zack tattooed for free the two guys that had waited while he sorted out the drama with Sandy and found out his cousin had been murdered. He needed to keep his mind off what had happened. Concentrating on his work, he hoped Jake and his brother Brock would be okay. He wouldn’t want to be them at the moment.

****

They arrived home at six-ish, earlier than Zack thought they would be home thanks to Sandy’s help.

On the drive home, they’d bought takeout food and when he arrived back at her place, he’d hired a movie on Amazon. They now sat watching a girly movie. Well, she watched the movie, and Zack studied Sandy. Her fingers were drawing circles on his stomach and playing with his snail trail.

“You said you had a surprise for me. Are you going to show me? I have waited patiently.”

Zack chuckled. “Yeah, I’ll show you, but only if these clothes are gone.”

He watched as she stood and slowly undid her blouse, kicked off her shoes, and slid the skirt down.

The tease made his already erect penis hard as steel. He snarled, got up, and pulled her to him. “You little tease. If you keep it up, I’ll take you right now.”

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