Page 27 of Call Sign: Thunder
Allison reached for the glass, ready to down the remains of the liquor so she could order the next. The glass had just touched her lips when someone leaned against her back hard, pressing her body into the bar. Two muscular arms stretched out around her, large tanned hands flat, palms down on the bar trapping her.
Panic. Was she being kidnapped again?
Her eyes flew up to the mirror behind the bar, unprepared to meet the angry green eyes of Zachary Garrett. Was he really here or was she imagining him again? It wouldn't be the first time she'd conjured him up in an alcoholic haze. Her heart took off, pounding hard against her ribs.
She slammed the glass to the bar in her shock. Zach's eyes didn't leave hers. She held her breath as he reached for the glass, holding it to his nose for a whiff, his right eyebrow lifting disapprovingly.
It wasn't until she heard his voice she believed he was there. "Vodka? Looks like I'm going to have to start making you drink water again to flush this shit out of your system, too."
He reached out to hand the half full glass to the bartender who was passing by. "Check please. Miss Benson needs to leave."
Allison heard herself gasp for the breath she'd been holding, her body still trying to process the shock of seeing Zach. Her tipsy brain tried to process the reasons he might be there. Was it a coincidence? She highly doubted it. That means he had sought her out.
He broke their visual connection in the mirror long enough to lower his eyes, raking up and down her body before returning to stare into her eyes. There was fresh anger firing in his gaze.
"You've lost a lot of weight. You have bags under your eyes." He paused briefly before leaning in close so his chest pressed harder against her back—his lips brushed the shell of her ear as he spoke quietly to her alone. "You look like shit, Allie. I didn't rescue you just so you could hurt yourself."
She'd fantasized of him coming for her dozens of times, but not once had she dreamed he'd insult her in the process. Conflicting emotions raged inside. Anger erupted.
"Fuck you, Zach! I don't remember asking for your opinion." She hated the slur of her words brought on by the vodka. She'd had exactly the wrong amount of booze. Enough to make her head hurt and stomach sour, but not nearly enough to forget. She raised her hand to get the bartender's attention, hoping to replace the drink he'd carried away.
Zach spun the swiveling bar stool around so fast she got dizzy. He was so close that the smell of his minty breath and masculine soap broke through her senses. She hated the traitorous tears pooling in her eyes, blurring her vision. She wanted to stay angry, not feel relieved to see him. Before she could push him away, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her tight against him. The barstool she was perched on was the perfect height to place her head against his hard chest, her tears spilling onto his black T-shirt.
Her arms hugged him on their own accord, squeezing him so hard he chuckled, angering her more until his arms enveloped her with the same intensity. They clung to each other silently as the Friday night chaos of a university bar pressed around them.
Allison lost track of time, unsure how long they clung to each other, but the appearance of two of her bodyguards on either side of them broke the magical reunion. She knew they had some way of tracking her. She'd changed her purse, jewelry and even left her cell phone at home. How they knew where she'd gone was a mystery, but she was damned if she was going to let them tear her apart from Zach now that he'd come to her.
She was about to tell them to get lost when her father appeared, stepping next to Zach. Her reactions were sluggish from the alcohol, but when the men all watched her without speaking to each other, Allie figured it out.
This was the ultimate humiliation. Zach hadn't come because he wanted to. He was here because her father had asked him to come. Had asked Zach to take pity on her and throw her a bone of attention.
The room was spinning as her brain swirled the truth around like a tornado. She was going to be sick. She needed to get away from them all — go somewhere where she could think. Somewhere where no one knew her or what she'd been through. Somewhere where she could maybe try to find the old Allison.
Zach wasn't prepared for the hard shove that sent him stumbling backwards. Allison shot off the stool and headed for the door through the growing crowd. It was hard to see through her desperate tears, and the pressing bodies overheated her, bile rising in her throat.
Zach caught her from behind as she reached the revolving door. He pressed his body into the too-small wedge of space with her, pressing the door forward until it spit them out into the cool December air.
Allison fought down the bile, pulling him along to the line of decorative planters, arriving in time to deposit the contents of her sour stomach on the small evergreen covered with Christmas lights. Her humiliation was complete as she continued to heave while Zach gathered her long hair, pulling it out of the line of fire and into a makeshift ponytail while comforting her with light pats on her back with the warm palm of his other hand.
She vaguely registered Zach giving orders to her bodyguards to go settle her tab and bring him a bottle of water.
When she started shivering from the cold, Zach released her hair long enough to take his own leather coat off, wrapping her in it. Better than the warmth it provided was being surrounded by his scent. It helped her calm.
When she was able to stand, he had a stick of gum ready for her. "Open up. I'm guessing you might like this."
She followed directions blindly, thankful for the minty taste as she chewed.
Her father was on his cell phone and less than a minute later his limo pulled up to the curb next to their group. As angry as Allie was that Zach had only come because her father had asked him to, she was desperate for more time with him. As he started moving her toward the limo, she struggled to be free. She didn't want to go with her father.
One of her bodyguards held the door open for them and she ground them to a halt. "No. Not yet. I need…" She stopped short. She'd done enough baring of her soul in her letters. She wouldn't beg him to spend time with her.
Zach swung her to face him. His gaze was serious. "It's okay. I'm not leaving you."
He knew she wanted him to stay. Of course he knew. She'd written letters like a lovesick ninny.
Instead of pressing her into the car, he surprised her by getting into the limo first, reaching his hand back to pull her into the car with him. She never even settled into the seat. He didn't let her. Zach pulled her into his lap, holding her against him so she could lay her pounding head on his shoulder. She faced her father who had crawled in behind them.
The three of them sat silently for several blocks, watching the Georgetown University Friday night pass by only feet outside of the smoky windows sheltering them from prying eyes.
