Page 10 of The Boy With The Sharp Teeth
"ThenI will just walk with the shoes!" she shot back in exasperation, no longercaring about the shoes. She just couldn’t believe she was having this argumentlike this. No one could rile her like this but him, forcing her out of hershell to snap at him, which he probably secretly enjoyed.
Zachshook his head. "The mud is deep, and they will get stuck."
Bynow, both Adam and Kevin were watching the two with a mixture of worry andfascination.
"Thenmaybe Kevin can…"
"No,"his voice snapped with quiet warning. His golden eyes seemed to flash brighter,and his dark pupils constricted tighter, pinning her down with finality."Once done, you will turn to me," he emphasized. "And you willput your arms around my neck, and I will take you back to your car. Now, isthis a good spot to take your pictures and gather the info you need, or do youneed me to carry you to another spot around the panels?"
Herheart was pounding with uncontrollable rage. Fighting to control her response,Sana turned her head to look out over his shoulder. A cool breeze blew aportion of her long dark hair from over her shoulder into her face. Swiping itaway with the back of her fingers, she watched as his gaze followed everydetail of the movement.
Decidingnot to give him a reply, she turned around on the board and pointed her camerato the site. After asking Adam a few questions regarding the initial setup ofthe panels and possible installation time-frame of the new panels, she enteredthe details into her tablet, all the while ignoring the silent presence of heatradiating off her back. With Zach this close, everything felt off. Her skinfelt overly sensitive, and her stomach tightened. Some part of her keptexpecting his touch, but he never did. Eventually, she gathered all the datashe needed.
Withdread and little choice, she turned carefully around on the wooden board andlooked up to Zach's waiting smirk.
"Youready?" He asked.
"Yes,"she forced the word from her lips, hating him all the more for it.
"Thenput your arms around my neck," he instructed.
Sheshould slap him. She wanted to slap him so hard she wanted to knock that prettylittle man bun loose. Biting her lip to help contain the urge to yell at him,she raised her arms and slipped them around his strong neck. The warmth fromhis body and the brush of his silky hair against her skin made her want to weepand slap him all the more.
Leaningforward so that his mouth barely brushed her ear, he scooped one handunderneath her knees, pulling her up and off the ground as he whispered intoher ear. "Good girl."
Thesimple phrase brought back a flood of summertime memories: whispered threatsand stolen kisses, gentle caresses, and the feeling of sharp teeth scrapingalong her neck.
Keepingher eyes averted from his, she allowed him to carry her back to her car.Skillfully, he opened her door and sat her down in the driver's seat, but hedid not step away. Blocking her door, he stood there cornering her in her seat.
Stillnot looking at him, Sana made a show of putting her camera away and her keys inthe ignition, hoping he would take the hint and leave. "Is there anythingelse, Mr. Waatese, or are you worried I cannot drive home safely?"
Hewanted her to look at him. She could feel it in the pulsating waves of tensionbuilding around them. Knowing him, remembering the impulsive young man she usedto know, she knew this restraint cost him dearly. Glancing down at his hands,she nearly smiled while her heart rate soared simultaneously at the sight ofhis hand clenching and unclenching at his side. He wanted to grab her, to forceher to look at him.
Shewould not give him the satisfaction.
Finally,after the seconds ticked by in their battle of wills, she heard Adam speak overZach's shoulder. "Once I receive that order of panels, I will call you, Sana."There was an added level of pleasantness she could hear forced into the olderman's tone before he roughly growled something in a language she had only heardsporadically in her years in Tarki. A Language, only the Katzie people spoke toone another.
Sananearly let out a deep breath of relief as Zach finally stepped back and gentlyshut her car door. Waving to Adam and Kevin, who both looked at her withworried smiles before quickly turning with frowns to Zach, Sana slowly droveout of the clearing and back to town.
Shewasn't sure what Zach was up to or why he was playing this cruel game with herafter all these years, but she knew one thing, she had to stay away from him.Just like all those years ago, that indefinable feeling had surfaced all overagain. That enticing lure that pulled her to him and into his touch, thefeeling that made her want to shut her eyes and give him everything he askedfor without question. Not again, she couldn't put herself through that tormentagain. For the sake of everything, Zachariah Waatese had to be avoided at allcosts.
~*~
Stayingaway from someone who had the exact opposite intentions was a near-impossibletask.
Nomatter where she went or what time of day she left, Sana kept running intoZach. Either he was standing outside of his house working on his motorcycle orat city hall, he was always around and always watching. Though admittedly, hewas always very professional when it came to actual work. He allowed Adam andKevin to communicate with her in regards to the job, simply providingassistance to the other two when needed. It was only the moment she stepped outof her job did Sana feel as if she exited some sort of safe zone and enteredthe fray of the hunt.
Hewanted her to break. She remembered this man well enough to know how heoperated. He wanted her to feel cornered and frustrated so that she wouldeventually confront him. Sana sneered at the thought. She wasn't the same girlshe was all those years ago when she allowed him to dominate her summers. Hewas going to understand that one way or another.
Afterfour days, the little bit of groceries she had brought with her from Seattlewere officially depleted. Staring into her open fridge, Sana frowned at thenearly empty container of almond milk and a half-empty jar of marmalade.Shutting the refrigerator door, she swiped her keys and purse from the kitchenisland and walked to the front door. Glancing at herself in the mirror, shegave a mental nod of approval to her jeans, white sneakers, and yellowpull-over sweatshirt.
Startingthe car, she took a deep breath as she drove forward and down the drive towardsthe red house in the distance. Please do not be home, she prayed. Sitting inthe driveway was Zach's large truck, but there was no sign of the golden-eyedowner—nor his bike. Thank God, she thought. She wasn't sure if she could handlehis penetrating stare today, not without running him over. The little fantasyput a smile on her face all the way to the store.
Lambert'sGrocers was probably the last bastion of unchanged Americana commerce left inthe Pacific Northwest. Owned by the city, the grocery store has stood strongover the decades against the constant temptation of larger chains threateningto move into town. Pushing her cart through the aisles, Sana couldn't imagineTarki without Lamberts, anything else would just feel wrong. Grabbing a coupleof bags of noodles, Sana stiffened at the sudden hair-raising feeling at theback of her neck. With a sudden surge of anger, she turned around on her heeland looked around, fully expecting to see a familiar golden-eyed man standingnearby. But Zach wasn't there. No one was on the aisle except for her. Sighing,she tossed the noodles into her basket. She was letting him get to her, and shetold herself explicitly she wouldn't. Pushing her cart a little further downthe aisle, she grabbed a few bottles of olive oil and bags of rice.
"SanaBhatt?" The hesitant voice sounded from the end of the aisle. Looking up,Sana saw a very pregnant woman standing behind her cart, giving Sana a hopefulexpression. Making eye contact, the woman smiled brighter and pushed her cartcloser until she was right next to Sana. "Oh, hi. I'm sorry to bother you.It's me, Ardath, do you remember me? We used to sweep the movie theater floorstogether for free movie passes in the summer."
Memoriesof the curly-headed girl with the same warm smile flooded back to Sana. Lookingcloser at her face, she realized it was indeed Ardath. Back then, Ardath hadkept her hair bleached nearly bright white while purposely keeping her rootsdark brown. Ardath had worn nothing but stylishly ripped jeans when they wereyounger and a collection of her brother's old rock-band t-shirts. The womanthat stood in front of her now almost looked like a teacher, with her largesweater and plain leggings, compared to the girl from Sana's memories.
