Page 29 of The Boy With The Sharp Teeth
Resistingthe urge to run a hand through her own, no-doubt lifeless hair, Sana crossedher arms and gave him a reproving look.
"Andif I simply say no and shut the door?"
"Then,"Zach began slowly as he tilted his head back and looked down at her with aslow-spreading carnal smile that showed her a glimpse of his predatory sharpcanine teeth. "I will just have to go with some age-old tactics thatalways seem to work best on you and force myself in."
Fora moment, she considered standing her ground and maybe even threatening to callthe sheriff, but she knew it was useless. Zach would fight her every step ofthe way and most likely outmaneuver her as usual. This wasn't a battle she wasprepared for.
Steppingback, she gestured inside. "Fine, but you leave without a fight."
"Yes,ma'am," he grinned triumphantly as he stepped inside and toed off hisworn, lace-up boots in the vestibule.
Somethingin her chest felt tighter, and her steps lightened as she carefully steppedaround Zach and walked back to the kitchen. And though she could not hear hissilent footfalls as he followed her past the unlit dining room and into thekitchen, she could feel his stalking presence behind her. She could feel thosepredatory golden eyes of his resting on her back as she walked, keeping herlocked into his sights just like a predator does its prey.
"So,you smelled my food, huh?" she asked with a dubious hint of laughter inher voice as she tried to calm her nervous heart.
Flippingthe burners on once more, Sana heated up the gravy a bit more before peeking onher warming pot of mashed potatoes she put in the over earlier.
"Mmm,I did," his deep spellbinding voice gliding over like a gentle prayer."I knew you were over here cooking something good and figured why notinvite myself over."
Openingthe cabinet next to her, Sana willed herself not to step back as she felt thebrush of his arm against hers as he pulled out two wine glasses and two platesfrom her cabinet. Biting her lip in a frown as he handed her the first plate,she made a mental note to reorganize all the plates and glasses in her cabinet.She would enjoy seeing the confusion on his face when everything was not how heleft it but how she wanted it.Wow, that is pathetic.After all, theseyears changing her china around was the best she could do against Zach? Thatwas her idea of showing him that he couldn’t control her as easily anymore?Heaven help her, she thought with a sigh.
Pilingthe beef tips and gravy over the cloud of fluffy potatoes, Sana handed Zach theplate and took the second plate he offered while avoiding his gaze. She knew hewas waiting for her to look at him again, but she refused. Her heart wasalready beating a mile-a-minute just being in the same room with him, shedidn't trust herself to look at him.
"Whereto? The breakfast nook or the dining room?"
Turningto look at the nook, Sana could feel the fear within her rise at the thought.Lit only by the old-fashioned Tiffany stained-glass light fixture, thebooth-like breakfast nook she adored bore a very intimate feel at night. Withan endless expanse of black night to one side of them from the bay windows, theprivate little nook would feel like a small candlelit boat floating gently outonto the night sea with a man with carnivorous eyes and sharp teeth that had away of shaking her to her very core.
"Umm,let's use the living room, actually. The beef tips are pretty tender, so theydon't need a knife and fork," she offered hastily while grabbing her ownplate.
"You'rethe boss," Zach replied, and Sana could hear the languid smile in hisvoice.
Witha clink of the glasses, he followed her into the living room and sat his plateand the glasses onto the coffee table. Pulling out his keys from his pocket,Zach flipped out a corkscrew from the attached multitool hanging from thekeyring and opened the bottle with a resounding pop before filling each glassliberally.
Settlingon one end of the couch, Sana tried not to look to her left to see where hewould sit. Would he sit at the other end of the couch, or would he be so boldas to sit directly next to her? Feeling the couch shift, Sana glanced up andwatched as Zach easily balanced his plate in one hand and fork in the other ashe sat comfortably at the other end of the couch.
Somethingin her heart twisted at that. Which was crazy, she reminded herself. That wasexactly where he should be sitting. This wasn't the past; she wasn't some naïvegirl anymore infatuated by his every move. She was stronger now, and she wouldnot be captivated and played the fool by Zachariah Waatese again.
Feelingfar more resolute, she forked a big bite of food in her mouth before settingdown her plate on the long coffee table in front of them. Desperately needingsomething to break up the silence in the room, she began to look for the TVremote. Shifting in her seat, she looked over the edge of her armrest beforereaching into the seam of the couch and feeling for the familiar plasticdevice.
"Ahha," she smiled as her fingers brushed against it. Leaning further into ituntil one hip was lifted off the sofa, she successfully grabbed the remote andpulled it from the depths of the couch. Smiling victoriously, she glanced overto Zach and froze.
Leaningback onto the corner of the couch Zach's shining gold eyes settled over herwith slow, purposeful appraisal. All the strength and determination Sana feltmoments ago began to drain from her body as her skin turned to gooseflesh underhis assessment. Without a shred of restraint, Zach's eyes swept past hershoulders and down her flank like a caress and settled on her thigh—her exposedthigh. They were doing it again. His eyes were glowing again with that oddtrick of the light. A strange while intoxicating feature about his eyes she hadalways loved while at the same time taking her breath away. It always made himlook hungry—primal even. Heat rushed to Sana's face as she quickly adjusted theskirt that had bunched around her thighs as she searched for the remote.
Nervouslyher eyes flicked back up to his. She instantly regretted the decision. A wantso bright and so hot burned in his eyes, Sana could feel her nipples harden,and she wanted to cry in frustration. He was doing it all over again! Pullingher in the snare he laid out just for her.
Punchingthe button on the remote, she willed her hands not to shake as she tried togather herself. Turning the channel until she stopped at some sort of actionmovie with Liam Neeson, Sana tried to focus on anything else but the man at theother end of her couch. How was it that he could make her feel like a corneredrabbit even now? Why did her body subconsciously react to the power of thatgolden stare and silent perusal?
No,she had to be better than this. She couldn’t let herself fall again.
Settinghis now empty plate onto the coffee table, Zach shifted slightly in his seat. "Doyou remember when we used to sit on the couch together as your brother fellasleep on the floor playing video games?"
Howcould she ever forget that? Her heart clenched, and her body heated at thememories of Zach using any unobserved opportunity to press her into the couchcushions and kiss her until she moaned. She could still feel how his thumbwould strum her nipple through her shirt back and forth until she elicited thesounds he liked to hear. Or how her heart would seize in her chest in fear ashe abruptly pulled her back up and straightened out her hair just before one ofher parents walked by.
"Yes,I remember," she breathed out. "I remember your evil laugh every timeyou nearly got us caught."
"Ah,but we never did, though," he grinned.
"Justbarely," she said as she put her own finished plate onto the table next tohis. Grabbing her wine glass, she took a little sip of the sweet wine andinhaled the rich scent.
