Page 42 of The Boy With The Sharp Teeth
"Likea woman who is trying to fight off what she knows is inevitable."
Herstomach tightened at the accuracy in his words. "And what isinevitable?" she asked, knowing she sounded a little petulant. Though, sheknew the answer even as she said the words.
Givingher a knowing look, Zach kissed her forehead and flattened his arm that proppedhis head until he was lying flat on the mattress next to her. She shuddered atthe inviting warmth of his long, strong body pressed against hers, savoring thewarm puffs of breath tickling at her temple.
Hisarm over her tightened, bringing her closer to him. "That no matter whathappens, Sana, you will always be mine."
Chapter 10
Thetrill of her alarm warbled through the calm of her room. Opening her eyes, Sanastared up at the white ceiling of her bedroom, following the uneven lines ofthe textured surface as she blindly reached for her phone. Swiping the alarmapp off, she let out a long sigh. She had thought of that summer again lastnight.
Alittle disappointed in herself, she sat up and pulled back the covers, pushingthe lingering memories out of her mind. No more thinking of Zach, she commandedherself. That time is over. She didn’t come back here for him, dammit. Shemoved to Tarki for peace and quiet, distance from her parents, and maybe evento start a new hobby with the old theater. Yet even as she walked across thecool, polished floorboards, the on-suite bath, she could feel the knot of doubttwisting in her stomach.
Washedand dressed, Sana descended the steps downstairs and turned towards thekitchen. As if on their own, her feet slowed, and she stopped in the middle ofthe small hallway under the stairs that led to the two other guest bedrooms andbathroom. Her eyes lingered on the door at the far left—her old door. Shehadn't been in that room since that summer. She had always either managed toavoid it altogether or bunked with her brother. It held too many memories.
Frustratedwith herself, she pulled her gaze away and stomped into the kitchen. The smellof coffee lingered in the air, and she smiled. At least the timer to her coffeemaker was working perfectly. Taking the full cup from the coffee maker, sheadded a few splashes of hazelnut creamer and sealed the cup. Walking back intothe dining room, she grabbed her briefcase and stuffed a few folders into it,and went to the door. Slipping on her shoes, Sana tensed as she looked throughthe sunny vestibule and remembered Zach's words from last night.
"Ican’t promise I can go slow for you, Sana. I never could. I've waited for youtoo long to try to lie to myself and take it slow. So just start preparingyourself for more of this."
Likehell, she was! Snatching the door shut just a little too loudly, she got intoher car.
Iam stronger now,she told herself as she pulled the car down the drive and onto the lane. Shewasn't the same naïve girl that foolishly let Zach through her window and intoher bed those years ago. She would no longer believe his honeyed words andgilded gazes. Tightening her hands on the steering wheel, Sana forced herselfnot to look at the red-trimmed house coming up on her right. She didn't care ifhe was home or not or if he was standing on his porch waiting and watching forher, she would just keep driving. She would keep her eyes focused ahead,focused on—his truck was gone. Like the weakling she was, Sana turned her head,confirming what her peripheral vision had spied. His truck was indeed gone.
Ignoringthe lance of disappointment, Sana focused back on her drive. She had too muchto do today, she reminded herself. Pulling into the city hall's parking lot,she grabbed her coffee and case and walked up the steps.
Aftergreeting the receptionist at the front, Sana followed the older woman down aquiet hallway until they stopped in front of a door that held a single blackand white placard reading City Engineer.
"Thiswill be your office, Ms. Bhatt," she informed her kindly as she opened thedoor, silently ushering her in. "As you can see, it has been recentlyrenovated and redecorated. Zachariah came in a week before you first got hereand nearly tore everything down the studs."
Sana'schest tightened as she stepped into the fresh-smelling office. Unlike the restof the older building, this room had no trace of the eighties design thatdominated the drab building. Painted almost a white ash-gray, the room wasmodern and airy. The sleek angles of the wood and metal desk sitting in frontof the exposed brick wall reminded her of something some high fashion editorshould have, not a city engineer.
"…andeven your window is different than the other offices, seeing that it slidesopen," the woman pointed out happily, and Sana realized the woman had beentalking the entire time she had been ogling dumbfounded at the office.
Willingherself to stay focused, Sana turned and listened to the woman intently.
"Ihave to say, the design caused quite a stir to the other staff. Monique musthave gotten a dozen little notes on her desk that next week begging for theiroffice to be redone," the receptionist chuckled as she glided back to thedoor. "Well, I can hear my phone ringing from here, darling, so I have togo. But if you need anything, just dial pound and one on the phone to get me,and remember to dial nine for an outside line."
Alonenow, Sana turned and looked around the office. It was far prettier thananything she had ever seen and certainly prettier than anything she had back inSeattle. Walking over to the opposite wall from her desk, she reached for thealmost imperceptible little groove and pulled. The wall opened, and Sanasmiled. At first, she simply thought it was wood paneling along the wall, butthey were actually floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that blended in perfectly.Deep inset shelves lined the wall, answering the unspoken question of storagethe Spartan designed office initially begged.
"Cleverman," she grumbled.
Aclever man with impeccable design taste was more like it. When in the world didZach pick up this talent? Design and color palettes naturally never came up intheir youth which just made her all the more curious now to find out he was sovery good at the secret hobby. That was exactly the type of thing she shouldn'tbe doing, she reminded herself with a twisting little frown.
Sittingdown in the graceful black leather office chair, Sana pulled out her laptop andgot to work.
Sanawas setting down the phone back into the cradle with one hand as she scribbleddown a note when the sharp rap came at her door. Looking up, her frowndissipated at the sight of Elijah's handsome face through the narrow window onher door.
Wavinghim in, she smiled at him as he came in, shutting the door behind him.
"Heythere, I brought you lunch from my mom," he grinned, holding up the pinklunch bag.
"Oh,that is so sweet, she didn't have to do that." Sana's heart warmed at thethought of Lana thinking about her enough to make her a lunch.
"You'relike family, it's no problem." Elijah plopped heavily in one of the twoblack leather seats in front of her desk and let out a long sigh."Besides, I was beyond grateful when mom told me to go. The rest of thecrew is heading to Antor right now to set up the area for the new windmillthey’re getting, and I so very much did not want to go."
Sanapretended that the whereabouts of Zach did not instantly increase her heartrate and tried to keep a somewhat disinterested tone. "Why not? I've neverbeen to Antor Falls, is it bad or something?"
Elijahlaughed and shook his head. "No, nothing like that. It’s just like Tarkiin a way but much bigger. But I swear it's colder in Antor, and there is a tonmore family down there. Meaning, every time we go, my dad feels compelled tostop off at a few cousins' houses and visit with them." He rolled hiseyes.
