Willow moved around the counter and rested her hand on his forearm. “You’re shaking.”
“It’s the adrenaline pumping through my body. It makes—”
She leaned forward and gently kissed the side of his face. “You did good, Zac. Megan and the baby are healthy and safe. That’s all that matters.”
He looked into Willow’s eyes and felt himself being pulled into a place he never thought he’d find. Before he talked himself out of it, he leaned forward and kissed her.
Instead of pulling away, Willow deepened the kiss. His brain shut down as he enjoyed the taste and feel of her body pressed against his.
Swiveling sideways, he pulled her between his thighs, wanting to devour her whole as her hands wound through his hair.
When she groaned, every shred of common sense disappeared. He wanted Willow with a ferocity that shook him even more than what had happened tonight.
He wanted—
“Are you coming to see the…oops.”
Willow froze in his arms.
Sam stood in the kitchen doorway, staring open-mouthed at them. She cleared her throat, then smiled. “I guess the baby can wait. Carry on.”
Before Zac could say anything, Sam left the kitchen.
Willow dropped her head to his shoulder. “Tell me that didn’t happen.”
“The kiss?”
“No. Sam.”
Zac didn’t care about Sam. He was more relieved that Willow didn’t regret kissing him. “It won’t be the first time she’s seen two people kissing each other.”
Willow looked up. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her eyes were so dark they were almost black. “But it’s the first time she’s seen us kissing.”
A spark of mischief made Zac smile. “Does that mean you would kiss me again?”
Willow’s gaze dropped to his mouth.
His spark of mischief flared to a raging fire storm. It took all of Zac’s willpower not to pull her close and kiss her again.
“I like the way you kiss,” she said softly. “But you’re only staying in Sapphire Bay for a couple of weeks.”
“Would it make a difference if I was living here?”
Willow tilted her head to the side. “Maybe, but that can’t be the only reason you stay.”
Zac had made many life-changing decisions based on a lot less than wanting to be close to someone. But if he stayed, it wouldn’t only be his heart on the line. Willow needed someone who could make her laugh, make her look forward to a brighter future. She needed someone she could trust.
All he could offer her was himself, and he didn’t know if that would ever be enough.
Willow lifted her hand to the side of his face and sighed. “I’m going to see Megan and the baby. Thank you for taking care of them.”
“I’m glad I was here.”
“So am I.”
Zac kept staring through the kitchen door long after Willow left the room. When he’d planned his trip home, he had no intention of staying in Montana. But now, after meeting Willow and helping Megan and William, he didn’t know if he wanted to go back to Kabul.
For the first time in his life he was torn between two worlds—and he wasn’t sure which one would win.
