“Then what is it?”
“Snakes.”
She shuddered, and Zane couldn’t stop himself from laughing. He’d seen Tess afraid only once, and he never would have imagined she would have such a visceral reaction to a reptile. “How did I not know this about you?”
“I have no idea.”
“You do realize that you’re bigger than they are. And they’re more afraid of you than you are of them.”
“Nope. I’m definitely more afraid of them. I know there are good snakes.” She made air quotes around the wordgoodand spoke with the cadence of schoolchildren repeating memorized facts. “Snakes eat rodents and bugs. You should leave them alone if you find one in your garden.”
“That’s true.”
“I don’t care. That knowledge changes nothing. I cannot stand them. I don’t even like thinking about them.” Another tremor went through her. “One summer when we were in India, a friend and I were outside. There was a whole group of us playing a hide-and-seek game. We scattered to hide. I thought I’d found the best spot, so when the boy who was doing the seeking started yelling, I ignored him at first. I thought he was trying to cheat and make us come out before he found us, and I didn’t want to give away my spot. But then I realized he wasn’t joking. My friend had been bitten by a snake. She died that night.”
Zane wrapped a hand around her neck, his thumb no longer pressing into the tight spots but sweeping back and forth across her nape. “I had no idea. I’m so sorry. And I’m sorry I made light of it. You have every right to your fear.”
“It’s okay.” Her words were husky. She swallowed again, and the room suddenly felt too small, too hot, and far, far too intimate.
He should remove his hand from her neck and return to the safe ground of deep and abiding friendship.
He was usually good at doing what he should.
Why couldn’t he do it now?
8
ZANE HAD MAGICHANDS.That was all there was to it. There was nothing inappropriate about what he was doing. Gil had picked up some tips from his physical therapist sister, Emily, and he was always willing to help work out a few kinks. Friends did this. Right?
Except, when Gil did it, he didn’t stand so close. And he was usually saying something that made her laugh. Or she was threatening to kill him when he dug his thumb into a tight muscle.
Gil’s hands never made her feel so safe that she was compelled to share her darkest secrets and deepest fears.
This was... other. She never wanted Zane to stop.
But she needed him to stop immediately before she turned around in her seat and did something she could never take back.
Why couldn’t the phone ring? Or someone walk in and interrupt them? That’s what always happened in books and movies. Where was a good old-fashioned interruption when she needed one?
But no. She was going to have to get out of this on her own. Drum up some willpower and pull away. Come up with something witty to say that would prevent any awkwardness later.
Zane moved his hands, and his thumbs pressed into her skull.Her attempt at stifling a moan was wildly unsuccessful and his hands froze, then continued. So much for making things less weird.Think about work. About the reason Zane is here. Say something. Anything.
“How—” she started.
“What—” Zane spoke at the same time. They both laughed, and whatever was thickening the air with temptation and possibilities best left unexplored released its hold. He gave her neck one soft squeeze. “Better?”
“Yes. Much. Thanks.”
“Anytime.” He stepped back, and she got out of the way so he could get his stuff from the desk. She picked up the bag she’d dropped on the floor when Zane decided on the impromptu neck massage.
“What were you going to ask me?”
It took her a few seconds to remember. “Oh. I was going to ask if this level of threat and the types of threats we’re seeing, if it seems high to you. Or if it’s par for the course.”
Zane joined her and they walked toward the exit. “I wish I could tell you it’s normal, but there’s something about it that feels off. There are threats all the time, but this seems excessive. The president is popular enough. He hasn’t done anything rash or gone too far toward any particular ideology, but this threat we’re tackling tomorrow has a darker undercurrent. Sometimes people spout off because we have free speech and they feel like they can say whatever they want. There’s no intent behind it. But this? I don’t like it.”
“I agree. And I have a bad feeling Hank’s stunt today may have poured fuel on the fire. And I’m not talking about the threat against me. I’m talking about the threats against the president.”
