Focus.
Heidi had wanted to meet him at his place so they could begin their journey together. He’d offered to pick her up, but she liked holding onto some control . . . or he was, at least, letting herbelievethe choices were hers.
Where he was taking her wasn’t a place they could reach on foot, as most people did on the island. He spotted her on the street, moving closer, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes bright with anticipation. She looked younger in this light, hopeful in a way that made something twist in his chest.
Was it guilt? Lust? Or the simple annoyance that he still wanted someone else more?
“We need to leave now so we don’t miss the last of the sunset,” Zach told her, holding back from pulling her into his arms. He feared that if he began, he’d change his mind about their trip and simply carry her up the stairs to his home and straight into his bedroom. It had been a while since he’d gotten the satisfaction he needed, much too long . . . and on this night, he wanted this woman. She wasn’t the one he’d wanted for so long that he couldn’t remember a time he didn’t, but she’d do for one night. She’d scratch the itch he couldn’t reach.
If he closed his eyes, she could be any woman he desired.
If he opened them, he had to decide what he was actually doing.
“Where are we going?” Heidi asked, her voice breathy, a mixture of nerves and excitement.
“You don’t want the surprise ruined, do you?” he teased. Her smile grew wider. She liked the mystery. She liked giving him the lead. Trust was a drug. He’d seen Harmony write that exact sentence in her notebook. The thought should’ve bothered him more than it did.
“I’ve never been one of those women who likes surprises, but it seems I’m not myself on the island,” she admitted.
“No one is. This is a place where inhibitions are left on the mainland, and people find a part of themselves they never knew existed, while getting lost at the same time. It’s quite freeing, and some people choose to never leave this world behind,” he said as he led her to his truck and held open the passenger door.
She climbed in on trembling legs. He leaned close, inhaling her sweet scent, allowing his breath to whisper along her ear, barely stopping himself from taking a nibble. A shudder passed through her. He clenched his fingers to keep from grabbing her.Patience, he demanded of himself.
He gently closed her door, inhaled a deep breath, then forced himself to walk slowly to the driver’s side. He climbed in, then quickly pulled away from the curb.
Catalina was built on hills. Wild land. Empty land. Land where there were long stretches with no eyes, no cameras, no witnesses. Mary had once said the island remembered all its sins. Sometimes he wondered if that was true, or if it only remembered the ones people talked about.
It didn’t take them long to start up the only road that would take them away from the small town of Avalon on a scenic, winding path that seemed to head straight up into the sky. He couldn’t help but glance over at her as she gazed out the window, the skies changing color, a magnificent sunset guiding their way.
He’d been torn on whether to watch the sunset on their ride or to be at their destination to see it in all of its glory. Finally, he’d decided to arrive at dark . . . making it far more intimate. They still got to enjoy the vibrant colors as they drove, and he got the best of both worlds. The drive normally took about twenty minutes, but he was going slower than usual, wanting to stretch this part out as they went further up the mountain, leaving the town's lights behind.
As the last of the sunset faded from the sky, they were surrounded by darkness, only the shine from the headlights leading the way.
Almost as if he held fate in his hands, a beautiful rolling fog began encircling the vehicle, swirls of clouds dancing in front of them in beams of light. He slowed more as she turned to gaze at him. She still looked eager, but there was also uncertainty in her expression. How well did she know him, after all?
How well did anyone?
Zach reached over, his fingers gently sliding along her thigh. She again trembled as a nervous chuckle escaped her beautiful pink lips.
“How far are we heading into the backcountry?” she asked, her voice a bit shaky. Maybe she was realizing that traveling into the night with a man she’d only known for a short time might not have been her best decision.
It was too late now.
He squeezed her leg, his pinkie finger mere inches from the heat of her core.
“No matter how far we go, I assure you, it’s worth it. When I told you this place is magical, I wasn’t lying. I’ve never brought someone before. There’s something about you that’s making me do things I’ve never done . . . that’s making me want things I’ve never wanted.”
He heard the lie and the half-truth buried inside. He had wanted to bring someone else here first. Harmony’s name flickered like static at the back of his mind, along with Torie’s accusation, and Mary’s knife tapping the bar. He shoved them all aside.
Tonight was about Heidi.
Or about proving something to himself.
Or about proving something to Harmony.
He wasn’t sure which unsettled him more.
Those words soothed her, and she placed her hand over Zach’s, her fingers tracing his knuckles. He slid his hand a fraction higher, nearly feeling the heat from between her thighs. He wanted to push his foot into the gas pedal, but somehow managed to maintain a semblance of control.
