Inhaling for courage, she swung around, ready to meet the intruder. Zack laughed and grabbed her around the waist. He lifted her up. Caught off guard, she gripped his strong shoulders. Her heart rate was a little more difficult to lower, especially now that she was in his arms.
“I wanted to surprise you,” he said.
“You did... and you nearly scared the crap out of me, too.”
“I’m sorry, love. I guess sneaking up on an FBI agent is a bad thing to do.”
“It is.” She laughed lightly. “If I had had my gun, you’d be staring down the barrel of my Glock.”
His gaze narrowed, and he arched an eyebrow. “You don’t have your gun?” He tsked, shaking his head. “That’s not a good thing.”
“I know.” She relaxed, still in his arms. She liked that he hadn’t broken the contact. “But being out here on the ranch, I’ve felt secure. It’s hard to remember to wear my gun when I feel this way.”
“I agree. The ranch is definitely a different environment, and it’s really nice and relaxing. I don’t find myself looking over my shoulder any longer. It’s been a long two months. But being out here, I could go for a whole year and not worry about the real world.”
Her heart flipped. It was nice to know he felt the same as she had. “A whole year? What would the world think about theirmissing billionaire?”
“The world wouldn’t have a second thought about me. The paparazzi, however... yeah, they might wonder what happened to the billionaire they enjoyed bothering. But you know what?” He gathered her closer. “I don’t care what they think.”
The tenderness in his soft chocolate eyes was melting her fast. As long as he kept his arms around her, she’d be sure not to drop to the ground. “Do you mean you don’t have any fans out there?”
He shrugged. “If I do, I haven’t noticed. Mostly, people let me live my life without any major interruptions.”
“And then came that life-altering day when you overheard things that could get you killed.”
His smile disappeared, and he nodded. “It was shocking to hear that someone I’d become good friends with over the years could live a double life. When I’d heard Senator Sterling talking with one of his hitmen in that restaurant, I honestly didn’t know what to do. I mean, he’d been a friend. I didn’t know whether to turn him in or pretend he was joking.”
She stroked his arm. “You made the right choice.”
His laugh sounded tight. “Only because he tried to kill me after that.”
“I’m glad he missed,” she confessed softly.
He stared at her for a few silent seconds. The only sound was that of his breathing. Or was it her breaths that had accelerated?
Slowly, he pulled away, but held her hand and entwined their fingers. As they walked, she noticed the stiff way he stepped. She was sure he’d still be sore today. His nose and ears were still beet red from the sunburn, though.
“Whitney?
“Hmm?”
“Do you like being an FBI agent?”
“Yes. Why do you ask?”
He shrugged. “Don’t get upset at me for saying this, but you’re different out here in the country. When we first met at the airport, you were uptight and... mean.”
She chuckled lightly. “Mean? Well, you were mean, too.”
“Okay, maybe mean isn’t the word. Maybestubbornis a better word.”
“Now that, I can believe.” She grinned.
“But since we’ve been here, you’re a different person. You’re not trying to act all tough and dress like a guy.” She arched an eyebrow, but he held up his hand to keep her from saying anything. “You have to admit, you tried to dress like one of the male agents, instead of the female agents.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then why do you dress that way?”
