Page 121 of Tempt
CHAPTER29
MILLIE
He washere?
My heart began to hammer louder than the music in my earbuds or the vacuum in my hand. I turned them both off and returned the vacuum handle to its upright position, then looked up front again.
He was still there, wearing a black coat and waving his arms like a madman.
I blinked, expecting him to disappear. After all, I’d been fantasizing about him showing up like this to surprise me, to tell me we’d made a mistake, to say he couldn’t live without me, then we’d ride off into the sunset together...but it was so ludicrous, I never imagined it actually happening.
But there he was.
Plucking my earbuds from my ears, I stuck them into my pocket—realizing as I made my way to the front that I wasnotdressed for a ride into the sunset. I had on elastic-waist sweatpants and an old hoodie of my dad’s that said USMC on the front. On my feet were fuzzy socks, and my hair was wrangled into a loose, sloppy bun on the top of my head. I touched it as I reached the front doors, then unlocked them. Pulled one open.
“Hi,” he said, his dark eyes bright with excitement. His entire body seemed to radiate with heat and energy.
“Zach.” I shook my head slightly. “What are you—”
But I didn’t even get to finish my question, because he burst inside, crushing his lips to mine and throwing his arms around me. He kissed me breathless for a solid minute, my back bowing, my bun tipping to the side, one of my feet coming off the ground. Cold air and snow blew in through the open door, but I hardly noticed. His body was warm and solid, his arms were locked around me, and his mouth, oh God—I missed the way he kissed me so much, like he’d been searching for me everywhere.
Finally, we came up for air. “Zach,” I whispered, shivering a little. “Can you shut the door?”
“Oh, sorry.” He released me and did as I asked. Thankfully, the moment the door was closed, he reached for me again, taking my face in his hands as we walked deeper into the store, as if we were dancing. “God, I missed you. I forgot how beautiful you are.”
“I look terrible.” I felt my bun listing to one side and reached up to pull out the ponytail holder.
As soon as my hair tumbled to my shoulders, Zach slid his fingers through it, then bent his head to inhale its scent. “I missed the smell of your hair. I missed everything about you.”
“I missed you too.”
He looked down at me, his eyes searching mine. “I was an idiot to think I could just let you go. I can’t. I want to be with you. Ineedto be with you.”
His words made my heart sing with hope, but I told myself to tread carefully. “What about Mason?”
“I spoke to him earlier today.”
“You did?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, I know I should have asked your permission before telling him about us, but I didn’t want to show up at your door without clearing the way forward.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he already knew.” Zach’s expression turned a little sheepish. “He saw us on Christmas Eve in the bar.”
My stomach dropped, and I gasped. “IknewI saw someone by the door! That was Mason?”
“Yes.”
“But he didn’t say anything! He wasn’t upset?”
“He was,” Zach admitted. “But he held it in. I think he’s conflict-avoidant. Or maybe he just deals with his anger by going silent. Either way, when I showed up at his house today and told him about my feelings for you, he told me he’d seen us together.”
“Oh no,” I breathed. “Poor Mason.”
“Mostly he was mad that I hadn’t been honest with him,” Zach said, dropping his hands to my hips. “He said he’s tired of people who should care about him keeping him in the dark. It makes him feel like an idiot.”
“I get that.”
