Billionaire Bad Boy (20 page)

"Oh," was all she could manage. Her mouth
wasn't working properly. Nor was her brain. A mass of thoughts jumbled together
to form an incoherent message. All she did know was that Zack told her he
didn't want a relationship. There was no maybe about it—he was definite. He
wasn't the settling down kind, even if he did like her more than he liked
Melanie or any other women he'd dated.

A commotion in the foyer drew their attention. The
double doors burst open and the receptionist poked her head through. "Dug-E's
here!" she whispered so loudly the entire office heard, including Dug-E
who stood behind her looking bored.

"Show time," Annie said, pushing away any
thoughts of Zack.

***

The meeting wasn't a complete disaster, if Dug-E's
lack of enthusiasm was anything to go by. At least he didn't rant or throw
things or even call anyone names. Actually, it could even be called successful
when his mother said she'd think about the McCallum and Horton offer.

Annie and Bob left the meeting with the words
"Don't call us, we'll call you" ringing in their ears. It was better
than an outright no.

"I have to go," Annie said after Dug-E and
his mother left.

Bob followed her to her desk, a frown on his face. "I
thought we could celebrate with a drink first."

"That's a little premature don't you think? He
hasn't signed yet."

He grinned. It was a welcome sight, and a rare one
lately. "He will. I can feel it." His smile vanished as he studied
her face. "Are you going to see Zack?"

She grabbed her jacket, avoiding looking directly at him.
"Never again. He's made it perfectly clear he's not interested."

"Oh." He sighed. "In that case, there's
probably something you should know."

She barely heard him as she sifted through her
over-sized handbag on her daily hunt for her car keys. "What?"

"I set you up."

She looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"

He shrugged. "It was one of those spur of the
moment things. I'd often thought you two would be perfect for each other and
when the opportunity arose I took it." He held up his hands defensively when
Annie glared at him. "I'm sorry it didn't work out. I just thought you
could be the one to change him. You
are
perfect for him, you know,"
he added quickly.

She chewed on her lip as she studied her boss's double
chins. What the hell was going on? It seemed everyone was pulling her strings
lately, like a puppet in an overly dramatic play. She felt like she'd
completely lost control of her life. Who needed coincidence when you had Zack
and Bob? "What do you mean, change him?"

"It's about time the boy settled down. I know
that, but he doesn't, or doesn't want to admit it. That's why he never dates
relationship women."

"Relationship women?"

Bob nodded. "He only dates the sort who just want
to party and paint their toenails pretty colors. He avoids the sort of women he
should
be dating."

"Women like me?" she asked weakly.

"Exactly. You're just what he needs. I thought he
might figure that out after spending some time with you." He shook his
head and his jowls jangled like a turkey's. "Obviously he's a bigger fool
than I thought."

"Obviously."

And obviously Bob had got it all wrong. She wasn't
Zack's perfect partner or he wouldn't have tried to turn her into someone she
wasn't.

***

Zack leaned back in his office chair and closed his
eyes. The last two days had been hell compared to the ones before it. He felt
restless, miserable, and he constantly snapped at his staff. He needed
something more in his life. He needed Annie. Being with her had been fun.

No, that word didn't even begin to describe how he'd
felt when they were together. Sure, they'd laughed a lot, but for some reason,
just being with Annie made him feel comfortable. Comfortable and accepted. She
didn't treat him like other women did, agreeing with him and accepting his
decisions. She challenged him, she laughed at him and allowed him to laugh at
her. She talked to him as if he were her equal, and he felt like he'd found
someone on his own level. Someone he could respect. Someone who brightened his
life. Someone he wanted to be with beyond this week.

Whoa. Back up.
Someone he wanted to be with. Someone
he wanted in his life.
Forever.

Zack reached for the phone and dialed five digits then
hung up. He paced behind his desk a few times then picked up the phone again. He
got to the sixth before slamming it down.

"This is ridiculous." He turned to the glass
wall and stared out at the sprawling city below. Somewhere to his left Annie
was probably still in her meeting with Dog-E Whats-his-name. There was no point
calling her yet. Maybe in another ten minutes...

He drummed his fingers on the pane of glass. Could he
wait that long? Ever since he'd made up his mind to call her he'd worked on his
speech. Eventually he decided to just wing it. His words would all depend on
her mood anyway. Surely she wouldn't be mad at him any longer, not after two
days.

He wondered if she'd thought of him at all. He'd
thought of her, constantly. Not even selling StanCorp had made him feel better.
Usually off-loading a company pepped up his mood, but not this time. This time
it would take only one thing to lift him out of the doldrums—hearing
Annie's voice. No, more than that—kissing Annie. Better yet, making love
to her. Feeling her body beneath his, warm, supple and eager...

Damn. The office wasn't the most convenient place to
be thinking about Annie naked. He picked up the phone again and dialed her work
number, this time getting through all the digits. No answer. He dialed her cell
phone. No answer. He'd have to visit her at home. Now. What he needed to say
couldn't wait any longer. He'd always been the sort of person to confront his
fears and it was time to tackle this one head on. Before it was too late.

If it wasn't already.

CHAPTER 17

Annie got the phone call that Dug-E had signed when
she got home. Bob, unable to contain his excitement, said he was coming over
with the contract for her to sign as Dug-E's representing agent.

She had enough time for a quick shower and change of
clothes.

The knock came as she stepped out of the water. Wrapping
a towel around her she opened the door without looking through the peephole.

"That was quick... Oh."

Zack stood in the doorway, arms flexed at his sides,
feet slightly apart and face unshaved. He wore a dark suit, his tie a little
off-center, and sunglasses which hid any emotions he might be feeling. But
intense vibrations crossed the space between his body and hers.

"What are you doing here?"

"Bad timing?" he asked. His voice was as
rough as the Rockies. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No. I was expecting someone else."

Zack didn't move but his eyes, barely visible beneath
the dark glasses, roamed across her towel-clad body. It was a possessive
gesture and sent a thrill through her.

"Who were you expecting?" There was a hint
of a threat in his tone.

She almost smiled. He was jealous.

"Just Bob for our regular after-work tryst."

His mouth fell open and his brows rose above his
sunglasses.

"Just kidding," she sang as she turned and
walked back inside. "He's bringing around Dug-E's contract for me to
sign."

She heard him follow her inside before he said,
"So you got Dug-E? Good. I knew you would. Was it the bike that convinced
him?"

"No." She swung round, ready to face him now
that she'd regained her composure. Wow, he was handsome. She bit the inside of
her lip and forced herself to concentrate. She was
not
going to end up
in bed with him. "I went as myself. No motorbike, no flirting, no tight
leather pants. I couldn't represent him as someone I wasn't. I'm not so bad
really. And anyone who doesn't like me as I am can lump it. That goes for you
too." She felt better, lighter. If only she'd said something like that to
her father when he'd been alive, maybe he wouldn't have kept pressuring her to
be someone she wasn't.

As if caught by a hook, slowly the corner of Zack's
mouth twitched up until his lips stretched into a broad smile. He came to her
and placed his hands on her shoulders. He stared into her eyes, lifted one hand
and traced her cheek with his fingertip. She went weak at the knees and hot all
over. It wasn't fair. She wasn't supposed to give in so easily.

"Good," he said. "I like the real Annie
better. I'm sure Dug-E will too."

She nodded dumbly, his words not quite registering. She
tried to think of the right words to tell him she wasn't going to sleep with
him again while her insides did back flips. He really wasn't making it easy for
her.

"Um, Zack, we can't—."

But she got no further. He placed a finger to her lips
and kissed her forehead tenderly. "Ssh. I've got something I have to say
or I'll explode. I've missed you, Baby. These last two days have
been...boring."

"Boring?"

He smiled crookedly down at her. "Okay, they've
been worse than boring. They've been hell."

She drew in a deep breath to still her trembling
nerves, but she wasn't giving in just yet. There were things that needed
sorting out before she would submit to the powerful urge to shower him with
kisses.

"Good," she said carefully. "They've
been hell for me too."

His grin was just like the one in the photo she'd seen
of him as a little boy. Cheeky. Happy.

He bent his head and kissed her lips tenderly. It was
agony. She wanted more but she resisted. She had something to say.

"Annie?"

"No more, Zack." She put her hands on his
chest and pushed him lightly away. "I need to know what I am to you. I
need to know what you want."

Zack swallowed. This wasn't going to plan. "I
want you."

"In what way?"

Her face turned hard but he could see the
vulnerability in her eyes. He knew what she wanted him to say, but Lord help
him, he didn't know how to say it. He'd thought he could, he thought it'd be
easy, but now that it was show time, his throat constricted and the words
wouldn't form in his head.

She nodded. "I see. You've made yourself clear. I
think you should go now."

"But, Annie, we had fun."

"Yeah, we did." He thought he saw her smile
before she turned away. "But we want different things out of this
relationship and you're not being fair if you keep stringing me along. I can't
do it anymore. I'm just not like that. I know that now."

She choked back a sob. He placed a hand on her shoulder
and gently tried to turn her round but she wouldn't budge and he wouldn't force
her.

He heard ragged breathing and realized it was his. Oh
hell, he was going to lose it. He was going to lose her. But what should he
say? And how? Nothing seemed right.

She stepped away from him and he could see the tears
rolling down her cheeks. She opened her door and waited. He couldn't move. He
couldn't let go of the one person in his life who cared about him, Zack
DiMarco, not the billionaire but the regular guy. He couldn't let the one
person who made him smile walk out of his life forever.

The one person he wanted to be with. Forever.

He pushed his hands through his hair. Oh Lord, was he
sure? Was his mind playing some sort of trick...?

"I think I need to sit down." But he
remained standing, staring at Annie. Would this woman make him give up his
ranch for the LA glitz? Would she want him to attend parties with her? No way—she
definitely disliked them. Would she make him give up his most valuable
possession—his freedom? Did she want the full-time commitment, the white
picket fence and children?

Hell yes. And for the first time in his life, Zack
realized he was ready for those things too. But only if he could have them with
her.

He took a step toward her. She was perfect all right,
and exactly what he needed. Wanted.

"Annie," he stood close, inhaling the scent
of soap and shampoo. There were tracks on her cheeks from her tears and he
touched them, wishing he hadn't caused them.

She turned her face away, but he knew what he had to
do now. He touched her chin and made her look at him. Her eyes were deep pools,
ready to spill at any moment.

"I'm sorry I put you through this," he
whispered. "It's just I didn't know until now."

"Didn't know what?" Her voice trembled.

"That I love you, Annie." Her body stiffened
as a tidal wave of relief flooded his. He'd said it—for the first time in
his entire life, he'd used the L word.

But Annie just stood there, her lips slightly apart,
staring up at him. His heart cracked. He'd blown it. He'd said the wrong thing.
Or he'd said the right thing, but too late.