It had occurred to him after Arielle stormed into her bedroom that he should adjust his tactics with her. In Aspen, things between them had progressed way too fast and had actually been based on deception. Then, before he could tell her who he really was, he’d returned to Dallas because of Lana’s accident and in the weeks that followed, had no time to follow up and explain. And when he finally did have the time, it had already been so long that he’d figured it was too late to set things straight with her. But he’d been wrong. They had a set of twins on the way and that changed everything.
He thought about the obstacles he’d have to overcome to get Arielle to agree to marry him. He’d hurt her deeply with his unexplained disappearance and the use of his alias had destroyed any trust she’d had in him. That was definitely something they would straighten out. Pressing her to get married before he explained why he’d left that morning in Aspen would be a study in futility. But he did have a fairly good idea how to get her in a more receptive mood to hear him out and he had every intention of putting his theory into action immediately.
Taking his cell from the clip on his belt, he dialed his home number and when his housekeeper answered, had her put him through to the kitchen. Telling his cook what he wanted, he instructed her to have his driver bring the special dinner over to Arielle’s apartment as soon as it was ready.
Given her recent appetite, a scrumptious meal was definitely going to make points with her and hopefully put her in the mood to listen to his explanation. Satisfied with his plan, he waited for Arielle to wake, certain they’d soon be a step or two closer to a weekend wedding.
Chapter Five
She awoke to the tantalizing aroma of food. Getting out of bed, Arielle walked into her bathroom and washed the evidence of tears from her face. Zach obviously hadn’t paid a bit of attention to her request for him to leave, but given his bullheaded tenacity, she really hadn’t expected him to. And although she was frustrated beyond words by his dogged determination that they marry, she wasn’t about to send him away until she’d sampled some of whatever smelled absolutely wonderful.
When she walked into the dining area, Zach had just lit the wicks on a couple of long white tapers in beautiful silver candlesticks. “Hey there, sleepyhead. I was just about to wake you,” he revealed, giving her a smile that warmed her all over. “How was your nap? Did you sleep well?”
“As far as naps go, it was okay,” she said.
She was supposed to be angry with him, but that emotion was decreasing with each passing second. He looked so darned handsome in the glow of the candlelight and the way he’d rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt was just plain sexy.
She swallowed hard. Her pregnancy hormones had to be completely out of whack if just the sight of his tanned forearms was enough to send her temperature soaring.
Deciding to concentrate on something besides the sexiest man she’d ever known, she pointed to the two elegant place settings filled with delicious-looking food. “What is all this?”
He pulled out one of the chairs for her. “I thought you might need something to eat when you woke up.”
“I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but something to eat is soup or a sandwich,” she pointed out, sitting in the chair he held. “This is a feast.”
He shrugged as he lowered himself into the chair at the head of the table. “A light meal is good once in a while, but it doesn’t provide enough of the vitamins and minerals you and the babies need to stay healthy.”
“When did you become a nutritionist?” she quipped, picking up her napkin to place it on her lap.
“Actually, I was relying more on common sense than knowledge,” he confessed, grinning. “But it sounded pretty impressive, don’t you think?”
“Yes, but you’d better be careful.” She couldn’t help but laugh at his smug expression. “Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back for being so clever.”
The easy camaraderie continued throughout the most sinfully delicious meal she’d had in a long time. By the time they finished dessert, Arielle felt positively stuffed. “The chocolate mousse was scrumptious and, hands down, the best I’ve ever tasted.”
Zach nodded. “I’m convinced that Maria Lopez is, without question, the best cook in the whole state of Texas.”
“After that meal, she certainly has my vote,” Arielle agreed, rising to her feet.
When she started to take their plates, he caught her hand in his and pulled her down to sit on his lap. “I’ll take care of clearing the dishes in a few minutes.”
“But—”
“Arielle, we need to talk about Aspen.”
“Zach, I—”
“I’ve tried to tell you before and you haven’t wanted to hear it, but this time, I’m not taking no for an answer,” he interrupted, determined to have his say. “I’m going to tell you exactly what happened—from using another name to the reason I left that morning.”
Whether she liked what he had to say or not, the time had come to hear him out. If she didn’t, they’d never work out an amicable agreement to share the raising of their children.
“All right,” she concurred cautiously. “I’m listening.”
She felt his chest rise and fall against her side as he took a deep breath. “First of all, it’s a habit of mine to use another name when I check into one of my resorts to observe how my employees interact with our guests.”
“And no one has figured out who you are?” she ventured, unable to believe he’d maintained his anonymity. “Surely there are people at your hotels who have met and recognize you.”
He nodded. “Of course there are. But besides arranging my visits while the resort manager is on vacation or away for a training seminar, my hotels are large enough that I can avoid being recognized by posing as—”
“Tom Zacharias, skiing enthusiast,” she interjected, beginning to understand.
“That’s right, darlin’. When I check in as someone else, I’m treated like any other guest.” He shrugged. “And you’d be amazed at how much more I learn about guest services, maintenance and customer satisfaction than if I had made an announced visit.”
“I would assume everyone would be on their best behavior if they knew who you were.”
“And I wouldn’t know a damned thing about the areas that need improvement.”