Lauren raised an elegant eyebrow.
“Aren’t you upset?” Dani asked. “About the spare room thing?”
For a moment, Lauren’s smile faltered and Dani could see behind the mask of indifference to the pain beyond. Then Lauren shrugged. “I’ve always tried to be honest with myself where Zach’s concerned. I knew when it started that it was never going to go anywhere and I knew, before I came here, that we were just about over. I shouldn’t have come, but I thought, one last fling.” She shook her head ruefully. “Never try for that last fling—it doesn’t work. But then, Zach is sort of addictive.”
They both looked over to where he stood chatting with Gary. He must have felt their gazes because he looked across, then held up a beer and beckoned her over with a smile. Dani kept her face immobile but inside she melted.
“Was it worth it?” she asked, turning back to Lauren.
“Oh yes.” Lauren laughed softly. “Boy, was it worth it.”
Dani could feel her face heating up, and she nibbled on her bottom lip, really not sure what to say.
Lauren relented. “It’s not only the sex with Zach, though he’d be worth it just for that. The thing is he actually likes women and it comes across. He just doesn’t want to marry one, doesn’t even want to live with one. He’s absolutely terrified of commitment. But even when he finishes it, it’s always his fault not yours, and you can’t help liking him. Come on, let’s join the group. I can see Zach’s getting jumpy.” She grinned. “He’s probably worrying about what I’m telling you.”
Dani didn’t know what to think; it felt like a reprieve. The tight band she hadn’t even realized was around her chest suddenly loosened. She’d felt deflated earlier, but now she was floating.
She was on autopilot throughout dinner. She found herself sitting next to Zach, smiling and drinking but somehow managing to avoid talking to him directly. She watched as Lauren sat opposite between Simon and Gary, flirting outrageously with both of them, and wished she could feel half as relaxed or at least look as though she were.
Dinner was some sort of pasta with a creamy chicken sauce and salad, followed by double chocolate chip ice cream, and she knew Zach had arranged it for her. She licked the last of the dessert from her spoon and sighed. She couldn’t ignore him any longer. She turned and found him staring at her mouth. She licked her lips, searching for stray ice cream.
“That was a wonderful meal,” she said. “Did you cook it yourself?”
“No,” Zach replied wryly. “The Italian restaurant in town delivered. Now, why don’t you bring your drink and come out to the terrace.” He didn’t wait for her to reply but picked up her glass and got to his feet. “Come on. It’s obvious I’m not going to get any conversation out of you in front of your bodyguards.”
Gary and Simon looked up as she followed. Gary’s eyes narrowed slightly but then Lauren spoke and he turned back to her. Dani let out a sigh of relief and followed Zach through the French doors. The warm night air wrapped around her, enveloping her in the sweet scent of jasmine.
“So, why did you come this afternoon?” he asked when they were alone.
“I wanted to tell you what I thought of your books.”
Zach went still, a vaguely alarmed expression flashing across his face. “And?”
She hadn’t considered that her opinion would matter, but it obviously did. Should she torment him a little? Make him sweat. “And…”
“Get on with it, woman! Put me out of my misery.”
“They were great, really great. I wanted to thank you. I loved them. I didn’t know what I was missing.”
“So I’m not a useless playboy after all?”
She gave an enigmatic smile and changed the subject. “I like your girlfriend.”
“Lauren? I told you, she’s my accountant.”
“But she was your girlfriend?”
“Hmm, past tense. I assure you, I’m strictly monogamous.”
He took her arm, led her to one of the sun loungers, and pushed her gently down, before seating himself on the lounger next to her.
“You know, I’ve been thinking about you since you ran away this afternoon.”
“You have?” That didn’t sound good. She would also have liked to argue about the running away part, but thought she was probably on shaky ground.
“It’s the easy option, isn’t it?” he asked.
“What’s the easy option?”
“Going back to the army. You won’t have to make any decisions, they’ll tell you exactly what to do, they’ll even tell you when and where to do it and what to wear and what to eat…”
Dani was starting to get annoyed. “Why can’t you accept that it’s what I want? Why can’t you leave it alone?”
“Because I want to understand you.” He leaned toward her, resting his elbows on his thighs and examining her. “Anyway, then I thought that maybe, just maybe, it’s not only that. Maybe you also like giving orders to men. Tell me, Danielle, is that why you want to stay in the army? So you can order people around?”
“Go jump in the pool,” she ordered.
He chuckled, then gave her a wicked grin. “You want me to take my clothes off first?”
Dani sighed. It wasn’t going to work. He refused to be offended. “Okay, I admit it. It’s the easy option and I love the power. Now it’s my turn—do you feel sorry for me?”
He jolted upright. “Why the hell would you think that?”
Dani gave a wave of her hand. “I’m merely trying to understand why you’re doing this. What your motivations are.” She smiled with saccharin sweetness. “I just want to understand you, Zachary.”
Zach studied her, head cocked to one side. “What exactly is it you think I’m doing?”
“Being so nice. The presents. The dinner—my favorite foods. What do you hope to get out of it?”
“Maybe I want us to be friends.”
Friends?
She honestly didn’t know what to say to that. She opened her mouth, still unsure how to answer, as Gary appeared out of the French doors.
“I thought it was too good to last,” Zach muttered.
Gary glanced from her to Zach and back again, his brows drawing together. But really, there was a perfectly respectable distance between them—what was his problem?
“Have you asked her?” he said to Zach.