Forever (Time for Love Book 1) (19 page)

Zach exhaled loudly as he looked up at the ceiling while sprawled on Magda's sofa. "I know, Gran. I was wrong. But I was conscious of protecting our family and our reputation after the incidents that happened over the last two years."

Magda sat beside him and took his hand. "Heavy responsibilities were put on you and your brothers unexpectedly," she said softly. "You, being the oldest, bore the brunt of it. I'm sorry, dear. I, of all people, should understand how difficult the last couple of years have been for you. Have you told Rebecca about all the women—and men—who tried to scam us after our faces and wealth had been splashed in the papers?"

"No."

"You should tell her. I'm sure she'll understand why you were inordinately suspicious."

Zach sat up straight, nodding. "Thank you, Gran. I just hope she'll talk to me again. Can you help me find out where she'll be hanging out today?"

*****

Z
ach went to the smallest of the ship's pools. Sarah had told Magda that Rebecca would be there. He'd left messages for Rebecca all day, and he did get one response from her—that she didn't want to talk to him yet. Okay, that was fine. But that didn't mean he couldn't be in the same place as her.

It was just past midday and the area was quiet. Most people, he assumed, were having lunch.

There were four people in the water, but none of them was Rebecca. He looked around and his heart lurched. She was sitting on a deck chair in a sexy two-piece... having a quiet conversation with Alix. Had she turned to him for comfort?

His first instinct was to barge in on them and carry Rebecca away. But of course, that would be insane. She'd probably get even madder if he did that. In fact, she might even tell him to leave her alone in front of Alix, which would only give the other man reason to feel hopeful.

He plonked himself in an empty chair not too far—yet not too close—to the two, watching them from behind his dark sunglasses.

*

Z
ach stood up when he saw Rebecca and Alix preparing to leave. They'd have to walk past him, and he'd be waiting for them.

"Zach!" Rebecca cried in surprise.

"Hi," he said softly, but his hands fisted to his sides as he noticed Alix put a protective arm around Rebecca.

"Let's go, Becky," Alix said, not even acknowledging him.

"Bec, can we talk?" Zach asked, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.

"Not now, Zach," she said softly.

"When?"

Rebecca shrugged. "I'll let you know." Then she left. With Alix.

Zach stared at them, frozen on the spot. He had absolutely no idea what to do next. Well, he could act on what was going through his mind—which was to haul Rebecca over his shoulder and carry her back to his room so they could talk and make up. But guilt from his past actions stopped him. He'd thought horrible things about her and he'd hurt her deeply. He didn't have the right to act like a caveman with her.

Had he completely stuffed it up? Christ, he hadn't even told her how he truly felt. He'd been holding it back, hoping to stack up his "proof" so she wouldn't have any reason to doubt him. Would he ever have the pleasure of hearing those three words come out of her lips again?

"I love you, Bec," he whispered to the wind while strong hands squeezed his heart unmercifully.

"W
ould you tell me what he's done to make you so mad at him?"

Rebecca shook her head. "It doesn't matter, Alix."

"Of course it matters," Alix said. "You were all alone by the pool, looking so sad, then I saw you wipe away a tear. I knew right then that Zach must have made you cry."

"I really don't want to talk about it, if you don't mind."

"Okay. I'm sorry. So would you like to have dinner with me and a couple of my friends? We could invite Sarah, too. Just for fun. Maybe we could all go to the casino or do something lively afterwards."

Rebecca hesitated. She really didn't feel like doing any of those things. All she wanted was to hide herself in her room and cry some more.

"It won't be a date, Becky," Alix said softly. "I just want to be a good friend tonight. I promise you the drunk guy of the other night wasn't really me."

Rebecca sighed. There were still two weeks to go on this trip. Somehow she needed to find things to do that would keep her sane. Wallowing in the hurt inflicted by Zach wouldn't help. Being with other people to get her mind off him would.

"Okay," she heard herself say to Alix.

"Great! I'll see you at, say, six-thirty? I'll organise everything."

*****

"W
hat?! How dare he think that of you?" Trey exclaimed.

"So I wasn't being unreasonable by not talking to him, right?" Rebecca asked her brother, needing validation for her actions. She couldn't shake off Zach's distressed look earlier by the poolside. It tugged at her heart, but she had been too hurt and had wanted to hurt him back. Now she felt guilty at what she'd done.

"The idiot believed you agreed to be the mistress of a married man because he—I—gave you an apartment? How outrageous that someone with his money and power could get very simple facts so very wrong!" Trey said, his tone matching his words.

"He did have good reasons to be cautious of women he dates," Rebecca said, suddenly wanting to defend Zach against her brother's indignation. "After their tragic family accident two years ago, the media haven't let up on them—especially on the three brothers' love lives. That's why I've only told you about him now. Not that I think you would have blabbed our relationship to other people, but I was just being extra cautious."

"I understand that part. But getting back to this guy, how come he hasn't figured out what kind of person you are from the four months that you were together?" Trey asked.

Rebecca inhaled sharply. That part really hurt.

"Forget about him," Trey said. "There are plenty of fish in the ocean. In fact, you're at sea now. Why don't you try to catch another one while you're there?"

"What if I don't want to forget about him?" she asked in a small voice.

"After how he treated you?"

"He hasn't exactly
treated
me badly. He just thought I was bad and he reacted to that. I think there's a difference."

"Well, I don't approve of anyone thinking badly of you."

Rebecca smiled. "Thank you, my darling brother. But isn't that just a matter of pride? And if I remember correctly, didn't
you
try to put your best friend's then-girlfriend—now wife—through some sort of gold-digger test yourself?"

"I was just being protective of Dylan," Trey mumbled defensively. "And Ari has forgiven me and she loves me now. Anyway,
you're
the one who called me to complain about Zachary Carmichael."

"Yes," she sighed. "Zach did say he was sorry."

"Bec, in the end, you make your own decision," Trey said softly. "And if you want to follow your heart, I'm all for that. But the question is does this guy really love you? You deserve to be with someone who does."

Rebecca's eyes welled up.

No. Zach still had not said he loved her.

*****

"Y
ou okay, sweetie?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, thanks," Rebecca responded. "But you know what? This loud music is giving me a headache. Maybe I should go back to our room."

"How about we go to a quiet lounge? Don't go back to the room yet. You'll just wallow."

"Okay. Let's go."

They searched for Alix and his friends and said their goodnights.

"I'll go with you," Alix said.

"You don't have to, Alix. Stay here and enjoy the night with your friends."

"No, I'd rather join you girls. A quiet drink would be good."

*

T
hey decided on the closest lounge they passed and found a table near the door.

"Quiet enough for you?" Alix asked as he pulled out a chair for Rebecca.

"Sure," Rebecca answered. There was some jazz music playing, but at least it wasn't blaring like it was at the nightclub.

They were deciding on what to have when Rebecca's phone vibrated. "It's my sister-in-law," she said to Alix and Sarah as she rose from her seat. "I'll take this outside."

Alix grabbed her hand before she could leave. "What do you want me to order for you?"

"Uh, a cocktail. Maybe Sarah can choose for me." She was conscious that Alix's thumb was stroking her hand. She pulled her hand from Alix's grasp and walked out, only to gasp in surprise. There was Zach, his hands in his pockets, staring at her with bleak eyes.

"Zach."

He smiled at her with a mixture of resignation and sadness—a smile that didn't reach his eyes, but touched her soul.

"I, um, my phone was ringing and it's my sister-in-law," she babbled, shaken by his expression. She glanced at the device in her hand and noticed it had stopped ringing. "I have to call her back," she murmured absently.

"You want me to go away?" Zach asked softly.

"Were you on your way somewhere?"

"At the risk of you hating me even more, no. I was actually following you."

"Why?"

Anguish lined Zach's expression. "I can't stand this, Bec. I can't stand you not wanting to talk to me. I can't stand you... being out with another man," he said with a pained look in the direction of the lounge entrance.

"I have a heck of a lot of explaining to do," he continued earnestly. "I'm just asking that you give me that chance to explain. Even then, you may not want to forgive me. But I need you to know that I—"

"Becky?" Alix called out.

"Please give us a moment, Alix," she said, annoyed at the interruption. More so because Zach had looked even more upset. She'd never seen him like that before.

"I'll just tell Sarah I'm going with you," she said to Zach. "We can go to your room."

*****

R
ebecca glanced at Zach as they made their way to his suite. He was quiet and his hands were still in his pockets. She wanted to reach out and soothe him, and take that troubled look from his face.

Suddenly, she couldn't remember why she'd been mad at him. Was what he did really so unforgivable that she'd let him suffer? She couldn't stand seeing him like that. Her heart couldn't take it.

Oh God. She loved him so.

They arrived at his suite just as she'd arrived at a conclusion. If Zach's demeanour was anything to go by, then he was indeed hurting a lot as well. That would mean he really cared about her, right? Maybe even loved her? Or was she just trying too hard to wish a dream to reality?

Zach let out a gusty exhale as he closed the door behind them.

"Bec."

She turned to face him and her heart compressed at his sad expression.

"I love you," Zach said quietly. "I want you to know that before anything else gets said."

She gasped and stared at him. Did she hear him right?

"I'm so sorry," Zach continued. "I don't know how to fix my mistakes. All I can do is plead and beg for yet another chance."

She gave him a teary smile. "What are you doing just standing there? Come here and kiss me."

The shock on Zach's face was priceless. He stared at her for long seconds before scooping her up and kissing her senseless.

"I'm so sorry. I love you. I love you so much," Zach mumbled against her lips, his hands restlessly stroking her back.

Rebecca moaned, all misgivings melting against Zach's passionate onslaught. She pressed herself harder against him, desire swiftly taking over. It was as if a dam had broken, and all her feelings and needs were gushing out unrestrained. He loved her!

Just when she was ready to tear off their clothes, Zach pulled away.

"Do you want to talk first, baby?" he asked huskily.

She made a little whiny sound, pulling his mouth back to hers and trying to wrap a leg around him. But her blasted dress was too tight, so she settled for rubbing herself against him instead. Somehow, she wanted to show Zach that whatever was to come next was just for clarification—that it wouldn't have any impact on the fact that she loved him and wanted to move forward with him, leaving behind all the misunderstandings and mistakes they'd both made.

Zach groaned and unzipped her hastily, heatedly kissing the skin he'd exposed while undressing her. By the time her dress was on the floor, her legs felt like jelly.

Zach lifted her up and placed her on the bed, then took his clothes off impatiently.

"So no talking yet?" he asked as he covered her with his hard body.

"Later," she said, cupping his beloved face that now wore an expression in stark contrast to the gloomy one he'd worn earlier on. "Except for one thing."

Zach raised his eyebrows.

"I love you, Zach."

He let out a shaky breath, his eyes showing the depths of his emotions. "Oh, Bec, I love you, too. I promise to say that to you every day from here on in."

"More than once a day?" she asked playfully.

"Every chance I get, sweetheart," he promised.

Her heart bursting, she reached between their bodies and captured his hard erection, eager to make him feel good.

Zach grunted, his already hard breathing becoming even more laboured.

All words left Rebecca's mind as Zach put a sensitised nipple in his mouth. When his fingers found her wet centre, a lusty sound escaped her, and she tugged on his length faster.

"Stop, baby," Zach panted, moving his lower body out of her reach by crawling down her legs. He kissed and licked the parts of her that he passed, all the way down to her toes. Then he kissed his way back up, pushing her legs further apart as he reached the apex.

"Ah, so wet," he whispered, his eyes dark and hooded as he dipped his finger in her juices before rubbing it on her swollen nub.

"Oh, God. Zach!" she cried out as pleasure bolts erupted from where he was touching her. She was so close and she didn't want to come yet, but she couldn't find it in her to make him stop. It just felt too good. When his mouth sucked her clit gently and he inserted his fingers in her warmth, she keened, calling out his name as her body clenched over and over.