Midnight Secrets (9 page)

Blowing out a long, pain-filled sigh, Zach sat up and then drew Savannah up to sit beside him.

“What’s wrong?”

“This isn’t the right time.”

“What do you mean?”

He hated the quiver in her voice. Hurting her feelings was the very last thing he wanted. He took her hand and held it in both of his. “When we make love—and I promise you that we will—I want it to be in a comfortable bed, not on a cold, hard ground or with a curfew hanging over our heads. You’re too special for anything else.”

“But, Zach, I—”

Before he lost all of his nerve, he dipped his hand into his pocket again and pulled out the ring box. “I have something for you.”

Savannah’s breath caught in her lungs and her heart clenched. She knew she would remember this moment always. Zach’s hand trembled slightly as he opened the box and revealed a small silver ring. The band had intricate weaving as if it were branches or limbs, in the middle was a rose, and at the center of the flower was a small, sparkling diamond. It was the most beautiful, exquisite thing Savannah had ever seen.

“Oh, Zach …” Tentatively and reverently, her finger traced the design of the band.

“It’s a promise ring, Savannah.” She heard him swallow hard and then he continued, “My promise to you.” He swallowed again. “That I’m yours forever.”

Never had she imagined anything more beautiful. “It’s perfect … the most beautiful ring in the world.”

“Will you wear it?”

“Of course.”

She watched in anticipation as he pulled it from the box, took her hand, and slid the ring on. A perfect fit.

Zach cleared his throat. “With me going away, I wanted to make sure you understand how important you are to me.”

The tears started falling before she could even try to prevent them. His sweet words and the ring were beyond wonderful. She wanted so much to savor this moment, but now all she could think of was that after tomorrow he would be gone. Electronic communication couldn’t replace the arms that held her so tenderly or the mouth that kissed her so thoroughly.

“Hey,” Zach said softly, “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

Embarrassed by her lack of control, Savannah shook her head. “This is all so wonderful. You’re so wonderful.” She swallowed past the emotion clogging her throat. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I’ll miss you, too, but once I get leave, I’ll come see you. Okay?”

Unable to speak coherently, she drew him toward her and let her lips show him what was in her heart. This was forever, they were forever.

Savannah put everything she had into the kiss, wanting Zach to always remember this moment. He had given her his promise with a ring and Savannah gave hers with this kiss. From now until the day she died, she was his.

But she wanted to give him more … everything. Renewed desire washed over her; passion swamped her, need consumed her. “Zach … please,” she whispered softly. “I want this night to be even more perfect. Make love to me.”

“Savannah … I …”

Taking the chance he wouldn’t reject her, she caressed the hard length beneath his jeans.

He surged into her hand as he cursed beneath his breath. “Are you sure?”

“One hundred percent sure,” she whispered.

A tortured-sounding groan came from deep within Zach’s chest. Getting to his knees, he pulled her to hers and said roughly, “Raise your arms.”

When she complied, he lifted her dress over her head. Savannah watched his eyes as they roamed over her body. She saw heat and desire but she also saw adoration. Taking his hands, she placed them on her breasts. He made quick work of unsnapping the peach-colored demi-bra, allowing it to drop to the blanket.

Covering her breasts with his hands, he whispered, “You’re beautiful, Savannah.”

Never had she felt more beautiful or desirable. Everything within her wanted to speed Zach up, but he seemed to want to savor every inch of her breasts before he moved on. Heat zoomed through her as he paid homage to each nipple with his fingers, hands, and then his mouth.

Savannah held his head, weaving her hands in his hair. She wanted this; she wanted more. She wanted all he had to give. “Zach, love me.”

Pushing her gently down onto the blanket, Zach hooked his fingers into her minuscule panties and pulled them down her legs. Savannah lay before him completely nude, feeling vulnerable and exposed. His eyes glittered down at her, and for the first time, she felt nervous.

“Aren’t you going to take your clothes off, too?”

The smile he gave her was unlike any she’d ever seen on his face—wicked and sexy. “Give me two seconds.” He went to his feet and barely had those words left his mouth before he was stripped bare, too.

Savannah lost her breath. Having seen his chest and bare legs when they’d gone swimming, she had known he was magnificent. All of him together, including the long, thick part of him she’d only felt beneath his clothes, was more than she had anticipated. Tentatively, she touched his penis, marveling in wonder at the heat, length, and the hard silk of him.

He groaned and grabbed her wrist. Then, lowering himself over her, Zach took both of her hands and held them over her head. “It’ll be best if you don’t touch me for a few minutes. Okay?”

Willing to do anything he wanted, she nodded. At her acceptance, Savannah heard him whisper what sounded like a curse and a prayer and then, with all the gentleness she had come to expect from this man, he began to caress her as if she were the finest, most precious thing in the world.

Savannah forgot everything—past, present, and future no longer existed. Her only awareness was of Zach’s hands, his mouth, and his soft whispered words of praise. And then, finally, when she was gasping and panting for more, she felt the long, hard length of him at her entrance. With one, slow gliding surge, he slid inside. Arms wrapped tightly around him, Savannah gave herself to her hero, the man of her dreams. No matter what they faced in the future or what lay before them, she knew that she was Zach’s. And he was hers. This was forever. Nothing could tear them apart.

Chapter

Seven

Ten years later

Present day

Nashville, Tennessee

“Has the jury reached a verdict?” Judge Henry Houseman asked the group of twelve men and women to his left.

The jury foreman, her expression carefully blank to give no indication of the result, answered solemnly, “We have, your honor.”

As the court clerk took the jury’s decision from the foreman’s hand and handed it to the judge, Assistant District Attorney Savannah Wilde stood behind the prosecutor’s table, still and stiff. Though she had been through this process dozens of times, that moment of not knowing always twisted every muscle in her body into intricate knots of tension. She always found herself asking the same questions. Had she proven the case? Had she done everything she could to bring justice to the victim? Was this scumbag going to be set free like too many others had been?

His craggy face characteristically expressionless, Judge Houseman silently read the verdict and handed the paper back to the clerk. The anxiety throughout the room was like a living, palpable entity as the tension increased to a fever pitch. The entire audience held a collective breath, waiting.

The clerk read, “We the jury find the defendant Donny Lee Grimes guilty of murder in the first degree.”

Breaths were expelled, some with anger, most with relief. Savannah fought the urge to shout, “Hallelujah!” Exhausted she might be, but the long days and nights she had worked this case had paid off. The murdering son of a bitch was going away, hopefully for a lifetime.

As the judge finished his instructions and set the date for sentencing, she glanced over at her boss, District Attorney Reid Garrison. Though his expression remained impassive, triumph gleamed in his eyes and the tension lines around his mouth had eased. They had needed this win. Not only because Donny Lee Grimes was a murdering creep who’d taken the life of a young father and husband, but because their record lately had been dismal. Watching murderers and rapists walk out the door due to technicalities or the prosecutors’ inability to prove their case was not only gut-wrenching but reflected badly on the entire office. The mayor had chewed out Reid so many times lately, Savannah was surprised he still had an ass.

And the ass chewing he got from his superiors he gladly turned around and gave to his own people. Savannah had been on the receiving end much more than she cared to remember.

But all of that could be set aside today. This was a good day for justice. Donnie Lee’s connections hadn’t saved him. The X-Kings, the gang he’d once been a prominent member of, had apparently cut him loose. Only a few veiled threats had been made against her—prompting an increase in her security—but nothing she hadn’t been through before. Whatever influence Donnie Lee once had with them was obviously gone.

The instant the judge stood and stepped down from behind the bench, Savannah allowed her tense muscles to finally relax. Exhausted, she dropped into the chair behind her and released a giant relieved whoosh of air. One more scumbag off the streets. One more victim’s family had been given a slight amount of peace.

She ignored the weakness in her knees and the shakiness of her limbs. Having lived with the feeling for the last few weeks, she knew full well what it meant. She was on her final reserves. This was her last case for two weeks. Fourteen days of doing nothing more taxing than ordering takeout and turning pages of novels. She was about to take the first lengthy but very well deserved vacation of her career.

The sound of a ruckus caught her attention. Her head jerked up, too late. A large male body flew across the table toward her. A glimpse of Donny Lee’s pockmarked face, red with fury, was all she saw before his two-hundred-pound body slammed into hers. Breath left her with stunning suddenness and Savannah crashed to the floor.

From a distance, she heard curses, screams, and shouts roar through the room. The disgusting man on top of her grunted almost unintelligible words of warning in her ear. Though dazed, Savannah wasn’t too incapacitated to lift her knee and jam it directly into Donny Lee’s groin.

Howls and curses almost split her eardrum. Donny Lee was lifted off her and Savannah could at last breathe. She sat up and leaned against the railing behind her, shaking her head to clear it.

The worried and furious face of her boss appeared above her. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she answered, holding out her hand for him to help her up.

Eyeing her carefully, he pulled her to her feet. The lines around his mouth and eyes had deepened. “We’ll charge the bastard with assault.”

Savannah breathed shakily as she flexed all moveable body parts, assuring herself that nothing was broken. The ache in her shoulders and back told her that she was going to be moving slowly and carefully for the next couple of days. Those fourteen days of doing absolutely nothing were going to be even more welcome.

As Donny Lee was hauled out of the room, shouting obscenities and threats to the room at large, Savannah kept a careful eye on him. He’d gotten away once; she wasn’t betting on him not being able to do it again. She’d be ready this time. When the door closed behind him, she allowed herself to slump against the railing for support.

“You sure you don’t need to go to the doctor?” Reid asked.

Savannah shook her head. “I’m fine. Just going to be sore for a few days.”

“That bastard say something to you?”

“Nothing new. That it wasn’t over … that they were coming for me.” The silence after her statement had her gazing up at her boss. “What’s wrong?”

“Maybe you need to extend your vacation till after sentencing.”

A trill of fear swept through her. Not work for two months? She would go crazy. “I had to work my ass off just to take these two weeks. There’s no way I can afford more—there are too many cases for the ADAs already.”

“We’ll make do. I’d rather have you alive and able to come back to work.”

“Reid, seriously. Donny Lee was blowing smoke. Besides, I have police protection, I’ll be fine.”

He shook his head. “That police protection will be going away in a day or so.” The stern, determined look that all his ADAs hated crossed his face. “I could order you.”

A huff of exasperation caused the pain in her back to increase. Dammit, she wished she’d kneed Donny Lee even harder.

Reid continued his argument. “Just because we believe the X-Kings cut Donny Lee loose doesn’t mean he doesn’t have some old friends who wouldn’t mind coming after you as a favor. As of now, you’re off—two months minimum.”

“I can’t—”

Reid added, “Of course, I can’t pay you full salary.”

Though money wasn’t scarce for her and he knew it, that wasn’t the issue. “I’ll hire a bodyguard. There’s no reason for—”

He snorted. “Hell, Savannah, you’d think I was sending you to jail. Get out of town; get some sun. Go visit your sisters or take a long cruise. You’ve been working nonstop for more than three years without a break. You’ve got more vacation time built up than I do.”

That was an exaggeration but he was right. Other than the one-weekend-a-month visit with her sisters, she hadn’t taken any time off in years. And she wouldn’t have taken these two weeks she had planned if it wasn’t for the fact that she was just so damn tired.