No More Talking: Hearts Are Wild, Book 1 (7 page)

He blew out a breath. Standing, he looked around for his jeans. Scooping them up off the floor, he looked at Red one last time. She’d dismissed him, and it was nothing less than he deserved, but he didn’t know how to fix this. Didn’t know how to give her what she wanted from him. How to get what he wanted.

Or even if it was possible.

Chapter Seven

Zac opened the front door and wished he hadn’t.

West charged past him. Coop stood with his hands shoved into his front pockets on the porch.

“Mind if we come in?” Coop asked with a half grin.

Zac moved aside. “No. By all means, come in.”

“At least he didn’t punch you,” Coop said.

“There is that.” Considering Zac’s nose still hurt a week after Red’s muscle-bound crusader had thumped him, it was a good thing West hadn’t taken another swing at him.

He followed Coop into the living room where West paced. He’d known to expect his friend, but he’d figured the guy would at least go home from the airport before arriving on his doorstep.

“How was the honeymoon?” Zac asked.

West grunted.

Okay. No chit-chat. “Say what you have to. But if you take a swing, it won’t be a free shot like last time.” Zac crossed his arms and braced his feet shoulder width apart.

“Relax, Zac. West isn’t going to hit you,” his brother said and chuckled. “Not if he wants to have sex with his wife ever again.”

Zac raised an eyebrow.

West stopped pacing and turned to stare out the window. “Meddling woman,” he grumbled.

Quiet settled around them, and Zac gave it a minute before his patience got the better of him. “As much fun as this silent treatment is, you could have done it from your house.”

West shot him a glare.

Coop laughed.

Zac failed to see what his brother found so funny in this shitty situation. He sighed. “Look—”

“No.” West turned to face him. “Do you love her?”

What the fuck?

“I know you wouldn’t mess with her if she was just a quick fuck, Zac.” West dragged a hand down his face. “I know you. You’ve never used a woman like that and you certainly wouldn’t do that with Freddie. At least the guy I know wouldn’t, and your brother assures me you haven’t changed your morals to those of an alley cat.”

Zac glanced at Coop. “I don’t use women, no.” He turned back to West. “Why are you here exactly?”

West sucked in a deep breath and let it out. “We were talking.” He indicated Coop.

“When? You’ve been on your honeymoon.”

“Let’s just say I spent a lot of my week away on the phone,” West said. “Not all of it pleasantly.”

“Huh?”

“Not only was I copping a mouthful from my lovely wife, who by the way held out because of what happened last week. But I also copped it from my sister.” West rubbed his fingers back and forth on his forehead. “It seems I’ve been a little overzealous in my big-brother role, and according to her, I owe you an apology.”

“Wow. Red told you to apologise?” So she didn’t hate him then. Zac had thought she’d be sending her brother around to finish off what he’d started last week, not to say sorry.

“Red?” West’s brow wrinkled.

“Freddie,” Zac clarified.

West’s eyebrows shot up into his hair. “Oh my God.” He laughed.

Zac didn’t get what was funny and a look at Coop didn’t enlighten him. “Why are you laughing?”

“You call her Red.”

“Ah, yeah…”

West laughed harder. “To remind yourself to stay away.”

Zac jolted. “How the hell do you know that? Did she tell you?”

West shook his head. “No.” He finally got his humour under control and took a deep breath. “It’s so you.”

Okay, so West knew him.

“Which means Kelsey is right.”

“What?” Zac was lost. “What has Kelsey got to do with it?”

“You’re in love with my sister.”

Oh shit. “Ah…” He wasn’t going to deny or confirm. If he was going to acknowledge the emotion he held for Red out loud, it wouldn’t be to her brother before her.

“You’re a dick, you know that?” West asked.

Zac didn’t take offense. He figured at this point he
was
a dick. He was certainly fucked like one.

“I’m only going to say this once and then you’re on your own.” West walked over to him and clamped a hand on Zac’s shoulder. “Don’t let her get away. Don’t let who her brother is cost you the woman you love.”

Zac opened his mouth but nothing came out.

“I know what I’m talking about. Don’t let other people get in the way, Zac.” West squeezed his shoulder before moving past him.

Coop slapped him on the back. “You should think about who that advice just came from. If anyone knows about letting something go for all the wrong reasons, it’s West.”

Zac stood frozen in place until the front door banged shut. Jerked out of his thoughts, he spun around to find West and Coop gone.

He’d known before they arrived that he wasn’t going to walk away from Red. He just hadn’t figured out how he was going to approach her.

Okay, he hadn’t worked out the best way to grovel.

He also hadn’t had a clue how to tell West that he was chucking out the friend-code book and going after his little sister. Now he didn’t have to worry about that part of his dilemma.

The one thing Zac did know was that even if it took every day for the rest of his life, he was going to convince Frederica Mann that she was meant to be his.

Freddie got off the couch with a sigh and the echo of her doorbell. She’d expected to see West sometime today. His plane had landed a few hours ago, and if she were honest, she was a little surprised he hadn’t shown up before now.

She unlocked the door without looking through the peephole. Pulling it open as she turned away, she said, “How was your week?”

“It sucked.”

Freddie froze.

Zac.

She closed her eyes and hoped she could get through the next few minutes without dropping to her knees and begging. Forcing her mouth into a smile, Freddie turned and faced the man who’d walked out with her heart last weekend.

“Hello, Zac.”

“Can I come in?”

Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded. “Suit yourself.” Did her voice wobble a bit? Did it sound like she didn’t care either way?

“Can we talk?” he asked as he stepped inside and closed the door.

Freddie laughed. “Talk? I seem to recall you telling me not to on a number of occasions.”

He flinched.

Good. At least he felt something.

“I’ll never tell you to stop talking again.”

She raised one eyebrow. “I doubt we’ll find ourselves in a position for you to want me to shut up ever again.” Her heart ached. She wanted more than anything for him to tell her to stop talking. Freddie still didn’t have a clue what had happened to make him leave and not call—not come round. She’d never understand his hot-and-cold behaviour.

“I deserve that.”

Freddie smiled. He deserved that and more. She just wasn’t sure why he did or why she should give him the cold shoulder.

Everything inside her wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him tight.

No doubt about it. The man had a hold on her but good.

“Do you want a drink?” she asked as she turned and led the way to the kitchen.

“No, thanks.”

So polite. She perched her hip against the counter and waited.

Zac stopped a few feet away. He shoved his hands in his back pockets. Pulled them out. Pushed them into his front pockets. Pulled them out again.

Nice to know he was nervous. He probably thought her brother would be hunting him down. She decided to set his mind at ease on that score.

“West isn’t going to come after you. I’ve spoken to him and reminded him that who I sleep with isn’t his business.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

He ran his hands through his hair. “He came to see me.”

Freddie didn’t think she’d ever seen Zac so frazzled. Even when she’d pushed him until he’d lost control, he hadn’t had this…tattered, unraveled look. “When?”

“About an hour ago.”

“Oh.”

“It’s not what you think.”

Freddie laughed. “Zac, with you I never know what to think.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Everything.”

Air hissed through her teeth as she sucked in a breath. “Everything?”

“No.” He took a step forward. “Not that. Never that.”

He ran his fingers through his hair again. “God. Sleeping with you was the only good thing I did.” He rocked back on his heels. “I’ll never be sorry for touching you. I’m sorry for all the rest.”

“I’m not following, Zac.” If he didn’t regret having sex with her then why had he left?

“I screwed up. I’m still screwing up.” He paced to the side. “I can’t seem to think when I’m around you. No. That’s a lie. I think. I think about getting your clothes off and getting inside you so I can breathe. I can’t seem to breathe when I’m not with you. Why is that?” He stopped and stared at her.

“Ah…”

“I’ll tell you why.” He moved towards her. “Because I love you.”

“I…um…of course you do. We’ve known each other forever. You love me like you love Cassie.”

“No. Not like Cassie at all.” He moved in front of her, put his hands on her hips and pulled her to her to toes. “I’m
in
love with you, Freddie.”

She sucked in a breath. “You used my name.”

Zac laughed. “Out of everything I just said,
that
was the one thing you heard?”

“You haven’t said my name in months.” Oh my God. The man had just professed his love for her and all she could focus on was that he’d finally called her by her name.

“I don’t want to warn myself away anymore. The only red I want to think about is the colour of your body when I make you come.”

“But what about West?”

“West who?”

She smiled. “My brother.”

“You have a brother?” He arched one eyebrow. “You should introduce us some time.”

Freddie laughed. “You’re a dickhead.”

“No. I
was
acting like a dickhead. I’m not now. The only dick around here is in my pants and really wants to be in yours.”

“Oh my God. That’s so cheesy.”

“But you like cheesy, right?” He leaned forward and brushed his mouth on hers. “You secretly love it. Right?”

She wasn’t sure she should give in to this man so easily. He could crush her with the flick of an eyelash.

“I promise I won’t play fast and loose with your heart, Freddie. If you trust me with it, I’ll cherish it until my dying breath.”

“Zac.”

“I promise. And if I ever treat it, or you, badly again, you can get your brother and that muscle-bound Pierce to beat me black and blue.”

“Zac.”

“What?”

“No more talking.”

“No more talking?” She had to listen to him. He had to convince her to forgive him.

Freddie shook her head. “No more talking.”

“But—”

“Zac.” She grinned at him.

“So if we’re not talking then we’re—”

“You’re still talking, Zac.”

“I know but…” Was she telling him what he thought? She hadn’t kicked him out but then she hadn’t reciprocated his declaration of love either.

“Zac!”

“What?” He couldn’t think. She was in his arms. He’d told her he loved her.

“For God’s sake.” She slipped out of his hold and grabbed his hand. “C’mon.”

“What? Where?”

“You know, as much as I like the fact I seem to be able to ruffle the unruffleable Zachary Moreland, I kinda like it when he’s in control.”

“You want me to be in control?” Zac shook his head to clear some of the cobwebs of confusion tangling his brainwaves.

She led him into her bedroom and suddenly his mind was crystal clear.

“No more talking,” he murmured.

“What?” Freddie stopped beside the bed.

He moved in on her. “No more talking, Freddie. I can’t think straight when you’re talking, and I’ve got other, better, ideas that you can use your mouth for.”

“Yeah?” She grinned as she climbed onto the bed backwards. “Are they dirty things?”

Zac closed his eyes for a second. “Fuck. You’re going to be the death of me woman.”

“But what a way to go. My mouth wrapped around—”

“No more talking.” He crowded her until she lay down. “No. More. Talking.”

“I love you too.”

“Ah, fuck.” Zac laid his forehead on hers. “
Now
you say it.”

She giggled. “I can take it back.”

“Don’t you dare.” He grabbed her hands and dragged them up beside her head to pin them in place. “Say it again.”

“I love you.”

He kissed her. “Again.”

“I love you, Zac.”

This time the kiss wasn’t quick, but he cut it off before he sank too deep into the pleasure to pull back. “Once more.”

“I love you.”

“Okay.” He sat up and grabbed the hem of her shirt. With her help, he got it over her head and then did the same with his. “Now.”

She blinked up at him.

“No. More. Talking.”

About the Author

Years of slavery to four young aliens and their sire failed to squash the love of writing or reading hiding behind the facade of a boring stay-at-home mum. Escaping from the mother-ship with vivid imagination intact, Rhian uses her superpowers for good.

Okay, so that’s not quite how it happened. A twenty-year marriage to her very own hero and raising a family of four kept writing on the back burner, but with more time to spend on the things she loves most, Rhian and her accomplice, Mr. Muse, have taken over. Writing in a multiple of genres keeps life interesting and busy.

An Aussie who’s spent years living overseas Rhian is now happily residing with her family back in their native land of down under. Rhian can be found in numerous places online where her love of talking is well satisfied.

To learn more about Rhian and her writing visit her website,
www.rhiancahill.com
. You can contact Rhian at
[email protected]
.

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