Page 30 of Blackout

‘Zach?’ I said just loud enough to reach his ears. His jaw eased slightly at the sound of his name. But anger radiated off him, so I waited to see what he would do.

He stood in front of me, said nothing and did the last thing I expected him to do. He stood close enough to lean into me and push me back into the door of my car and kiss me. And boy did he kiss me.

Zach kissed me in a way no other man had ever kissed me. His anger had dissolved into desire, and I instantly felt light-headed. His lips were pure softness and fit perfectly against mine, while his two hands reached up and cupped the sides of my face. Zach’s body dominated mine, and I was wedged between him and my car. There was nowhere to go this time as the volt of electricity coursed through my veins. Zach took my moan as sign to move his tongue inside my mouth, and if he hadn’t already had a hold of my face, my head would have fallen back against my car.

I took hold of the bottom of Zach’s shirt and kissed him back. Our lips moved, our tongues danced and by the time Zach pulled away, my legs felt like jelly. If every kiss was as blissful as this, then he could kiss me anytime.

‘Please don’t disappear on me again.’ There was a desperation in Zach’s voice I had never heard before. This was not farewell, that was not a goodbye kiss.

‘I have a life to sort out, and the sooner the better.’ The words tasted as bitter as they sounded.

‘I got your text. You don’t have to do this alone, Harley, let me help you.’

Did I really want to pass up this opportunity to spend more time with Zach?

‘I can’t let you walk out on your job or your friends just to help me.’ I stated matter-of-factly. But would it be so bad if I let Zach in?

‘Harley, do you remember what I told you?’ Zach asked me. His hands had moved down my body to take a hold of my hands.

‘Like I could ever forget.’ I locked eyes with the man who was again dressed in his all-black uniform. There was a silence between us as he waited for me to recall his words. ‘I’m going to make the first move, Harley, make no mistake.’ That was what he’d said. ‘And when I do, you’ll feel good, and it’ll be for keeps.’

‘I just kissed you,’ Zach’s husky voice informed me, his lips were so close to my ear that my legs felt like jelly again. ‘Get your bags and get in the truck, babe. I’ll take you to Melbourne.’

But Zach wasn’t quite ready to move away from me just yet. His body still dominated mine, then he pulled me towards him and kissed me again, his beautiful warm lips against mine for the shortest of moments.

‘Come on,’ he said as pulled back from my mouth. ‘Let’s go.’ This time he moved away from my body, and I took a full breath in as I willed my limbs away from their jelly-like state.

‘What about my car?’ I still hadn’t moved from the driver’s side door and that was when I saw Shea step out of Zach’s truck and walk towards us.

There were two bags on the back seat of my car, so I reached in and grabbed them. When I turned around away from the door, Zach pushed it closed behind me.

‘Hey,’ I said to Shea, who was now in front of me.

‘Hey,’ she said back, giving me a quick hug around my bags. ‘Take care, Harley. I’ll see you soon.’

We both smiled and I knew, somehow, she was right. I knew I would see her soon.

‘Take Harley’s car back to my house, then get Brock to come and pick you up. Can you tell him I’m out of town for a couple of days as he’ll need to watch the bar and feed Abby.’ The instructions Zach gave Shea sounded like he had done this before, but he owned his own business, so he gave orders all day long. This was nothing new to him.

Zach kissed her cheek. I gave her my keys and a moment later she was gone in the opposite direction to what we would travel. I watched as my car disappeared into the distance.

Fifteen

Zach took my overnight bag in one hand as I shouldered my handbag. As my hand dropped to my side, Zach’s other hand took a hold of my free hand. We moved towards the rumble of his truck, a sound I had grown to love. Zach dropped my bag onto the back seat then helped me into the passenger seat. He manoeuvred us out onto the road that would lead us to the freeway, and we continued south towards Melbourne and closer to what I needed to sort out in my life.

‘It’ll be okay.’ Zach reached for my hand, his fingers curling around mine, before he brought them to his lips to kiss.

‘I know you think that, but I still have to confront my family.’ The very thought made my pulse quicken, and I didn’t know if I could do this.

‘We can do that together. I know I overstepped with Connor, and I’m sorry.’ To hear Zach apologise said something about the way he felt about me, and I liked it.

‘Together.’ I shook my head in disbelief. ‘We don’t know each other, not really, and you don’t know anything about the mess I’m in.’ It was too late to take back those words. ‘Oh my God. That came out mean.’

Zach squeezed my hand for my attention. ‘You’re right.’

I turned my head to face him. His eyes caught mine before he turned his attention back to the road. ‘I don’t know anything about the mess you’re in. But I know who you are, Harley.’

‘You do?’ I asked still looking at the side of Zach’s face.