Deny Tomorrow Page 13

  It was the moment of truth. Arianna didn’t know if she could go out there or not. She didn’t know if she could face Zach again after what he’d done to her. But then, she’d have to face him and everyone else sometime. She might as well get it over with.

  Slowly she stepped out onto the veranda and walked over to the breakfast bar. Remembering her last entrance where Carlos had poked fun at her, she prayed this time, no one would try to make a joke on her behalf. She would just die if they did.

  Her fears were unfounded, however, as the men noted her presence but did not otherwise respond. Her eyes met Zach’s for the first time since it had happened, his expression unreadable. With great effort, Arianna worked to camouflage the anger welling up inside of her. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how upset she was, and she was also a little afraid of acting in a way that would make him mad again.

  Lisa joined her at the breakfast buffet. “Hey, Arianna. You doing okay?”

  “Yeah, I guess. As long as no one tries to make a joke about what happened, I’ll be fine.”

  Lisa looked over at the group. “Well, so far, they hardly seem to notice you.”

  Arianna exhaled deeply, releasing the tension, which had built up inside of her. She looked once again at Zach and slightly trembled at the thought of what he might do to her if she made him mad again. Never before had anyone evoked this feeling in her. It was strange though. Such barbaric treatment should have completely turned her against him, but curiously, unexplainably... it hadn’t.

  Yes, she was absolutely furious with him for inflicting such pain and embarrassment, but the thing was, how many men had ever stood up to her like that before? How many men had ever put their foot down and told her no? How many men had ever had enough influence over her to make her do anything she really didn’t want to do? The answer was simple. None.

  None of the men she’d gone with had ever denied her a thing since they were so desperate to win her favor. In fact, they’d bent over backwards to make her happy and would have humbly begged her forgiveness had they ever made her mad. Of course, she wasn’t with any of these guys for one simple reason. She lost all interest when a man became putty in her hands.

  But it was clear to her Zach was not like any man she’d met before. She knew without even knowing him all that well, he would never come groveling to her, never beg her forgiveness, never try to buy her affection with gifts, nor whine at her rejection. Never allow himself to be manipulated by her.

  And so, despite being manhandled by him, she found herself being infuriatingly drawn to him. Drawn by his good looks. Drawn by how he stood up to her. Drawn by his power, strength, and dynamic presence. And last, but not least, drawn by a feeling she least liked acknowledging... pure animal attraction. Lust!

  Arianna, get a grip! What is happening to me? She shook herself and turned away, trying to block out all of these feelings. I must be losing my mind. If I don’t get away from here soon, I’m afraid of what will happen next.

  IN THE beginning, lifting a finger around this place was the last thing Arianna intended to do, but now she’d come to believe it wasn’t such a bad idea. Staying busy helped her pass the time, and she also found she enjoyed the company of Pilar, Stella, and the other hired help who stopped by the kitchen for coffee. And by the way the servants were treating her, you would have thought she was some kind of hero. Stella had not lied. She’d created quite a stir, but an interesting stir. Evidently, everyone loved the excitement she brought to their otherwise routine days.

  It was about eleven o’clock when Zach came into the kitchen. Once again he spoke briefly to Pilar and then, walked over to Arianna. He stopped and leaned back against the counter, folding his arms across his chest. Seemingly not in any hurry to speak, he studied her for a moment. Arianna’s pulse quickened, and she felt flushed. Fidgeting with a towel in her hand, she looked up at him and then down, then back before finally looking away. She wished whatever he was going to say—or do, he’d hurry up and get it over with.

  Unlike their previous encounter in the kitchen, this time Zach wasn’t at a loss for words. Speaking softly but with an air of authority that couldn’t be ignored, he said, “I’m going to be gone for a few days, and I want to make something perfectly clear. If you cause even the slightest disturbance while I’m away, when I get back, you’ll sorely regret it. Do you understand?”

  Arianna shuddered at this frightening thought. She continued to look away, trying to avoid giving a response. What a futile idea that was. Having decided to lay down the law, Zach would settle for nothing but a spoken acknowledgment to his directives as concrete evidence of her compliance to his will.

  When she didn’t respond, he stepped forward and lifted her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. “My patience with you is wearing thin so I suggest you answer me before I completely lose my temper.”

  Begrudgingly, she responded, “Yes,” and then even more reluctantly added, “sir.”

  He stared at her a moment before continuing. “And just so you’re clear, this is the last time I will wait for an answer. If I wait again, it will be at your expense. Now, is that understood as well?”

  Ohhh! You bastard! He was not going to cut her even an inch of slack. She was definitely learning that once you got on his bad side, there was all hell to pay. Stomping her foot, she exhaled deeply, looked at him as he expected, and replied, “Yes, that is perfectly clear...sir.”

  An amused look crossed his face at how she was still maintaining a subtle air of defiance, but otherwise satisfied she got the message and would behave, he turned and left.

  Arianna made sure he was long gone before she let the pan she was holding crash down onto the counter. “Oooh.! I hate him!” Tears welled up in her eyes, and she stood there steeped in frustration and anger. “I’m sick of this place...of him...of this whole ordeal. I want to go home.”

  Pilar walked over and put her arm around her. “Shh! I know, but it will be all right. It will just take some time. As soon as he sees you are not going to cause any more problems, he will not be angry with you.”

  Arianna shook her head back and forth and dabbed at the corner of her eyes. “I find that hard to believe. He hates me now because of all the trouble I’ve caused, and he’s not going to be nice to me ever... not that I care.”

  “No. That’s not true. You need to be patient. It will all work out. You‘ll see.”

  It was curious though. Hate her? No. Pilar suspected it was just the opposite. Ironically, his current treatment of Arianna, far from being an indication he hated her, told Pilar the opposite. That’s because she knew if Zach disliked Arianna even a little, never mind hated her, he would have absolutely nothing to do with her. He wouldn’t even waste his time getting mad at her. Furthermore, long ago he would have sent her to some other location to stay until this was over. So the fact she still remained in his house, spoke volumes to Pilar.

  Normally Zach wasn’t this strict and demanding. He was kind and thoughtful. But right now, Arianna saw the side of Zach he wanted her to see. The intimidating side. The angry, domineering side that would keep her in check and prevent any further disturbances. So far, she had complied. If she hadn’t, she would have been gone despite any growing attraction toward her. Zach never let his emotions override his judgment. Never. But at this moment, Pilar didn’t know how to explain any of this to Arianna...wasn’t sure, given the present circumstances, she even cared what Zach thought. All she could do was stand back and watch this love-hate relationship play out and hope for a happy ending.

  Not every mission goes as planned. Winging his way to Miami on his private Gulf Stream, Zach had nothing but time to think about the current state of affairs. It was never supposed to be like this. She was supposed to wake up in that hotel a month ago and go home. She hadn’t. Every soldier knows getting emotionally involved can compromise the mission. Arianna was getting to him and that was trouble. It wasn’t supposed to go down like this.

  As
he settled back with a Jack Daniels and Coke for the long flight, he thought back to seeing her on the patio at breakfast this morning. Only a concerted effort on his part had kept him from gawking at her like a lovesick schoolboy. She was strikingly beautiful and her face had a radiant glow from her day on the beach. The simple, cotton sundress she wore, clung seductively to every single curve of her nicely rounded body, causing a stir within him that verged on embarrassment.

  Even from a distance he could see how her cobalt, blue eyes sparkled mischievously, as she desperately tried to camouflage the little imp being held very precariously in check within her. No surprise. He knew he could illicit her short-term compliance but could never completely stifle the unbridled passion or spirit for living that simmered within her, nor did he want to.

  However, beyond his obvious attraction to her physically, he struggled to understand exactly what he was feeling about Arianna. He’d had many relationships in his life, but so far none had lasted. Invariably every woman he’d dated all too readily tried to transform herself into the person they thought he wanted them to be. Nothing caused him to lose interest faster than when a woman became putty in his hands.

  Arianna was a different story. He was certain she would never mold herself to try to please him, but he found this quality intensely appealing. You’d have to be on your toes to keep a step ahead of her, but he relished the challenge. For him, it was all about the chase, and Arianna’s elusive, untamed quality drew him to her like a moth to a flame.

  The flight attendant asking him if he wanted another drink jarred him back to the present. He was on his way to Miami to spend the weekend with his girlfriend, Lydia, who he hadn’t seen in almost two weeks. Whether it was because of the current situation at home or something else, he wasn’t looking forward to their reunion as much as he usually did, which even at that, had been less than exciting lately. He liked her, but he knew he didn’t love her. She was beautiful and had proven to be a satisfying partner in bed, but that was how he would sum-up their relationship. Satisfying… not exciting or thrilling…just satisfying.

  “We’re landing soon, Mr. Acevedo,” the flight attendant said. “May I clear your tray top?”

  Zach waited as she cleared the glass and cocktail napkin in front of him, then he buckled up in preparation for landing. When the plane came to a stop, he looked out and saw Lydia waiting for him. Gorgeous and shapely, she was the daughter of wealthy investment banker, Randal Calhoun, who lived in an exclusive suburb of Miami.

  “Zach,” Lydia squealed, when he exited the plane. She ran up and threw her arms around him and gave him a passionate kiss. “I thought you’d never get here.”

  He returned her kiss, escorted her toward the waiting limo, and they climbed inside.

  “I’ve invited a few close friends to our house for dinner and drinks tonight,” Lydia said, stopping to straighten Zach’s collar, “and tomorrow is the pro/am golf tournament at the club. Thanks to Daddy, you’re paired up with the current US Open Junior champion. Daddy said you two will probably win the tournament.”

  Zach frowned. Randal Calhoun had never hidden the fact he wanted him to marry his daughter. He probably thought making a huge monetary donation to the foundation, assuring he was paired with the best player in the tournament, would be a good way to enhance his daughter’s chances of snagging him. Little did he know how much Zach hated it when people used their money and power in this manner.

  “What? You’re not pleased?” Lydia asked, seeing the frown on Zach’s face.

  “Do I look pleased?” Zach snapped, shifting in the seat. “Tell your father, thank you, but ask him not to do that again.”

  “I thought you’d be excited. Daddy did it for your sake, you know?”

  “No, your father did it for his sake, not mine.” Annoyance radiated off him.

  “Oh, Zach, I’m sorry,” Lydia said, snuggling up next to him and putting on her best pouty face. “Please don’t be mad at me.” Her face clouded over, and she looked like she might cry.

  “I’m not mad at you.” Zach put his arm around her. “Your father meant well. Thank him for me when you see him.” He didn’t want to get into an argument.

  “Oh, good” she said, her mood suddenly changing. She wrestled herself around and positioned herself on his lap. She planted little kisses on his face and pressed her breasts into his chest. “I hate it when you get mad at me,” she cooed and leaned in for a kiss.

  At first Zach returned the kiss and ran his hands up and down her body. It had been a couple weeks since he’d seen her, so it didn’t take much to get him excited. But something didn’t feel right. It wasn’t clicking with him at the moment. He broke off their embrace and moved her off his lap.

  “You’re no fun,” Lydia said, miffed at being rebuffed.

  Zach leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Later, baby,” he said, and pulled out his cell phone to check his messages.

  But despite the shaky start in the limo, the weekend turned out to be enjoyable. Randal Calhoun hadn’t been wrong. Because Zach was a scratch golfer, he and the young golf pro easily won the tournament.

  The only blight had been when he’d run into Tony’s now ex-girlfriend, Susan, at the dinner dance at the country club. She was distraught about the break-up and had peppered him with questions as to why Tony might have dropped her.

  “Zach, please,” she begged. “I need some answers. He’s not answering my calls anymore. Is there another woman? I miss him so much”.

  “Susan, I’m sorry for your pain, but you have to take this up with Tony. I’m not going to get involved in Tony’s business.” He could sympathize with how she was feeling, but there was no way he would be disloyal to Tony and meddle in his affairs. Truth be known, this break-up had been coming for a long time. Lisa entering the picture had just accelerated the process. Tony, like all the rest of the men on his team, was a one-woman man. With Lisa in the picture now, Susan would be out.

  During the time away, he’d checked with Tony to get reports on events back home, especially about her. He was very happy to hear she had not made one single attempt to leave or cause any disturbances. He was really hoping he wouldn’t have to make good on his threat of dire consequences should she step out of line.

  “You won’t believe what Arianna’s been up to,” Tony told Zach on one such call.

  “I’m afraid to ask.”

  “No. No. I mean, damn, she’s been working outside with the grounds crew—her idea. That’s what she wanted to do. I didn’t see any harm in it, so I okayed it. She even helped clean the stables yesterday.”

  “You’re kidding?” Zach’s mouth dropped open.

  “No, I’m not, and I must say all the help is in love with her. She’s very charming and quite the little entertainer.”

  Zach was silent for a moment. “Okay, but keep your eyes open. She’s a devious little thing. Wouldn’t surprise me if she was trying to get one of the staff to sneak her out of there.”

  “Wow! Hadn’t thought of that angle. I’ll ask the maintenance supervisor, José. He’ll know if she’s up to something.”

  “Good idea. I have a quick face-to-face meeting with Veritas in the morning, and then, I’ll be home later in the afternoon. In the meantime, don’t let your guard down.”

  “Roger that. See you soon.”

  WHEN ZACH arrived home, he found the servants scurrying about preparing for the arrival of weekend guests and for the upcoming party taking place at his estate. When he and his team were home from a mission, they let their hair down and partied hard. The presence of the two girls at the compound had added a wrinkle he hadn’t planned on, but invitations had gone out a month ago. There was no cancelling the party now. Adaptations would have to be made.

  “Welcome home,” Pilar said as Zach came through the kitchen.

  He gave her a quick hug, grabbed a sandwich and a beer, and headed out to the pool.

  “Hey, Zach,” Tony said as he approached the pool. “Welcom
e home.”

  He returned the greeting and leaned down and gave Lisa a hug, taking her by surprise. Juan and Carlos with their respective girlfriends were also there. However, it wasn’t any of these people he was looking for. He caught sight of Arianna on a riding mower cutting the lawn down by the tennis courts.

  She was wearing a bathing suit top and shorts that showcased her body beautifully. This time there were no pajamas partially concealing her breasts as she jiggled along on the mower. Her sun-streaked, blond hair was gathered up in a loose ponytail on top of her head with several undisciplined strands falling rebelliously down her neck.

  As he continued to watch, his pulse quickened. Something stirred within him, and he felt a strong attraction toward her that surprised even himself. How long had it been since he’d felt this way about someone? But he cautioned himself to take a step back. She was still an unknown quantity, and anyway, the last time he’d spoken with her, they’d been strong adversaries. Not exactly the right ingredients for a potential relationship, not to mention another minor problem. He had a girlfriend... supposedly... probably, and she would be arriving in a few days.

  BEFORE ZACH returned, Lisa had begged Arianna to join them for a swim, but she had waved off the offer and kept mowing. Everyone was coupled up, and she felt out of place. She didn’t know Zach was home, and, in fact, had no idea when he was to return.

  The pool looked better and better to her as the temperature rose. She decided to take Lisa up on her offer. As a teen, all her teachers thought of her as a quintessential angel, but in reality, no prank was too daring nor any scheme too outrageous for her to try. The plain truth of the matter was, when she was around, you could count on exciting things happening.