The Secret Millionaire. Ryanne Corey
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playing with clouds. Her body had transformed into warm butter, barely holding its shape. One more second in his arms and she would have been pooled around his feet on the floor.
“I wonder why I did that,” she said hoarsely.
“I know why I did,” Zack replied, sounding a bit hoarse himself. “Do you have any idea what you do to a man? What just looking at you does to me?”
At that, she shook her head and smiled faintly. Obviously her own incredible looks didn’t figure whatsoever in her value system. “You don’t need to flatter me. For the moment there’s no competition.”
“I wasn’t trying to—”
And then the real world tapped them on the shoulder.
From out in the hallway a door slammed, followed by a loud commotion of male voices. Zack said a four-letter word, then closed his eyes and took a heavy, sustaining breath. It was hard to go from sensual to sensible in the space of three seconds.
“We are about to be rescued,” he growled, his eyes still closed tight. “And in my opinion the timing really sucks.”
Anna was both relieved and disappointed. This was her safety hatch, her opportunity to run from this beguiling stranger before things got out of control. This was why she had allowed herself to be carried away, knowing that nothing about this night was real. She tried to smile, but she was overwhelmed by the confusing emotions shuddering through her. She dropped her hands awkwardly to her sides and stepped away from him. The air between them felt instantly cool, the fluorescent lights harsher and the atmosphere thick and uncomfortable. “I guess we should be grateful for the interruption. We’re a very bad influence on each other.”
The voices grew louder. Zack’s eyes flew from Anna to the door and back to Anna again. “The last thing I am is grateful. Look, this whole thing wasn’t—”
The door flew open, framing two uniformed policemen and an amazingly short, triple-chinned man who had “Owner of Appleton’s General Store” stamped all over him. Before either policeman had time to speak, he marched into the storeroom, obviously emboldened by his gun-toting companions. “Ha! I knew something fishy was going on the moment I spotted the car and the Jeep parked out front. What the devil do you think you’re doing, breaking into my store?”
Zack scowled at him, feeling an overwhelming urge to pop the blowhard in the nose. However, since he was an officer of the law, he shoved his hands in his pockets and contented himself with speaking his mind. “I don’t like you.”
The man turned red, puffing out his barrel chest. “What? As a criminal, you are in no position to like or dislike anyone. In case you haven’t noticed, you and your partner in crime have been apprehended.”
Zack wasn’t impressed. “Oh, put a cork in it. We’re trying to break out of your store, buddy, not into it. We made the mistake of visiting the bathrooms around closing time and got locked in. You should have a sign posted at that door at the top of the stairs: Run Like Hell if the Clock Strikes Ten.”
Looking acutely uncomfortable, one of the policemen politely cleared his throat. “Like I told you upstairs, Dad, I think you might be overreacting.”
“Dad?” Zack asked incredulously. “This guy is your father?”
The young man nodded almost shamefacedly. “I’m afraid so. I mean, yes.”
“Afraid?” the owner spouted, turning his indignant gaze on his son. “Afraid? Are you trying to say you’re not proud to call me father? Is that what you’re trying to say?”
The second policeman raised a calming hand. “Now, let’s all cool down. Nothing has been disturbed upstairs, and these people would hardly leave their getaway vehicles in full view in the parking lot for any passerby to see. I’m sure this is nothing more than an unfortunate accident, Dad.”
“Dad?” Zack blurted again, his eyes growing wider by the second. “Good Lord, is everyone in this town an Appleton? If we were criminals, we’d be in big trouble here. Talk about having the cards stacked against you.”
Anna’s shoulders jumped with a half-born giggle, which was quickly stifled by her hand. She couldn’t help it; she had a vivid imagination and this whole scene had the feel of a Three Stooges movie. Curly and Moe were bumbling policemen, and Larry was the befuddled villain.
“We don’t get many criminal types through here, anyway,” son number one replied with a regretful sigh. “Being a cop in Providence can be kind of boring, actually. Still, hope on and hope ever, as our captain says. Are you both all right?”
The older man again took offense. “I don’t believe you! You’re asking these trespassers if they’re all right? You’re supposed to be the law around here, damn it! Why aren’t you arresting them? Do I have to slap the cuffs on them myself?”
“They didn’t do anything,” son number two pointed out in a long-suffering voice. “And I told you before, I called in the license plates on both cars. No problems. Besides, this guy is a cop, Dad. Remember? They told me when I ran the plates. I think you should take one of your nitroglycerin pills and go home.”
Anna looked at Zack. “So that’s what you do for a living. You’re a cop. That’s perfect. It really does fit you much better than being a lawyer.”
“There’s something fishy going on here,” Appleton Sr. muttered. “It’s a trick, I tell you.”
“There are way too many policemen in this room,” Zack announced. Not only had a beautiful moment had been cut short, but he was growing increasingly irritated with the short guy’s testosterone tantrum. “I think it’s time for the lady and me to take our leave.”
Anna gave the Appleton boys a dazzling smile. “Can we please leave now, Mr. Policemen?”
The officers bobbed their heads like two dashboard puppies, obviously pleased to grant this stunning lady’s wish. Their outraged father sputtered and coughed, but both Zack and Anna ignored him. They collected their coats and took the stairs two at a time, leaving a family argument boiling over in the basement of Appleton’s General Store.
Anna found herself avoiding Zack’s eyes as he escorted her to her forest-green Jeep in the parking lot. Somehow, what had seemed so natural and enticing while locked in a basement now felt rather embarrassing. Apparently even a brief stolen moment could have consequences. “What a night,” she said, anxious to fill the thick silence. Every second that ticked by seemed to increase her feeling of awkwardness. Kissing a stranger while they were locked up in a basement together was one thing. Facing him as they returned to reality was a bit sticky. “I thought we’d never get out of there.”
“Will you slow down a little? This isn’t the fifty-yard dash. Anna—”
“I can’t believe it’s nearly one in the morning. I didn’t plan on my visit to the store to last half the night. All I wanted was some Tums.” She unlocked her car, tossing him a tight little smile over her shoulder. “I’ve been under a little stress lately, and my stomach doesn’t like stress. I remember once when—”
“Look, hang on a minute. You’re talking faster than a trained parrot. What on earth is wrong with you?”
“Not a thing, not a single thing. I was just…just…” She was suddenly distracted by the car parked very near to hers. Obviously his car, since they were the only two in the parking lot. It was a Lotus, a sleek, silvery work of art. A terribly expensive work of art. This was the sort of car she found mention of in magazines like Fortune and Forbes. “That isn’t…that isn’t your car, is it? That thing has to cost more money than I’ll make in my lifetime.”
“Uh…maybe I’m a very good cop,” Zack mumbled, momentarily caught off guard. Apparently his rapid-fire intellect was adversely affected by a pair of big blue eyes. It was a humbling moment.
Anna giggled nervously. “Policemen don’t make that kind of salary, do they? Because if they do, I’m off