She heard the back door slam shut. Taking a deep breath, she moved to the window and saw Zane, his stride lazy and sensual, as he walked to the barns.
After watching him disappear into a weathered building, Kaylie pulled herself together. Hauling her bag with her, she climbed the stairs again. She needed to shower, change and think. But being around Zane made rational thought nearly an impossibility.
In her room, she opened the walk-in closet and studied the clothes neatly folded and stacked on the shelves. Once again, Zane had surprised her. Slacks, blouses, sweaters, shorts, skirts and dresses—all in her size! Now it was blindingly clear that the outfits, purchased from upscale department stores in San Francisco, were intended for her. How could she have thought otherwise?
As Kaylie gazed at the wardrobe, her heart sank. There was certainly more than two weeks of clothes here!
She intended to shower and change, then she’d put escape plan A into action.
“And what’s that?” she asked herself as she stripped and stepped under the shower’s steamy spray. But she had no answer. She just knew she couldn’t let Zane dominate her again. She could handle her life by herself, but the thought of Lee Johnston turned her insides to ice.
Lolling her head back, she forced herself to relax. Warm rivulets of water ran down her shoulders and back. She closed her eyes and thought about Zane again, the power of his kiss flooding her senses.
Unconsciously she licked her lips and shivered deliciously at the memory of his mouth sliding seductively over hers.
Her eyes flew open, and she silently cursed her own weakness. Truce or no truce, she had to get out of here and fast. And it wasn’t only because of the way in which he’d shoved himself back in her life. No, she realized fatalistically, she had to get away from him! Because, like it or not, he was right. It wouldn’t take long before she might let herself fall in love with him all over again.
Chapter Six
Two can play at this game, Kaylie thought, buffing her body with a towel. If Zane intended to charm her to death, well, she’d just charm him right back, lead him to trust her enough to let down his guard.
And then she’d make good her escape, somehow leaving him high and dry, his plans foiled. A part of her yearned for that satisfaction; she was just plain tired of him trying to run her life, and yet she couldn’t fault him completely. He was, or so he claimed, only looking out for her own good.
A breath of wind slipped through the window, and Kaylie shivered. Wrapping the towel around her body, she strode into the bedroom and surveyed it with new eyes. It was a prison, yes, but not a horrible place to stay. Zane could have made the accommodations much worse; as it was, she had a little freedom, which, she supposed, she should savor. He wasn’t breathing down her neck twenty-four hours a day, and she wasn’t sleeping with him. Opening the closet, she remembered how much she’d loved Zane in the past, how she’d trusted him with her life. In all truth, he’d saved her once before just as he thought he was saving her now.
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she pulled a pair of stonewashed jeans and a peach-colored T-shirt from the shelf.
“Breakfast’s ready,” Zane whispered from behind her.
She nearly jumped out of her skin. Clutching the bath sheet around her, she turned to find him in the doorway. She’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t heard him climb the stairs or push open the door. “Do you mind?” she asked, arching a lofty brow. “I’m trying to get dressed.”
“Don’t let me stop you,” he drawled, an amused smile toying with the corners of his mouth.
“You’re pushing it, Flannery,” she warned.
He lifted his palms. “We agreed to a truce, remember?”
“Ahh. The truce. Don’t you think we should set down some rules to this agreement? And I think the first should be that you quit sneaking up behind me and scaring the living daylights out of me.” She tucked her towel more securely over her breasts. “I’ll be down in a minute. And next time…knock, okay?”
He rubbed a hand around his neck and cast a devilish glance over his shoulder. “And miss seeing you like this?” He shook his head, and a lock of hair fell over his forehead. “No way. If you want privacy, next time lock your door.”
She finished dressing and hurried downstairs where the scents of sausage and coffee wafted through the rooms. The kitchen table had been set for two, and a huge platter of eggs, sausage links and toast was steaming on the counter.
Zane waved her into a chair and poured black coffee into their cups. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where’re you going…?” But he was already out the kitchen door.
A few minutes later he returned carrying a portable television. “Where’d you get that?” she demanded.
One side of his mouth lifted cynically. “There you go again, hoping to get me to divulge my darkest secrets.”
“I thought we had a truce,” she reminded him.
He plugged the TV into the counter outlet, snapped it on, then fiddled with the antenna. “We do. That’s why I’m being so irresistible.”
“So that’s the reason,” she remarked dryly.
“Aha!” he said, finally satisfied with the reception.