Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 133213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 666(@200wpm)___ 533(@250wpm)___ 444(@300wpm)
Zach seemed pleased with himself, but there were problems with the scenario. “She’s TJ’s sister, you know.”
Though he’d been given a hearty lecture from his own sister about staying out of her romantic choices. He would. He would totally stay out of them until the moment she picked an asshole who hurt her, and then he would kill the son of a bitch. See. He was allowing her to make her own choices.
He wasn’t sure how TJ would feel about his sister hanging around big, dangerous-looking Zach.
“I am well aware, and I wouldn’t have played with her at all if I wasn’t interested in seeing where it goes,” Zach said. “I’ve always thought she was cute. Now I know she’s beautiful and funny and kind of awesome. Did you know she’s a fashion designer? Erin and Theo Taggart’s daughter designs fancy dresses.”
“She definitely gets it from Theo,” Tris snarked. Aunt Erin was not known for her fashion sense. Her ability to take out the bad guys in numerous violent ways was another story. “But seriously, I don’t know she’s someone you should play around with. You might think because her mom’s super tough, she is, too.”
Zach turned his way, his expression going serious. “I didn’t say I was playing.”
But Tris knew something Zach hadn’t mentioned. “We all know how you feel about Tasha.”
“And she’s marrying someone else. Look, I admit I had a hell of a torch for that woman, and I have the scars to prove it. But I am capable of moving on, and I’m not pining. I never expected she would care for me the way I wanted her to. I’m happy she’s found someone she loves.” Zach paused as though he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to continue. Then he sighed and took another swig of beer. “I think it’s all the coupling up going on around me. I might be like hormonal or something, but I’ve kind of started to think I want a real relationship with a woman I could come to love. And I think I might have found her tonight.”
Tris actually felt his jaw drop. Zach was kind of the player of the group. He was the one they sent in when they needed a guy to flirt with a target. Cooper was incapable of charming anyone who wasn’t Kala Taggart, though it was kind of wasted on her. And Tris himself wouldn’t because he was taken even when he pretended he wasn’t. “Big Tag’s going to be so upset. Unless you plan on keeping work and home separate things.”
Zach snorted. “Nah. If this thing works between us, I’ll have to close down my honey pot days.” He chuckled. “I kind of never thought I would settle down. And it’s like super early between us, so don’t take this as a promise or anything, but I will be able to tell TJ I’m serious about giving it a shot. We have a date planned. We’re going to go to dinner and maybe a movie. That’s good, right? It’s a normal person date?”
He said the words like he’d had to consider them for more than a hot minute. “Dude, when was the last time you dated?”
Zach seemed to think for a moment. “I went out with Leah Johnson all my senior year of college, but mostly we fucked in the back room of the GameStop we both worked at. She was the assistant manager, so I was kind of screwing my superior. Mostly we fucked and tried out new games after hours. She was excellent at first-person shooters. I tried to convince her to go into the Army. But we went to the Chili’s for lunch most days. That’s a date, right?”
He and Zach had talked a lot over the years. He probably knew Zach better than anyone on the team. But they hadn’t talked much about prior relationships. Now he wondered if it was because Zach hadn’t had any. “Nope. Eating skillet queso during your lunch break after getting it on in the break room doesn’t qualify as a date. Are you telling me you didn’t date in high school? College?”
Zach groaned and moved from the landing to one of the comfy couches. “See, this is why I only talk about sports and manly shit. Big Tag is right. All the other stuff is bullshit.”
“Well, I’m sure that attitude is going to serve you well with the artistic sub you seem to want to experiment with.” Tris joined him. He knew he should go back to the privacy room where his subs were sleeping, but he was fascinated with a side of Zach he’d never thought he would see. What had Devi done to the man? Zach seemed like all Dom all the time, and not the one who was looking for a particular sub. It had kind of made sense when he’d found out Zach thought he was in love with Tasha. He kept his encounters to the surface, always explaining what he was willing to give and what he wasn’t willing to give. Always, always, always with a contract. Actually, now that he thought about it… “Whoa, did you talk to her or did you…because you don’t like carry around a contract. Tell me you don’t have a blank contract for the subs you sleep with.”