He gave her a small, wary smile. ‘That’s good. I think.’
Kat took a further step in and leant against the wall. ‘I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Apparently, I’m a crap host.’
He shook his head, forearms resting loosely on his knees, which belied the twitching muscle in his jaw. ‘I’m in the way. I should just check myself into another hotel.’
‘Sure, because the stalker can’t get to you in a hotel.’
He glanced away, eyes on the wall. ‘I was unlucky.’
‘You were lucky,’ she corrected. ‘Lucky you weren’t in the room when they left the note.’ The thought of what could have happened sent a cold shiver through her. ‘Look, you’re absolutely not in the way. Debs and I have had our spat, and now we’re looking forward to pizza. If I have to tell her Zac frigging Edwards won’t be sharing it with us after all, we’ll be heading for another row.’
‘I suppose we can’t have that.’ With a grace of movement she’d come to expect from him, he swung his legs off the bed and stood, looking somehow even taller, even more male, surrounded by the feminine décor. ‘I presume it’s safe to head back to your living room?’
She waved him forward. ‘Not only is it safe, I’ve created a space for you on the sofa.’
‘I’m touched.’
They shared a smile and because she wanted to keep looking at him, and smiling at him, a little too much, she forced herself to turn away and walk towards the door.
‘Kat.’ When she halted, he was right next to her, those vivid green eyes gazing into hers. ‘Thank you.’
‘For?’
‘Putting me up.’ He exhaled heavily. ‘The realisation that this person has gone to the effort of breaking into my room … it’s knocked me back a little. I’m glad I’m not stewing by myself in another hotel room tonight.’
‘So am I.’ She meant it. A note on his pillow was a major escalation. Proof that the stalker was no longer content to keep their distance. It wasn’t surprising it had shaken Zac in a way none of the other notes had. It had scared the crap out of her, too. Yet even as he’d absorbed this gross invasion of his privacy, had no doubt finally begun to realise the danger he was in, his first reaction hadn’t been anger. It had been to reassure her it wasn’t her fault. A generosity of spirit, an unselfishness, that once again tugged at those feelings she was trying to fight.
‘Kat.’
Her breath caught as he touched his fingers to her cheek. ‘Please.’ God, she didn’t even know what she was asking for … him to stop, or him to carry on. For him to kiss her, because that’s what her body was aching for.
‘I know.’ He sighed and bent to touch her forehead with his, those warm hands cupping her face. ‘I know,’ he said again, whether to remind himself, or reassure her, she didn’t know.
The air around them fizzed, a palpable sign of the chemistry between them. When he straightened, his eyes found hers, the green mixed with flashes of gold and orange, like leaves caught up in the autumn wind. The longer he stared, the more the colours darkened. And the more her heart thumped.
Just when she thought he was going to kiss her, he cleared his throat and took a step back. ‘No mushrooms.’
The rapid change of pace, of topic, left her reeling. ‘Sorry?’
‘On my pizza.’
‘Oh, right.’ She struggled to pull herself together. Later she’d be grateful he’d not pushed on what he had to know had been an open door, but now all she could feel was a crushing disappointment. ‘What have mushrooms done to offend you?’
He mock shuddered. ‘They’re slippery buggers.’
This was what was needed, she told herself. Dial down the emotion, dial up the friendly banter. ‘Well you’ll have to pick them off, because Debs and I like our pizzas fully loaded.’
His lips twitched. ‘Of course you do.’
‘Why of course?’
‘Because you’re the antithesis of me.’
She shook her head. ‘I swear to God you make up half these words just to confuse me.’
He smiled, but there was something else going on behind his eyes. They looked … sad? ‘I’m merely pointing out the obvious,’ he told her as they made their way back into the open-plan living room. ‘That you’re my opposite in almost every way.’
Her mind stuck on his hesitation over the word almost, but now wasn’t the time to ask. Not with Debs in the adjoining kitchen, rummaging in the cupboards for some glasses. She swirled round when she heard them, a glass in each hand. ‘What would you like to drink Zac … er, Mr Edwards.’
‘Please, call me Zac.’ The film-star smile was back in place, all signs of his earlier wobble, vanished. ‘And I’ll have whatever Kat is drinking. Though I may regret saying that.’
Debs stared back at him, the glazed look on her face causing Kat to bite into her cheek to stop herself laughing. How bloody lovely to see her niece as a star-struck teenager instead of the usual older-than-her-years act she put on.
But then he turned his smile on her, and the desire to laugh died, because apparently he had the ability to turn her into a star-struck teenager too. ‘Zac’s safe,’ she finally managed. ‘I’ve run out of Sambuca. There’s some lager in the fridge.’
***
Last night had turned out to be unexpectedly enjoyable, once Debs had overcome her surprising shyness, and Kat had reassured Zac he wasn’t entirely unwelcome. Oh, and once he’d pummelled his libido into submission for long enough to convince himself he didn’t want to storm down the corridor, march into her bedroom and make love to her. Yes, considering all that, it had been a surprisingly good evening.
This morning, though, that was another matter entirely. Awkward wasn’t a strong enough word for how he felt now, sitting on the bed in Kat’s sister’s room, pretending to practise his lines when really, he was listening to Mark and Kat argue in the downstairs living room about where he should stay tonight.
Of course, he could have shut his door, but he justified keeping it slightly ajar on the grounds that he was the subject matter under discussion.
‘Another hotel is far too obvious,’ he heard Kat argue. ‘The stalker will just find him again.’
‘They won’t have long enough.’ Mark’s gruff voice this time. ‘The hotel CCTV was no damn use, other than to confirm it was a woman with long hair who knew exactly how to avoid the cameras seeing her face. At least we have a photofit now, though. We know who we’re looking for.’
‘Not true. We have a photofit of a suspect, with no concrete proof she’s actually the stalker.’ Kat again. If Zac closed his eyes, he could picture her face lit up with the vibrant energy that was so much a part of her, whether she was angry, or happy, or anything in between. ‘And so far, the stalker has been pretty flaming elusive.’
‘You really think the answer is having him sleep here, in your house?’
Zac jerked upright. Was Kat seriously suggesting he stay here? With her?
‘I do. It’s easy for me to protect him as I’m with him 24/7, plus this place is like Fort Knox. You know that, you put all the security in place for me. Cameras, alarms, motion sensors. Unlike a hotel, nobody’s coming in unless we invite them. He’ll be safe here until a flat becomes free, or we find another safe house.’