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Braden ran a fingertip over a small glass church her grandmother had loved. “He’s working on the opening of our Miami location. That fast-paced lifestyle and the warmer climate are also more his speed.”
“You guys are quite opposite, then.”
“Except when it comes to business,” Braden amended as he moved to another shelf and carefully adjusted a pewter picture frame holding a picture of Zara as a child. “We see eye to eye on all things regarding the auction house.”
“I’ve always hated that picture,” Zara stated with a laugh. “My grandmother took that on my first trip to the beach. I was eleven and had just entered that awkward stage girls go through.”
Turning to face her, Braden crossed his arms and offered a slight grin. “Whatever phase you went through, you’ve more than made up for it.”
Zara shivered at his smooth words. Apparently this smooth talker liked a woman with curves.
“You didn’t go to a beach until you were eleven?” he asked, moving right on.
Oh, no. She didn’t want to get into her childhood. Granted, the first decade of her life wasn’t terrible, but there certainly were no family vacations, no fun beach pictures or pictures of any kind, really. Her parents had been rich, beyond rich, but they couldn’t buy affection. They’d tried. Zara had more toys, more nannies than any one child needed or deserved.
When her parents had died, Zara had been numb. She hadn’t even known how to feel, how to react. How did a child respond to losing the two people who were supposed to love her more than anything, yet had never said the words aloud? They’d shown her in ways, material ways, but that was the only way they knew how to express themselves.
That money she’d always thought her parents possessed was suddenly gone. Her parents’ overspending had finally caught up with them, and Zara was paying the price. Apparently her parents owed everybody and their brother thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. Zara’s grandmother had maneuvered funds, had borrowed against this house and had paid off every last debt her parents had left. Now the money was gone after all the debts were paid.
Just another reason Zara was determined to succeed in her business. She wanted to make her grandmother proud, even if she wasn’t here to physically see Zara’s triumph. She didn’t want to have to sell this house that had been in her family since the Depression. Her grandmother had loved this place, and Zara wanted that last piece of family to hold on to.
“Zara?” Braden took a cautious step toward her, then another. “Where did you go?”
Zara shook her head. “Nowhere worth traveling to again. Let’s get this food outside and get back upstairs. I’m freezing.”
Just as she turned, Braden curled his fingers around her arm. With a glance from his hand to his eyes, Zara thought she saw a flash of something other than the desire she’d seen previously. Those piercing eyes were now filled with concern, and Zara didn’t want him to be concerned for her. Having compassion was just another level of intimacy she couldn’t afford to slide into with this man. It would be all too easy to lean on someone, and she’d not been raised to be dependent on others.
Zara didn’t want to identify the feelings coursing through her, not when her emotions were already on edge and her body hummed even louder each time he neared, let alone touched her.
“Come on, Braden.” She forced a wide smile and nodded toward the kitchen. “Let’s get this done.”
He looked as if he wanted to say more, but finally he nodded and released her. Maybe if they could focus on food, not freezing to death and no conversations involving personal issues, they’d get through this blizzard without any more sensual encounters or touching.
As she plucked her coat from the peg by the back door, Zara nearly laughed at her delusional thought. No way could she pretend Braden being here was just like having a friend over. Where he’d gripped her arm seconds ago was still tingling, and in a very short time, she’d find herself back upstairs, closed off in her bedroom with a man who made her ache for things she had no business wanting.
* * *
“That’s all of it.” Milk, eggs, cheese, frozen pizzas, meat and other groceries were tucked down into the snow to keep them from going bad. “Let’s get back inside before my toes fall off.”
Even though she had her fuzzy socks on under her rubber boots, her toes were going numb.
Braden held up a hand. “Wait,” he whispered. “Did you hear that?”
