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Braden rubbed his forehead and cracked his neck. “Define a slight run-in.”
“No charges were filed and the art is now in our possession. The rest of the details can wait.”
“There will be no backlash on us?”
“It’s taken care of,” Mac promised.
At least one thing was going their way for now, but Braden wasn’t giving up on his hunt for the scrolls. And he wasn’t giving up on this need that only Zara could fill. He’d thought for sure she would be out of his system, but she was in deeper than ever.
“I’ll text you if I find out anything,” he told Mac. “Hopefully I’ll be home by tomorrow.”
“Don’t come back without the scrolls.”
Braden disconnected the call just as he heard Zara behind him. Jerking to his feet, he replayed the conversation he’d just had with Mac and was positive he hadn’t said anything to give himself away.
She descended the stairs and barely threw him a glance. “I’m just grabbing a notebook from the office. Do you want me to take any food back up?”
She continued by him without even stopping. So she wanted to put this awkward wedge between them? He could work with that. He could handle anything she wanted to throw his way.
“I’m fine. I’m going to head up and check on my clothes.”
He didn’t wait for her to turn around or reply. Shuffling back upstairs, Braden was eager to get out of this makeshift skirt because he was going to have to revoke his man card if he didn’t get back into pants soon.
Once he was dressed, they needed to talk. Zara was closing back in on herself, and there was no way he was going to let that happen. He may not be the man in her life, but he wasn’t about to let her think that her feelings, her emotions meant nothing. Whatever pricks had taken her to bed in the past had let her think less of herself. Most likely they’d been selfish, too, and Braden refused to be lumped with those guys.
Regardless of what happened after he left this house, he wanted Zara to know her self-worth.
Braden placed the comforter back on the bed, smoothing out the edges, and pulled on his boxer briefs. They were damp but better than nothing. His pants were still wet, so he turned them and placed them even closer to the fire.
He’d called one of his contacts at the sheriff’s department before calling his brother. Apparently the road crews were working around the clock, but with the layer of ice beneath the snow, there wasn’t much chance of getting out within the next two days because the temperatures were still hovering below zero.
Perfect opportunity for him to keep up his search and prove to Zara that they were good together in bed. He wasn’t asking for her hand in marriage; he just wanted to enjoy her company while he was here, and who knew, maybe after he left.
He chuckled at the fact he was strutting around her room in his underwear. She may not find the matter funny at all, but it was. Braden was snooping like Ryker and seducing like Mac...a position he never thought he’d find himself in as head of the family.
As he took a seat on the bed and sent off a quick text to Ryker, the cat rubbed against Braden’s ankle. Reaching down, Braden lifted the fur ball on to the bed and started stroking his back.
The kitten let out a soft purr and flopped over on to his back. Braden continued to show affection, and his mind started drifting. He had no clue what he expected from Zara. Somewhere along the way he’d gone from wanting to use her, to wanting the hell out of her, to wondering more about her and wanting to uncover those complex layers she kept so guarded.
But he couldn’t let himself get too involved. He wasn’t ready to start looking for “the one.” What he felt for Zara had nothing to do with forever and everything to do with right now. When she’d actually let go, let him close, he’d seen a woman with pent-up passion. All of that desire she kept locked away was a shame. She deserved to be...
What? Used? Because that’s where he was right at this point. He was using her and justifying it by saying they had a physical connection. But damn it, he’d never denied himself anything before and he wasn’t about to start now. He still wanted Zara, but she deserved more than a man who wanted her in bed and to technically steal from her.
The bedroom door swung open, and Zara came in juggling an oversize box. Braden leaped off the bed and crossed the room, taking the box from her hold.
“Let me have it,” he said when she hesitated to let go. “You carried this up the steps when I could’ve done it.” Once he set the box down at the end of the bed, he turned back to Zara. “You should’ve asked for help.”
