She paused.Where to begin? “He was quiet, like you. I liked that about him because my mom talkednonstop.When she and I moved in with you guys, I struggled to make friends. That first Christmas, he bought me a camera, suggested I take pictures of the kids. His advice changed my life.”
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows, and her trigger finger itched to capture how the light bounced off the hills in the distance. She pulled out her camera, set the bag on the ground, and perched her sunglasses on top of her head. Then, she snapped a few shots. For Savannah, shooting pictures was like opium to an addict.
“I see.” His biting tone snatched her attention. His lips were slashed in a thin line, his eyes narrowed.
Should I stop?While mulling what to say, she leaned against the hood and studied the landscape.
He rested his hand between her shoulder blades. “My issues with my father are my own. Please continue.”
While she assumed his touch was intended as brotherly, electrifying waves of pleasure scurried through her. She ached to run her fingers through his hair and feel the silky strands tickle her skin, then crush her mouth on his. Instead, she played with the shutter speed. “He helped me pay for college and encouraged me to continue with photography when I wanted to quit.”
“It’s good to know he could be supportive.” Again his phone rang and he silenced it.
“Maybe K-Dad didn’t show it, but he loved you.”
Zander slipped his hand—the one that had been touching her—into his pants pocket and stared at the ground.
A fluffy white cloud kept the sunlight from reflecting off his face. She adjusted the aperture and raised the camera. Studying him through the viewfinder gave her a different perspective. Beyond the obvious chiseled features and strong lines of his contoured face, she saw something she hadn’t been able to see with her own eyes.
His sadness.
And her heart broke for the man who’d wanted something he would never receive. She’d unintentionally glimpsed his most private, innermost feelings, and she lowered the camera.
A few seconds passed before he faced her. And that’s when everything changed. His gaze laid her bare. His jagged breathing roared in her ears. When his long fingers caressed the back of her neck, she shivered from the excitement of his skin on hers. His touch was strong, yet gentle, the mixture of the two lighting her insides on fire.
Though the clouds stole the warmth of the day, his radiating heat seared her. The space between them turned electric, like the charged atmosphere before a lightning strike.
“I want you, Zander.”
“Savannah.” His cutting tone turned her nipples hard.
Despite her pounding heart, her breathing shallowed. When she placed her hand on his hard thigh, her fingertips tingled.
His breath caught, his eyes never leaving hers.Kiss me, Zander.
“Hell, you are too damn sexy.” He pushed off the hood and trapped her in his arms.
She gasped. When his mouth found hers, the intensity was euphoric. His raw, sensual kiss was anything but brotherly. This was the kiss of a man who wanted more, needed more, and could give her so much more.
Their embrace turned greedy. She raked her fingers through his hair and down his back. As soon as she ground against him, he nipped her lip. His hardness pressed against her and she moaned.My God, he feels good.
When she grasped his hand and placed it over her breast, he groaned. His thumb grazed her hardened nipple through her shirt and he massaged her womanly flesh.
“Mmm,” she murmured.
Suddenly, he ended their embrace and stepped back, the abrupt separation leaving her cold. “Hell, I want you so damned badly. But we’re family and this is wrong.”
Dizzy from the rush of endorphins, she caressed her swollen lip. Her thoughts blurred as she fought the urge to go to him. Gasping for air, she struggled to get it together.
A few seconds passed before she could speak. “You and I couldn’t be more different. You’re all about land development. I’m about preserving the environment. You want to build a glitzy stop-n-shop and I want to honor Kyle’s wishes. You’re an uptight suit and I’m a carefree spirit. But wearein agreement on one thing. Hooking up would be wrong. Very, very wrong.”
Verbalizing the truth only made him that much more desirable. Every now and again she liked being a bad girl. But this? This was beyond bad. This crossed into reckless. Savannah didn’t mix sex with business.Ever. If there was anything she valued, it was earning her chops in the male-dominated world of landscape photographers. Even though Zander wasn’t a part of that world, K-Dad had entrusted her to carry out his wishes in a weighty business deal. Sex would further complicate their adversarial situation.
Despite her logical reasoning, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Her beautiful stepbrother was mighty, mighty fine and oh-so-tempting.Better to back off.
Kneeling, she tucked her camera back into the bag. When she rose, his lids were heavy, his eyes dark with desire.
“We crossed a line.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t do impulsive.”
