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Scott looked back and forth between Zane and Allison, seeming perplexed by the conversation. “Uh, okay. I was able to snag the last three first-class seats on the next flight to New Jersey. We’d better get ourselves to the gate. It’s boarding in less than an hour.”
“What about Allison?” Zane asked, turning his attention to her. “Are you coming with us? I figured you were flying back to LA.”
She’d been so nervous about accidentally revealing the Black Crescent information that she hadn’t mentioned this detail to Zane. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m actually coming back to Falling Brook for a week or so. I have some work I need to do.”
“No, you didn’t tell me. Do you have a client in town?” Again, his voice was nothing short of perturbed, but Allison was pretty determined to let him stew in his own juices.
“Yes.”
“Who is it?”
“I can’t say. It’s confidential.”
“How long is that supposed to last? Falling Brook is not a big place, and I have lived there my entire life. I’m going to find out sooner or later.”
Allison’s pulse raced. She felt queasy at the thought of Zane figuring this out. She knew exactly how he would react—badly. “If you were my client, I wouldn’t talk about you to anyone else. It’s just the right thing to do.”
He rolled his damn eyes, not bothering to say that of course it made sense for her to keep things to herself for the sake of her business interests. She could hardly believe how things between her and Zane had changed in the last few hours. So much for fantasies brought to life—she wondered now if it wouldn’t have been better to keep Zane in her dreams, rather than begging him to become a reality.Careful what you wish for.It hurt too much to have him be such a jerk to her. And to think that she’d been mulling over some ridiculous confessions last night when she couldn’t fall asleep. She’d wanted to tell him that she wanted more of him. So much more. And if he’d given her any indication that he might feel the same way, she would have been all in. She would have even called Kianna and told her that they had to drop Black Crescent.
The Allison of last night was clearly an idiot. It didn’t matter that she and Zane had had an amazing time on the island together, and not just in bed. It didn’t matter that he’d made her happy. Made her laugh. Made her feel sexy and desired. Zane would always choose his friendship with Scott over her, and she couldn’t entirely blame him. That relationship had longevity. It had never faltered. He could count on it, and Allison understood how anyone would want to stick to the things in life that were reliable, especially if you were Zane, a man who’d been through the wringer.
That still didn’t keep her from wanting him.
The three of them took a shuttle over to the commercial terminal and waited to board, standing on the concourse outside the busy gate area. Scott and Zane had been knee-deep in conversation, leaving Allison to feel like the third wheel until Zane wandered off to find a bathroom and Scott pulled Allison aside.
“You didn’t tell him why you were coming back to Falling Brook?” Scott asked her pointedly.
“Wow. You really don’t waste any time, don’t you?”
“It’s a valid question, and he’s going to be back any minute now. You two just rode out the storm together and the topic of you coming back to Falling Brook never came up? Not once? It makes me wonder what in the heck you two did talk about.”
“I don’t want him to know about Black Crescent, okay? And I don’t want you to tell him, either. You know how he feels about it. You know it hurts him to talk or hear about it, and you also know he has a blind spot when it comes to the Lowells. I don’t want it to mess with our friendship.”
“Since when have you two been close?”
If Allison could’ve shot laser beams from her eyes at her brother, she would have. Why did he have to think that only he could be close to Zane? “We’ve always been friends, Scott. You know that. I can’t compete with your friendship, okay? So don’t try to compare the two.” She saw down the concourse that Zane was on his way back already. Even in rumpled clothes, with two days of scruff on his face and with an attitude that was decidedly cooler than the one she’d experienced during their last day on the island, he was irresistible. She was going to have to learn to resist. “He and I just went through a life-and-death situation, and I don’t want to hurt his feelings unnecessarily. He’s tired. I’m tired. Plus, there’s a good chance that I won’t get hired by BC long term. So if it’s only a one-off, I really don’t see the point in telling him and hurting his feelings for no good reason.”
Scott nodded. “Okay. That’s probably the right call then. Your intentions are good.”
Zane smiled as he approached them. It still made Allison’s heart melt. She was going to have to figure out a way to get over him. She had no idea how that would work. “You guys talking about me?” he asked.
“Always,” Scott said.
“Never,” Allison countered.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the gate agent announced over the intercom. “We’re ready to begin the boarding process for Flight 1506 with nonstop service to Newark International Airport. We’ll begin by inviting our first-class passengers to board.”
“That’s us,” Scott said.
“Good. I can’t wait to get home to a hot shower and a good night’s sleep,” Zane said.
Allison felt the same way. She also wished she could do those things with Zane. She was going to need to work up to this whole business of forgetting her attraction to him.
The three boarded the plane, but as soon as Allison figured out the seating arrangement, she realized just how much she would always be the odd man out when it came to her brother and Zane. The two guys were seated together, across the aisle from her. That had been Scott’s decision, since he’d booked the flights, and Zane was obviously perfectly happy with it. Allison flagged the flight attendant and asked for a gin and tonic before takeoff. She needed something to soothe her ragged edges. Maybe she could catch some sleep after they were in the air.
But for now, since Zane and Scott were immersed in conversation, and the plane was still boarding, Allison took this chance to give Kianna a quick call.
“Tell me you’re okay,” she blurted without even saying hello.
