AllFreeNovel
Share Us
By the time she arrived at Zane’s house, Lesley’s amusement had turned to resentment. It irritated her that people could be so cruel. Zane was no more a drug lord than she was, and as for him keeping to himself…well, everyone was entitled to privacy.
She rang the doorbell and waited. Mrs. Applegate opened the front door. The moment she saw Lesley, the housekeeper’s face brightened with a warm smile.
“It’s so good to see you again, dearie. Mr. Zane’s out, but he’ll be back any minute. You make yourself comfortable in the library and I’ll bring you a spot of tea.” She led the way into the room that Lesley had loved best.
“I’m sure Mr. Zane will be along shortly.”
“It’s no problem, Mrs. Applegate. I’m early.” Lesley had given herself plenty of time to make the drive in from the heart of Chicago. Being that it was Friday, she had fully anticipated running into heavy weekend traffic.
But her eagerness had a lot more to do with seeing Zane again than with any traffic problems. Far more. She needed to see him. Needed to test this strange attraction. The fact of the matter was that she’d left the office far earlier than necessary, and very little of her reason had to do with the renovation project.
In the past week, Lesley had devoted hour upon hour to this remodeling project, far and above what time she’d originally allotted. She studied the original blueprints, blending her ideas for the renovation in with the original work, modernizing the house so that the new merged naturally with old. Her goal was that anyone who stepped into the house for the first time would never guess that part of the home had been changed.
True to her word, Mrs. Applegate returned a few moments later with a cup of tea and a thick slice of chocolate cake. She chatted briefly then quietly slipped away.
Carrying the teacup with her, Lesley walked over to the bookcase and read the titles. Many of the books were ones she’d read and enjoyed herself. More than any other room of the house, she sensed Zane’s personality strongest here. The furniture was leather, new and stiff. There were no pictures, no artwork—just the leather sofa, two chairs and more books than small town libraries.
When Lesley least expected it, the mahogany doors glided open and Zane entered the room, closing the panels behind him. She turned, certain that she’d embellished his impact on her in the days since their meeting. If anything, she found him even more compelling than she had the first time. He was a hard man—whether from necessity or nature, she couldn’t be sure. Intuitively she recognized he was an honorable one, as well.
His eyes revealed none of his feelings, but she sensed that he was pleased to see her again, the same way she felt toward him. No one needed to tell her that Zane didn’t want to feel anything for her. But he did, and she gained a good deal of pleasure in the knowledge.
“Hello, Lesley.”
“Zane.” She sounded slightly breathless; indeed, that was the way she felt.
“You brought the blueprints?”
It didn’t escape her notice how eager he was to get down to business. The sooner she was in and out of his house and his life, the better. He all but painted a banner to tell her as much.
“I have several ideas to show you.”
“I’m anxious to get started remodeling,” he said matter-of-factly.
A polite knock sounded against the library door.
“Yes,” Zane called out.
Mrs. Applegate slid open the door. “I’m sorry to disturb you but Candy Hoffman is here to see you.”
Lesley watched as Zane frowned. A woman. Lesley’s stomach clenched with what she could only determine to be an unflattering form of jealousy. It was crazy to feel any such thing, especially over a woman she had never met.
“I’m sure this won’t take long,” Zane offered apologetically to Lesley.
“Can I show her in?” Mrs. Applegate asked.
Zane nodded, but Lesley could see he was none-too-pleased with the interruption.
A lanky blonde walked into the room, and looked around nervously. She wore faded jeans, a checkered shirt and cowboy boots. Her short hairstyle didn’t complement her looks. Lesley guessed the other woman to be in her late twenties, perhaps early thirties, close to her own age.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Ackerman,” the other woman said nervously. Her blue eyes appeared apologetic. “I learned this morning that you’ve decided to buy your supplies elsewhere.”
“That’s right.”
“I was wondering if there’s been a problem with the goods or service Hoffman Feed has given you?”
“On the contrary,” Zane said matter-of-factly. “As far as I can tell, both have been excellent.”
Candy opened her mouth as if to argue, then promptly snapped it shut with a look of surprise. “Then, if you don’t mind my asking, what made you decide to give your business to another feed store?”
