Broken Promises Read Online Free Page B

After dragging a brush through her hair, leaving it loose around her shoulders, she grabbed a flashlight and left.
    At Zak's cabin, she stepped onto the porch and knocked lightly.
    When Zak opened the door, he said nothing as his gaze moved slowly down the length of her, causing her breath to quicken and her cheeks to burn. Uncertain what to make of his silent perusal, she said, "You're the one who suggested I come, so am I invited in or not?"
    "Sorry," Zak said. "I didn't mean to stare. It just seems strange to see you dressed like that."
    He moved aside, and as she passed him, she caught the drift of men's aftershave, which surprised her. Zak never wore aftershave before. But maybe that was because she'd told him she wanted her Adam to smell like ferns and moss and whatever clung to him on the forest floor, and he'd laughed and promised to remain her nature boy. So, it seemed, turnabout was fair play. He was going against everything she liked, just as she was doing with him.
    Once inside, she wondered what to say next. It had been so easy for them to talk before. But now, what was there to say to a man who promised her the world, then shattered her dreams without so much as an explanation?
    Zak broke the awkwardness by lifting a bottle of wine from a wooden rack, and saying, "You're over twenty-one now. Do you want a glass of wine? It's from my father's private stock."
    Tess gave him a quick nervous smile. "I suppose," she said, but her eyes weren't on the bottle Zak held up for her to see, but instead, on his broad chest in the snug, long-sleeved white jersey. Not the kind of shirt she expected. Years before it would have been a worn denim work shirt, unless he was working in the afternoon when the sun was hot, when he'd be bare-chested. He'd been slimmer then, and she could see from the muscular contours beneath his shirt that his chest was thicker and his biceps more developed, as if he'd been working out. The patterns on his shirt were also different from what she might have expected... random designs in dark grays, like a giant tattoo. Catching the direction of her gaze, Zak looked down and said, "It's a Christmas gift from my brother. I thought it would be right for chopping my way through brush."
    "And the aftershave?" Tess asked, before she could stop herself.
    "I wore that to catch your notice," Zak replied.
    "It did, but it doesn't suit you," Tess said.
    He eyed her with amusement. "I could say the same about you in black, but I'd be lying."
    Tess shrugged. "My ex-husband like me in black."
    "And you're still trying to please him?" Zak asked.
    "No," Tess replied. "It's the first thing I grabbed before coming here."
    "Good choice." Zak handed her a wine glass, and as he was filling it, Tess saw that he'd poured from a bottle with the distinctive black-and-gold de Neuville label with a gold ram's head on it. She found it strange to be drinking wine with Zak. Although they'd made love too many times to count, that same summer Zak never offered her wine because she was only seventeen. She never questioned why giving her alcohol was an issue with him, while having sex with her wasn't, because she didn't want him to have a reason to stop. The fact was, she was hoping to get pregnant that summer so she could tie him to her forever. But when he gave her the ring, and talked about marrying her when she turned eighteen, she didn't worry anymore because she knew his love was forever...  
    "My father's proud of this run," Zak said, setting the bottle down. "It's called Florencia. It won a gold medal at the national competition."
    Tess sipped the wine, and the bouquet filled her nostrils. "Why is it called Florencia?" she asked, looking up at him.
    "Florencia is Basque for high mountain flower," Zak replied. "It's made with flower petals, some from around here." He took a slow sip of wine while eyeing her over the rim of his glass. His gaze was intense, his pupils wide, and Tess wondered if he was remembering how it had been