Midnight Secrets

chapter

FOUR


Sitting beside Zach, Savannah watched his hands on the steering wheel. He drove with an ease and calm competency that defied explanation. Though she knew he was twenty, only two years older than she was, he possessed a steadiness that made him seem years older. He just seemed so strong and solid … and absolutely fascinating.

She caught herself chewing on her lower lip and stopped abruptly. The nervous habit was something she had developed after her parents’ deaths. It had taken her years to quit, but when anxious, she often relapsed. And oh boy, was she nervous. Before Zach had arrived, she had felt reasonably ready for her date. Now she swore she had forgotten everything she’d learned over the last eight hours.

Her entire day had been devoted to preparing for tonight. While Sammie had chosen her outfit, fixed her hair and makeup, and given her a manicure and pedicure, along with the dos and don’ts of dating etiquette, Bri had coached her on various “manly” subjects she could discuss with Zach. An hour before her date, she had put a stop to it and asked to be alone. A mishmash of information had swirled around in her head with tornadic fury, her scalp felt sore from all of the tugging and straightening Sammie had done to control her wild locks, and the blouse both her sisters had insisted she wear revealed much more cleavage than she was truly comfortable showing. Now here she sat, exhausted and tongue-tied—not an impressive beginning for their first date.

“You sure you want to go tonight?”

Oh great, now he was wondering if she was having second thoughts. Think of something, Savannah! She swallowed past a bone-dry mouth and said, “I’m absolutely sure.” Forcing herself to continue, she ventured, “Do you know someone in the band?”

Zach shook his head. “I have a friend of sorts in Mobile. Whenever something like this comes up, he gives me a call. I’ve been doing it for a couple of years now. Not a lot of thinking to do. Just some heavy work.” He glanced over at her. “We’ll find a good spot for you to watch. I’ve heard the band before. They’re pretty good.”

“Is rock your favorite kind of music?”

“Not really. I don’t really have a favorite. I like all kinds. What about you?”

Before tonight, she would have said classical, but that was only because she hadn’t bothered to listen to anything else. Experimenting with new stuff wasn’t something she did often. She suddenly realized that just in the short amount of time she had known Zach, she had taken more chances than she had in the last eight years. Her parents’ deaths had stopped any spontaneity she might have once possessed.

She answered bravely, “I’m open to just about any kind of music.”

“Then you’ll like Stand and Deliver. They’re a mixture of rock, jazz, blues, and country.”

Savannah nodded but was now at a loss on how to take the conversation further. Fortunately Zach was better skilled at small talk than she was, and much to her delight, asked the one question that opened up a conversational mecca for her. “I’m in the middle of reading Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye. Have you read it?”

Three hours later Zach glanced over at Savannah and couldn’t help but laugh. Music blasted like kegs of dynamite through gigantic speakers. Kids shouted, screamed, and sang at the top of their lungs with the band—everyone was pumped up on adrenaline. With the exception of the beautiful blond angel asleep in the corner.

Having worked these concerts often enough to know that the music sometimes gave him a headache, he always brought along earplugs. He had pocketed an extra pair for Savannah just in case. He was glad he had.

Over cheeseburgers and fries at the DQ close by the auditorium, he had listened as she expounded on her knowledge of rock music and football. He’d felt as if she were reciting every iota of information she had ever learned or heard. Zach had sat across from her and, despite every internal warning telling him he was a lunatic, had become entranced. Everything about her enchanted him—from her sweet smile to her fluttery mannerisms when she was nervous. Her clear green eyes held an innocence and loveliness he could barely fathom. She was like a beautiful butterfly, impossible to capture but mesmerizing.

They had arrived two hours before the concert was to start. The heaviest equipment had already been unloaded, but it was up to Zach and others to connect the electrical equipment and conduct basic sound checks. Instead of staying in the comfortable chair he’d pointed her to, Savannah had chosen to follow him around and ask questions, seemingly intrigued with everything. He patiently answered each question, both amused and charmed that she was so interested.

When the band started playing, she had seemed so excited about the concert, he had half expected her to be front and center in the audience, dancing and whooping it up with the other teenagers. But he was beginning to see that Savannah Wilde wasn’t like anyone else he’d ever known. She went to the chair he’d shown her to before and sat enrapt, as if it was the first time she had ever experienced anything like this. Half an hour into the performance, that had changed. That was when he began to notice her wincing with each clang of the drums or a particularly loud bellow from the lead singer. When he’d offered her the plugs, he wondered if pride would keep her from accepting the gift—she was trying so hard to show him she was having a good time. Thankfully her need for silence won.

He had left her in the chair to go to the other side of the stage to handle a sound problem. When he came back, the last thing he had expected was to find her leaning back in the chair with her arms crossed and her eyes closed. At first, he thought she was just resting, but he’d gently touched her shoulder and she hadn’t moved.

The band would be insulted by her lack of attention, but Zach realized it made him like her all the more. As if he needed another reason.

As the band wound down with their final number of the night, Zach approached the sleeping beauty. The teardown wouldn’t take all that long … maybe half an hour; however, he’d be out of sight of Savannah. No way would he leave her asleep and vulnerable. This concert was tame compared to some Zach had worked, but there were always one or two yahoos who drank too much and became convinced they were God’s gift to women.

Touching her lightly on the shoulder, he ignored the tenderness he felt at how innocent and beautiful she looked. He shook her gently and watched her eyelashes flutter as she woke. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked up at him sleepily and slightly confused. Then, as she became aware, a sweet smile of welcome appeared. Zach’s heart flipped over. Without conscious thought, he dropped to his knees before her. Lowering his head, he took her mouth … hotly, tenderly, his tongue swept against her lips. When she opened for him, Zach groaned against her mouth, losing himself in a taste he’d never known and feelings he had never imagined.

As he sank into the kiss, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him closer. Any sanity he’d managed to maintain instantly vanished. His hands at her waist found their way under her blouse, and his fingers caressed skin soft as a rose petal. Zach forgot where he was, who he was … and most important, who the beautiful girl in his arms was.

When he felt her pull away slightly, it was all he could do not to still her movements and continue devouring the sweetest mouth he’d ever kissed. Instead he loosened his hold, almost wincing as his fingers trailed down her soft skin and withdrew from under her blouse.

Moist and swollen, her lips looked luscious and exactly as they’d tasted. Forcing himself not to go back for another delicious nibble, Zach raised his gaze to meet her eyes. Desire still pounded but healthy doses of guilt and recrimination were seeping into his consciousness, reminding him where they were and who they were. Expecting to see anger or, at the very least, shame in her eyes, he was stunned to see them gleaming like brilliant stars.

Groaning, Zach pulled away completely and stood. “I’ve got to get to work. You’ll be safe here. Okay?”

She nodded, the soft glow of want and approval on her face more than he could fathom. Did she not know who the hell he was?

Zach turned abruptly away, not sure who he was angrier with, himself or Savannah.

* * *

Breathless, her heart thudding against her chest, Savannah watched Zach’s long strides take him swiftly away from her. If she didn’t count Tubby Thompson, who in the fourth grade chased her down on a dare from his friends and smacked his lips up against hers, she’d just had her very first kiss. The magazine articles that claimed first kisses were awkward, sloppy, or not good didn’t know Zach Tanner. She couldn’t imagine a more perfect kiss.

The absence of the noise she had successfully drowned out with Zach’s earplugs told her the concert was over. She stood to stretch her stiff limbs and then realized belatedly why she hadn’t known it was over. Holy crap, she’d fallen asleep. She had tried so hard to pretend she loved the music, and for half an hour or so, she thought she’d done a pretty convincing job. Then her head had begun to pound in rhythm with every drumbeat. When Zach had offered her the earplugs, she had almost refused. Silly, she knew, but she hated to think he’d been kind enough to invite her and she was wanting to drown out the music within the first hour. Thankfully, before she could refuse, she had noticed he wore them, too.

They had done too good of a job. Though she’d still heard the music, it was much less painful to her sensitive hearing. She never anticipated that she’d fall asleep, though. Zach probably thought she was the most boring date ever. Sammie and Bri were going to howl their heads off with laughter when she told them.

Savannah walked around the backstage area, listening to the back-and-forth between the men as they proceeded to take apart the equipment. Zach was on the other end of the stage, but every so often she’d feel his eyes on her. She shivered, remembering his mouth on hers, the heat in his gray eyes that made them gleam like a winter fire.

“Who’s the blond chick with the great ass?”

The guy was several yards away and her back was to him, but since she was the only girl around, she knew he was referring to her. She also recognized the voice as belonging to Stand and Deliver’s lead singer.

“She’s with me.”

Savannah whirled around, startled by the harsh tone that hardly sounded like Zach’s voice.

“Introduce us.”

Even from where she stood, she could hear the arrogance in the guy’s voice. She tensed, wondering how Zach would handle the request. She didn’t want to meet this man, but if Zach refused, would that keep him from getting jobs like this in the future?

“No.” If possible, Zach’s voice was even harder.

Savannah started toward them. What was the harm in having Zach introduce her? The last thing she wanted to do was cause him problems. Before she could take more than two steps, Zach had her firmly by the elbow. “Let’s go.”

“But, Zach, I don’t mind—”

“I do.”

Not giving her a chance to say anything else, he grabbed her purse and ushered her toward the door. In seconds, they were outside.

Confused by his attitude, she frowned up at him. “What’s wrong?”

“I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

“But why?”

“I’d forgotten how rowdy these things can get.”

Savannah raised her brows. Rowdy? If things had been any calmer, she might have fallen asleep again.

“You don’t have to protect me from everyone, you know. I’m not helpless.”

He didn’t speak as he opened the car door for her. Savannah settled into her seat and watched him cross in front of the car. The thunderous expression on his face made her suddenly uncertain. He had seemed like such a gentleman. Had she misjudged him? Why was he acting so annoyed?

The driver’s-side door opened and Savannah prepared herself to deal with his unexpected anger. Zach slid in beside her and stared out the windshield for several seconds. She opened her mouth, not sure what she was going to say, but then he turned toward her. Savannah lost her breath. That smile was back.

“I overreacted, didn’t I?”

Her tense muscles loosened in relief. “Maybe a little.”

“Sorry. I didn’t know what to expect, so I got you out of there before anything could happen.”

Zach was a protector, there was no other word for it. And if not for the extremely hot kiss earlier, he’d almost treated her as a sister … a family member. Then it hit her. Zach watched over those he cared about. A thrill of excitement zoomed through her, causing her to shiver. Zach cared about her!

“You cold?”

She shook her head and looked out into the night, grappling with her newfound discovery. Questions crowded into her mind. Why did he have such a rough reputation? One so bad that he had almost been arrested last night without any real proof of wrongdoing. She had heard unkind rumors about him and his family most of her life, but somehow Josh had escaped the talk. Yet, from what she could tell, Zach was more honorable than most any guy she knew. Even her grandfather believed in him.

Unable to hold back her question, inappropriate as it was, Savannah approached it gingerly. She definitely didn’t want to offend him, but there had to be some kind of rational explanation for all the bad talk she’d heard. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

She swallowed past the discomfort of speaking to him about anything so personal. “Why do you have such a bad reputation when you’re not a bad guy at all?”

He was silent for so long, she was sure she had made a mistake and offended him. Just as she was getting ready to issue an apology, he spoke almost absentmindedly, as if he was still thinking about her question. “I think a lot of people are all too willing to believe the worst of someone rather than form an opinion for themselves.”

The look he shot her held a sadness and sorrow she never expected. “Don’t believe everything you hear. Even if all evidence points to one answer, be brave enough to learn the truth for yourself.”

Feeling as though she’d just gotten a philosophy lesson from a very wise man, Savannah turned away, lost in thought. Little did she know that Zach’s advice was more than just wise words; someday it would make all the difference in the world to her.