My brain has locked up. I was ready for Josh.
I wasn’t prepared for his twin brother, Zack, or the damn tingle of awareness that zings through me at just the sight of him. The man is a good twelve inches taller than my five foot two and he’s just . . . big.
And the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
“Hey, Jilly.”
CHAPTER Two
ZACK
“Hello?” Cara answers her phone and giggles while my brother, Josh, nibbles at her neck. Seth and I are on the couch, controllers aimed at the TV mounted above the fireplace in Josh’s living room. Seth’s black Lab, Thor, is curled up by the fire, snoring. I hear Cara say, “It’s way too cold outside for you to be sitting in a house with a broken furnace.”
“Is that Jilly?” Josh asks softly. Cara nods, and now I’m completely focused on the conversation happening over the phone rather than on the virtual cars that Seth and I are racing. I crash and burn.
“I win!” Seth exclaims.
“I’m sure Josh can fix it,” Cara says, and Josh laughs.
Fuck that. If Jill’s furnace is broken, I’ll go to town to fix it. It’s too cold and stormy outside for her to be alone in that house with no heat.
Cara wraps up the conversation, assuring Jill that Josh can drive competently in the snow and that he’ll be there soon.
“I’ll go,” I announce when she hangs up. Cara and Josh both look at me in surprise.
“But Dad, we’re racing,” Seth protests.
“You can race with Uncle Josh,” I reply and stand to grab my coat and boots.
“I can go in with you,” Josh offers, but I shake my head no.
“We shouldn’t both be gone in this weather.” I shrug into my coat, step into my boots, and pull my beanie over my head. “I won’t be long. Is it okay if Seth and Thor stay here until I get back?”
“Of course,” Cara says and smiles at Seth.
“I’ll kick Uncle Josh’s butt at this game,” Seth proclaims. I wave at them and jog through the heavy snow to my truck.
It’s snowed at least another six inches since Seth and I came over for dinner a few hours ago. It’ll be a busy morning on the ranch, plowing the snow and checking the livestock.
The road to town has recently been plowed. My four-wheel drive handles the weather with ease, and I’m soon pulling up to Jill’s small house.
Now that her brother, Ty, has moved in with Lauren, the thought of Jill living here alone makes me uneasy, and for good reason.
Not that I have a damn say in the matter.
Her amazing blue eyes would flash in indignation at me and she’d have no problem reminding me that she’s a grown-ass woman who can take care of herself. She’s adorable when she’s pissed.
I park behind her small Honda, taking note of the way it’s parked diagonally in the driveway, and trek through the snow to her front door.
Her walkway needs to be cleared, so instead of knocking, I grab her shovel and quickly clear her sidewalk, along with a path to her car door.
At the rate this snow is falling, it’ll need to be done again when I leave.
I brush as much of the snow off my shoulders as I can and knock on her door.
“I’m so happy to see you!” she exclaims as she flings the door open. She’s bundled up in a worn, brightly colored quilt, her long chestnut hair pulled up into some sort of knot on her head, and those killer eyes of hers widen when she sees it’s me and not Josh.
I smile slowly as I take her in: those small, strong hands clenching the quilt, her slender form hidden beneath about six inches of fabric from neck to feet.
Yet she’s the prettiest thing God’s ever put on this earth.
I step inside and pull my beanie off, set my tools by my feet, and resist the urge to pull her against me and kiss her senseless.
“Hey, Jilly.”
“Zack. I thought Josh was coming.” She shuts the door behind me and doesn’t meet my eyes as she walks to the back of the house, which is where I assume the furnace is.
“I had him stay with Cara and Seth,” I reply, and leave it at that. “How long has it been this cold in here?” I can see my breath, for God’s sake.
“I don’t know. It was like this when I got home. It was warm when I left, though, so it must’ve happened sometime during the day.”
She gestures toward a natural-gas furnace in the utility room off the kitchen. I brush past her, gritting my teeth at the zing of awareness that comes from just the brief touch of my arm on her shoulder.
I can think of better ways to warm Jillian up than fixing her furnace.
I’d rather haul her into that bedroom, pull her under the blankets, cover her tiny body with mine, and sink inside her. Hear those whimpers and moans she makes when she’s turned on, and hear my name screamed from her mouth when I make her see stars.
Jesus, King, get a grip.
Maybe I should have let Josh come in to town.
I wipe my hand over my mouth and squat next to the furnace.
“What’s wrong with it?” Jill asks from behind me, hovering over my shoulder.
“I just opened the thing up, Jill.”
“Oh.”
She bounces from one foot to the other and braces her hand on my shoulder to lean over and watch what I’m doing.
“Must you hover over me like that?”
“I want to see,” she replies stubbornly.
“You’re blocking my light,” I grumble. If she keeps touching me, I won’t be responsible for my actions.