Hearts Afire. Deborah Fletcher Mello

felt her body tense. She hesitated, shifting her eyes from side to side. “I didn’t...I...” she stammered, finally finding the words. “I don’t drink,” she finally said.

      Zak stared at her. “You were drinking rum punch.”

      She shook her head. “No. I was drinking punch but without the rum. I don’t drink. I don’t like how it makes me feel, and I would never risk losing control because I drank too much. I don’t drink,” she professed a second time. “Ever!”

      Zak studied her momentarily. The look on her face was telling, and he appeared suddenly angry. He swallowed hard, bottling the emotion. He bit down against his bottom lip, then pursed his lips together, his jaw locked tight.

      Maitlyn closely observed Zak, still trying to make sense of the moment.

      “You were exhausted and dehydrated. I’m sure you hadn’t eaten properly and when you did something obviously didn’t agree with you,” Zak finally replied. “Before you passed out, you vomited on your clothes and the nurse changed you. The doctor gave you two bags of IV fluids to flush and hydrate your system and then said to let you rest.”

      Maitlyn took a deep breath. “But how did I get here...in your room?”

      “I promised your brother I would look out for you. I keep my promises.”

      For the first time Maitlyn returned his smile with one of her own. “Thank you.”

      Zak dipped his head. “Are you hungry? Do you think you can eat something?”

      “I am hungry,” she answered; the rumble in her stomach finally felt like a hunger pang. “And I feel fine...well rested actually.”

      “I can call for room service or you are welcome to join me in the dining room. Whichever you prefer?”

      Maitlyn hesitated as she pondered her options. She finally nodded. “The dining room would be nice, I think.”

      “I’ll get dressed downstairs. When you’re ready, we can go to the dining room.” Zak took a quick glance at the wristwatch he’d rested atop the dresser. “You’ll need to hurry, though. The tournament starts later this evening, so I am limited on time.”

      “I don’t have my clothes!” Maitlyn exclaimed, tightening the grip she had on the sheet clutched in her hands.

      “Not to worry. Just take your shower,” Zak stated as he moved out of the room.

      When she heard the sound of a door opening and closing from the space below, she rose from the bed. She tossed back the covers and threw her legs off the side of the mattress. For a brief moment as she came to her feet, she felt as if she might fall; the room threatened to spin around her. Maitlyn took a deep breath and then a second, allowing the sensation to pass before she stood completely upright and headed into the bathroom.

      “Wow!” Maitlyn exclaimed, taking in the expanse of space with its polished marble and gold-appointed treatments. Zak’s accommodations had come with some serious perks, she thought. She crossed the heated floor to the tiled shower and turned on the faucet.

      Minutes later Maitlyn stepped out of the spray of hot water and wrapped her own white towel around her body. Barely opening the bathroom door she peeked out into the bedroom space. Zakaria was nowhere to be found, but her luggage and personal belongings rested atop the bed. Maitlyn was still confused but determined to unravel the mystery of the past forty-eight hours. Almost a week of her trip had passed and she couldn’t remember a large part of it. None of it made any sense to her.

      Zak suddenly called her name from the bottom of the stairwell. “I need to step out for a quick minute, but I’ll be right back. They are holding our table so as soon as you are ready we can head to the dining room.” His tone was warm and easy like thick, rich honey being spread on dark toast. His seductive cadence caused a shiver of heat to ripple through her feminine spirit. Taking a deep breath, Maitlyn clenched her pelvic muscles, contracting and relaxing the tissue until the feeling passed.

      In no time at all she was dressed in a formfitting black knit dress and fire-engine-red pumps. She brushed a faint layer of mineral powdered foundation across her face, lined her eyes with black eyeliner and patted a tissue over the lipstick that brightened her lips. She pulled her fingers through the length of her hair, pulling the strands into a loose ponytail atop her head. When she was satisfied with the reflection staring back at her from the mirror, she headed down the stairs to the living space below, where Zak, back from his errand, stood patiently waiting for her.

      As Maitlyn eased down the stairs, Zak’s eyes widened with appreciation.

      As they headed in the direction of the elevators, they crossed paths with Gerard and Frank. Both men voiced their concern for her health, seemingly interested in her well-being. Maitlyn was polite as she expressed her gratitude for their kind words. She stepped into Zak’s side, leaning her body toward his. As the elevator stopped before them, Zak rested a possessive hand against her lower back and guided her into the conveyor. Taking the hint, Gerard and Frank gave them both a casual wave, opting to walk the stairs instead.

      When the doors closed Maitlyn stepped away from Zak’s touch and turned to face him. She stared up into his eyes. “I think someone drugged me,” she stated, her voice a loud whisper. “One of them or that other man, their friend Alexander Lloyd.”

      Zak returned her intense look. “I thought he was your friend, too. That Lloyd guy?”

      She shrugged, her brow creasing in thought. “I thought he was nice. When we first met, he tried to buy me a drink, but I turned him down. I told him I don’t drink, and he was very nice about it. He seemed...well...I...” She trailed off, not wanting Zak to think that there had ever been anything between her and the cute blond man. “I just don’t know him like that,” she finally sputtered.

      Zak studied her for a brief moment, his gaze soothing.

      Then a stray strand of hair fell over her eye, and he brushed it from her face with the tips of his fingers. As he did, she leaned her forehead into his palm and closed her eyes. The gesture felt intimate and both felt the air between them catch deep in their chests; oxygen suddenly felt like a precious commodity.

      “I’ll take care of it,” Zak finally said, his head bobbing gently against his broad shoulders. As the doors opened, he stepped out ahead of her and hesitated. After turning an about-face, Zak extended his hand in her direction. In that moment Maitlyn instinctively trusted that if any man could right all the wrongs in the world, Zak Sayed would. After reaching her hand toward him, she entwined her fingers between his. And when he smiled, Maitlyn melted beneath the sheer beauty of it.

      Chapter 4

      Maitlyn laughed as Zak hit the punch line of the story he’d been telling her. Her joyous expression moved Zak to laugh along with her. He lifted his wineglass and took a sip of the Riesling he’d paired with his salmon entrée. Before he could drop the crystal goblet back to the table, their waiter was at his elbow refilling his glass.

      “Thank you, Henry,” Zak said.

      The young man nodded. “And you, madam? Would you like more water?”

      “No, thank you,” Maitlyn answered. “I am full.”

      “Are you sure?” Zak pressed. “Coffee, tea, more dessert?”

      Maitlyn giggled, pressing her palm against her abdomen. “Really, I couldn’t eat another bite without getting sick again.”

      “Well, we definitely don’t want you sick again,” Zak said in agreement. “I like this suit!”

      Maitlyn’s eyes widened. “Please don’t tell me I got sick on your suit.”

      Zak leaned back in his seat and crossed his hands together in his lap. He smiled brightly, his eyes gleaming.

      Maitlyn persisted. “Did I? I didn’t, did I?”

      “You asked me not to