A Facade to Shatter(20)

But she would. She would, damn it, if that’s what it took. She wasn’t half-bad with plants. Maybe she could get a job in a nursery, or in someone’s garden. She could prune plants, coax forth blooms, mulch and pot and plan seasonal beds.

It wasn’t much, but it was something.

Tears filled her eyes and she dashed them away angrily. Eventually, she fell asleep again. When she woke this time, it was full daylight. She got up and dressed. She thought about ordering room service again, but she needed to be careful with her expenses. She would go and find a diner somewhere, a place she could eat cheaply.

And then she would figure out what to do.

Lia swept her long hair into a ponytail and grabbed her purse. She was just about to open the door when someone knocked on it. The housekeeper, no doubt. She pulled open the door.

Except it wasn’t the housekeeper.

Lia’s heart dipped into her toes at the sight of Zach on the threshold. But then it rose hotly as anger beat a pulse through her veins. He’d been so cruel to her last night.

“What do you want?” she asked, holding the door tight with one hand. Ready to slam it on him.

“To talk to you.”

He was so handsome he made her ache. And that only made her madder. Was she really such a pushover for a pretty face? Was that how she’d found herself in this predicament? The first man to ever pay any real attention to her had the body of a god and the face of an angel—was it any wonder she’d fallen beneath his spell?

This time she would be strong. She gripped the door hard, her knuckles whitening. “I understood you the first time. What more can you have to say?”

He blew out a breath, focused on the wall of windows behind her head. “I called Taylor.”

Her heart throbbed with a new emotion. Jealousy. “And this concerns me how?”

“You know how, Lia. Let me in so we can talk.”

She wanted to say no, wanted to slam the door in his face—but she couldn’t do it. Wordlessly, she pulled the door open. Then she turned her back on him and went over to the couch to sit and wait. He came inside and stood a few feet away, his hands shoved into his jeans pockets.

“You went to see Taylor,” he said. “To find out where I lived.”

She lifted her chin. “I knew you lived in Washington, D.C. You told me so.”

“Yes, but it’s a big city. And you needed an address.”

She toyed with the edge of her sleeve. “I’d have found you. You did tell me about your father, if you recall.”

But it would have been much harder, which was why she’d gone to see Taylor. And how embarrassing that had been. She’d had to explain to a complete stranger that she needed to find Zach because she had something to tell him.

Taylor hadn’t accepted that excuse. She’d demanded to know more. Lia hadn’t blamed her, since she was Zach’s friend, but it was still a humiliating experience. Taylor hadn’t actually believed her—until she’d produced the medal. Lia still wasn’t certain that Taylor believed everything, but she’d relented at that point because she’d believed enough.

“You’ve gone to a lot of trouble,” he said.

Lia swallowed. What could she say? I had no choice? My family will be furious? I’m afraid?

“A baby needs two parents,” she said. “And a man should know if he’s going to be a father.”

“And just what did you expect me to do about it, sugar?”

Irritation zipped through her like a lash. Sugar wasn’t an endearment, spoken like this; it was a way of keeping her at a distance. Of objectifying her. “You know my name. I’d prefer you use it.”

His eyes flashed. “Lia, then. Answer the question.”

She folded her arms and looked toward the windows. She could see the white dome of the Capitol building sitting on the hill. Why had she chosen this hotel? It was far too expensive. If her grandmother cut off her credit cards, she’d be doing dishes in the hotel kitchen for the next ten years just to pay for one night.

“I thought you would want to know.”

“You could have called.”

She swung back to look at him. “Are you serious? Would you want this kind of news over the phone?”

He didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled something from his rear pocket and tapped it on his palm. “How much money do you want, Lia?”

Her heart turned to stone in her chest as she realized he was holding a checkbook. And though she needed money—desperately—it hurt that he thought all he needed to do was buy her off.