Defending Zara (Mountain Mercenaries #6)(63)

Meat got it, he did, but he wasn’t sure that was what Zara needed right now. She needed to make connections with people who weren’t also reminding her of what she’d lost. She’d changed a hell of a lot since she was ten, and Meat liked who she’d become. “You’re not going to be upset if I stay while you’re meeting with her, are you?” he asked.

Zara shook her head. “No. And I’d like to introduce you to her. I mean, she’s heard all about how wonderful you are.”

“You tell her what I do?” he asked, concerned.

Zara nodded. “A little. I mean, she knows you make furniture, but I might’ve also told her that you used to be in the Army, and that you were down in Peru working on a case about exploited children when we met.”

Meat nodded. “Let’s keep it vague, all right? I know she’s your friend, but typically, we don’t go around sharing that we’re a part of the Mountain Mercenaries or telling people what we do.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t put you or the others in danger. Besides, Renee wouldn’t hurt a fly. She’s a hairdresser, for goodness’ sake. Oh . . . and speaking of which. If things go well, she said she’d be happy to do something about my hair.” Zara grimaced. “It’s getting more and more obvious that I did my own hack job on it. She said she could even it up. She offered to dye it if I wanted, but—”

“No!” Meat exclaimed, startling Zara, and she flinched back. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just . . . I love the color it is now. It’s unusual, just like you.”

“It’s brown, Meat. It’s not unusual at all,” Zara said wryly.

Meat’s hand went to her hair, and he fingered a lock. “You have the kind of hair women spend their whole lives in a salon trying to achieve. It’s brown, yes, but it’s got shades of red hidden in there too. It’s dark and deep, just like you. It makes your blue eyes pop, and the way it frames your face makes me think of a mischievous little fairy.” When she kept looking at him with a frown, Meat sighed and dropped his hand. “I’m not that good with words, but your hair is beautiful. Renee can style it for you and trim it, but honestly, don’t let her mess with the color.”

“Okay,” Zara whispered. Then she leaned forward and shoved her hands behind his back and snuggled into him. “Have I told you lately how much I love the bed you got me?”

Meat inhaled deeply, loving her fresh and clean scent. He knew she was sensitive to the way her body smelled; he couldn’t blame her, after spending as much time on the streets as she had. She’d begun to experiment with different kinds of soap. Morgan had sent over a whole box of fancy feminine shit she’d picked up at the mall, and Zara was currently wearing something that reminded him of a field of flowers right after a rainstorm.

“Yeah, Zar, you’ve mentioned it a time or two,” he told her with a chuckle.

“Well, I do. And that pillow you bought for me is awesome. It’s soft, but not too soft.”

“Glad you like it.”

“But you know what I like better?”

“What?”

She picked her head up and looked him in the eye. “Your shoulder.”

Meat didn’t know how to respond to that. He’d liked it a hell of a lot in Peru when she’d fallen asleep against him and had used his body as a pillow, but they hadn’t repeated the experience since she’d been at his house. “Yeah?”

“Mmm-hmm. It’s hard—not as hard as the ground, but not like a feather pillow either. It’s also warm, and I swear I’m always cold. I have no idea how I’m going to make it through the winter here in Colorado. Once upon a time I loved playing in the snow, but after spending so much time in Peru, I think my cold genes have gone into hibernation or disappeared altogether.”

Meat smiled at her and palmed the back of her head, gently forcing it back to his shoulder. He could feel the warmth of her body all along his; it made him hard, and he knew she could probably feel him between her legs. But after the first time it had happened, while she’d cuddled with him one night on the couch, she hadn’t seemed to be bothered by his body’s reaction to her.

Meat didn’t respond. He simply enjoyed holding her. His ribs were healing nicely, and he felt only a twinge every now and then when he moved too quickly. Holding Zara definitely wasn’t a hardship.

“Do you think Renee will like me?” Zara asked quietly after a while.

“Of course. She wants to meet with you, doesn’t she?” Meat asked.

Zara nodded against him. “I just . . . I miss Mags and the other women down in Peru. I worry about them. There are days when I feel like I’m in a completely different world than they are, then I think about what they might be doing, what they may or may not be eating, wonder if they’re safe from the police that patrol the area. And I feel guilty that I’m here, safe and sound. I kinda feel as if I’ve abandoned them. I think that’s why it’s been so hard for me to connect with Allye and the others. I almost feel like I’m cheating on Mags and everyone else. I know they wouldn’t think that way, of course.”

She sighed lightly. “After I meet with Renee, I’m going to reach out to Morgan and the other women again. I know it’s important to you . . . and that makes it important to me too.”