Under Her Spell by Isabella Ashe Read Free Book Online Page B

you're spending time with the wrong women. Like your ex-wife, for example." Zach's amused smile twisted into a grimace at the barb. "That's right, I read the papers." She stopped abruptly, seeing the pain in Zach's eyes. "I'm sorry," she said, more softly now. "I shouldn't have brought that up."
    "No. No, it's all right," he said. "You have a point. Since Eve left, I've been -- let's say I've been somewhat cynical where romance is concerned."
    "I can't say I blame you," Bryony said. "From what I read, it sounded like a spectacularly bitter divorce."
Zach nodded, his rugged face ravaged by the memory. "What can I say? I was throwing every cent I had into the magazine. Eve couldn't wait for the Skeptical Observer to start turning a profit. When she told me she was leaving me for another man -- someone who could support her in the proper style -- I went ballistic."
    He winced and rubbed his forehead as if he had developed a sudden pounding headache. "I wanted to punish her. I thought if I dragged it out, made all the sordid details public, I might feel better. I didn't, though. I got to keep the magazine, but in the end it wasn't worth it."
    "At least there were no children," Bryony said.
    "Of course not. I wanted kids, but Eve wouldn't hear of it. Not until we could afford a live-in nanny and then boarding school."
    Bryony tried to hide her shock. She couldn't imagine how Zach could have loved such a cold, calculating woman.
    "Obviously, she didn't tell me any of this until we were married," he said "Even then, I thought she'd change eventually, grow up a little. I was wrong."
    Zach fell silent, and they walked along the water's edge as the sun began to slip below the horizon. It cast a golden glow along the sands of the nearly deserted beach. It was a clear evening without much wind. Only the distant screech of a seagull and the low roar of the tranquil surf broke the hush. "Look," Bryony said, as the risen moon cast a shaft of spangled light over the water.
    "It's incredible here," Zach said. "So peaceful."
    "I know. I could never live anywhere else."
    "You grew up in Cypress Point?"
    "In the same house where I live now," Bryony said. "My parents . . . ." She had to fight back the sadness. "My parents willed it to me."
    "Then they're --" Zach began.
    Bryony nodded, her eyes on the sand, her throat tight with grief. "About a year ago. They'd finally retired, decided to relax and have some fun. They were sailing around the world when they disappeared in a storm. We kept hoping, for days and days, but --"
    "I'm sorry," Zach said.
    "It's all right." Bryony glanced up at him, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. She was astonished by the empathy plain on his face. There wasn't a trace of mockery in his expression now. "At least they died together. If you'd known them, you would understand why that's important. They loved each other so much," she said, almost wistfully. "Mom was at the center of my father's universe. Sometimes I think I'll never find that kind of love."
    "And you won't settle for anything less," Zach said.
    "Of course not." Bryony laughed wryly. "So you see why the men I've dated didn't have a chance."
    "Maybe you're spending time with the wrong men," Zach said, throwing her own words back at her.
    Bryony laughed and shook her head. "You could be right," she said, thinking of her last two boyfriends. They'd been nice enough, but they'd never confused and excited her the way Zach did. As much as he infuriated, annoyed, and challenged her, Bryony found herself enjoying his company.
    It had been a long time since she'd been alone with a male she hadn't gone to elementary school with. Perhaps it Zach's air of mystery that attracted her. She never knew what to expect from him. One minute he was needling her, the next he was sensitive and kind.
    "We should start back," she said at last, though she was reluctant to suggest it. "See, we're almost to the promontory." She pointed toward the finger of solid rock jutting from