Free Forever (Time for Love Book 1) by Miranda P. Charles

said.
    "I thought you want them to go with us to the theatre tomorrow night, Gran," Zach interjected.
    "Oh, I'll be more than glad to go to the theatre with you tomorrow, Magda," Rebecca said. "I've been wanting to watch that show, too."
    "Can I tag along?" Alix asked with an engaging grin that Zach wanted to wipe off the man's face.
    "Of course. You're more than welcome," Magda said with a pleased smile. "What about you, Sarah?"
    "Yes, I'll go with you. Bec and I have been looking forward to seeing that show. Would you like to join us, Ron?" Sarah asked the other man.
    "Sure. Sounds like fun."
    "Great!" Magda said. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow night. Well, you young people enjoy yourselves. I'm off to bed now."
    "Can I see you girls after I escort my grandmother to her room?" Zach asked, looking at Rebecca.
    "What for, Zachary?" Magda asked suspiciously.
    "Just to discuss your diet. I want to know too, but I'll be busy with phone calls tomorrow morning."
    "It's night time. Let them have some fun," Magda said.
    Hell, no, Zach thought. Not with Alix.
    "You don't need both Sarah and me, do you, Zach?" Rebecca asked. "I'm happy to meet with you tonight. I can brief Sarah later."
    "No, I only need you," he confirmed with a ghost of a smile.
    "Are you sure, Rebecca?" Magda asked with concern. "Zach can talk to you tomorrow."
    "It's fine, Magda."
    "How long will you take?" Alix asked, looking both hopeful and disappointed.
    "Long," Zach answered, barely glancing at Alix. He didn't mean to be rude, but everything about him felt antagonistic toward the man. He turned to Rebecca. "Walk with us?"
    "Yes," she said with a pretty smile.
    With squinted eyes, Magda glanced at him and Rebecca. Then, smiling brightly, she said goodnight to the others before taking Rebecca's arm and walking off.
    Zach raked his hair as he walked with the two women. He was becoming careless around his grandmother. And he still had no idea how the hell he would keep his hands off Rebecca tonight, now that he'd managed to pry her loose from someone else's covetous grip.
    But keep his hands off her, he must. It wouldn't be fair to get his grandmother's hopes up—his own hopes up—if Rebecca had ulterior motives.
    He peered at her. She was smiling at Magda, who was regaling her about her day. His heart warmed at the picture—his two favourite women in the world.
    His eyebrows rose at his thought. Ah hell, this was really bad. He felt he was fighting a losing battle—one he simply couldn't afford to lose.

CHAPTER NINE
    R ebecca only half-listened to Magda's happy prattle about her day as they walked to her suite. She had a fixed smile on her face, which no doubt Magda took as a response to her stories. In truth, it was from anticipation of when she and Zach would be alone.
    Zach hadn't looked too pleased to see her and the others at the restaurant. It didn't escape her notice that he'd glowered at Alix the whole time. That made her heart sing. She'd never given Zach any reason to be jealous in the past, but she'd seen that look before—when his brother Greg had flirted with her once, and when Magda's physiotherapist had kept touching Rebecca as they'd put Magda through her exercises when Magda was recovering from her surgery. That physio got fired. Magda had said that, apparently, a better one was suggested to Zach.
    Zach had never admitted to firing the guy. Rebecca remembered how intent she'd been on getting him to acknowledge that she'd been the reason for the man getting sacked. She'd been desperate for Zach to admit his feelings because she'd been so insecure in their relationship.
    Surprisingly, this time she was okay with Zach not professing love for her. Probably because she had accepted the fact that whatever Zach was feeling wasn't love—yet. But even though it was all lust on his part, she was grateful she had this opportunity to show him she loved him, and hoped that someday he might be able to return that love.
    And if he never did? She felt a