Click… click… click…

The sound continued without any specific rhythm and Kendall found herself annoyingly roused from slumber. As she blinked awake, she had to shield her eyes from the sunlight streaming in the windows at the foot of the bed – and take a moment to gain her bearings. The windows were beside her bed, not at the end… where had she spent the night? She pushed herself up on her elbows and looked around, memory of the night before flooding back as she observed Zach Slater laying what appeared to be an entire wardrobe at the foot of the bed.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he said with a smile. "Coffee first? Or would you like to look at these?" He dropped the items in his hands and stepped to the side of the bed holding a robe for her to put on. As she noticed the robe, she looked down and realized that she was completely naked except for the covers that reached only to her waist.

"Good morning… I think," she mumbled. She completely remembered the night before, but was still groggy enough to feel like it might have been a dream. Her lack of clothing, though, indicated that it wasn't. She looked at Zach and attempted a half smile as she noticed that he was fully dressed – and it wasn't the suit he had worn the night before.

"Kendall…" Zach began as he realized her disorientation. "Do you remember anything that happened last night… after we… uh… consumed… that bottle of cognac?" He was immediately concerned that she wouldn't remember the previous night – and wasn't sure what to tell her if that was the case.

"We… um… consumed each other if that wasn't just a dream," she said with what she hoped was a very innocent expression.

He grinned broadly, "It definitely was not a dream."

"Mmm… can I tell you a secret?" she whispered as she crooked her finger for him to lean in closer. He bent down and she whispered into his ear, "I think I like cognac much better than champagne…"

Zach turned his head to look at her without understanding the reference, but found her mouth so inviting that he just had to kiss it. As his lips touched hers, the spark between them flared once again… but he pulled away after a moment and assisted her from the bed. He held her robe, helped her put in her arms and tied it around her before handing her a cup of coffee while she stood looking at him no differently than if he had been a real wolf instead of the imagined one from the previous evening.

"What?" he finally said in irritation. "Why do you keep staring at me?"

She shook her head and took a sip of the coffee before answering, "Was that really you last night? I kind of expected to feel… I don't know… guilt? …Regret? Something unpleasant when I woke this morning…"

He looked at her with sadness in his eyes, "…and what do you feel?"

She smiled at him and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek, "I feel happy… I don't know why… but I'm not going to fight it." She set her coffee on the table, stretching and yawning before asking, "What time is it anyway?"

"Nearly noon," Zach answered. "And I've never seen anyone sleep so soundly in my life. I made several phone calls and took deliveries from room service, housekeeping, and this…" he finished sweeping his arm to encompass the clothing that was neatly stacked on every available chair and table in the room.

She giggled before answering, "I didn't see anything on that pre-nup about the fashion industry."

He looked up with a smile, "You needed something to wear home… I made a call."

"Zach… a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt would get me home! This is an entire wardrobe!" she shook her head in disbelief before picking up her coffee and taking another sip. "Did you get a new wardrobe, too?"

He looked at her with as somber an expression as he could muster but the twinkle in his eyes belied his pleasure at the surprise. With a short chuckle he responded, "No… I had some things delivered while you were in your coma."

"My what?" she said with a laugh.

"My day started hours ago. I guess you consumed more of that cognac than I…" he replied.

"I wasn't drunk… I was relaxed," she interrupted. "That's what happens when your bones turn to liquid."

Zach laughed with real pleasure, wishing they had time for him to turn her bones to liquid again – but they had an afternoon flight to Vegas that she didn't even know about yet. He stood back and allowed her to examine the clothing he had ordered for her and wondered if she would notice the matched set of luggage in the corner. He had risen with the sun, too wound up to sleep and had quietly moved about their room trying to decide how much of what she had said and done the previous evening should be taken seriously. His mind had been made up, though, when he had picked up the pre-nup and found she had signed it. Obviously she had been very serious… and he acted on her requests. By contacting a few key people, he arranged to have a small wardrobe and luggage purchased and delivered to their hotel room, flights to Vegas arranged, and a change of clothes for himself delivered from The Seasons. Kendall would not have to return to her condo until after they were married, unless she applied brakes to his plans.

After a few minutes, she smiled in approval of his purchases. "Did you describe what you wanted? Or did you leave it up to a personal shopper?" she asked curiously.

"A personal shopper. You'll find luggage over there, and whatever you don't like can be left here to be returned to the store. I booked us on a three o'clock flight to Vegas… unless you've changed your mind?" he said in a businesslike tone.

"My goodness… you have been busy," she said. "So… you're going to steal me away to Vegas before I can change my mind?"

"No… you asked me to make the arrangements and that's what I did. You can change your mind at any time… and still keep the clothes," he said quietly. "I've told you before that I have no interest in marrying you against your will or your better judgment. The next move is entirely up to you."

She did a small curtsey before smiling up at his face, "Thank you. I love it when a plan falls into place… in fact, I'm not even going to call Fusion and tell them I'm not coming. Hell… Ethan's probably fired me anyway."

"I'm afraid you may be right," Zach answered. At her look of shock he held up his hand, "Sorry… that's just a guess… I have no inside information. There's not a single person who would tell me if I called, so I didn't bother. But the thought had crossed my mind."

"So what… when we get Cambias it will be mine again… and I can fire his ass!" she said with a rueful grin.

Kendall began busily packing her new clothing, but Zach pulled her into his arms for a light kiss before saying, "Hey… why don't you go take a shower. I'll do that for you."

She looked at him in surprise, not expecting that he would be the type to care about her clothing, much less offer to pack for her. There was definitely a gentleman hiding beneath that dangerous exterior – but she would keep his secret for the time being. And she wasn't going to comment either, because he might stop pampering her if she pointed it out and she was enjoying this indulgence. Where Ethan had always been cloying and needy, Zach was just the right combination of attentive yet aloof and allowed her all the space she required.

"Thanks… I think I will," she answered as she walked toward the bathroom. She turned to him once, "This was very thoughtful… and it is appreciated… but don't set the bar too high or you'll never be able to live up to my expectations."

Zach laughed at her as she closed the bathroom door and started the shower. He finished packing her things and sat down to enjoy another cup of coffee and check the financial ticker on the all news channel while he waited. He had already arranged for his car to be brought to the service entrance and they would be leaving through the kitchen to avoid any friends or family who might be watching the entrances.